Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 192

 

Welcome back to the Farngirl Friday Blog Hop! 

Have you met Paula from At Home With Us Blog?

 

She's been hopping with us from day one. Last week she shared some of her beautiful crochet handwork. 

She has a merino/cashmere blend shawl for sale. It’s a beautiful crescent/heart shape that clings well around the shoulders.

 Just look at the pretty detailing. The colors are so soft and springlike too. It would be perfect for this years floral print summer dresses don't you think?

She's asking $50.00 for it which I think is a steal for all the time it must have taken her to create it.

If only I could sit still for that long!

Easter and Mothers Day are just around the corner! 

 

My Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Order arrived last week! Yahoo!

 Head on over to the BEACH Farmgirl Blog for a full garden update.

Did you miss Debbie ( Farmgirl Unleashed ) last week? She was off enjoying some treasured time with her grandson and she's at a retreat this weekend but she'll be back next Friday. She misses you and says howdy!

Time to get your farmgirl on! Thank you all so much for coming by our little ole hop each week! 

Have a great FARMGIRL weekend! 

Branches in Bloom

I'm so looking forward to the first  blossoms of spring this year and I bet some of my northeast friends are too!  As I was looking back at some photos this morning I came across these images of some dogwood tree and white lilac blooms my hubby brought home from his mom's garden for me to play with a couple springs ago.

I love to use branches in bloom to make simple no-fuss arrangements to place around the house.

Don't be afraid to get out there and snip some branches for yourself. They don't last that long outside so go ahead and cut a few branches to bring inside before they are in full flower to force. You'll get a good week, week and a half of beautiful spring blooms to enjoy inside.

For shorter, smaller bouquets simply cut the stems so that the flowers will just come above the top of the vase by a few inches or so. Don't try to make it look too perfect. They aren't that way on the trees so why force them to behave in a vase? This goes for larger arrangements like the one below too. 

I find lilac cuttings to be a little less unruly to work with than the dogwood branches so  place them in the pitcher first to provide stability. Then you can just tuck in the dogwood branches like 'bookends' to frame the lilacs. 

Aren't they gorgeous? 

What are some of your favorite branches in bloom? Do you bring them inside to enjoy? Just about anything that flowers can go in a vase so be creative and have fun bringing in spring! 

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 191 and HAPPY SPRING

What could be more fun than rounding up your best farmgirl pals into one place and swapping stories, sharing recipes, homesteading tips, gardening and homemaking wisdom, successes and failures, and fun giveaways? 

   Why, it must be Farmgirl Friday! And, the first day of Spring to boot!

Wanna hear something funny? It's snowing... Yep! I can't even...

Let's get hopping shall we. I'm sure spring is visiting some of you and I aim to find it! 

How did you celebrate the first day of Spring? 

I ate chocolate...

BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: A Kid's Guide to KEEPING CHICKENS

 Bawk, bawk, bawk, baaaawk! Calling all chicken keepers with kid's! This is your lucky day! 

I'm so pleased to be a part of this book review blog tour!

Melissa Caughey of the popular blog Tilly's Nest and Storey Publishing are giving away one copy of her fantabulous new book,

A Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens to one lucky Dandelion House reader! 

I wish a book like this had been around when we began our chicken keeping adventures 8 years ago. At the time our children were 8 and 10 years old. We got the caring for chickens basics covered but Melissa takes backyard chicken keeping to a whole nuther level. I just know our kids would have loved digging into the chapter on Chicken Crafts where they could have learned how to make an egg carton treasure box and how to blow out and egg and decorate it. Or  how to sketch a chicken to hang on the frig or in the family art gallery. We could have used a few pointers on taming chickens too which is also covered in this book.

Mom's, Dad's and Grandparents will love the chapter on creating a chicken-friendly garden too! What better way to get your kids involved in gardening than creating  safe pecking grounds for the family flock?  And, if you're brand new to keeping chickens Melissa covers everything you need to know about creating a healthy home and proper care and handling of your new chicks!  

This book covers it all with adorable kid-friendly illustrations alongside beautiful photography featuring kids and chickens together. Just as it should be! 

Enter to win Melissa Caughey's, A Kids Guide to KEEPING CHICKENS!

I'll announce the winner a week from today!

GOOD LUCK! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the blog tour for more chances to win!

 Tuesday, March 17th:

Louise's Country Closet

www.louises-country-closet.com

Wednesday, March 18th:

Chicken Art

www.chickenart.com

Thursday, March 19th:

The Chicken Chick

www.The-Chicken-Chick.com   

Monday, March 23rd

Laughing Crow & Company

http://www.laughingcrowco.com/

 

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 190

 

Welcome back to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop!

190 weeks of farmgirl fun and ingenuity! 

Your entries never disappoint! 

Every week you come through with the BEST DIY projects, heart warming stories, tried and true crafts, farm animal love and care, farm, garden and homestead tips, recipes, frugal living tips and more!

This weeks featured farmgirl is Linda Nelson from at the creataearie blog. After living under a big blanket of winter white for weeks on end, seeing her earthy green flower art just made my heart sing.

Did you get by to see her Relief Yourself creation and tutorial? I loved it and she makes it look so easy to make one of your own. Plus, it's green and St. Patrick's day is coming!

  Spring is poppin' over at Big Sky Acres ( Farmgirl Unleashed ). Signs of spring are popping up everywhere! Debbie is starting seeds this week and she's got a new potting bench to add to the excitement! It's a beauty! 

We can't wait to see what you've got up your farmgirl sleeves this week as we wind down to the first day of spring!

Bring it on farmgirls! 

Thank You Sarah Hudock!

 One of the biggest joys about writing for MaryJanesFarm Magazine are the amazingly kind and talented artisans I get to meet through my YET ANOTHER Girl Genius features. Melissa Caughey ( creator of  the well known Tilly's Nest blog AND future Girl Genius) introduced me to the beautiful and funny world of Miss Sarah Hudock and the rest as they say is chickory. 

I feel so blessed to be able to share such inspiring and talented ARTISANS with the world. It's a good feeling to shine the light on others! 

So, thank you, Melissa and Sarah for being such a special part of my flock. 

And a big ole hug to Sarah for sending me and the Dandelion House "Girls " one of her Chicken Art Tin Signs for the coop! It's beautiful! We luvs it!  

MaryJanesFarm can be purchased at all book stores and some Tractor Supply stores and you can also subscribe here! 

Do you know a farmgirl who you think would make a great Girl Genius feature? 

Send me an email and tell me who!

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 189

 

 Dear farmgirl friends,

Woot! Woot! 

Welcome back to another week of Farmgirl Fun! 

I don't know about you, but I'm  feeling a little giddy about springing ahead this weekend! Just that one hour of extra daylight is all I need to turn my back on winter until next year! But that's not the only reason I'm doing the happy dance. 

My April/May issue of MaryJanesFarm Magazine is about to arrive any day now! I adore each and every issue of this magazine. Even though I contribute to it as the Beach Farmgirl Blogger and my in print features, Yet another GIRL GENIUS with Deb, I'm still just a MaryJanesFarm farmgirl groupie at heart! 

This issue is extra special to me because two of my dear friends are being featured! Both of them so talented and generous. Each of them have sponsored giveaways for Dandelion House and many others too!

 My GIRL GENIUS in the upcoming issue is the talented Sarah Hudock!

 

 She's the funny and talented creator of Light Hearted Chicken Art Tin Signs and more! Keep your eyes peeled for another giveaway in the spring, featuring her NEW designs for 2015.

 

Sarah also does custom signs too, like the one pictured above for Tredway Farm!

 MaryJane Butters has written a 6 page spread on prolific author, illustrator, writer and speaker, Sharon Lovejoy.  If you have children, or grandchildren, and you garden then you probably know Sharon too! 

With titles like Hollyhock Days, Sunflower Houses and Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots, how can you resist? Visit Sharon's book store for more garden inspiration!

I know you'll love getting to know these two farmgirls better so pick be sure to go out and get a copy of MaryJanesFarm Magazine or subscribe here! 

There's way more farmgirl fun to enjoy in the pages of MaryJanesFarm!

Now it's time to get YOUR farmgirl on!!! Link up your favorite posts for all things, farm, garden, home, crafts, bees, chickens, goats, llamas, homesteading, DIY etc... and be sure to leave a note on the garden gate on your way out! 

My co-hostess Debbie, of Farmgirl Unleashed  has been praying the recent snowfall doesn't have her doing the sump- pump boogie again but she's not letting that stop her from garden planning and winter beekeeping chores. Be sure to stop by and see her amazing succession planting spreadsheet and a look at how her hives held up this winter!

We are so glad you stop by to share with us each week! 

Happy Friday, farmgirls! 

Have a great week! See you on the hop!