Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 161 & My Tiny Harvest

 

 Welcome back farmgirl friends and happy Farmgirl Friday. I'm so glad you are here to share what's doin' on your family farms and homesteads. June is an exciting time for us farmgirls isn't it?

Things are finally starting to bloom and most of our seeds and seedlings are in! This week one of my peonies came into bloom and the fragrance is just intoxicating. I've got three bouquet's in my kitchen/dining room area and I'm in heaven with the shear beauty and scent of these lovely old fashioned blooms. As I cut a bucket full to make bouquets I couldn't help but feel over joyed at the beauty of these blooms. After all, they are only here for such a short time!

Just like the ripe strawberries I picked from the garden too! Heck, I didn't even plant these little puppies. I'm pretty the previous owners planted them in a little bed at one time. When we expanded that same garden area I just left them there to see what would happen. They continue to spread and thrive. I wish I knew what variety they are.

Last year we got one tiny bowl of berries and the birds got the rest. This year the bounty was a little bigger and I think we'll get one more bowl full before our strawberry harvest season is over.

These didn't last long. I washed them and we at them as soon as I brought them in. No cooking, canning, or storing with such a tiny harvest. Just mouthwatering pleasure and instant farmgirl gratification! It's not the size of your plot or pot that makes your homestead " successful". When you appreciate every little growing thing you plant and care for you'll be blessed with bountiful rewards with the tiniest of harvests. 

Lastly, I got my herbs and veggies planted in my raised beds yesterday under a very cloudy sky. Today, it's raining down on them! 

It's hard to believe in a few short weeks it will look like this again! 

What are you feeling especially happy about on your homesteads this June? Are you having success and trying new things? How about any challenges?

Link up and share your gardens, home remedies, recipes, and homesteading wisdom with your favorite farmgirls! And be sure to stop by and see my co-hostess Debbie at Farmgirl Unleashed .
She's Busy as a Bee with her new bee hives! 

 Let's hope she's been able to get back to work on her Indiana farm, Big Sky Acres!

As always, we thank you for your participation in the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

 You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 160 and Hollyhocks!

Hollyhock 2012 Garden

Happy Farmgirl Friday everyone and welcome! As you can see in the photo above, the chicken garden is growing. I'm over the moon to see that my beloved hollyhock has returned to grace the corner of the hen-house once again. They are bi -annuals and I missed it so last year.

They add just the right touch of cottage-farm romance to the garden don't they? 

How is your garden/homestead/farming year going so far?  Great? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Tell us about it!

Debbie of Farmgirl Unleashed  ( my co- hostess and farmgirl in crime ) and I are anxious to see what you've all been up to this week! 

 Brag a little ( or a lot ) about your farmgirl talents! Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea! Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends! 

As always, we thank you for your participation in the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

 You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters

BEACH Cottage Reveal!!!

Before I get going on my cottage tour I want to thank everyone who linked up and shared their fabulous sewing projects during the month of May! You kept me inspired to finish up some sewing of my own so we would be ready for a photo shoot for our upcoming feature in South Shore Living Magazine. Nothing like having a professional photographer come to your house to get you on your decorating toes! So, without further adieu, come on in! The Sea Horse is open!

 The top photo ( inside that cute new frame ) was taken a decade ago. It's so hard to believe our little beach bums are young adults now. I'm here to tell you that you don't need a lot of square footage, the latest in coastal trend decor, or even an indoor shower to enjoy family time at the beach. In fact, we prefer the rustic conditions of our solar powered beach cottage.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE AND THE BEACH! 

This view is from our bedroom looking out into the sunny kitchen. The cottage is small and scarcely decorated to keep things light and airy! It's anything but when you add 4 grown people and one hairy Corgi! Many of our items we have crafted or painted ourselves over the years. I painted the kitchen table, the dresser and the top of that little blue table my hubby made from an oar. I also made the curtains with a sailing them in mind.

I made the valances so they would hang flat, rather than bunched and inserted grommet in the top corner of each panel. Then with a twist of a large sized cup hook they were hung in an instant. 

To make a valance like this one. Measure the width of your window and add enough to make a half inch hem on both sides. To figure out how tall to make your valance, measure the drop from the top of where your valance will hang and add enough on the top and bottom for a half inch hem. You don't even need to sew a pocket in the top since you aren't using a rod for hanging.

I made a similar valance for our bathroom window but this one has a 2 inch rod pocket at the top. 

 

 Most of the pillows are new ( great bargains at Home Goods) but one is handmade and special...

Can you tell which one it is? You guessed it! The floral pillow was a vintage table cloth. I loved the colors and with all these stripes, I just had to have some flowers somewhere!

We have two futons on our 9 x 16 sleeping porch. I opted out of the matchy-matchy look and went with different pillows and a bright coral herringbone throw for this one. My mom painted the pretty yellow cottage painting and my hubby took the other photograph.

We have one wall shingled inside the porch so it feels as if it's part of an outdoor room. 

I found the mirror with hooks at Walmart several years ago and I love the double duty it provides in our small space.

 

This little cabinet was a road side find. I paid $5.00 for it and it fits in this space perfectly.

Isn't this a great pic of our daughter? What can I say? Moving right along...

 

Our small vintage dresser sits at the foot of our bed and serves as dresser and sideboard for books, candles, sunglasses, phones and what ever else may get dropped there during the day. In this picture it's nice and neat for you!

Our room is so small book shelves take the place of traditional nightstands. Which at the beach, is perfect!

 

 

 I made the ticking curtains too! Same principle as the valances but if you want them to bunch up then double the width. At 423 square feet you might say our little beach cottage qualifies as a tiny home. It was originally built in the 1950's then survived a decorating attack in the 1970's and over the last twenty years we ( along with our family ) have brought back some of it's original charm and kept its retro spirit with out getting too theme specific.

Now, who's ready for a little sumthin', sumthin' to eat and drink?