From the Farm...

Just a few early morning pictures I took.  Love that fog!

Simply Bungalow

Hey everybody!  Just wanted to take a minute and say thank you to Heidi of Simply Bungalow for ordering my products and stocking them in her wonderful store!  Just thought I'd share a few pictures from her shop, and invite you all to check out her wares!  See you Thursday!

Rust & Ruffles Ball

So I thought I'd check in with everyone before the day was done, and show you what Vanessa and I are working on for the Bloggers Ball in October, put on by Come Junk With Us.  It's going to be a blast, and I hope you check out their website for all the details!  Tickets are limited, so make sure and purchase them quick!

Vanessa is going to wear the Vintage Whites dress, and I in the Twig dress.  We've just started cutting up old fabrics and lace, so they're still pretty rough but I couldn't resist showing you some pictures! 

Let me know if you're planning on going to the ball!  See you Monday.

Things Bloggers Do #10

10.  Chippy Paint.

WE LOVE IT. Well, I do anyway. It makes me so happy to get a piece of furniture that is totally chipped up and flaking off everywhere, and put it in my house. Nothing looks better!

I realized this as I was searching for a mantle that I loved.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but Tanner is a little bit of a stud, and he can build things. He needs his own show, like Bob the Builder. Or Tim the Toolman, sans creepy grunting and accidents. (Am I the only one who couldn’t stand the theme song to Home Improvement?) Just to refresh your memory,

I had the biggest crush on JTT...

Anyway, back to the mantle. I realized that every single one I loved was chipped up and old looking. Here’s my favorite so far:

 

Chippy paint = happiness.

Chippy EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE = Overkill? Maybe. Possibly…

Chippy paint = old paint = lead.

Is it bad that I love it too much to care? Don’t tell me I’m alone here, I can guarantee each of you have at least one chippy piece that you love!

Perhaps a cabinet, perhaps a hutch……or perhaps a headboard like I had. A HEADBOARD. It was a thing of beauty, I tell ya. A chippy old door in all it’s glory, tucking us in every night….gently snowing flakes of lead poisoning on us while we were dreaming….

(That headboard is now a bench, after waking up several mornings with white paint in our hair, on our pillow……)

WebMD is the devil. Fellow ladies and gents, do not look up the symptoms of lead poisoning. They are basically the vaguest symptoms EVER. They’re pretty much the same symptoms as…things that happen in everyday life anyway….!!! I decided to look them up after sleeping under White Beauty for awhile, and my reaction went a little something like this…

So don’t look up WebMD. Maybe just remove the lead filled thing you’re sleeping under.

They should make a lead poisoning test similar to a pregnancy test. Same method….slightly less desirable result. Maybe they could sell them at the Dollar Store….

Anthropologie Giveaway Winner

Drum Roll?? 

DDDDDDDDDD.....Not the same without sound.  So no drum roll. 

The winner is:

Poor Pitiful Pearl!

She said:

"Poor Pitiful Pearl said...

Yay... im a NEW FOLLOWER of your blog.

I will also blog about it:

www.poorpitifulpearlclothing.blogspot.com

& I will still facebook about it too.

Name on facebook: Poor Pitiful Pearl

what a fun giveaway...

so glad I found your blog.

PIck me Pick me!!! eeeeeek

September 13, 2010 8:53 AM "

 

 

She makes amazing clothing...make sure to visit and check her out!

 

Email me to claim your prizes! :)  Thanks everyone for participating.  See you Thursday for Things Bloggers Do!

September Market

I will be posting the giveaway winner tomorrow!  I know I said today, but I had a hold up in the comment moderation department so it will be one more day :)  Thanks for hanging in there!

I wanted to take a minute though and post some pictures from our market on Saturday.  It was cloudy all day but it didn't deter customers one bit!  We had a steady flow of traffic all day and amazing vendors.  Enjoy!

Next Piece of The Birthday Puzzle

Today's piece of the puzzle...

Click here to see the rest....

I'm really afraid of horses.

Horses make my skin crawl.  They are beautiful, but they're devil creatures I'm convinced.  Those black eyes have it out for me.  This isn't without reason.  I have tried to have a civil relationship with them.  You know, an 'I ride them...they don't try to kill me' relationship....but that doesn't work.

When I was 8 or 9, I rode climbed atop my first horse. My cousin was at the reigns, I was just along for the ride.  We did fine for about 5 minutes, and then the horse realized that I was the oil to it's water, the humidity to it's hair.  It bucked me off faster than you can say "holycowthishorseishugeandi'mgoingtodie."

Experience #1.  NOT so good.

The second time I rode a horse, it was supposed to be the calm one.  The easiest one to ride.  The one ALL THE KIDS RIDE.  Alright, I thought.  I can DO this. 

Well, the horse stepped in a hole about 2 miles down the trail, and I screamed.  Loud.  The horse didn't like that, so he decided I didn't belong on his back.  Off I went, and after picking my dignity up off the ground, I tried again.

This horse was pissed.  We're going to call him George. There have been many George's in my life who have caused me frustration. 

George thought it would be funny to bump into tree trunks while I was on him.  George thought it would be funny to smack me in the face with tree limbs.  George liked to bite me.  George ultimately won, and I walked all the way back to the lodge.

As crazy as this may sound, it wasn't the last experience I had with a maniacal devil horse.  

I dated a guy in high school who was very engulfed in the horse lifestyle.  I, being an IDIOT, decided to impress him and offered to feed his horses while he and his family were gone.  It was on a Sunday, and I left early for church so that I could do this.

I got to the corral, and assured myself that it would be fine.  After all, it was only a colt and a mama horse, right?

I carefully measured out the hay, put it on the sled, and dragged it over to the pen.  Little baby horses are so cute, I thought. How was I ever afraid of them? 

I stepped over the fence in my skirt and heels, and began to put the hay in the correct spots around the pen.  The mama horse was hanging out on the other side, and I felt safe.  This was my mistake.  I got too comfortable.

As soon as the colt realized that I came bearing food, he started trotting over to me.  My brain sent out signals that told me I was in trouble.  My heart started racing, I was sweating, and I FROZE.  Apparently, in the question of 'fight or flight,' I pick Freeze.  Not effective.

I stood there as the colt started eating the hay in my hands.  I threw it on the ground and started backing away slowly.  All of a sudden, the colt reared up and jumped at me.  I FREAKED out.  I tried to run, but one of my heels got stuck in the mud and poop.  Frantically trying to grab my shoe, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that mama was curious about the dangerous terrorist near her baby, so I did what any normal person would do.  I left the shoe, screamed, and I ran into their pen and closed the door. 

Can I just say that stepping in horse poop while wearing pantyhose is not fun?!

Their stall only had a bottom door, so I was exposed from the top, and both mom and baby were hanging out near the door, sniffing madly and plotting my murder.  In my mind, I was picturing all the horrible rodeo deaths I had seen on TV, and contemplating if horses knew how to open stall doors...SURE THEY DID.  I was as good as dead. 

I tried to threaten them with a trip to the glue factory, but unbeknownst to me, horses can't comprehend such things. MR. ED WAS A DIRTY LIAR!

I was in that stall for nearly 45 minutes before they got hungry and went over to their food.  With Ocean's 11-like precision, I snuck out of the stall and began my 6 day journey across the pen.  How fast could I jump that fence with a skirt on?  I was pretty good at the hurdles in track, albeit never with a skirt on....

  I ran for it.  I don't really remember the trip between the pen and freedom, but what I do remember is the sound of my skirt ripping as I elected to dive underneath the fence. My skirt and my underwear, mind you.  I DID NOT CARE at this point. I was alive, and away from the horses.  Pinching my skirt together, I walked away with a slight limp caused by only wearing one heel, and my hatred of horses was born. I threw up my surrender flag, and headed home.

I. HATE. SURPRISES.

But I love them.  My dear husband has been exploiting my impatience this week....Just take a look at these messages I've been getting.  One every day!  My birthday is MONDAY.  How am I supposed to make it that long?!

So then I got this message from him...

so... I really hooope you dont get your hopes up to much. I just thought it would be fun to make you wonder for a little bit. But Im worried thats its not going so well for you haha. its not that amazing, but you are amazing, and I love you very much! So tell you what; if you can guess the exact ending of the sentence you can get a small surprise early. Hint: There are 4 words left. its not as complicated as you might think.

So....since I'm patience-challenged and terrible at surprises, I need your help!  Help me think of those last four words! :)

I've thought of a few...

"That you were born"

"That you came out"

"To celebrate your birthday"

"To get you naked"  (haaa)

None of those were right, although I'm sure one could be.... 

Things Bloggers Do #9

9.  We keep the Dollar Store in business.

No seriously, we do.  Ask any good DIY blogger and they will tell you that the Dollar Store is where they  get 95% of their crafts. 

We can just go ahead and loop Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree, and Home Goods into that category as well.  I don't even have a HomeGoods near me and I still love the place!

Our Dollar Store has like a bazillion things I can buy for just one dollar that I use all the time. 

Have you ever bought food from the Dollar Store?  I have.  It's the same!!!  Some candy is slightly less crunchy, but hey... it keeps me out of it. 

How about a pregnancy test from the Dollar Store?  I haven't done that, and I don't think I will.  Especially when they're up at the front register as an impulse item...

I often wonder about the random porcelain figurines at the front.  Who makes them?  How much must they be wholesale?!  I saw one that was a turtle on a lilypad with a...skyscraper backdrop.  I mean really?  Who does this? 

Whats that surprised look for?  I'm thinking someone just went to the bathroom.

 

I bought a spatula there the other day.  I used it and it melted before I even got it close to the egg I was cooking.  No joke.  Apparently it was supposed to be used as a disciplinary tool and not a culinary helper.  I contemplated still eating the egg that I had carefully seasoned and cracked, but I didn't like the idea of being a mutated superhero with a third arm.

I have a major beef with their feather boas as well.  I have purchased a few boas in my lifetime (for props, guys...for PROPS.) and all of them shed like CRAZY!  PETA would be after me for sure if they saw the aftermath that looks like carnage in the car once I get home.  No, I did NOT slaughter Big Bird.  

Who's excited for Thanksgiving?

Me too.

In fact, speaking of holidays.  Have you seen the collection of holiday decor at the Dollar Store?  Oh yes.  The fall leaves are in bloom, and just a little off hue.  I'm almost positive I've never seen any fall leaves the shade of robin's egg blue anywhere other than the Dollar Store.  And nothing says Christmas like Santa in leather. NO BUENO. 

Merry Christmas kids, sorry Santa burned out your retinas this year. 

And that compels me to show you the picture of the Chrismas cookie I made last year that turned out looking more like Steve Buscemi.