Need To Rake It In

I'm not completely talking about money here even though that would be nice. When talking about raking it in, it's all about pulling it together and getting my act in gear. The 'it' I'm talking about is our pickin' business. I'm so missing the picking opportunities when winter rolls in. And some of our favorite pickin' places are no more or have changed and cannot meet our needs. As I'm getting older (cough, cough) and want to continue doing this, I realize I may need to spread my wings a bit.

We currently sell on Etsy. Future possibilities include expanding our line with handmade items and vintage inspired farmhouse decor. I'm looking at doing a show this fall (it's never too early to start planning) and maybe even doing our own online shop.

~Rakes are from an auction I attended over the weekend.~  

So my question to you...

What works for you? What do you enjoy selling? And what venues do you use?

Please share,

Cindy

Owl Love You Always!

That is what I'll tell my first grandbaby...'Owl Love You Always!'.

Sweet grandbaby is due in May and we will be having a baby shower in February.

My sister will be hosting the shower and this grandmother is in charge of the decor.

Baby boy or baby girl? We will be pleasantly surprised!

The shower will be in baby blues, yellows, and greens in an owl theme.

I whipped together a few cutie owls and some tissue paper pom poms.

I found the pattern for the owls here and the pom poms here.

For the owls, I did a combination of gluing, hand sewing, and machine stitching.

It felt good to get the sewing machine out. I haven't sewn since my girls were little.

Very therapeutic and I can see myself finding more sewing projects in the very near future. 

Thanks for the visit!
Owl love you always,

Cindy

Hooking up with:
Crazy Cute Thursdays at Between U & Me
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage
Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple
Sat Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors
Sew Darn Crafty Party at Sew Many Ways

Chickens, Bees, or Worms

I've been a thinkin'. Hubby always says that's dangerous when I do.

With spring just around the corner, I want to try something new here at the old time homestead.
I love gardening and cooking with 'natural foods'.
So...chickens came to mind, but not to eat (we don't eat meat except for fish).
Fresh eggs, please!

I would really like to have chickens. Two would be nice.
I'd build a cute little coop cause I just tend to spoil critters around here.
And all girls have to have some cute.
They would repay me with fresh eggs and good old poop to fertilize the garden. Win, win.

But, that just is not going to happen. Problem. Hubby hates chickens. He really does. There is a story behind it when he was a kid. I won't go into it as it's his story. I'll just let you use your imagination. 

So I'll scratch chickens off my list of possibilities for now.

How about bees? I could have some hives. And I do enjoy watching bees do their thing in the garden.

And I love honey! Oh, I can taste it now.

But they may cause a problem, too. Hubby is allergic to bee stings. It's not pretty. So no bees.

I'm now getting desperate at this point on what would be a good addition to the old time homestead.
Been a thinkin' and a thinkin'! 

So how about some worms?!? Yes, my mind jumps all over the place like that.
Only I could think chickens...bees...worms.

Now I can't and won't eat worms, but... 

I like worms. They fascinate me. I always played with worms as a kid. And as an adult, I will carry worms out to the garden when I come across them. Is that weird?

Worms will provide rich compost and 'tea' for my garden. I will be putting good use to those kitchen scraps. And my Hubby doesn't hate worms and is not allergic to them. Ha!

I'm warmin' up to the idea of worms. 

  Been reading some books. Finding out that this is very doable.

So worms it is! I'll keep ya updated on how this all goes.

Maybe, I can even share some worms with ya someday.

Any takers?

Cindy

One Day at a Time

Gently and quietly emerging from a funk that has chocked my creativity and my ability to 'just do it'.

Have to admit that it is okay to forgive myself for just being in the moment and going with it.

Note to self...do not compare myself with others who seem to be able to paint a room, sew some slipcovers, go shopping for the perfect accessories, put the room back together, photograph it all, and write a blog on it all in one day. Okay, then. ☺

At my age (cough, cough), I have finally begun to see life at a slower pace and am enjoying the simpler things.

Don't want it all or need it all, either.

I believe I have found myself while savoring every moment...

Cindy

Sometimes...

...the road ahead of you may take an unexpected turn.

I haven't blogged for awhile. The road for us not only took an unexpected turn, it took a wrong turn.

But...everything will be okay now. Different, but okay.

I'll be back soon. Just takin' some time to be thankful!  

Until then...

Count your blessings,

Cindy

Ideas, Projects, and Info...Oh My

I have a variety of ideas.

I think of so many projects.

I collect lots of info.

Oh my...how to keep it all straight?

I use a binder system. It's not perfect, but it sure helps.

It all started a couple of years ago when I brought home boxes 

and more boxes of magazines from an auction.

They were all the best in decorating, gardening, and crafting magazines.

I enjoyed looking through them over and over again, but they were taking up too much needed space.

The binder system to the rescue. 

It's my way to keep what I like all organized in a nice and tidy method, somewhat.

I have a binder for decorating and one for gardening.

I just started one for Christmas. 

It holds it all. I needed one. I don't know about you, but every year there is some confusion as to how many good strings of lights we have, where is that 'special' eggnog recipe, and what were those great ideas I came across the previous year that I wanted to do this year. Yep...no more of that.

Oh, and Pinterest! Don't get me started. I'm a lovin' it. Very inspirational, indeed! And so much fun.

It's a type of an online binder which you can put ideas you find into categories.

You can check out my pins HERE. I've even found where others have pinned pictures from this old blog.

So fun to inspire each other. 

I hope you each have a good old time this weekend.

I'll probably be browsing my binders.

Cindy

It's Snowing!

It is snowing! The first of the season. A new year and a fresh start with the beauty of the snow falling softly as I watch from the warmth of my home. Can you hear the quiet? Can you appreciate the god given moment?

I am usually not a fan of snow, but I'm always a giddy child when snow makes it first, grand appearance. This is the view from my kitchen table.

Every winter, I entice the birds to come for a visit with tasty morsels of food that I put out every morning for them. And they come. Nothing is more magnificent than the brilliance of a red cardinal against the fresh white of the fallen snow.

So let it snow...I'm staying in today and drinking hot spiced tea at the kitchen table.

Best view ever! 

Until next time,

Cindy