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Friday, June 10, 2016

A new dining table

When we moved from South Carolina three years ago, I gave up my 10 foot farmhouse table that my husband made for me.  I loved that table and how we could all pull up to it for dinner.  When we moved into the camper, needless to say, I didn't have room to bring it with us.

     

Fast forward three years later, some of my kids are married and some have children, but we still don't have a place to sit and have a meal together.  I still don't have a place for a table, but I had an idea of turning our screened in porch into a dining room that can be used almost year round, thanks to Alabama weather.

                                      

                                               
  
                                               

I found the plans that I like on my favorite furniture plans website and set my husband to work building the second farmhouse table for the new farmhouse.   The plans copy a table from Anthropologie, which costs over $1000.00.  Who can afford that!  Mine came in just under &175.00.  

         
                                        
                                       

                                       

                                       

I chose a duck egg blue chalk paint for the bottom and Early American stain for the top with a dark wax finish.   I couldn't be happier with the outcome.  It measures just over nine feet long and will easily seat all of us as we continue to grow.

                                            

        

                                           

                                           
         
         

                                           

        

I am constantly amazed at the talent my husband shows as he builds things for me.  He always seems to know exactly what I want.  Now to build matching benches. 

                                          

                                          

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

An old fashioned hot milk cake

I have been looking around for vintage recipes from the Great Depression. The price of groceries have gone up so much, that I thought I would look for cheaper versions of some of my favorite recipes.

      

I happen to find an old bundt cake pan at the antique store several weeks ago, so an old fashioned bundt cake recipe was first on the list.

     
      
      

I searched on Pinterest and came across a recipe for a Hot Milk Cake.  I changed out the cows milk for goats milk and changed the chicken eggs for duck eggs.  I also used soft white wheat berries for the flour.
  
     

The recipe was very simple to make and before I knew it the house smelled wonderful.
  
Getting the cake out of the pan didn't go as planned but luckily I had enough batter left, so I tried again.  The second time worked much better. 
 
      

I have to say this might be my new favorite cake recipe.  The cake was sweet enough that it didn't even need a glaze or icing.  This was definitely worth making.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Purple dress




                         


                         

I knitted another dress for a friend as a baby gift.  This one was a little more difficult than the last one.  It had a few new stitches and a new technique that I wasn't familiar with.  It turned out to be a beautiful  baby knit and one I will make again.

Monday, May 30, 2016

New fencing

We finally got started on a new piece of property for the livestock to graze.  We cleared it last year and seeded it twice trying to cover up all of the mud.
                                             

                                              

                                              

                                              

         
This spring, I was determined to get it fenced so we could start rotating the animals from piece to piece so they won't eat the grass to the ground. 

       

       

We went with split rail for the front along the driveway and t-posts for the back.  I am trying to get the most for my money and wood is expensive.
                                            
    
       

       

                                         
      
       

The boys are home from school so we have extra help.  The neighbor came over with his bobcat and dug the holes for us.  That saved our hands and backs from digging all those holes.

      

      

      

I like the way it came together and I plan to put raised garden boxes down the front of the fence along the driveway.  I hope to plant herbs, fruit bushes and lots of lavender in them .  

                                          

The arbor that was bought for the wedding last month will go in front of the gate that hubby made and I will plant climbing hydrangeas on it.  I saw them on Pinterest and fell in love with the white blossoms.  We will see if I can keep them alive.  I don't have a green thumb so I need plants that are hard to kill.

      
I hope my vision is one I can pull together.  We will see.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

A little dress

I am getting better at my knitting.  I am much more comfortable knitting in the round and I want to start doing more challenging projects.  I decided to try a baby dress.  I don't have any little girls to knit for as my girls are all grown and I only have grandsons, but my oldest daughter has a friend who was expecting, so she will be my test subject.


         

  I ordered my yarn from Quince and Co.   I absolutely love their yarn.  I decided on a fairly simple pattern that I found on Pinterest and set to it.


         


         

         

There were many new stitches and several mistakes to rip out but I made it through without too much frustration.  The color was stunning and I am very pleased with the end.


                                        

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Little lamb

It seems like I have been waiting forever for Bonnie to have her lamb.  I have been watching her belly grow for the last few months with the hope that she would have ewes so I could grow my herd of sheep.  
        

I was so sure she was going to have twins and every day I would be out in the field looking at her lady parts hoping to see some signs of impending lambing.  Finally, one morning I saw her standing by herself and I knew that she was laboring.  I moved her to the barn thinking it would be a while, but when I came out two hours later, there was a little white lamb on the ground. 

 
        

I really only have experience with dogs, cats and goats having babies and I didn't think sheep could be that much different, but they are.  I kept waiting for the contractions to start up again for the next lamb but they never did.  There was only going to be one lamb.  I cautiously walked over to the little one so I could see if it was a boy or a girl, all the while secretly hoping for a girl and not trying to disturb Bonnie. I couldn't get over how little it was even though Bonnie seemed huge.


        

Much to my excitement, it was a girl.  I am overjoyed that I get to keep this little fluffy ewe.  She is so cute and seems to be very friendly right from the start.  I will be adding three more ewes to the herd next week so she will have a few friends.


          
        
I have been walking around with my camera the last couple of days trying to get close enough to take pictures of her.  Duckie has decided she wants to photo bomb me.  I think Duckie Is jealous of all the attention the lamb is getting.


         


          
Now I need to come up with a name for this little one.  I am waiting to see what her personality shows before I commit to a name on paper.  I will just continue to enjoy her cuteness before I decide.

         
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