Patina White

the DOG & PONY {show}

hello...happy day to you! thought i would let those of you know who are in or might be near my neighborhood the first weekend of november that patinaWHITE will be packing up the {DOG & PONY show} and showing some wares @ the

perham, minnesota FOCUS christmas bazaar on

NOVEMBER 3rd 2012 

 

i'm doing this due to the fact i won't be having my annual holiday event from my home studio this year and wanting to still give many of you a chance @ some of the thoughtful collected + created wares you've come to expect from my shows. so not only can you peruse my goodies...but you can also take in the bountiful displays of other artisans w/ their creations as well! 

it will be located...as i mentioned...in perham, minnesota at their COMMUNITY CENTER. just a stone's throw from highway 10. you can find my booth {look for the cloth panel backdrops}...in the center vicinity of the LARGE gym.

 

the community center address is...

PERHAM COMMUNITY CENTER

 620 3rd Avenue SE

Perham, MN 56573

{just north of the mcdonalds}

 

i sure hope that you can make it by! and if you can think of someone who might like to know and if you wouldn't mind sharing...i'd sure appreciate this favor as i won't be sending out a postcard this year. 

when i started my business...i did this show for years and am excited about doing so again! so off i go to get some unique treasures together. i will give some peeks of projects + tidbits i am working on just for the FOCUS bazaar. 

sure appreciate your continued interest in my little corner of the world and hope to see you in just over a couple weeks in perham! i'm hopping on my pony and getting to work...

have a GREAT day!

destination...{10.11.12}

well my friends! first i have to say {THANK*YOU}. i know that sometimes my posts can be a little "deep"...and hope you know that i often "speak" of what's in my heart. as a child i kept a diary...and now as an adult...i find that my blog has become somewhat of one. now it's just that you all hold the key!

the comments + notes i have received about MJ make me happy in the thoughts that this little creature provides lasting memories even in her absence. there will be more posts about her & things she has + continues to inspire me to do! 

that being said...today's post is driven by the numerical sequence of the date....

 

 

i told hubby earlier that it was a special day. he paused briefly and i could tell he was wondering what occasion he was forgetting. had him thinking there! but really i just am such a fan of all things typography and numerical. plus just recently i was finally able to do a request by a sweet customer who wanted some tokens for her families trip to HAWAII to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of one of her kin. {not to mention 10.11.12 is her birthday TOO...talk about lots of celebrating!} 

anywho...i knew there would be both sexes to provide keepsakes for...so this is what i came up with for the {GIRLS} below....note the mini version for the tiny member of their family! 

 

 

the {BOYS} have their own take in the form of keyrings {below}

 

 

something else that recently inspired me with the wedding theme in mind was a stop at the beautiful shoppe in WAHOO {ok. admit it. the town name itself somehow makes you want to shout it out!} nebraska called {FOUND & FLORA} click HERE to pop by her facebook page.

the proprietress...miss KAT...was not only super sweet...but oh so very talented. i knew it the second we approached her storefront when a gathering of pumpkins and native grasses greeted us. visual heaven. then i walked in and saw this display {below}...

 

 

officially i was there for other business...to see another talented artisan {more on that later}...but i could hardly gather my thoughts for a nano second to focus. talk about sensory overload. come to discover she had only been open a month! can't wait to see where this marvelous girl goes.

then imagine my delight when on her facebook page she posted the sweetest shout-out chalk greeting my way! now she continues to inpires me w/ her fall wedding creations like that of these unique boutonnieres {see both below}

 

 

thank you KAT for opening your doors to myself + my family! though i still laugh @ my dad walking in and turning on his heels out the door because it was "too loud with us women chattering!".  and bless his heart...he is hard of hearing so we REALLY must have been excited! 

and if any of you are wondering about THOSE clocks. yes. the ones i kept gravitating to. i did end up with not just one but {2}! i snapped a quickie peek {below} @ my favorite already displayed in the company of the rest of my collection. i am going to need a longer ledge soon! 

 

 

so off i run. to get to work on another customer request honoring her grandparents. it's a touching one. had to share the photo of them {below}. you can see how very much in love they are.

 

and incase you're wondering ... as my schedule permits i am always {HAPPY} to create a custom token or 2 {or 15! like above}. shoot me an email please for info. it may take a little time but if you can be patient with me i truly love projects of this nature. 

wishing a happy day to a you all!

{HAPPY} trails

hey there everyone! it's quite amazing what a difference a handful of days and some miles can make. i left for nebraska last thursday and this is what the weather looked like {below} when i started my journey.... 

 

 

yes. that is/was snow. seems old man winter decided to make an early visit to my neighborhood. well...i didn't let him stop me. i was lucky enough to out-drive the weather & made the roadtrip w/ the usual ease.

found myself treasure hunting along the way...{so much for thou shalt not junk!}...with me making a couple stops in my always favorite state of south dakota. lurked around a display for quite sometime admiring the truck fragment {below}

 

 

was fascinated with a box full of dealer "tags" of past that seemed to have more strength in numbers....

 

 

i was content w/ the goodies i scored @ my stops & continued on to the cornhusker state {my former home state}. became excited to see the welcome sign {below} as a mark of how close i was to seeing my nebraska family. the sunshine and blue skies didn't hurt either!

 

 

found quite a bit of entertainment in running around w/ my sisters and nieces...part of the gang {below}

 

 

 

spent even more time in the company of loved ones when i co-hearsed them into junking with me. discovered MORE treasures in the town i grew up...{COLUMBUS}.

can't call me mother hubbard....my cupboards are FULL. but i am quite determined to find a spot for the little white ironstone pitcher {seen below} in the company of a MINNESOTA advertising fabric remnant and a spigot monogrammed with S's. love finding pieces w/ connection when out & about.

 

 

was delighted by the amazing morning sun rises @ my dad & stepmom's home {one of them below}

 

 

enjoyed my time spent @  my home away from home. in the company of those "birds of a feather". my dad and vi have always been fond of feathered friends and, thus, shared the moments of my MJ's growth since her arrival on day {1}. see dad w/ one of his friends {below}. an injured canadian that has found refuge in their little lake.

 

 

here's the point of the trail that may get long and dusty for some of you. but i'm launching into it as an update + form of healing. of course when i made arrangements to head south...a big concern of mine was leaving MJ. but hubby's caring, yet stearn words of "you can't live your life around MJ" plus the fact i knew she would be in good care with her "dad" ... made the decision a little easier.  

i spent the day prior to leaving @ her pond for a little while. my heart knew that the seasons were not the only thing that were changing. her once lush surroundings were now covered in leaves. the duck weed she loved slurping up was nearly gone. and MJ herself had feathered into her full adult plumage. i watched her hop off my lap & head back down to the water. she paused & looked back @ me {below}... almost to tell me she was going to be alright. 

 

 

the day i left i had this "feeling". when i walked into the garage to say good-bye i knew it could be a final farewell. i scratched her belly and left. as i have touched on above...the trail i took was filled with happy. but i did get a call on sunday that made me uneasy. hubby phoned to say that MJ left that morning...fast in flight in a different direction. 

even in the good company i was distracted. which might be mistaken for crabby. i was holding my breath all day. if history repeated itself, and she was coming home, 7pm would be the latest time we would expect. hubby, being the good dad he is, cleaned out her pool. set out the corn. and opened the garage door early as we have done every day for the last month and 1/2.. 

the day went on. then the sisters left. with their kids. and then dad's house was quiet. i'd be lying if i said i wasn't emotional. i was. still am. i sat in the sunroom watching their lake almost as if i were waiting for MJ there. 6:30 came. then 7. then 7:15. my phone sat by me silent. i knew bill wasn't calling. so i called him. he didn't have to say anything. the sound of his "hi" was enough. she wasn't home. it was too dark and i knew she wouldn't be flying now.  

so. that was sunday. i was still a tiny bit hopeful that monday eve she'd be back to her routine. one more check-in-call that night confirmed what i knew would be the answer. no MJ. i tried to fill my mind with the happy thoughts of her. and did finally fall asleep knowing this little duck has touched more hearts than i probably could imagine. 

driving home today has been mixed with emotions. happy to be seeing my minnesota family. sad to be leaving my nebraska family. and sorting the feelings of sadness + hopefulness in regards to MJ. as i drove i saw more than one "v formation". {in the sake of safety i borrowed this image from goggle rather than click my own, below}

 

 

would you believe me if i told you that i type this sitting in a parking lot of a grocery store {1} hour from home?? still going for that crazy duck lady status i suppose by divulging that one! i hope you don't think for a second i'm not anxious to get home. hubby and lucy will be there. but i needed just a little time to click away today knowing it would make me feel better. letting out my feelings always helps. i may forget that i stick it out there for the world to see {if they like}...but figure that if you are still reading this you enjoy my ramblings as much as i enjoy showing & telling.

ok. on this last leg of my journey is a thrift store up the road. i suppose that could be considered another excellent form of therapy...distraction...what have you. even if i walk away with nothing more than a memory. or handful of skittles. those are waiting too! 

i will be back intouch soon. i have lots of fun things to share & look forward to doing so. in my heart i have peace about MJ. she is onto the next chapter. one i hope is filled with "doing duck things" to quote my friend carly. and you never know. maybe next spring maybe she will find her way back home. that being said i think i best get heading there myself.

always a big thanks to {YOU} for being there in {1} way, shape or form. personally...professionally and every way in-between.

thou shalt not {JUNK}

do i hear a GASP across screens everywhere?! bet you didn't think you'd get a post title like that outta of me! well...about a month ago...on the very tail end of my shady hollow season....i had a little {1} on {1}. not that that's new...some of my best conversations involve me, myself and i. 

but on this occasion i told myself. "no more junk". @ least for a little while. because i have more stashes than i know what to do with. {here's an idea. sell it!...nah!} i also made a tiny promise to hubby long ago i would stop buying large and/or heavy pieces of "junk". seems his back is not what it used to be. and he has been subject to schlepping some monsters around in the sake of marital harmony throughout the years.

so there i was. just finishing some saturday morning errands. i felt adventurous and decided to take a different route home. when a fleet of cars parked on the side of the street + this sign {below} caught my eye. 

 

 

i did initially drive past. then i pulled off to the side of the road. and sat there. with the white-clad-halo-wearing beth on one shoulder and the pitchfork-yielding-flaming-red beth on the other.  so i gave up my wings and u-turned across the lanes. throwing caution to the wind @ this point....i was on a roll. 

hopped out of my car and the first thing that caught my eye was a table of old bottles and glassware. this was one of my favorites {below}.

 

 

but the pricing was not a bargain...this gal knew what she had so i opted to pass. and i wasn't buying junk, remember? then i came across this pile of windows...

 

 

...telling myself the whole while there was no harm in "sight seeing". that thought was gone in a flash when i saw this {below} sitting in the driveway.

 

 

it was right @ the checkout so i figured it was already spoken for. because i was fairly certain that EVERYONE scurrying around there suddenly had their eye on it. i circled it. not wanting to show too much interest and calmly {on the outside} asked the gal if it was still for sale. she shrugged and said...yeah...how does $10 sound? i'm thinking "sounds GREAT as i would have paid $20!" i quickly flicked the ten dollar bill her way w/ much excitement. which was cut short when i remembered what i was driving. my mini cooper. the name says it all. too small to carry your huge piece of whatchamacallit iron, beth.

i meandered around figuring that i might as well make the most of the visit. i had already made the initial purchase...the flood gate was now open. saw a charming little painted cabinet. but learned it was being held. i squatted down to snap a picture of it when the resident pup decided to be a part of the shoot. he was whippet + jack russel mix. and quite photogenic! {below}

 

 

as cute as he was...the only four legs i went home with was the carving on this log {below}. couldn't resist it's quirky look. and $2 seemed like a small price to pay for some "art".

 

so. back to the whatchamacallit  i purchased.  with a little more conversation w/ the homeowner...i learned it was from a dry cleaner. i suspected it housed customer garments. now the numbering system make sense. it's what really sold me...see it closer {here below}. 

 

i didn't really know what i'd do with it...but i did know i'd have to admire it in my driveway rather than stand in hers.  guess that means i will call in the recruits. meaning hubby. w/ a phone call i learn he actually is near by. so he swings in. and i am amazed that he doesn't make mention of it's size or weight. both of which i am breaking all the rules in regards to. i imagine after nearly 20 years of being together he really isn't surprised by many of my antics anymore. or he just knows how to keep that "marital harmony" i mentioned. 

whatever the case i may be i thank him profusely and send him on his way. i left w/ my much smaller and lighter log art in tow. now that my stately rack is in my driveway...i envision it as a really cool table. but know that it will likely remain w/ the other stashes. ultimately waiting for the next generation of junkers to visit my drive when i break & have a sale of my own. i will probably sell it for $10...making them think they got the buy of a lifetime. hope they have a helpful hubby like i have! 

ok. so i have to admit. this is a cheater post. by which i mean as i type this i am sitting comfortably @ my dad's in nebraska. i traveled down this direction yesterday. i threw out the junking "freeze" and made more than one stop along the way. i have an empty truck still. but a few small treasures have made their way into my possession. without my "helper" anything large & or heavy is off limits. my back isn't what it used to be. 

 

 

as my necklace design states {above}...i am off to live simply for a few days. i will be back in action next week. and here's a head's up. i have made a decision to show some wares @ the perham FOCUS bazaar on november 3rd. i used to do this show years ago & will be going back to some grass roots. more on that to come. 

til then...wishing you some happy days!

pumpkin {PICASSOS}

hey there everyone! every fall i see amazing project ideas of pumpkin art. and i have wanted to dabble a little bit in gussying up a plain pumpk. so i had the opportunity this year when on sunday our neighbors had some extra pumpkins available and the timing was perfect as my niece was over for a visit. 

i appreciated the traditional orange color they were...but wanted a more "blank" slate {that combined with my love of white}. so i dug out my pepsi crate full of every craft paint under the sun {seen below}...white spray paint + some brushes and we got our painter face on.

 

 

we sat in the grass w/ my niece, jessi, {below}  taking full advantage of the rainbow of colors to decorate her little works of art. 

 

 

i loved the silly face & chevron she did on her "canvas".  {see it below}

 

 

i had plans of painting some scripty lettering on mine. i free-handed some letters using a sharpie to guide me and then decided that the sharpie results were not too bad on their own {see how it looked below}. i made a couple sets to share...now wishing i would have done one for myself. but it makes me happy to know that they will bring a little seasonal cheer to someone else's home. 

 

 

it was really great to share a day with jess. full of sunshine and the creative juices were flowing. i hope this finds you enjoying your own fall activities. be it driving around taking in the colorful landscape...eating an apple { or 2..3..4 if you're like me}...maybe you've donned your own picasso face and have been making some priceless works of art for your home. that's the beauty of a project like this. there is no right or wrong and the quirkier the better! i'm glad you popped by! 

 

make it a great day...

our {HARVEST} haven

hey friends! i'm a bit pinched for time today. but wanted to give you a peek @ some of the harvest accents around our home. good thing for me they are pretty enough without much narration. {maybe that's good for those of you wishing i'd ramble less and show more!}. so on we go...

welcome to our home {below}. built a mere {7} years ago w/ intent of making it look like it's been part of the landscape forever.  i am most proud about our labor of love when asked if it was an old home we remodeled. mission accomplished!

 

 

here's a little collage {below} of some of the fall "fluffing" i've done. the discovery of those rusty ol' pipe fittings was one of the best i have done in terms of flexibility. you'll find them in our home housing flower cuttings...twine and fern fronds. on steps below a kale rests inside. also note that some indian corn is "hanging" out on the prongs of a retired pitchfork.

 

 

originally i had the fork hanging on our front door. but then decided that it wasn't such a great idea having pointy objects pointing directly out @ those who might come calling. solicitors beware! so i moved it to a trellis in the garden {below}.

 

 

then we have mr billy goat who opted out of this shot. but we caught his cart now decked out in season appropriate attire {below}. the crazy textured and looking peanut pumpkin was right @ home here!

 

 

here's another little grouping {below} best described in {1} word...RANDOM. first... a peek @ our porch. with the giant victorian era urn brimming w/ the unique colored pumpkins i adore. a mixture of our kind neighbor's corn + curly willow provide some height & texture. then simple colorful leaves. and lastly a project that i have been working on while doing a little "duck" sitting. MJ is just shadow in the pic below. see if you can find her!

 

 

our window box {below} onto the next phase for the year. i took out the sad annuals and left vinca vines and the silvery falls for accents. more kale and pumpkins round it out with a twiggy backdrop. of course it wouldn't be complete without a touch of junkiness!

 

 

and those junk touches include a whimsical reuse of an old car horn that now proudly displays a baby boo {below}. beep beep!

 

 

i haven't gone too crazy on the inside...maybe i will save that for another day...another time when i can really let you have it! thanks so much for popping by! i hope our harvest {HAVEN} has inspired you to do a little fall fluffing of your own! and if you have a problem with those door to door salesmen...remember...it's nothing a big pitchfork greeting them can't handle!

have a wonderful weekend...til next time! 

 

the road {LESS} traveled

hey there! with the official start to fall underway plus the fantastic sunny days we've been having....i can't think of anything i love more to do than tour around some of the back roads of our fantastic state {MINNESOTA!} and take in the autumn colors. which is exactly what we did yesterday once i got my outdoor fall "nest" fluffed. {pics of that soon!}

i hit the trail w/ hubby navigating. he loves to explore off beaten paths...just like the one you see {below}. a road less traveled...and full of beauty!

 

 

this guy of mine is like a human GPS. he can take a route once and he never forgets. i on the other-hand...well...let's just say i'm no homing pigeon. but i will talk about "someone" else who is. yep. here we go on MJ again. she's still leaving & coming home on her set schedule. we pondered for {3} weeks about her whereabouts during the day. then a week ago we decided to make a trek on a "road" less traveled. a deer path that led us to a tiny pond not too terribly far from our home. we could hardly believe it when we got to the edge & there on a log...you guessed it...miss MJ! she was as surprised as us...hopped promptly in the water...swam to the edge & scaled up the embankment to nestle in my lap! look hard @ the photo {below} and you will see her!

 

so with this new knowledge i've been visiting her everyday @ her pond. it's tiny + remote. which makes me feel good about her being fairly safe when not under my close watch of eye. on the flipside of feelings we can't help but be a little sad. we had these visions of her w/ new duck friends. making plans to head south soon. now we are left to wonder what will happen. but i'm ready to give up my parking spot in the garage for her all winter if need be. 

another thing i was {and continue to be} VERY worried about is the opening of duck hunting this past saturday. i can't, in fairness to her, restrain her. so after a teary release that morning...i waited for more light of day til i trekked to the pond. when i got there she was happily swimming about...unaware of any potentially threat.

it was chilly so i had on my heavy jacket. and boots. and mittens. bill scolded me to not wear my camoflauge jacket. i knew better. so i threw on a lime safety vest to help me stick out a bit more. the only thing i had on my face was a smile when i arrived and saw her...not a drop of makeup. she didn't care. nor did i. 

she hopped up my arm and perched on my shoulder. kinda felt like a pirate. i then remembered i had my phone...which is my camera as well. as was able to snap this picture {below}. guess you could really say SMILE FOR THE BIRDIE! 

 

 

so there i sat. a protective mama duck...concerned about the best interest of my feathered girl. not that i have anything against hunters. i just wasn't about to let them come around without knowing better. now...keep in mind that i barely combed my hair. but i did throw on some baubles as i wasn't going to go totally unpresentable. that and the little pistol necklace {seen below} made me feel like i still had the upperhand.

 

when i felt comfortable in the idea of her being as safe as possible....i got ready to leave. i was still snapping away after our touching photo when i caught this one {below} that made me laugh so hard @ my expression. talk about "i love you a bushel and a peck"!

 

i'm just glad i still have both eyes after that little display of affection! and yes. i am quite proud of the fact i am becoming known as the crazy duck lady. maybe that thought alone will scare off the hunters. and if not i am STILL sporting the pistol necklace as i type. which reminds me i haven't scooted over for a check in today. time to hit that "road" less traveled. hope you enjoy your own journey each & every day! 

happy day to you!

be our {GUEST}

alrighty show & tell friends! with the {PRIZE} contest complete...what's a girl to blog about? well...how's 'bout {a corner of my world segment}? see that little CATEGORIES title to the left of your screen? and under that do you note the A CORNER OF MY WORLD title? well...if you're wondering what our home sweet home looks like beyond what you saw in the fleaMARKETstyle spread...that's a really good place to start! 

because it's been quite awhile time since i've touched on that topic....figure it's a good time to do so! my spare bedroom was not one of the areas highlighted in FMS...and since i've changed it oh so slightly since that last time i gave you a peek @ the room...here we go! won't you be our guest??

anchoring this tiny space is a local auction find...an iron bed {below} that time has kissed with the best patina a girl could ever DREAM about. 

 

 

i switched out the bedding for a more soothing neutral palette...removing the soft pinks that were here before. a european grain sac makes it fit into my "rustic cottage" criteria...softened by some ruffles + calm shades of white. found the SLEEPYTOWN flashcard and it made me smile the thought of this being a former learning tool! figured this was as good as spot as any for it.

i'll jump next into some details {below} that can be found throughout this space. read on for an explanation {likely more than you need} of what's shown.

 

 

the small...and smaller chairs you'll see upon entering and are casually stacked atop each other. didn't think i could find a cuter chair than the child's bentwood version. until i came across the doll size specimen that i couldn't have painted a better shade myself! it's right @ home in this space! 

then you'll see a close up of my very vintage wool rug. again...these colors are neutral but provide the visual warmth needed on a home that is mostly comprised of dark wood floors. actually i've had it since our first home where i layered it over our wall to wall sisal in our living room. did so because hubby was not impressed w/ the somewhat rough sisal's "not soft between the toes" feel. sometimes you gotta sacrifice the comfort for the aesthetic! ask this of the girl who often endures high heels to run errands. RUN & ERRANDS. that right there should learn me better!

moving on...lastly shown above is an example of my favorite spin on simple throw pillows. adding some unexpected sparkle in form of vintage buttons, pins and earrings! you'll note just that on this pillow that started as a basic white form that i then wrapped with an old tea towel. another little thrifty trick i do to make a stock item my own.

when i put together the lamp shown on the sidetable below...i was TICKLED with how it turned out. read on for more about it...

 

 

the base is an old turned spindle. that i was lucky enough to find set-up as a lamp. but there was no shade. and so it sat. unseen for ages under our stairs til i had an idea for a lampshade using items i already had in my possession. being the "collector" i am....had a few potato baskets lying around. 

the wire work "frame" not only was the perfect scale for my lamp base...but lent itself to weaving old book pages thru it. and the dangling handle is a whimsical reminder of what it once was!

wanna see it closer? well wish no more! here it is {below}

 

on the topic of shedding some light. have to show a favorite piece of framed "art". an italian beaded sconce i've had for AGES is showcased by the chippy goodness of an ornate picture frame {below}.

 

 

have i lost you in the all details? well i hope not! because there are some more coming up! starting with the visual {below}

 

 

pretty simple stuff here above. a close up of my treasured not really blue and not quite green trike. i bet there's a color name for that. but i'd hate to disappoint my english teacher who once described my writings as "WORDY". now where on earth did he get an idea like that?? oops. moving on. 

a simple stack of complementary books gives some height in the table-scape. again...a little tip. old cloth books are one of the quickest...and least expensive ways to decorate. hardly a saturday goes by that i don't make a stop and grab one..two or ten! did i mention i can't recall the last time i read a book!? 

lastly in these DETAILS...yet again another embellishment added to a stock pillow. a  branch-like pin makes for a pretty accent. 

i will {FINALLY} wind things down today w/ a picture of a chair that was a mere $6 from a flea market buddy. and after i stripped the terribly unattractive blue velor from it...i unearthed the charming cotton print you see {below}.

 

 

so there you have it! for those of you who can go on no more...i sure appreciate you taking the time to check in! and for those of you interested in posts of past on a {corner of my world}...there's a whole category over yonder waiting to be explored.  go forth & conquer! be MY guest!

have yourself a GREAT day!

the names in the HAT...{PRIZE} winner!

hello! well...i'd like to let you all know that the lucky {PRIZE} winner is miss cheryl gottenborg.

 

she actually made the comment thru my new facebook page. between my blog...facebook & emails there were over 200 of you sweet gals who took the time to send a shout out my way. that's a whole lotta of sharin' the love going on! i kept saying that i would toss everyone's name in "the hat". which is EXACTLY what i did...as you'll see by my nearly over flowing tophat {below}. yep...i said tophat. i'll have to touch on that later! 

 

 

anywho...i'm sure there's a more cutting edge...sophisticated way about things with drawings. but this old school girl prefers to do things ONE WAY...a bit unexpected! 

 

 

again...your notes REALLY brought smile after smile to my face. with a great deal of them making me really giggle. like hearing how one gal got to "know" me because she liked the boots i was wearing...or the memories about the early days of patinaWHITE. not to mention the many other fun stories shared about my events. and visits to the cottage @ shady hollow....plus my very own cheer-leading squad that has me feeling like a star quarterback! wish i could wave a wand and have a {PRIZE} to share with each and everyone of you!

my heart swells with so much happiness i could just about burst! because when i started this little "business" ten years ago...i was gung-ho on sharing + inspiring others and i feel that's exactly what i am doing. know there isn't a day gone by that i don't think of what i can share...in one way shape or form...with you all. 

all that being said...i hope i continue to provide "warm fuzzies" and be "contagious" like a couple of references i heard. i'd like to think what i do is contagious! and i hope there is NEVER a cure! :)

THANKS to all who entered...you're all winners in my book!

my ma...the FARMGIRL

hey there! these days find me taking more time to spend in the company of family + friends. it's one of the things i am so happy to be able to do this time of the year when the weather is pleasant & the colors are oh*so*beautiful! so i told ya about my day w/ dad. and thought i'd now highlight some time spent with my favorite farmgirl...my ma. 

i ventured over to her little acreage the other day. to help a bit with some projects...but mostly spend some time together. not that she needed the help really. she runs circles around and over me! this lady is one hard worker. many of you already know this as you've seen her in action @ patinaWHITE. we are often the shady hollow entertainment duo. bantering back and forth often and being silly.  

mom loves horses. she's been raising them as long as i've known her. {that'd be all my life!} this is her current mare...velvet..taking a nibble in the yard {below}

 

 

she's also a big time gardener. i've reaped the rewards all season...from juicy raspberries...to tasty onions...all the way down to the grape tomatoes. and as summer draws to a close she has been busy canning away...making up some delicious looking salsa {below}. i'd let ya know how it tasted...but have yet to try it myself. {hint. ma...i know you're reading this!}

 

 

there's "somebody"  else that really loves her farm. that being her furry "granddaughter", lucy. seen {below} taking a break from running around to rest by the pond. thought i better mention her as you all may think she's been brushed aside with her feathered sister around.  not the case @ all. lucy is very camera shy. which is why she opted out of the fleaMARKETstyle photo-shoot. but she's very cute when i can catch her off-guard!

 

after the work came some "play". i was walking to the barn and spotted a big bundle of old electric fence wire. when i asked about it & was told it was "garbage"...i seized the opportunity to make {sumthing outta nuthin}! so there i sat...quietly hand forming some wire sentiments {see before and after below}

 

 

i even got some help from farmcat "mo". short for "MORE KITTY".  thus dubbed due to the fluff she gained when we baby sat her this past winter.

 

 

and what of my ma i keep talking about? well...she sat next to me...stating that i am always fiddling with something. and that she "is perfectly happy sitting on a bucket". doing just that when i snapped the shot {below}.

 

 

yep. my ma...the farmgirl. i even love her "workboots"...

 

 

another thing i love it that ma's kitchen {below} is never closed. i have raided the cupboard + fridge on more than one occasion. takes me back to days long ago when i did exactly the same thing! 

 

 

and as i drove home from my visit...i thought it was time she had a patinaWHITE bauble necklace of her very own. goodness knows she's helped many of my customers put theirs together. so i made a plan and brought it together when i walked in the door. it tells a little story of a fun horse lovin' FARMGIRL...that is passionate about DANCE...and often chirps out a WEEEE! {see it all below}

 

hope you like it ma! and know that wasting a little time with you is never wasted time. oh. you can always bring your bucket. i know it makes you happy! and like the words i sculpted above say...LOVE YOU!

and to end today. something that makes me happy is to share with others. and i am tickled to be announcing a winner of my necklace {PRIZE} tomorrow. there's still a little time if you are reading this before the 20th...so hop over to that blog entry and post a comment. i'll toss your name in the hat!

 

talk again very soon...