IT TAKES A PRETTY SPECIAL MAN TO TAKE THE PLACE OF NO MAN AT ALL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DON

almost one year later ...we have survived and conquered.

Here's where you will find my guy during most of his free time ... in God's Word ... growing stronger and stronger every day ... physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I adore you.

Happy 52nd birthday!

IN A WORD ... CHANEL!

I ADORE CHANEL!!!!

They have a way with flowers DO THEY NOT?

At night after a shower there is nothing more soothing than slathering on the "C" word ...

Chanel

... Coco, Coco Mademoiselle, No.5, Allure ...

the list goes on!!

Somehow the fragrance lasts and lasts and lasts.

I love to pull the sheets over my face and get a sweet sniff of these world famous aromas.

ooooh, what's that you're wearing?

Allure is my favorite ...

Today I was basking in No.5!

SUSAN, SUSAN YOU'RE SO LAZY

IN THE CENTER OF THE KITCHEN TABLE ... Susan reigns as queen.

She spins, she swirls, she goes round and round. Hotel silver rides with pride as Susan does her swirling and spinning. Vintage cloth napkins are closely related and salt and pepper make themselves right at home on Susan's solid maple block with aged patina.

Woven flasks boast that they know Susan well ... and lest we forget the English ironstone pudding bowl.

I can see it clearly. Late in the 1940's a busy and maybe lazy housewife conjurs up in her mind how to spin the platter sitting in the middle of the table. Hubby wanders off to the garage workshop and proclaims "I think I've figured this out". Some gadget that's been laying around for months ~~ he applies to the bottom of the dish ... before you can say "Donna Reed" the lazy susan is up and running (spinning).

Bring back the lazy Susan.

Available at most thrift shops.

Let's get thriftn' ... it's Thursday!

OUT OF THE (window) BOX

FOR FOUR YEARS this box has been lurking in my shed ... just another to-do on the mile- long ever- increasing honey-do!!!

THIS IS A FINE YEAR FOR A WINDOW BOX. Thanks DH!!

Parisiennefarmgirl and I split a bunch of hanging baskets from Meijer last week.

She came up with this nifty little trick.  Purchase mature hanging baskets and divide them in half.  Place each half where desired in the window box.  Fill in with sweet potato vine, allysum, and bacopa. In just a matter of days and of course buckets of rain ... VOILA the window box is dressed to kill!

What are you planting out (in) of the box??

thru the lens of cityfarmer ... no flash ...nightime setting

CHEAP TRICK

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ... spur-t of the moment me again ... always looking for a way to make the mundane live a little!

Scarf your plane jane umbrella with some drape-y yardage.

For just pennies ( my new mantra) you can turn the ordinary into shangrila!

If you look closely you'll see my seamstress skills using clothes pins.

As promised in the streaming marquis on the sidebar, here are followup views of the porch.

When we were designing the layout, DH insisted the depth of the space be enough to create a  living area.

These men, they've just "got it" don't they?

I carefully thought thru the color scheme and each season, different thrift pillow are added to the cream, white and black basics.

Stop on in any time and rest a while.

If it's a' thunder-stormin', you'll find me curled up on that wicker!

THRIFTIN' ON A THURSDAY

SELF SURVEY SAYS:

I'm a small moments person ... meaning

it doesn't take much too much to bring contentment.

Thrift shop candles cost pennies.   I light them every night in the summer months. The porch commands attention from neighbors out for a walk.

Straw hats from the thrift shop adorn the door post in my sunporch.

total cost ... just pennies. Think about it ... you see straw hats at every garage sale or thrift shop.

Mush them all on top of each other.

Layer a cozy, eye pleasing vignette with shells, glass, rattan, a farm table, a bench and of course candles ...

Pour the wine and put your feet up ... up on the porch.

What nifty little thrifty treasure lurks in the back of your van?

WHERE DO THE YEARS GO?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR FIRST GRANDCHILD.

WHERE DO THE YEARS GO?

YOU ARE TRULY A LITTLE MAN OF GOD.

WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE HAD YOU HERE FOR AN OVERNIGHT.

YOU ARE SMART, HANDSOME,  AND THE BEST BIG BROTHER EVER!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY.

GOT (PEA) GRAVEL????

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED A PEA GRAVEL COURTYARD

TOO MUCH FUN ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND

DH DID ALL THE DIGGING

THE WEAKER VESSEL WATCHED

BEFORE GRAVEL

TIME FOR A CAMPFIRE

IT MIGHT BE, IT COULD BE, IT IS ... 

WELL SORT OF ...

YES THESE LOVELY GLASS CLOCHE ARE REALLY GLASS LAMP SHADES FROM THE THRIFT SHOP.

LOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!

VIEW FROM THE BIRDBATH

WHAT ARE YOUR HOLIDAY PROJECTS?

LOTSA PHLOX

DO YOU HAVE FALL PHLOX OR SPRING PHLOX?

COMING ALONG

OLD TIN LETTERS

STRUNG FOR FUN!

VIEW FROM A POTTING SHED

BLAH-GRRRH!

THE BEST REMEDY TO BEING BORED WITH ONES OWN BLAAAHG ... POST PICTURES OF THE KIDS AND THE GRAND KIDS  ...

 "I just love my Mother's Day dress"

"Hey Gram, I'm over here"

Delightful daughter #1

Delightful daughter #2 (right) 

cozy cousin, Greta

Grandpa Don ... you are loved!

The End ... of a long day!!!

MOOCHAS SMOOCHAS

THRIFTIN' ON A THURSDAY

FOR JUST PENNIES, the thrift shop sells used candles ... good for a rainy porch night like tonight.

unearthed from a good friend, this rosemary duet graces the pea gravel pathway ... 

have you ever???

Oh, btw, Annie my friend started these from teeny weeny

 and trained them in her greenhouse

now really~~

trio of apothecary jars ... loaded up with vintage dominoes

mmmmm, are these sweet or what?

 unwanted white clump birch branches ...well someone wanted them and it's me.

Wired to the feeder they soften the stark white porch post.

Necessity IS the mother of invention.

Did you go thriftn' today?

IT SUCKS TO BE YOU!

FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR COUNTRY MR. PRESIDENT...IT'S A NORMAL WEEKDAY

DO YOU KNOW WHERE AIR FORCE TWO IS .... 

JEEZ, IT'S YOUR PLANE ...

AND YOU'RE GONNA ORDER AN INVESTIGATION ???

IT'S BEEN 100 DAYS

HOWDOYA' LIKE ME NOW????

"I DO SHOWS"

REGRETS~~

....LADIES,  I got caught and swept away in the undercurrent of my first Spring and Garden Antique Faire ... it took a whole more gumption than I realized.

SHOP TIL YOU DROP

THIS VERY INDUSTRIAL TECH-Y VAULT CART WAS THE FIRST THING TO SELL~~

I TOOK A BIG CHANCE WHEN I PURCHASED IT ... IT PAYS TO LISTEN TO THE SMALL VOICE THAT SAYS " BUY ME, BUY ME"

I HAVEN'T DONE A SHOW FOR FIVE YEARS ...BUT THERE'S NO STOPPING ME NOW!

DO YOU DO SHOWS?

I'll be around tonight to chat...

'member...double click for more fun!

I HAVE ONE SON AND HIS NAME IS NICHOLAS

I AM BASKING IN THE NEWS. 

MY SON AND HIS BRIDE WILL BE TAKING UP RESIDENCE at the University of Wisconsin.

He has been accepted in their PHD department!!

 ALL  kinds of honors and awards are being handed out in Kalamazoo at Western Michigan University as they prepare to leave. They will be moving early this spring.

The best news off all is that they will be within driving distance to this old farmhouse.

Congratulations to my straight "A" STUDENT SON, NIC!

WE ADORE YOU BOTH!

Oh and as I gaze at this photo, I say, summer, bring it on!

IT'S APRIL, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR KIDS ARE?

DOWN AND DIRT-Y

EXCUSES EXCUSES ...I've run

 out of them.

The cleanup must be finished

Manure must be spread

Lettuce must be sown

Potting shed is a mess

I've got the gloves, I've got the tools ... I'd rather be blogging and besides, it's raining.

Does that count as an excuse?

What's yours ...

Check back with the farmer and let's chat

SURVIVOR

PRAISE GOD one lone soul was found in the TOMB of rubble in the Italy earthquake.

JESUS survived and conquered the grave.

HAPPY EASTER

HE IS RISEN~ HE IS RISEN, INDEED.

I love you all!

cityfarmer

FARMGIRL CHIC(K)

A good time was had by all ... 

Could you not hear the laughter coming from the burbs.

This is the dearest friend I will ever have.

Is this not the cutest picture of a farmchick you have ever seen?????

LET'S DO LUNCH, IT'S ON ME

COMPANY'S COMING ...

farmgirl cyn and her DH are headed to the burbs for the weekend.

I only WISH it was warm enough to linger here for lunch.

I'll be flying under the radar as (a favorite blogger french laundry says) ... 

we'll be taking a journey over to the parisienne farmhouse, to see the chickens and enjoy a glass of pinot. 

We'll go thrift'n, do alot of gabbing, cook out steaks, you get the picture. 

If you hear laughter coming from the burbs, you'll know exactly who it is.

missn you all already...

when did your best friend last visit ?????

THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

Like the woman at the well  I was seeking

For things that could not satisfy:

And then I heard my Saviour speaking:

"Draw from my well that never shall run dry".

Fill my cup Lord,

I lift it up Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

Bread of  heaven, Feed me till I want no more

Here's my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

John 4:14

"Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.

 Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life"

If you do not know the Saviour as Lord~~

 as we approach the season of rejoicing in the resurrection ... take a second look at what Christ did for you when He gave Himself up for the sins of the world.

words and music by Richard Blanshard

BECOMING JANE

THIS  is my dear friend Jane ...when I grow up I wanna be just like her. When we owned our retail store, she was one of our most loyal customers.   If I called her and told her of something new, she came running. 

We still keep in touch.  She redesigned her kitchen last fall and invited me to lunch in it last week.

... NOT swayed by trends or what everyone else is doing ... She is faithful to herself and her own developed taste.  

Blue and white, white and blue and blue and white.

She does it well, does she not?

No fuss, just an understated chic that will always be in vogue.

 Dedicated to family, she had all of them in mind when she planned the flow of this grand room.

Seating for the grandkids  ...rush seat stools at the island!

u-hum, Jane ...I 'm playing Simon here, the poinsettia has to go!

We meandered off to her "red" living room while the soup was simmering.

Move over Charles Faudree.

It's heartwarming to see "stuff" all over her home that came from our shop.

Thanks for being such a loyal friend.

Thanks for becoming JANE!!

oh BTW, she lurks this blog, and I'm sure has visited many of you by linking!!!

... it's a lovely, elegant name for a gracious woman ... is there a Jane in your life?

THRIFTN' ON A THURSDAY/PLAY BALL!

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS ... there's been a trend-y little design idea...spheres.

Moss, twig, mercury glass and the like have been show in photos shoots, lying around in baskets, bowls, and urns.

Being the farmgirl that I am ... I was drawn to these old softballs at the ...you guessed it ...the thrift shop.  

I hear that the ball parks have opened.  If you've been following the farmer for very long, you'll know that two of my favorite words are

PLAY BALL!

METHOD:

snoop around for older softballs

add stain for more distress

place in the container of choice

...great for a kid's room or an edge-y little spot in the family room.

OLD FRENCH PROVERB

"EVERYONE CAN KEEP HOUSE BETTER THAN HER MOTHER TIL SHE TRIETH"

(old French proverb)

LADIES, I need to have a couple of days (while the windows can be open) to whip this farmhouse in to shape. When gardening season strikes, I want the inside spit and polished.

Startin' at the top and workin' my way down.  When I take my breaks I'll be stopping by your place to chat for a minute.

Have you started spring cleaning??

BRING BACK THE BUTLER !!! THRIFTN' ON A THIURSDAY

ADD A LITTLE ROMANCE AND NOSTALGIA TO YOUR EARLY MORNING COFFEE.

I know, I know, you might have one of those plastic butlers from Walmart or Targeeh ...

but hear me out on this ... 

In these lean times, we all need a little perk.  Every thrift shop has a couple a' dozen of these genteel beauties. I can't bear the thought of these lying in a landfill. Take one home today.

I am vowing to pour my morning coffee from this LOVELY ageless carafe, starting today.

Method:

Brew your morning coffee or tea

Transfer the beverage of choice to this stunning carafe

Light the little tealight (save electric) and surround yourself with soothing beauty.

BRING BACK THE BUTLER!!!!!

FRENCH DRESSING

SOMEBODY HELP ME... I can't stop creating.

I wake up in the morning thinking of ways to dress up wonderful junk.

French dressing ... I'll have what she's having.

If you remember the post a month or so ago about gluing fine old paper onto glass ... then this little escapade might bore you.  Refined and redressed ... here is the latest spin.

I am always on the hunt for vintage labels. After perusing the www, I could not put my hands on any that looked french-y ... the wheels started turning in my little pea brain ...this is what developed.

A trip to JOANN ...poured thru the stickers looking for fun alaphabet motifs ... YES, there they were ... black and white, sepia and a myriad of others ... I'll bet you could finish the story.

always have loved momogram ... plopped this "W" onto one of my lovliest Goodwill finds.

two identical and interesting bottles (goodwill) now reign supreme as the kitchen's salt and pepper royalty.

I was given a pocket sized French dictionary ... I am putting it to good use, looking up words for my homemade labels.   Tell me, have you seen anything this grand on the www?

look for intersting shapes WITH pretty tops!!!

It's only Monday ... can you imagine what we can come up with by the end of the week?

HONEY, HAVE YOU SEEN MY KEYS???

HONEY, HAVE YOU SEEN MY KEYS?

WHY yes...they're over at cityfarmers' glued to a picture frame.

ANOTHER new twist on thrift.

METHOD:

Unearth a handfull of old keys.

Snag a few decorative but cheap frames at the good will.

Add a small amount of rub-n-buff.

Gorilla glue old keys to the cardboard surface burried beneath the picture frame.

Add to any grouping or tabletop display.

VWAAHLAH...the million dollar look for a buck

(which will be the title of my first book)...AND these adorable pieces will be for sale in my booth at the French market in May.

What's brewing in your craft room?

LET'S GET THRIFTN'

SALADS AT STOPLIGHTS

Me again. I’m out and about campaigning on my thrice

yearly “new you” soapbox.

If you’ve been following the farmer, you know that I’ve

been known to eat one of these salads at stoplights. I take one with me

wherever I go. If I don’t then somehow my car pulls itself into a Booger

King and the jr. whopper reigns … pun intended.

I can promise you this: if you eliminate processed flour

and sugar from the daily rituals , eat fruit til noon, and then one of these hefty beauties ...YOU WILL

LOSE WEIGHT…CHANGE IS IN THE MAKING.

THE METHOD:

Spring mix

Romaine

Grape tomatoes

Feta

Romaine

Red cabbage

Any meat you desire

Toasted pecans ( it' about the crunch ya know) 

Newman’s dressing (low in sugar) NO FAT FREE STUFF…pppppssst ~~it’s all chemicals

Dried cranberries~~very high in

sugar so JUST a few

Be creative … pile on whatever you fancy or what’s in

season in your neck of the woods.

AGAIN … have this all made for the week and carry it with

you wherever you go.

SALADS AT STOPLIGHTS will erase the weight right off your

cute little blogger butt. Notice I said “little”.

C’mon girls, let’s get movin’…

We all need each other … feedback all of your great

weight loss tips and tutorials.

See ya at the stoplight!

This is cityfarmer and I endorse this message.

IS IT HOT IN HERE OR IS IT JUST ME?

ARE YOU a boy or are you a girl?  If you answered girl  ... are you fifty-ish?

I have never suffered the "wanna rip your clothes off" hot flashes ... HOWEVER, it's only the end of February and I'm having my own personal summertime over here.

Just a teeeeeeeny little band of sweat on my upper lip ...  enough to drive one crazy.

I guess it's better than wanting to rip your clothes off.

Well, have a nice weekend ...

thank you castles and crowns for some of the nicest things anyone has ever said.

... don't sweat the little things.

by the way, these adorable old signs are from my grade school restroom doors.

They were salvaged by my folks when the old school was torn down.  I happened to attend the same grade school as my Dad ~~  we even had the same first grade teacher ...Avanelle Brooks ...

come to think of it, I may have seen her blotting her upper lip..

 

THRIFTN' ON A THURSDAY

"DARE TO DECOUPAGE ... from the French word decouper, to  cut out.

This amazing art enables the crafty gal to transform just about anything."

this "little black box" was ugly and without form just a few short hours ago. 

I found an old book of the masters and ripped away...tediously planning what great sketches to put where.

The end result was very satisfying ...  makes me want to look for more orange wooden boxes ... yep, it was painted orange.

excerpt from "nesting...it's a chick thing"

If you're not a collecting, start something today.  I have always loved crumb trays...they are tiny and sweet and very much fun to layer into fun little niches.

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.  I will actually use this for what it was made for ... crumbs ... 

oh that detail is breathtaking.

uh hum ... what do you collect?

let's get thriftn' ..

EURO-TRASH..SNIFF SNIFF

I am so in love with the style and panache of this dedicated woman from Illinois...take a peek at a new favorite blog who is featuring Annie from Euro-trash.

PLEASE let me know what you think....I think my heart beats with hers.

Take a tissue from my trashy little vintage tissue caddy and wipe your eyes if you begin to cry.

FARMHOUSE FRIDAY

Take a piece of timeless trash or thrift and turn it into something magical... a cache for your favorite wine bottle.

You'll need:

One old coffee percolator pot bottom ... some silver polish ...(leave a little crud on please)

One wine bottle (with a little wine in it)

and Vwahlah ... you have a piece of trash turned timeless.

Cheers.

THRIFTN' ON A THURSDAY

OKAY ... it's cold, it's snowy ...the 50 degrees last week must've had the word tease tied to the weatherman's mouth.

THERE are thoughts and rumblings of summer going on in my head ... IF you haven't been over to stuffintheburbs as of late ... then you might wanna pop in over there ... 

be the first in line at the gate for a new French Market in the burbs of Chicago.

Stop by my booth and let's chat!

Would not this humungous basket (4 feet in diameter) be the ultimate French country accessory?? 

By letting it sit outdoors it will take on a beautiful weathered patina just in time for opening day.  I'll fill it with twigs or maybe all the kids in the neighborhood.

What was woven in to your day?

GOING GREEN(S)

DON'T THINK ME WEIRD OR LAZY ... UP UNTIL RIGHT NOW THESE GREEN HAVE BEEN

FROZEN TO THE BOTTOM OF MY WINDOW BOX.

You guessed it~~garbage pick up is tomorrow...so I'm going green~~bye bye greens

Don't think me weird ... I LOVE moss, any kind of moss.  This hearty patch survived the Chicago winter and is making its Spring debut on the Northeast side of my garden.

What's up with your green thumb?

MOOCHAS SMOOCHAS

DID YOU KNOW THAT KISSING REDUCES STRESS LEVELS?

This is a very special Valentines Day at our house.

Run,  grab your man and plant one on him!

Back to normal chatting next week, ok?

PRESS IN, HOLD ON, SPRING IS IN THE AIR

HOPE .. it's right around the corner.

I am packing up my very first giveaway.

Do you trust me to NOT publish a photo of the stuff I'll be giving away?

I will be sending out a parcel of very special finds from my own home.

The mystery package will contain app. 8-10 items from my very own stash ...remember the cozy bottle project from a few posts ago ... I designed one just for the giveaway.

Call the preacher, call the deacons, grab your neighbors and bestest girlfriends, grammas and aunties ... post a comment between now and Feb. 11 at midnight. 

All of your names will be put into the hat and ONE will be drawn out.

IF You CAN'T TAKE IT ... I'LL PUT UP SOME PICTURES. (maybe)

WAITING TO HEAR FROM YA ... HUGS, 

cityfarmer

MOVE THAT BUS ... MOVE THAT BUS

Dinner is served.

Got so excited I didn't even notice  in what order these were being uploaded.

The wine will be poured momentarily.

Have a seat and enjoy the makeover tour.

It's all in the details ... 

every item hails from thriftn' ... 

Redesigned cupboards ...see archived post from July 08

Mishmash of neutrals ... 

Benjamin Moore White Dove ... BM Natural Wicker

Pittsburgh ... Eiffel Tower ( ceiling and wall cover)

Favorite vista

... I'm sitting here as we speak with this as my viewpoint.

Favorite soninlaw painted this four years ago as we prepared for a shower in Angela's honor.

The world's BEST painter/faux finish expert.

Hugs to Joel!

BM Rosemary Sprig.

The sprig had sprug'd.

Faux stone wallpaper in stock bins at Menards ... 20.00 worth did this entire surface.

Eeeeeewwwww!!!

Cowboy (er) Cozy up!

Dish duty ... a pleasure!

Speechless!

Let's eat.

We use what we have ...everyday ...no need to just look perty.

oooops dup't

Inspiration for makeover: ... paint chip (Eiffel Tower) carried around in my wallet for 2 years.

An ever changing collection of silver, glass and ironstone.

The need for change.

Nesting instinct satisfied!!

"The way put together the things you love, comes from the way you feel about them...cityfarmer"