What a Giveaway!

My new blogging friend Sara at Sweet Magnolias Farm has a fantastic Ball 100th Anniversary American Heritage Collection Giveaway going on! There are many prizes, including Sweet Magnolias Farm Originals!

Hop on over there and check it out for yourself! And, please tell her Dru sent you!

 

Country Whites Weekend #5--Cottage or Farmhouse?

WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE!

"It’s plain and simple and oh, so sweet.

Embrace your country whites and share them here!  

Inspire us. Take us home. Fill us with country charm."

It's been another month, hasn't it?. . . .
I'm excited to see what you'll be sharing with us!
But, first--as promised in the Garden Style Bath post--I'd like to share with you a few examples of what I'm learning about my own Plain & Simple Farmhouse Style. . . .Little by little I'm developing the style that most suits my tastes. . . .It's a journey for me. . . .And, I'm loving it!

I bet many of you read my posts, see the photos, and say to yourself, "That's not Plain & Simple, it's more Romantic Cottage!"

I couldn't agree with you more!. . . .I do continue to enjoy a Romantic Cottage Style at times. . . .I also enjoy mixing the two. . . .It's not always a matter of choosing Cottage or Farmhouse. . . .I choose both!

Yet, I think there is a difference in the two. . . .When I set out to decorate Cottage Style, I gather items a little different from Plain & Simple Farmhouse Style. . . .

Let's start with the Garden Style Bath. . . .Doesn't it look like a cottage setting, 

with it's flowers and watering can?
Notice how the vignette fills most of the blank spaces.

Here I use a few of the same elements
but turn it into a simpler farmhouse look. . . .

If I wanted to be plainer & simpler (are those words?),

I might scale it down even more. . . .

Notice there's fewer items and lots of open space.

Beginning to get the idea?

Here's another example. . . .

Cottage. . . .

Simpler. . . .and more "Farmhouse". . . .

Plain & Simple.

There's certainly no right or wrong here. . . .Just a few differences in the look. . . .I'm sure I will continue showing both styles at The Country Farm Home, even though my journey is toward a Plain & Simple Farmhouse Style. . . .Let me encourage YOU to develop your signature style, too. . . .Let your farmhouse--or cottage--or both--be totally your own!

Along the way, though, please share your journey with us.
Country Whites Weekend
would be the perfect place to do just that!

The third weekend of every month…

Friday morning through Sunday evening.

Held jointly at

The Country Farm Home

&

Old Time Farmhouse 

Link here or there and you will show up on both blogs.

Features will be held the following Friday.

Be sure to check both blogs to see if your country whites have been featured.
You may link up to three posts!

Please Do:

Write your country whites post first and link back here to 
Country Whites Weekend with

Text or a link back using the Country Whites Weekend photo within your post.

Here at the party, be sure to link up your post url, not your blog url.

We’d appreciate it if you became a follower of both our blogs.

Take the time to visit at least 3 other party participants.

Please Don’t:

Link to shops, giveaways, parties and blog hops.

Link up something that you have already shared here.

Time to Link up and Party!

Don't forget the Mini Rag Rug Loom Giveaway at:
Our Old Country Store!
It ends Monday!!!

An Instant Touch of Nostalgia

It's feeling like Summer here. . . .85 degrees yesterday and the sun was shining! 

The first thing I did was race to storage and grab a few fans. . . .

I've found one of the easiest ways to add a touch of nostalgia and comfort to any setting is a vintage table top fan. . . .preferably an oscillating one. . . .They are the best and so practical, too. . . .Ceiling fans are fine but they don't give the same feel to a room that the old beauties do. . . .

I'm lucky that my family didn't throw their fans away. . . .Normally, anything vintage is the first thing out the door. . . .I found several in my parents and aunts attics when we were preparing for an estate sale. . . .None of them went in the sale.

They were pretty dirty and needed oiling. . . .Fortunately, John loves tinkering with them. . . . They were ready to use  in no time. . . .

The General Electric is special to me. . .It provided many cool nights in my bedroom when I was growing up. . . .As I removed its winter cover, I was instantly reminded of times past. . . .good times. . . .

The old fans, like so many other vintage pieces, are beginning to get scarce. . . .but, so worth it to buy if you happen upon one . . . .

With a charming framed rose print in the background, I decided to only add a few pieces to the vignette. . . .Pink long stem roses. . . .A favorite china dog. . . .
I didn't notice until I took the photos how sad this little dog looked!. . . .Maybe he doesn't look sad but distinguished? 

A painted  lamp completes the vignette. . . .
Plain & Simple with a Cottage touch. . . .Just tweaking "Cottage" down a little. . . .

. . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .

 

Sharing this post with: * Knick of Time * Budget Decorating Party * Tweak It Tuesday * Feathered Nest Friday * Simple and Sweet Fridays * Home Sweet Home * Be Inspired

A Dream Come True and Another Rag Rug Loom Giveaway!

It must have been a slow day at The Blytheville Courier News last week! What a shock when we found ourselves on the front page!
Doing what? Well, I think you can tell from the photo. . . .
We're Rag Rugging!

The Continuing Education Department at Arkansas Northeastern College asked us to teach a workshop on our technique for Rag Rugs. . .We were more than happy to help out. . . .and were thrilled when twelve women and three children signed up for a night of fun.

Before John could help with the teaching, he first had to learn from scratch exactly how it works. He started his own rug on the weekend before. It took him about a day to get the hang of it.

Boo thought he was helping by sitting on John's lap and encouraging him!

By class night, John was almost an expert on what and what NOT to do weaving a rag rug!

At the class, each student received a large loom, a short lecture, and a lot of hands-on practice. . . .
They started on their loom. . . .while four looms were also set up for them to practice the actual weaving technique.

Look at those hands go!

 The college has already asked us to return for a summer and a fall workshop!

This was a dream come true for me. . . .My purpose from the beginning was to revive this Delta folk art before it was totally lost. . . .It was so gratifying to see that happen before my eyes.

In fact, I've been so excited about the workshop's success, I've decided to give away another Mini Rag Rug Loom! For you who already own a Mini, there's a special offer for you, too!
The twist is. . . .
This time you'll have to join the Giveaway at Our Old Country Store. . . .

We have plans to expand the online store a little more. . . .It will be THE place to get information on what's new at Our Old Country Store and at our Etsy Shop (coming soon). . . .You'll also find more tips and updates on Rag Rugging. . . .New looms and probably more giveaways. . . .
We'll show you lots of junkin' finds and where to junk in the Delta and Ozark areas, too. . . .
And, ladies, I'll be posting some free stuff! All you'll have to do is pay postage!

Like the idea? Well, hop over there and sign up for the  
Mini Rag Rug Giveaway!
It's going on now. . . .

 And, thank you to Everyone who participated in the workshop. . . .You made my dream come true. . .

. . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .

Country Sundays--I Sing. . .

 

 

. . .Sunday Blessings 

from our farmhouse to yours. . .

It's Garden Time!

The farmers around here are "chomping at the bit" to get in the fields and start planting the cotton, soybeans, and rice. . . .This Farmer's Daughter isn't much better. . . .I'm ready to plant our gardens!. . . .Too bad the weather isn't cooperating. 

Did you notice, I said garden-S?

 We have a vegetable garden behind the farm shop. . . .It's certainly nothing fancy. . . .but it does the trick. . . .John has been busy at work on it for the last few weeks--building a couple of raised beds. . . .tilling. . . .composting. . . .

We put together the entire garden from recycled materials. . . .The fence was moved from another part of the farm. . . .The seed beds are framed with old barn wood. . . .The center planter was a piece off the chimney flue. . . .The gates were wooden pallets. . . .The concrete "rocks" are from the fireplace tear down. . . .Vines were cut from the bayou and laced into the fencing. . . . .That's our cute outhouse in back. . . .It's not actually in the garden.

In past years we have utilized the shop garden for tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers--all the basics. . . .This year, we decided to move the smaller plants to our rose garden--right outside the back door. . . .Plants will be better protected there--from the elements and "varmits". . . .I'll also be adding herbs to the mix. . . .Years and years ago I had a huge herb garden and loved it. . . .Time to start another. . . .

Prepping this bed has kept us busy. . . .Still have that big clump of ivy to move. . . .The rooster and chicks will stay. . . .The remaining rose bushes (4) will stay. . . .A picket fence will go up and extend to the other side of the walkway, leaving some room for a garden bench and potted plants. . . .The walkway is to the left of the monkey grass you see in the second photo. . . .I think I'm gonna love it!

Lots of work. . . .but lots of satisfaction, I think. . . .

And the shop garden? It will be planted with corn and the taller and/or sprawling veggies. . .

I thought we might start planting today, but the ground is still too muddy from all the rain we had this week. . . .Maybe Saturday?

Shoot!
Sure looks like there will be no junkin' done this weekend!. . . .That's fine. . . .I'd rather play in the dirt!

It's Garden Time, My Friends!

. . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .

Sharing this post with: * Make It Pretty Monday * Feathered Nest Friday * Simple and Sweet Fridays * Home Sweet Home * Be Inspired

I'm Curious. . . About Farmhouse Style

These are a few of my favorite things. . . .

Enamelware in Grays and Whites. . . .

Vintage Wooden Crates. . . .

Cross-Stitched Aprons from the 60s & 70s. . . .

Rusty, Crusty Tins. . . . 

 

Vintage Mrs. Butterworths. . . .Crocks. . . .Painted (or not) Coke Cases. . . .

John and I made our way into Missouri yesterday. . . .It was a beautiful Spring day and we wanted to spend it doing what we loved. . . .Junkin'. . . .Our first stop rewarded us with the loot you see in these photos. . . .John was pushing the cart. . . .I looked back at our finds and said, "Looks like we've got a theme going". . . .To which he answered, "It's what you always buy". . . .

You know. . . .He's right!

We're beginning to see a trend in this area toward Farmhouse Style--the items I've used for years in our home and was able to find at some good bargains. . . .That's all changing. . . .Prices are going up and the finds are becoming fewer with each Junkin' trip we take.

So, I'm curious. . . .Is Farmhouse Style popular in your neck of the woods? . . . .Do you think it's a new and popular trend?. . . .I actually have an over supply of finds. . . .but, I can't resist a deal--and that's what I found yesterday. . . .

What do you think? Will Farmhouse Style become more popular? Should I pass on a few of my deals to sell--either at Etsy or Our Old Country Store? 

I'll be interested in what you think. 

Thanks for your input, My Friends!

 

. . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .

Sharing this post with: * Feathered Nest Friday * Home Sweet Home * Be Inspired Fridays * Simple & Sweet Fridays * Share Your Cup Thursday