Spring Starts in the Bath

It's SPRING in the bathroom. . .I'm ignoring the 10"+ of snow and 2" of ice outside the window. . .It began with the gorgeous yellow roses that my Honey brought home. . .and a ducky Thrift Store find. .

Every time I look at this hand towel, I think about one Easter when I was six. . .For years I begged for baby ducks at Easter. . .That year I talked Daddy into a couple of them. . .one for me. . .one for my brother. . .I named them Bonnie and Clyde. . .I was so happy. . .carrying that little ball of fluff everywhere. . .watching them swim in a #3 washtub of water. . .I could barely sit through church for anticipating the fun I would have with the baby ducks waiting for me at home. . .

But then. . .as with all babies. . .my ducks grew up and became a nuisance to us all. . .Mama went on the rampage when they trampled down her flowers. . .I lost interest, too, after Clyde nipped my hand as I tried to move him away from Mama's wrath. . .I didn't protest one bit when Daddy decided Bonnie and Clyde would be much happier (and us, too) at a local park, where there was a small lake and other ducks to keep them company. . .That Sunday afternoon, we all packed into the station wagon with the very loud and fussy ducks. . .off to Walker Park in Blytheville. . .You've heard the saying, "Like a duck to water". . .I honestly think I saw smiles on Bonnie and Clyde's faces when they were set free along the edge of the lake. . .They didn't look back either as I blew them kisses 'Good-bye'. . .

We visited Bonnie and Clyde several times. . .but after a while, I didn't ask to go anymore. . .My duck love was over. . .It might sound like a sad story but it actually was a good lesson for me. . .Cute and cuddly eventually grows up. . .Life changes. . .'Children' become adults. . .and strike out on their own. . .It's the circle of life. . .a good lesson to learn at such a young age.

TREASURE THE MOMENT. . .FOR IT WILL SURELY CHANGE. . .

I suppose it could also encourage all of us who are snowed and iced in this 5th day of March. . .SPRING WILL COME. . .and Life will continue on as it should. . .

But. . .I'm helping it along a little faster in the bath. . .I guess you can see that I'm stepping out of the my usual neutral palette. . .with the soft pastels of SPRING. . .The bath is the perfect place to stage such as palette with it's soft blue wainscoting below the off-white walls. . . Such a simple little change that has made such a big difference. . .

I do have one thing to admit to you. . .As I gazed out the window this morning at the huge drifts of white. . .the six year old within me could hardly wait to go out and play. . .ready to discover the winter wonderland we rarely get here in the South. . .So maybe for just a little while since the sun has come out?

If I could only find those BOOTS. . .

 

 

 

The Last of Winter...Inside

This is it, Everyone! The last of Winter inside THE COUNTRY FARM HOME. . .

I'm so determined that Winter is (almost) over. . .After last week when John and I were cabin bound on top of a mountain in Alabama. . .

Monte Sano State Park, Huntsville, Alabama

we returned home to more ice and snow--OUTSIDE. . .But that doesn't mean I have to put up with Winter any longer inside, does it? . .So, here's the last of INSIDE WINTER before it disappears. . .

My thoughts are already shifting to sunshine and jonquils. . .

Good-bye OLD MAN WINTER. . .SPRING is on the way. . .
INSIDE. . .(smile)

 



 

 

The Fun is in the Living Room Planning

"I collect things I love and they live happily together. . ."

MY FAVS. . .

AND A. . .

'NUF SAID. . .

 

. . .from my farmhouse to yours. . .

 

Sharing with: *Simple and Sweet Fridays *

 



Real Simple Style

What? Not Plain and Simple Farmhouse Style?. . .Not today my friends. . .Today there's a spotlight on Debi Rosin's REAL SIMPLE STYLE. . .but I think you'll see an awful lot of similarities. . .

It was a chilly, gray day Sunday afternoon. . . I needed something to cheer me--some small effort of change that wouldn't be an all day affair--but something big enough that it brought smiles. . .The first thing I did was clear out most of the Winter decor. . .Our Spring is getting close. . .I hope. . .Then I stood back and looked at the empty spaces, thinking to myself that I needed inspiration. . .hopped onto the internet and checked out Debi's blog REAL SIMPLE STYLE. . .It's often my go-to place. . .Our styles are so similar. . .She says she borrows ideas from my blog. . .What she doesn't know until now is that I do the same with hers. . .

Her home is so lovely. . .It's simple. . .uncluttered. . .farmhouse. . .You'd never guess that she lives in Montana and not right here on our Delta farm. . .

Have you spotted my inspiration piece, yet? . .As I scrolled through the posts, my eyes spied the aprons hanging from pegs on Debi's back porch. . .

Made my heart flutter. . .A good place to start, I thought. . .I couldn't match her display exactly. . .so they are not 'two peas in a pod'. . .but very close, don't you think?

LEARN FROM OTHERS, YET MAKE IT YOUR OWN. . .that's the real secret to decorating in any style. . .

I was interested in getting to know Debi a little more and how her REAL SIMPLE STYLE came about. . .Here's a little of what she said:

"We live in my husband's grandparents 1930's bungalow.  I have done all the remodel and refreshing projects myself. I have power tools that would make most men jealous. My most recent was the bathroom. (It is explained in a blog post. . .) I'm a lover of all things vintage. I like you and many decorators. . .am constantly changing, rearranging,  painting and fluffing."

Debi has seven grandchildren who live close by. . .three dogs--all senior citizens--a Rottweiler and two pugs. . .She spends a lot of time in her yard tending to flower beds when the Montana weather allows. . . Whee. . .Where does she find the time to decorate?

If you hop over to REAL SIMPLE STYLE to see more of her amazing decorating inspiration, be sure and click on the links from earlier years. . .She began with almost a blank slate and documents the ever evolving farmhouse style in her home. . .

Thanks so much, Debi, for permission to use your photos. . .Whether we call our styles PLAIN AND SIMPLE FARMHOUSE or REAL SIMPLE, we sure seem to be cut from the same fabric. . .Thanks to your inspiration, seeing the aprons hanging in my kitchen makes me smile. . .



Sweets for the Sweetie

It's VALENTINE'S DAY--almost. . .The sweetest day of the year. . .

I wanted to make something special for my Honey. . .something that's a bit more man-ly than a box of candy. . .something that you could quickly make for your SWEETIES, too. . .

I've been going a little crazy lately making trail mixes. . .For years I've searched the store shelves for trail mixes for myself without so much sugar and preservatives when one day it dawned on me, "I can make my own !" . .with lots of nuts and sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes. . .ingredients such as that. . .I loved it. . .John loved it. . .So this VALENTINE'S DAY I decided to make a special trail mix for him. . .True, it's full of  'sugar'. . .but hey. . .it's VALENTINE'S DAY. . .SWEETS FOR THE SWEETIE are okay for a special day.

I gathered together lots of red and white. . .yogurt covered raisins, vanilla flavored red and white chips, salted peanuts, almonds, unsweetened coconut. . .a few dried cranberries, too. . .It needed a little chocolate. . .Honestly, it's not VALENTINE'S DAY without chocolate, is it? . .Semi-sweet chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy did the trick. . .all mixed together and packaged in a large Ball jar and a VINTAGE VALENTINE. . .just like the one's so popular when we grew up. . .I think the Honey will love it. . .I think you will, too. . .Adjust the mix to your own taste and have fun with it. . .There's still time to make a batch for YOUR SWEETIE before tomorrow. . .

SUNDAY: Our Place in Time

 

Just a THOUGHT today that has been close to my HEART this week. . .

 

 

 

HUGS AND BLESSINGS

 



This and That: Blue and White. .and White

"We can create a welcoming space for the new blessings

by letting go of (a few) old things."

OH MY. . .Another box of blue transferware.  .and pink. .and green. .and black. .and brown. . .but mostly blue. . My favorite. . .Where did THAT come from? . .It suddenly appeared in our garage. . .Might be because I moved many other boxes out? . .OH MY (again). . .My one weakness (chuckle) is blue transferware. . .Whether dressed up or dressed down, I love it. . .I had to sit down and rethink my simplifying plan. . .as I diligently worked to get the house back into some kind of organization.


THIS WEEK AT THE COUNTRY FARM HOME

If you walked into our house today, you might be convinced we had just moved in. . .What a mess I've made for myself. . .With the living room floor completed, I began clearing off the kitchen counters and tables and sorting the 'keepers' from the 'non-keepers'. . .giving all a good sudsy bath before they landed at their final destination. . .It might not have looked like it, but I did have a plan. . .


1. DOWNSIZE

TRANSFERWARE AND MISCELLANEOUS COTTAGE DISHES are always a good choice for a farmhouse. . .Alas. . .I must give up some of the now vast collection. . .maybe not a lot of the blue (grin) but definitely some of the other colors. . .maybe give YOU a chance to purchase a few. . .What do you think? . . .They need a GOOD NEW FARMHOUSE HOME. . .

 The kitchen cupboards didn't escape the clean-out. . .The collection of white dinnerware was overflowing. . .These are our everyday mismatched stacks of bowls, platters, pitchers AFTER purging (grin). . .The rest to the sale pile. . .Some are ironstone. . .some are simply white. . .Did I tell you I'm planning to contract out an estate sale this year? . .White dinnerware will be included. . .My collection has gotten out-of--hand. . .It grew and grew without me knowing it. . .A platter for 50c here. . .A plate for 25c there. . .No JUNKER can pass by those bargains, can they?

2. GATHER

As I divided and conquered the kitchen collections, I also began gathering together possibilities for the living room make-over. . .and that included vintage tablecloths, cotton sacking, and linens. . .more about how I'll use them later. . .I'm working on a plan. . .

3. REMEMBER TO PLAY

Overseeing all this activity was my Boo. . .Each time the ladder moved, he moved with it. . .If Boo is anything, he's the King of Play. . .His constant antics remind me always to take this change in my life with  a light heart. . .Pets are such amazing creatures. . .

THREE GOALS. . .ONE WEEK. . .The house remains in chaos. . .but I'm smiling. . .and feeling lighter with each box as it goes out the door.

 Everyone have a fun weekend !!!!

I'll be back next week. 

Til then. . . I'll be continuing on with the plan. . .

Sharing this Post with: * Make It Pretty Monday *

Featured on: Sunday Showcase



SUNDAY: Let's Spread Some Love

It's FEBRUARY. . .and our thoughts naturally turn to LOVE. . .I'm sending you my Love with the card I designed this morning. . .Now pass it on to your friends. . .Simply copy the card. . .paste it on an email. . .and send it off. . .Let your friends know how much you care and appreciate them.

WITH BLESSINGS FROM THE FARMHOUSE. . .

HAVE A LOVING SUNDAY