It's been awhile

I have not picked up a colored pencil and done any drawing for years...and I mean YEARS...Possibly not at all since moving to FL in 2004...So today a dear friend bragged about going to the art store for supplies and made me jealous...So I grabbed the jar of "rose art" pencils I have here for the kids, a piece of card stock and a copy of "Hobby Farm" magazine since it is to wet and icky (tornado watch all day today) outside...

So this is the result...Ok stop laughing...that means you Miss Kari...I actually got a cramp in my hand so gave up on the tail...Oh and would love to know where the pencil sharpener has vanished to....

I do however like how the head turned out...Maybe one day I will have the patience (and pencil sharpener) to tackle a rooster tail again...And though he may not be a master piece, it was good to play again.

Blessings Kelsie

Lovin' my new pink boots...

I am so thrilled with my new boots, I have been putting off buying a pair of rubber boots to go out to the chicken house in because I thought $27 was just more than I was willing to pay Walmart for a pair...How excited was I when I walked past the window of the Sporting Goods store and saw these beauties on sale for $10...oh rapture...Original price was $30...They are Western Chief and really well made as well...

Our ugly old bird feeder received a make-over this week also...Pink and white...I don't know if the birds care, but I sure love looking out the kitchen window and seeing it looking all painted and new.

My last pink share for the week is this cute little wind chime I got for $1 at dollar general...I hung it inside the pink birdcage in the herb "fairy" garden...It makes the prettiest bell like noise that reminds me of the sound Tinker Bell makes when talking to Lizzy in the movie "The Great Fairy Rescue".... LOVE IT.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend...Don't forget to stop by and visit Beverly @ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com to see all the other sweet PINK SATURDAY posts.

Blessings Kelsie

Making progress in the gardens...

My Blue Girl is now fully open but still very pink...I am watching with an eagle eye for any signs of it turning to lavender or bluish...though maybe the bush is too young yet since I only planted it this year?...Though I am not complaining because I do love the shade of dusty pink it is....

The herb (fairy) garden out the back in coming along nicely...I am loving it, but can't wait for it too be so full and bushy you can't see the hay mulch anymore...Then I can start actually using the herbs in my cooking...yum

In the large gray pot is Mexican Petunias...the only non-herb in the garden...Then we have peppermint, lemon mint, 3 strawberry plants (one has fruit already) Basil in the pot and beside it, cilantro, sage, lavender, and though they are to small to see in properly thyme and dill...I had to add the black iron piece to stop the cats from sleeping on my seedlings...afternoon sun and warm hay just seem to much for them to resist.

In the black pot behind the cage is more dill, curly parsley next to pot and under hanging basket, in the hanging basket is more thyme and basil, behind it is a small rosemary bush and a single baby spinach...under the cage (again to keep the cats off) is more thyme and dill...I still need to start my chive and more lavender seeds (maybe today)...and I have to get around to ordering some Marjoram seeds also...then that covers most of the herbs I use on a regular basis.

My onions both white and red are ready to go into the ground out in the field..

One of 2 jars full of Rosemary cuttings waiting to be potted today...On the suggestion of my MIL I am going to try and create a Rosemary hedge since it is ever green and grows so well here....

Found this rusted out tub in the old barn, added some cardboard to the bottom over the large hole and then planted my Heirloom (Homestead) Tomatoes in it...seems fitting don't you think...

My potatoes in a tire, I added the second tire and more hay right after taking this photo...this is an experiment for me, the theory is that the potatoes besides the bottom layer grow in the hay and there for no dirt to wash off after picking them...

Here are our hybrid tomatoes, peppers and Brussel sprouts in the back field...Will plant the onions out here later today...

And just a few water melons....

The melons are not ours, but a neighbors, he plants the 55acres around us and the back 2 or 3 acres of our place...he left us a couple of part rows empty to plant our veggies and we also get as many melons as we can eat...though after the first dozen or so, ya kinda get sick of melon lol.

That is the update for now...Hope yall are able to get out in the dirt soon.

Blessings Kelsie

Joining the following parties this week:
Cottage Flora Thursday’s @ http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com
Farm Friendly Friday @ http://www.verdefarm.com/
Flaunt Your Flowers / Fertilizer Friday @ http://www.tootsietime.com/
Show and Tell Friday @ http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Ultra Van - The Whale on Wheels

They do say you can find ANYTHING at Walmart...and Sunday evening we sure did...We happened upon this really cool Ultra Van from 1968....I knocked on the door to ask about taking photos to share with yall...

The couple that own it are super nice and had traveled all the way from Pennsylvania to the Florida Keys and were on their way north again via Pensacola for the Eastern Spring Rally ... So if you happen to be in the area this weekend you could check them out in person at Blue Angel Naval Recreational Area.

They told me the Ultra Van is powered by a Corvair engine in the rear...They are built out of aluminum with fiberglass corners and put together like an airplane and have no chassis....Built in California and then later in Hutchinson KS, only around 370 Ultra Vans were produced between 1961 to 1969...250 are still on the road today...

The Ultra Van is 22 ft by 8 ft and gets about 16 mpg...I am not sure how that compares to new larger RV's, but I will say, the Ultra Van has a lot more visual charm for a vintage lovin' fool like me...

If you want to find out more about them you can visit the online club
http://www.corvair.org/chapters/ultravan/

Blessings Kelsie

All about me and my dollwork....

I know a couple of ppl have commented on my work with doll fashions...If you would like to know just a little more about it, I was featured as a guest poster on the
Liquid Sunshine Online Blog today.

A Special thank you to Kari for making me feel so special and welcomed back to work.

Blessings Kelsie

Our Garden Gate Arbor for under $30

Every English Country Garden has to have an amazing gate or arbor entry...It also needs a white picket fence, but the pickets will just have to come later since they are just not in the budget right now....

The gate and arbor however did fit in the budget, using my imagination and husbands skills they came to under $30 to create.

The second I laid eyes on this old broken scrolled metal stand, I just knew exactly how I could use it to make our garden gate more "English Garden".

Here it is again, pulled apart and hubby welded two of the pieces together to create the large piece in the top of the photo.

Once painted it was added to the top of the gate arbor to add the perfect touch of embellishment to take 3 pieces of wood to the next level to FABULOUS!!..Couple of hanging baskets are the last touch. (well until I can locate the perfect mini ships bell)

And I know you all remember this piece...It started it's life as one end of Lil Sara's crib...I got many great suggestions on what it could be or become, but the correct answer was...

A GATE...Hubby trimmed the legs at the bottom and painted it with an outdoor paint...Little secret, I knew when we purchased the crib that I would one day use the ends for gates :)

Ta-Da...Our pretty English Garden Gate Arbor..

Cost Break Down:
Lumber for frame $7 each
Hinges and Latch $8
Scroll Work $1
Re-purposed Crib end FREE...

Total Cost = $29
Various paints used to paint and prim pieces we had on hand from other projects.

I am sure you are all enjoying looking at our lovely white builders sand in all the photos too....We have one more section of wire fence to go up to keep the chickens out and then we can FINALLY seed the front yard...YAY.

And just because..

Our very first rose bud, it is supposed to be a Blue Lady...hmmmmmm I guess it will change color at some point?

Well I still have about a thousand or so seeds to get planted, so better go make the most of my afternoon...Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Blessings Kelsie

Sharing today for:
Met Monday @ http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.comWow Us Wednesday @ http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Because you asked for it....

More photos of the wisteria that grows beyond wild here...Also a challenge of sorts...We have been searching for a name for our little wanna be farm, and while walking around enjoying all the Wisteria the other morning we thought it would be a cool idea to incorporate Wisteria into the name...Well since there is already a a Wisteria Lane, we figured we would need to come up with something else...So anyone out there got any suggestions?

Wisteria in front of old barn....

Hanging over the entrance to "Pear Tree Lane"...Named because of the 7 pear trees either side of the pathway that links one side of the property to the other...
Sadly it has all but choked this old cedar tree to death...


The next two photos were taken from across the road in front of the property

The shed you can see is an old well house...

More wisteria in the trees...

Some of the herb seedlings I re-potted a week or so ago...They are coming along nicely...

These are the pepper plants...glad to say they have regrown the leaves the chickens ate..

My onions are doing well...maybe about a week and they will go out the back in the ground...

More of the herbs and also my heirloom tomato plants waiting for me to build the raised bed in the front yard for them and our other heirloom plants...Want to keep them separated from the other plants so we don't get cross pollination from the hybrids.

As you can see we recycle all our old plant pots around here...that is very obviously not strawberries in the pots with the pics of the strawberries on them lol.

Maybe by next week I will have something worth showing from out in field behind the house, where we have planted some of our seedlings with the melons.

Blessings Kelsie

Joining the following parties this week:
Farm Friendly Friday @ http://www.verdefarm.com/
Cottage Flora Thursday’s @ http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com
Flaunt Your Flowers / Fertilizer Friday @ http://www.tootsietime.com/
Show and Tell Friday @ http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Vintage Romance

Yet another blogging inspired fashion has escaped from my doll studio...
This one is called Vintage Romance and is the first of my 2011 Spring line which as you can see is a lovely soft smokey pink and vintage whites and tans...But in true Mutant Goldfish Style it features scrap quilted embellishment, along with deconstructed seams and hems...and of course a gals best friend TULLE...I *heart* Tulle.

The stunning model is the lovely 16inch Sybarite Doll Trapeze from English company Super Frock

If you would like to see more photos you can visit the auction on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=22075565788

And don't forget to check out my Mutant Goldfish Designs Face Book Fan Page

Blessings Kelsie

PS: I could not wait so am sharing today but will also be linking up come Pink Saturday to Beverly's Party @ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com

The Purpose Driven Life

My church is currently doing a "40 Days of Purpose" program inspired by the book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life.

I am a little behind on my reading after lil Sara and myself being sick, but have already received so many little gems of knowledge and insight from the first 6 day chapters...I would encourage anyone, Christian or not to pick up a copy and give it a read...Read it with an open mind and heart..

On day three I read the following which really spoke to me on a personal level...

"Knowing your purpose simplifies your life. It defines what you do and what you don't do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren't."...then it goes on to say "People who don't know their purpose try to do to much - and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict."

This has totally been me lately...I am culling back and refocusing...I like the idea of a simplified life lead by God and his purpose for me.

So with that said, I am off to try and get my chapters caught up before tonight's study group...Hope you are all having a wonderfully blessed week.

Kelsie

Laundry Room Visitor

With the warmer weather, these little guys (and gals I guess) are everywhere...

Found this fellow hanging out on my laundry basket when I went out to start another load of wash...He was just as curious about me and my camera as I was about him...

After taking his photo I released him outside behind the trash cans so the cats could not find him.

Blessings Kelsie

Sharing this post with:

Mary for Mosaic Monday @ http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

Dogwood Trees

We are lucky to have inherited 2 large Dogwood trees, one either side of the driveway entrance..Don't they look lovely all in bloom...

We still have A LOT of clearing of rubbish trees in this area...Something else we inherited was 20+ years of unchecked Cherry Laural....It is a shame really because they do create a cute natural arch that frames the view of the fields across the road beautifully...But with as sick as they made me and lil Sara this year, there is no doubt they have to go.

Another photo of the Dogwood in bloom..

Have a wonderful Blessed Day.
Kelsie

Sharing these lovely white blooms for White Wednesday @ http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com

Repurposed Pink

So this week for St Pat's day it is a Green and Pink Saturday Linky Party...

And what is more green than re-purposing??...
Though I am pretty sure this is not quite was our lovely hostess Beverly had in mind...hehe

This is what I started with...Hubby's old greasy work boots and spray paint...White to prime them and then Ballet Slipper Pink to make them Pretty...

Add a couple of flowers and they are now planters :)

This lovely pink glass bowl that graces my table was given to me from my sweet MIL during their last visit...She knew I would love it...And what is not to love about vintage pink glass...

My clever MIL saw a new life for this LIGHT SHADE as a sweet bowl 20yrs ago...Back before re-purposing was trendy...And I for one am very glad she did...

Wishing you all a wonderful Pink Weekend..
Blessings Kelsie

Catching up in the yard....

Despite our allergies we donned our work gloves and got to work around the yard this week....The weather was dancing in the upper 70's and even hit 85 on Thursday...Spring has most definitely arrived in Florida...Though we are dipping back into the 30's at night and the 60's are forecast for the next couple of days.

Lil Sara was so proud to finally get to use her new John Dear pink gardening gloves...The only thing that makes her smile wider is the sight of a Tractor...

These are the lovely flowers we planted in "the fairy garden" in the back of the house..

Lil Sara helped Daddy paint the new fence posts...I can't wait till this fence is up so we can finally get the grass seed sown in the front yard...I am over sweeping this sand out of my house all day.

Oh and to answer last weeks question: It used to be the end of lil Sara's crib, but it is going to be the gate that hangs between these two posts :)

I repotted 72 seedlings into bigger pots...This is them a couple of days ago...Before the chickens ate half of them...Again...Can't wait for the fence to be finished lol

My snap dragons left over from last fall are putting on a wonderful show for us right now...

Each year I plant either a pot or hanging basket in Red, White and Blue...

Here is our girl Nardia guarding one of the trailers of watermelon seedlings parked about 40 feet from my back door....I was standing at the backyard fence when I took this shot...

And I know many of you have been waiting to see this...The Wisteria is now blooming everywhere...Driving into town is a delight with splashes of purple in all the tree tops accented by cascades of white from the Dogwood trees that are now also in full bloom...

This photo taken from my backdoor step...
And so ends another evening at Our Country Home....

Blessings Kelsie

Joining the following parties this week:
Farm Friendly Friday @ http://www.verdefarm.com/
Cottage Flora Thursday’s @ http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com
Flaunt Your Flowers / Fertilizer Friday @ http://www.tootsietime.com/
Show and Tell Friday @ http://romantichome.blogspot.com/