Gardening Sunday - Veggie Time ! Beans are first in !

Howdy -

Well FINALLY Hubby has gotten good weather and time to start getting the veggies in! Yesterday it was all about the beans! And we have lots of them!

Now I can finally start showing you what we have planted - they were so bunched up in the greenhouse!

We ordered our seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. They have a ton to choose from and an easy website to move though.

Here are our beans finally in the ground -

We have two different varieties that we picked. Hubby HAD to have Kentucky Wonders - That is what the old people used around here (grandparents) and that is what does the best. Ok So that was all him talking there on the Kentucky Wonders ... LOL

They are formally called "Old Homestead (Kentucky Wonder) Bean - You can find them HERE on the web site - And to back Hubby up a bit, they do have 4.5 star rating.

Then we chose "Rattlesnake Pole Beans" They are HERE on the website - They too have a 4.5 star rating and I have seen quite a few gardening blogs talk about how much the produce.

And honestly the list of "friends and family" that are lining up to enjoy the garden goodies is getting pretty long so we better produce LOTS! LOL

Today Hubby is going to start getting in the tomatoes, cucumbers and squash! So I will snap photos and have that for you next week!

Have a beautiful day!
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - BABY PATRICIO!!

Howdy -

Now I could start off with lots of chatter about the new baby...  but really you just want to see photographs first right??

I do have to tell you he is just a love - super super friendly - and just soft as a cotton ball!!

Traditional Day One with "Dad" photo - I just love these with Hubby... went back and looked at a bunch of past ones was amazing to see all the babies that now he could never even try and pick up.

Telling Patti she did an amazing job with her new son.. Well Black Jack had a little to do with it too... ok a lot....

She was still cleaning him up here.... Didn't you just hate it when your Mom licked her thumb and wiped something off your face? LOL

Cute Cute Cute... Hi ears have now straighten up... must have been crowded in there -

I know... just smiling aren't you?

I am telling you we have gotten very little done this week as we have spent way too much time hugging and loving on this little guy!

He was born Monday morning and he has dealt with colder wind... rain... Thunder and lightening... and then HOT sun yesterday - He has had more weather his first week of life than most! We are probably going to let them back into the large 15 acres with all the other girls This weekend... I hate it as right now I can see him out the window and he is only 20 feet to a hug! But there is lots of green grass growing out there and Patti would like join the other ladies....

Hope you have a wonderful day and can hug something furry!
Hugs and

Whimsy Inspirations - Cute Car!

Howdy -
Today I have a card I made with one of the new March images at Whimsy Stamps - Just loved how cute this one is ...

Named "Cute Car" - great name huh? I colored with my Copics ( colors below ) and then dug through some older stashes of paper for some fun springy colors.

Inside same papers -

Copic Colors used -

Was just a fun card to make - simple and gave me some much needed crafting therapy. LOL Getting ready for our biggest show of the year next week and well... I get a bit nuts getting ready for it. Hubby just loves me during this time.. uh yea right!

We have a little more rain today. YEA! And Hubby is wanting to get the garden in - wonder how much mud there is going to be in my house today -

I was going to the floors today  -  I am now thinking I will wait until tomorrow I just have this odd feeling that I will have to twice if I go ahead today -

Hope you have a wonderful day -
HUGS and

High Hopes Challenge - SPRING!

Howdy -
Now it is really feeling like SPRING around here - things are growing - trees are budding out - And now a bouncing baby boy! Wow it was so exciting yesterday. Hubby and I could hardly get anything done due to going out to watch Patricio. He is just so adorable to watch bounce around.

Then the rains came... not enough but some rain! That really will kick off Spring.

And this week the challenge for High Hopes is Spring. I had a lot of fun with this one!

Used multiple stamps for it too! The main part of the image is one of the new release images "Herbie" Then I pulled out a couple of mini little chicks and masked the image - "Lil' Peep" and "Lil' Chirp" just seemed perfect to go with Herbie and his blue ribbon chickens.  I colored with my Copics and sewed things together. And added three white flowers and buttons. Then I ended up making an easel card and found an fun sentiment - "Spring is in The Air" Colored this with the same Copics in the image - Just makes me feel warm inside ! Like Spring is coming!

Here is the Copics used -

Now you just must head over to the High Hopes Challenge and see all the Spring! Then join us at the challenge to win some High Hopes of your own!

Hope you have a wonderful day... me ... I am probably gonna be out in the pen with Patti and Patricio most of the day. :0)

HUGS and

We have a BABY!!!

Last night Patti had her baby. A stunning solid black boy! Bet he makes Black Jack proud don't you think? His name is Patricio. 

Gardening Sunday - Our Orchard!

Howdy  -

Well "We"  have an Orchard!! Hubby just loves it when I include myself in all his hard work! :0)

Now of course when I went out to take photos the wind started blowing 30MPH! 12 trees I believe are now in the ground. Not a huge Orchard but for us it is a great start. The peach trees have fruit on them, of course we may loose them now that we have planted them, first year in the ground and all. But we will try and keep them if we can. One of the Peach trees has 14 fruit on it already... and now the Apple trees are starting to bloom like crazy!

I will have to get variety names for you once Hubby is done with the planting and we get everything listed -

This one is my Granny Smith Apple tree!! I insisted on this one for some yummy baking apples!

Now that the trees are in the ground he has started working on getting the Veggie Garden prepared.

 Now if you don't remember the greenhouse is 12 feet wide and 36 feet long... so you can see he is working up a pretty big place to work with this Spring! I am guessing he will start putting out things this week... gonna be so yummy!!!

Hope you have a blessed Sunday -
HUGS

Animal Crackers - Lazy Lazy Lazy

Howdy -

Well Spring is "Officially" here - still having some chilly nights but the days have been nice and warmer. I think the donkeys have a touch of Spring Fever. Really Lazy around here yesterday afternoon. Nice Warm Temps - Breezy and overcast clouds - Perfect for an afternoon nap.

Donkeys do spend time sleeping while standing... but when you are really relaxed and want to get some good shut eye... laying down is great!

And for poor Macey and Jazz.. it was just simply to get off their feet!! Macey is as big as a barn! Waiting for these babies is worse than watching a cake in the oven! Something good is coming but not near fast enough! So excited for them to have their babies!

Found Bella and Darlene enjoying a nap with a little more shade than the other girls. The Big Oak tree is finally putting on leaves and this is their favorite place for shade - 

While I was snapping the donkeys the chickens were really making lots of noise!! I think this is what you would call "The Evil Eye"... the message?? Well...

"QUIT MESSING WITH THAT CAMERA - GO IN THE HOUSE  - AND BRING US OUT SOME LETTUCE - NOW PLEASE!!!"  Ok so I added the please... they don't normally ask with a please.... LOL... Just as I snapped this she slung her feather.. she had little drops of mud all over her and then... it was all over me... sigh... stinky mud too...

Juliet was hanging over the fence scratching... I swear she was laughing at me...

 But with a face like that and those long gorgeous eyelashes ... she can laugh and still get lovings -

Hope you have a wonderful blessed weekend - We are just busting out here ready for things to bloom - grow and be green! In fact pop back by tomorrow and you can see what Hubby has been up to this week -

HUGS and-

A Happy Birthday card -

Howdy -

Did a little coloring on a new Whimsy Stamps Crissy's Digi image this week. Trying to catch up on my stash of cards. Pile gets really high and then suddenly seems I don't have "That Perfect" card for someone special.

I have a friend that has a birthday coming up and she rides big fancy horses - She looks just like this -

This is one of the new Whimsy Stamps Digital images - from Crissy's Digis - "English Riding Pony"
I colored with Copics (colors below) Then I found some older papers in my stash - I inked the edges of things and sewed them down. The sentiment "Happy Birthday" is a die from the Birthday Sentimentables collection.  These dies are fabulous - and the perfect size for cards. I added some mulberry flowers in the corner as well as some of the Lace Tape  found HERE in the whimsy store. This tape is one of my favorite embellishments - just unroll, cut and sick down! If you haven't tried it yet YOU MUST! Just tell them Michelle said you had to buy it! LOL

Inside is scraps of the papers -

And Copic colors used -

Well better get the day going - A little cleaning - then some work - and then I have some coloring in my day! 

Have a wonderful blessed day!

HUGS and

High Hopes Challenge - Chevrons

Howdy -

Today is the High Hopes Challenge - and this week it is Chevrons. I did a search to find the exact definition of "Chevrons" - so here is your word for the day ok?

chevron (plural chevrons)

1. A V-shaped pattern; used in architecture, and as an insignia of military or police rank, on the sleeve
2. (heraldry) A wide inverted V placed on a shield.
3. (chiefly UK) One of the V-shaped markings on the surface of roads used to indicate minimum distances between vehicles.  [quotations ▼]
4. A guillemet, either of the punctuation marks “«” or “»”, used in several languages to indicate passages of speech. Similar to typical quotation marks used in the English language such as ““” and “””.
5. (informal) A háček, a diacritical mark that may resemble an inverted circumflex.  

Now I was glad I googled... cuz it really helped me figure out the challenge and how to work it into my challenge - I took the easy way and just found some paper with up and down V pattern to it. Before that I was really making things difficult for myself and was trying to create a military shield thing and well... it just didn't work at all. LOL So to help you with the challenge ... just use some zig zag pattern ok? 

Here is what I ended up with after I trashed the first project - 

I love this couple! "American Cowthic" are they great or what? I colored with my Copics - then doodled around them. My papers are from Whimsy Stamps and Glitz - I added dots of Viva Decor Black Pearl Pen - and then the sentiment "Cow ya doin?"  also from High Hopes.

Inside same papers from outside -

Copic Colors used -

Fun card with one of my favorite "older" High Hopes stamps - American Cowthic... I crack up every time I think about that name! LOL 

Now pop over to the High Hopes Challenge Blog and see how the DT worked with the challenge and then join us to win some High Hopes for yourself! 

Have a great day - 

HUGS and 

Gardening Sunday - Water and Wait...

Howdy -

Well things are really growing now! And that is really making Hubby want to plant out in the garden. The Beans are more than ready to jump out of their starting pots and spread their roots.

He keeps watching the forecast for the next couple of weeks... and it is just right on the edge of yes or no moving things out to the garden. Tonight we are predicted to be in the high 30's' and not that we don't totally trust weathermen... but if it is just a few degrees colder it wouldn't be good. So I will have to hold Hubby back on moving into the garden. He is really excited about it. We both are. This is our first "real" garden in a long time. And this is our largest! I keep telling him it looks like he is trying to feed the world. We will have a bunch to share for sure! He has had his tractor out there getting the soil ready.

Even the tomatoes are starting to show some good growth, and they are normally really slow to get going.

And then yesterday we saw that the trees are now showing that they want to not be shown up and they have started showing us some growth of fruit!!

Ok, so it is a very tiny peach at this point but still exciting and cute!

We missed a chance at some really good rain again this morning. Huge storms coming right at us - split - and then reform past us. Really frustrating. Hubby keeps saying our fences are just so good that they can't cross over the road and past our fences. LOL HA! If you saw some of our fences you would really know how funny that is. Most wonder how they keep the donkeys in at some points. Other than the three standard donkeys don't want to go anywhere...  We sure need the rain and it keeps missing us here. Neighbors have been getting good rain the last couple of weeks and that is great, hope for us if it is coming in the area.

So how is the weather where you are now? Is Spring knocking at your door? Winter still holding on?
Whatever it is make sure to enjoy some of the outdoors today! Hubby and I are going to try and work a little outside. Been doing some winter clean up and repairs around the farm.

Have a wonderful blessed day -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - SMILE!!

Howdy

Snapped a photo of Chachi... and I am sorry if this guy doesn't make you smile I don't know what would!

I swear this guy smiles when I point the camera at him!! He is so darn sweet and funny! Chachi is one of our "left over" boys from a year ago. We didn't sell all our boys and I hate to take them to auction, so despite it isn't the best to have too many Bucks... we do and we love each one of them. Chachi has really become one of Hubby's little buddies. And seriously with a grin like that how could you not love him!

This is another photo  I caught that makes me smile. Until you have actually walked through one of our pens you really just understand the "attention" that you get.

The Ladies here were very happy to show some attention to Hubby yesterday evening. It was great watching him try and walk through with Angelina excited to help push him along and shove on him for some attention. Sometimes the only way to walk through is to hold their head... catch that tail she was really happy to see him. LOL

After Angelina calmed down he got away to see a few other girls.... here he was telling Sonia how much we love her and how adorable this little gal is. Full grown and she still is so small! Even when she isn't standing next to Juliet! LOL That girl loves her BFF's in the girl pen, I guess she will forever live with them - she has no idea she is an amazon next to them. She thinks she is just as little.

Snapped a few of the chickens yesterday - I have had to have a few talks with the gals in the coop. Their numbers have been down just a little. Time of the year I suppose. Yesterday the number was a bit better... But if they would stop playing in the mud and plucking each other's rear ends maybe they could focus more on egg productions! Check out those muddy feet and bare rear end....

The reds all have their feathers, but they too have been enjoying the mud puddle they create near their water -

 I think it has been awhile since I showed off Jill - She is a real looker and one of our first really sweet babies years ago.

Since then she has given us some really gorgeous kids and has become one of our favorite to breed. She has amazing horns. I have always told her that she has super model horns. Long sleek and thin. Well we have now found an issue with her beautiful horns... In all the head butting she does not have the bulk in her horns that most all the other gals have, and because of this... she keeps cracking her horns. Nature of goats - they break and crack their horns. Heck Frank is always knocking chucks off and he lives in a pen all by himself! But the girls have power struggles from time to time to claim rankings - and Jill gets in there and works hard for her rights... but those perfect horns take a real beating! Told Hubby we need some epoxy for bonding here!! But that wouldn't be good for her. So nature will just take its course...

Hope you got a smile with today's photos! I still keep giggling over Chachi's photo!
Have a beautiful Blessed day -
Hugs and

Whimsy Challenge - EASTER

Howdy -
Today is the monthly challenge at Whimsy Stamps! This month we are working towards our Easter Cards - you know cards with Bunnies - Chicks - Ducks - and well Easter Eggs! Anything that makes you think of Easter... me I went with one of my favorite Easter images from last years -

This is "Easter Ducklings" by Lia Stampz - love these cuties... I colored with my Copics then high lighted with stickles.

Stickles got a little wild... and bled just a little bit, but easter eggs have lots of color and well as a kid none of mine were ever perfect pieces of art... LOL

I used scraps of paper from my stash, and a piece of dotted satin ribbon. Then found some mulberry flowers in the same colors.

Here are the Copic colors.

Fun bright card - now pop over to the Whimsy Stamps Challenge site and see all the pretty Easter Cards. Then join us for LOTS of chances to win more Whimsy!!!

Hope you are having wonderful weather - and have a wonderful day! Was gorgeous sunny and nearly 80 here yesterday... should have spent more time outside then... cuz today ain't looking that pretty... sigh...

HUGS and