All In A Day On Prairie Flower Farm!

Hello,
Look at my little valance that I stitched up for my new kitchen curtain. Just what my creative side needed. Every time I go in and look out the window to the bird feeders, it is so pretty! Take a little time out to do a little something to make your home pretty. I wish I had extra time to do more, but it does help me if I can do at least one thing a day. I just love this fabric, it is so pretty. I have two more valances to make for the kitchen, but that is for another day!

We are seeing so many signs of spring on our farm. Lots of birds are coming back after being gone over the winter. I open the door to our farm house and hear all the wonderful spring sounds. When I am sitting painting I can hear the birds outside singing. As I sit typing I just heard Mr. Cardinal singing away. Momma Cardinal has not been around since last year, so we think she has died. How I hope a Momma comes to our farm this year. I love watching them in the spring. The Poppa Cardinal feeds the Momma. We watch how he cracks the sunflower seed open and then feeds it to her. It really is a precious sight.

Even though I am busy getting artwork ready for fabric, I am taking a little fun time out each day to get some other things done. I put horse manure on my rhubarb, got some little lettuce plants from Rosa and planted them in the Potter's Shed and worked on transplanting my little tomatoes and basil. I did take pictures, but our internet provider has not been working!!!!!! We have to do something, but living in the country away from everything, is hard to find a provider. Well yesterday, I was crying (yes I was a boohoo baby) to Gail my neighbor about how frustrating it has been with our internet shutting down for days at a time or it is just sooo slow!!!! They also have been trying to find a better internet provider. She then started to tell me how they had been over at someones place not far from us and the family had found an internet provider for people in the country. Yes!!!!!!! Thank you Jesus! It has been so frustrating like I said and sometimes life has felt like going up hill, "ALL" the time. Any one out there relate? We called the internet provider and he is coming out on Monday. I am so thankful, because the Lord has answered another one of our prayers!! Anyway all that to say it would take me forever to get the pic's up on my blog of my transplanting pictures, soooo I will put them up at a later date. You can go to a post from last year, if you are interested in growing your own plants . Click here It really is so fun to watch the little plants grow right before your eyes. Great lesson for teaching your children or grandchildren.

Well hope you are all having a good day today. It is to be in the high 50's. I am thankful for that!

Almost forgot to tell you Momma Puddle Duck is laying eggs. All the little Banty Cochins are laying eggs.......... that means babies hopefully this spring!!!!!!

Also, remember the wonderful greenhouse Stuztman's? They are having Spring Celebration on this Sat. the 27th of March. Look at this old washing machine that I am sure Larry fixed up. Just got the information this morning and thought I would send it on to you!

Now this is cute wouldn't you say?!

"Rejuvenate Your Patio with Trash to Treasure"

with our Designer Larry Rogers!

at

10 a.m. & 2 p.m.

If you live close to Pleasantveiw, west of Hutchinson, Kansas on US Highway 50. The Celebration is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All the stores will have lots of fun going on? You won't be sorry if you come!

P.S. I have a momma hen that lays light blue eggs with wonderful brown polka dots. I have been saving some so I could take a picture with them in a nest. I thought I had better blow the insides out. Haha that sounds so funny that I am saying that. Anyway I started to do that last night with two of the eggs. I poked two holes in each end of the egg. I was so excited that it was working so I came into where my girls were and I said, "Look how cool this is?" Well right then the whole egg exploded all over my face. Thought it might give you a laugh. I guess I was blowing to hard. I will be more careful next time. It worked on the first egg. Smile!

Blessings and Hugs!!!!!!!!

Week 5 at Stuztman's Greenhouse with my sister

First, I have to tell you that we were late to the class. I really dislike being late!!! I forgot the camera. So sad. We turned around to go get it. It ended up being in the back of the van the whole time. So anyway I didn't get all the pictures that I wanted. Larry was at it again. He went looking around his place and found old rusty automobile coil springs. Now I would of never thought to use them in my decor, but they looked really pretty when he was finished.

He added an old instrument box to the right and added a large evergreen pick.

He took an angel that has been made from recycled steel and placed it to the left side. They also had trees, snowmen and reindeer made out of this recycled steel. Really pretty.
Larry then placed a berry ball ornament to the top of one of the coils and also to the top of a wreath holder, the picture doesn't show it very well, sorry. He added a ribbon bow in the center and he had the whole decoration done in minutes. I think the key is having all the pieces you are going to use for the decoration together at the beginning. You don't have to use everything, but at least you are organized.
On this table decoration he used an old red pail turned side was and an old red oil can. Took a large evergreen pick and put it inside the pail.
Stutzman's have these large poinsettia flower picks. They can be taken apart. Larry placed two of them on the table piece. One on the left side and the other in the middle.
Place a large red bow, a snowman statue and it is finished!!!!!! Really simple, but very pretty. My sister Shannon had so much fun finding wonderful pieces to take back home to decorate her house. My very special friend Mary also came and we had such a wonderful time together. My daughters enjoyed their time with my sis and Mary. It is so important to have Godly women in our daughters lives. We made wonderful memories this weekend at Stutzman's!!!!

Remember my little white bird I found at Stutzman's? I made a little decoration using a mini lamp, evergreen, small snowflake and Peace ornament. I turn the light on at night and it is so sweet. I knew I could find something to do with the little bird. I have two more to decorate with.

We cooked all day on Monday. We had so much fun in the kitchen using our Grandma Reid's recipes. Here is one that we made called Russian Tea Cakes. I had this little snowflake pail. I like to use cellophane bags. They always look so sweet with just a little greenery, berries and a bow. I gave a pail for my sister to take home and now we will both have the same thing on our counter. Be ready with a little gift of cookies for that someone who stops by your house. You could fill a basket full of these and hand them out at your church for a little treat "from your house to theirs." Tie a scripture verse tag and hanging off the side of the bag. Spread the "Good News" this Christmas.

My sister is gone. I so enjoyed her time with us. She loves the Lord so much and lives it out day by day. My daughters are the richer for it!!!!!

I have already given two Tea Bag Cozies to two ladies. I put the scripture cards, that I have for everyone in the Tea Bag Cozy download. One young momma hugged me. That was fun!!!! I maybe already blogged about it, but momma's really need a lot of encouragement these days.

Blessings,

Linda

P.S. Hope you are enjoying the Christmas Season. We have so much snow here and our horses are having a grand old time. Here are a few pictures for some horse lovers out there!

This is Kiowa, she loves the snow! The 5 horses get all fired up when the flakes come down.

Kiowa

Alaska is jet black and really thick fur for the winter.

Kansas and Kiowa are running around in the corral.

I love Alaska's face. She is a Tennessee Walker.

The horses are beautiful in the winter and with the huge flakes they are even more beautiful.

Week 4 at Stutzman's Greenhouse

This fountain was right in the center of the greenhouse when you walk in. It was so beautiful all lit up. They spray painted it white. Then they sprayed adhesive on it and sprinkled glitter all over it. It was amazingly beautiful in the evening with all the lights.

Just imagine this at night with, only Christmas lights. It was so pretty. I would like to make some stars like this for my farm. I think I need to talk to my Mr. Phil. I'm "thinkin" he can help me. smile!!

Cute snowflakes. I really like this look. Hmmmm. I need to do this also.

I took a picture of this wreath in the evening and it didn't turn out. A lot of the pictures I took in the evening didn't turn out. Made me very sad. I am so sorry, but just know that it was beautiful. They had Christmas songs all evening with live musicians. Very pretty.

Here we are on Sat. morning at Stutzman's Greenhouse.

Larry said to start with a long evergreen garland. Lay it on top of the mantel. From here you are going to build your design. It was really fun to watch what he did in about 5 minutes time. He took large evergreen/pinecone picks and started on the left hand side. If you look at the picture below you can see how he would slip them in the existing garland. Some picks went up and others were bent along the front.

On the right hand side he put an old phonograph. It really looked neat on the mantel. He said

find anything old. He sprayed smaller evergreen picks with gold spray paint and used those through out the design. Lots of red clusters of berries and gold bells were used. Larry kept telling us to continue to just layer the items you put in the evergreen garland. It looked very pretty when he was finished.

Here is another mantel that was done in browns and really neat corrugated stars. The box to the side was to be used with a framed picture of your family inside or whatever you would like.

Staircase class

Use a long evergreen garland. Start at the top of the staircase and work on down the top of the rail.
Continue to bring the garland down the top side of the rail, using the evergreen sprigs and twist like a bread tie to the rail. Very simple.

Go down the side and then bundle the garland at the bottom in a little pile. It is amazing what he will do with this.

After the garland is attached to the staircase, he started by adding a flower spray at the end. He just builds all along the top of the evergreen garland going backwards.

He started putting large evergreen picks all along the top.

Larry took real long single strands of ribbon. Start at the top of the rail and go all the way down the top. Use the evergreen sprigs to tuck around the ribbon.

Very pretty.

Take a very large bow and attach it at the beginning of the rail.

He then took another flower spray and tucked it into the bottom pile of the evergreen garland. It topped the design off beautifully. I would never of thought of it, but it was so pretty.

This little white bird was my favorite ornament at Stutzman's. I bought 3 and will find a special little spot for them. Not sure what I am doing yet. Any ideas? They just look like little doves to me. Peace is what I think.

I enjoy going with my daughters. I know that one day all these classes will be put to use. I enjoy my girls so much, they are my sweet treasures.

Our time with the people at Stutzman is always so much fun. I wish you could all hop on a jet, and come with me next Friday night for the Grand Finale. It starts at 5:00. Please come!

I found out this last week that my little sister is coming to see me and our momma. I will be ready for her. Can't wait! We will do some mean sewing I am sure!!!!!!!

All afternoon I started working on my front porch. It is almost done. Hoping that some of my lessons are going to help me out. I will keep you posted as to what is going on. I am so excited for Christmas. How about you? I am asking the Lord to use me to bless some people that I don't know. I am also asking that when He does,He is will impress on me who they are! Does that make any sense? I know that there are so many that are hurting and without jobs. If each one of us could just be sensitive to their needs, we all could make a huge difference!

Blessings sweet friends,

Linda

Fun at Stutzman's, Week Three

I feel like I have one foot into decorating for Thanksgiving and the other in Christmas! Anyone relate?

Larry will show you step by step how to make this wreath with a little picture frame. I had an idea to take a family picture and put it in a frame. Just an idea!

Gather all the supplies that you want to use, even if you might not use them all.

Take the picture with the hanger and tuck the hanger in the top front of the grapevine wreath. Bend the hanger into the grapevine and secure.

This is what it will look like.

Start poking in the picks. Evergreens and lots of berries.

"Cutie Kim" and Larry attaching a bow, they work so well together! They really do! hehehe

I really like these kind of stars.

Larry said again, "think out of the box". Use different things like wagons, milk cans wheelbarrows. This could be used at the entrance of your house or even in a corner in your house.

They have every color of these bells. Really like them!!

Take a ready made wreath and just start adding more picks.

This is a silly snowman in an old bath tub.

They will be decorating a lot this week for their "Sneak Preview of Evening Aglow on Nov 27th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you live in the area you need to come. You will not be disappointed!!!!

Blessings,

Linda

Stutzman's Week Two,

Larry and Kim at Stutzman's Greenhouse were teaching us everything we need to know about wrapping presents.He said you don't have to decorate every present just enough to decorate around the tree. I am not sure who's ladies head this is. Sorry kind of looks funny huh? Looks like she has the beginning of a present on her head.

Start you present with a wrapped box. Tie the box up with wired ribbon leaving the ends free.

Everything Larry does is so relaxed!!!!

Make a big bow and hook to the package. Sooooo easy!!!!

Larry took this really large evergreen/pine cones pick and tucked it under the bow and bent it up into the back of the bow.

Pull the bow up between the evergreen branches.

Look at this present. Larry said " A present within a present!" I agree!

Using berry and evergreen picks were so pretty and really dressed up the present!

Start with a white present. Take gold holly and greenery picks and tucked them under the bow. Bring the bow loops and fan it out bending the bow to make it pretty. Larry would take small pieces off the gold holly pick and added it to other parts of the evergreen.

Mr. Larry said "don't hang the ornaments tuck them in!!!!! He will come to your house and cut the ornaments off. That would not be fun!

They have two windows. I love looking inside. It is breath taking. I just wanted to show you both. So pretty. See the berry garland at the top of the window?

The window has snowflakes hanging all down from the ceiling, and then presents wrapped in burlap. Cute!!!!! That was probably my favorite present that was wrapped. I went today to by some burlap. Can't wait to pretend I am Larry and start wrapping presents. Ha! They had snow sprinkled all over. Clusters of red berry picks and wreaths. Just beautiful! This was the cowgirl (cowboy) tree. They bought rope at Walmart and as you see they wrapped it up a few times and then roped it into the tree. My Taylor wants this for her room. We have bought one saddle ornament so far. We will be adding a few more, slowly. We are going to take cardboard and cut them into stars. Then we will take some thin rope and glue around the edge. We have some lime green bulbs to add. Her bedroom is in lime and brown. Her daddy is going to cut some barbedwire into pieces and she is going to make the shape of stars out of them. Then she will tie the ends with twine. We also bought some rope for her tree.

I really like this rail that Larry did. They have a lot of really nice beautiful ribbons, that are really different then what you see at other places.

Look at the little white trees. They were one of my favorites.

I thought that this pillar was so neat. They build everything right in the inside the greenhouse. Lots of old windows tucked in everywhere! Love it!!!!!

My Phil had to go into Orshlen's to get some medicine for one of our horses. Look what greets everyone. I thought it was so unique. Don't you think so? Cute cute!

Well that was my day with my precious girls. It was really a fun day! Next Sat. they will be doing wreaths and swags. Can't wait! Hope you enjoy seeing what we saw today.

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Blessings,
Linda