Chicken Wire Cloche Tutorial

A picture is often worth a thousand words.

Enough said.

Chicken Wire Cloches

~ SPRING ~

I am so ready for spring.

Tender plants.

Blooming flowers.

Baby chicks.

I love spring!

~Picture courtesy of Country Living Magazine~

In my last post,I mentioned that one of my most popular Etsy items was going to be featured in the March issue of Country Living Magazine.

*SQUEAL*

I am quite excited and can hardly wait for my March issue to arrive.My imagination has been running away with me.I am sure that I am going to fall in love with the way the incredibly talented staff over at Country Living used my chicken wire cloches.

Thank you,thank you,thank you,Country Living Magazine.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blessedinmaine
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d542ee8de088eef37c0e218/a-dream-farmhouse
www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5aae6b6eb76d91ce3f8433/pure-springtime-farmhouse

Chapters of Life

Life can be full of changes.

New chapters.

Closed doors.

Newly opened doors.

New directions.

Growth.

The past year has definitely been a year of change for our family.

We have discovered that we are "late blooming farmers" and have spent the past 8 months or so getting a farm going. It is amazing how quickly it has grown.It all began with the desire to raise our own 

eggs and chicken,in view of the health concerns of commercially raised meat,not to mention the inhumane treatment of the animals that go along with commercialization. A few chickens and laying hens quickly turned into quite the little farm,which is steadily growing.We are currently raising Quail,Quail eggs,domestic rabbit,Cornish Cross chickens and two pigs.It is a lot of work and consumes a lot of time but is very rewarding. It gives me great piece of mind knowing what I am feeding my family.

Those changes have required a lot of my time blogging time and I have truly missed it.It is my goal to designate more time for The Floppy Cow in the near future.I look forward to sharing photos and stories of my life as a farm chick, as well new and exciting things happening with The Floppy Cow.

One of our my most popular items at The Floppy Cow has been chosen as a featured in The March issue of Country Living Magazine.How funny that the item is made from chicken wire. I am quite excited and appreciative. Thanks CLM!

I Am Still Alive

Hello to all of my blog friends!

I  really do still exist and I am well.

I hope this finds everyone doing well and blessed.

This past summer was extremely busy for my family and I and I had to put my blog on the back burner for a bit.I have surely missed everyone and all of your awesome talent! It is hard for me to believe that summer has come and gone and that the holidays are upon us!

I have tons and tons of things to share with you and look forward to catching up with everyone!

 See you soon!

Projects,Projects,Projects

It is a gorgeous day here in WNC!

I have so many projects that I want and need to get done today, that I actually skipped thrifting.

I hope that all of you that are thrifting today find lots of cool stuff.Be sure to share with us,I LOVE seeing what everyone finds!

I have some really cool things from this past week that I am dying to share with you.  It must wait another day or two as I have seeds to get in the ground,many pieces that I want to spray paint and the front porch needs some spring tlc.

  Enjoy today, it is a gift!

Vintage Eye Candy

Just a little vintage eye candy for you to enjoy!

I recently purchased some lovely vintage paper ephemera at an auction.

Some of these handwritten letters and documents date back as far as 1897. 

I love leafing through these items, it is like stepping back into time.

The penmanship is beautiful,I think I may scan a few of these pieces to use  on pillows and towels.

 Be sure to check my shop, as I will be listing a lot of  new vintage inventory.

 

Vintage Cherub Plaster Lamp

My husband and I absolutely love to go thrifting and junkin.

In fact,our younger daughter Taylor has grown to love it as well and she has a pretty good eye for things.

We were on our way home yesterday evening from having a wonderful meal at our favorite Cuban restaurant,when I suggested we buzz through a Goodwill that was on the same street.

Boy oh boy am I glad that we did!

As I turned the corner of one aisle and headed over to the lamps, this gorgeous lamp caught my eye. My stride sped up a bit.

Oh yeah, this is old, it is gorgeous,the detail is unbelievable.

I find myself just standing and gazing at this lamp. 

It has a few very minor chips and again paint that just adds to the vintage shabbiness of this piece,AND it works!

Mine. Mine. Mine.

I didn't dare try to lift it down from the upper shelf as it weighed a ton and I am on the shorter side. I stood there with my hand on it,as if I dared anyone to come closer..lol.

Finally my husband and daughter came into calling range."Hey Dave, come here.Check this out!"

Score!

In the buggy she went.

Now to find the perfect shade for her.
What would you suggest?

I am linking with

From Dumpster Bound to Hanging On The Wall

A few months ago, my husband came home toting a black garbage bag in hand.

He handed the bag to me and said" Here,check this out. The guy I am doing a remodel for said that that everything in the spare closet could just be tossed into the dumpster.I though you might like it".

Gasp.
I could not believe my eyes. I loved it,it was love at first sight!

 

There is just something about this painting that just intrigues me and draws me in,not to mention the colors were perfect for our master bedroom.

How could they toss this into the dumpster?

I suppose beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

I have searched the internet trying to find out something about the artist without any luck.

It reads:

Jose' Gutierrez or Guilierrez M. 63
Time to invest in a magnifying glass.

If anyone knows anything about this painting or artist,I would love to know the history of it.
The customer told my husband that it had been in the closet for years and had been given to them by his wife's parents.

Wonder if she knows he trashed it?

I am linking with

Goodwill White Finger Starfish with Burlap

I have only been blogging for 2-3 months and I am amazed at just how fun it is and how much one can learn, There are some really talented gals out there!

One of the very first blogs that I linked up with was Gina over at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday.

I saw the post by Tales from an OC Cottage on the "well Dressed Starfish" and fell in love. I could hardly wait to try my hand at making my own.

I already had the starfish, a couple of weeks ago, I found 2 huge bags of beautiful white finger starfish at Goodwill!
I already had the old vintage books, the perfect little gold frame that could be white washed but I did run out and purchase more burlap and a bag of charms.

I cut strips from the old book in the shape of the "arms" of the starfish,glued them on using super tacky glue and then applied my first coat of Mod Podge.While these were drying, I whitewashed the gold frame with Folk Art ivory white, acrylic paint.This dried in no time. I covered the cardboard back with burlap and glued it with the super tacky glue as well.When the starfish was nice in dry,about an hour,I picked out the perfect bling and tied it to the starfish with hemp cord. I left enough slack in the cord so that the charm would hang loosely and hit the center of the starfish.

 There ya have it!

I estimate that the entire project cost around 3 bucks and took maybe an hour and a half to make and a lot of this was drying time.

I am linking with

Apothcary Jar Vintage Prescription Label

I love most all things vintage, including Apothecary items and paper items.

I wanted to share with you what we did with an vintage prescription from 1943 and a pedestal apothecary style jar. 

Notice that I said we?

That's right Mr. M even got involved in this one!

We burnt the edges of the prescription and simply decoupaged it to the jar.

 I am really happy with how it turned out.

I have plans to make several more in different sizes and styles with prescriptions from 1915.

I am linking with

$1 Goodwill Find Makeover

Okay,I am willing to admit that I really enjoy thrifting,especially at Goodwill.

Okay,maybe it would classify as an addiction.

I find myself wondering what bargains I may be missing on the days that I do not go to the stores.

Does anyone else suffer from this?

I found this cute little magnetic message board on Monday for $1.

It was cute to begin with but needed some pizazz.

I changed the ribbon out for a piece of jute and tea stained the white,burlap style material. Next, I used my favorite stamping kit and added a cute little ephemera, scrap booking piece that I had laying around.

 I LOVE a bargain!

I am linking up with
The Shabby Cottage Chic
The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday

Habitat for Humanity Trestle Table

What beautiful weather we are finally having here in WNC!

The warmer,sunnier days have finally given my husband and I the opportunity to work on the antique trestle table that we picked at Habitat for Humanity several weeks ago.

We have sanded down the top,and applied the first coat of satin polyurethane. The wormy chestnut wood was so dry that it is drinking the poly like water.

I can't decide what I want to do with the base of the table.The black paint is really dead and chalky looking in some places but I do not want to repaint the entire base as the corners and edges are wonderfully worn. I love the beauty of time worn pieces,maybe I will just leave it.

What would you do with the base?

I am linking up with
The Shabby Cottage Chic

UPS Delivery of Antique Vintage Goodness

Our UPS delivery guy arrived earlier than usual today.

I am so excited with today's deliveries,that I just had to take a quick break and give you a sneak peek! 

Enjoy the sneak  peek!

I have one last really LARGE box that is awaiting to be unpacked.

Check back later on to see what it is,you're gonna like it,I promise! 


O.K.,here it is....

This is a vintage Italian beverage cart.
It was made in Italy and has amazing inlaid detail,not to mention the blue is gorgeous on this cart.I have not seen one in this color before.

Happiness

There is just something about the rays of the sun shining through my windows that makes me happy,especially first thing of the morning.

Then of course, what is a more perfect ending to the day than a beautiful sunset?

It has been a colder, snowier winter that usual for us here in W.N.C. so I have really been enjoying the spring sunshine.

I picked up the cutest woman's straw hat at Goodwill last week. I removed the scarf from it,washed it with my favorite lavender linen wash,hung it to dry in the sunshine and then pressed it.I have an idea brewing in my little brain,I just need to find the perfect F_e_c_  S_r_p_ for it. 

I will share with you as soon as she is finished!

Enjoy the sunshine~