:: He is Risen ::

The grace of the LORD Jesus Christ be with your spirit. ~Philippians 4:23

 

:: Here's Looking at you Chick ::

Earlier in the month-- I wrapped up my posts on NO SPEND FEBRUARY... 

if your interested in how that went for us...you can click on the Pink Piggy Bank at the top right of my side bar. 

or here... 

It links to all those posts. 

Part of that wrap-up and hidden deep in that post I mentioned new chicks! 

Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life posted 'Official Portraits' of her new baby chicks... and while chatting through email she mentioned she had missed my post that I had gotten new chicks. 

They are gift card chicks...meaning I paid nothing for them. 

Here is a run down of what we got that day with our gift card! 

At Tractor Supply we bought: 

• baby chicks to increase the egg supply
• seed for more veggies
• 2 Apple trees 
• 2 Concord Grape vines
• 20# chick starter and drink mix 
• heat lamp bulb
• a rain gauge and 
• 2 metal wheels for the smoker. (had to spend some money on the wheels and rain gauge- they exceeded the card amount, forgot about that) $29. Everything else there was free! 

Here are the baby chicks...about 4 weeks old now. 

One -half dozen chicks. 

No. this is not the glamour shot of my chickens. 

Here is a close up and 'How do you do?'  shot ...or a "Here's looking at you chick"

Not a glamour shot. 

HOLD

FOR 

GLAMOUR

SHOT

...

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA! 

 You really didn't think I was going to chase 6 baby chicks around and try for glamour shots 

...did you?

I mean chasing one was hard enough.

I'm taking the weekend off to celebrate 

Resurrection Sunday. 

I hope you all Enjoy the time with your families and are able to take time this weekend to reflect on the Gift of Grace that Christ so freely gave. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. ~ Philippians 4:23  

 

For God sent not His son into the world  to condemn the world; but that through Him the world might be saved.  ~ John 3:17 

 

::Frankoma Pottery::

This is one of the pieces of pottery I showed you on Tuesday. 

I bought all these pieces, for my birthday, at a flea market near us...for the total of $10.00 

YES! But the 'ugly' blue vase,  I felt like was worth the money,

especially when the nice lady in the booth said all her items were 50% off!!! 

How could I turn down a piece of $5.00 Frankoma?! 

Even if it DID have damage. 

Before last Sunday, I'd never even heard of Frankoma Pottery.

Having walked around the flea market for almost an hour; and turning over figurines, bowls, vases ...I think I picked up at least 2 other pieces and saw 2 other identical figurines, that were Frankoma. 

So, quite naturally when I saw this piece...I knew I was going to buy it. Even when TH tried to dissuade me...by pointing out that it was broken. 

There is a broken piece on the handle...glued in two places. 

Also, there is a broken piece on the rim. 

It is called a 'Large Ringed Vase'...it has a leaf pattern on the two handles. 

Below is the inside view of the broken rim. Some one has taken the time to save the pieces and glue them back together. 

It is about 11" tall. 

I'm pretty sure it is NOT turquoise. 

I know it IS turquoise...but NOT originally. 

I believe it has been spray painted. 

Who spray paints pottery? 

I know silly question. 

I see people spray painting pottery, figurines, etc. ALL. THE. TIME. in blog-land. 

 And no. This is not some priceless, PRE-Columbian... IRREPLACEABLE  piece of pottery.
It is just a piece of pottery, possibly made in or around the early 1940's...

...and Red Glazed! :) 

Red is a good thing. 

I'm busy looking for a Pottery Restoration Co. that can correct all these flaws; and hopefully restore it to it's original state. It will be so lovely when it's finished. 

Do you have any experience getting pottery restored? 

Would you have paid $5 for a broken piece of pottery...worth about 10 times as much? 

Would you pay to have it repaired? 

I'm really just curious. 

I've never done anything like this before and I'm not what you would call an avid collector. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son; that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish; but have everlasting life. ~John 3:16


 

:: Unsettled at 48 ::

So, I was sitting HERE on Tuesday, minding  my own birthday. 

(this is the 'new' desk space I'm working on for myself.) 

Remember? Cute ...but functional. 

And I was 'Enjoying' this... 

(daughter dropped it off , along with a gift card, when picking up Bree to go home)

When it dawned on me...every time I opened Google today... 

The 'Google' image was cakes and candles... i i i i i i (x8)

So, I hovered over the image and it said 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PATRICIA! 

Sorry for the photo quality.

 I hit the 'print screen button' and when I saved it... it looked great. 

It Did. 

Now... I don't know why it looks all pixelated. 

(which by the way...spell check offered 'dilapidated' as a suggestion ?!) 

So...yeah, my picture looks dilapidated. :[

ANYway... 

It was unsettling for me. 

I don't quite know what to make of it. 

thank you everyone...for my birthday wishes!!! 

Y'all are great.  

So teach us to number our days that we might present to You a heart of wisdom. 

~Psalm 90:12~

"Do you know what is today...?"

...It's MY BIRTHDAY!

Do you remember that song from Romper-Room?!

I barely do... 

my Momma used to sing that to me on my birthday.

I don't remember her singing it to me so much when I was a child;

but I really remember her singing it to me more as an adult and she'd sing it over the phone to my kids on their birthdays too.

My mom has been gone these last 13 birthdays...

So my oldest daughter has carried the tradition and she calls me and sings it to me now!   :)

On Sunday- T.H. took me to the flea market and out to lunch for my birthday. 

We ate bar-b-que sandwiches at the Dutchman's Bar-b-que... (in a gas station, cause we're just that fancy!)  It was very filling...and quite good. Not to mention, the atmosphere in the diner was pretty interesting. I'm a people watcher... are you?

Anyway... 

I thought I'd show you what I bought. 

Can you tell which pottery I paid $10 for? 

                                    

Lately, I've been 'eyeing' Aqua, Blue and Green... 

I feel in love with this little 'trifecta'

This mid-century chartreuse planter caught my eye! 

I love it's curviness. 

As did this little green planter... 

and this little aqua bowl 

(the color of the bowl is most accurate in the "TRIFECTA" photo) 

It reminds me of McCoy, but has no makers mark. 

It has some glazing flaws...and it has a really neat drip glaze on the inside. It really isn't so green in person. It's my favorite of the three. 

This piece is my prize... 

It is FRANKOMA... :) 

I'm a little bit giddy about this. 

T.H. thought I bought these for my shop. 

But, no. 

They are keepers! 

Then lastly, I bought this little cart.

It has the shape of the older 2 wheel carts. 

It is collapsible. It has small wheels on it. 

While I don't think it is really old; it does have the look and feel of the older ones. 

The handle is plastic. The wheels are small. Both characteristics of older models. 

There is no tag or identifying marks ...except what is pressed into the plastic handle. 

I thought this one was spray painted, but it's not. It's galvanized and no rust! 

I only paid $8 bucks for the cart. 

Any ideas about how old it might be? 

My dad has a similar one that belonged to his mother and her mother before her... shaped the same. Quite old.  He calls it a Caddy-lac! 

I like it and am going to sew a really cute bag for the inside. 

So any guesses on the price of the pottery? 

Any ideas on the makers of the three small pieces of pottery?

Any ideas on the maker or age of my 'new to me' shopping cart? 

So teach us to number our days that we might present to You a heart of wisdom. 

~Psalm 90:12~

:: My Bloomin' Yard::

These are some random pictures I took around our bloomin' yard this week!

Wisteria

Blackberry vine- growing across the old well cover

They're pretty! 

Bois D'arc tree...in Texas we pronounce this 

'Bowed-Ark' tree. 

I know... we talk weird. That's why I don't put video on my blog. Because, well, ... I sound like a hay seed. It's true. 

They {bois d'arc trees} produce horse apples or what some call hedge apples. 

another view of the Bois D'arc tree ...It just looks mystical to me. 

Potatoes ...poking through the soil and hay. 

The Red bud tree ...is NOT in my yard, it is actually in my neighbor's yard, but I liked this view from my yard! 

White Iris. 

My Granny called these "Flags". 

Do you call them flags or iris? 

just curious... 

 Petey- not blooming. 

Not sure it's Petey either. 

It could be Rosie... I don't think I could get any closer to find out. 

Bless the LORD oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name. ~Psalm 103:1

:: Pinsperation Pic's for my Work Space::

So, I'm working in what is formerly my sons room...and I'm not making it a guest room; instead I'm using it for my work space for my etsy shop and blogging! :)  I've been looking on pinterest and have found all sorts of inspiration there.


My favorite color is GREEN... I really like the citron (electric green) ...but I also love the OLIVE, Avocado, Pea ....GREEN.  I just like green. Only once have I used it in decorating before blogging...until last summer. When I painted the shelf behind my bed green... THAT'S when I realized I love color!

I am also seeing how much I like turquoise when mixed with green! I found this color palette on pinterest...

Source: bhg.com via iampat on Pinterest

I like this color combination together...shades of blue and green...soft and subtle. Perfect for a work environment, I think!

I also like it here...with a little bit of Yellow to set it off! A surprise in the mix. :) 

Eclectic Bedroom by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Story & Space - Interior Design and Color Guidance

Source: houzz.com via iampat on Pinterest

I also like function WITH STYLE...

Source: wastenotwkshp.blogspot.com via iampat on Pinterest

This would fit the bill nicely.


I don't want anything too fussy...remember, my word this year is SIMPLE.

Source: lh6.ggpht.com viaiampat on Pinterest

So of course, I'd like to keep it that way!

About the only thing I like as much as I like Pinterest...

Is Craig ....

and his incredibly long LIST!

Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. ~Psalm 103:1 

 

::Frugal Fodder ~18~ for real!

This weeks Frugal Fodder really is about FRUGAL FODDER! 

Over the weekend, I was talking with T.H.(the Honey) about going to buy some hay. 

He reminded me that we're going to mow the field soon and that the last time we had it bush hogged the man told us we "had some good 'hay' back there...and we should get a cow."

Oh yeah... well, all we needed to do was get it mowed and let it dry out... 

Our son in law mowed it for us...and T.H. gathered it up in the sled (old plastic bed liner) 

This is the sled after I used some for mulch in the garden and some to line the coop! 

Since we don't have a cow... still working on The Honey...he is convinced we don't NEED a cow...or goats. Hmmmpph!

 On Monday, the weather was so nice, I was able to clean the coop inside and out... raking, shoveling, scrubbing, hosing it down-- HARD but SATISFYING WORK!!!!

After it dried out... I lined the boxes with fresh hay, sprinkled with D.E. (diatomaceous earth) to rid of any mites or unwanted bugs that might be left behind. 

Plus I got a couple of good sized wheel barrows full of garden fill to help fortify the raised beds.(that's another post) 

Seems like everyone is happy... I know I am! 

Let's see... here is the gang waiting to be let out this morning.  

You can't tell it...but I can tell---they're happy chickens. ;)

Well, except for Pearlie--- 

I think she'd like some privacy. 

...And Ethel. 

 She was surprised to see me taking her picture from the egg collection door! 

I think she may be camera shy... 

While Ethel and Pearlie are in the coop 

everyone else is enjoying their morning stroll! 

Finally, 

...Ethel emerges from the coop. 

The pay-off! 

SO... lets do the Frugal Fodder Math... 

Free hay + Clean Coop

= Happy PRODUCTIVE Chickens. 

Can't get more Frugal than that! 

Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of your time for the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5:15-16