a very important birthday...

no. it's not for this very special little girl, but for this one...

yes, her very special doll named cassidy turned one. i had no idea until she informed me in the morning, and then of course we had to set about creating a very special day for her. you can see the presents wrapped and waiting for cassidy as she takes a nap. of course bannana muffins with chocolate chips were called for...

she loves to help in the kitchen. we had to try them out for an afternoon snack to make sure they were just right. we saved the rest for when papa came home, so we could have the very special birthday party together... complete with singing happy birthday, blowing out the candle, and opening presents.

all of it done most willingly to bring a smile to the face of a very special five year old mommy!

happy earthday, happy easter...

one of the ways we are celebrating earthday and easter this year is with our naturally dyed easter eggs. we made them last year, and loved them so much that we have decided to do them this way from now on. we used basically the same ingrediants as last time... although the violets have already come and gone, so we only used blueberries for the blue. i had planned to use beets to do red, but alas we had only golden beets in the fridge! we experimented with strawberries and chili powder and got a lovely pink. next year we will do beets for sure. i love the variations and subtle colors. i can't wait to use eggs from our own hens next year!

today we are blowing out some more eggs, instead of hard boiling, and the kids are coloring them with markers to hang for an easter tree. i made a simple arrangement on the table this morning to set the mood, using a pretty vintage cloth underneath. the easter egg tree will go in the green jug. it was very pretty to look at while i had my morning coffee! i think this weekend will be lovely and warm and i am looking forward to a relaxing day spent with family. i hope your weekend is lovely, whatever you may be celebrating!

we finished the egg tree, so i added this pic!

spring at our house

chicks!!...

our chicks have arrived and we are in seventh heaven around here! i have been wanting to get chickens for years... ever since i lived in brooklyn. when we moved to atlanta i hoped to find the right place to keep them and we finally have found the perfect place, here in our 150 year old farm house! the first three arrived yesterday... the black barred rocks. they have two fuzzy yellow friends to keep them company until the next 5 arrive in a few weeks, and then they will go back to a friend (who got most of hers in the first round of delivery). they will be traded in for 3 buff orpingtons and 2 easter egg chicks! i am getting chick updates every 5 minutes from the kids. important info like... "mom, one is laying down asleep with it's foot sticking out!" they do that constantly and it is hilarious. they are really fun to watch and we can't wait to see how fast they will grow!

this one is "firestorm", though all she wants to do is sit in your hand

this one is "sally henny penny", though she is the feisty one who is constantly escaping!

we are all in love!

another giveaway!...

it's not me this time but my lovely sister katy who is also celebrating three years of blogging with a giveaway! run, run, run right over and enter quick. i have one of these beauties sitting on my mantel and loooove it so. i would enter the giveaway myself for another one but somehow that doesn't seem fair;) don't miss out on your chance!

diy fun with pallets...

via apartment therapy

i'm loving all the creative ideas that are being inspired by used pallets.... usually found free. i saw this one on apartment therapy... how cool is that for your patio or porch? you could hang it on a wall too. you can make yourself a pallet potting bench to prepare your plants...

via re-nest

and then you can sit back on your pallet adirondack chair to enjoy your work!

via instructables

i'm off to find some for myself!

etsy favorites (after the storm)...

oh snap fleece wrap jacket, by gaia conceptions

hello! i was without internet for a few days due to a bad storm/tornado at the begining of the week. we had no major damage, thankfully, and i have to say i got a lot done without the distraction of the internet! some major spring cleaning happened... boy was i sore the next day.... and a trip to the zoo. the sun is out and the weather is lovely. i am looking forward to a beautiful spring and summer too ahead.

nigel and lily embracing at sea,  by this is all i know

vintage white pottery vase, from modish vintage

handmadesailing vessel, by raphaela mccormack

march fox, by amber alexander

clothespin flower yellow chenille,  by winsome hollow

ps... sorry if the layout looks wonky today... blogger was acting nutty today!

giveaway winner...

first of all... thank you all so much for entering! i really enjoyed reading each one of your nice entries. you are all sooooo kind. beyond kind. thank you! i wish i could give you all a sheep... but at the rate i go that would take me about two years:)

so the winner of this giveaway is....

itchin' stitchin' wrote... "oh the sheep is soooo cute!!! love your blog and i'm a new follower:)"

well, thank you so much. i hope this will encourage you to stay a follower! send me your email and i will contact you about getting your sheep:)

thank you to everyone again! i promise to have another giveaway soon.

new deer...

i have a new deer in the shop. finally some new animals coming! i have a few more i am working on, and i hope to have the shop looking like a shop again soon.

this deer is slightly bigger than my last doe. she is the size of the deer with antlers i made. i have another one of those coming too that will be slightly larger. i'm trying to make my pieces a little bit larger in size.... of course that is all relative:)

don't forget to leave a comment in the giveaway below!