Weekend in a Nutshell!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ours went by really fast, but I felt like I got some projects done, so it was, all-in-all, good!  We went from wonderful spring weather on Saturday to a wintery icy day Sunday. It was good to stay cooped up inside and catch up on some rest though.

Saturday we took another load of scrap to the scrap yard. We have been cleaning up around the place and hauling things off! It is a rewarding feeling to get things cleaned up... and get paid for it! Every little bit helps! We got home from town and ate lunch then went and checked cows and heifers. I love getting to go see the babies! Even though I didn't get any pictures, we had some more babies on the ground. There was one momma off from the pack with a brand new little one. Not sure if it is a little heifer calf or bull calf, momma wasn't having up get any closer then we were. It is moments like that I kick myself that I didn't have my camera in hand!

I did get some pictures of the heifers though. Those ladies crack me up. It's like a bunch of teenage girls. They stick in a pack and have the funniest personalities. We stuck them on wheat this past week, so you would expect to see them there. They're off in the pasture instead. Kids. What do you do? Ha. I got some shots of them though!

People say we don't have mountains in West Texas. Those are my mountains in the background!

 

Of course in my mind I want a beautiful solid green background... but who are we kidding. This is real life!

I also finished the last 2 receiving blankets that I'm going to make for Asa. {for now anyway!}

 This one is just a simple plaid flannel receiving blanket with his name on the front. I don't do cursive monogram much, so it was fun for a change!

This stag blanket is more of a snuggle blanket then a receiving blanket. It is small, but it's so soft and i can see us getting a lot of miles out of it. There are somethings that didn't turn out exactly like I had hoped, but I'm still learning!

You can also see the rocker I have for the nursery! I just put some faux sheep wool on the seat! I'm really liking how it looks!

Sunday I got to sleep in. We didn't have power so we just kinda hung by the fire and read and chilled! After running around everywhere on Saturday, it was nice to chill. We went at lunch to the Church to get our chicken dinner we ordered. The 4-H club does a fundraiser every super bowl Sunday for a trip they take, so of course we had to get some. Those dads sure know how to cook a chicken! We brought it home a devoured it, along with some beans, cole slaw and delicious bbq sauce!! Yummy!


I've been trying to get my hospital bag ready for when Asa makes his appearance. I have been looking at many different lists and trying to decide what all I need or can have already packed. There are some things that won't be packed until the day of, but I have been getting things together that will not be used until Asa is here.

I wanted a gown to wear in the hospital the would be cute and that I could still feed out of easily. So, I made my own! It is definitely not perfect and I hope it will not be too small, but I think it turned out pretty cute! This was my Sunday afternoon project!

I put snaps on the shoulders so I can take it down and put it back up easily!

Now it is packed, ready to go, in my bag! One thing checked off the list!!

With those projects marked off the list, now it's on to the next! I'm not sure if I will ever be done with projects! I think even if I were done, I would make up a list of new projects. I always have something in my head! Maybe I can get Bobby motivated to help me with some of these big projects for the nursery!! Let's pray for that!

Have a great week!

M

Tell is ALL Tuesday!

It almost a month has past and I haven't blogged. It would be an understatement to say that I've been busy, but it seems like everyone is that way now a days! I will try and update you as best as I can remember!

First off: my husband has been gone a lot. He has been to Oklahoma to farm on two separate trips. Both at least a week. So, I've used that time to work on projects. I didn't get quite as much as I wanted done, but such is life. It gets in the way of projects. My problem is I have WAY to many of them in my head that I could never be able to accomplish them all... or so it seems. I guess maybe I need to stay away from Pinterest!
The latest busyness is Bobby left for Oklahoma on the 13th of September, returned the 22nd of September, then left for Del Rio {with his boss to work} on Wednesday {the 25th} the I left the 26th to go on my girls trip weekend {more on that later} and he returned home the 26th after I left then I got home on the 29th. Lets just say we haven't seen each other much. I'm sure most of you don't even care about our schedule, but it seems to just be getting busier. AHHH!!!

On a good, stress removing note, I have narrowed my employment down. Not sure if I've shared this before, but I have worked in 3 separate offices within my county for almost 2 years (November would have made 2 years). So now, I have quit one office and just work in 2! If this sounds crazy... that is because it is. Gotta love small communities!! So starting today, which is the first day of our new fiscal year, I am just working for the extension office and for the county judge. I'm loving it so far. I love not having to worry about all that other stuff! I didn't realize how much of a relief that it would give me, but it has!

Another thing that has added to my busy, crazy life is Texas Cotton Tales. My sister and I have started this "company" if you will. We make things for babies and for home decor and such to sell. We have an etsy shop and are about to have our first booths at shows. This weekend is the first one. The little community I live in has a huge fall festival every year. So we are going to have a booth there and see if we can't sell anything. I've actually never been to this fall festival so I'm not sure quite what to expect, but it's so close to home I figured, "what the hay!" Then the big one is Petticoats on the Prairie, October 18-19 in Colorado City, Texas.  This will be a bit bigger. Which is more intimidating, but ready or not....
This has somewhat to do with why I've been trying to get all these projects done.... well it has everything to do with that!!
If you're close, y'all should come check it out. There are details on Petticoats on the Prairie's facebook page.

I will try and get some more pictures up of projects for our booth. I have a couple I can share. Sorry if I'm re-sharing some of these.

That is just a brief glimpse of some of the stuff we have going! Much more to come!!

And I've also finished a couple of chalkboards.

some blank ones to sell or to do custom stuff on!

This is one I sold!

This is one I made for myself... maybe I will sell it too!

 I know that my work is not the best, but I have so much fun doing this stuff! And I think the more and more I work on, the better I will get!

We went on our girls trip to Warrenton for antique week this past weekend. It was hot, but it was fun. Let's just say when you're used to a very dry climate and you go where there is 100% humidity, your body is in for a shock! But Sunday was much nicer and we found some good stuff. The best part of the trip was getting to hang out with the girls in my family and spend time with my sweet, walking niece, Miss Gracen! Love that little girl to pieces! She is so happy and has the most wonderful laugh! I love it!!!
I will try to get pictures of all the goodies I found and update, soon!

Welp... That's about all the good stuff I know. I know fall is here and the mornings are chilly! Can't complain with that!

Happy 1st Day of October!!

Mandie

Success...

I wanted to get this post up yesterday, but it was a busy day! I sat in on commissioners court in the morning for the clerk, then worked on some stuff. After lunch I had to run some district court cases to Big Spring (where is the district court is) I got the tour of the district court building. Since I have never been there is was good to learn where everything is! And then since I was in town got some groceries. Being out in the boonies, you don't miss opportunities to get what you need in town, while you are in town!  Then while I was checking out, I hear a loud crack of thunder! I knew it was going to rain. The sage everywhere was in full bloom and it was still and the flies were biting! But when I went in the store, it didn't look close! But it was pouring! I sat at the doors going out for like 15 minutes, then finally decided to just go get soaked! And I did! It was kinda wonderful though!!

So now the reason for this post!

My version of success and my husbands version of success this weekend was totally different! I had a projects list I was working on and Bobby had a recliner and a remote he didn't want to leave unattended! Let's just say we both succeeded this weekend!! I did have a little fun asking him for help and making him get out of his chair a couple times. I mean, what are wives for if not to give their husbands heck every once in a while!?! Right?!?!

Here are some things I got done over Saturday and Sunday.

Shelf for the pantry:

Now I didn't take a before and after, but I should have. It was a total wreck and I couldn't stand it anymore! I had to clean up the bottom of this closet!

 And the good thing about cleaning out closets, you find things you've lost. I thought I lost my pedometer (for contest at work!), but it was on a shoe in the closet. I guess I never looked too hard for it! Oops!

It's just a simple shelf, but it makes a world of difference!

Chalkboard:

My little sweet adorable niece... this one!

...Well she is turning ONE on September 6. So there is lots of planning going on! My sister asked me to help with some of the decorations! And I jumped at it and have it finished everything she asked me to make. Maybe I'm a little bit anxious!?! Here is the chalkboard. I will be selling some on our etsy shop and at the show this fall! Stay tuned!

Plus I added the felt banner! I thought it needed a bit more!

These are the other little things I did for the party! I'm getting excited!

Canning:

I also canned some zucchini relish this weekend. 2 batches! So that is what everyone is getting for Christmas. I still have a few recipes that I will make with some zucchini, but I am done with the relish! I'm going to do a casserole and a cake. Maybe freeze some. Then the rest is target practice. I want to go pull up the rest of the plants so we get no more squash!

 I will try and get my zucchini relish making experience up on the blog tomorrow!

Swimming:

Bobby had to finish some spraying up on Saturday, but when he got home he was ready for some swimming. I had a watermelon chilling in the fridge, so we loaded up the watermelon, a knife, the dogs and jumped in our swim suits to go swimming. Now, we have this small personal lake on the farm. It's called a frac pit. It just had a bunch of fresh water pumped into it that they didn't need, but all the better for swimming. The pit is only about 7 feet deep or so, but it's big! Bobby wants to put the pontoon boat in and act like he's fishing! I bet the boss would like that!! {Disclaimer: Don't ever swim in one by yourself, and don't tell your boss (the county judge) that you swim in a frac pit!} But we had some floaties and were very safe!

i had to get some pics of him being a goober! I LOVE THIS MAN!!

 

Look at that watermelon face!!

You'll have to excuse his farmer tan!! His body doesn't see the sun much!!

Hope y'all have a great week!!

Mandie

Photo Friday!

A sweet blog friend of mine did a Photo Friday a while back. Since I have been really lame about keeping posts up, I decided this would be a good way for me to get a post, and not have to write much. Plus... I would love to share my life through pictures, then you can draw your own conclusion.

With that being said, I haven't taken very many pictures lately, so this will also be a very boring post! I failed to get any pictures from our trip last weekend. I was having too much fun I guess! We went to the Western Heritage Classic in Abilene on Friday. It was so much fun and we shopped til we dropped. This had a fabulous time at the Ranch Rodeo that night.

There was an excellent performance from a horse trainer, Bobby Kerr, and one of his mustang makeover horses. This video will show you pretty much what we got to see. He had Pancho with him. The video shows 2 of his mustangs, though. And since I have now idea how to just put the video on here, I will give you the link. Take time to watch it.

We also got to see the Budweiser Clydesdales. One of my favorite things in life. I will own a Clydesdale one day!




Then on Saturday, we made our way to Stephenville to watch my youngest sibling graduate from college. I stole a couple pictures my mom took from Saturday!

Mollie, the graduate, and I!

The whole family.

I just have a couple other pictures. I made some coasters for our living room. I love how they turned out!

And last but not least... Bobby and Sage. She had some parsley stuck in her teeth!!

Have a blessed weekend!!
Mandie

Projects, Weekend and my little love Gracen!

I'm doing some catch up on here. I haven't blogged in a while. Mainly because I have nothing exciting to share, plus I'm just now getting my projects done.

I have had my lockers painted and in the laundry/ mud room for some time now, just never got around to taking pictures of them. I got these out of the old school, well, they redid the school last summer and they put in new lockers. They were tan on the outside and like a yucky green on the inside. I painted the inside a olivey green (which I don't have pictures of. The lockers are now full of junk that was laying around the mud room. At least now it is out of sight!!) And I painted the outside a pewter kinda grey. I love them. I love that Bobby can hide all his junk in them!!

The other project I've been working on is my wall clock. I got all the base put together weekend before last, painted it last week and put the clock parts on it and together. Then after this past weekend I got my numbers from my sis. I painted them, along with my hands, and put it together. Then my sweet husband (with much frustration involved) helped me hang it. I love it... and so does he. The frustration comes from trying to put the screws in the wall. He kept screwing it over another screw or something. The first screw broke off and then the other two tries it wouldn't go through... and needless to say he was about done with helping me. We are both thrilled with how it turned out! I don't have pictures of the process, but I found the tutorial on this site. I did mine very similar to what she did. I just used left over grey paint instead of blue. My clock measures 32"ish diameter.

Slowly but surely I am getting this on my walls. I've been waiting for just the right pieces.

Now this past weekend I went with my mom, sister and lil niece to Petticoats on the Prairie in Ballinger, TX. I think that they called it Whimsy at the Warehouse. It is like the POTP in Colorado City, TX, but with a different location. It was fun. We found a few good items we couldn't live without. My sister found a cool wooden high chair for Gracen for $20. Can't go wrong there!! And another chair for the garden for her to sit in while shes helping NeNe garden.

I found a couple of things. I found some lace shorts. They are shorts underneath and skirt looking on the top. I thought they were so cute, hopefully I will be brave enough to wear them!!

Here is all my goodies that I got...

A picture frame, flour sifter, old spool with lace and a couple of old doilies. The grape doily is for a friends birthday coming up... the rest is for me. And I also got another gift that is not pictured. Love my finds!!

The best part of the weekend was spending time with miss Gracen. Everytime we come she is up to something new. Not only is she smacking her lips this time, she is mobile!! She kinda inch worms around any where she wants. She is almost to a full crawl, but not quite. I'm sure she will be next time we go, along with pulling up on things. Now she just grunts when she wants to pull up.

Momma and me!!

Sweet thing and I after a morning of shopping!

Miss Gracen showing off at breakfast

Mikkie and I at POTP

What a fun weekend it was! It is already Wednesday. The week is flying by fast. I have my tough mudder race this weekend. I'm getting nervous, but I'm excited at the same time! Happy hump day everyone!

M