Won't you be Mine?

It's almost here.....Valentine's Day.  Are you ready?  Do you GET ready or just let it pass?  I found some cute blog entries....here are a few of my faves...

Mayamade is another one of my favorite blogs.  Maya made this little valentine ditty last year

and I just came across it...wouldn't you love a treat wrapped like this?

and Amy Powers had this cute little stitched sampler that so reminded me of just the

right treat for the BIG day....

Betz White  recommends a tutorial from Craftzine for this
heart chain...it can be made of felt or paper...

and lastly, Laurie, at Tip Junkie, has more cuteness for V-Day than you will ever
have time to use....but such fun to look at!

On another note.....

Caroline, of Ekster Antiques
was featured in theWashington Post this week in an article about Barn Sales.
Caroline, who lives with her family in Hamilton (near Waterford Virginia), owned and ran Ekster Antiques
for a number of years in Leesburg, but has now moved her business to the Barn on her
families property.  I have not yet been to the sale, but she has also had sales at the
Waterford Faire which I go to EVERY YEAR, so I am a fan of hers in a BIG way...Check out her site above and read the article.  You may like to plan a trip to her next sale beginning February 25...Her taste is to die for.

We at Farm and Fru Fru wish you the nicest Valentine's Day ever....



Next Up....

a brand new year!

Hoping 2011 is everything you hope for.

I'll be taking a little breather and will see you back

here in the coming year...



Feeling Crafty?

If so.....here are some fun ideas from some of my favorite blogs...

Go ahead...you've got time!?!

Pam Garrison suggests making these hand stitched ornaments....

Nice Package thinks this is the perfect gift...and it's in a milk bottle....yes. please.

Annekata has been crafting again...this time it's french knots...can't you see this on your sofa?

How bout a simple knitting project?  (and it would have to be simple for me!)

Maya whipped up these fingerless gloves...

...and you know Dottie Angel is busy thrifting and crafting the fun and unusual.

Amy has been making little tins.

and Tracy Porter took a little time off from designing colorful clothes to make up a

free download of Christmas Tags...what could be simpler?  Download and print!

A Christmas Crafting post would not be  complete without a

Martha contribution.  These little treat containers started life as toilet paper rolls!

Posie offers a pdf pattern for her felt ornaments including this charming

little cottage...pay-download-begin...it could not be simpler...I have made several

so far and it is such a fun thing to do.

So where is the Farm and Fru Fru contribution you ask?

I hate to say it, but the NEW CAMERA did not work out so I am

camera-less right now....instead, I recommend, like me, you try some of these cute little projects..

If you spend ALL  your time doing the things that HAVE to get done this Christmas, you

won't have time to enjoy the season....take a little time to do the things you love,

like simple crafts.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like........

.....Christmas!

Posie Style

Annekata Style

Dottie Angel Style

Lisa Leonard Style

Tracy Porter Style

and Farm and Fru Fru Style.

How's your decorating coming?

The Christmas Tree

We are not known for having a beautiful Christmas tree.

In fact, just the opposite.  While most people visit others at Christmas

and enjoy admiring their trees, I think secretly people come

here to see if our tree is worse this year than last.

We cut a cedar.  It smells divine.  It looks good....

in the field.  Inside, after being "trimmed" to fit the room

it usually looks more like a "Christmas bush"....you know, trimmed from the top instead of

the bottom.

Now that they are older, the farm hands go out

on the old one-horse-open-four-wheeler and pretty much

cut whatever they can find....quickly.

Last year was no exception.  F2 volunteered to fetch a tree

and returned 15 minutes later with what I thought was

a fine speciman.  He brought it in the house, trimmed it to fit the

stand and set it up.  I thought it was all good....at least no worse than usual.

It was about this time that the farmer and older farm hand arrived.

To say they began to laugh would be a gross under statement.

Picture knee-slapping, hee-hawing....falling down on the sofa laughing.

Let me pause and say that F2 is a mild-mannered guy....In fact,

I can count on one hand the number of times I have EVER seen him mad. 

He just doesn't get mad often.

This was one of the exceptions.

For whatever reason, this knee-slapping, hee-hawing

hit him wrong....Think "The Christmas Story" movie

when Ralphie has had enough of Scott Farkus and explodes.

F2 went off.  He yanked the tree from it's stand,

opened the front door, and flung it into the yard, turned and

said to no one in particular, "go get your own tree...!"

The knee slapping reached a fever-pitch at this point as I

chased after him trying to repair the damage, begging him to put the

fine tree back in it's stand....

Somehow, the tree got back in the stand and looked just fine

after it was decorated and

while I am hoping there will not be a repeat this year, that will go down

in the books as one of my fondest Christmas memories....

and no, we do not have a tree this year yet....and F2 declares if it is left up to him

we will NOT have one this year....we'll see......

It's a Wrap....

 

I am so happy to introduce you to a fun site called

Nice Package

devoted to incorporating creativity in the everyday and the

belief that it doesn't take a ton of money to do so.

The packaging is exquistite ....

And simple.....

And Fun....

And creative.....

AND, there are fantastic tutorials....

These ladies have found such beauty in the

everyday...and just in time for Christmas...

Love it!



Holiday with Matthew Mead

I've been waiting since summer for this one....

and now it's on it's way....

the cover is appealing....and the hints of what's inside are tempting....

I am checking the mailbox daily...

Get yours here...

because you can't get it at the super market, or the book store,

or even Wal-Mart....only at his site.

Matthew Mead is an author, designer and former

Country Home Style Editor and has published 

Holiday with Matthew Mead, a book-zine full of recipes, decorating ideas and crafts

 for your

holiday pleasure.

Have you ordered yours yet? 

IT CAME!  AND IT IS ALL THAT and A BAG OF CHIPS!
LOTS OF IDEAS.....LOTS OF FUN.

She Blathers On.....

I am a Wal-Mart shopper.  I am not ashamed to admit that Wal-Mart has

afforded me many hours of shopping pleasure....and good prices.

Many were against Wally building his World in our town

and I was just stubborn enough to go the opposite way and say

"come on in the water's fine", and have been happily picking things up there

ever since.

But today I want to preach about a different kind of shopping.

I encourage you to spend some of your hard-earned Christmas dollars buying

hand made items.....preferably from those who make them.

Does your child, friend or family member really need another toy or doo-dad

made in China?  Probably not.   I know, I SHOP WALMART, WHO AM I TO PREACH?

But, more and more, I am trying to support local people who work with their hands, and that

means not only those who live close to me, but also those who live away from me

but make beautiful things by hand....everything from clothes to bowls, jewelry to pottery to toys.

Writers, Potters, Carvers, Sewers, Knitters, Crafters of all kinds, think about offering them your support.

Check out Etsy if you have not already and prepare to sit a few minutes, or hours or days

and see what people do.  Or go to a local craft sale or gallery and check out the local talent.

Or buy a book and learn a new craft yourself to share.  Maybe a piece of jewelry or stationary or pottery 

or a carved wood bowl.

But, don't be fooled.....I'll see you at Wal-Mart soon enough...I'll be the one wearing a

hand-knit scarf.

And now it starts......

...The Christmas Rush, that is.

But what if you didn't rush?

What if you took your time?

What if you walked through the season and didn't run...

Would Christmas not come?

Would Santa look at your chimney and say"...hmm she didn't rush enough.... on Dasher, we can't stop here..."

I don't think so.

Even if every cookie didn't get baked, even if every dust bunny didn't get swept up and yes,

even if every gift didn't get wrapped, Christmas would still come.

This year, why not realize that from the start and enjoy the ride a little more.

I know, I know, I am a fine one to talk.  Me, who spent part of Christmas Eve last

year in Wal-Mart with 30,000 of my nearest and dearest instead of

sipping cider by the wood stove.  Me, who found gift cards for my children after

Valentines Day...Me, who collapsed in the chair Christmas morning and almost missed Christmas lunch.

But.....

this year could be different.

This year, could be the year where good enough is good enough.

This could be the year where small handmade treats beat large crowds and

big spending...

This could be the year where sipping cider trumps a seven course meal and unwrapped stocking stuffers are okay.   This could be the year where

paper plates work just fine and one kind of Christmas cookie works just as well and ten.  Where visiting AFTER Christmas day is more

enjoyable than rushing to 6 different relative's homes in 6 hours.

This could be the year....

You try Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve this year and see if

you can't think of a few ways to simplify the holidays.

Mother's Day... it's just around the corner

I am running this a bit early because the last day to order is April 28.  Mother's Day is coming and what mother wouldn't want this beautiful hand crafted necklace?  Lisa Leonard Designs is a fabulous website of beautiful hand crafted jewelry.  Check it out when you are thinking of Mom...

Happy Easter

Have yourself a great big Easter Holiday from Farm and Fru Fru!  May all your baskets be big ones filled with lots of fru fru!

(photo from stumbled upon)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY F1!

The Day After...farm style

So how was your Valentine's Day?  Were you pampered and gifted and are you full of chocolate and dinner out?  Does the scent of roses hang in the air at your house?  When you think of the top 5 Valentine's gifts, chances are Muck Boots don't make the list.   But this is Farm and Fru Fru...and the farmer didn't get the Top 5 Valentine's Day Gifts memo.

Yessir, I am the proud owner of a brand spanking new pair of genuine superior 10" women's waterproof rubber and neoprene constructed slip resistant size 7 Muck Boots.  Having tried them out already, I can assure you rose is not the scent that hangs in the air at our house.  These are, indeed superior boots.

A little back story:  We have been experiencing an unusually cold and snowy winter here at Farm and Fru Fru this year.  The farmer got new boots, both farmhand 1 and farmhand 2 got new boots...but I, the farmer's wife, the mother of both farmhands, had only rubber boots.  (I also have some of those fake Uggs, but they are not waterproof so they don't count).  Rubber boots are not warm.  I have layered 3 pairs of wool socks with the rubber wellies, and still no warmth.  None.

I "mentioned" this several times this week to the farmer...and I tried to no avail to order new boots...nice warm snow boots, but apparently so did everyone on the east coast because there were none to be found in my size and price range.  That's where the romantic part of the story comes in...if you can find ANYTHING romantic about Muck Boots, and I AM trying. The farmer went to his favorite shopping spot (Southern States) and...voila.....The Perfect Valentine's Gift. Perfect.  No more cold feet...these boots are soooo warm.

  No, not the first gift that comes to mind when one thinks of cupid, but I'll take warm feet this year over chocolate...and Eau de Muck over roses.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...an odd couple

Originally posted February 14, 2010

Jubel and Sweetheart  are an unusual couple.  Odd even.  They are not exactly the very best of friends.  At first, they found it difficult to embrace one another's distinctions.   The longer they are together however, the more they seem to rely on each other for company, companionship and yes even friendship.  At first, their relationship was fraught with peril.  Jubel was resentful that a new creature had invaded his pasture, his personal space, and his snacks.  He chased,  nudged, kicked and even bit the little calf at every turn.  Jubel could have cared less that the little brown and white calf had a perfect white heart on his forehead.  At the time, the calf was very tiny, only a couple weeks old, but all the same he gave as good as he got.  It wasn't long before Sweetheart landed a good one right on Jubel's head.  That took care of any remaining doubt as to whether Sweetheart could take care of himself. 

 I think  people are like that.  Sometimes you have to get a "kick  in the head" and have someone yell "you cannot have ALL the animal crackers" to wake up and see you are being a ...."donkey".

Now, even though there are two little hutches in the pasture, Jubel and Sweetheart generally share one.  They both seem to realize there is safety in numbers, and warmth.  When animal crackers are served, Jubel doesn't try to get them all...he waits patiently while Sweetheart gets his share...usually.  I wonder sometimes if Jubel knows Sweetheart grows bigger by the day and will one day be three times his size, or if he has just decided to accept him into his "herd" and enjoy the benefits of having a friend.  I don't know.

I guess the moral of this unusual little Valentine's story is...don't wait for a "kick in the head" to share your animal crackers...even if you live with a "...donkey..." 

 Have a lovely Valentine's Day from Farm and Fru Fru.