Bathrooms On The Brain

COUNTRY LIVING

I love this sink skirt!

For nearly 3 weeks hubby and I have

been working on our little bathroom.

We're nearly done.

I've been searching the Internet for

inspiration and I've found some

REALLY wonderful bathrooms

 to share with you. 

HOUSE TO HOME

I thought this sink on a table was

very different.

A modern idea with old

fashioned feel.

COUNTRY LIVING

I love the feel of the bathroom above.

HOUSE BEAUITUFL

Love how this tub is built in.

Wish our bathroom was this big.

COUNTRY HOME

I love this sink and the wainscoting

COASTAL LIVING

Love the large windows and bead board.

RAYMOND WAITES COUTURE

I like the built in cupboards above.

TLC

What a tub!

KOHLER

I like this bathroom...the two sinks that

are separated by the beautiful built in 

tub and the separate shower.

How about the large window over the tub.

We could get away with that here in the country

but I'd still have to have a curtain closed...

at least until I got in and out of the tub!

I hope you enjoyed seeing these vintage

style bathrooms.

The next bathroom pictures will be ours

 here at the farm.

Ours won't be as fancy as these examples

but it will be perfect for us.

Can't wait!

I hope you're having a wonderful week.

Maura :)

Old Farm And Will It Ever Be Done?

This is an old abondoned farm that we pass 

when ever we head into the 

little Amish town not 

far from us.

I always feel sad as we drive by

and can't help but wonder what

it's STORY was.

I bet there were cows and chickens

and farm dogs and barn cats

and the wonderful sound of

children's laughter

in the air.

This old barn would have held

lots of hay and sheltered

many an animal 

I'm sure.

I wonder if there were once horses

pulling a plow in the

fields.

I'd like to think it was a happy

place where people had dreams

and looked forward to a happy future.

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Well...we're still working on our one and

only bathroom here on the farm.

The vanity and sink are out.

This picture above was taken just after I 

took the curtain down that covered 

this ugly shelf thing. 

It served it's purpose though.

This is where the old black 

dresser sat ...my Mr Fixit will 

build a built in cabinet in this space.

I'm still working on the design

but I think it will be much better than

the dresser.

BEAD BOARD!

We're actually further along than 

these pictures show.

Maybe by the end of the weekend we'll be done

but I'm not holding my breath ;)

CROWN MOLDING!

And this is where our new sink

will sit....can't wait to 

see it in place.

I think you'll like it ;)

I know I will.

I'm hooking up with Amy over at

Verde Farm for 

FARM FRIEND FRIDAY

I hope you'll hop on over and say Hi to Amy

and have fun visiting all the 

other Farm Friends

taking part.

Have a great weekend!

Maura :)

Early Spring 2011

Finally!

It seems like it's been a long time coming

but I think spring is finally physically here.

It has certainly been a long

winter here in our part of Kansas

and I know we're not the only ones

to feel that way.

Yesterday afternoon and again this morning

I took a few photo's around the farm.

I'm afraid there's only a few areas

that look good right now as we have SO

many projects on the go so please excuse

all the extra fences and dirt piles. 

Hopefully we'll get most of them done 

as soon as we're done the 

bathroom project.

Sigh.

The Day Lilies are growing nicely

The birds are building nests in the

Lilac grove

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed

that we don't get the 30 degree

temps that they're predicting 

for tonight.

Sure don't want these tender

Lilac blossoms to freeze!

The south pasture (left) is just starting to turn

green and you can see the Lilac grove

on the right just starting to bud out.

This year I'm planting grass in the middle

of the lane. Last year we had to dig

a trench for the water line so

lost that lovely little grassy lane

onto the farm

The neighbors winter wheat

looks beautiful and green

It was time to change out the winter

mailbox scene for the

spring

Heading back down our lane from 

the road. 

I was hoping to paint the house before the

Lilacs bloom but I'm not sure we'll have 

time. I'm not giving up hope yet though ;)

Straight ahead is where that 40'X180'

building came down.

Before then you couldn't see all the

way out into the back fields.

Mr Fixit and his brother just got finished 

burying the concrete foundation walls

so now that dirt has to be spread out

evenly. The concrete pad you see there

was going to be buried until I had the

wonderful ;) idea to put in a pond.

Now the plan is to build a little shed

out there complete with covered porch

and rocking chairs and a pergola

with Wisteria or grapes on it 

that will eventually look out over a farm pond.

I like my idea better don't you!

The grass we planted after trenching and

putting in the water lines is doing better

than the original grass.

These pictures were taken this morning.

If the building was still there you'd never see 

the cows with their calves.

These babies are just a few days old.

Just another reason I'm so glad

we moved to the country.

I hope you have a WONDERFUL day!

Maura :)

Spring Fluff Balls and Dust Clouds

It's that time of year again.

Time for lots of little fluff balls to 

be running around the farm.

These pictures were taken last year 

when we ordered 63 chicks from

a hatchery.

Most were Buff Orpingtons but we also

had 9 Black Australorp

and one freebie thrown in

by the hatchery.

HE turned out to be a silver Leghorn.

It's been a big day and everyone is a little sleepy

This year we are going to do things differently.

We have two Buff's who are 'broody'

and we are going to let them 'set'

on some eggs. 

We tried this once before but it was chilly out

and Mamma hen didn't take very good 

care of them so unfortunately 

they didn't make it. 

So when hubby get's a few minutes

from working on the bathroom renovation

we'll put these two ladies into their own

pen in the coop and see what happens.

Do you mind turning the light out!

Who'd have thought a totally black chicken

could come from this little fluff ball above.

Sleepy Time

Looking forward to seeing 

cute little fluff balls under

their Mamma's wings.

We're in the middle of a bathroom

renovation. What a mess!

This is my office/craft room!

What we thought would be a fairly

quick renovation is taking a lot longer

than first thought. 

If you've ever lived in an old house before

and tackled a renovation you know all about

walls that are not straight and hidden surprises.

Well...our project is no exception.

Here's a little peek at where we are now.

The bathroom sink/vanity is out...

and I'm getting a little tired of washing

and brushing my teeth in the kitchen sink!

Oh well...it will all be worth it in the end.

I hope you have a WONDERFUL week

and 

HAPPY SPRING!

Maura :) 

Erin Go Braugh!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I thought I'd show you my Irish Shillelagh.

I love it! 

It was given to me by my Mother's side of the family

the Collins. 

This dear old thing was approx 120 years old

when it was shown to me in the 1960's. 

What is a shillelagh some of you may ask?

The internet says...

Sticks have been used as weapons since fighting began, however the skilled use of hardwood clubs by the people of Shillelagh led to these clubs to be called Shillelagh's by Richard II in 1395. With the dispersion of these peoples through the ages the term Shillelagh spread throughout Ireland and the new world in reference to a weighted fighting stick.
When it became illegal for any Irish person to carry a weapon their Shillelagh's were often elongated to appear as a walking stick but were just as effictive  a weapon when the need arose. These irish who emigrated to America enjoyed the right there of all men to carry arms and Shillelagh's became very promenant in the faction fights in the turbulant years of the young United States. 

Because of the length of this one

it would have been a

fighting shillelagh.

Can you imagine being 

boinked on the head with that thing!

I'm afraid my poor old shillelagh

has been banged up in many moves

from Ireland to England to

Manitoba Canada

to British Columbia Canada 

and now down here

to Kansas.

If it could only talk

I bet it could tell us some

wonderful stories

of all it's travels.

These clubs and walking sticks are

still being made today even here 

in the United States.

This one was made in Ireland from a black thorn tree

but originally they were made from oak. 

The bark was left on for added toughness

and to keep them from splitting in the 

drying process they were

sometimes buried

in manure piles or smeared

 with butter and placed in the chimney

to cure. 

I hope mine was done

the latter way!

At least it doesn't stink ;)

While looking up information on

shillelaghs I see there is

a lot of conflicting ideas

on where they came from and what 

they were made from etc.

I really don't care.

All that matters to me

is that my loved ones 

cared enough for this old

piece of wood

to hand it down for over 150 years

and one day my 

children will enjoy it 

and pass it down to theirs.

Since these pictures were taken by

our chicken coop here

on the farm I figured

I would join up

with Amy at

Verde Farm 

for

I hope you'll hop on over and visit 

Amy and Richie

and all the other Farm Friends

taking part this week.

Enjoy!

Maura :)