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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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 :)

Friday, March 25, 2011

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.

```````````````````````````````

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 


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 :)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

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 :)

Sunday, March 20, 2011

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 :) 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

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
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 :)



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