A Farmhouse Christmas Tour

I'm happy to be joining a a holiday tour hosted by my friend Kelly of My Soulful Home. At the end of this post, you'll find a fun giveaway, as well as links to several more tours full of Christmas inspiration...

So glad you're here!

Here at our little farmstead, we've not only decked our halls, but also the chicken coop (above)... And some of the Christmas cheer may have spilled over into the barn! I hope you'll stop by again in the weeks to come, where I'll continue to share farmhouse Christmas decorating ideas leading up to Christmas... (Too much to share in one post!)

Fall at the Chicken Coop...

Hi Friends! Just stopping in today to share a little fall-at-the-farm love with you in the form of chickens and pumpkins. I hope you're enjoying sunny skies and a blanket of leaves where you live! 

(Assuming sunshine and autumn leaves are your thing too... ;)

Happy Spring!

It's official... happy Spring! 

I hope you are all doing well. I'm just popping in today to share a few images of early spring around our little farmstead. 

I'd been picturing a bistro table by the chicken coop for awhile now, and just recently set this one up. 

I'd love to add some pea gravel and lavender to this area...

This Weather is for the Birds... {Keeping Chickens and Ducks}

We'd just gotten home on Sunday, and our youngest (8) could hardly ditch his church clothes, for a pair of shorts, fast enough. You see, it was February and sunny in Seattle... something to be celebrated! Never mind it was 44 degrees (and a winter coat would soon round off his "snow day on top, beach day on bottom" look).

And then to add to the seasonal confusion, all the leaves on the ground may lead you to believe it is fall. We're a little behind on fall clean-up. Truthfully, it always takes us until spring with our little-by-little approach.

Still, the sun was shining and we felt so alive and free... 

Farmhouse Living: Let's Head Outdoors

Hi Friends,

I hope you're enjoying the weekend! We just returned from a week in California and Oregon. It was such a fun time, kicking off summer together as a family. And now, it feels so good to be home!

While I unpack and get the laundry started, I thought I'd share some recent pictures from around our little farmstead...

Before our hops was in bloom, I used a strand of faux greenery to freshen up the grapevine wreath on the weathered chicken coop door. I love how it stays green. ;)  

The Christmas Scoop at the Coop!

Our hens are some festive chicks. 

I suggested they wait until after Thanksgiving, but they were just too excited 

to bring a little "merry and bright" to their humble house. 

How to Bring Farmhouse Style Outdoors {10 Ways}

Comfortable. Casual. Welcoming. Rustic. 

These are some feelings that come to mind when I think of farmhouse style outdoors... Where a hurried life seems to slow down and the quiet beauty of nature is all around.

A place for family and friends to gather.

Whether you have an actual farmhouse with acreage, a suburban home in a neighborhood, or an apartment with a small entryway and balcony, there are ways to incorporate farmhouse style right where you live.

1. {Wood crates} A vintage bulb crate next to our front door serves as a rustic shelf for a pitcher of flowers. Fresh cut flowers are a quick & easy way to freshen up a porch.

Wood crates are also good catch-alls for toys and balls.

2. {Ticking fabric, grain sack and burlap} for cushions and pillows add that classic farmhouse feel. 

3. {Old tin buckets} as planters for a simple "just grabbed these out of the barn" ambience. ;)

A repurposed chicken waterer is right at home on the front porch. I found this one at a yard sale for just a few dollars  (I loved the rust for decorating, though it wouldn't work well for chickens ;). You can also find them at antique stores. New, you can expect to pay $20 - $25 for this size (2 gallon). 

4. {Chippy, weathered furniture} brings a comfortable feel to a covered porch. Use an old dresser for a plant stand, gardening tool storage, or simply a focal point.

5. {Vines} I'm so grateful to our home's previous owners for planting beautiful vines around the property. Here they are, growing up the side of our laundry/mud room.

And along a fence, vines, grapes and hops add old fashioned texture and greenery.



6. {Gates} are functional, but can also add farmhouse appeal. 

For an easy way to incorporate a gate or two, prop them up on a porch or entryway. The picture below is from our fall porch last year. I used an old gate and section of fencing on the porch to add more of that "pumpkin patch" feel. ;) I found the gate and fence at a yard sale, but similar pieces can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot. 

7. {Arbors} add architectural interest year-round. They can support beautiful vines and wisteria during the growing months. In winter, string lights up on arbors for a "happy" dose of light, when darkness comes early. 

This arbor, set off of our gravel driveway, marks the entrance to our front yard.

8. {Outdoor seating} invites you to slow down and take in the scenery. I recently moved this bench out near the chicken yard so that we could sit and watch the chickens (may sound weird, but it's peaceful :). Is there a special place on your property - maybe in the garden - where a bench might encourage you to enjoy the view awhile longer?

9. {Outbuildings} like a chicken coop or garden shed open up lots of possibilities, as well as provide you with another charming backdrop. 

10. {Farm fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers} evoke simple country living perhaps more than anything. If you don't have space to plant fruit trees or build raised garden beds, consider a container garden where strawberries, tomatoes and herbs can be tended and enjoyed.

Find ideas on decorating with farmhouse style inside here!

And now I'm wondering, where is your favorite spot at home to enjoy some time outdoors? Or, is there a view you most love, looking out your window? I'd love to hear!

So glad you stopped by...

Xo

Sharing with:
French Country Cottage
From My Front Porch

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Savvy Southern Style
Cozy Little House

A Chicken Miracle!

"Mom! I think something's in the coop! I hear a lot of noise!" 

It was the battle cry young boys live to hear. I dashed for my shoes as my three sons grabbed all manner of weapons (foam swords, shields, air soft guns and the like).

We raced to the chicken coop...

We were so sad to see only the feathers of our dear hen, Charlotte. 

She had been at the top of the pecking order (not counting the rooster). 

We always said she was a fighter, a survivor.

And then, I broke the cardinal rule of {mini} farming. 

I cried. In front of my kids. About a chicken.

In my defense, I was sick with a fever. But still. I was disappointed we had lost yet another chicken. We had plans to make the area more predator-proof this spring. 

With my own eyes, I've seen a bobcat and coyote on our property this first year at our little farmstead. We also hear owls. So, we have an idea of what's around. There was a time when all this wildlife would have really scared me. But this is home and we love it. We feel safe and we are learning.

Feeling defeated, my little homesteaders and I headed back inside.

Later that night, my husband called me to the front door. 

The sweetest surprise awaited!

Charlotte!

Turns out she is a fighter and a survivor. She'd found her way home - and 

to the front door no less! We've never been so happy to see a chicken. :)

And that was our little chicken miracle.

Thank you for stopping by today. I'm wishing you a faith-filled, 

miraculous day for both the little and big things in your life...

xo

Sharing with:

French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
Dwellings - The Heart of Your Home
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Savvy Southern Style

Life on a Mini Farm and a Book I Can't Put Down!

For years I dreamed of moving our family to a mini farm... somewhere we could enjoy the simple pleasures of country living. I hoped for a place that would give us more reasons to want to be home - - together.

Well, here we are! It's been a little over a year since we left the cute suburban neighborhood and headed just past the city limits to our 2+ acre little farmstead. 

Since moving here, we've added two cats, a dog, a rabbit and chickens. (We've also lost one cat, four chickens and our beloved dog is getting trained by our husband's parents and their older dog - we miss him tons!) 

There's an F-150 where the 525i used to be parked. And man, oh man, could we use a new ride-on mower!

We have three raised garden beds for vegetables - the size was just right for our first garden here. We hope to add to our garden this spring.

We've enjoyed having chickens for the first time! I remember having lots of questions before getting our chickens. I wondered how often we'd need to clean out their coop... It seems that every six weeks is just fine. (Of course it depends on how many chickens you have and how often they are in their coop versus outside.) 

We use pine shavings for their coop. To clean the coop, we (mostly me with help from our oldest son) shovel out all of the shavings into a wheelbarrow and replace with fresh shavings. 

Chickens are easy to feed. You can fill their feeder with food and give them plenty of water to last a few days at a time... though it's good to check on them daily. It's fun to bring them vegetables and fruits - they run out of their coop into the chicken yard to greet us (or get their treats) when they hear us coming.

We didn't intend on having roosters but "Lucy" turned out to be "Lewis." He actually makes a great watch dog rooster, alerting us of any activity. 

Sadly, we've lost over half of our flock to predators. I've spotted a bobcat and a coyote on our property. There are also owls. So, this spring we will work to make the chicken yard more predator-proof. We plan on getting several new chicks in spring.

If we're running low and I try to sneak some store-bought eggs into breakfast, my husband asks if they're our eggs - because they don't taste as good. 
There's nothing like fresh.

I guess we've become egg snobs.

Though the novelty of chickens has worn off for our boys, 
I still love to see them gather the eggs and feed the chickens.

My husband bought me this book. Not only is it cute(!), it's such a great introductory to farm life. If you ever dream of living on a farm, this is the book for you!

It's written by a New Yorker (probably why we city slickers understand it so well!) based on her husband's family farm.

One of the items mentioned in the book is a flower press. Since I recently found the above press at a thrift shop, I thought I'd share it. It's a fun little way to preserve little treasures from the garden!

And speaking of farm items, we were given this vintage milk tin jug for my birthday. It belonged to my husband's grandparents and is a special little reminder of them.

So that's about it for now... if it were up to me, I'd love to fill our barn with horses, babydoll sheep and pygmy goats. Maybe someday!

But the reality is - right now we've got our hands full raising our three boys (#1 priority and joy!), our small menagerie of animals and learning to take care of our little farmstead. 

There are always projects we'd love to tackle and new dreams for our family as our children grow. Like everyone else, we are limited to 24 hours in a day and what is (or isn't) in our bank account.  ;)

I have to remind myself that Rome wasn't built in a day... 




Grateful for who we have, what we have, and where we are... 
And I'm so thankful you stopped by today!

xo

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Stone Gable
From My Front Porch To Yours
Savvy Southern Style