Here we are again. A new year. New goals. New beginnings.
I haven’t posted since the beginning of 2021. Those of you that hang out with me on Instagram know that my little brother has been missing since the end of 2020. Life just became different for us and it was harder to try to inspire others. You shouldn’t make your life there though. It isn’t healthy. So I am trying new beginnings. He would have wanted that. ❤️ (Whew…some sentences are just harder to type.)
Life is full of possibilities. It’s full of fresh starts and growth. It’s full of things to look forward to and also long moments of contentment in the here and now. Each day to be celebrated for the gift that it is.
I hope that 2023 truly is your year. I hope that you find that one junkin’ find that has been elusive until now! I hope that you paint your dining room the color of an antique crock. (I plan to!) I hope that your sheep have babies! (Ours too!) I hope that whatever your hopes and dreams are…that you give them to God and He covers them with glitter, as only He can. Here’s to new beginnings, my friends!
Hey Friends!!! I come to you with lots of well wishes for a wonderful holiday! Ours will be a bit different this year…like everything else…but we will still celebrate the Savior of the world.
So this is Christmas…
You know…this year we hung a few wreaths on the fence posts and gate…and decorated a little cedar at the bottom of the hill. It was as much for all the neighbors as for us. It was so fun!
If you look closely you can see the farmhouse through there.
This year has been full of simple things. Basic things. Things of necessity. I’m okay with that. I think that it makes us take a look at what is really important.
The Mister and I celebrated twenty five years this year! We had a Christmas wedding so we always get to take a minute apart this time of year. It was a beautiful night at a trout ranch. The food was so good and the company was even better. Silver Anniversary during a pandemic? Party of two, please.
I hope that all of your celebrations whether big or small turn out peaceful and happy this year. We have had joy and sadness…but we are going to try our best come Christmas morning to celebrate Jesus.
So this is Christmas.
Love from the Farmhouse,
Kelli
p.s Our daughter and I snuck away for a junking break yesterday. Here’s a sneak peek of what we found:
How are you guys!? We are trying to roll with things…you know. (Insert emoji with eyes bugged out.) It’s been a minute since I have been here so I thought that I would stop by. We aren’t talking Soaps today…lol…just showing you a little of what is going on at the Farmhouse…as the world turns.
So quite awhile back I got the urge to paint our hutch. We have had this piece since around 2001ish maybe. I have always loved the white…and still do, but I have been loving all of the black farmhouse things for awhile now. Plus we have lots of white in our home so I went for it. I love Tricorn by Sherwin Williams, so that is what I used . It’s a true black with a finish that seems very early American to me.
She’s not done. Needs another coat…but so far I am pleased. I left the inside white, since that helps with it not absorbing decor. I’m excited to finish it today.
I’ve also been doing a tiny bit of junking lately. I ran across that rustic shelf at the thrift and I knew that as much as I love the cozy things…it needed to come on home with me. (It probably sounds like I’m avoiding the elephant in the room…also known as Corona. I am. Not because we aren’t aware, our son is quarantined due to being exposed, now, but I figure you guys hear enough about that part of the world turning. We need a break from it now and then.) Junking is a beautiful distraction.
So another fun thing happened this week! A friend of mine found this beautiful Philodendron for me! I loooove it. This particular species is…get this…Hope. Everyone needs a little hope in their lives. She found this one at Home Depot. She’s a pretty good old gal…that Brenda G.
One more sweet thing from our little farm and I will sign off for today. You. Guys. Tomato jam! Whyyyyy didn’t someone tell me? I have been canning for years and never knew. It’s so, so, good. You lay down your cracker…add a smidge of cream cheese, and then a little dollop of tomato jam. Soooooo good! Let me know if you need the link…or I can do a blog post and tell you how I made ours.
(This is a side note. Those of you that order dishrags for the holidays…shop is open. Those popcorn rectangles from the ADR Farmhouse Dishrags collection are my favorite!)
Okay…so I hope that as your world turns on this Friday and holiday weekend…things are good. I’m going to leave you with a little something that I found today:
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;” Jeremiah 1:5
It’s not everywhere in this life that we find comfort and assurance like that. God is in control even if people don’t want to admit it. But to know that there was a time when it was only God and us…and no one else knew about us…that is heartwarming and fills me with awe. It’s a beautiful and loving thing to be alone with God.
Hey Dirt Roaders! I sure hope that you had a Merry Christmas and I hope that your New Year is off to a great beginning. Fresh starts are nice aren’t they? Motivating and exhilarating. Yes…sometimes we abandon them early in the year…but sometimes not. I give us kudos for our zest for life anyway.
Maybe your goal is to lose a pound or two. Or maybe it’s to be more consistent with your quiet time of prayer and Bible study. Maybe it’s to be a better listener or to stay on budget more. Whatever our goals are…I think we will stick with them if we pace ourselves and give grace when needed. A fresh start…with a steady and doable gait.
Have you ever ran a race and started off too fast? You were at the front of the pack…for a while. Then you got winded and had to sloooooow way down. That happened to me in grade school. I learned very quickly that I needed to pace myself from the start, to finish well. The same goes for our goals. Realistic is sometimes a bit slow…but it’s steady. You know…the ol’ tortoise and hare scenario.
Whatever your goals and ambitions, I am praying now that whoever reads this little piece…may they bloom and flourish in this new year. May it be a year of growth and blessing for us all.
Have you seen that on Facebook? I believe that it says something like…”It feels like January 74th. Or is it 73rd? Whatever it is…this weather is hormonal. It affects us in lots of ways doesn’t it? I tend to talk about the weather here because it contributes to moods and activity.
This year has kind of went by in a blur so far for us. We found out last fall that our daughter was having some physical problems so we have made several trips to St. Louis. That puts everything else on the back burner and that is definitely okay. We think that they have her on the right track now. We are so thankful for that and for the way that the Lord has directed our steps.
It’s supposed to snow a little, or sleet, and rain, tomorrow. In April. January 74th…you have been a long one.
I have been prepping for summer a bit. A pillow cover made from an old feed sack added a bit of warmth to this January weather. 😉
If it feels like January 74th to you…just hang on. It will be August 87th before you know it.
Piddling around a bit this morning…so I spruced up our little spot for coffee.
Isn’t coffee a good friend? Okay…not really a friend…but the very smell is comforting to me. It reminds me of grandparents. It says all things…cozy. Coffee…oh how I love thee.
I know that not everyone loves it…so maybe a little tea station instead? Okay…a soda fountain on the counter. Now there is an idea! Lol!
Did you get up with the chickens? I did. I was actually awake before the rooster this morning. Sometimes that is the way that it goes. He was standing in the mud with his wives…waiting to be fed. That is Farmhouse Life. It’s all about caring for others…people, animals, and vegetables. Just ask Adam and Eve. 😉
Farm life isn’t new to me. I grew up very close to my grandparent’s little farm. By the time that I came along they mostly had cows, a dog, and a barn cat. When my dad was little they had hogs too. He also had an old mare that he would ride. My step-dad’s parents have always farmed too. (It seems like most people did in that generation.) They even kept an old horse for me to ride. Ol’ Beauty. What a gal. She was so barn-soured that when you turned her back toward the house and let her go…we could have won the Kentucky Derby. Goodness gracious. I wound up in trouble over that a few times. Beauty was kind of old and poorly shod for me to let her act so young.
It’s so fun to watch our kids on our little farm. Their dad decided early on that he would buy the feed but they could have the money out of the eggs. Their job is to wash them before refrigeration. Want to know a fun fact? In Europe…they don’t refrigerate. That is because when a chicken lays an egg…there is a protective coating on them. It protects the egg from bacteria unless you wash it off. So…if you do wash them…get them into the fridge soon. Our kids get to split the money…because each day it/s a different person’s turn to wash eggs. You better believe that after scrubbing all that stuff off…they want their cut. I think that it’s pretty awesome…the lesson that their dad is teaching them with the eggs. It’s not that they are making a killing…but they are learning very valuable tools for their own lives.
Our farm is small and young. It is also just one aspect of our lives, but we enjoy the richness that it provides. I understand that not everyone wants to add farming to their list of things to do…but we love the little bit of it in our neck of the woods. I feel close to God…when I am in the middle of His creation. I feel like a helpmate when I am canning veggies that my husband planted or helping him with the care of an animal. I feel like I am teaching our children, when we are hot and sweaty, bent over green bean plants…split up into two teams, seeing who can finish their rows first. It’s hard work…but it nourishes my soul.
Totally not about my hair…although that is happening too. I was wanting to update our dining room. I was a bit tired of the Meringue Peaks. (Yellowish.) So after lots of thought…we went with Secret Locket by Glidden. Actually…true to form…I had them doctor it a bit with a few squirts of white. Momma knows…what Momma can live with. 😉 By the way…one tip before we get started: If you want a true gray…pick from the card with black at the bottom. If the darkest shade on your card has blue or purple or a brownish gray…your lighter shade will have that cast. You already knew that? Of course you did. Dirt Roaders are smart.
The men in my life got free caps from the feed store so I borrowed one for this shot. You are welcome…I think. All of the photos in this post are shot with my iPhone. It has been cloudy for days…so I will get some better shots later.
My sweet family is amazing. I do the rolling and they come in with their steady hands and trim. I am very thankful for that.
I love the way that white really shines with the gray. I also love the classy farmhouse feel that it adds. It is very serene. That is important to me. This was kind of a big thing for me. I have been painting everything white…but I really didn’t want that for this room. I wanted color…and this is very cozy. This is a place that we linger so the feel of the room matters a lot. If you are thinking about painting…gray gets a big thumbs up from me.
There you have it. Going gray at the Farmhouse. Gray…not grey…because we live in America. They paint…grey in Europe…just in case you wondered. #englishlessonfortheday 😉
On Spring Break this year, we took a little jaunt to Texas. It was wonderful, relaxing, and just what we needed. I had a few places that I wanted to visit while we were there. Places that we don’t have here in our neck of the woods. I am totally fine with that fact…because I am one of those crazies that actually loves small town life. That being said…it was really fun to visit some of these spots. IKEA was one of them. Of course I picked up…a few things at IKEA.
If you have never been…IKEA is like a big showroom upstairs and then a market downstairs. The market was my favorite part and I was stoked about the prices. I picked up some glass vases that I had seen on Instagram and also a sheepskin for the piano bench. Their candles smell great too. I was really impressed with the whole thing and would definitely go back. You guys are all like…”Duh…we have been and we already know this goodness of which you speak.” Just in case though….that someone out there has thought of going and held off…go. If you are into home decor…I would bet my eye teeth that you would love it. (Okay…maybe not.)
Our girls are enjoying the sheepskin for piano practice. A little easier on the bum than a hard piano bench. I love the bit of softness that it lends to such an angular spot.
If you already know all about IKEA because you don’t live in the sticks…or if you have always wanted to go…leave me a comment and we will chat it up!
Along the Dirt Road 