JUST A LITTLE FRIENDLY REMINDER.....

I am having a springtime giveaway right now and have had several new bloggers leaving the sweetest comments and wanting to be entered in the giveaway. If you have a "no reply" setting to the comment you leave and do not have a blog, please make sure you stop back by and leave me your email address in another comment. If I draw your name for the giveaway and do not have a way to contact you, I will be forced to draw another name. I would hate to have to do that.

hugs and smiles,
Carol

MY ONE YEAR BLOGIVERSARY AND A GIVEAWAY

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I first started blogging. It has been a WONDERFUL journey and I have been blessed to meet some amazing people along the way and make some endearing friendships.

In keeping with that sentiment, I would like to show my appreciation to all my followers by having a springtime giveaway.

Meet Miss Milly, gardener extraordinaire. She is a 7" mouser made of aged osnaburg. Her dress is of a reproduction civil war print and her apron is made of an antique feedsack. The Cincinnati feedsack logo has been reproduced on the front. A huge "thank you" to my friend, Mary of Marmmies Mammy's and More
for her hard work creating the logo.

She is wearing her favortie hat and holds a bouquet of yellow posies and her rusty watering can.

If you have a warm, sunny place in your heart for Miss Milly, then read on....the rules of the giveaway are simple.

1. Be a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post only. New followers are welcome. = 1 entry.

For additional entries you can do the following:

1. Post to your blog sidebar and link back to my post. = 1 entry.

2. Do an actual post on your blog and link back to my giveaway. = 2 entries.

There you have it, you can earn 4 entries. Please let me know how many entries you qualify for in one comment.

Beings this is a special blogiversary celebration, I plan to add some more goodes to the giveaway but haven't made up my mind what those will be. So we will keep it a surprise till I annouce a winner :-)

And that isn't all! If I reach my goal of 300 followers by the end of this giveaway I will draw a second name. Giveaway will end on March 29th and I will draw the winners on March 30th.

Unfortunately, due to high postal costs, this giveaway will only be open to US and Canadian residents.

Springtime hugs!
Carol

I was gifted and keeping the winter "blahs" away.........

Every day I am reminded in one way or another how blessed I am to be a part of our wonderful blogging community. With that said, let me explain one of the many reasons I feel that way . Carmen of Prim Cats did a very informative tutorial a fews days ago on the making of pantry cakes. If you happened to miss it and have the desire to learn, you will be wanting to check it out HERE

I have always loved the look of the pantry cakes but have never tried to work with hot wax. In fact, I am a little intimidated by it. Well, I left a comment to Carmen thanking her for the great "tut" and how much I loved the look of her prim pantry cakes. And guess what.......! those of you who already know Carman can probably guess....I just got a box in the mail filled with the most wonderful scented pantry cakes. Not 1, 2, 3 or even 4 but 5 of the most beautiful, perfectly prim cakes that smell good enough to eat!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH sweet Carmen for taking pity on this prim collector's pantry needs or lack thereof. Your generous gift is so completely appreciated and will be cherished for years to come. Hugs to you sweet friend!

It is the end of February and here we are blanketed by another snowstorm. But I am managing to chase those wintertime blues away. My orchid plant is starting to bloom again. WOO HOO!! This awesome plant was a gift three years ago from my son and his family. I am content to wait all year long just to be blessed for a few short weeks with its beauty.

Hugs to you dear friends!
Wishing for Spring.......

I wanted to let you know that I was surprised to receive the Versatile Blogger Award from Donna of Countryside Cottage.

Along with this award I was supposed to list 7 things that you probably don't know about me, so here goes:

1. I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona

2. I never saw snow until I moved to the State of Michigan in 1974.

3. Carrot cake is my absolute most favorite dessert.

4. I have my own greenhouse and I love to garden during the summertime.

5. I am allergic to wasp stings. (Kind of goes hand in hand with the greenhouse as they like to build their nests inside.

6. I am afraid of heights, therefore I hate to fly.

7. I am a Leo.

Thanks, Donna for the award!

hugs!
Carol

~~MERRY SPRINGTIME MOUSER~~

I am so excited that you have stopped by for a visit. Up for your consideration today is Granny Gert and Lil' Dilly. Now in the Land of Nod, everyone knows that Granny is a very gentle ole soul and that she has a very special fondness for little strays.

Granny Gert is an original BCF design. She is approximately 7" tall and is made of walnut-aged osnaburg. Her facial features are needle-sculpted. Her hair, which peaks out of her cheesecloth scarf, is aged flax and her glasses are of rusty wire.

Her dress is available in three colors ~~

carmel brown with tiny tan daisies cotton print
black/tan mini check homespun
drab gree/tan mini check homespun

Her apron is made from an antique Bemis feedsack I acquired from our local grain silo. I have reproduced the "Bemis" logo on the front. +++A very special "thank you" goes out to my dear friend, Mary, who worked up the logo for me.+++

Her basket has been painted and aged giving it a sweet, old age patina. The dainty flowers have been attached to rusty wire stems and are securely anchored in the basket.

And last, but not least, is Lil' Dilly. The lucky little duckie who has found Granny. She is made of painted and aged muslin. Her top-knot and wings are aged flax and her feet are made of rusty wire. Her all-too-big- for-her-body feet, that is...heehee!

As with all my offerings, I use only quilt shop quality fabrics with special attention given to detail.

if you should feel "needful" of ole Gert and Dilly, please kindly email me at grams1garden@yahoo.com with your color choice. Special orders are ALWAYS welcome. Cost is a mere $34.50 plus air fare. She will come signed and dated along with a special little "thank you" from my home to yours.

SIMPLE SPRINGTIME BLESSINGS

hugs,
Carol

HAPPY VALENTINES!!!

Good morning, everyone. I wanted to stop in today and share what Mr. derful brought home from work this morning. He is a 3rd shifter at our local paper plant so he is going to bed when the rest of the world is waking up. I love carnations! They are among my favorite flowers. Isn't he just a romantic kind of guy!

We are celebrating valentines today as he has to put in some overtime tomorrow and we will not get a chance to do anything special. So tonight we are going to take in a little Chinese food...yum!

Hope your Valentines Day is filled with LOVE, lots of HUGS and SWEET TREATS.

Valentine hugs!
Carol

SURPRISE!!!! I AM STILL HERE.......

I know I have been slow to post any new happenings here on the farm. For that, I apologize, and will try to do better. Today I want to share some wonderful goodes that I received a couple of days ago from some very sweet bloggers. If you don't already know these ladies, it would be my pleasure to introduce you!

Valerie of YORKIES PRIMITIVES sent me some of her beautiful handmade goodes. I opened the box to find three adorable fabric hearts with wings. Each heart has its own sweet saying attached to the front with rusty hearts and safety pins. She also included some wooden blocks that she decorated with beautiful scrapbooking paper and letters that she cut out using her new cricut. I am so tickled to display these in my home for the valentine holiday. Please stop by and visit Valerie's blog and while you are there, also stop by and see what wonderful goodies she has in her ETSY shoppe.

On the same day, I received another package from Nancy of VICTORIAN MOTTO SAMPLER SHOPPE Nancy has some of the most beautiful hand-dyed floss available for all of your stitchery needs. I apologize that my picture-taking skills do not show the true beauty of the colors I received from her. They are much prettier in person. If you get a chance, it would be well worth your time to check out all of the patterns, kits and hand-dyed floss that Nancy has available. I know you will find something you will be just dying to stitch.

Thank you sweet ladies for your generous gifts. I love them all.

Things are starting to pick up here on the farm. Our weather has been very "spring" like which is most unusual for this time of year. Anywho....I have been busy in the sewing room making some new spring mousers that I am excited to share with you in just a few days. Until then....think Spring:-)

hugs and smiles,
Carol