bye........

saying goodbye to all the dried floral........rocks........shells........etc, for the holiday seasonal decorating............

totes are down from the attic..........many items won't even be put out this year..........

*keeping a simplistic mind this Advent*

Hope you are all keeping yourselves in peace........

B&W Sunday........

Hope*.......A new beginning...........

Na-Da Farm's "theme" this Advent:

~Preserving a simplistic tradition in life and spirit~

*Picture entitled: 'Hope'........available for print at the shop

A peek into my life.........

A simple greeting and a sincere thank you..............for being readers of my posts, a constant inspiration and for giving me a wonderful welcome into your home........

~I so enjoy giving you a peek into my life~

Looking forward to the upcoming season with you all.............

Happy Thanksgiving!

Quick Decorating........

I don't plan my decorating, unless it's for a big party, but I'm more of the 'quick decorating' types.......

and in my dining room, where the glorious South Sun lightens every corner, some very quick and fragrant decorating was accomplished.......

I recently moved my buffet in the dining room to another wall - to open it up for the leaves of the table to expand generously - for both expected, and unexpected dinner guests........

In anticipation of the coming Advent, and Thanksgiving season, I'm not putting up turkeys and pilgrims, but rather, natural elements such as dried grasses and fresh sage.....

which doesn't mean the office isn't clad with 'hand turkeys' and feather projects.....
I had a mirror in the barn......that didn't have a frame.....but I had these shutters that I simply placed in front..........a perfect fit width and height wise!

To make the ever so simple garland on the mirrored shutter: I took some very thin hemp twine, and tied a few fresh sage branches from it

More fresh sage was nestled around an angel (which I just took in from the garden)

and in wooden bowls......

both on the buffet and on the table (both authentic Romanian dough bowls)

To add a little more of a Thanksgiving "touch" I've added dried bundles of grass from the gardens.....simply hanging from the shutter closure with more hemp twine.....

Here on the farm, HOPE is in the air, with an abundance of Thanksgiving joy ...........

All photographs were taken just this past weekend

B&W Sunday.......

I awoke early in the morning to find this the other day.........

deep in thought, not even noticing I was there.........she won.........

With no T.V. and no video games, we pass our time together.........

and sometimes it's within a beautiful silence..........

the kids don't crave that stimulation electronic devices give you........

the physical effects that stimuli give children is un-natural.......

very un-organic

and you know me......I'm all about being organic......

organic to me, isn't about just filling our bodies with healthy food, but

filling our soul with things natural.....

like plays.......poetry....music...........

last night the children put on a performance of "the Elf saves the day"

a Na-Da Farm original

I helped with the backdrop.............a hand painted light as air silk fabric was swagged from one end of the room to the other........potted plants and floral fabric were set up "just so".....

-all DJ work was from the oldest son on the record player-

very professional DJ -
I highly recommend him for

any Na-Da Farm performance....

as the little sleeping fairy lay asleep within her bed of flowers, awaiting the fairy queen to awaken her from her deep winter sleep.......

*solo dancing of course in between acts - with Mama's scarves*

but alas! a wolf entered the scene growling and snaring at the fairy as to scare her back into her sleep! or was he going to eat her?

dear me, it was so exciting

to the rescue! came the elf - with top hat and glasses, and a stage presence of all his own, that led the wolf to the hills beyond, where he belonged, and saved the awakened fairy.....

but before leaving to the hills, the wolf, fairy queen and elf danced in a circle under the silkened sky to a roar of laughter, delight and cheers from two very

entertained spectators (aka parents).....

A Thanksgiving play is set, and I will be participating in that one....so stay tuned!

~have a great day~

FOR MORE B&W SUNDAY visit:

~Eniko

fantastic.......

do you ever see those pictures that inspire you to where you get

ALL EXCITED! like a kid?!?!

well........this did it for me!

Let's break it down now...........(a little regress in the mc hammer department)

1) love the top

2) love the skirt

3) love the colors............

I want to have her pour me that hot cocoa in the red pitcher and give me like 3 of those crepe thingy's and tell me how she made that top, then we can hop on her horse drawn sleigh that is waiting outside this door:

BUT SHE'S LETTING ME WEAR THIS DRESS FIRST..........

AND GOOD NEWS! she told me I can live here, as long as I'm the maid...........

and I cook here...........

no problem, anything to help out a gal in the back woods..............

seriously head over for this stylist: Eva Lindh.............go take a looksy........... and get inspired! there are SO many people out there that can show you a JOY this season that you didn't even know existed!!

have a great weekend....I'm off to drink hot cocoa and sew!

Do you sell things online?

if so, then let me know, because I want to make a list for my readers to use for the Holiday season.....

let's help each other out in these times shall we?

just e-mail me at: info@nadafarm.org with

1) your store name and domain name (http:)

2) a brief description of your products

~no photographs please~

the ladies......

One last romp through the grass with her favorite animal......

before it gets too bitter cold to "romp"........

Our little pony's name is:

"Lady"

Lady is so fuzzy and cute right now with her winter 'fuzz' - and she's not hard to cuddle with

(yes "minlaw", I said 'cuddle'...............) sorry; inside joke

I'm going to try to turn this one into a B&W for in the farm house.......

~just some joy and smiles from the farm to you!~

Divine Dreams............

Dreams aren't always when you fall asleep..........

sometimes they follow you like the warm sun on a summer day.......... and sometimes dreams loom over you like a storm cloud..........

Dreams aren't all what they seem either.......they look like you could just plop right down into them, but in reality, they slip through your fingers..........

Depending on how large your dreams are, and how far off they can be........don't forget about them...........they are still there.........and sometimes, it takes just the right moment for you to be able to hold it in your hands and caress it...........

because then, you finally did it..........but it never was exactly what you had in mind.............

but that's okay..........someone else knew what those dreams really were..........

divine

~sacrifice yourself to others, for you cannot sacrifice yourself for you ~

and hopefully this can qualify for a White Wednesday post at Faded Charm....

a symbolic gesture.........

Sooooooo.........so much for the all white idea.........

I found these shades at a friend's recent sale.........5 for $6...........

red...........it's a great color.........

As well as this Ralph Lauren fabric that I slipped over a wing-back........
I pleated the corners and added a little feminine touch - just like I do

with the dresses I make for the girls

and skirts for me.......

red just keeps popping up........

and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that

the seasonal red color is coming up.......

colors are symbolic.......

red is symbolic of life...........atonement........humility...........power.......importance..........

white is actually the color most symbolic with Christmas, well, the true meaning of it anyhow, and so this year, for Christmas, I will be introducing more white...

just for that reason........

B&W Sunday.......

My littlest daughter when she was two.....

She is my little darling.....and always will be........


Thank you for visiting me and other participants for B&W Sunday......

~ Csillagos

~ Eniko

just preparing......

The Holidays are coming........yes........yes.........and I thought:

"hey Anne Marie.....why not get a head start on gaining weight!"

I only cook with natural ingredients.......and winter is coming.......and I do live on a farm in the Midwest..............

just like a mama bear preparing for her winter hibernation...........I need more warmth on my body..........and these pumpkin donuts will do the trick.......

well, maybe with a cup of coffee too......with cream......from our raw milk.........

~~~have a belly full and tasty weekend~~~~

RECIPE: PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS........

Spiced sugar:

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Doughnuts:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk(substitution: 1/2cup whole milk+1 Tablespoon of vinegar)

1 cup pureed cooked pumpkin (substitution: canned pure pumpkin)

Canola oil (for deep-frying)

Preparation:

For spiced sugar:Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

For doughnuts:Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (mixture will be grainy). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin in 4 additions. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic; chill 3 hours.....very essential......

Lightly flour wooden cutting board.........Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.

Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 365*F to 370*F.

Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool completely..........and enjoy!

that wasn't hard now was it?

Thanks Gypsy!!

If you all haven't met Gypsy, well, she has some great stuff she posts about........and today, something very NEW to my eyes, but have enjoyed EVERY minute looking around Pip Studio.....

from everything from her website design and all the fun accents, to the most amazing colorful bed linens............me and my girls are going nuts for this place!

Enjoy!!

How to find a home within your home............

With the holidays looming upon us, I am rearranging furniture all over the house..........taking muted tones of fabric and making hearts and having so much fun adorning them.............adding rugs for warmth..............

but sometimes it takes getting out into the garden, and tearing out all the dead plants into the compost pile to spark that drive to actually do something.........

it had been terribly cold and rainy here for the first half of autumn......but now.....it's warm and not keeping my hands as idle as they were..........and idle hands aren't good.......for anyone around here..........

Grays.......whites............off-whites...........my heart and soul rests within those colors.......and my Potager is very much centered around that idea..............and that is where I receive the most pleasure...........

but..............

i live on a farm.......and my Na-Da Farm style encompasses every part of this area within me and my home..............from the red barns, to the browns of the prairie.......to the never-ending blue skies above..............

I do not have the luxury to turn my home into all those serene colors...............not the whole home that is........after all.............I have 5 children.............

that last one is huge to me.......the 5 children............they bring so much liveliness to my life........

not always peaceful.......but always colorful.............

and even though I run them to football.......church events............friends houses............dance practice........our home is kissed by color through my children's vibrancy..........

I realized that last night, when I was setting our 'winter rug' in the living room......and as soon as the room was cleared and the rug was put down.........the sparks, laughter, and color was bouncing everywhere...........interestingly enough, I can still hear their laughter and see their vibrancy with black and white photos..............

these children are my focus..........my life...............and I love it...........

it delights me to tears..............

some could argue this is what happens with a home without a tv.........if so.....then thank God....

So......How to find a home within your home?...........for me, it was being kissed by my children's vibrancy within their lively spirits...........

after all.......inspiration comes from both nature and people.........

~have a fantastic weekend~