'dynamic duo'

click on image to find out more about a 'dynamic duo' that is coming to the farm for

the May Event/Barn Sale

(if it doesn't rain) I'm off to the Kane County Flea Market today!

have a fantastic day.....

don't rely on anyone else to make this a good day...it's up to YOU

xo+farm blessings,

what is Bohemian style??..and something for just you BLOGGERS AT THE FARM!

I received an email this morning that got me thinking about my Bohemia roots........



the rich colors of Hungarian needlework at a market...picture source unknown

  as 'family legend' has it: some of my ancestors were so poor that they had dirt floors and when someone would come to visit, a design was drawn into the freshly combed dirt floor with a special type of broom

My family isn't a big family on that Hungarian/Transylvania/Bohemia side, but I do know that some of them were in fact gypsies.......



my Hungarian grandfather with his team of work horses he plowed the fields with




my Grandfather today...he just turned 94 on Easter Sunday...and still in the garden



Bohemia style to me is a free expression of the wild and rugged countryside of Europe cuddled with gentle touches from exotic travelers that passed through that region



my Hungarian grandmother with flowers in her hair...both are more absolute FAVORITE pictures of them



(of course, the family doesn't have any pictures of the gypsies...I wish!)

I chose Bohemian Italy - which could be hard to figure out - for the event, because to me, both Italy and Bohemia are so rich with culture and surprise and texture and intrigue..........and I do like a challenge........

Blending Italy and Bohemian style has been so much fun!!  Muted colors with blasts of color here and there

I am so excited for the event, and to see all of you again who came before and meet new people too...

and in the true gypsy style, ALL bloggers are welcome to come

to the new BLOGGER TENT!!



image via tumblr (please forgive me for not knowing the source...if you know, let me know)...I love this image!



It will be a special place just for all you bloggers......to meet....mingle......have some champagne.....

and have a great time meeting new BLOGGERS

If you are coming, let me know and I'll add you to my sidebar of 'who's coming'

for those of you not coming, I so wish you could....

and as you can just imagine, but life is pretty much consumed with my sweet baby Daniel and this upcoming event...

Have a great day!!

xo+blessings,

ART ON THE FARM...

Here's one of those possibilities I mentioned this morning......

SUPER excited to convert the old horse barn (where the sale used to be) into an ART studio

the skylights and views are so great in there

and we are so honored by our good friend Jeanne for not only coming here to

join the sale and sell her new Spring Line of goods, but

to also teach a mixed media art class!

LIMITED PLACES!!  Sign up by emailing Jeanne:

JEANNEOLI@HOTMAIL.COM

& you can isit Jeanne's blog  HERE

XO!!

possibilities!!

Oh my goodness

doesn't it feel GREAT to have be at Monday??

I looooove Mondays with their possibilities

If you haven't yet felt this way, all you have to do is open that positive vibe door just a tad

and the light will come flooding in

who knows: maybe you'll even find a surprise!

Have a terrific day....

xo+blessings,

~Our new chickens come on May 1st......yeah!~

Have a Blessed Easter Day!!

xo

7 Days to a better Me...Day 7...

WRATH

I am certainly my own worst critic

***********

For example: when Fifi told me she wanted to feature our home & prairie in her new book,

I asked her if I was going to be in the "decorating no-no" section..

the "how not to achieve the romantic style"

Even though it made Fifi laugh, I was literally more nervous than possibly any time of my life!

trying to do more than one woman could do, I started having agitated thoughts

about not getting it all accomplished...& I don't like being agitated

it breaks up my peace...my spirit

***********

Today, being the last day of Lent,  is like an exam for me
the internal studying...all the reading...

it's done

no more time to prepare 

I can't let myself get angry that I didn't do more...

I just hope I pass

xo+blessings, 

"behold....thy Mother..."

out of pure love

the most loving sacrifice

today is a day of silence..........prayers........reflections.........

taking comfort that out of this sorrow there will be glory

7 Days to a better Me...Day 5...

SLOTH & ENVY

Those two go together considering when I neglect my prayer life, or time in solitude, I start to envy others

This is a constant struggle for me

With 6 children (which entails feeding, clothing, and cleaning up after them daily), homeschooling, hosting big farm events, and just the other daily chores of being a wife and mother, finding time for daily respite is nothing short of a miracle in itself

but somehow, miracles happen

because I do find the time each day to spend praying and meditating writing and thinking

but not nearly as much as I would like to, to keep enhancing my beliefs and spirituality

one thing I always keep in mind, is this:

never spend more time on the computer than in prayer

never spend more time contemplating what to wear than intimate time with God

always understand that if I can't make the time, if I'm just too tired, God will understand

At times, I envy those who only have 2 children, in school, and can create their art, write, shop, attend lectures or classes, but then I remember that slows down (sloth) my spirit

besides, I wouldn't want to have any other life than my own

God gave it to me....the present

xo+blessings,

FOR SOME EASTER INSPIRATION from my farmhouse kitchen:
~ BASKETS
~ CONFECTIONS
~ BUNNY BREADS (my favorite and the kids too!)

a spring gathering...

this past weekend we had a gathering at our home after the baby's baptism

and with the weather still in the 30's it's just what we needed

roses in old blue mason jars and the scent of hyacinths in small silver vessels....



to make this flower napkin shape:
fold the napkin in a triangle, then roll it up from the pointed end & then from one of the ends, start rolling into a rose shape





(make sure you cover the stem inserted into cake with plastic wrap)



I had this whimsical idea of making paper flowers within the mix...

and added them to this simple spray wreath and to the table

Another "on the cheap" way to decorate this gathering was with handmade paper doves:



to make these: simply sketch out a dove shape, and paste two together & bend the wings down slightly - use clear thread (or fishing line) and thread through the wings and tie to branches (or in our case pussy willow branches and our chandelier)



xo+blessings,

Day 4...

GREED

purging unused items and donating them to goodwill or another such organization is a great
way to detach myself from material objects

and a way to fight off GREED

what I am meditating on today:

embracing people and relationships instead of material objects

xo+blessings,

7 Days to a better Me...Day 3...

GLUTTONY

a friend of mine once called her and I "food snobs"

I thought it funny at the time, but it's one of those things that haunts me....



Considering I like making food from scratch - to suit my taste buds - going out to eat isn't that big of a deal...We also try to eat healthy organic - pasture raised - (or our homegrown & made veggies & food)

yup...."food snob"

my homemade pasta

I may not over-eat, but as the great Thomas Aquinas wrote "gluttony is eating too soon, eating too expensively, eating too much, eating too eagerly, eating too daintily, and eating wildly"

Yes, that may be one man's opinion, but being that he was an amazing theologian, and I'm hardly close, I have no problem setting my pride at the door and listening to him.

Food and drink can be such a distraction....and by closing my eyes and seeing the world and everything in it with my heart, I can now savor the taste of becoming a better Me.

A fresh start


*I would like to add that feasting and eating with family and enjoying the company of others is NOT what I'm talking about.....this post is a reflection of me, and how I need to work on things....and I want to make sure that I am viewing food as not a distraction in my life...but part of my life...in it's place...to be enjoyed yes, but not to be so persnickety about it*

Because certainly eating healthy and enjoying the foods of the earth are all part of
a balanced lifestyle for me and my friends and family

xo+blessings,

7 Days to a better Me...Day 2

LUST

One could say I lust after having a nicely decorated home

One could say that I lust for good food

One could say that I lust at having every inch of my grass flowers and meadows, with a pond in the prairie and a pergola, and a little dock just perfect for a bit of fishing (because the pond is stocked)

and they would be right

this is something that holds me back sometimes to actually being "happy"

Happy to me is not an emotion but a state of mind

and when I think of all the possibilities here on our little farm...well...there's only one thing I can say it is:

LUST

How to overcome this vice? this weight upon my shoulders??

(I put it there.......no one forced it upon me)

Enjoying what I DO have...which is so much...

and I don't mean I don't appreciate all of it, or thank God for it, but sometimes, these thoughts and dreams in my head of what "could be" cloud the reality I am in

so here's how I am going to battle this

by shutting my eyes

Now I have my eyes shut and I can see with my heart

xo+blessings,

(pictures are from 2009)

7 Days to a better Me...DAY 1

DAY 1:

Pride

How do you battle pride?  with humility....so let's take a look.........

Looking upon people with my heart, and not my mind…

The one thing I really cannot fathom is ridiculing others for their appearance…whether it is clothing, facial hair, tattoos, hair style, etc…

This has nothing to do with race or nationality…seriously…can we get pass that racism already? It’s 2011…….

At times, it is awfully difficult to look past this fault in others. Some people (always women – never my male friends) tend to do this ridicule of appearance…like they are perfect or something? That is something we should all keep in mind: they aren’t perfect either…NONE of us are….
(and personally...I learn more from my husband, or men sometimes, than women-
when's the last time you heard your husband or male friend ridicule
others about appearance? or downgrade someone?)

So instead of looking upon someone who might be “out of style” or has age spots on her face (heaven forbid) look at them with your heart…all of us are special in God’s eyes…no matter what we look like on the outside…

Pride is the biggest drawback to becoming a better person…it’s the hardest to get over…

You aren’t so special Anne Marie…no matter who tells you this

 

*you aren’t so special....not yet*

Today’s society has really drilled this into us when someone is good looking, successful, creative, or even a good baker: that when you are successful at something you are so special

Really?

Do you really think that you are so special because you can do these things?
then everyone else who doesn't have your good of a talent...what are they??

If you consider yourself special because you have these talents/gifts, then you might possibly be looking upon others as ‘not special’ and will put them down, even mentally this will not be a good thing…..we should always look upon others for who they are- regardless of talent or creativity

Yes, this talent you have, or worked at enhancing is unique, but who gave you this gift?

but beware....
"A man is never so proud as when striking an attitude of humility"- C.S. Lewis
this means that you can't just act like you are humble...you have to actually live it

Until you start thanking the One who gave it to you, you aren’t special….

 

SO:

Take 5 minutes today and tell God ‘thank you’

a deep sincere thank you for life...for this opportunity to grow...for me to let go of pride...

*now you are special*

in the One's eyes that really matters

that's one step closer to true happiness

xo+blessings,

(picture via Beth Quinn designs...I love wearing those earrings)
(fun tidbit on the peacock...it's both a symbol of pride & God's eye)

7 days to a better me…

There are always ways we can better ourselves, and I have compiled some ideas and inspirations, quotes and verses that I’m devoting this week to really reflecting upon and meditate within on their meanings for me

Starting tomorrow, Sunday the 16th, I will be journaling all of this, just as I have on my bedside journal with pen and paper…

why? why am I doing this??

because of these 6 blessed reasons....

for me to show by example a life full of grace and faith and love...

I will try

I will fail sometimes

but I know that I am living my vocation as wife and mother

and at least I know that I did something about trying to make it better.......

are you?

You are more than welcome to join me in this journey this week

- let's get back to what these blogs are all about

- a place to share

- a place of inspiration

- somewhere to come for peace and solitude

(at least, that's what I want my blog to be about....me...and my life on the farm)

xo+blessings,