pink gingham...be still my beating heart
this little number will be worn in the garden. it has really deep pockets. 
i did some more organizing yesterday and grouped all of my platters in the top door
the bottom of the chest is divided so storage of items is really easy
this is one of those pieces that i will always have
In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. ~Mark Twain
its amazing what a small investment of 2 baskets will do for the look of a cabinet. i so wish i had taken a picture before, but i didn't. just like me to jump into something before thinking:) take my word for it, this sucker looks a ton better! i grouped all of the baking ingredients like soda, baking powder, corn starch, cocoa, etc. in the bottom basket. i even put chocolate chips in there. in the second basket is sprinkles. yes for some reason we have acquired an arsenal of sprinkles. i am so happy with how this cabinet turned out. what is something that you need to organize? 
i already had this one. it is the largest one of the set.
i found these three at an estate sale. i was pleased.
~type to you soon~
i took advantage of the BOGO herbs at home depot yesterday. some of the herbs that are in the pots are from our garden last year. the thyme, chives, and mint come back every year so i dug them up and put them in the pots. ultimately that is why i have decided to keep the herbs in pots from now on. they also smell heavenly and it is a nice smell to greet when i step out on the deck. there are also certain herbs that interact poorly with certain veggies. on the contrary there are also ones that help veggies too, so i might just plant some of those herbs in the veggie beds as an aid to growth and pest repellent and not necessarily to use. convenience is a big plus as well, when i am cooking i can just step out the kitchen door and grab some herbs. 
all clipped from the yard
potted plant that was inside is now out
photo credit: my sweetheartmoments
a few years ago i came across this line of vintage dress me up items. don't you just love the scalloped edges? this is one of the many items in this line and they can be purchased at thrift stores, estate sales, and antique fairs for a fraction of the cost of the southern living dress me up line. just goes to show you in my estimation vintage is always better:)
if you can sew a straight line you can make this dress. i bought the fabric at joanne's. it is premade with the gathering at the top. i had the fabric cut and little larger than the distance around little girls chest and then sewed a straight seem down the side. i added the ric rac to the bottom, a monogram, and some lovely large bows (can bows ever get too big?...don't answer that...we won't agree...unless you are from the south...southern women know how to rock a large bow or two:). the ribbon was at hobby lobby 50% off this week. total cost...$11.00.
this was a very nice memo board before but our son had requested something to put pictures and things that he needed to remember for his room. i tea stained the fabric by making a strong rue of tea and brushing it on. then i just used ribbon scraps that i already had. it was a fun, relatively free ($2 for the board) project. 
before
after
a friend introduced me to this way of preparing bacon, and i don't think that i will ever go back to the frying pan. i throw it in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake it for about 10 minutes at 350. then i turn on the broiler to crisp up the bacon. we like it crispy around here. if you watch it and don't burn it, it is the best bacon you have ever sunk your teeth into. the mess is so confined too. no bacon grease splatters and the cookie sheets just rinse right off. just thought you might want to know. do you have any easy cooking tricks that you use?
brand new table cloth. washed and ready to go. i just love the "springyness" of it. $2
this is the bottom of the towel stand pictured below. yes that says $40.00. i really hope that is not what they originally paid. i paid $2. it will be getting a coat of bronze paint. 
memo board. new. $2 i am changing out the ribbon on it. i will show you when it is done. 
primitive style basket. i just love it. seen these retail for between $18-$22. i paid $3.
i also bought little girl ralph lauren jeans that have tons of life left in them for $1. they look like they would have if i had bought them new and washed them once. unbelievable. i love yard sales more every year! you should try them out if you are not already!
read all about getting all natural, organic, seventh generation products for FREE at Kroger this week right over HERE.
assembly line for the jam
the food processor has revolutionized canning. watch for one at a yard sale or on craig's list. really it is a must. you can also use a blender if you do not "overblend".
those strawberries were just gorgeous! they are on sale for a really good deal in many stores right now. it would be a good time to make enough to last a couple of months. i made about 16 pint size jars with 10 lbs of strawberries. 
i normally do not shop at aldi but my mother in law was there yesterday and she was telling me that they have blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes that are a decent size for $5.99. that is a great deal. i am heading over there this morning to pick some up. i am also back and will be posting much more frequently than i have the past week. later today i will post some pictures of things that have been going on here at the suburban farmhouse. hope all of you have had a lovely week and i look forward to getting back in the regular routine of things. have a lovely, breezy day.
