Got Through Christmas

I made it through Christmas and for the most part all was good. Once again I did lots of baking and chocolate candy dipping to fill 16 boxes of goodies (all different size packages), but I enjoy it!

My brother got me a pink Daisy bebe gun for Christmas, I wanted a pink rifle, but he said I have to work up to that. What I don't get is I have shoot gun so how did I go done to a bebe gun, lol. Well he bought a bebe gun for his son and saw the pink one and thought of me, awwww. My nephew wants us to go shooting together now, I think I will have to do that sometime soon. Got other fun, pink and useful gifts. Of course enjoyed giving what I had found and made.


I also enjoy Christmas movies and music and this year it was so much nicer having the box on my tv that plays Vudu.com, Netfilx and Pandora to enjoy all of them. Played music when in the kitchen working and watched a number of Christmas movies new and old (or new to me).

Now looking into the new year ahead, no plans for New Years Eve, hopefully that will change soon. But have some goals for the new year... right now my big goal is to do some updates and sprucing up around my house. Some little things that I don't think will cost to much or be too hard, hope to make them winter projects. I have started a board on Pinterest.com to keep track of some of my thoughts for things to do. Want to start with my back porch/laundry room, thinking add some hooks and shelves then paint and maybe new flouring. Think I will work my way forward through the house from there... a lot of these are things I have wanted to do since I moved in but was not able and I hope they will help when I go to sale it some day. I can't wait to start and share what I do.

I have some other small goals for 2012, but save those for another time!

None Stop Dec.

Of course since Thanksgiving I have been very busy and very on the go. I have some place to be almost every night and the nights I don't I am at home baking, working on photo orders or Christmas Cards. But I do enjoy this time of year for the good and fun things.

Like getting a Christmas tree, got mine a few weeks back, went to a different farm and got a tree for $25. I have never paid less then $40 for a live tree, so I was very happy, there wasn't a lot to pick from but for that price I was sure to find one. Got it home and it is nice and fat (almost too fat). It took over a week to get it all decorated but with some help it is all done now.

Speaking of Christmas decoration I had a nice scare when I went to get my decoration out of my basement. In the middle room of my basement you have to go through the room to turn the like on and there is a ledge with crawl space on both sides. Well when I turned the light on I saw something move and when I turned to look I was face to face with eyes! There was a cat in my basement, have no idea how it go there, how long it has been there and at that point how to get it out. Once I got calmed down from the initial scare and shock I went back down to look for it and couldn't find it, so my guess is it went in the crawl space where I couldn't get it. I couldn't stop thinking about it and the nice messes it was leaving me down there. Third time I went down it was back out and so I tried to pet it and it didn't try to scratch my eyes out. So, I cared up stairs to put it out and it got loose from me and that lead to me and cat running through my house (probably could have made it on funnest video). Finally got the cat out and felt so much better.

A few days later I took the empty decoration boxes back the basement, as I entered each room I looked around hoping to not see anything. No such luck, when I entered the back room there was eyes reflecting back at me. So until I can figure out where it is getting in I left it. I have also put a post in the paper for lost cat and hope to find it a home soon. I don't know but the thing has me creeped out and don't want to go to my basement, witch is stupid it is just a cat (I hope that is all that is down there).

Beside dealing with the cat I have been baking lots of cookies as I do this time of year, very much enjoying having a dishwasher now. Also have been enjoying watch movies on my tv through Netflix and Vudu. Watched The Help on Vudu this Saturday and it was very good, definitely recommend it.

Pictures of my Christmas goodies and bake goodies to come soon. Can't believe Christmas is only six days way... I wander if I will get what I truly want... Praying to God for the guidance to it.

A Time of Thanksgiving

It has been a busy, busy week getting ready for the family to come over for Thanksgiving, but it is all worth it. I enjoy having people to my home and Thanksgiving is the only holiday I get to do. We don't have a big get together, just my parents and my brother and his family, but it is fun to watch the girls play and stuff. I cooked the ham and turkey this year, a first for me, but all is good. We haven't had turkey the past few years so I only did a turkey breast and it was more then enough.

As for Friday I am not someone to go out and shopping, I am not that crazy. I stayed home and enjoyed having a day off and didn't do much at all, it was very nice. I enjoyed watching Netflix all day on my tv, I bought a box this week to watch the instants on my tv, great buy! I don't have cable, because I can't afford it and now even more don't need it. I did get a few things done and one is finally getting my jewelry out where I can see it and hopefully remember to wear it more now. I don't have a jewelry box and my jewelry had been in a draw and it gets tangled up and I forget about. I have been looking on Pinterest.com (love that website) for idea and got some good ones that helped me come up with one. I already had a wood hanger (don't know what else to call it) that I wasn't using, so I hung it to put stuff on. On the center rod I put a long peace of ribbon to hang my pins or broaches on. I think it worked out good and the best part I tried a trick on Pinterest.com to hang it. It need two nail in the wall to hang it, so I put a little tooth paste on the back over each hanger and then pressed it against the wall and then put the nails in where the tooth paste is. It worked great, I am loving all the ideas I am getting off of Pinterest.

The week before Thanksgiving I shared on Facebook somethings I am most Thankful for, I would like to share them all together here...

• Thankful for all the great friends that I have, so many of you have been there for me at that just right time and Thank you!
• I am thankful that I was able to and had the opportunity to go to college (two times) and learn lots about Photography and Agriculture!
• I am thankful for a nice house to live in, its not a dream home but its mine :) I love my little craftsman home with its open rooms and old wood work (wish I would take it to the country some day, but that prob cost more then value of house lol)
• I am Thankful to have a job (or jobs) to provide the things I need and somethings I want and a bigger Thanks that I enjoy my job and like the people I work with.
• I am thankful for all the farmers that work hard to provide the food and fiber we need!! And very thankful for my farmer friends!
• I am very thankful for my family, they are always there for me and supportive.
• The thing I am Most Thankful for is our Heavenly Father that Blesses me with all the things that I am thankful for... He never stops amazing me and often reminded that He does answer prayers but in His time and way, because He knows best!

I have a lot to be thankful for and am very blessed, Thank you all! Remember today is shop local day so get out to those great local business. I am off to start sewing Christmas gifts and hopefully some items to sale too.

Fall Blessings

This fall has been a very busy fall for me so far and that is a good thing. I have been taking lots of photos, working in the fields and enjoying fall activities. Every weekend in Oct. I was out taking pictures and am now spending lots of time on my computer going through them and getting them up for my customers to view. The was all fun, but I had the most fun last weekend when I did a day of portraits with Santa at my Studio. First off these was not just a quick "mall" shot with a guy in a fake beard. I went Santa shopping a few months back and that was new experience in its self. There are clubs and groups, etc. for "real bearded" Santa's and they go to Santa's school and everything, these guys love what they do.

Those that booked setting for portraits with Santa got up to 20 mins. of interactive photos of their children with Santa, so doing things like reading a book, putting decorations on the tree, seeing Santa for the first time and of course setting on Santa's lap and telling him what they want (those big enough to talk, lol). It was a lot of fun working with Santa and seeing the children interact with him and I am already looking forward to next year and a BIG Thanks to Santa Bill!



It has also been a busy time with all the farmers trying to get harvest done between rains. Thanks to my job I have gotten to go out in the fields and take pictures. I very much enjoyed some beautiful fall days watching the equipment run and riding along some. I am so Thankful to have a job I enjoy, bring the two things I love together, Agricalture and Photography!



Now we are into Nov. and the picture taking is slowing down some and going to designing and ordering now. But soon I will start the baking and sewing crazyness for Christmas, that I love :)

Another Year

Well over the weekend I had another birthday, but it didn't feel like it. I didn't really do anything for it, but that is ok. I have come to the understanding that I have a birthday at a bad time, I love Oct. and fall, but when your friends are farmers and harvesting it is hard to make plans to do something. I spent the day taking some pictures and then went to my parents house for a bonfire with their church, witch was much better then setting at home alone not doing anything.

As I reflect back on this past year, it was a pretty good year. I got full time work, got a bug to drive, rebuilding a friendship, and A BIG one is I got my studio for my photography!! I am very Thankful for all the things and people God has blessed me with. I am looking forward to the year ahead and what it holds, hoping for more great things... like growth of my studio business, more friendships and who knows :)

I am looking forward to getting my Birthday gift thou, a new (used) washer... never thought that would be something I would get excited about, but I guess that is part of being an adult and owning a home. Mine broke a little over a week ago and really don't like being without one.

Here's to another year!

The Adventures of a Farm Girl with a Bug

Let me go back a little bit before I start... at the beginning of 2011 I started a new full time job with Heritage Cooperative in their new Seed Warehouse in Mechanicsburg. This put me driving an hour to and from work each day and an hour drive is a lot better then unemployment. Well soon after I started this drive each day gas prices was going up to $3.50 and $4.00+ and it was costing me more to drive my truck then I had coming in. So the decision was made to sale me truck I had for eight years and get something better on gas mileage. This lead to me getting a VW Bug, because if I have to drive a car it better be a cute one, lol. As you can image that has been a big change and adjustment in my life... but I am making do. It shocks me sometime the things I can get in there, bags of seed, a lawn mower, straw. Yep this weekend I moved bails of straw with my little bug, just two. I needed them to take to my studio and I thought, O two bails isn't that much I can get it, well with some pushing and shoving I got it.

Well that was the start to my fun weekend ahead, I could only take one bail to the studio last weekend because I also had in the car; two tables, two pots of mums, two totes of stuff, a small water heater, a duffel bag, a cooler and a few other things... you should have seen it, it was great. But I got what I need to studio for the open house.

Speaking of the open house at the studio, it was beautiful day and that was a good bad thing. I enjoyed the day and it was good, but didn't have as many visitors as I would have liked. They was probable out and about enjoying the Indian summer. The day ended better then it started mom and dad took me to dinner for an early birthday, it was yummy.

Sunday I very much enjoyed the music at church, as always, but this time more so. A young lady in the church sang one of my favorite new songs "Blessings". It always touches me so and many times makes me cry and miss the ones I have lost, but thankful they are in Heaven rejoicing and watching over us. After church I enjoyed an afternoon of fall outdoor portraits with some of my favorite girls. My cousin Ian's girls and their mom, it was a happy/sad time, it made me miss Ian but I enjoyed the time and they are precious reminders of him.

After a good weekend of course I couldn't get a good Monday... I left work with a bad headache, so went home and laid down only to be woke up by a salesman at my door, rrrr. I was up so decided I should make some dinner and do some laundry. After eating went to go take the laundry out of the washer and put it in the dry. Only to walk in the back room and find the floor covered in water. Yep something broke on my washer and the water was running none stop. Got the main water turned off and fished out my clothes then walked away and went to bed in hopes for a better day the next day.

The next day and rest to follow was better and not bad... except I did learn there is a lime and a key lime, haha. I just thought Key Lime was a name for a dessert, no it is a kind of lime. I was asked to make sugar cookies with Key Lime icing. So I found a recipe, went to the store and bought limes and lime juice for the first time and went home to make them. I brought one to the person wanting them to try and she asked "did you use lime or key lime?". Well I didn't know there was a difference and didn't see an option to buy anything else. After some Google searching I learned the difference... O well, I now have some lime cookies if you would like them. Also did some WV football cookies and they came out really cute!

At this time I am looking forward to another weekend of fall actives, fun and picture taking... O and my Birthday, that I am getting a new (used) washer for, yay!

Busy Busy Week But Good

This week is so busy I keep losing track of what day of the week it is... I have a cookie order due tonight that I have been working on, iced and decorated 60 wedding cake shaped cookies last night. But I am also getting ready for an Open House at my studio this week and with me having three businesses per say that I want to feature at it I have been going and going trying to get it all done and just hoping I do. I want to put up a display for my studio work and that is easy. Also baking goodies for the guest and wanted to have stuff to sale, well right now I have just buckeyes to sale and some sugar cookies for the guest (hope to get more made tonight). Then there is the Mary Kay stuff (yes I said Mary Kay, that is a new on taking this year, like it as a part time fun thing), got in some MK holiday stuff this week for the Open House and putting together info to hand out. All and all I am hoping to get this all done and ready for Sat... speaking of Saturday, I am looking forward to this, I have ten total direct sales vendors coming to my studio for an Open House. I have never done anything like this before, but am very excited about it and think it will be a good thing!

Try Again

Ok, tried doing this blog thing once before and then when I got a new job I got busy and quit doing it... also wasn't sure anyone was really following me, lol. Well it has now been over a year and I am thinking about giving it a try again... not sure I have much to say but we will see.