Happy Fourth!

 I hope you had a great Fourth of July!  Celebrate the birth of our nation and rejoice in the liberties and freedom we have here in America.  

I can't think of a better reason for a summer barbeque each year than that. 

 

Each year our small town hosts a patriotic parade and firework display over the lake at dusk.  We host a family barbeque and swim before heading out the door with picnic blanket in hand to find the perfect spot.    

 I like to doll up the farmhouse with some patriotic decor in time for the party but

it will all be left up until labor day to enjoy throughout the summer.  Here's a few photo's of patriotisim around our home and barbeque.

Mantel decor.... 

  

 

These lanterns were made from glass jars, I tied a gingham ribbon onto the hanger, a white candle inside lights up the night when the festivities continue into the evening.

Several are hung all the way down the trellis that covers our back deck.  When they're all lit they give off a dim glow, just enough light to see but not enough to attract bugs.

 

 The tables were all set with patriotic accents for the party. 

A vintage cake holder is put to use safeguarding the sweets.

A big bowl of watermelon quenches our thirst in the summer heat. 

What barbeque would be complete without some juicy watermelon? 

A fresh baked Strawberry pie....

An old crate makes transporting out the barbeque necessities easy.  My kiddos have hotdogs and burgers with their ketchup...so we go through alot  of it each summer.  I made a mason jar dispenser to hold large amounts.  I looks nicer and cleans up easier too.

The drink station is set up outside to avoid cleaning up any spills

when those little hands refill their cups.

My lil guy was also as festive as can be in his flag bathing suit....

picking me some daisies no less. 

  

So what did you do for July fourth this year?  Do you have any traditions, recipes you would like to share? 

Take care,

Dee

Americana Folk Art for Real Folks

A lil' Americana Folk Art for Real Folks...

Okay...I have to ask, is there anything more American than Folk Art?  Well of course there's apple pie...baseball and more but in regards to country design...well you get it, right?

I'm still working on decorating for the fourth, I still have lots to get ready for our annual Fourth of July party and will be busy for the next couple of days.  The Americana pretty much stays up here all summer long so it's worth the effort to go all out.  I love the festive colors and they go nicely with our Farmhouse decor.  

I have been oooohhhing and ahhhhing flag finial displays for a while now.  I almost bought one a few years back on a visit to Williamsburg but came to my senses when I reached for the price tag.  I saw another on one of our trips to Gettysburg again and was once more disappointed at the high cost of owning such a piece.  This time, each year, I would love to decorate with one but the prices are simply out of my budget.

Well, I finally decided enough was enough and this was finally the year that I was going to get me one.  So I impulsively hopped into the car and drove the 3+ hours to P.A., ran into the store I last saw it and to my pleasure picked up the very last one on the display counter.  Well I quickly shelled out the $150 to the nice man behind the counter before someone else could yank it right out of my hands, right?   

Ummm no....no I didn't!  I'm a terrible liar BTW.  Well, rather than do all that I decided I was just going to have to make it.  I grabbed my idea notebook, scribbled down a sketch of what I wanted and off I went to the stores to see what supplies I could gather.  I'm happy with the way it turned out and decided that I would share with my blogger friends in case anyone else felt a little last-minute ambition too. 

Here's a picture tutorial for those of you brave enough to tackle it, it is worth the effort.  It really was easy...does it look exactly like the $150 one?  No...but it's close enough and I like my less expensive, modified version even better.  Why you ask?  Well, because I made it....using good old fashioned American tenacity and ingenuity. 

Necessity is the mother of invention afterall....right?

Folkart Flag Display

Materials needed....
Most of it was found in the unfinished wood section at Michaels Craft store....

-6" block of wood.....$3.99

-3" block of wood......$2.99

-small 2" round MDF plaque.....$1.99

-6" square plaque.....$1.69

-round wood finial (p/u at home improvment store)..... $2.99

-White spray paint.....$1.29

-3- (12"x8") medium sized flags.......$3.75

-6- (6"x4") small flags.............$2.40

Optional decorations...Ribbon $2 roll, and plinth block picked up from home improvement store...$2.00, I chose one with a star

Tools needed.....hammer, drill, drill bits in varying sizes depending upon size of flag poles purchased.

~The Stacking and Glueing Part~

~The drilling part...remember your safety goggles!~

~(still drilling)~

4 holes ontop of block...4 more holes in center of each side...

If you are going to embellish it with a plinth block I recommend painting first and then glueing.  Spray paint the whole display....add decorative ribbon and flags.....

So, let's recap that is a total of apx. $20-$25, varies depending upon what you have readily available....Beats $100+(+) right?   mmmmhmmmm....  What do you think?  Will you give it a try?

Stay tuned to see how this purty display graces our

**Farmhouse Table for JULY 4th**

Now, how's about a Folk Art Flag to go along with that?

So were you able to follow that one?  Here's another folk art project that I have sold several of in the past.  The shipping is pretty expensive on these because of their size so I don't sell them in the online Mercantile but I'm going to share how you can make one of your very own instead. 

Material List....

-(5) 32" long pieces of unfinished pine tongue & groove beadboard found here at Homedepot.
-(2) 16-18" pices of 1" wide x 1/2" thick pieces of pine for the back
-clear construction adhesive I use liquid nails
-1 iron star, I have purchased these at local country shops but you can substitute with wood/paint.

-Red, White and Blue craft paint, foam brushes
-white school glue
-teeny tiny finishing nails...from hardware store
-eye hooks or another form of hanger
-sandpaper
Tools needed:  Hammer, hair dryer

I paint the colors on pretty heavily so that it doesn't require multiple coats but if you have to paint multiple coats repeat glue process with each coat.  Let them dry throughly

 Make sure your edges are even and match up... 

Flip over to front side and.....

Make sure you are nailing in straight verticle line, into the back supports....I nail into each board.

 Peel tape off slowly when finished drying.

It took adhesive about an hour to dry thoroughly with the iron star.  If you use wood it won't take as long & paint is even quicker, but I like the look of the iron star....adds texture.

Add hangers to the top of the back supports and voila...you're finished.  I propped it up on my mantle in front of a large barn star to show you but it will be going outside on my porch tomorrow.  You can distress it with sandpaper as I did with mine if you like.  Take it a step further and antique it by wiping on a medium-dark colored stain and wiping off immediately.  The stain will settle into the cracks and make it appear older and worn.  I haven't done that with this one but still might, I kind of liked the cleaner look this time.  Seal with an appropriate sealer if using out doors.....Enjoy.....

I'm off to finish decorating will show you more hopefully on Friday! 

Let me know what you think of course and if you try these projects send me the link!  I love to read those comments ya know!

Take Care,

Dee

BTW, I participated in a couple of linky parties....

Link to party

Click here for link to party

Click here for link to party

Life Played Out....

This play is called LIFE......

It's jam packed, full of fun, a little crazy, hectic, pretty, a little last minute, rewarding,

sometimes exhausting (did I mention fun?) but
the show always goes on!

Scene 1....Prom 101

My oldest was asked to her first prom.  Not her prom but a junior friend, a nice young man.  Boy was I out of the loop on how much work (and $$) a prom requires.....
shopping for the dress, hair, makeup, shoes, jewelry. Oh My! 

 The best part of her first prom experience was that his friends asked her friends and well you get the picture....there was alot of cute teen girlie giddiness.

Scene 2....A Sweet Partay

A few days after prom my daughter celebrated her 16th Birthday and we threw her a surprise Sweet 16.

Most of the decorations were handmade to stick to my budget.  I have a wonderful SIL who helped

me crafting with me till all hours. 

If it could be made, it was.

My mom also did a great deal for this party....

shopping, cooking, clean up.

I could not have done a party like this without their help, that's for sure.

So...lottsa XOXO's to both of them!

We went with a SWEET 16 theme with a "Sweet's Bar" with lots of candy.  We had a really nice turnout,  the DJ was good, the kids all danced....even the boys (if the robot counts) lol!  

Sweet 16 Candle Centerpiece.....

Table Center pieces, dollar store hurricane globes, scrapbooking embelishments, pink sand, a candle and there you have an inexpensive centerpiece. 

They gave the room a nice glow, looked so pretty all lit.

 We cut labels for candy jars and glued to strips of scrapbooking paper to embelish the SWEET BAR jars......  We made taffy kabobs....the guys had to do that for us though...it was tough getting them on the skewers.  If you want to test your man's strength....ask him to skewer taffy.....it's hard....and hysterical, (especially at 1 am and you're all craft batty) lol.

The "Sweets Bar" 

 Family, good friends and fun....

We painted an ornate frame pink for the picture booth....

the kids had alot of fun taking photos here.

My girls...acting goofy as usual when the camera is out.

Scene 3.....The Little Grad 

My son's first graduation.....from preschool.

My sweet baby earned his first diploma, it was so stinkin' cute.

He was not happy to be up in front of an autitorium full of people to receive it,

making the funniest faces the whole time, he did his best though.

Coincidentally he received an award for "Best Facial Expressions" He is so funny!

 

Scene 4...The Big Grad

My middle daughter's First Graduation.... from elementary school.

She looked so pretty all dressed up in a cute little sundress, it's not too often I get to see that anymore!

A really nice Graduation ceremony, she made it safely off the stage without tripping once (big fear she had) and we celebrated at the icecream parlor afterwards.

Add in the encore of class trips, award ceremonies, sporting tournaments, Field days and class parties....and the month rolled right on by!  The ending to this play was sweet to say the least.  I did enjoy it but please, by all means, let me know your reviews lol.

I have been workin on a few more new posts and was a thinkin that once the old blog here hits 500 followers then I'll be hosting a giveaway in celebration.  I'm on Facebook, so be sure to send a request! 

Just search for Farmhouse Dee...

I'm off now to work on some more signs for my etsy shop....toodles.

Take care,

Dee

My Momma's Birthday ....

My momma would have been 64 today....still remembered, missed and celebrated.

Gone but not forgotten.

Take Care,

Dee

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

to all the wonderful dads out there!

In this lifetime I have been blessed with a great father

and a wonderful husband who is also an awesome dad. 

~Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. ~Bill Cosby

I have had the gift of knowing fathers who love their children unconditionally, without bounds, would do anything they can for their babies.  Love without measure. 

Protectors, Nuturers, Providers, Healers, Supporters, Biggest Fans, and Encouragers 

They have enriched our lives beyond expectations.

To my Dad......

You were one of the coolest dads I have ever known,
and you still are.
You were a loving family man by
which I set my standards to.

You have taught me valuable lessons,
always by your example.

 You taught me to value a hard days work
and that idleness and laziness
is never satifying, there is always something to do. 

 You taught me that if I do not know how to do

something, figure it out. 

Try and try again, and then try even harder.

You are strong, kind and confident.

Your compassion and kindness to others always shined.

You taught me to be strong, and to carry on

when I had to.

You taught me the importance of character,

honesty, and helping others.

You never felt sorry for yourself,

even when things were hard for you.

Your family loves you because of the way you loved us.

Love plants seeds of love afterall.

~Dad, you're someone to look up to no matter how tall I've grown. ~Author Unknown

You have been and continue to be a great Dad to me,

and pop-pop to your grandchildren.

We all love you so much Dad!!

  

 To my husband......

You are a kind soul.

You see the good in people first. 

You are a loyal family man.

You have sacraficed your wants for your family

many, many, many times, you're probably

the most unselfish person I know.

You are always offering up your best advice

and preaching life lessons to prepare our children.

You have taught humility and compassion toward others.

You teach that second chances are alright.....

forgiveness makes you a better person.

You are so funny, never afraid to be silly

and give us a good laugh.

You have worked hard to provide

your family with a good life always wanting the best for us.

You teach us appreciation for what we have and appreciation for what we don't have.

Furthermore, you are the kind of father who....

will re-bait a fishing pole over and over when your son casts repeatedly and looses it,

just so you can fish with him and......

The kind of Dad who celebrates (to the likes of which I have never before seen) when said son finally catches that fish or your daughter makes a homerun or a goal....and...... 

the kind of Dad who will hold his sleeping toddler on the lawn mover 

while he finishes cutting the grass because he wanted a ride

and then fell asleep....

Yup, true story....and...

Also, the kind of Dad who is never afraid to get down on the floor with his kids and be plain old silly....

and the kind of Dad who stops what he is doing to catch up with his kids and find out about their day.

I love you...so very much. 

Thank you for being such a good Dad!

We appreciate you and hope you have

a wonderful Father's Day!

 ~Be kind to thy father, for when thou were young, who loved these so fondly as he?

He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue and joined in thy innocent glee.~

Margaret Courtney

 To all of you celebrating the love of your Father...or fatherly figure.....

Shower them with all the love and appreciation you have in your heart,

let them know they are one of  the greatest gifts.

Take care,

Dee

Over the Rainbow...

The rainbow after the storm.....We had a few days of rain last week and I was just so annoyed the whole time thinking of all of the projects I had started and would have to reschedule finishing.  Things like painting the deck, power washing, and gardening.  Such things that one cannot accomplish in the rain.  

Instead, I spent some much needed down time with my kiddos having some indoor fun.  I am so happy mother nature made me change my plans now.  It was time so well spent.

Well after those rainy days passed it all ended with a rainbow, and what a pleasant surprise it was. 

It is funny how we have so little control over those schedules afterall and sometimes things that we cannot control simply turn out just the way they should.

I have alot to share and should be back later this week with a catch-up post in between class trips, end of the year class parties, school dances, graduations and more.

Busy, busy, busy and looking forward to 

the lazy days of summer!

Thanks for stopping by and take care,

Dee