Sweet Magnolias Farm

Our First Sneek Peek for the March Vintage Marketplace ...

2012-02-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

So ..as Abbey and I are rushing about trying to cross our T's and Dot our I's .. getting ready for the next "Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks" ... on March 2nd and 3rd ...

I mentioned a week or so ago that Vintage Pink was on the agenda for March .. Every Spring Pink Makes it's way into the farmhouse inside and out .. and this year is no different .. So ..

I caught a few moments to grab some sneek peek pictures while Flossie was napping with Bunny ! ...

See she's in the pink mood too ...

Now don't forget to set your watches .. and marke your calenders for this very important date ..as you won't want to miss it ..

Jaqueline de Montravel ...Editor of Romantic Homes will be arriving Friday Only with her new book " Hers design with a Feminine Touch" ..books will be available ...

And of course you don't want to miss all the new Spring 2012 lines from all the Marketplace Shops !

So here's our "Sweet Vintage Pink" ..Sneek Peek ...

Enjoy !

Joy Joy Joy down in my Heart ....

2012-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

"Joy Joy Joy down in my Heart " ...

Do you Remember that song...??? well if you attended church many years ago ...that was a song that was sung in little peoples church as well as in the sanctuary by the Big People too.

It's a wonderful song and the true sentiment of my own heart regarding my sweet little girl .. "Flossie" ...

Maybe I should have named her "Joy" ...

This last week has been such fun ..Flossie is growing up so quickly and keeps a smile on my face and keeps us as a family in stitches with her funny looks...and antics...

Of course this proud doggie mama is throwing out her proverbial unfolding picture holder ...from the last few weeks .. I tried to keep it to a minimum though ..LOL !

The Look below is one we now get when she want's to go out.. she just stops, sits and stares ...and we know its "That" time

Keeping "Flossie" busy can be a little bit of a challenge at times when her energy peeks so I started playing hide the kibble under the cup and she would have to figure how to get it out ..That lasted about 15 minutes and she had it down and was bored with that and looked at me like now what mom ..

We think "Flossie" is part Lop bunny .. with her long ears and look at these back feet ..don't they look like rabbit feet ??? ...

This is her favorite way to lay down and play and fall asleep....

This week she proudly found a stick in the back yard and was ever so proud of it .. I decided to grab the camera and the stick was the perfect distraction for getting some too sweet picts of her

Those eyes till the whole story .. "Joy Joy Joy ...down in her Heart " too !

I'm so blessed to have Flossie .. we had a scare 2 wednesday's back. I took her for her second set of vaccines. She had a severe reaction and within 3 minutes started screeching for about 30 seconds and then dropped limp in my arms and quit breathing ...we shook her until she started breathing again but it was very shallow and her eyes would not open and her gums were snow white... we were told her immune system rejected one or more of the multiple vaccine shot and her body went in to anaphalactic shock ..which meant she was dyeing luckily the vets office was able to bring her back by giving her a few medicines and adrenaline... I can't tell you how terrible that whole experience was... and I'm thankful for the Vets office and there knowledge to know what to do for her. The day after she was a little tired ..but back to her feisty puppiness .. Thank the Lord ..!!!

Needless to say Flossie won't be vaccinated again ..we will be giving her the Titers test ..which all dogs should get instead of vaccines. They have found over vaccinating animals is causing a great many health issues in animals ...And it only makes since ... The Titers test tells if there immune system at that time is up to par I guess you would say .. Read more about the titers HERE

Flossie and I wish you all a Beautiful week to come ! with lots of Joy Joy Joy down in your Heart !

A little Bit Farmhouse .. A little Bit Pink ..

2012-02-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

Each year here at the farmhouse just as spring is on it's way ..it never fails ..

A little pink starts making it's way in ....

Although I am not totally a pink girl at heart .. I do love a little touch of pink rather it be in our home decor ... my clothing ..and it starts coming out in our creativity too..

The last few days Abbey and I have been working trying our best to get ready for our 2 next back to back shows .."The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks" and "Glitterfest" ..both 1 week apart.

Our Rose Pens are adored by many ...and we have added a new color for 2012 Soft Vintage Pink ..a slight departure from our Aged Rose Pens ..which still can be purchased as well.. at our shows or in our Etsy shop...

These are positively Beautiful .. for a sweet Valentines Gift ..a Spring Baby or Wedding Shower Gift ..Mothers Day ...Or even Paired with a Beautiful Journal.

If you can't make it to one of our shows ..you can find our Vintage Pink Rose Pens ...HERE for your Pleasure !

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And below is a sneek peek at some of our Farmhouse Spring Inspiration ... that will be headed to the Marketplace on March 2nd and 3rd .. Spring Burlap Runners ..Placemats ..and more !

We're feeling tickled pink inside ..this week ...

Busy at the Farmhouse ..

2012-01-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a little quiet the last few weeks here on my blog ..but that's for a good reason .. I've been working on several custom orders ..which I am actually growing to love doing.

As I sit here at my computer preparing this post to share with you all a not so fragrant aroma wafts through the air .. the slider door is open drawing fresh air from the out of doors ..but the aroma or maybe I should say stink still permeates the air .. My mind is drawn to a specific scene in a specific Movie .."Anne of Green Gables" .. when Anne Finds she has left the cover off the pudding ..and finds a mouse has died enjoying his last supper inside the pudding crock. A sweet little mouse has done the same here at the farmhouse .. he has lived and died although I do not know that he feasted on such a beautiful meal at the end .but my nose tells me his end came ..inside the wall ..that my desk sits against. It's impossible to tear the wall out ..so the house is airing out today ..thank goodness for the constant onshore breeze we have had all day ..unlike yesterday where it was very warm and still outside. The poor little mouse .. I imagine he got stuck and couldn't get out ...and had an untimely death.

So as I sit here ..yummy aroma and all .. here's what I began to share ..

When I first started custom orders ..I was slightly nervous to put it mildly ..and more than afraid when it came time to reveal the order to the client ..fearfully thinking that it wouldn't be what they wanted ... After doing a great many custom orders my confidence has grown ..and so far Everyone has liked their orders .. which I am so grateful to God for. For it is truly his work through my hands and I want it to be the very best it possibly can.

Two Sweet Gals ...Sarah and Beverly ..who come to the Vintage Marketplace ..placed an order with me at our Dec. Show for a sign to hang in their shop in an Antique shop in Norco, CA. "Antiques Trinkets & More.

Their shop is the "Vintage Farmhouse" ...

Sarah had purchased one of my Farmhouse Blessings Signs I did for I think it was the show last June ..and wanted it to be similiar to that one .. So I had a great starting point to work from.

The only difference rather than being 3 feet long She and Beverly needed this sign to be just about 6 ft. in length ..

Below is the finished sign ... Unfortunately I couldn't find a spot big enough around our house to hang it up ..but I think it still came out great against the tree .. And I bet it even looks more fabulous in Sarah and Beverly's shop ..

Be sure and Visit Sarah and Beverly's shop .. inside Antiques Trinkets & More .. Located On Hamner Ave at 4th street in Norco, CA ... info@antiquestrinketsandmore.com

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Another order I worked on this week is ..a Very Long Custom Burlap Runner

Our Burlap runners are one of our top sellers at our marketplaces and in our Etsy shop .. and lately I have been receiving several inquiries for custom lengths and sentiments ..which I am glad to do for anyone.

Our Shorter Runners that run around 63 inches in total length are made from our vintage WWII Era Burlap ..which is wonderful. It's got a really close weave and is super nubby ..so it's got a wonderful appeal that the new burlap you find at the average fabric shop today just doesn't have. "They don't make things like they used too " ...

Our longer Runners are made from New Burlap but it's a high grade burlap with a close flat weave ..and looks so stunning when made into runners.

I just finished up this Beautiful Runner this morning and it's off and in the mail to it's new owner.

She requested her runner to be a total of 104 inches long to fit her 7 foot long table ...which will look better than our short table ..but for show and tell it had to be ...

And She wanted it to read " Joie De Vivre" ..french for

Joie de vivre (French pronunciation: [ʒwa də vivʁ], joy of living) is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. Joie de vivre

"can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life, a Weltanschauung. Robert's Dictionnaire says joie is sentiment exaltant ressenti par toute la conscience, that is, involves one's whole being."^[1]

This is my 2nd runner this month with this sentiment ..so among all you french lovers it must be a popular phrase...

I can see why .. when it speaks of Joy ...what a great reminder to have draped at your table and as you pass it throughout the day ..you remember to "Enjoy Life"

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So it's back to the work table ..time to get my fingers going once again .. time to get the sewing machine all revved up ..and time to let the creative juices flow...

Until next time .. "Joie De Vivre"

Guess who's ... Arrived at the Farmhouse ?

2012-01-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Well here she is ... Our new arrival to the Farmhouse ...

"Flossie"

Flossie has now been with us just over a week ..and it's taken me that long to get time to share her with you all .. For all of you who are mothers ...well I'm sure you have experienced with your babies the long nights of crying with "VERY" little sleep ..and our sweet girl proved she wasn't much different than a newborn ...

She Turned 9 weeks old on Friday ...and is she ever a bundle of Joy and a bundle of energy ...

The Picture above was the day we brought her home and had just put her in her crate in the backseat ..Well .. those little eyes say it all and she ended up in my arms on the way home ..

She slept most the first day in her crate with no problem and my thought was wow this is going to be much easier than I thought .. she already is o.k. in her crate .. My Fantasy was dashed within hours of that thought ..when we headed to bed ..and she was not happy to be crated ... when she realized she wasn't in OZ with her sisters and brothers anymore..as she was the first puppy to be picked up.

It took 3 nights and 3 days of howling , crying and down right throwing fits to get her crate trained even with all the positive re-inforcements of feeding her inside her crate, playing inside and putting her toys inside her crate ..she was determined she would much rather be in our Beds or in our Laps ..but in order to establish who's the boss or who the ( alpha dogs ) around here are we didn't give in which was so Hard ... (I know it's hard to believe that sweet little face throws fits hah ..LOL ! ) It would have been much easier to give in and let her sleep in my bed but I knew the repurcussions of that from my previous dogs ..and knew I must outlast her and endure. Which I did ... Not easy but it pays off in the long run as any trainer or Ceasar Milan would tell you.

She was easily potty trained in 3 days which has taken alot of work getting up every 2 to 3 hours during the night and taking her out every 2 to 3 hours during the day to establish that outside in the grass was where she should go..She got it right away ..and the hard work paid off day 3 she cried at the back door when she needed to go and has done so ever since with no accidents in the house at all ..Crate training has it's BIG PLUSES !!!

Day 5 ... I began leash training her and teaching her the sit command .. both came easy to this smarty pants ...and in 10 minutes she was following along ..and sitting to get her kibble treat.

By Yesterday I have to admit I was totally and thoroughly exhausted ..literally "Sleep Deprived" .. and I admit in Tears .. Thank The Lord for Abbey and Papa Fred ..She took care of Flossie all day yesterday and kept her with her in her bedroom last night so I could get a full nights sleep and Papa fred helped play with her and get her energy exhausted and boy do I ever feel better today .. It's amazing what losing sleep can do to a person ..!

The world looks alot brighter to me today ..LOL !

And Flossie looks a lot cuter today ...LOL !

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Flossie is a sweet sweet puppy .. of course aren't all puppies .. and we are thrilled to have her part of the family.

Flossie will be obedience trained and will be coming to our Marketplaces with us ..as I am looking to train her as a therapy dog so she will need to get all the socialization she can so she knows how to be the perfectly well behaved dog around children and elderly and other animals also. Eventually I hope to have her pass her Therapy and Good Canine Citizen tests so she can visit retirment homes and hospitals in the future.

In the meantime ..we now have to start juggling work with puppy ...which has been impossible the last week ..but I think we will be able to get that in hand this week.

Wishing you all a Beautiful week ahead ..may it be ever so blessed !

Have an Etsy Shop ? Did you Know ?

2012-01-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks I have spent filling our Etsy shop ..and catching up on Threads from my Etsy Teams I belong to...

Belonging to Etsy Teams can really provide you with a huge audience for your shop ..but it also can provide you with a wealth of information ... which can be an absolute Blessing.

Before Christmas .. I was reading in the Etsy help section about Search Engine Optimization and how to get your Etsy Shop found in Google Searches in more ways than one ..

That got me to thinking ... I have had a Web Address that I pay for ...sweetmagnoliasfarm.com and have always had it pointed at my blog being that I didn't have an actual website ..this way rather they typed in sweetmagnoliasfarm.com ..Or Sweetmagnoliasfarm.blogspot.com ...they would end up at my blog ..

Well I began wondering would it be possible to point the web address to my Etsy shop ????

Pause .. add alot of days of work in and this and that ..and well a week or two passes and Voila ..I'm now visiting in my Etsy Team ..and see a thread that basicly says you can point your web address to your Etsy shop ...and I read on and sure enough this gal said ultimately you could and she paid someone to do the work for her.

Luckily in my favor I knew exactly how to point my web address ..and thus 5 minutes later I had it done ..

Now when I hand out my business cards ..and or tell someone about visiting my online shop ..all I need do is tell them to check out sweetmagnoliasfarm.com for my online shop and sweetmagnoliasfarm.blogspot.com to visit my blog .. WooHoo ...!!!p>

If you have an Etsy shop and have a web address you have purchased .. and either have it pointed at your blog or just sitting not being used or have wanted to buy your personalized .com ... You can point it to your Etsy shop ... Which is perfection in my book. I had a website for a few years ..and the work involved was more than I cared for ..so Etsy is the perfect oppurtunity to have a shop and still be able to use my .com name to send my customers and potential clients too ..

So that's my Sharing session for the year ...LOL !!!

Hope it helps those of you who sell on Etsy ... we can all use a little help all the time.

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P.S. my sweet puppy is coming home a day earlier than I thought ..tomorrow .. I'm so excited I just might wet my britches .. ! Prepare for a parade of pictures ..because I'm sure I won't be able to contain myself ... !

A Sweet New Addition to the Farmhouse ...

2012-01-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

The countdown ..has begun here at the Farmhouse ...

Only 4 more days and our new addition will be headed home.

The Sweet Picture below is the English Springer Spaniel Litter our sweetheart will be out of ..

Nope we don't know which one ..only that we are getting a black and white female as we requested .. There are only 2 black and white females ..and we don't know which ones in the picture they are ..it's just a guessing game.

We can't wait for our Sweet Girl to come home ..ever since Maggie passed away the day after Thanksgiving .. our house has been so Empty ! .. The spirit she brought to our home ..the joy she brought to our hearts ..and the smiles to our faces .. went when she went ..It will be so joyful and such a blessing to have a sweetheart to bring a joyful spirit back to our Home Sweet Home ..

We get to pick her up on Saturday ...so I'll share some more picts and of course her name ...come next week !

Filling the shop again ...

2012-01-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

The New Year and we are back to work little by little here at the farmhouse...

This week has been spent re-organizing, cleaning up from Christmas, running errands, getting the transmission in our truck replaced because it died, and time spent refreshing our Etsy shop with some New offering once again ...

Here's a sneek peek at just a handful of the items that I listed this week ..and there will be more to come in the next few days...

If you would like to visit our ETSY shop ..just click HERE

Starting the New Year out RIGHT !

2012-01-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

Yes ..Abbey and I ... and our Sweet Friend Christie ..started the New Year out with Perfection !

3 Vintage Girls ..go Flea Marketing !

Yesterday the 3 of us ventured out for a fun day at a nearby Flea Market ..and did we ever have fun !

Our Bags and Carts were filled to the brim .. and the truck came home fairly full.

Christie found some fabulous pieces for her home and shop ..She has such a great eye for her beautiful French Style .. and she even took the time to display them all and share them at her blog Chateau De Fleurs . Take a peek and check out the fabulous wicker vanity and matching chair she got !

Abbey and I found a bunch of vintage lace and doilies which we were on the hunt for ...( No I didn't take photos ..they made it to be washed before I even thought of doing that ..LOL ) as we have some new product we are working on for our shows coming up in March that will need alot of vintage lace ( are you excited ) we are ! .. Yes we are already working on show product. We have learned you can never start to Early !

We also found a couple great pieces to offer in our Etsy Shop ..

This Great wire basket ..isn't it a cutie !

SOLD

And this old Sea Blue Glass Bottle ..with the most beautiful decorative embellishments...

Both of these can be found HERE

So Yesterday's fun is over ...and we are now back to work once again and looking forward to March for the next Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks ..

Until Next Time...

Living the New Year ..day by day ...

2011-12-30T17:38:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year ..

2012

It's been a wonderful Year here at Sweet Magnolias Farm ... Full of Many Wonderful Ups and some Very Hard Downs.

When life is full ..there will be a mix of both. Both of which can be Very Good if you have the right perspective.

The Ups and the Downs ..well I call them seasons of life...it seems things come in seasons in our lives ..and I've learned to look at them all as Blessings.

That's not an easy thing to learn to do.. when the Down's in life come along.

It seems this time of year, every year comes down to people making resolutions about what they plan to do ..dream to do ..want to become, want to change, or want to achieve.

It all seems a bit overwhelming to me. I guess because I don't take a once a year outlook on what I plan, dream, desire to become, change or achieve

To me every day when I wake up there are choices to be made for that day, to make plans for the days and weeks ahead .. to dream about who I continually want to grow and become, what I want to create, where I want to live and how I want to live and so on ..Each day is a resolution in and of itself if you desire to constantly grow and better yourself. Even in the hard times.

There are days that are so Good you resolve you will rejoice in the good ..and there are day's you try to resolve you won't cry and your heart won't hurt and you fail miserably .."or so we think."

You see the hurt, the pain that comes in a year can be turned into Good if we so desire to let it. If we are truly honest with ourselves ..there can be alot of Good that can even come out of trying and painful times in our life.

So My Resolve this year is to keep on keeping on ..to " Run the Race at a Tortoises Pace".. because in the end he Succeded.

My Resolve is to remember ...

Meet today’s problems with today’s strength. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow.

- Max Lucado

For the New Year of 2012 .. I take these few passages from my Dear Sweet Bible that leave me with Hope and Joy for the New Year to come and I Hope they too will stir within you the desire to live each day One day at a time.

Matthew 6: 25- 34

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

26"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31"So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

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Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

Wishing each and every friend .. a New Year of Blessings !

Antique Showcase Available for Pick-Up at Sweet Magnolias Farm

2011-12-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

Hey There Gals ... I just wanted to do a quick shout out ...

I just listed this Beautiful Showcase on Craigslist if any of you local girls are interested.

It's a Great Size .. Measures: 39.5 inches tall x 28 inches wide x 17.5 inches deep

It's absolutely perfect for home or shop If you have space in an antique Mall this is great because it doesn' take a ton of space up.

I Love it and hate to part with it because you don't stumble on these pieces very often ..but I haven't used it and I am not going back into a shop right now so I decided it needs a good home with someone who will put it to use !

It would be really cute painted white too !

If you are interested just give me a convo. at our business name at luckymail dot com.

Convo. me through my Etsy shop ...

Oh and it is $275- ..Available for pick up only.

I live just outside of Temecula 11 miles

Merry Christmas from Sara And Abbey

2011-12-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

Wishing you

A Very Merry Christmas !!!

From the Sweet Magnolias Farm Gals .. Sara and Abbey

Luke 2:9-12
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Tis the Season to Give

2011-12-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

The Story of the Christmas Guest
by Helen Steiner Rice

It happened one day at December's end
Some neighbors called on an old-time friend.

And they found his shop so meager and mean,
Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.

And old Conrad was sitting with face ashine.
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched the twine.

And he said "My friends at dawn today,
When the cock was crowing the night away,

The Lord appeared in a dream to me.
And He said, 'I'm coming your guest to be"

So I've been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir.

The table is spread and the kettle is shined,
And over the rafters the holly is twined.

And now I'll wait for my Lord to appear;
And listen closely so I will hear,

His steps as he nears my humble place.
And I'll open the door and I'll look on his face."

Then his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
For this was the happiest day he had known.

For long since his family had passed away.
And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas Day.

But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest,
This Christmas would be the dearest and best.

So he listened with only joy in his heart,
And with every sound he would rise with a start,

And looked for the Lord to be at his door.
Like the vision that he had had a few hours before.

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
But all he could see on the snow covered ground

Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn.
And all his clothes were ragged and worn.

But old Conrad was touched and he went to the door
And he said, "Your feet must be cold and sore.

I have some shoes in my shop for you.
And I have a coat to keep you warmer, too."

So with grateful heart the man went away.
But Conrad notice the time of day

And he wondered what made the dear Lord so late,
And how much longer he'd have to wait.

Then he heard another knock, and he ran to the door,
But it was only a stranger once more.

A bent old lady with a shawl of black,
And a bundle of kindling piled on her back.

But she asked only for a place to rest,
a place that was reserved, for Conrad's great guest.

But her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away,
Let me rest for awhile this Christmas Day."

So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And told her to sit at the table and sup.

After she had left, he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were slipping away

The Lord had not come as He said He would
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.

When out of the stillness he heard a cry.
"Please help, me and tell me - Where am I?"

So again he opened his friendly door.
And stood disappointed as twice before.

It was a child who had wandered away,
And was lost from her family on Christmas Day.

Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad,
But he knew he could make this little girl glad.

So he called her in and he wiped her tears,
And he quieted all her childish fears.

Then he led her back to her home once more.
Then as he entered his own darkened door,

He knew that the Lord was not coming today,
For the hours of Christmas, had all passed away.

So he went to his room, and he knelt down to pray.
He said, "Lord, why did you delay?

What kept You from coming to call on me?
I wanted so much Your face to see."

Then softly, in the silence, a voice he heard.
"Lift up your head - I have kept My word.

Three times my shadow crossed your floor.
Three times I came to your lowly door.

I was the beggar with bruised cold feet;
I was the woman you gave something to eat;
I was the child on the homeless street.

Three times I knocked, three times I came in,
And each time I found the warmth of a friend.

Of all the gifts, love is the best.
I was honored to be your Christmas guest.

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Christmas is a time to give.

Have you ever considered that if each person in the word would be concerned about giving a gift at Christmas time and not receiving a gift they would never need be concerened with receiving as there would be a gift for everyone to go around.

To me Christmas is about giving and not getting. The giving is a joy to my heart as it was Gods' when he sent Jesus his son to us.

There are so many worthy places to give and so many families and people in need that could use your giving heart and hands this season.

Rather you donate to

your Church

a local food pantry

a shelter

Even to larger organizations such as

Franklin Grahams Samaritan's Purse

Dr. Jeremiah's Turning Point

both of which are highly reputable places who have outreaches to share the news of Christ and to give help to those in need, who are hurting and even help with natural disaster within our own country and others spanning the globe

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 14:21

Jesus ...the Reason for the Season.. Happy Birthday Jesus !

Scout and her Feathered Friend

2011-12-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

It's been 4 weeks tomorrow (Friday) Since my Sweet Maggie left this earth bound for heaven ..with a new and healthy doggie body. I miss her more than words can even describe. I still look for her, I still here sounds and think she needs my help getting up, I still look for her face when I bound down the stairs in the morning .. and these things shall fade in strength over time ..but my Love and Memories of her will be forever.

Since Maggies passing .. Our Sweet Scout has gathered a new friend. It was only a week or so after Maggie passed that I first saw this little feathered friend .. hopping on Scouts hip with scout staring strait at her and looking as though it was just an every day occurence that she let a bird hop upon her.

A few days later ... I saw this little wren ..fly onto the porch near scouts dog house ..and hop inside it .. About 20 minutes passed and I stepped outside for some reason which I cannot now recall and out from inside Scouts Dog House ..the little bird flew ..it had been sitting in their the whole time.

A day or so later as I sat at my desk just next to our sliding glass doors which pier onto the back porch and yard ... Early in the morning .. I noticed scouts pink blanket in the yard which got there because scout was up and somehow dragged it out of her bed and onto the back lawn with her.

A few seconds later I saw the little bird flitter right down to the yard and hop around on the grass and eventually made it onto the blanket as you see above and just nestled there for at least 5 minutes before Scout returned from her early morning routine. I yelled for Abbey to come , grabbed my camera this time and we watched in amazement....

Normally Scout comes back and if their is a blanket in the yard she will lay on it and begin sun bathing ..

However ... as she rounded the corner as you can see below she immediately noticed her feathered friend .. she stared at it for a few minutes as if to say move on little feathered friend so I can lay on my blanket ... but the bird would not budge...

Scout rarely gives in to anything she is a VERY determined old dog ..(104 yrs old) or (almost 17 yrs old) we all say at her age she has a right to do what she pleases. Well anyhow she actually gave in and turned around to head back out in the yard and the little bird hopped along beside her before flying up onto the back of one of our Motel Chairs and sitting their for quite some time.

It's funny you see videos and pictures of dogs and cats and birds befriending one another but you never think it will happen in your own back yard.

It's been absolutely delightful to see Scout and this little bird take to one another. Scout is such a sweet old dog. She's not the beauty she once was ..her body is thin and she walks just like a frail old person .. She needs a sweatshirt to keep warm for lack of a thick coat of fur at her age .. But she's all their mentally. She doesn't miss a thing and she still knows at what time she wants dinner even if we don't ..LOL ! Every night she puts her head literally against the sliding door and peers in to tell us it's time to eat. And Eat does she ever ..Each night she downs about 3 to 4lbs of fresh food. Our veterinarian is just amazed that she has lived so long for a Golden Retriever as are we !

We miss having Scout inside as she was an inside dog all her life until the last year. Although she always preferred the outdoors. But about a year ago she returned to puppyhood where going potty is concerned and wants to get up and tinkle 5, 6 , 7 times a night and well that was more than Abbey could bare. We took her to the vet and she's fine ..it's just old age. So we created a wonderful heated dog house for her to stay in throughout the day and night ..She is still allowed in when she asks, which isn't often as she loves, loves, loves to just lay in the sun all day long. And when she does come in she doesn't stay long and asks to right back out. I think maybe she would have liked to be outdoors all her life ???

Scout has been with us since she was 6 weeks old ..She had a tough life starting out as she was a sick little girl for a long time... but she beat that ..and here she is 17 years later still going.

We are so blessed to have had her for so many years as we were Maggie as well they both beat the odds of aging for their breed . "Especially Scout"

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And after the loss of Maggie my arms were empty .. my hands were aching to touch and pet ... my heart has been overflowing with love to give ..and Abbey, I and Papa Fred all agree our house is so empty of the sweet spirit Maggie brought to it ..

So a new addition will be arriving in mid January to our home ..

I'll be sharing more about that very soon ...

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Wishing everyone a Beautiful and Merry Christmas ..

Just a quick peek at some New Sweet Magnolias Offerings

2011-12-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

As Promised in Yesterday's Post ...

I did get a good 1/2 dozen of our custom Shabby and Romantic Farmhouse Runners listed in our Etsy shop last night...

Here's a sneek peek at some of them ...

Also ... for those of you who inquired if we would have our Farmhouse Mason Jar Stemware available in our Etsy shop ..They are now available ..

2 choices .. Either the Ball Brand style ..

The Kerr Brand style ..

Our Glasses do differ from others you may see being offered. Our are not the small Wine Glass style ..These are the larger Wide Mouth Pint styles .. Perfect for a Glass of Sweet Tea, Coca Cola, Lemonade, Ice Water, Sparkling Cider, and even a Good Glass of Milk.

They are just perfection for the Farmhouse Table Setting and Make a wonderful Classy Farmhouse Table !

We do offer these in our Etsy shop in quatities of (2) .. However we will be glad to create a custom listing of (1) or any amount you desire.

And If you are local .. we will waive shipping costs if you would like to pick them up.

to visit our Etsy shop Click HERE

Merry Christmas

From the Sweet Magnolias ....

A Custom Order I won't forget ..

2011-12-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Last week as we unpacked and brought our home back to order .. I received a request for a custom runner ..

I am always up for a custom order, as I enjoy creating a new idea and working on something different than my own designs.

The request was that it read " The Hall Family " The catch was it was over 9ft. in length.

Can you imagine the fabulouse dining room table it is going to top.

So of course I wanted photos of this runner for future reference and in my little nest ..we don't even have room for a dining table...so Abbey and I gathered up our 2 4 foot folding tables and made our own makeshift farmhouse table .. threw on some old burlap and Vintage Lace tablecloths ..and topped it with this fabulous 9+ foot runner.

And here it is ...

I so enjoyed making this and I'm hoping I might persuade my client to send me a photo of it on her table ... we shall see.

And speaking or Runners ... Tonight that is pacific time ..I'll be adding more than a half dozen customized runners in our Etsy shop HERE

And now that we are unwinding from the show and I have a little down time .. I have time to do some blogging again ... Here are a few of the topics I'm getting ready to share .. Scout and her Feathered Friend, Vintage Sewing Machines, A peek at our newly decorated living area, And my sweet little suprise that will arrive on Jan. 14th .. just to name a few ..so stand by dear sweet blogerette friends ... for some fun posts just ahead ..

In the meantime ..I hope you all are enjoying Christmas festivities, Family and Friends and Cherishing the Reason for the Season .

What's New at Sweet Magnolias Farm

2011-12-07T08:32:00.001-08:00

Aprons, Totes, Necklaces and Snowmen ....

These are just a few or our favorite things ..

******************

I started filling the Etsy shop with new offerings yesterday ..and will continue doing so later this evening...

Here are just a few of the new offerings that are ready to find a new Home Sweet Home

Sweet Magnolias Farm ...Vintage Girl Upcycled Necklaces

Farmhouse Flour Sack Christmas Aprons ...

Upcycled totes ... Made from Vintage Canvas Bank Bags

Sweet Magnolias Farm ...Vintage Girl Upcycled Necklaces

Farmhouse Flour Sack Christmas Aprons ...

And Our Custom made One of a Kind Snowmen ..

These and more of our Offerings Can now be found in our Etsy shop ... click HERE .. to enjoy our shop offerings ..

A Very Merry Marketplace Weekend...

2011-12-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

It was a Very Merry Weekend ....at the Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks

What started out as a weekend forecast for rain showers and thunderstorms ... instead turned out to be full of nothing but sunshine and lots of Gusty Wind on thursday and Saturday ..

It was a bit of a challenge on Thursday for all of us to get our shops set up in the 50 mph gusts of wind .. Just as we had set our first tent up one of those huge gusts came through the park and whipped the side of our tent and broke the cross bars ..We tried wiring it back together ..but alas that just would not work ..so Thank the Lord for a sister who lives very close and has a tent ..we called her and in a hour we were back to work setting up our shop. We Battled the winds for about 2 hours before they died down .."Thank Goodness" ..and by that time we had our storefront built and the weight of it was more than enough to keep our tent in place the entire weekend . So what turned out to be a setup we created for rainy weather to keep out all the wet weather ..ended up being an absolute blessing because the weight of it literally kept us from blowing away....on Saturday ..as the winds decided to pick back up for a while and unfortunately played havoc on many of the vendors ... Everyone made a valiant effort to keep their shops together through it and ..stayed till closing ..Making for a wonderful marketplace weekend.

Abbey and I had a wonderful weekend ..enjoying our sweet friends ..and seeing all the familiar faces that come to each show and take a little piece of our handiwork home or a sweet vintage find we treasure so dearly.

Thank You to everyone that came out to support us .. By coming out you support Small Business owners ..Handmade in America offerings.. and you help to recycle and re-use wonderful pieces of the past !!!

And Thank You to Christie Repasy and Rita Reade who host our event ..They along with Rita's Husband ..and 2 sons ..always make the event come off so smoothly. It's been an absolute joy to work with them since the Marketplace began !

For those who were unable to make it .... I grabbed some pictures first thing on Friday morning ever so quickly before we opened ...

Enjoy !!!

Sweet Magnolias Farm Storefront ...

A Very Merry Farmhouse Christmas ..

If you were unable to make the marketplace or live far off .... I will begin listing all new offerings in our ETSY shop HERE .. on Tuesday Dec. 6th ...

Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas !!!

Tomorrow ..Tomorrow... Tomorrow .. Read all about it !!!

2011-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks starts tomorrow and the vendors all have amazing set ups once again ... You've got to come out and have some fun with all of us ...

And the weather is going to be beautiful ..No rain in site .. maybe a little wind but only in the early morning and it's smooth sailing after that with Sunshine to fill the day ...

What's New at Sweet Magnolias Farm ???

2011-11-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

What's New at Sweet Magnolias Farm ...???

A Sweet Magnolias Farm

Very Merry Farmhouse Christmas !!!

Where ?

The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks

When ?

This Friday and Saturday ...

9-4 both days

RAIN OR SHINE !!!

Our local forecast shows 20 % chance of showers on Friday .. so 80% it won't right ???

And Saturday shows bright and Sunny ...

So don't hesitate to come out Bundle up and enjoy a winter's Day strolling through the park and picking up some wonderful Vintage and handmade Christmas decor and gifts from over 40 shops.

We'll see you there ..

AND ..

If your not local ...

Be sure to check out our Etsy shop

for our new line

Farmhouse Christmas Towels

5 designs to choose from ...

Plus more offerings will be added on Tuesday December 6th ...

We are running a bit behind this year on getting our offerings into our Etsy shop. As Many of you have read in previous posts our Sweet Golden Retriever Maggie had cancer. She fought a valiant fight and finally succombed to it this last Friday. The last 2 weeks were devoted to her care ..and we are tired.. and of course our hearts are aching. After 14.5 years with her that ache will of course be around a while as she was my sweet little girl and I feel a little lost without her. God and Time will heal our hearts. And for all those times I recently said I was going to not get another dog after Maggie left this earth ...well once reality sets in and a lonely house ..no pitty patter of feet, no dog kisses, and so on ... I'll be getting another ..I have too much love to give not to get another.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas ...

Are you ready for ......

2011-11-06T13:43:00.001-08:00

Are you ready for the Vintage Marketplace in December ...???

We hope you are more ready than we are right now... LOL !!!

I must admit the next 3 weeks are going to be chock full from daylight to dark for us as we are running way behind in getting all our wonderful Christmas offerings prepared. Our 4 day mega yard sale last weekend took alot out of us ..and pretty much destroyed our garage ..our back yard and the inside of our house ..and that meant we took this last week to clean each one up ..re-organize, re-stack and re-arrange. It wasn't something we intended but it's just the way things happened.

Then on top of that .. we've been taking care of Maggie and Scout still ..Yes Maggie is still going ..I called the Vet 3 days ago and asked are you sure she has cancer because she's going great ..the Tumor is growing but she's eating and full or energy ... they assured me she has cancer ..but that she has such a good home life that her will is greater to live which is overcoming the cancer at this point ..but a time will come when the cancer will over power her will. I hate to see that happen ..but for now I am enjoying every minute with her that I can .. And as for Scout our super over 100 yr old Dog ..she's one tough cookie. She's got the best little dog bed built outside and she loves it. Every day she chows down both her meals and grazes the back yard throughout the day with lots of naps inbetween. They both require our attention quite a bit throughout each day ..for help getting up .. and baths have become more necessary more often ..maggie because her tumor seeps and she licks and then she stinks .. and Scout because she's old and has old body odor. Plus they enjoy a good warm bath ..and it's the least we can do for them at their age.

With all that said I honestly can't wait to get to work on Christmas offerings and our set up for the show...which will all be started tomorrow ..Hip hip hooray !

I have had requests from clients the last few weeks for Christmas offerings. We've been asked to bring our Christmas wreaths again this year ..so we will have some available...Also Christmas Towels ..so those will be available as well...and I'll definitely be creating some Christmas runners and other decor .

Do you have any specific requests for items you would like to see available either at the marketplace or in our Etsy shop ..please let me know ..I would love to hear what you all would like to have for Christmas. I have a short time to get alot done so if you definitely want something specific let me know and I'll get to work on it !

Until Next Time ...
Wishing you all
Warm Farmhouse Blessings ...

A Great Many Thanks to all !!!

2011-10-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

...MANY MANY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS AND BUYERS WHO TURNED OUT FOR OUR MASSIVE YARD SALE !!!!

Abbey and I are ever so thankful to everyone who came and so glad you all went home with wonderful vintage finds to treasure or to re-sell.

At close today our tables and yard was virtually wiped clean and as we cleaned up and began counting the huge pile of boxes on the side of our house... there were well over 100 empty boxes which made our hearts sing !!!

What was left we donated to Goodwill ..we really love that they employ the handicapped people of our world that would otherwise have a hard time finding employment that suited them in the capacity they require.

And P.S. ...thanks to everyone who came out to Glitterfest a few weekends back. I was unable to post pictures of it as I came home and on Sunday went to upload my picts ..and nothing would happen ... so after long hours of eliminating this and that I ended up having to take it in ..only to find out that my motherboard was shot...so lucky me got to spend a chunk of change on a new computer. It's now arrived and time for me to become current with the new Windows 7 .. I hear it 's far better than Vista so I'm looking forward to working on it.

Have a Great week dear Farmhouse Sweethearts ....!!!

HUGE GIGANTIC MASSIVE YARD SALE TOMORROW Through Saturday ..HERE'S THE ADDRESS

2011-10-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys and Gals .... this is one massive sale we are having tomorrow .. Oh my gosh there is a TON of stuff ... so come on out and get yourself something you can't live without !!! Our Sale is Through Saturday ... 8-2 all days !

We are located at: 30247 Calle Belcanto Menifee, CA 92584 ... Off the 215 frwy and Newport Rd.
If you are coming from Temecula you will exit Newport Rd and go Right ...
If you are coming from Riverside exit Newport Rd and go Left ..

And follow the signs ... WE'll have alot of signs with arrows so you shouldn't have any trouble finding us ...

YOU'RE INVITED ... SMF YARD SALE !!

2011-10-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Are you Local to Sweet Magnolias Farm ?
Well if you are ...

You're Invited .... to join in the fun ... !!!

Abbey and I have decided it's time to clean the house out.. time to clean the yard out , time to clean the garage out ...and have a ....

We have ALOT !!!! It's a Vintage Junkers Delight !

From... Vintage Furniture Pieces, a few Industrial items, cottage style smalls, some concrete statuary pieces, an Old Bike, metal plant stands, glassware, vintage linen, crafting stuff, old but new and vintage western items...boots, hats, and some vintage collectibles, and more that I can't remember because it's been stacked in boxes inthe garage for 5 years now.... Plus normal everyday yard sale stuff such as clothing, shoes, household items etc.

We have so much that we are having the yard sale for: 4 days...

Starting this Wednesday October 26th thru Sat October 29th from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. all 4 days.

We will not open until 8 unless I am ready any sooner ..which would only be maybe 10 to 15 minutes but I make no promises as we have alot to get out.

We ask that if you come please be courteous to our neighbors and don't park in front of their driveways and don't walk on their lawns. We like our neighbors and we want them to keep liking us .. !

Location: ... Menifee, CA ( 11 miles East of Temecula) ... we are just off the 215 frwy and Newport Rd. I will provide the exact physical address on Tuesday late afternoon .

Headed To Glitterfest Tomorrow ? Here's some Sneek Peeks ..

2011-10-14T19:31:00.001-07:00

... Are you headed to Glitterfest Tomorrow ...???

... Here's some sneek Peeks at Our Farmhouse Offerings ..headed that way ....

Upcycled Farmhouse Pumpkins .. All new for Glitterfest !!!

Farmhouse Flour Sack Towels and Aprons .... These Make the Best Gifts !!!

Our Sweet Magnolias Farm ...Upcycled Vintage Girl Necklaces ... All New Tart Tin Necklaces just for Glitterfest !!!

.... Can't wait to see you all there !!! http://www.glitterfest.com

Where we will be 1 week from today .. Will you be there ?

2011-10-08T08:25:00.001-07:00

Guess where we will be (1) week from today ......

...... Yes it's that time ....

Time for

Glitterfest !!!

*****************************

If you haven't been to Glitterfest .. will your missing out on some spectacular shopping... Of course for yourself ..but it's a great place to get some really unique Gifts ..Especially with The Holidays nipping at our heels.

Abbey and I will be in our same Location in the back corner of the building.

We'll have our Farmhouse Paper Roses as always ...but this show they have a new twist ... You'll have to come and see them !

We'll be offering over a dozen of our Farmhouse Burlap, Flax Linen, and Canvas Runners....I've got some new designs for this show and some with black trim and black ruffles ..your going to love them !

Of course our Farmhouse pumpkins ..what would Glitterfest Fall .. be without our pumpkins. We have some new pumpkin designs especially for glitterfest too ....

Plus ..our Farmhouse flour sack towels and aprons .. Our Farm Girl Totes .. and much more ...

And all on our 8 foot table ... It's going to be full ...but that's the fun of it !!!

So come on down to Santa Ana .. Next Saturday October 15th from 10- 4 (1 day only)

Click HERE for directions and Glitterfest info.

Just Gotta have Faith ...

2011-10-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Happy October dear sweet friends ..

I'm so excited that fall has arrived ..I'm loving the darkness of the night coming sooner .. along with the cooler weather in the evenings. As for the days they are still a bit hot for me ..But in time that too shall fade and I'll be snug in a sweatshirt and jeans and enjoying my favorite time of year when it's cold ..I do love the cold.

For several weeks now it's been on my heart to share a sweet and wonderful portion of my personal life here on my blog ...which I generally don't do. But my life has been touched in such a Beautiful way that I wanted that gift to be shared so that if (you) so desire ..your life might be touched in a similiar way mine has.

Do you have Faith ? I do ... I love my Lord Jesus with all my heart and all my soul. And as the old saying goes I'm not perfect ..Just forgiven . And thank Goodness for that. I'm not a Christian because I'm perfect ..nor did it make me perfect .. a definite misunderstanding by many in the world. Because of my Faith ..It has pulled me through the hard times in life and been with me in the most glorious times of my life and for that I am ever so thankful.

About 6 to 7 years ago our family had hit a very tough and dark time in life .. I think many of us have experienced tough dark times in life .. and during that time I put my comlete trust and confidence (FAITH) in God that he would help me endure the time and that we would come out of it better people .. kinder more compassionate and understanding and even loving. I was taught early on that instead of letting your circumstances define you in a negative way .. that you should let them define you in a positive way .. looking at how those circumstances could carve out a better you.

During that time I went one evening to Wal-Mart of all places ..I can't remember for what and why now it's been so long ... but on that trip I ended up in the books and Magazines section. I picked up several books in the inspiration section ..flipping through the pages not realizing at the time that I was looking for words of Hope. Now I look back ..the trip to Wal-Mart was meant to be ..and the words Of Hope I was looking for found themselves on the pages tucked in a beautiful Devotional .. "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.

This devotional is like none other I have ever had in my life. Sarah Young has captured the still small voice of God speaking to her and then sharing it through each daily devotion with the reader. It is written so that when you read each daily devotion it reads from the perspective of the Lord speaking directly to you. Along with it are 2, 3, 4 scritpures that correspond with each devotion. I can truly say my most treasured and dear to my heart book is my Bible ..but Jesus Calling is right there next to it ever day.

Each morning I look forward to feeding my soul with the words of the Lord .. I look forward to reading my devotion and stepping forth into my day knowing that no matter what comes my way ... the Lord is always with me..he always has been and always will. That is a true comfort to me and it fills me with Joy.

Sarah Young has written a few more devotional books since ..which I haven't as yet purchased ..for the 6 years I have enjoyed this one so much.

If you are a faith driven woman or even man ..If you would like to be a faith driven woman or man .. by all means you can be ..Life is about choices. We make them for ourselves ..no one else can. Pull out your Bible each day if only for a few minutes to feed your soul ..and even pick up or order one of the Jesus Calling Devotionals ..and devote just 5 minutes of your morning to filling your heart and mind with wholesome life changing goodness.

I purchased some additional Jesus Calling Devotionals for friends . And Overstock.com was the best price. I have seen the devotional also offered at Sams Club and I'm not sure if it's stocked on she shelves at Wal-Mart or not anymore but and easy and quick way to get it to your Home Sweet Home is to Click HERE (overtock.com) to purchase your Devotional today ..and start being touched daily by the Lords Sweet Love for your life.

My Hope in sharing this personal piece of my life ..is that there will be others touched and changed in a Good and Lovely way. I think when we have had such a beautiful experience that has enhanced our lives we want to share it with others that they too might have their own Beautiful experience too.

*************************************

Wishing you all Many Blessings ..and a Fabulous October

Shabby Fall Farmhouse ....

2011-09-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Check out these wonderful offering from 16 fabulous shops on Etsy ..

in my Shabby Fall Farmhouse Treasury .. click HERE to view and leave a comment ..

Sweet Maggie Malone ....

2011-09-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

... It's the beginning of the week and as Promised here's my post on my Super Sweet Maggie Malone ..for those of you who have written and asked me about how she's doing.Thank you so much for asking it's alway so nice that people do care enough to ask .. and don't feel bad for asking if she had died yet ..that's just part of the circle of life...and although it hurts ..it's a natural part of life.

I posted over a few months ago that my Sweet Maggie had been diagnosed with mouth cancer and had a short time to live which would be 2 weeks to maybe 2 months... Well she's defying that diagnosis to a tee !

( for those of you who don't know Maggie is 14 1/2 yrs. old and our sweet Scout is still going she's 16 1/2 years old 108 in dog years.)

(Photos Taken Sept. 21st.)

The first few weeks after she was diagnosed ..it indeed looked like she would only be with us for a very short time ..our thinking was possibly days ....She would be weak ..and you could see she didn't feel well ..but she had a veracious appetite and still had strength enough to get herself up and do her outdoor business and the Dr. told us it would be fine to let her die at home unless her faculties were so severe that it was unkind and in that case bring her in ..which we prepared for immediately by calling the local doggie mortuary.

Our dogs have always had fresh food meals ( no dog food) .. but Abbey looked up Cancer diet for Dogs on the old internet ..gotta love the internet it does have it's upside !

And we found her a diet. We proceeded with feeding her that and continued giving her medication to her ...

We are now at the 3 month Mark ..and she is doing fabulous .. Her tumor in her mouth has grown some in the last week ...but is still not so bad .. It's the first sign of growth we have seen since she was diagnosed ..

She still has a ton of energy .... and is the old Happy Face I've always called her ...if you didn't know ..The day Maggie was born ..God was handing out Happy and she was first in line .. She's the happiest dog I have ever seen ..

She Still eats us out of house and home ..Twice a day .. Our food bill has greatly increased .. but she's our girl and if the food helps her then we'll buy it for her !

She has lost weight .. She has experienced muscle loss in her head and jaw .. .. But all too be expected. She doesn't like being left alone anymore ..not even 4 ft away in another room ..she wants to be right next to me ..or she crys' and yelps until I get her ...She's got me moving to the beat of her own drum .... And that's about the extent of her illness showing right now.

In the beginning I woke up each day wondering if today was the day .. Now I just wake up and expect old happy face to be waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. I know it's still a matter of time ..and it looks like the matter of time is up to her. She's making the calls here on when she wants to go ..because we've bi-passed the Dr.s diagnosis completely.

After we changed her diet ..we saw an amazing difference in her ..She seems to have responded to it ..and it's given her and us a little longer to love one another and her quality of life has increased rather than decreased thus far... We have even teased a little that she's decided she's not going ! Her new diet consists of .. Paritally cooked chicken Breast ..mostly raw... raw shredded Carrot, raw shredded Yam, Green Beans, Strawberries, Bananas, and Apple. She gets a combination of some of the ingredients in the morning and the evening.

Our sweet animals mean so much to us .. they have spent a lifetime loving us unconditionally ..bringing smiles to our faces ..and happiness to our hearts. They have been God's blessing and we are so grateful for the love and time we have been given with them.

Featured....

2011-09-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Thank You to Be @ Home for Featuring

SWEET MAGNOLIAS FARM

in their

Best of the Web Post ...

We are honored they chose our Blog !

Be sure to stop by their blog by clicking on the Be @ Home link above and the Best of the Web link to view the post we were featured in !!!

Farmhouse Pumpkins ..

2011-09-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

.... At last ......

For our sweet Friends that were unable to make it to our Marketplace last weekend .. and are unable to make it to Glitterfest ..or those who don't live locally to get your farmhouse pumpkins ...

I was able to get several of them listed today in our Etsy shop ... Hip Hip Hooray !

The Photo above was at last weekends marketplace ..and as usual they flew out quickly which is always so exciting ....

And Below is a peek at some of the pumpkins I listed today in our Etsy shop ... I hope to add more over the next few days...

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

I have to admit as cute as the pictures I took are ..they just don't do the pumpkins justice .. It's hard to get pictures of 3 dimensional items ..that's always a challenge for me. Plus the pictures make them all looks so tiny ..yet many of them are quite large .. If you find there are pumpkins you would like smaller or larger ..or if they have Sold and you want one similiar ..by all means contact us and we would be glad to fill a custom order for you...

If you would like to browse our shop for our farmhouse pumpkins ..click HERE

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On another Note ...I know many of you have written and asked how my sweet Maggie is doing with her cancer or if she was still alive ... ??

Well suprisingly ..she is still alive ...she was given 2 months then a second opinion was 2 weeks and we are now past the 2 month make... and she is actually doing fairly well...we are all in amazement.

I'll get some picts of her this week ..and share about how she's doing and where were at with her cancer ...by the first of next week...

She's quite an amazing dog !

*************************

Wishing you all a beautiful tomorrow ..and many Farmhouse Blessings

Just listed in our Etsy Shop ....

2011-09-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

To our Sweet Friends Near and Far ... Whom were unable to attend The Vintage Marketplace last weekend .....

I've begun listing many of our new offerings in our Etsy shop for your pleasure ...!!!

First up is our Sweet Magnolias Farm Gift Certificate ...with The Holidays nipping at our heels ... it's that time when we love to give a little something special to our friends and family alike...That gives them the special choice of picking an item or maybe two that delights their hearts ..

And here's just a few sneek peeks of some of the sweet Farmhouse offerings I have been adding the last few days ...

..There are many more new additions we have added to our Shop ..so stop in and browse a little ..or a lot ..!

I'll be adding more new offerings in the days to come ...so check back during the next week...

Click HERE ..to visit our Sweet Magnolias Farm Etsy Shop ...

A Fabulous Marketplace Weekend and where we are headed NEXT ...

2011-09-13T10:08:00.001-07:00

... Well This Past Friday and Saturday ..we had a fabulous Sale at the Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks ...

Our Shop was filled to the top ..Literally.. with wonderful Farmhouse Goods...

I thought I would share a few picts ..I got early Friday morning just before the crowds rolled in ...

... Our upcycled Urban Farmhouse Burlap Trunk with Script strapping , Vintage Hardward ..and the number 2 applied with old decorative tacks ...didn't last long at all and went home with the sweetest gal ever ! I can't waint to grab me another trunk to upcycle ..I love so much how this one came out ...

Jars, Jars, and More Jars ... Filled our Vintage Store Shelving Rack ..... There is just something about old Glass ...and old jars and how the light filters through them ..how they look in a collection, and how they serve a purpose beyond just beauty but are useful too .. Something of Beauty and Usefulness is a must in every farmhouse ..

..Our Farmhouse Camp table was set to perfection ..in creamy whites... with our Lace embellished burlap runners and our Farmhouse Iced Tea Glasses ..

The camp table of course found a home ...and I can't be more thrilled about the home it's headed to .. A sweet Couple that lives in the inner city ..and works with the youth in that area toted it home Saturday after purchasing it Friday...The table will now be the training ground for the youth of today ..where they will have their Bible studies and take their meals ...Now what better use could a table be put too .. It makes my heart very happy !

A sweet Shot of our business cards, Guestbook and Glitterfest cards ..Did I say "Glitterfest" ... more about that below ...

... So here is a little dream photo for me ... and although it is but a small shot and a rather small grouping of offerings ... It has been a little silent dream of mine for over a year now ...to be able to create enough offerings to fill up this wonderful vintage Pipe garment rack. I finally succeeded for this show....In filling it with a bundle of our New Sweet Magnolias Farm Girl Totes .. Our new line of Flour Sack towel aprons ..a bundle of Burlap and ticking runners ..and the top with vintage Suitcases ... And Yes my hands personally made every item on that rack ..there were alot of hours put in behind that sewing maching ..LOL !

Abbey and I always love designing the inside top of our tent ... Taking away the tents cold stark white ...and filling it with warmth ... Once again we lined the top in old burlap .. and made our Signature Sweet Magnolias Farm Umbrellas the centerpiece with vintage style pennant banners that we made here at the farmhouse ....

... Anyone for some Vintage Milk Bottles ??? Abbey and I have become drawn to vintage milk bottles as of late .. And we are now offering them with our very own vintage labels and decorative hang ties ... They'll be headed to our Etsy shop... today !

AND ....last but not least ... Our Sweet Magnolias Farm Original Farmhouse Flour Sack Towels ... We have a dozen new designs ...all of which will be offered today and later in the week ..in our Etsy shop ... These flew out at the show ... making great Gifts for the upcoming Holidays ..Thanksgiving and Christmas ... All of our Designs on our towels are made exclusively here at Sweet Magnolias Farm ..and Each towel is made from start to finish by Sweet Magnolias Farm. We put a whole lot of love into our work ..and we are so thrilled our friends and customers can see that ...

Thank you ...to all of our customers who keep coming back to support us at each Marketplace ..and it was so much fun meeting some of our online buyers in person at this mareketplace .. We are so Grateful for all of you ..you keep us going inbetween marketplaces ..creating and designing new offerings to bring to you.

ALSO ... Thank You to Rita, Christi, and Deane ..for another successful Marketplace.. we appreciate all your hardwork that goes into putting the Marketplace together and pulling it off each time !

AND ... Last but not least ... Abbey and I are back to work already ... Yes there's no down time at the farmhouse ! We are now gearing up for "GLITTERFEST" ...!!!!

Just a month away ...On October 15th ... 1 day only (Saturday) in Santa Ana, Ca ... You can Join us and over 4o other Artisans and Vintage Home Decor Artisans for a Fabulous Shopping Experience !

Be sure to get there early ..There's always a line and you of course want to get good parking ..

For more info. visit http://www.glitterfest.com/

We'll see you all in October at Glitterfest !!! P.S. for those who were looking for our Aged paper wreaths at the Marketplace ... we will be offering them at Glitterfest !

1 Day left to get your wonderful Farmhouse Goods

2011-09-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

... JUST 1 MORE DAY LEFT ....

If you missed getting to the Vintage Marektplace at the Oaks today ... don't fret ..as we will be there tomorrow also from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

And for your fun pleasure ...

Here's a few peeks at the Sweet Magnolias Farm .. Market Shop...

The Vintage Bike is still awaitng a wonderful new home ..

... Lot's of Our Signature Farmhouse Pumpkins sold today .. But there are still many left ....

Sweet Vintage Farmhouse milk Bottles ...

And last but not least ...Our new Sweet Magnolias Farm Girl Totes ... and our new line of Farmhouse Flour Sack towel aprons ..that you won't want to miss out on ..there are still some wonderful ones left ...

And of course much much more ...

So come see us .. We look forward to seeing you !

P.S. We are located at the far back left side of the marketplace when you enter from the Arbor Entrance ..

Farmhouse Blessings to all !

Sneek Peek .. Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks ..

2011-09-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

Only ... 5 more days ...Until ...
"The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks"

So Abbey and I thought we would give you a sneek peek ..at just a few offerings we'll be headed to the marketplace with ..

Our Farmhouse Pumpkins ..so scrumptious and yummy and squishy soft ..Be sure to get there early to get yours ..quantities are limited and last year these sweeties sold out the first day...

... Our New Sweet Magnolias Farm Girl ..Marketplace Totes .. Each with their very own ..burlap rosette pin ...

..This Fabulous Farmhouse Cupboard ..perfect for Kitchen or Bathroom ..a great upcycled piece .. You wouldn't believe this was just an old oversized crate ..several weeks ago ..that got a whole new life ..

This Gorgeouse 9 drawer desk ..has a new life ..and is totally unique with all it's Antique hardware we used to create the most unique drawer pulls ...

And a positively and totally Cute Desk Chair .. Re-upholstered in White Polka-dot on Cocoa print fabric ...

A Handful ..of our signature farmhouse Signs .. These 2 are just a few of the new designs we are offering ..

And Last but not least ..Under this sweet sign .. sits the most wonderful 6 ft. Farmhouse Camp Table from the 1940's .. from a Camp in Idaho. Sits 8 beautifully ..

Be sure to Mark the date .. Next Friday and Saturday.. September 9th and 10th ..from 9-4 both days ..in Rainbow, CA ...

We can't wait to see you all there !

Join Us at "The Vintage Markteplace" at the Oaks ..

2011-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

.... Sweet Magnolias Farm is gearing up for the next.......

Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks
In
Rainbow, CA

Only 2 and 1/2 weeks away ... on September 9th and 10th from 9-4 both days.

We have all new offerings headed your way .. More about them in the days to come.

Think General Store and Farmers Market all rolled into one shop .. and we can't wait to share our new Sweet Magnolias Farm Girl Line of products with you ...

Check back for our sneek peek picts... and be sure to join us at the marketplace ..we can't wait to see you all !

Downs and Ups .. Ups and Downs ..

2011-07-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Life is full of them ....

That is Ups and Downs...

This summer has been boasting ups and downs here at Sweet Magnolias Farm... and I am finally feeling up to sharing a little about them with my sweet followers here in blogland ..

First of all one of my Ups this week ...... I was (1) of many talented artisans featured in the new August Issue of Somerset Home. My Farmhouse Dreams Lamp was accepted and featured for this issue ...and I am so thrilled to see it in print. Once again the Gals at Stampington have outdone themselves ..and I'm honored to be part of this magazine.

There are page fulls of inspiration in this issue ...so if you haven't got one be sure to go grab yours before they are gone from the shelves ..I know barnes and noble carries them as well as Joanns .. and of course you can order them directly from stampington.

This year we have been featured in 3 different stampington magazines ..and I cannot tell you how exciting it has been to share the work of our hands ( that is Gods work) with strangers and friends near and far away. Through it we have gained new friends which has been such an amazing blessing. And a Great "Upside" to our year ...

Since our last show in June .. alot has happened .. We have been re-working our home and putting it in order.

Approx. 5 years ago we moved into our home (a rental) which was supposed to be temporary.. our estimate was a year. Well long story short .. we had some unforseen medical issues arise in the family that stretched a long span and that kept us grounded here. With the quickness that these medical issues arose after moving in .. well we never really got our house turned into much of a home and the work side of the home was given an attempt of organization ..but never the full treatment ..so after several years of a slightly but not very organized life .. we decided it was time to get organized. We started on what we refer to as our work room ..which is where all the creative supplies are kept ..and there's alot of them !!! We spent a little over 2 weeks tearing every last item from that room rather it be in a drawer a box or whatever and casting out the yardsale or trash items and beginning with a new palette to begin organizing ... and little by little day by day each item was sorted into categories and a specific drawer or box was assigned to said item. What started out as we'll have this done in a week turned into alot of we'll have it done tomorrow's ..LOL !!!

Well it is now complete and it's actually quite freeing to walk in that room and know what drawer holds what item and the ability to actually be able to put it back where it came from.

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After that long arduous job ..we rested a week ..well sort of ..there's always some kind of work to do ...and that led to Washing our 2 sweet Doggies one afternoon. Scout our sweet 16 yr. old golden Retriever and Maggie our 14 yr old Golden Retriever.

While I was washing My sweet Maggie ..I decided to check how her teeth were looking as this last year she had been losing quite a few teeth which we contributed to her age. Upon checking her teeth I noticed there was a large tumor growing inside her mouth in the top of her gums in front and wrapping around several of her front top teeth. Let's say it was large enough that my concern grew immediately and I called the Vet instantly. I took her the following day for her checkup ...and they said she needed surgery to remove it and it was possible it was cancerous. We opted not to have the tumor tissue checked upon the reasoning that she was 14 yrs of age and if it was cancerous that there wouldn't be alot that could be done for her. A week later she had her surgery and all was good ....or at least we thought so! As I gaver her, her medicine and mouth wash the days following her surgery ..I noticed about the 5th day after the Tumor was returning and at a rapid rate. Again we headed back to the Vet ..where they informed me she had cancer and I might have 2 to 4 months left with her...

(My Sweet Maggie)

3 weeks ago today ..we began Maggie on her medication and a good healthy cancer diet for dogs ..and she's still doing well as of today. She had a few bad days when I thought it was time ...but the following days she rebounded. She's still eating ..still wagging her tail ..but the effects of cancer are showing as she has had a fair amount of muscle loss. It's been the one big down for us this summer. I've cried and cried some days and other's I'm just fine. I have been so blessed to have my Maggie for 14 years. She's been my undying companion day and night all these years .. she is the love of my life...she has been my child. The days and weeks ahead are sure to test my emotions but I know Gods Grace is upon me and that through this heartache each day I am learning compassion to a greater length and depth than I have ever known it before.

Sincer her diagnosis .. we have continued work here at our home .. re-organizing, cleaning and desiging our back yard and patio .. and this week we started on the downstairs work area of our home.

It definitely hasn't been a dull summer in the least ..every day has been chock full of work, or caring for our Maggie.

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On another note ... I had promised many of our Marketplace Customers in June we would have our Farmhouse Flour Sack Towels available in our Etsy shop within a few weeks after the show ..and with all that has taken place ..I wasn't able to get them made available until just a few weeks ago. So far they have been a great success ..we have sold a bundle of them and Below is a peek at the designs we have available in the shop right now. We also will have 5 new designs that we will be offering very soon . My hope is within the next few weeks.

Sweet Magnolias Farm Originals
Farmhouse Flour Sack Towels

Click HERE ..to visit our Etsy shop

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And Last of all ...we'll be starting on lots of new offerings for the upcoming "Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks" on September 9th and 10th . Be sure to mark your calenders and come out and see us, We are so looking forward to seeing all of our friends, clients and meeting new faces and friends !!!

In the meantime ..we'll be working and enjoying each and every day that passes with our sweet Magpie !

And We wish you all a Beautiful Summer full of Sunshine Dreams and Lazy Daze !

Farmhouse Blessings to All !!!

Brighten The Corner Where You Are ...

2011-07-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Well It's been well near or over 6 weeks since I last posted ..and although the old addage goes .."How Time Flies" ..that doesn't actually apply for me.

Time has not flown .. but just moved through it's normal every day routine .. I desperately needed a blog break ..and time to put life and home in order.

We can become so involved in the fun areas of our life ..such as blogging and reading blogs and many other outlets ..that then time does fly ... and every day life quickly gets forgotten a little bit each day ..until you realize you need to do some catching up in every day home life.

I'll share more about what Abbey and I have been doing this past 6 weeks in another post ..but for today I want to share a Beautiful and Inspiring Poem with you ..Please take the time to read it ..it won't take you but maybe 30 or 45 second of your time ..and I'm sure like me it too will speak to your heart in a big way ..

Brighten The Corner Where You Are ... By: Helen Steiner Rice ..

We cannot all be famous Or be listed in "Who's Who,"But every person, great or small,Has important work to do.

For seldom do we realizeThe importance of small deeds, Or to what degree of greatness Unnoticed kindness leads.

For it's not the big celebrity In a world of fame and praise,But it's doing unpretentiously In an undistinguished way.

The work that God assigned to us, Unimportant as it seems, That makes our task outstanding, And brings reality to dreams.

So do not sit and idly wish For wider, new dimensions where you can put into practice,Your many good intentions.

But at the spot God placed you Begin at once to do, Little things to brighten up The lives surrounding you.

If everybody brightened up The spot where their standing, By being more considerate, And a little less demanding.

This dark old world would very soon Eclipse the evening star,If everybody brightened upThe corner where they are!

Sweet Magnolias Farm Barn Sale ..ends Tomorrow !

2011-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hello to all our sweet and dear blogland friends and family ..Well what a Summer this has started out to be ! I think Mother Nature knew that June 21st was the first day of summer .. as our temperatures shot up right on cue !

This last 10 days we have been in the high 90s and a few 100 days in our area and I'm ready to see those cool fall temperatures which will be on their way ... I much prefer cooler weather!

I have to say despite the heat the days have been beautifully bright and sunny.

I hope everyone is having a lovely summer so far ..and that your days are as beautiful too !

Also.... I just wanted to post a quick reminder that our Online Barn Sale ends tomorrow June 25th at midnight ...

So if there's anything you have been considering purchasing ..I don't want you to miss out on it.

I of course will keep a few things on sale ...but many of them will return to their full price status.

If there is something your heart is aching for and you need until the the 1st of July to pay for it ..just convo. me on Etsy and we'll get your item put on reserve until the date you can secure it. That's our Thank You for your support of our small business ..we understand how it is to want a sweet something and needing a little extra time to secure it as your own.

And here is a sneek peek at just a few of the offerings I have been adding in the last week ....to our Etsy shop .. which you can visit by clicking HERE

A busy life and a fun filled weekend ..

2011-06-21T17:08:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how life changes ....
In January of 2010 My life had come to a cross roads ..
A decision was before me ..and of course I went to the Lord in prayer over it.

I have always been a long time ..Junker , Antiquer and Creator .. I grew up with it and as I got older it grew on me.

In 2010 I was struggling and wondering where to go with life ..what do for work ..and how to accomplish it all. I really needed some answers and guidance ..and of course I was patiently awaiting the Lord for that guidance ..and as we say here at Sweet Magnolias Farm.. "Work While you Wait"

"Working While you Wait" was a quote from a little book given us from a friend many years back ..however I can't remember the name of the book as we passed it on to a friend ..and I hope it has been passed on since ..as it was an amazing book that really gave you encouragement and hope in Christ ..when life seems to be at a holding point.

Anyhow that quote struck a cord with us ...as we were truly in a holding pattern in life and wondering when circumstances were going to change ..and what do you do... will "Work While you Wait" was just perfection for us at the time ..and it worked out in the end ..In God's perfect timing our holding pattern lifted and we moved forward.

Well once again in early 2010 my life faced a similar situation ..and I decided to "Work While I Waited" .. and In January ..or February can't remember which date ..I was contacted to take part in the Chateau De Fleurs 1st Marketplace. I took 2 weeks to think and pray it over ...AND

The rest is History as they say ... Here I am over a year later and I'm still doing what I love ..being blessed beyond words ..and so Thankful for where I'm at today in life ..

I'm busier I think today than I have been in years ..always working in some capacity.. or filled with friendships that I have made in the last year that are such a blessing to me.

I've met such amazing clients that I now call my friends .. life is in bloom and what a beautiful bouquet I have been given.

Speaking of Friends

This last weekend ..Abbey and I spent the Day with a Very Good Friend Sheila of Tattered Goods ... we went off to the local flea market ..and never expected to see friends from the Vintage marketplace we all sell at ..

Of course I was busy doing some serious buying (you know the kind you can't leave because you don't want to miss something) ..so I didn't get to take part in the photo ..but Abbey did ..then Shiela of Tattered Goods .. Eloise of Junk Fairy , Christie Repasy of Chateau De Fleurs and Robin of Furniture Queen ..

Who knew we were all thinking about going flea marketing !

What a Blessing ..to find friends along lifes highways in unexpected ways !

And of course we had a great time at the Flea Market .. We came home with fun finds ..in fact we were a little concerned we weren't going to fit in the truck ..but Alas our specialty packer Abbey who can get just about anything into any car ..made it all fit just like a puzzle ..Thank Goodness !

So as today turns to tomorrow ..and the day after and the day after .. I continue to work ..I contiue to give thanks to the Lord for a good life and good friends ...and whenever that day comes that life must take a turn ...but it won't quite make the turn in my timing ..I shall again Work While I Wait ..because His way is the perfect way I have found !

Wishing you all a Beautiful Week ahead ..and just a quick reminder that our Barn Sale in our Etsy Shop ends this coming Saturday the 25th ..

Plus I have added well over 20 new offerings in the last week ..if you'd like to take a look click HERE

Sweet Magnolias Farm Summer Barn Sale ....and New offerings

2011-06-14T15:55:00.001-07:00

You're Invited !!!

Sweet Magnolias Farm is having a Summer Barn Sale....

June 15th - 25th ..

Where ... ?

Our Etsy shop !

Up to 50 % off on many of our offerings ..

Check out our Barn Sale Section in our shop OR look for Barn Sale in the title of our listings. .. Original price will be stated in the listing. Prices already reduced for Easy Checkout(Layaway not available on Barn Sale items)

Start Shopping Early "NOW" CLICK HERE..Items are already being offered today ...

Vintage Girl Key Necklaces 1/2 price and vintage offerings marked 40 and 50 % off

And we will be adding more items througout the 10 day sale so be sure to check back ..

If you have any questions or need any help feel free to convo. us through Etsy or E-mail us ..

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And for our new offerings headed to Etsy this eveing .. Here's a sneek peek

Offering wonderful Farmhouse Whites ..for a Perfect White Wednesday Hosted by Kathleen of Faded Charm !

Adventures of the Marketplace Girls ...

2011-06-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

This last Friday ..some of us Marketplace girls went on an ever so sweet, tasty and fun adventure ...

Abbey and I picked up Sheila of Tattered Goods and we headed out to meet up with our vintage marketplace friends at the Beautiful "Keys Creek Lavender Farm" nestled in the Beautiful rolling hills of Valley Center.

Our Adventure took us through winding old 2 lane back roads, down an old mile and a half dirt road ..nestled in the trees .. and surrounded by God's handiwork.

Our Country Drive led us to sweet aroma filled fields.. Lavender for as far as the eye could see ..filled the beautiful rolling hills.

Rows and Rows of different types of lavender greeted us .. each so beautiful ...

... We were led on foot up this old country road ...

Passing the Honey Bees hard at work ...

and "the Peace Garden"

While more rows of lavender and it's sweet aroma continued to greet us each step of the way..

Half way up the hill ..we found the entrance leading us into the main entrance of the farm ..

A gorgeous paved walk and rustic arbor entrance ....

With wonderful rustic garden decor ...

and this post of signs in the shape of keys ...gave us direction to each special place ..

The Gift shop was filled with lovely items ..from lavender bunches, lotions and sprays ..

And decorated with vintage finds... exactly what this group of girls loves !

(view from the gift shop window)

We all decided to take the lavender tour .....and this sweet little sign greeted us many times along the pathway ..

off in the distance on the neighboring farm .. Bessy Cows ..were chewing their cud and enjoying a little green grass from the fields ..

Atop the hill of the lavender farm .. we were able to look down on the valley below ..it was such a beautiful view ..and so refreshing and relaxing to take in the fresh lavender scented air ..

The lavender was in bloom everywhere you looked ..isn't it amazing that such a small little bloom can produce such a beautiful scent .We all had such a wonderful time there were about 15 of us total ..and it was so fun to meet up for a day of fun ...

Our fun didn't end with the lavender farm however ..one of our dear marketplace friends Christine ..who lives in Valley Center ...invited us all to her home sweet home in the country for a beautiful luncheon...

Her home and property are so inviting ..

I know I wasn't the only one gasping when we arrived at her home ..for the beauty of the country that surrounded us was awe inspiring ...

This beautiful table of lucious food was layed out beautifully ..vintage mismatched plates were stacked for us too use ..Yummy pink lemonade .. Chicken Salad, Turkey rolls, Fresh Fruit and more tempted our tasted buds with delight....

..Aunt Sassy's cake was as good as it looks ..

Thank You Christine ..for a wonderful luncheon !

And if the food wasn't enough ..Christine's studio was one a girl could turn green with envy over ..Filled with amazing color ..charm, whimzy and absolute delight ..what an amazing place to create in ..

... After Lunch and touring Christine's home and property ..we all headed out to another local vintage marketplace Matilda's Mouse. The other marketplace girls had been many times before but Abbey and I had not .. it was our first time ..therefore ..the camera pretty much got left in the truck while our hearts and our eyes danced with delight at all the wonderful antique and vintage finds displayed in such beautiful ways.

Our day began around 5 that morning ..we all met up at 10 in the morning..and our day ended about 6 that night ..it was a full day .. one full of fun and joy ..and filled with many wonderful memories ..

Hardwork and Giving Thanks

2011-06-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been reading one Of Helen Steiner Rice's books....I have always heard her name mentioned briefly by Abbey over the years but honestly never read her works or about her life.

The book I'm reading now ..has been rather inspiring ..She was a strong Courageous woman for her day ..and she was definitely what we would call today .."A Go Getter"

In one of the chapters of her book ..I loved loved loved a quote of hers, ..

Pray as if Everything Depended on God

And

Work as if everything depended on you

I pray hard and I work hard ..so that quote really tugged at my heart ..!

I'm always pushing myself above and beyond ..and setting unrealistic goals that I'll never be able to possibly or humanly meet ..but it's my way of alway keeping the proverbial carrot dangling ...reaching reaching reaching for it ...but never attaining it. It's what motivates me and keeps me going each day when I awake.

Blessed to share a home with my parents ..I never have married and never have had the true blessing of having children ..therefore between my Dogs and my work they are my babies .. The two things that I get up for and work hard for and what drive me to keep on keeping on.

I love my work ..I'm so blessed to spend each day encompassed in it ..I am so blessed to be working at my hearts desire ..

All that Said .. Thank You .. Thank you to first and foremost the Lord ..to my family .. to my friends ..to my blogland friends ..and to all of my customers ..who support the work of my hands so dearly.

You can never know how deeply my heart appreciates you all and how thanful for each and every one of you I am ..through the good times and the bad ..

And speaking or work... will it never quits with me .. LOL ! We rolled right off this last marketplace out of bed and off to my nieces baby shower all day Sunday ..and yesterday it was off to take up the offer of some free goods from a gal that stopped in at our marketplace shop and run errands ... I thought maybe today I would be exhausted ..but I think I'm still working on the adrenaline pumped in me by the awesome show we had this weekend ..

So I've been cleaning, organizing and photo shooting new offerings ..Several of which I just listed on Etsy ...and here's a few peeks ....

One of our new Romantic Farmhouse Pails ..More to come this week .. including watering cans !

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And ... several of our New Farmhouse Flour Sack Towels ...with adorable ruffled bottoms ..

and Lastly ... we finally made our Paper Roses into Pens ..at the request of so many customers ..

You can visit our Etsy shop HERE

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Have a Beautiful week ahead ...and Many Thanks to my many friends and supporters once again ..

I couldn't do it without Him Or without you !

Linking up with Kathleen of Faded Charm for White Wednesday

True Farmhouse Blessings from above !

2011-06-06T19:14:00.001-07:00

We're over the moon excited ...about this last weekends marketplace ...!

The Lord sprinkled True Farmhouse Blessings on us all weekend .. to him be the Glory !

Thank You so much to Christie Repasy and Rita Reade for hosting a wonderful marketplace at the Oaks !

These two wonderfully hardworking and talented ladies along with Rita's husband Dean did an amazing job getting over 30 of us into the oaks park in just 1 day. Quite a task it was ..but they did it with amazing finesse and perfection ... !

Being that we were setting up in a new location for the first time I know Abbey and I were a little nervous on how the turnout would be ... within the first 30 minutes of opening on Friday morning ...all those rumbly in the tumblies and butterflies dancing ...were all gone ..as we had a Truly Amazing turnout ..and I'm thrilled for everyone ! I think we are all always happy to stay put with the "bird inthe hand" if you will ..and sometimes fear change and new ways ..however this change and new way ..really came out wonderfully.

I think the only thing that changed with this show was the sheer size of it ..of course much larger ..which for us vendors took away the intimacy of being nearer each other and chatting more. But I must admit ..I spent so much time visiting with Friends and Customers that came to shop ..that, that was such a joy in and of itself. Meeting up with old friends ..and new faces ..and learning new names and making new friends ..was just purely a pleasure !

I was truly honored and humbled ..by a sweet girl ..that came quite a distance to buy one of our Paper Roses and meet us .. Kristin ( i hope i spelled your name right) ..it was such a pleasure to meet you ..I'm looking forward to seeing you in September ..and bring those girlfriends of yours this time ..even if you have to drag them ..LOL ! You Made my day Saturday !

Because this marketplace has grown so much ..and honestly we were so busy both days ..I was hard pressed to get any additional pictures other than our own shop right before we opened on Friday morning. However ...if you visit the wall on the Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks FB page ..Rita and Christie Hired on Claire Brocato to photograph the marketplace ..(so smart on their part) ...I'll post a link at the bottom of this post for you all !

So here's our Shop ..for those of you who were unable to attend or to far away to attend ..and here's what our suprise set up and display was !

We decided to create a Faux Farmhouse front to our shop ..from old Shutters doors and windows ..and give our entire shop the true Farmhouse treatment ..from the Outside to the inside ...

Welcome to Our Farmhouse ..Come on in The Doors always Open !

We hope you have enjoyed a little bit of our farmhouse ...and we welcome you to visit again in Sept ... Yes Sept. we'll be doing this all over again.. Abbey and I are already designing our next shop ..and we can't wait to bring you a delightful Fall Farmhouse....

Visit the Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks FB page HERE to see the other vendors shops ...and displays ...

And .. be sure to checkout our Etsy Shop over the next few weeks for all new offerings I'll be listing ..Farmhouse towels, Burlap runners, Burlap rosette pins ..our new Paper Rose Pens ..and More ...Vintage Finds your going to love !

Sending you all many Farmhouse Blessings !

Sneek Peek ..or our Shop for tomorrow's marketplace

2011-06-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

.... It's that time ...

Time for the Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks .. Tomorrow and Saturday from 9-5

We thought we would share a little teaser of some sneek peek photos

Enjoy ...

Countdown to The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks...

2011-05-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well it's time to start countingdown ... "Only 3 More days" until the fun begins !!!

Abbey and I have been working night and day on new offerings be they handmade or fabulous vintage finds ..

We have a fun sneek peek at just a few offerings headed to the marketplace to share with you all.

Our new line of Farmhouse aprons will debut at the June Marketplace ..this oh so soft and scrumptious one above will be headed to the show ..made from the softest vintage chenille and the most awesome rosette collar that make up the Bib style top .. 2 large decorative stitched and monogrammed pockets drenched in cotton fringe....

.

This fabulous Vintage Willow childs table and 2 chairs ..along with this fabulous farmhouse sign ..made from re-claimed lumber and handpainted ..

...More Vintage finds that are to die for !!!

Beautiful Paper Roses drenched in German Glass Glitter ...

Our Vintage Girl Necklaces ..and our Burlap and Lace Rosette Pins ..

Plus ... We have a Suprise set-up and display for our shop ..your going to have to wait to see ... but we'll give you a clue ... "Welcome to our Farmhouse" .. Come on in the doors open !!!

Remember ... Sweet Magnolias Farm Will be located in the Very Far Back Corner from the entrance... Turn Right at the entrance and we are to the Left of the 2 Vintage Trailers ..

We're looking forward to seeing you all !!!

Linking Up with White Wednesday...Kathleen of Faded Charm..

1 Week From Today !

2011-05-27T11:13:00.001-07:00

Where will you be 1 week from today ?

We'll be offering our Romantic Farmhouse Wares at ...

The Vintage Marektplace at the "Oaks"

In Rainbow, CA ... just 3 miles south of Temecula off the I-15 frwy.

You may know this marketplace as "Chateau De Fleurs" ...

We've had a name change and a location change.

The Marketplace has proved such a success that we have moved to larger location and now boast well over 30 vintage vendors and artisans.

Everyone is gearing up for a fabulous marketplace and it's sure to be one ..in the lucious Green Grassy Park ..under the over 100 yr old Oak Trees .

Plus there's a Restaurant for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, a sweet Flower shop and a farmers market in this location.

Make your plans .. Call the girlfriends, Your sister, Mother, Aunt, or Niece ..Bring the Husband, The boyfriend and even the kiddos are welcome !!! Bring a stroller or an old market basket to fill with your new goods...

And if you looking for a weekend away ..come stay in Beautiful Temecula for a few days. Visit Old Town Temecula, Wine Country, and visit us on Friday or Saturday.

We look forward to seeing all of our friends, and customers and to meeting new faces and making new friends .

We have so many new offerings ..we can't wait to share them with you all...and here's hoping I have a few sneek peeks to share with you all this coming week ..

Have a Beautiful weekend ....

A Sweet Meeting .. A New Friend...

2011-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

A Sweet Meeting ... On a Beautiful Spring Day ..With a New Friend.
Just a few weeks back, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting a "special" friend...

I say special for a number of reasons .. One we are sisters in Christ ...two because we love so many of the same vintage things... and Well three because we met in a very special way to begin with!

Back in February when for the first time our Farmhouse Aprons had been published in Apronology ... The day it came out Abbey and I were thrilled. It wasn't about anything more than how fun it was to see our aprons in print and that they would be shared with the rest of the world. How exciting was that. I never dreamed that, that first day would bring an immediate response ..but it did ..and it was from my Sweet New Friend Nora !

The evening the publication came out, she had found our aprons and found our Etsy shop ..and there sat a little note and order for one of our aprons and a few other vintage goodies saying she had found us in Apronology ..and you don't know how my heart was leaping with joy and excitement ..that our aprons had been noticed and loved by someone and so quickly ! It made me feel so special and gave me a glimmer of hope.. that the work of mine and Abbey's hands was being loved by another. It's a moment in time that is etched in my memories forever.

To my excitement and I must add uncertainty .. Nora e-mailed me a month or so ago ..she'd be vacationing for Mother's day nearby where we live and wanted to meet with us ..

I think we are always excited to meet new faces and friends we have here in the world of computers ..but it does come with a little nervous reservation ..and after meeting we both found we felt the exact same way. But all that was washed away ..and we had a charming afternoon together !

The Friday before Mother's Day ..Nora and I Met up .. her brother and son were along ..and they were absolutely Great !..

We all had Lunch at the Famous In- N -Out Burger Joint here on the west coast .,..and I now may add Texas ..Yeah Texas !

We then Headed over to old Town Temecula ..to hit a few shops that Nora wanted to spend some time in and of course she wanted to see Old Town Temcula !

We went to 3 shops..as we were a little pressed for time and that's all we could fit in ..

This beautiful Manniquen and Wire Beeskeep ..were two of my favorites we happened on .. although there were alot of Beautiful offerings every place we went
.

This Gorgeous Shell Drenched Manniquen ..was stunning ... I can't imagine the hours that went in to creating this ..I know from experience a piece like this was many a days labor !

Nora was oohhing and ahhinng at all the wonderful offerings each shop had .. I was so thrilled she enjoyed each one... as I must admit I'm not the best hostess .. I'm generally quiet and reserved ..so I was grateful for all the beautiful things we could look at and talk about.

Nora is a Beautiful Gal inside and out ..Her love of the Lord truly shines through ..and I cannot tell you what an absolute pleasure it was to meet her.. I hope our meeting again is not far off and I know if we lived closer we would be enjoying many fun adventures in vintage shopping...

(Nora) in front of one of my favorite Displays at the "Farmers Wife"

(me (sara)) Nora made me pretend like I was smelling the Roses. Of course the roses I make that Tracey of My Petite Maison carries in her shop...

It was a Sweet Meeting ..and I now have a Sweet new Friend .. A friend of the heart .. a vintage Friend .. A friend in Christ.

Thank You Nora ..for a wonderful day .. it's one I won't forget !

New offerings in The Sweet Magnolias Farm Shop ...

2011-05-15T09:20:00.001-07:00

Here are a few new offerings I have added to our shop this week ...

Vintage White chippy, rustic and tattered basket...SOLD

Vintage twisted steel Double Coat Hooks ..

Set of (4) vintage Juice Glasses

Antique Celluloid Looking Glass ...

Scrumptious Farmhouse Damask and Burlap "No Vacancy" Feather Pillow

To see More of our Vintage And Handmade Pieces .. Over a 100 items now in stock ..

Visit our Sweet Magnolias Farm shop .. HERE

Custom Order White Wednesday # 2 Follow - Up

2011-05-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to White Wednesday here at Sweet Magnolias Farm ...

We haven't posted in a while ..we've taken a little time off from blogging ..the last few weeks.

We have been ever so busy working away ...on some very wonderful Custom orders for some very dear friends and clients...

One of which I promised to share with you when It was completed.

One of our sweet clients Kathie ..put in a custom order for several pieces she wanted and I was thrilled to be able to have the creative freedom to design them for her..

Below are her Beautiful Pieces upon completion this last weekend ..

Her beautiful antique Dress Form ..which I dressed to vintage Perfection ...

And remember this Trunk a few weeks back that I shared with you all ? Kathie had recently seen the Train case I had upcycled HERE ...and wanted her full size trunk designed just the same ...

It came out so amazing ...and I loved it so much that I have a trunk just like it and It will be getting a makeover very soon now !

The Original Leather handles on the ends were gone ..so I added some aged Romantic Ribbon ..and rhinestone embellishments to create new handles ..Obviously just for looks ..

Lace Rosettes Galore .....encrust the top and front of the trunk ..Along with an old leather Luggage handle I added to the top ...to give the impression of an oversized train Case ...

While a Canvas Luggage tag with a French Post Mark entwined in aged ribbon ...hangs from the old leather luggage handle ..and is positively and Romanticly Vintage !

Then for the Dress Form... Kathie brought this already fabulous Antique Dress form to me ..gave me an idea of the style she was going for ..and away we went to work on it ..

Embellishing the lace corset with more vintage lace , Antique Rhinestones ..and of course a lace rosette and aged ribbon tendrils .. ..

The Corset Clips were fitted with Vintage Double sided satin ribbon tendrils draping to the bottom of the slip ... each corset clip was sweetly dotted with 3 antique Rhinestones each ...

A cluster of aged Roses at the hip ...

An oversized Fufu Tull bow at the back ...

and what an amazingly Romantic Dress Form it now is ..

Hopeless Romantic ..I must admit I am one .. and I'll never stop being one ..I love all the movies that end happily in Love ...don't you !

This Pillow also went with Kathie ..to grace her beautiful Bed ... She provided the Vintage pink Satin for the ruffles and rosettes the satie was so scrumptious to work with ! I kept the design somewhat simple for fear it may get a bit fufu for her husband ..but I'll be sending her over a dozen more lace rosettes she would like to add ..and some rhinestones too..I'm thinking a little more Fuf in Fufu is going to be happening to this pillow and ..I'm betting it's going to be over the top gorgeous when she puts on those final added touches ...

And Last But not least ... This wonderful little Clothespin Bag ...

I love making these clothespin bags ..it's such a joy to create each one unique in design. No 2 ever alike ... That's what makes working with Vintage materials such an absolute thrill for me.

I love that when we offer our pieces of handiwork ..that they are pieces that cannot be found at stores and that our designs are sure to be treasured for years to come. We now even lovingly add our "Sweet Magnolias Farm" Label .... to each of our handmade fabric items so your sure to know it was handmade right here at the farmhouse by our Very own hands ! If it doesn't have a Sweet Magnolias Farm Label ...then it most likely isn't ours.

We hope you have enjoyed our Custom White Wednesday Post ...and will Join our WW Host Kathleen at Faded Charm to enjoy all the other WW posts ...

Until Next time ..have a Very Sweet Week ..full of Kind Words and a Kind Heart !

Fresh From the Line ...

2011-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

There's nothing that Say's Spring like....

"FRESH FROM THE LINE"

It's that time of year when the weather is beautiful ..the sun is out ..and the feeling and smell of crisp, sun bleached sheets are ready to dress your bed ..It's the time to hang all your beautiful whites ..and let the sun use it's natural whitening power. It's that time to pull up your old motel, or addirondack chair and watch the linens and clothes sway in the spring breeze ..

So this last week I was inspired to create more of our wonderful Vintage and Romantic Style Clothespin Bags ..since those I had available were chosen to make their way to some other Home Sweet Homes ..

The are absolute Perfection for the clothesline !

Makes the job easier and makes the job a little more charming to the eyes !

So Here's My "Fresh from the Line" Clothespin Bags ..

Now available in our Etsy shop ...

To vist our Sweet Magnolias Farm shop click HERE

Spring has Sprung at Sweet Magnolias Farm

2011-04-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

A small but delightful flower garden ..you'll find at Sweet Magnolias Farm...

Tended with rain drops, sunshine, and little else ..

it's Blooms are Beautiful, Bright, and full of many happy smiles !

Welcome ...to our Flower Garden ...

Come and sit a while with us ..and enjoy the warm rays of sunshine ..

Where little lemon kissed flowers dance on their vines and find charming little places to twist and wind ...

Where pink Ruffles are in style ...and

The little wrens await their turn to splish and Splash amongst our many old bird baths ..

The flowers ...of spring are now tumbling over ....

And out there containers ...which contain them no more ..

Where tattered and vintage garden houses find themselves as sweet little backdrops to the blooms that steal the show....

And garden arbors, vintage bicycles and wire stands are entwined into the mix ..

It's a garden of sweet old fashioned charm .. where sweet dreams are dreamed ....And...

All Gods Beauty....

and delicate handiwork is so very amazing ...!

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The garden reminds me of the coming resurrection day ...

The day sweet Jesus was resurrected from the tomb.

Just as so many thought our lord Jesus had been put to death forever ..he was gloriously resurrected .. just as the winter takes it's toll on the garden stripping every bit of life and beauty from it making our hearts long for the day the blooms will return ..Come spring time the garden proves it was there all along and is resurrected. Just as Jesus Spirit fills the garden of our hearts and reminds us he is still here with us ..the beautiful spring garden reminds us that it's spirit was also their all along.

The Beauty of it all is .. the spirit of the Lord is forever ..!

Wishing you all a Joyous Resurrection Day !!!

Etsy Rustic Farmhouse Romance Treasury

2011-04-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

Looking for some Unique Rustic Farmhouse Romance Finds ..???

Visit my Rustic Farmhouse Romance Curated Treasury HERE

Working with White ...

2011-04-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

It seems shades of white have become a true love of here at Sweet Magnolias Farm.... No matter how far we travel into shades of pink or blues ..we always tend to find ourselves being drawn back to the comforting appeal of layers and layers of shades of white !

Having recently closed our 2 shops ...and not having come to a decision on where our next stop will be at this time ..I've been spending alot of time lately with my Best Friend Etsy ..

Yes ..I've been building the number of offerings in our Sweet Magnolias Farm Etsy Shop ..

Mostly whites and some color ...

Vintage And Romantic Farmhouse Pieces ...

The closer I am in the process to each piece ..looking it over carefully for correct desciptions, taking pictures that try to make it looks as beautiful as it is ...the more in love I keep falling with "White"...

Here's a few sneek peeks I have added this last week...

We were just published in the Spring Issue of Haute Handbags ..I am thrilled to say ..! I'm still awaiting my issue ...but I did recieve the totes that are published back in the mail ..and have made the available in our Etsy shop ..

This Early Pasteware Monogrammed Butter pat has a sister ..yes 2 of them ..I love that they are monogrammed !!!

Isn't she absolutely breathtaking ..I almost didn't let her go ..she is so peaceful ..! As she sat upon my desk all day while working ..I just couldn't keep looking at her and thinking how calming and so lovely to look at she was. She is actually a planter or flower holder. On her back side is a cavity to place water or soil in and add your plant or bouquet. I thought she would even be sweet with a bouquet of our Paper Roses displayed inside ..

Our Flour Sack Towels ..are so so Soft ..so scrumptious ..Lint Free and perfection for use in the kitchen, or Bath, Our vintage images are added with professional machinery so they are not iron ons ..and wash up beautifully ..softer each time.

Remember the old restaurantware .. These 2 Buffalo china soup bowls are perfection for that mis matched dinnerware style. That's how we do dinnerware here at SMF ...We have a wonderful collection of Blue and Brown 1800's transferware plates, Platters, bowls ..you name it ..and to compliment it we use antique silver plate silverware all mis-matched ...Its postively charming ...!

So even though it's White Wednesday ...Lately every day has been full of shades of white for me ..and it has even inspired me more to continue on the search for more shades of white in vintage finds along my journeys.

We would like to invite you to visit our Etsy shop by clicking HERE ... even if it's just for fun !

Wishing you all a Beautiful WW ..Hosted by Faded Charm ..

A Custom White Wednesday & Inspiration Friday ...

2011-04-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a Custom White Wednesday here at Sweet Magnolias Farm ..

My Most recent custom creations that we offered at our last show Glitterfest ..sparked the imagination of one of my Good customers and Friend...

She Wanted this Old Hump Back Trunk ..Distressed in a creamy aged white ...

Which I began work on today ..

AND ...

Created in the image of this Farmhouse Romance ..Custom Train Case I recently fashioned.

This Train Case was one of those "ugly Ducklings" when I happened on it and not in useable condition as it was ..those are my favorite pieces to find ..!!!

Something that has good bones but needs a new life built back into it so it can go on being enjoyed for many years to come !

I applied our Sweet Magnolias Farm Signature Farmhouse Style ...With lace Rosettes ..Vintage Sheet music ..antique lace trims ..aged seam binding ..

And an aged creamy white paint job ...

...It's crowning Glory ..an inside make-over as well ..

Finished off in authentic vintage sheet music ..

and Built in vintage linen and lace pockets ..

Adorned with scrumptious rosettes and crinkled tendrils of aged seam binding ..

A True Sweet Magnolias Farm Original ...

It is available now in our Etsy shop ..click Here

It will be a wonderful artistic journey to bring the humpback trunk to a Stunning Vintage Farmhouse Beauty ...Considering it's about 3 times larger than the old train case above ..It's sure to make a wonderful statement in her Home Sweet Home.

I already have the vision of it's design dancing in my head ..now it's time to begin applying that vision, from my head to my hands ..

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I'm also working on 2 more train cases that will be offered very soon ...with more "ferme romance" built in ..a little Farmhouse Romance that is built in !

If you also ever desire a custom order ..by all means feel free to contact us, we love working on custom orders !

I hope your enjoying white wednesday hosted by Faded Charm ..be sure to stop in and link up for white wednesday ..or enjoy the white wednesday posts .

And Inspiration Friday ...Hosted by Debra of Common Ground Stop in and visit all the Inspiring ideas

Until Next time ..May your days be bright and cheerful ..with a smile at your lips and happy thoughts on your mind !

Busy as a Bee ....

2011-04-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

Busy as a Bee in Spring ....

That's been me today ...

I've been buzzin around all day pollinating our Etsy shop with more new offerings ...

Here's just a few items for a sneek peek ...

Be sure to stop in to check out all the new offerings ...Click HERE ..

1920s Farmhouse and Barn Sale ...

2011-04-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ah ...Does the title of this post just not make your heart swoon with excitement ...!!!

It did Abbey's and Mine ...when a friend of ours told us a few weeks back about an upcoming sale that would be held in an authentic 1920s Farmhouse and had a Barn and Wood Garage to boot !!!

I'm telling you my tummy had the rumbly's just like Winnie the Pooh ...

And the week leading up to it I couldn't contain my excitement.

So Last Friday off we went before the sun rose in the sky to grab ourselves a place in line hoping we could be one of the first few to enter and get to choose some of the prime pieces.

Indeed we were numbers 6 & 7 In line and they let the first 20 in and closed the gate behind us ...Wooo Hoooo were we so thrilled !

So Abbey went in the house ..I took the garage and barn and Papa Fred stood guard over all of our fun finds ..without him ..our finds would never make it home with us Sad to say.

So Our truck came home full ..An antique Pie safe an old rustic bow front cabinet ..Wire egg baskets and feeders, Vintage Fabric ..Old farm dresses ..and so much more that it makes my heart swim just to write about it. and I want to go back for more !!!!

So I just finished up listing in our Etsy shop the first of some of our finds and thought I would share these vintage beauties with you all ..

It's spring and time for color ..and what says spring better than some vintage Fabric ..

A stack of old vintage feedsack fabric, cotton print, and novelty seersucker ... all in bright, colorful designs ...

The strawberry print above is my absolute favorite

Florals that are so happy !

And little lambs that remind of you little pitty pattering feetsies !

And just in time for Easter ..

what better to find than a whole stack of vintage Easter baskets !

Positively sweet they are ..some are marked Japan and Occupied Japan ...and some are more colorful than others ..All perfect for Easter decorating or to use in your farmhouse kitchen the whole year through ...

These are just a few of the pieces from the Farmhouse and Barn Sale that I just finished listing in our Etsy shop today ...to take a look at more of our offerings click HERE ... and check back for more this week ..!

Now I'm waiting for the next good sale ..wherever that may be ..LOL !!

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I also listed a few of my newest handmade pieces ..

Sweet Magnolias Farm Soldered Window Charms.

If you've seen the large windows I offer ..well these are my miniature version of them I am now offering.

Each one is made from an authentic pane of glass from an antique window.

I Make the custom graphics ...and have a special process of addding them to the glass.

Each piece is soldered ..and Prisms or Keys or a unique vintage ensemble hangs from the bottom ..while a sweet seam binding tie adorns the top for hanging ..

Our Window charms can also be found in our Etsy shop ...

Happy Spring to all of our Dear Kindred Friends ...

Blessings ..Sara

I Said "I Do"

2011-04-08T18:56:00.001-07:00

I finally did it ...

I said "I Do"

After a year of being prodded and being told that I should

I Finally took the leap after being contacted by a lovely girl regarding the paper roses I make ..and asking if I could create her Bridal Bouquet, Maid of Honor Bouqet, Boutineers and Mother's Roses for her.

I knew when she wrote and asked that I was finally ready to begin taking our Roses another step.

For the last year or so many friends, customers and family suggested it would be a good idea ..but my creative mood just couldn't grasp the exact concept and artistic desire to do it.

Finally when Kami asked ..it was the right moment in time and I was ready to jump in with both feet and begin a new journey and I'm so glad I did.

Although Kami resides in the mid-west her wedding will take place here in CA, on the ocean in May. Her Colors are light Lavender, Dark Grey and Ivory ..a truly lovey combination !

Kami requested her flowers be in a light lavender and my first challenge was to hand dye her flowers to a beautiful lavender. Until researching the color lavender ..I had no idea truly how many shades of lavender there are from grey lavenders, blue lavenders and pink lavenders there is actually quite an array. We tried for a sterling lavender and with time achieved it.

Her one very important sentimental request was that the name of her and her Fiance's song be included in each floral piece some way.

And she wanted the roses Dusted in the Silver German Glass Glitter that Makes our roses so sweetly unique.

I knew I wanted to add crinkled seam binding tendrils to her bouquets .. so what better than to create custom made Ribbon with the name of their song and the band at their request ..in 2 of their favorite fonts.

The Above Picture and the one just below are her finished Bridal and Maid of Honor Bouquets ..

And I'm so excited at how beautiful they turned out...

My Next challenge was creating Boutineers ..and although that seems an easy task ..it was a bit more difficult than one would think. You see These roses are made petal by petal ..and the smaller the petal the more difficult it is to hold everything together .. But I prevailed ..and the boutineers came to life ...

Each Boutineer ...a mere 2 inches around by 4 inches in length .. will simply adorn each gentelmens suit jacket ...simply and elegantly !

Once again their Song "You & Me" ...simply added to the flower and adding sentiment to be remembered in their many years to come.

Lastly ..she requested a single Rose for each of the Mothers'.

We mimicked the bouquets ...with tendrils of crinkled seam binding ..the custom ribbon and the Beautiful Silver German Glass Glitter that will look stunning in each Mothers' hand.

Our Paper Roses are such a Fabulous Alternative to Fresh Flowers ..

They are a Truly Beautiful and Sentimental Keepsake for Years to come. And they can all be used after the wedding to adorn a Gorgeous Glass Vase ..A bedside or even Entry Table.. A reminder of that very special day ..when those 2 Special words are spoken In Love and Truth .. "I DO"

Kami is a wedding photographer ..and She's offered to share pictures of the wedding with me, which I am thrilled about. I by no means have much photographic experience ..so It will be an absolute pleasure to recieve professional photographs ..and when I do ..I'll be sure to share them all with you.

If your interested in custom ordering Wedding flowers, By all means contact us and we'd be glad to consult with you on Color, Style, and Design.

I'm so glad I said "I DO" ....

Seasons of Change ..

2011-03-31T18:39:00.001-07:00

Sweet Magnolias Farm is going through a Season of Change ...

A Little ....

If you will ...

In the last few days Abbey and I made a very serious decision to close our 2 shops at Treasures N Junk Antique Mall.

Our Reason .... we live quite a distance from the mall... 120 miles round trip....

And at a nice round sum of $4- and up per gal of gas this began to cost us $200- just for 4 trips a month over there.

Which meant it really limited our ability to go over and work our shops to the degree and standard that is important to both of us.

Yestereday we placed a sale up of 30% off all small items (meaning everything but furniture) and the furniture some has been sale priced and others are still full price.

We were both sad to give our notice as we will miss the whole T&J Family... and I mean family because that's exactly what they are !

It's been such a blessing to be part of T&J for the 6 months we have been there and look forward to visiting on our annual shopping days in the future.

In the meantime we are making some decisions on where we will be offering our wares ...which of course will be much closer to home ...near Temecula, CA.

As soon as we find a new place to offer our wares we will keep all of our wonderful friends, aquaintances and customers up to date.

Thank You to all who supported our shops at T&J ...we are looking forward to the future and the Wonderful Blessings God has in store for us !

P.S. our offering will be available at T&J through approx. the 20th of April !