A little bit Personal and A Whole lot of fun !

Good Sunday Morning to you all .. !!!

and 

Merry Christmas !

Well it's been said before and I guess it's time to say it again .. it's been a long time since I posted here on the blog .. truth is I think I just went through a time when I didn't have a lot to share or the words to share a post ... I started several sitting in draft and would come back to add to the few lines I had written and the well was dry ... they sat there for months and finally I deleted what few lines were there. 

It's been a long year full of twists and turns .. good and bad just like everyone else .. To start off with the Good News my Dad has gone well over a year without any medical issues .. now that's worth celebrating cause every time I drive by the local hospital my tummy flip flops and that feeling of dread comes over me at having to return .. So I am Very thankful that he is doing so well .. !

I'm also thankful for my Sweet "Flossie" dog ... In March of the upcoming year she will be 2 years in remission from her AIHA .. (auto immune hemolytic anemia) . She's doing amazingly well and not on any meds just a good wholesome hand made diet and supplements. I'm thankful for her being well too .. it was such a horrific illness she lived through.

I'm also thankful that we finally made it to our new home sweet home State of Missouri. We went back and forth 2 yrs back between moving here and TX .. then had to go back to CA for near a yr for my Dad's medical and then finally got to come back to MO for good. 

 

 

 

 

 

When we first got here we had an idea of what we wanted in a home in our heads ... but as we looked for homes and realized our needs, our desires , and what reality for our everyday life was the picture we drew in our heads and hearts continued to change over many months time. Moving to an entirely new state in and of itself is quite a life change then trying to figure out if you want to live out from the city .. on how many acres and what size house etc etc etc .. wasn't as easy for us as it is some I'm sure. Then Prices were higher than we anticipated and the housing market was and still is moving quickly and to be honest we are not the kind of people to make split second decisions for heavens sake I can take 3 or 4 days just to decided If I want to buy a shirt .. and then still end up returning it after I talk myself out of it LOL ! so Buying a home is a super big deal to me its a huge financial responsibility that my parents and I will have to deal with together and then if life goes on as it does I will be left with when they are gone from this earth. 

 

Well we made some mess ups this year and didn't move quick enough on a few homes and on a few others even when we tried to move quick there were others that were there before us and got their bids in which were excepted .. so all in all we lost out on about 5 or 6 houses either due to us not moving quick enough or them selling before we ever got a chance.

 

Truth is we got tired and discouraged so although we've kept looking we decided we needed a break .. and we are praying that the New Year will bring a new opportunity for us in homes .. I think we finally have down what we would like and what realistically will work for us ... it's not much different than where we started out but refined a bit. So please pray that the Lord will bring us the right home and we will have eyes to see and the strength to move swiftly when it comes. 

 

Thus I have had so many people writing when we will sell our towels again ... well when we get a house is the answer.. right now we are currently in a small apt. and I just can't use my commercial machinery which is buried in storage anyhow in a place I rent. So as soon as the house arrives ... yes all of our home goods line of towels, runners, placemats etc .. will return ! 

I read a book many years ago that when God has you in waiting mode and you're learning the lesson/s he's trying to teach you .. to keep working to keep moving forward ..not to sit and do nothing ... so this year as many of you know I opened a shop space at our local antique mall .. and it's been a good choice to have made. It got me started again after a long hiatus and helped me find the joy of working at something I love once again ... 

 

 

 

I also opened a new etsy shop .. "So Sweet Magnolias Farm"... to offer some vintage, antique and some handmade items that I can create here in our tiny apt.  I think those 2 choices have been 2 of the best I have made this year because it got my hands, mind and heart busy again at something I very much love to do .. and it reiterated that we need a house with a good size space to work cause this is the work not only I love to do but also my Mom .. we love working together .. and this is and will always be what we do, unless God truly changes our path. 

So that's the update on my personal life that I have had so many of you inquire about in as small of a nutshell as I can put it. And I'm honestly a fairly private person .. so I try not to bore everyone with my personal life to often but for those of you wondering I thought I would share this one time. And yes when we get a home I will share that too. 

For now I'm having a whole lot of fun with our shop space which I'll share more about in posts to come, and I'm enjoying keeping my new Etsy shop filled with loads of vintagey and handmade goodness ..  

Our newest fun is upcycled clothing... We are offering currently our "Farm Girl Fancies" Upcycled Flannel Shirt/Jackets .. which have been a great seller the last few months .. I'll post a few photos to share with you all below .. and I'll make this the end of my post today since it's a lengthy one .. and I'll be sharing more often now about our shop space, my new listings on etsy , and as always my faith in God ... 

 

Sweet Farmhouse Blessings ..

Sara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Us Honey Bee's are addin' sweet vintage nectar to our shops ..

 We're busy as the summer Honey Bees here at the farmhouse .. flitting from one Hive to the other filling them both with lots of good nectar .. 

Our shop space is open and doing well .. and this week our Etsy shop is filled and open again with all sorts of new vintage goodness and our Sweet Magnolias Farm Original Hand Mades ..

So we thought we would share with you all a sneak peek at just a few of the fun pieces filling the Etsy shop  .. 

And if you want to stop in and take a closer look and see all of our Etsy offerings you can do so by clicking HERE

Now for a little peek at the nectar we added this week ..

If you're headed to Southern Missouri ~ come visit our shop in person at the Camp Flea Antique Mall and Vintage Marketplace in Ozark, MO. It's well worth the visit 27,000 sq ft and 200 vendors to shop from .. Including Lil' Ol' Us .. Just ask where shop #777 is .. 

Until Next Time ..

Meanderings in the Countryside ... Farm Roads and Country Drives ..

This last week we were out meandering in the countryside on an overcast cool day. Enjoying the country roads .. seeing the farms dotting the countryside.. and all the cows out in the beautiful green spring fields munching away on the new sprouts of goodness shooting from the earth... 

We had driven by this abandoned farm a few times and on both occassions I had left home without my sidekick ..no not Abbey .. but my camera .. but on this day out I happened to have it with me so we stopped and walked the grounds and enjoyed the old place. 

This farm had 2 beautiful old wood barns .. the first of the two was slightly smaller and had an amazing shake roof ..

When I went to photograph the front of it I was delighted to see that the barn had a face and it appeared to be smiling at me .. can you see the face and the 1/2 smile ?

Many of the fields have purple blooms throughout .. and they are simply breathtaking sort of puts me in mind of lavender fields .. however these are just pretty weeds ...

The old white farmhouse still sits proudly at the front of the property with the old trees surrounding it. The trees are just budding out so they are still looking a bit dreary and dull from winter but I imagine this weekend after an abundance of rain and now sunshine those branches will be overflowing with beautiful green leaves of goodness. 

The fields to the right of the house were brilliantly lit up in yellow and white .. although I would love to say they were some amazingly beautiful flowers.. this was simply a field of yellow and white dandelions .. nonetheless I thought it was quite pretty ...

The 2nd barn and the biggest barn on the property looks like a beacon of strength from the front .. but sadly it has fallen in on the back right side .. you can kind of see day light through the front opening there ..  

The inside is still beautiful .. and I think with some love and tender kindness the barn could be saved if one had a mind to do so ... As the stalls and pens and rafters still all looked in amazingly good condition considering .. 

As I turned around at the end of the barn and looked back out the doors I saw to my delight that the opening of the barn "the eye of the barn" .. was looking back at the farmhouse making a stunning frame around it ..  what a fun photo to discover and I was thrilled to get home and see it had turned out. 

And you know that feeling you have that you're being watched .. we seemed to have that feeling that day .. as we headed back to the car .. across the farm road .. we had quite the audience. The girls had walked in from their beautiful field of green goodness and were quite the curious ones looking on at us as if to say "Hey what are you all doing ?" 

We love cows .. so we ventured to the other side of the farm road and gave them a day they won't forget their very own "Glamour Shots" .. I think they did well posing don't you ?

Well it's Friday .. and who knows what we'll be doing this weekend .. thus far no plans .. but there's always the hunt for something vintagey awaiting .. or a country road that needs exploring .. or just a relaxing weekend at home enjoying the quiet and contentment of one's own home. 

"Happy Easter" ... He has Risen ... Praise the Lord on High !

Etsy Shop Opens Tomorrow 3-30-17...

Just a quick reminder our Etsy shop re-opens tomorrow 3-30-17 ...

at

10:00 a.m. central time.. 

click Here to visit the shop..

Wishing you all ...

We're now on Instagram .. woohoo !

Sweet Magnolias Farm is now on Instagram ..
Come Follow us for Sneak Peeks, Updates, and just good Ol' farmhouse fun !

Click .. HERE to be directed to our insta page

The "Old Rugged House"...

This last week as I was out driving along a country road .. I came upon this "Old Rugged House"

It caught my eye and as I passed it drew me back.. I made a U-turn at the next road and returned to it.  I love passing old abandoned houses .. (although I wish they were still in use and being cared for ) it always makes me stop and think about who lived there, why it's abandoned and what life was like over the years in that house. How many families lived there and so on. 

Well this abandoned house was not without life even though one would think at first look that indeed it should be. .. No spring is upon us here and life is beginning to spring up all around this house .. from the green grass to the double jonquils blooming in the front yard. I imagine by now there's even leaves budding on all the trees. Beyond the life that was blooming .. I found another bit of life living in that house....

As I was walking up to photograph the double jonquils a bit closer .. and my feet came down upon the dried leaves and branches that had made their winter bed on the ground they made quite a crunching sound and out from the grass dashed a sweet grey cat .. leaping toward the house. I went about my business taking photos of the jonquils .. then I took a few photos of the house .. and to my delight .. that gray cat lept into the window and perched there so contentedly .. I'd say that's the old houses new resident. What a great home .. the perfect shelter from the weather .. and perfect grounds for catching mice I would say ... 

So although it's rugged and abandoned .. this old house is not without some life .. 

For me it's still a beauty to behold. I only wish I had the funds to fix it up and put it back in order .. and grey cat would still be welcome even inside. 

P.S. .. I shared these photos with the location in a local group I belong to on FB .. we all share photos and history about the area .. anyhow of all things a gal commented that her grandmother grew up in this house starting in 1921.. they lived through some hard times  but I'm sure there were fond memories as well.. why it's abandoned or who it belongs to no one knew.. but everyone had the same sentiment that they too wished they could fix her up.  

This sweet beauty is in the town of Nixa , MO..  just a hop, skip and Jump from where I live...

Vintage Laundry Cart Charm .. Back to work designing One Of a Kind pieces

My goodness I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Life sure gets busy ...

Well we had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year and we're ready for Spring ..how about you?

The Trees and shrubs are already filled with buds and some of the dogwoods are in full bloom as we drive down the roads. The Daffodils are blooming I drove by 2 farms this week that had them popping up along the road side.. and then this morning it decided to snow.  Only for a while and not much stuck .. the ground and buildings are just to warm after the 60 and 70 degree weather we've been having the last week. But it's been a beautiful last hurrah for winter to say goodbye and usher Spring in. 

Abbey and I have been back to work .. sewing and designing fun new goods. We have a new vintage apron line we have created and we'll be starting to share those in the weeks to come. We also worked on a cute vintage Laundry Cart the last few weeks.. the liner for it had seen better days and was just screaming for some cuteness .. so we had fun designing and creating the new liner from vintage linens, lace trims and charming fabrics. 

We did a sneak peek of it on our FB page and had a few ladies who were interested in it just from seeing it in it's early stages of being pieced together ..so once we finished it, of course it needed some equally as cute photos. So yesterday Abbey and I headed out to find a cool place to photograph it .. and landed in a small town a few miles from here where there is an old Mill on the side of a river that is no longer open or working but it's still absolutely beautiful. The mill made a fun backdrop and we had the best time photographing the cart.. Here's a few photos from our shoot yesterday for you all to enjoy ! 

We'll have more fun goods coming available .. to stay up to date with what we're doing be sure to follow our FB page HERE