Can U Guess?

Can you guess where I spent my Saturday?

We had an early morning, but today was a special day. It is every year.

Our day started at 7:30 am for Evan's pictures.

And it was COLD. It is cold every year on Opening Day. I don't know why, but it's annoying.

So, Evan's pictures were first....7:30 am.

(can you guess which one is Evan...aka...ham?)

This is his first year for fast pitch baseball. He's movin' up to the big leagues. Playing with the 5th and 6th graders. I think he's the shortest one on the team, poor guy.

He makes up for it with determination and strength, though. His team even won by 1 today.

Grace and her friend took time out of their busy, social day to watch Evan's game for about 15 minutes.

Evan's game was at 10:00, after opening ceremonies where a helicopter lands on the field and throws out whatever TV personality they decide to use for the day. It happened to be a sportscaster from one of our local channels. Grace got her mit signed by him, and thought it was pretty neat.

Oh, and did I mention it was COLD? Well, it WAS. It was predicted to be sunny and 73 degrees today. Our first day without rain in about 3 weeks. It was very windy and cold, instead. I have no idea how these meteorologists keep their jobs!

So, pictures at 7:30, opening ceremonies at 9:00, Evan's game at 10:00, and Grace had a double header with no break in between, starting at 12:00.

We lived out of our van today. Literally. I packed lunches and snacks and drinks and blankets, and chairs.

This is Grace's 2nd year in fast pitch softball. Last year she was catcher all year and HATED it. This year, so far, she's playing shortstop or 2nd base. Today it was shortstop, and she did great. Despite the VERY GUSTY wind all day, and the freezing temps.

Everyone on Grace's team wore coats over their uniforms. Now, that just proves it was cold!

Our leftie slugged one out to the third base line, and scored a double.

The sun eventually came out, but not till about 2:30. But it was still cold and windy. We left the ballpark at 5:00. It was a long day.

I'm glad it's over and I'm sitting in my cozy house.

We're gearing up for another game on Monday.

It has begun.

Eureka with a window

Remember these windows?

Brent, ah, my adoring husband Brent (he says I never say nice things about him...) brought about 10 of these home for me from a job site one day. (Gotta love other people's trash!)

I framed some pictures with some, and hung some maps behind others.(Check out my projects label)

This past weekend, I decided Grace needed another one in her room.

You see, before when we did her whole room redo (Paris theme) I made her this window collage.

I loved it so much, I thought she needed a bulletin board/picture holder thingy. (Yep, thingy is the appropriate word.)

I got my inspiration from one of my favorite blogs....farmgirlpaints. She posted (and I can't find her exact post about this)about this wonderful frame/picture collage she made.

She mounted chicken wire to the back and hung the pictures with adorable little clothespins.

I couldn't find the right frame (believe me, I've looked) and I knew I had some windows in the basement, so I put two and two together and came up with my own version.

First I went to the basement with a hammer, fully intending to bust out all the panes in the window. This both exhilerated me and freaked me out at the same time. Since we have cement floors in the basement, I knew I could clean it up, but wailing away at the glass with my tiny hammer just scared me to death. I was sure I was gonna walk upstairs with a million glass fragments in my face or something. (nothing this major happened by the way.)

Once all the panes were out, and the glass was cleared from the frame, it looked like this...

and was way lighter!

I added the galvanized wire to the back by just tacking some small nails in, wrapping the wire around them, and bending the nail over to secure the wire. Not very scientific I know, but it worked.

Then I attached some dark brown ribbon to the top to hang and started adding some of Grace's favorite things, attaching with little wooden clothespins I found in the craft section at Walmart.
She liked it, and you know it's all about what she likes, and what I can live with! At least this way, she can change it up whenever she likes.

I'm linking up to the craftskeepmesane linky party for Monday to share my project. Just try it, anyone can do it!

and dittle dattle amaze me Monday.

Changing as we go

In 2006 we moved in to what we now call home. We moved in the dead of winter, but we wanted to be in so bad we didn't care.

You see, it was a long time comin'. The previous May we sold our house in town in a mere 3 weeks, and then started to panic.

My uncle eventually sold us 3 acres in the middle of a field. We got plans around for a 1500 sq. ft. ranch and then our plans changed.

A man at church, who owned a manufactured housing business, asked us to come and look at one of his 2-story model homes. He said he needed to move it, and wondered if we wanted to buy it.

All it took was one look to see the possibilities. We would have to pay to move it of course, and have it dismantled, and put back together on our lot, BUT it was twice the size of what we were planning on building, and a little cheaper. We decided it was a good deal, so we started to move ahead.

In Feb. of 2006 we moved in.

Of course when we moved it, it didn't look like this.

Well, it did and it didn't. We didn't have grass, but we did have the garage and porch that were added on site.

The more years go by, the more things we change. My husband wanted a new house with things that worked and I wanted one with character. I've had to make it up as I go.

We've changed out little things, but they've made a great difference. Thank goodness Brent sells building supplies for a living!

What used to be brass door knobs on all our doors, are now nickel colored.


We've changed brass light fixtures into ones we like better,

and tried to disguise lighting that was less than ideal.


Apparently brass was really in, but it's not one of my favs, so I've spray painted all our kitchen hardware, and all the hardware in the bathrooms too.

I've tried to add things of interest to the walls and corners as well as add some character to boring rooms without crown moldings and wide trim. (this will be something that changes later on.)

And just today I decided to change another thing in the kitchen. I wanted to lighten it up/country-fy it a little, so I took off some doors, and added some texture.

Before:



AFTER:

It's a work in progress, but it's getting better year by year. Maybe some day it'll look like it was always here, in the middle of a field!

What's your house story?

Cheap Entertainment

This past Saturday was a good Goodwill day. I picked up some random things...and this.

I didn't know how or if this would fly with my two "cool" kids. This might be beneath them, what with all their "electronic knowledge" and all, but it was only $5, and I had a coupon for $5 off, so it was practically free with the other stuff I bought.

I had to buy my own ping pong balls, but at $1.79 for 5, that was peanuts.

We came home from our shopping extravaganza, and play began.

(sorry for the terribly dark pic!)

I was really quite surprised how they took to the game.
BUT, since they both are quite competitive, it shouldn't have surprised me so much.

Play went on for at least an hour, and even Brent got involved.

At one point Grace heard Evan say, "This is more fun than my DS!" Really? The boy whose DS I have to literally HIDE because he would play it for hours if I let him? Really?

I guess I'm glad. At times, however, the play becomes so involved, shirts start flying to the floor (boys only, that is). I didn't realize we had such competition going on.

Because of this, there is often times of hilarity or hysteria if you'd like to call it that.

And often times if just plain ornery-ness.

Balls have been broken, and some have been stolen by the cat if they fly anywhere near her vicinity.

I'm glad I bought this, however. I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon, but coming from a house that has no Wii or Playstation, or Atari, or XBox, we have to be creative with our entertainment. Especially since it seems like it's done nothing but rain for the last week (literally. I'm surprised we're not all drowning!)

How are your children spending their time?

Significance of a name

When I chose the name for my blog, I thought of two words of great significance to me. Vintage and Country.

It's obvious where the "country" came from...I grew up in the country on a pig farm, moved away, and came right back to where I started from. I guess you could say I've come full circle.

That alone was not an easy decision to make. Growing up on a farm in a very small town made me want to NOT live on a farm in a very small town. However, I married a man whose only desire WAS to live on a farm, and he reminded me about that all the time. I guess it eventually sunk in, cause 8 years after we got married, we bought land from my uncle, and put a house on 3 acres smack dab in the middle of a field. Except for the fact that I miss being "closer" to everything, I wouldn't move back to town for anything. I like my privacy, and I like the wide open spaces.

My thought process totally changed when I had kids. I wanted them to know what it was like to live with animals, and run around in a yard bigger than a postage stamp. I wanted a garden, and I wanted no one to look at me when I walked out my back door. I got all that and more.

The "vintage" is truly me. When I looked up the word in the dictionary, this is the definition I found... vintage: of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality. :Classic, outmoded, old-fashioned.

I like old fashioned, classic, and chippy things. Anything that's already had a story before it found it's way to me. I would rather use an old toy refrigerator for my spices than a plain, new spice rack.

I would rather give a pair of old drapes with a catchy pattern new life as a purse, than have a shiny, plastic looking, generic bag on my arm.

I would rather keep the naked little doll I had as a 4 year old (with a funny story behind it)

than buy a new "reproduction" of one.

My house is full of "old-fashioned" things that many might turn their nose up at, but to me, all those things are beautiful.

They represent ME. Call me old-fashioned I guess, and don't get me wrong, I'll follow a trend like anyone else, but only if it's a good one. You won't catch me sportin' legwarmers just because someone in Hollywood is.

You'll most often find me with my rubber boots on in the garden or flowerbed.

I'll continue to make my own jam, and freeze and can vegetables and fruit. I'll continue to grow a large garden and hang up my clothes on the clothesline my husband put up one year for me for Mother's day.

I'll hang up a framed box top of my favorite childhood art supplies

and use old pharmacy containers for purposes other than what they're intended for.

I will be a "vintage country girl" even when it may no longer be cool. I am what I am. And I like it that way.

Tonight I'm linking up to Verde Farm's farm friend/Farmgirl friday party. Come and join me.