Garden Journals

Mary Janes Farm Girl chapter "Farm girls at Heart" gathered at my house to create their journals; to plan, prepare, and dream what our gardens could be. We cut, glued, decoupaged and shared stories and aspirations for the future. We wore our aprons and told the story behind each one. Erin made hers (I want to make one like it too) Katy bought hers, Robin's was from her father-n-law, his cobblers apron, mine was one that I bought when I went to the Sister's Oregon Quilt show last year. I felt like a little girl in mine because it felt so light and fluffy. It definitely was not intended for useful work, more for looks I think. We all aspire to make a cobbler's apron like Robins. Even my husband Roger wanted to know when he was getting his.
We will be on the hunt for bib overalls at the goodwill. Wish us luck. I also asked the girls to do a journal page from our last gathering, so we can keep a farm girl journal. Thanks to scanners we were able to copy every ones page and go home with four journal pages from our last gathering. We talked about a possible road trip, even pulling a trailer behind to haul our treasures home. What fun that could be. Katy knows how to pull a trailer behind a vehicle and I have the trailer so we have that covered. All in all our friendships and bonding continues.
Robin with her journal page from our last gathering
Katy with a great poem.
Erin
Here are the girls before lunch working on their garden journals, it was hard to stop and take time to eat. We were having too much fun.
I had so much fun using these vintage trays and pretty dishes.
Our lunch was served in the living room, it was casual but I wanted it to be special too. We had Italian Organic "Blood Orange" soda for our drink in pretty glasses.
Trader Joe's Spinach and Cheese Quiche on a pretty plate. Looks like a flower. How easy was that?
Asian Salad made by Erin, it was simply delicious. Thanks Erin
Barefoot Contessa muffins made by Robin brought in a cute pail with this pretty cloth.
Lemon Bars from Katy yummy!!!!!!!!
Katy likes color I think, I know she really likes hydrangeas and is eager to learn about planting a garden.
Erin's is clean and crisp, I love the entry way. She is the one to learn about plants from as she is the true gardener.
Robin seems to be all about everything being organized, I hope I can learn some hints from her.
I am dreaming of a blissful garden complete with flowers and vegetables to harvest.
Katy and Robin with their new pepper plant starts, good luck farm girls.

Julie's Birthday

March 26, 1973 Julie Anne Muma came into this word as our first born child. I remember the day very clearly. We were very anxious for her, hoping she would be born on my husband's mom's birthday the 25th of March, which was also my brothers birthday. We lived a good half hour from the hospital, I remember the ride well, as we were laughing with excitement that we
were about to have our first child. We did not know what we were having because they did not offer that option to us. We would not have cared either way. She came to us healthy and was a great joy to our life and is still today. She now carries on the tradition of giving us two grandchildren from her Jessica who is now 12 and Chants who is now 10.
Julie is Queen for the day, she says she is only 29, but we know better we know she is 36.
Here is Julie with her nephew Jordan Baker, he definitely has some of the Muma traits if you compare him to the first photo of Julie when she was a baby.
Heres Julie with her new cook book "The Farm Chicks In The Kitchen with Chants and Jessica looking on. Julie is very much a farm chick, she loves to cook and create too.

Celebrating Life

Celebrating Life. This weekend myself and six other women traveled to the Oregon coast to celebrate the life of our dear cousin, sister, and aunt. Sharon who left this world on December 2,2008, at the age of 50 will truly be missed. She was a loving caring person, she loved gardening, she was very inquisitive about things, always sharing her found treasures with you. She would say things as she saw them. She loved her dogs, they were her children. She experienced more things than allot of us will in our own lifetime. She always could make you laugh. Sometimes I would leave her home thinking about what she had just said and would ponder over it for days. I felt very blessed to have her come into my life.
The seven of us women laughed, cried, ate, laughed and cried more. However we know she was with us in spirit and that would make us smile. We adventured to many of Sharon's favorite places she would frequent when she came to the beach. All and all it was a healing weekend for us all.
Sharon and I at her house celebrating my birthday last July. We always had so much fun.
Sharon loved rocks and gemstones and anything from nature.
We went just south of Lincoln City to toss our wine bottle into the ocean with messages for Sharon. Some of us climb over the fence to get closer to the water so we could get the bottle out farther into the ocean. The water was absolutely incredible there to see.
We took a bottle of Pink Truck wine, drank it the night before, then filled it with notes from each of us and little treasures that would be special to Sharon. It was nice that the wine bottle had a pink label so we could see it in the water. The water was the most beautiful aqua color I have ever seen at the Oregon coast. Some of us were blessed to be able to go to Cancun to experience the beauty of the Caribbean ocean with Sharon.
Goodbye Sharon We Love You!
Here's' to you Sharon. She loved to go to McMenamins for Raspberry Beer!This was found in a journal that I received from Sharon's sister Donna that belonged to Sharon. These are her very words written in her hand writing: I believe in God, Love, Peace,Joy, and Fairies. A happy place some where set aside for our soles to go and rest. A place where the air is light and clear, the stars shine bright and wild. Where the moon glows with a blue sheen. The water runs crisp and clear, cool and fresh where all that lives there is at peace.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Spring is in the air for sure this week, the warmth of the sun sure does feel good. We live up in the hills of Clark County Washington, so we have to be careful not to get too anxious about planting, as we could have some good frosts still. I did check my garlic that I planted last November, thanks to my friend Erin who reminded me to do it, (so it could winter in and be ready to come up this spring). Yeah it is up about 3inches, I sure do hope I get a good crop. I bought my garlic cloves from two separate places that grow their garlic crops at a higher elevations, so I think I am going to be safe. In the mean time I have crafting with some beautiful soaps, using the finest ingredients, putting some awesome combinations together. I am able to sale them at my office. I lease a room to do aromatherapy therapy and skin care treatments. Enjoy some of my treasures to follow in the photos below.
These two bird soaps are sure to capture your heart and go home with you for spring.
These little bird soaps are just chirping away because they are all cozy together, it was so fun to come up some way to transport them to my office to sale.
These ducks are sunning themselves on this platter hoping to get noticed by someone to take them home.
These little duck soaps are nestled down waiting for a new home to go to.
The dragon fly soap is most precious, it has so much detail.
I hope you can see the detail of this soap it is titled faerie lovers, it is beautiful and has been saleing very fast at my office. The roses are very exquisite.

On a Mission

I'm On a mission to master Bath Bombs (Fizzys) I went to my friend Jan's house to tackle the art of making bath fizzys. We decided to try out her silicone rubber: bird and duck mold with the soap base we have been working with. They turned out too darn cute. Don't you think so? I think they look like spring and I know we are all anxious for it to come. We knew that they would turn out with out a failure happening.
Heres Jan starting the process, we are very optimistic, we are having way too much fun!
I am so excited this looks like it will work. Yeah!!!!!!!!
Back in time. Oh No! This was my first attempt at making bath bombs, Heather and I tried it when I was at her house in Montana. At first I thought maybe it was the 3000 ft elevation we were at, then I thought maybe too much water. I was ready to give that up for good.

These look so promising I am so excited. Jan and I are all giggly and excited about accomplishment. Oh no!!!!! The bath bombs have grown warts after a half hour, now what do we do? I was so hopeful.
I think I will just stay with the new bath( balms) I have made, they are not as difficult to make and I really like how they feel when I get out of the bath. Check out the pink soap it is two "Love Fairies", a beautiful mold my friend Jan from Queenocrete got on ebay.
I think I will just relax and enjoy my new cook book from The Farm Chicks In The Kitchen. I have been anxiously awaiting it's release. Bath Balms take me away to another world.

Hanging out with the Baker Boys

We went to the Bakers to give Jennifer a little break, since her husband was away on a job. This is Jordan he is 4 months old, he loves to be held like this, I think because he likes to see what is going on. He is developing his own little personality, it will be fun to see if he is more like Kevin or Ashton. To see what is going on with the Baker Boys check out Me and My Boys blogspot.
Yummy ! Kevin and Ashton help to frost and decorate the heart shape cookies. Their reward for eating all their dinner. Papa Roger made a comment this might be a mistake. (Thinking that it might get them too hyped up) mom does not let them have alot of sugar, I am sure knowing that can happen. What are grandmas and papas for, other than to spoil the grandkids. Right? By bed time they were just fine.
I think the boys and Papa Roger enjoyed those heart sugar cookies, especially Kevin. Don't you ?
Jordan just hanging out while we ate dinner, he looks content. What a neat invention for the babies to sit in when they are this age, freeing up moms and grandmas to do their thing.