~Irishman Acres~

Liebster Award Nomination

2014-08-12T07:59:00.005-05:00

Thank you to Jen at Three Dog Farmhouse for nominating me for the Liebster Award. I have to admit that I hadn't heard of these, but after looking into it, I think this is a fun new way of getting to know new-ish blogs. So, not a lot of pretty pictures today....just me talking, sorry people!

"The Liebster award is given to up and coming bloggers . Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome"

The Rules of the Liebster Award state;

Each person must post 11 things about themselves by answering the questions that the nominator has set for you.

You must create 11 questions for the people you’ve nominated to answer. You must choose 11 people (with less than 200 followers) and link to them in your post.

Go to their page and let them know!

No tag backs!

So, these are the questions that Jen, from Three Dog Farmhouse, presented to me....here goes nothing!

1) If you could be any age again for a week what age would that be & why?

I would be 18 again...in THAT body and be completely happy with myself and not take things so seriously....

2) What is your favorite holiday & why?

I'm one of those people that love each holiday as it comes, and at that time, the current one is my favorite. Because each season is such a nice welcome change. So right now, I'm looking forward to Halloween!

3) Do you have any tattoos? what are they & where?

No tattoos made by ink, just ones made by giving birth so many times! Ha!

4) What is your favorite genre of music?

Country will always be my favorite, but I love an eclectic mix. On my ipod, I have a "cleaning playlist" that consists of dance music to get you going; I have a "slow playlist" when I'm in a quiet mood; I have some rap, reggae, Tribal, Rock, contemporary, lullabies....you name it!

5) What is the last book you have read?

The Nester's book she recently published called "The Nesting Place". I am a HUGE fan of hers and this book is now my go-to for validating that It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful. She has a way of making you feel like your her best friend!

6) If you could have a magical power what would it be & why?

Yikes! This is a hard one....I would say, to go back to any given moment and re-live it. There are so many moments with my father that I wish I could have and appreciate more before he passed away. My wedding day...tell myself it will be a really bumpy ride, but not to be nervous, it all turns out better than you can possible imagine....Or to cherish more time with my kiddos when they were real little, they grow so fast and I want to go back to some of those precious moments!

7) If you had a warning label what would yours say?

"This lady is an OPEN BOOK" I talk a lot!! And within 5 min of knowing me, you pretty much know my whole life story, and that I am madly in love with Baileyhusband (he is so HOT), and that my 4 babies and our home and farm are my passion! I am a dreamer, and share those dreams with anyone who will listen. But, not to worry, I am a good listener too! :)

8) What is your favorite saying?

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.

Abraham Lincoln

I have always LOVED this quote and want to have it displayed in our home!

9) Do you have any pet peeves? What are they?

Don't think that I am rude, but I have a lot of pet peeves! Hmmm.....I will just share a few here:

(A)Curb appeal, I don't like when able people don't clean up their yard, pull those weeds, make it pretty to look at for all of us. (See, I told you I was kind of rude!:) To me, it's a gift to have a home, so take care of it.

(B)Burping and other bodily noises at the dinner table...not acceptable!

(C)If you have a job, do it well, to the best of your ability! There are so many others needing a job, so if you don't appreciate it and do it the best you can...move over for someone else to do it.

10) If you were a wrestler what would your stage name be?

Um...this one is really tough for me. Wish I could think of something really funny or silly. But all I could come up with is (tell me that I am not the only one who has heard of this, a fun memory from my childhood) that way you come up with your "Author name" is by taking your middle name and the name of the street you grew up on. So mine would be Erin Greenfield. Or to come up with your "stripper name", you take your childhood pet's name along with your mom's maiden name. So that would be Dusty Howe. I cannot think of any wrestler stage name guidelines without it sounding like a country music singer....Dusty Greenfield?

11) What is the most romantic thing your husband,boyfriend,etc has ever done for you?

Last Valentine's Day, he hand delivered to my work, chocolate covered strawberries (made by him), and attached a heart (cut by him with my scrapbook paper) that said "Something Sweet for my Valentine". He also made his own bouquet of flowers that consisted of 2 roses and 4 carnations, and the note attached said " 2 Roses together, made 4 carnations forever! I Love You!" yep, I was a mushy mess for the remainder of the day.

Now, if you don't know us, you have to realize that it is the total opposite of anything people would think would come out of such a manly man....but, he does have a sweet heart that has kept my heart for 17 years!

Well, this was fun...I hope you all didn't get too bored! Now for the part where I nominate 11 other bloggers! Confession: I couldn't find 11, so will have to do with 7...but I love the 7 I chose!!

Drumroll......

1. Diaries from the Dirt Road

2. Kruses Workshop

3. Mountain Woman At Heart

4. The Farmer's Wife

5. My Cottage Garden

6. Amy Hanna

7. A Midwest Farmer's Daughter

I hope they all participate...and here are these lovely blogger's 11 questions that I have come up with, don't hate me!

1) What made you want to start your blog?

2) What is your favorite restaurant?

3) What is your dream job, if you could do it?

4) Morning or night person, and why?

5) What would you tell your teenage self if you could?

6) If you could live anywhere else, where would that be?

7) All-time favorite place to shop?

8) Favorite thing to wear? Your go-to outfit?

9) If you had a whole day to yourself, what would you do with it?

10) Are you still friends with your childhood buddies?

11) How many blogs do you follow religiously, and who are your favorites and why?

Have fun!! And as always....

Obsessed Much Mondays: OUR OWN SHOP

2014-08-11T07:06:00.001-05:00

{Via FoundDesign.co}

Yes, you read that title correct....we are opening up our own shop! Now, before we get all carried away with jumping up and down, and high-fiving, or clapping...it's an ONLINE shop! (I fooled you, didn't I?) Although, since I was a little girl, I dreamed of my very own Brick and Mortar shop, it is just not in the cards for our busy schedule. But have always been considering the next best thing.

{Via Curious Sofa}

I fulfilled some of that dream last fall with the Bailey Barn Sale, and have a ton of other items needing/wanting a home, and to be honest...we love making things and would like to sell them! Doing something I love, and hopefully making a little extra cash, is a win-win!

{Via AtticMag.com, not sure of original source}

I have been doing my product research and have some more things to work out, so hopefully in the next couple weeks it will be up and running! All the images I am showing are ones that I've been collecting on a "Secret" board on Pinterest for a couple years, for the day of opening my very own shop. I love each of these images and go visit them often :) Yes, always have been a little obsessed with all things homemade and vintage.

{Via Perfectly Imperfect, the world's most "Perfect" shop}

I know what I want us to make and sell...but would love to hear from all of you...what would YOU like to see us sell? If you don't know us, we make things out of barnwood, repurposed farm-y items, numbers and letters, feed sack pillows and framed sacks, and I have so many other ideas with all of our feathers! You can feel free to comment at the end of this post, on our Facebook Page (make sure you "Like" ~Irishman Acres~ on Facebook to get all the updates), private message, or email at baileywife98@gmail (dot) com.

So, my dear friends, this is WHAT has me Obsessed Much? this Monday....

...besides the fact that school starts this week....(What the What??) Summer has come and gone by so fast, I think that I am still waiting for it to actually start :(

This series Obsessed Much? Mondays was a really fun part of my summer, and I am thinking about continuing it. Would love to hear your thoughts on that also... As always, find me on our Facebook page, on Instagram (where I share more of our daily life), or see what inspires us on Pinterest.

I want you, yes YOU, to know that I appreciate you as a reader. Blogging is a fun hobby and is a great tool to get to know other people. I would love if you could please share this little ol' corner of the internet with your friends.

I hope later next week to share other "Big News", and hopefully be a little closer to getting our shop up and running....until then, wish me luck!!

Summer Home Tour 2014

2014-08-05T07:33:00.000-05:00

Now that summer is coming to an end soon, I wanted to put together a FULL post of our home tour. A one-stop shop for all those nosy-Nora's out there. (Hey, it's OK, I'm one of them!) I have this as a semi-permanent page at the top of our page titled House Tour.

Who doesn't like seeing into other people's homes? I know that I tend to drive by slowly when I see someone's door open, or pay attention to every last detail of pictures that people share of themselves in their homes.

So, here ya go....Welcome to Irishman Acres Home Tour, Summer 2014.

You can read more about each room by clicking on the name at the top of each new space, it'll take you to the post where I shared more pictures and details.

The entryway

The Front Room

The coffee room

I didn't write a post about this, but thought I'd add this room in, especially since it will probably change in the Fall :)

The Living Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

You can see more of our home's rooms in past posts (not current summer ones) The boy's bathroom: HERE and Gunnar's bedroom: HERE.

I know that I still have yet to show our kitchen, it's just never camera ready! We plan on remodeling it soon, and I will show all the details then!

Thanks for coming by and touring our home all summer-y styled, where things NEVER stay the same for long.

P.S. Check out our little "home on wheels", a re-styled camper HERE.

Obsessed Much Mondays: Hospitality and HOME

2014-08-04T08:45:00.001-05:00

This Monday's obsession? Our home and hospitality.....

Lately, it seems, there has been a slew of reasons to have parties and get-togethers. And one thing that I truly love is sharing our home. My children, on the other hand, do not like the fact that they have to help clean for such events! (cue the dramatic ~~fights~~ discussions) But, in the end...they all agree that it is worth it.

I recently co-hosted a baby shower at our home for our niece. It was so much fun! And I think it was a success...

When there is a party at our home, even if it is a birthday for one of my children...I plan it out and make it as festive as feasibly possible like it's my job!

What I NEED to get better at is the day to day hospitality....learning to let go of the perfectness that my home does not have on a day to day basis. When someone comes through my messy garage and into our even messier mudroom to enter my home, my head turns red with embarrassment. I don't always have my garage door closed, so I think people take the shorter route into our home...but I really wish that they would take the prettier route onto the front porch and into our entryway. I know down deep that people don't care, and it's not about having a perfectly put together home...it's just about sharing it and making them feel welcome! For some reason I don't have the same anxiety over dirty dishes....because there will ALWAYS be dirty dishes in my sink. So, if you are reading this...and you are coming over to my home, come to the front door for a more prettier entrance but don't look towards the kitchen sink. (kiddingnotkidding) Sorry, got off track, moving on....

I was so excited when the lil baby mama wanted to take her maternity photo-shoot here at our farm. It was so much fun to do, and even though I am not a professional photographer, I think they turned out pretty good. It helps that Irishman Acres has some amazing natural backdrops....

I believe in sharing your home. It's a reflection of who you are. I take pride in the fact that Baileyhusband built it, and together we raise our family here. I love making it feel all comfy and cozy and home-y. Inside and on the outside. Yes, I am a little OBSESSED with it actually....this home is my playground.

I secretly wish that I could make a living at this. HOME is my passion. I love helping family and friends turn their house into a home. Not by pushing my style onto them, but by helping them find theirs. I am working on a post about our style and what I call it....that will be done soon, I hope.

It wasn't always this way. When we were first married, we had a ton of things happening. We started a family right away, Baileyhusband started his own business, and we built this house.(all within the same year!) It was all quite overwhelming and we were just trying to survive.

Now, our hobby and passion is making our life here at Irishman Acres into something beautiful that we love to share. It is not a bragging sort of sharing...it's a form of sharing that artists do with gallery showings, or singers do at their concerts. We feel that we are lucky enough to have a little piece of paradise, and it was all given to us by the Man above's sweet blessing and compassion! So, why not share it?

I'm a fan of dreaming and planning, and we dream and make lots of plans. If the Lord is willing, maybe someday we can make a little income with our home and farm....don't know how yet...but it would be nice! ;)

Today, we are sharing our home with three little visitors that are ages 3, 2, and 1. They have stayed here at Aunt Kimmi and Uncle Dum Dum's for the whole weekend, and let me tell you that it was a quick reminder to us that after not having a toddler in our home for over 6 years, you quickly forget what it is like!

There are plenty of ways to practice the fine art of hospitality in the near future....my sister's daughter will be staying with us while she attends a local college and we have been busy getting a room ready for her, while doing a little switch-a-roo with our oldest daughter. And I have my co-workers from school coming over tonight for a little time together before school starts.

So, there you have it. My obsession for this Monday has been about sharing our home.... from our FRONT DOOR! ;)

Sweet Sixteen

2014-07-30T07:53:00.001-05:00

She turned 16 yesterday. And yes, I am aware how beautiful she is. Her father does own guns. Her personality is just as beautiful. So proud of the woman she is becoming. Also, one of my best friends.

Obsessed Much Mondays: It's OK to be lazy

2014-07-28T08:35:00.000-05:00

As we are nearing the end of our summer...I feel myself really wanting to get as many projects done in and around our home as possible. But that is actually a double edge sword. My mind is going in a thousand directions, and it is really tiring! Sometimes, I need to allow myself just to stop and relish in this season.

Enjoy the fruits of our labor... and just be still.

Summer, when I was growing up, was all about being outside... playing.. and sometimes just good old-fashioned laziness. But these days, it's like keeping up with the Jones'. So and so are going to the pool everyday, or are taking all these vacations.... I really just want my kids to be bored like we were when we grew up! Actually one of my favorite "mom" sayings is "If you are bored, than you are a boring person." (my kids HATE when I say that)

Being HOME is my favorite place to be...and living on a {mini} farm, there is SO MUCH TO DO. To me, we live in a vacation spot. I am aware of the fact that some families that live in the city or in town love to go camping or other vacations to get away from it all. Well, we are away from it all. So, no need to go anywhere, right?

Having the animals to tend to and play with is just the start of it.

The exploring of nature and all it's beauty (we live next to a wooded area that has a bike trail and creek running through it)

The sense of pride and accomplishment when eating from your own garden that you planted yourself

The chance to build something yourself, and just let yourself be creative. We need that time to let our minds wonder, to sit and daydream. Getting in tune with yourself and Mother Nature is good for your soul.

I will try to remind myself of these things as this summer is whizzing past.

And I hope my children look back and see that their summer was not wasted, but the exact opposite.

This was part of my Summer Series called Obsessed Much? Mondays. You can read all the other Mondays in this series by clicking HERE. Or at the top of the page, the tab called "Obsessed Much".

Painted Tree Stump in 7 Easy steps

2014-07-23T09:51:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all of you who emailed, texted, commented, and called your condolences over losing our Hershey-Girl. She was a sweet and loving member of our family and will forever be missed!! We've never had to deal with losing a pet like this yet, so new territory for us, and will take a while to "get over", if it's at all possible.

Now, I need to focus on fun stuff....
I wanted to show you all how easy it is to make a Painted Tree Stump side table. I showed this in our Living Room Summer Tour. We named him Scout, because every great thing needs to have a name! Ha!

First: Get a talented, handsome husband to make a stump level-ish for you.
(Don't mind the beer can...hey, whatever it takes :)) In his line of business we have access to plenty of stumps. I recommend you dry it out for a while in your garage, and this will also make sure any bugs are gone from it.

Second: Try to come up with a design pattern that you like. I knew I wanted something "Tribal" looking. I played around with some different patterns until I got the look I wanted. I really love the colors of brown, black, and white together, so this is what I designed

I also measured the stump to see what dimensions I wanted each row to be.

Third: I placed the stump on a drop cloth and picked out paints, it's actually pretty unpainted....but I didn't want a natural stump here. I used Annie Sloan's Old White (because I just love that white, and it's all I had on hand), and just black and brown acrylic paint that I already had also.

Fourth: Measuring and drawing the lines, this was a little time consuming...but so worth the look you get! Then I started with the white and painted one stripe at a time.

Fifth: After painting the white and black stripes, I drew on the pattern. I DID NOT want this step to be perfect. I just eye-balled it, with no measuring. To me, the Tribal look is supposed to be imperfect and free-hand looking

Sixth: When the pattern was painted on, I thought this would be complete, but I decided I wanted a defined line between the stripes. So for that, I got out our trusty wood-burner. If you don't have one, you could skip this step. But we love wood-burning and use it often.

{I asked the Baileyhusband to help in this step so I could take a picture, besides, his hands are cuter than mine}

Seventh: If you have wood floors, I recommend using felt (or something else like it) on the bottom of your VERY HEAVY new side table. I hot-glued it on. I like to rearrange often, and this was a must for us to protect our floors!

Now the stump is ready to be used as a very stylish side table! I am so completely in love with this table and can't wait to see all the places it will end up in our home.

I have had fun adding some accessories to it over the couple weeks we have had it.

So, what do you think? Easy enough, right? Be very careful....it is addicting, and now I want a tree stump in every room! I think a plain green (my favorite color) is in my future...and I would love one painted with a fun, girly pattern for one of the girls. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Have fun!! And let me know if you tackle one of your own, I would love to see them!

Sharing this with: Inspire Me Please Linky Party

Jen Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Linky Party
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Obsessed Much Mondays: Sweet Hershey

2014-07-21T16:30:00.002-05:00

We are officially home from the fair, and boy WHAT A WEEK! When we arrived home late yesterday, my home looked like a tornado had hit. Between packing the camper and the kids finishing up their homemade projects...things were just strung across the entire house!

I am a little late then normal to get out this week's "Obsessed" blog post...but with good reason.

As we are cleaning up, re-organizing our life, getting things back to "normal", and the children being completely exhausted, we are also riding a very large emotional roller coaster. We have finally come to the realization that we are losing our beloved Hershey.

{She is always getting herself into some sort of trouble}

Hershey-girl was our first family pet, and has lived with us for almost 14 years! She is totally in love with Baileyhusband (she has good taste), and follows us around while doing chores EVERY day like it is her job! She also loved to chase the boys around and stay with them while they played in the sand until dark, like a little watchman.

She has survived being run over as a young pup and survived being taken to the dog-pound after she ran away once (I found her huddled in a corner of a cage at the Animal Rescue League, looking SCARED TO DEATH, needless to say, she never ran away again!! :). And now we are saying a very sad good-bye to her. She is having trouble getting around, wobbly old legs, and has cancer.

Today, I am watching her (and sometimes following her) walk slowly and weakly around our farm. It's almost like she is saying good-bye to all her favorite places and all the animals. Usually she would be laying on the cool garage floor with the fan blowing on her. Especially today, because it is finally a HOT day. But nope, she is being a stubborn old thing...

A vet is on stand-by, for when we have finally gotten brave enough, and to love her enough to say GOOD-BYE. So today, yes...I am ObSesSeD Much over our Hershey-Girl....we love her.....

A Budget -Friendly Camper Re-Do: Our Style

2014-07-17T08:56:00.001-05:00

Last summer, on a whim, we purchased a camper...off of Craig's List...the night before we were going to use it!

When we go to the 4H County Fair, we thought it would be fun and economical to just stay there the whole week instead of driving back and forth multiple times a day, tending to our cattle that we are showing, and in between fun fair activities.

This little beauty was a great find, and a steal! It's a 1998 Dutchmen, and was taken care of by it's one owner and actually barely even used. So home it came with us!

We stayed in it that first week, but it didn't feel like ours. The cupboards were full of stuff that wasn't ours, and the colors and patterns were circa 1990's. We began to dream up big renovation plans! I even looked to Pinterest with my board titled "Camping in Style".

But when it came time to actually start renovating it, we began to get a little nostalgic about this cute little camper. The wood wasn't really that bad to live with. The floors were easy to maintain. The brass (and there is a lot of it!) was growing on us. With a few cosmetic changes and our own accessories....it feels more like "us".

I kind of let the camper tell me what style looked best with it. I brought in one of my favorite wedding gifts: A wedding Ring Quilt, and it just looked right at home in here. So that was the inspiration that I went with for the whole look.

We will probably only use this a couple times each summer, and nothing screams "Summer" to me more than quilts.

I love having the restraint of a tight budget, it is more creatively challenging. And I LOVE a challenge!

New window treatments in the bedroom were a MUST, I was going to make some,but found exactly what I wanted with these simple sheers from Target.

To balance all the girli-ness, we brought in some roughness via vintage coffee sacks. I had quite the growing collection of these, and after getting over the initial shock of cutting one up, I love the look it adds to the windows!!

Now, the window above the dining table was the biggest challenge! I know, I know...not a big deal in hind-site. But I had this "vision" of a deer rack hanging.

After several nights of begging Baileyhusband to hang those suckers, he finally did.

And they came crashing down as soon as we let go!

The wall paneling would not hold those heavy things! And if you could picture a grown woman hissing a fit, stomping her feet, and crying out to the decor Gods...well, that wasn't what happened. (well, maybe)

So, for posterity sake, I had Sierra hold them up for you all to see what it should have looked like. Cool, huh?

After thinking about it for a couple days, and thinking "what in the world can I hang there that will cover that hole we made and be light as a feather??"

Well, duh, FEATHERS! We have plenty of them around here. And you know what? I like this better than the antlers....so THERE, decor Gods!! Now this is my favorite window in the camper.

We also added burlap and rope to all the fabric panels. Amazing what a staple gun and a glue gun can accomplish! Burlap + Rope = A match made in heaven.

{One of the panels, before and after}

Some super cute, handy accessories, and we can use this as our second home! Because I always need to have fun things to look at as well as them being useful!

Real herbs from our Farm Garden, these will be handy when grilling or making sandwiches at the campground!

Here are some before and after shots to see some of the changes:

There you have it....Our finished little camper remodel.
It is not very fancy by any stretch of the imagination, and truth be told...it could be a little bigger, with bunk beds, a larger bathroom maybe. But, we actually adore this little gem.

As I sit, typing this on my quilt in the bedroom, looking out to the trees surrounding our campground....(the family is down tending to our cattle in the barn)...I cannot be happier with our choice to save money and buy this, and make it home-y with our own unique style.

To quote one of my favorite bloggers, The Nester,
It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful! So I hung this sign proudly.

I am a list maker, here is a breakdown of what was done/purchased:

* Burlap and rope added to cupboard panels with staple gun and hot glue

* Coffee sacks stapled over old window treatments

* Sheers purchased for bedroom windows, there are 3 windows. I only bought 3 panels and cut them in half length wise, and trimmed the bottom to fit the short ceiling height. (From Target)

* Baby crib sheets over kitchen benches, which also turns into a bed for the kids. So they work double-duty. (cheaper than a new slipcover. Purchased from Babies R Us)

* Quilt covering sofa-bed (over a fitted sheet), already owned

* Bedroom quilt and bedding, already owned

* Homemade feather garland over window in kitchen and homemade "Be Inspired" banner above bed.

* 2 seagrass rugs (Target)

* Magazine/mail holder baskets on wall (purchased new from Target)

* Feed sack pillows and other pillows from my hoarding stash

* Framed feed sack in barnwood, made by me

* Sheepskin throw/ rug (purchased from Ikea)

* All other accessories were just found around our home

I hope you enjoyed seeing into our little home-on-wheels! We are so excited for the chance to use it this summer/ fall season.

Until next time.....

Sharing this on: "Inspire Me Please" Linky Party
Jen Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Linky Party
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Summer at our Home: The Living Room

2014-07-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to our Home!

Our living room is part of a "Great Room" style, meaning the kitchen, dining, and living room are all one big open area. And this is where we LIVE!

It is a blessing as well as a curse ....having it all open like this. Because when the kitchen is messy, or the table, then everyone can see it and we look like slobs.

But that is part of having a family....and that is the blessing! But, right now, I will just be showing the living room portion of our "Great Room".

Last summer I took part of a ONE Room, THREE Ways Challenge. It was so much fun to see this room, with all the main pieces the same, decorated 3 different ways.

{Creams and whites}

{Turquoise and Brown}

{Denim and burlap}

I have moved and re-arranged this room a few times since last summer, but again, for the summer months, this is usually the arrangement. (For the winter, the sofa by the window comes over to the other side of the room)

And here is what this room looks like now

We have loved having 2 matching, dark brown sofas. The comfort factor is the most important, but the color is great at hiding EVERYTHING that we can throw at it! (literally)

This room's shape and size can handle 2 large sofas, instead of the usual grouping of one sofa and one loveseat. When we purchased them, the loveseat was actually so close in price as the bigger sofa, and we figured the added seating was worth the little extra cost. I sometimes wish we had bought a different ottoman than the matchy matchy one, so I added a rag-rug (purchased from Target) on top for the summer.

The seagrass rug is left un-layered this season, for a more open, summery look.

We have had these cream fringe large pillows for MANY years, and they are usually on a sofa in the basement, the texture and size is a great fit with my robin's egg blue ones with burlap trim....plus I'm kinda into fringe at the moment!

We use the tray that I painted and wrote about HERE. It is usually full of TV remotes, the daily mail, a drink...

My favorite thing to do is to "Shop the House" and re-think ways to use something, or move things from room to room. For this summer, I did actually purchase one new thing...I have been ~~stalking~~ reading and following Vol.25. Jessica is an amazingly talented artist who is living a dream life in the mountains. I LOVE ALL HER WORK. But I was particularly drawn to this piece called Wild and Free that she sells in her Etsy shop. It is great quality printed on canvas.

She sells all kinds of posters, my favorites are the Vintage inspired Science Posters, but this print did not come that way. So we made our own. By cutting (2) 1 1/2" x 1" barn boards, just stapling the canvas right to the boards, and using some twine to hang it...I love how this new piece looks in our room!

And every room needs to have a conversation piece :) Or a "Statement Piece".

Meet Scout (yes, we name things around here...for instance, our vehicle is named Big Mama). Gunnar asked me what we should call it and we agreed that it looked like a Scout, don't you?

I love tree stumps and have had this idea in my head (and Pinterest) for a while now of painting this one for our living room. And while the kids were working on their fun projects, I wanted/needed/ itched to do something crafty too! I will show you the process of making Scout on another day.

So, there you have it! Our living room Summer Style tour.....

This week, the kids will be showing their 4H projects and cattle at the County Fair....

so GOOD LUCK TO SIERRA AND WYATT!!! And I cannot wait to show you all the fun stuff they have made!!

Sharing this on: "Inspire Me Please" Linky Party

Obsessed Much Monday: County Fair Projects

2014-07-14T08:06:00.001-05:00

With the approaching County Fair this week, and because we are HUGE procastinators (I like to think we are just so busy, but the truth is we always wait until the last minute!!), we have been in PROJECT MODE here at the Bailey household.

I will not show quite yet (mainly because we aren't completely finished) the projects that Sierra and Wyatt are taking to the fair this year. But, believe me, they are SO COOL!

I will, however, give you a peek at the inspiration behind some of those projects, or at least images we have found that are similar to what they wanted to create!

Aren't those Dream Catchers BEAUTIFUL!?!? All of the images above were taken from Pinterest, if you click on them, it will take you there!

Believe me....the one that Sierra created is amazing! And HUGE! And I have several places that I could hang it in our home!

She has also made some tie-die pillow cases...fun, fun, fun! I already have other tie-die projects that I have her signed up to make for me (she just doesn't know it yet!). The image below is the tie-die method that she used, it's not your typical multi-colored one....and I love it!

{From White Buffalo Styling Co. ~ found on Pinterest}

Now moving on to Wyatt's project inspirations....he has his hands full, but he is ALMOST done. Here is a little peak at what is inspiring him:

Wait until you see the cutest project he made with regards to Olaf (from Frozen, the movie) I just may have to print this image for my winter-self! :)

This next image of Garden Markers are as close as I could get to show some hint of what Wyatt created, his are much cooler (says his mom!)

Wyatt is showing some photography of a baby calf (Alaska), as well as a wood-burned sign of our Family name.... but the most time-consuming and detailed project that he will be showing is not even close to being done yet (cue this Mama getting anxiety hives)...we still have to purchase just the right plants for it and get everything potted...and yes, judging is in 2 days!!

This is a little peak at some inspiration:

{Wyatt actually owns this book and has been using it as a guide}

Anyway, so here is what has me so OBSESSED on this Monday....my mind is in 5 different time zones and I'm trying to stay calm and organized....HA! I have a camper to pack, a house to clean, chores that need done, mouths to feed....you get the picture. But don't mind me, I will be the zombie walking around the garden center in about an hour with a twelve year old....Good Times! :)

Now, all my friends....you all have a great Monday!!

Summer at our Home: the Entry Way

2014-07-10T09:12:00.001-05:00

I know that I had promised to show our lil camper earlier this week, but having some "design issues". I will confess those issues when I post the reveal, hopefully by this weekend. So....thought I would move on to another episode of our Home Tour :)

Usually when people start with a home tour, they start with the space people see first, THE ENTRY...but, I don't like to follow rules. Plus I was totally waiting to find the perfect rug...which I did.

So, without further ado....ladies and gents: Here is the Entry Way... (drum roll please)

{don't ya love that rug? Target to the rescue!!}

2 years ago we installed these new hardwood floors, and Baileyhusband handmade the trim, and re-designed the railing with black wrought iron, and this was the first space in our home that really started a new trend for us. And completely shows every aspect of our style.

To read more about the word HOME above the doorway, go HERE. And you can see pictures of what the entry looked like when we first remodeled. (Looking back, I kind of like the simple look I had back then.....hmmm, maybe for fall I will try a new look). :)....Moving on.....

Even though this is not technically a room, it feels like it.

The antique trunk tucked under our church pew was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law..and holds all kinds of treasures waiting to be used! This girl has to use every nook and cranny to stash fun stuff in! (i.e. I'm a hoarder)

{oops, I see a torn cushion...story of my life!}

{Added the white paper stars for the 4th of July}

That beautiful picture of the Indian Chief is one of my favorite pieces of artwork that we own. The artist is actually a Bailey cousin, and if you can believe it...the Indian is made of pen dots. He didn't even draw him, or use paint, it is a series of DOTS, from a pen!! Truly amazing and beautiful. He watches over our family and all who enter. And so does that Mule Deer....Ha!

The other art hanging on the opposite wall is a collection of vintage/antique paintings of mountains. Some of our favorite memories are made with vacations to the mountains and they hold a special place in our hearts. And, well, the color of these pieces....go perfect in our home for the summer :)

The trees on the wall are barbed wire and old wood, lovely items homemade by another Bailey cousin. (yep, it runs in the family!)

And yet another display of our peacock feathers...I literally have them EVERYWHERE in our home. And Paco and Felipe are molting (shedding of their feathers) as we speak...so everyday we are gathering them and tucking feathers in all corners. We really do need to get people to buy these suckers. I just can't throw them away, they are TOO beautiful!

{this cute little pottery vase? 50 cents at a garage sale!!!}

I am really having fun taking pictures of each room, they tend to look so different in the camera and on the computer. You actually see things that you overlook in person....good design therapy also!

I also wanted to say that our annual 4th of July party last weekend was a HUGE success! And even though I didn't take ANY pictures yet again this year, I was having too much fun, I need to say what an amazing group of family and friends that we have! The food, the visits, the pasture golf, the volleyball, the food (it was worth mentioning twice!), the fireworks, and the weather all turned out PERFECT! Thanks to everyone who came!!

Until next time....

Linking to the always amazing: Jennifer Rizzo

Obsessed Much? Monday: Camping in Style

2014-07-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

We are the proud owners of a cute little camper. Purchased last summer, on a whim. And we are the same people who said that they would never own a camper....never say NEVER! Although we will not be using it that often, it will be nice to have a little place (of our own) to stay when needed, or when the youngins want to have a sleepover :)

We are currently making some cool, ~~cheap~~ budget friendly changes to it to make it more comfortable for us, and to bring in more of our style.

Before I show you our new little vacation home on wheels, I had to show you what some of my inspiration is coming from and what has me so obsessed!

Pinterest is an addicting little burger. And boy, did I get a little excited when I saw some of these images....

{from the Fancy Farm Girl}

{Originally found here}

Just look at all that white, it is so clean and fresh looking...
Even though I LOVE these spaces, ultimately I know that Baileyhusband would not be very comfortable with these Girly looks. (besides, he told me so)

This is getting a little bit closer to what he likes.... and I love the use of wood, white, and black. That rug that we catch a glimpse of is so perfect....

{Not sure of the original source}

You don't have to skimp on what you love or what makes you happy just because the manufacturer made it a certain way. I think making it feel more like a little HOME instead of a trailer will make you love the time spent in it so much more.

I like the storage and use of different un-camper materials that this next image shows.

{unknown source from Pinterest}

Oh, this wood wall...seriously?? LOVE THIS!! Maybe not for now, but maybe in the future....

Head on over to my Pinterest board for more amazing images. And make sure you come back tomorrow to see our cute little camper's new look!

Summer at our Home: The Master Bath

2014-07-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

It's not a large room, by Master Bath standards....but it works for us....welcome to our little oasis. Baileyhusband went all out in this bathroom of ours, when we renovated it around 10 yrs ago (I STILL cannot believe it's been that long!!). With just a little minor changes coming this fall/winter, we couldn't love it more.

I'm not gonna talk alot...I'll let you visit in private.....

{Collection of heart shaped rocks}

{This orange-y wood will be getting a make-over soon!}

Thanks for visiting our bathroom! Just make sure you put the toilet lid down when you leave!

Summer at our Home: The Master Bedroom

2014-07-02T08:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a peak into our sanctuary..... Our bedroom!

Summer is a great time to change up your master bedroom.

I tend to swap pillows and accessories all the time throughout our home....but it always makes the biggest impact in our bedroom.

The walls have been this color since the day we moved in, it's the only room that hasn't changed wall-color! But I am still just as in love with it now as I was then.

I like to keep the main bedding and window treatments neutral, and just add color and texture with the pillows, blankets, rugs, etc.

As a couple, this room is SO US. A little masculine for him (antler lamps, cowhide rug, leather headboard, leather topped side table), and feminine for me (glass topped side table, PILLOWS, flowers, etc).

Our entire home is based on colors and other influences from Mother Nature. I recently found these sheets at Target. I love the botanical pattern and the colors are perfect!

The big-long lumbar pillow came from Lauren Liess, one of my favorite designers EVER....wish she was local, because I just know that we would be BFFs. (haha).

And of course, the "Nest" pillow that always finds its way onto our bed, is from Pottery Barn.

{who doesn't love some fringe and a dream catcher hanging over their bed? At least Baileyhusband doesn't complain}

Probably our FAVORITE thing in this room, and what influences the design in here for the summer is this amazing quilt. This beauty is KING-Sized, and was totally handmade by my mother-in-law!! Can you believe the patience she has? I love all the details and colors (and the bird pattern)! Nothing screams summer to me more than a quilt.

{Dried Hydrangeas that I thrifted in an enamel pitcher}

The rest of our home gets messy on a daily basis, but this room....ah, but this room....this is a sanctuary. It's the first room you are in every day, and the last room you are in at night. It should be calm, clean (kind of obsessed about making my bed EVERY DAY), and relaxing. And ALL about the people that inhabit it....

{our wedding invitation engraved on a glass plate}

{MY FAVORITE PORTRAIT OF OUR 4 BABIES}

{our dresser top, full of memories of our life together}

The next part of our summer tour is going to be our Master Bathroom....a gorgeous room that we renovated a few years ago, and still an oasis. So make sure you come back to see that! Have a great, sunshine-y (rainy and cloudy here) day!!

Linking to the awesome blogs of : Jennifer Rizzo and Liz Marie

Obsessed Much? Monday

2014-06-30T08:02:00.001-05:00

Happy "Independence Day" week! This year is our 16th Annual 4th of July Party. Last year I posted about some of our decor....

Well, while I AM trying to get to the decor part...I have a little problem....RAIN

Which gets me to the thing that I am OBSESSING OVER this week:

WEEDS

Our friends and family will not care much, I know that. But we want our farm and home to look it's best. It's kind of like dressing up to go to a wedding or some other fancy occasion. Your children might not be too excited about this, but they are to be showered, hair combed, in their "church clothes"... and on their best behavior.

{At our niece's wedding last fall}

That is how I view our yard for this annual occasion.

Most of the approx. 200 guests only come this one day a year to our farm, so of course I want her looking her best!

So, because of my OBSESSION this week, I don't have any great photos to share of our yard yet. It's an on-going project. On top of all the weeds that I have been discarding (between the rainstorms...we are talking flood-stage amounts of rain!), I have also been getting all the patios and porches perti-fied...and not to mention the inside of our home. I will probably just be removing dust-bunnies and scrubbing toilets right up until friends and family arrive on Saturday!

{Some weeds are pretty though, and will be staying!} :)

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Chicks and Calves

2014-06-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

Our farm has some new little ones running around, and I couldn't be more excited. There is nothing cuter than a mama hen hatching her own chicks and taking care of them.

These are the Brahma chicks, there are 6 total

Our Silkie hens hatched 9. One is a black silkie, 7 are white, and one mixed. And the black hen is the one taking care of them all, poor Mama...could you imagine trying to corral 9 toddlers?? She does a great job showing them how to scratch the ground, where to find water, and then keeps them safe and warm from all the rain we've been having.

I took this close-up of them after just a few had hatched to share on our Instagram. SO cute and fluffy...Silkies are my favorites!

And then this year has been a record...one of our ~~Peacock~~ ~~Hens~~ Peahens has hatched 5 little ~~chicks~~ peachicks herself! She laid on her nest with 5 eggs under her, and ALL 5 hatched and have survived!!

Daddy Paco is proud too!

She is taking wonderful care of her babies. There is another Hen laying on a nest with an unknown amount of eggs under her. We are hoping for the best...and the incubator is full (17) of what looks to be good eggs also. (Baileyhusband recently kindled them and they look to have chicks growing inside!)

WHEW! That will be alot of little ones running around....look for our "For SALE" page on our website Irishman Acres if you are interested in purchasing some Peafowl from us! They are MY FAVORITE farm bird.

I also wanted to show some new pictures of our little calf that Carly Jo had on June 13th...that was Friday, the 13th!!! Her name is Carolina, and she is precious (of course).

You can read all about the day she arrived HERE.

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I hope that this weekend has some rain-free moments so we can get more outside work done for our big 4th of July party that is coming SOONER than we will be ready for! (Wow, that was one big long sentence..just picture it coming out of my mouth fast and out of breath....because that is how my brain and body are functioning right now!) Happy Friday!

Summer at our Home: The Front Room

2014-06-26T09:58:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our home!

I thought it would be fun to put a little tour together of our summer-styled home.

People usually decorate more in the fall (Halloween, pumpkins, etc) and definitely winter (Christmas)...not much in the summer. To me, summer is more of a clutter-free- less- is- more kind of time. It starts out that way anyway...kids, animals, projects get in the way of that sometimes, but a girl can dream right?

So, before this house gets too messy this summer, I took some pictures of what I would like my home to look like most days, and thought I'd share them here (for documentation purposes, ha). I will show one room at a time, and when I'm done, will put them together in one Tour Post.

Today, I am starting with our front room. I recently showed our bookcases that we painted white. You can see that post HERE. Now here is the rest of the room, styled for summer!

Our farm name is not actually painted on our wooden crate coffee table, but now that I digitally put it on there, I kinda like it!

I added in that bright afghan and it certainly brightens up this room. This little love seat and matching chair with ottoman were given to us by my mama, they are so comfy and we love them. However, they are quite dark for this room, so I like to add something to them for each season that breaks up all the brown.

This picture was taken before I did a switch-a-roo with the pillows and some art on the gallery wall. But I liked it because it shows our new rag rug. This rug was originally purchased for my daughter's dorm room, but now that she is back home....it became mine! And little Koda-Bear likes it too! It's his rug-of-choice. (side-note: Isn't he the cutest thing EVER??)

After painting the bookcases white, and because we don't do a "traditional style", I have propped in some old yard-sticks in front of each shelf. I like the added color and quirkiness they give.

A vintage quilt and denim pillow, next to my stump table that Baileyhusband made, is the perfect spot for morning devotions (and blog reading).

We hung the "Bailey" portion of our homemade banner (from last fall's Barn Sale) above the window instead of window treatments. Living in the country, I want to SEE all the beauty outside, and this banner (recycled from our old jeans) is a great summer addition...that just might be there permanently.

This is also a music room, so our piano is a focal point...we also have a snare drum and bells hidden behind the love-seat.

The front room will always be the most "cluttered" looking because of it's many purposes. I struggle all the time trying to quiet the room, decoratively not noisily...remember that I have 4 kids, a husband, and a dog living in this home with me!? But this is also the room that I showcase homemade artwork and family photos, all our photo albums and books, musical instruments, our home office, etc.

But this is US, in this stage of life....so I added in some color this summer to reflect how we live.

Sure, I am never done decorating, re-arranging, and changing things...and I am seriously thinking of changing the wall color, but that is the fun part, isn't it? LAzy daYs Of SuMmeR? Not around here.....

Linking this to: Inspire Me Please Linky Party. Check out all the fun link-ups!

A Cousin's Weekend

2014-06-24T10:27:00.001-05:00

I have three sisters....together, we have 12 children. I thought it would be fun to share a weekend that we had over the Easter holiday this spring.

I am so proud to say that all 12 cousins are extremely close knit, almost like brothers and sisters. We have made it a point to always stay connected, especially now that they are growing up, going off to college, and for one of the cousins that means JOINING the AIR FORCE. That nephew of mine has spent the last 2 years stationed in Japan. And came home for a month before moving to Italy where he is now stationed.

We all gathered at the airport, awaiting his arrival. And then here is the first glimpse of him....still gets me teary-eyed everytime I see this {blurry} picture. The next several that I took were completely blurry, maybe because I was jumping up and down and ~~laughing~~ ~~yelling~~ crying!?

While he was back for his visit, and because it had been 2 years since we had ALL been together, I planned a COUSIN'S WEEKEND. A very large slumber-party at our house!

My sisters and I, along with our Mama, planned the weekend out:
where everyone would sleep, the menu, the photoshoots, the games...

And we had only ONE RULE:

{NO CELL-PHONES or other techy devices}

We were to stay plugged- in to each other....

{My sisters and I}

{My sister and her family reunited!}

Mornings at my house were my favorite, I have a ton of (embarrassing, for our eyes only) photos of coffee time in our jammies, but here is one on Easter morning after all 12 cousins hunted and found their baskets from the Bunny.

{the Girls}

{the Boys}

Airsoft gun wars are a favorite pasttime when these 9 are together, so they all camo-ed up and spent hours around our farm and woods.

You are NEVER too old to enjoy slumber parties, 4-wheelin, playing games....

This was truly my favorite. weekend. ever.

Easter morning at church with Grandma, and these 12 can never be serious for long.

My sister, Kelley, was in charge of games for the weekend. She is brilliant with coming up with "Minute to Win It" type games (with prizes)!

Then it wouldn't be Easter without a good ol fashioned Egg Hunt...well, with a twist ;) Since they are getting too old for the real deal, we made a game of it.
The adults (while the "kids" were inside) spelled out words on the lawn.

We told them they needed to correctly write down what each word said, then when they thought they had it....we told them that they needed to correctly tell us how many eggs were used in each word also.

We didn't even count ourselves, we just laughed watching them so seriously counting...we told them when they had it wrong and had to go back and recount. Seriously....funniest thing, watching them.....

Then there was the infamous "Golden Egg". Which had a very large amount of money in it. The cousins had to find it somewhere in the front yard. This is where it got REALLY competitive :)

I look back over these pictures all the time...someday these 12 will get married, and bring their own families. (which will also be fun) But this one weekend was like a once in a lifetime event that we will all cherish...just them, one last time, UNPLUGGED!

Obsessed Much? Mondays

2014-06-23T11:11:00.001-05:00

For this second edition of Obsessed Much, I want to share that I am totally and unapologetic-ly obsessed with: THRIFTING

Thrift stores...you know these places that were so taboo years ago....Goodwill, Salvation Army, flea markets, garage and tag sales.....

Yep, these places are the new "IT" stores :) It is now cool to shop second-hand. No-thanks to the song "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis . Ya know, the song that says I'm gonna pop some tags? I recently found that I had a few hours to myself, and what is a mama to do? Well, one man's trash is another man's treasure (come-up) fo sho. (that is me trying to talk slang....I'm not cool enough, I know!)

Anyway....here are some treasures that I found recently

{I think it's a soap dish, at least that is what I will be using it for :)}

{Tea cups made in Germany, love these!}

{these will be spray painted and added to a wall soon}

{metal bowl, don't know WHAT I'll do with this, but had to have it}

{This MADE IN INDIA hand painted dhurrie rug, SERIOUSLY PEOPLE!?}

All these things pictured below were thrifted. The barn frame was purchased with a not-so-pretty-picture inside. I bought the seed sack and just popped it in the frame. And that mountain scene?? Love it...bought frameless (for $7.00) and I kind of like it that way for now.

I also bought some crisp clean white pillow cases, which were turned into these (by my daughter)

And remember this re-do?

It might be hard to see in the picture below (from my cell-phone) but from a church garage sale I found all these things...totaling $20. Those big strands of beads? $1 for all of them!!! The pizza board? 50 cents! The most amazing things are found when not even looking for them!

{75 cents for the vase and $1.00 for the dried hydrangea bundle}

I have also purchased several items that I am currently using for little make-over projects and cannot show at this time (teaser), but also bought the following unpictured items:

A couple pillows (did you know that people get rid of perfectly good pillows with ugly covers?) Yep, feel them next time you are thrifting, if they are feather down inserts inside...snag them up. Couldn't beat the $2 a piece price tag! Mine had zippered covers, threw those away and have a great insert for a new homemade pillow!

An unloved lonely dining room chair for $4.99. That was four dollars and ninety nine cents people!! One day, my daughter will be moving out and would like mismatched dining chairs, yep, score!!!

And 4 semi-scratched 8x10 frames. With a coat of fresh paint, they will be masterpieces on any gallery wall!

Here are some other helpful hints I use when thrifting:

1. Don't shop with SPECIFIC things in mind...you generally will not find them and leave disappointed and empty handed. Instead, think of non-specifics: a fun lamp, some accessories for your bookshelf, a piece of furniture that you could re-purpose, maybe something fun to hang on a gallery wall.

2. If you don't know about something or aren't quite sure if it will work for you. Leave it, walk around the store, think about it. If you STILL think it's worth the money, BUY IT. It is probably only a couple dollars...so not a big deal. But if you don't buy it, someone else will, and it will haunt you forever. (kidding, kinda) If you love it, you WILL find a place for it, I promise!

3. Know your own style. This is hard for some. But don't buy something that you know is not "You" just because it is cheap. And I also keep friends/family in mind when looking around. This most recent shopping trip for me resulted in me re-styling my sister's family room. For a total of $35, she has a new summery look. (I will get back over to her house and show pictures someday soon)

4. If you like the style, but not the color, re-do it with paint, fabric or whatever trips your trigger.

{A very long table runner that I'm adding my favorite Aztec-y look to, purchased for $1.00}

5. Just have fun! Bring a friend or sister or daughter or your mama...or enjoy the alone time!

When given an afternoon and a little money in my pocket, I will always choose to go thrifting! You never know what kind of treasures you can find!

{Always on the hunt for vintage crates and globes}

Painting our bookcases WHITE

2014-06-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

We built our home in 1998-1999, when the "popular" color of stain was this honey oak color. Now....not so popular. Or remotely our taste. Like, I hate it. (sorry if I offend anyone who still has this and likes it)

ALL our woodwork in this home was that same color of stain. The trim, the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and these built-ins in our front room.

For the last couple years, we have been working on transforming this home of ours into the style we now call our own. And the woodwork and old stain of yesteryear has been slowly leaving....room by room.

The new hardwood flooring, the white wainscoting and white trim, and some furniture additions...this room was getting there. But those bookcases. Not my style, but trying to work within a budget, I decided that some paint would work wonders.

We purchased Bulls Eye 1.2.3. Primer...this stuff is MAGICAL! And then we went with Pittsburgh Ultra Interior semi-gloss White paint. (which happens to also to have primer in it, we didn't want to paint a thousand coats!)

And now, I am much more happy with the look in this room.

Here are the shelves while I was trying to style them. You can see that the walls needed some touch-ups.

Adding white into our home, definitely helps in brightening things up around here. This front room serves a multitude of purposes. This is our LIBRARY, HOME OFFICE, READING ROOM, and MUSIC ROOM.

Our house is, for the most part, designed with neutral (nature-y) colors. This summer I have had a little fun adding some color to this particular room. I am working on a summer tour of our home for a later post, if the sun ever comes back out so I can take decent pictures!

So stay tuned for what this whole room looks like for the summer. But for now, here is the side-by-side (before and after) of the shelves...

Love them! Now, if only our kitchen cupboards were just magically painted by some wizard...now THAT will be a much bigger project!! Hopefully some day!

Obsessed Much? Mondays: A new summer-time series

2014-06-16T08:20:00.000-05:00

Mondays are a bit of a bitter-sweet pill to swallow. And even though it is summer, they are still hard. Sundays are family days, and really the only day we have Daddy home...the life of a construction man!

I am starting a little summertime series here on the blog called

There are so many things that I obsess over...and I can just here my teenage daughters say, "Obsessed much, mom?" These are fun things that I either obsess over at home , while shopping, eating, crafting, etc.

To start things off...this week (actually, EVERY week), I am OBSESSED with: COWS

{my favorites: Clover and Carly Jo}

This was a NO-BRAINER for anyone who knows me. You all know how OBSESSED I am of my cows. My Instagram feed is full of pictures of Carly Jo and all our other cattle here at Irishman Acres!

Growing up in a bigger city, and even have lived here in the country for most of our marriage, I am still amazed by the beauty and personality of our cows. We do tend to spoil them....our vet has even teased us about probably giving our cows bottled water. (I wonder how expensive that would be?)

I do know, that being around them, giving them attention, brushing them, giving them baths, keeps them extremely tame.

Tame cattle are important when a vet comes for checkups

{Carly getting an ultrasound}

When they give birth, and are as tame as Carly, she doesn't mind me being right there taking pics and helping her baby stand!

{minutes after giving birth}

Meet baby Carolina! She was born on Friday...and I got to witness it! This is Carly Jo's 4th calf, it is funny how she has had a heifer (girl) every other year. So we were hoping that this was a girl.

{almost all clean and dry}

{trying to stand}

Shortly after being born, the calves try to stand up (with the Mama's help and encouragement). Carolina was having a tough time on the concrete in the barn...so I moved her outside.

{so much easier outside}

{Mama's watchful eye}

I think that I stayed down there for about 2 hours watching this miracle and documenting this with my camera.

{baby's first meal}

I know that many farmers just laugh at me when they find that I am totally obsessed with my cows...but these are more than just cows to us....they are our pets.

And Carly Jo was the first farm animal that I have ever had to pleasure of loving...she was our bottle-fed baby, and has the personality of a puppy!

{Carly- when she first came to live at Irishman Acres}

So, when people will ask "obessed much?", about our cows...I would answer YES! And so glad that I am! :)

I think this will be a fun series every Monday..and hope you don't get too bored listening to the rambling of this Baileywife! It won't always be about our farm animals..I am a home-loving-obsessed-wanna-be-designer, so some weeks I'm sure it will be about home-y stuff.

Linking up to: From the Farm Blog Hop

A thrift shop re-design

2014-06-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

Recently, I spent an afternoon (alone!!) shopping. I found myself at a thrift store and snagged a ton of great deals! This tray was one of them.

It was in decent shape, besides one of the handles being cracked, and was a very sturdy piece...just not my style.

I know from experience that Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) covers ANYTHING, so I thought that I would try an experiment. You see, that black and gold pattern was actually a paper covering. Seeing that I have no patience...NONE, ZERO...when it comes to crafting, I want something done fast! So ASCP it was! I used Old White, it is my go-to color for everything. I just painted over it all. 2 coats and it looked like this:

It looked too plain, so I came up with an AZTEC-Y design on paper

After cutting it out, I couldn't decide what I wanted to dominate, the black or the white, so I laid out both ways

And ultimately decided I liked seeing the white more. I traced the pattern on

I did this project while drinking a pot of coffee, so my unsteady hands and black paint were not a good combo, but think it turned out alright anyways. Perfection is never my intention! :)

I just used black craft paint, then I did put clear wax over the whole thing to help seal and smooth the chalk paint.

Next, I used some black leather strapping that I had on hand, this can be purchased at any craft store. And just hot-glued those things on...super simple!

I love how this tray turned out! Aztec designs are so popular right now, and I like how they look in our home.

And just because the inside of my home doesn't have good photo-lighting, I tried to prop it outside, you can see that my paint job isn't perfect...who cares, right? It just adds character! :)

Did you see that little arrow in the photo above? I had aztec/Indian on my brain and happened to find the perfect feathers in our yard yesterday!

This is where it ended up....for now

I'm sharing this on: Jennifer Rizzo and Liz Marie Blog 's Linky parties

Class Dismissed!

2014-06-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

Summertime is officially here, and I feel like my A.D.D. is kicking in BIG TIME!

Just like any busy mom, there are 40,000 things on "the List" that we would like to do or accomplish over the summer. And since I work for a school, the summer is my time off. I am so excited that I don't even know where to start on "the List"....so I just sit and read or play with our new puppy instead!

This is the newest addition to Irishman Acres...meet KODA....and if you know us at all, this was the furthest from any creature we thought we would ever own! But just look at that face!! He was 3 months old when he came to ~~love~~ live with us, so almost potty trained....and we are completely smitten. He is a "designer breed" called a Teddy Bear. (A Shih tzu and Bishon Frise mix.)

So for now, I have a list of things that need accomplished, and I thought it would be fun to write them out here and see if they will get done....and hopefully I can share them as I go!

1. My niece is moving in with us at the end of the summer because she is going to a local college. I am over the moon excited about this, but have to get a room ready for her!! And the only room we have is currently being used as a craft/ decor storage room...actually just a messy catch-all, but storage room sounds better. So I have my work cut out for me....moving things around and getting REALLY creative with my storage!

2. We purchased a really cool work bench at an auction last fall and have been wanting to bring that into our home somehow, I think I know where we are putting it, but have some re-arranging of things in the room where we are putting it and maybe some painting....CANNOT WAIT, but won't share any more info until I know for sure that it's a GO! :)

Working on my outdoor spaces:

3. The chicken coup and enclosure has been on my radar of needing some TLC. I have started on some interesting things there and will share those soon. (and when I say "interesting", I mean it is interesting to me and maybe other onlookers, but I really think that the chickens could care less. But I think it should look pretty, and so it shall! :)

4. I have some additions to our back porch this year, and am almost done getting it camera ready....but it still needs some sewing projects completed, lucky me that my daughter took a textiles class this year and will be my little design intern! (hahaha, said in an evil cackle)

5. There is a water feature that I have had on my honey-do list, well at least my honey-help-me-please list! Baileyhusband is extremely busy with work these days and I feel so guilty asking him of things, but hopefully sometime before our big 4th of July bash we can get this thing accomplished.

6. We have added a strawberry patch and herb garden to our farm, and it is so cool!

I posted it on our Instagram page, you can follow along HERE. So, we have quite a large amount of crops to tend to and will keep my boys and I busy this summer!

And there are a slew of projects in my brain for our home, and our new-ish camper. We purchased a 1998 Dutchman RV the night before we went to the county fair last year, so we really only have used it that week. And now I am in the process of making it our own by getting rid of the 90's mauve look, and adding in our style. This is a fun project that I will be sharing.

So I will say adios for now...I need to get my A.D.D in check and get something started (and finished) around here!!

Spring Break Shenanigans

2014-03-24T11:39:00.000-05:00

When you work for a school system, and all your children are BEGGING for a little vaca

for SPRING BREAK.....why not?

Last year, it was just me and my girls heading off to Chicago. What a fun experience that was, and a huge eye opener that we needed more little get-aways in our life!

So, this year...we took the whole fam-bam to Minnesota. This was a little closer option and more appealing to the boy-folks in our family. The lure of an indoor waterpark/ hotel and a mall that had a amusement park inside was too much for all for us to deny!

{the all-too-original family selfie}

I left the ol fancy camera at home for this trip, and so all pics were taken with cellphones.

But sometimes the stress of worrying about taking pictures and keeping a close eye on your camera is not my idea of vacation....so not-so-good-pictures it is!

First stop: CABELA'S

Giving the kids a small budget each could use helped in moving things along faster....

I think they enjoyed the taxidermy animal displays more than anything :)

We stayed at the Radisson Hotel which has "The Waterpark of America" attached to it, for an additional fee of course. But well worth the money paid, endless hours of play for all of us!

{Took this image off of Google, this was a much better photo than any I took}

My kids didn't really play in the "Kiddie" area too much, they have graduated to the big kid areas, and so have I, hence the NO PHOTOS AT ALL OF US ON ALL THE FUN STUFF! :(

Except the surfin...my boys all tried it, but Baileyhusband doesn't want his photo posted :)

{Gunny}

{Wyatt}

Our hotel room was perfect for a family of six. We slept on a queen size bed, and there was a bunk room for the kids...I highly recommend bunk rooms, so much entertainment to hear them all together in one room....there is a little sarcasm in that comment, but it was a perfect setting! And better than someone sleeping on the floor and having to share our bed.

Us country folk, staying in a big city, is something to behold! And getting to shop at all the places that I only see online is something else entirely!! My dear Baileyhusband amused me in a little couples therapy time in IKEA! People, I felt like the Mothership was calling me HOME!!

I am going to do another blog post about all the fun things acquired in that round of shopping!!

The Mall of America, aka the MEGA-MALL was our next stop.

I felt a little guilty of all the fun home-decor-y stuff that I was fortunate to purchase at Ikea....so the mall was mostly about the kids getting to play.... and eating......

Getting away with the whole family is a very rare occurrence once one goes off to college, so even though this was only for 2 1/2 days, this was much needed!!

The other days of our break have been alot of movie watching....hello?! Frozen anyone? Seriously the cutest movie ever.

And craft making:

A great friend came over, and we made these barn wood beauties for her sister. I forgot how fun and relaxing that crafting can be! And this big D is going on a new gallery wall for my friend. Can't wait to see the final result, I love a good gallery!!

And one night we heard lots of giggling and general girl-y loudness coming from the basement....and I am so impressed with the result....made from crayons, ya'all!! So impressed with my daughters!!

Now, I am going to spend my last day of Spring Break in my sweats, making cookies, and watching Frozen....again! I hope spring shows up soon, it snowed again this morning.....UGH!!

~Kim