Lovely Ladies #1

Sorry it’s been so long. I was out in the boonies with no internet! So I’ve decided to start a section of my blog titled Lovely Ladies. Spotlighting some I know very well, and some I’ve never had the privilege of meeting. Such as my first Lovely Lady.

Audrey Hepburn

I think Audrey defines loveliness! She’s the Queen of Class. She oozes cuteness, elegance, style, beauty and kindness in an effortless way. My general rule when picking out clothes is “would Audrey wear it?” haha! Here are some of my favorite Audrey ensembles.

Look how cute!

I love this dress from Sabrina. It’s actually a deep red.

Ahhh the style of the early 60′s! It’s so simple and becoming.

And of course the classic Audrey…

I love all her outfits in Charade, especially her coats.

Classic

Here are some of my favorite hairdos of hers.

This one with the cowl neck sweater is actually one of my favorite outfits, but this is the only picture I could find.

Even in a T-shirt or working in the kitchen (I’m sure this is staged ), she’s looking fabulous!

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” -Audrey Hepburn

Wattle Fence

Wattle fencing is so pretty looking. I’m hoping I can put some low ones in our backyard this year. I just need access to some saplings and branches that need cutting down (anyone?).

The fence is made by putting small stakes in the ground for your posts, then weaving the flexible sapling branches in between.

Pretty cool!

Ahhhh Spring

I’m very excited to be heading to Marble Hill, Missouri and then to home to Tennessee. I get to spend a whole week with my mom and family and friends! I’m VERY VERY excited about Tennessee’s typical 70 degree springtime and fields full of Daffodils. Yay Springtime!

I love love love daffodils. They’re such a happy flower! I’m attempting to help Spring along in Dubuque by putting away our coats, hats, scarfs, and gloves (we each get to keep a coat out. I’m not that dumb). It seems to be working. Our forecast for the next 10 days is looking good!

Anyway, the reason I’m going home next week, other than visiting with family, is the Ladies Retreat at Horton Haven Christian Camp. One of my favorite places!

Lovely

I haven’t been able to go to this retreat yet, so I’m excited. Then mom and I will be headed back to booming Marble Hill for some hang out time with family, and hopefully a much needed horseback ride with my Grandfather. Bingo needs some exercise!

My big baby!

A Country Vet

These books are very beloved to many including me. I could read them over and over and over! They’re hilarious and heartwarming. If you haven’t read them, get to it!

Anyway I have never really wanted to travel overseas much. Don’t get me wrong, if the opportunity arose I definitely would. But I have always wanted to go to Yorkshire and ramble around where James Herriot (pen name Alf Wight) did his rounds. Darrowby is a fictional place, but it is based on three real towns and villages. Leyburn, Middleham, and Richmond. Thirsk is Wight’s actual hometown where you can visit “The World of James Herriot”.

Yorkshire Dales

Beautiful!

Thirsk

Easter Cake

Last year for Easter I made this cake for our family dinner in Marble Hill. I believe it’s still around (in my Grandma’s freezer!) because my Grandma wouldn’t let me cut it.

Thankfully the plan was to cover it in gumpaste flowers because my fondant work wasn’t very pretty on this one. Thanks for the pictures Graeme!

This year we’re planning on being down there again. Hopefully my Aunt and Uncle and Cousins from New Hampshire will be coming too! Aunt Debi wanted me to make a cake with Annie, so that got me thinking on what to do. I also want to make macarons to go with the cake and this is what inspired me. Something more geometric and modern this year.

French Macarons

I love these bright bold colors. Spring doesn’t have to be pastel right?

I love the circles too, so i think that is going to be the theme of the cake. Here’s my inspiration so far.

Or I could just load the cake with Macarons

Yum Yum

Here are two things i LOVE to eat.

I’m kinda a chocolate snob. No milk chocolate for me. It’s got to be 70% or more. This is my favorite bar so far.

Green and Black’s organic 85% is so silky smooth and rich. just a little goes a long way.

Kalona Supernatural is a company local to Iowa. I am addicted to their yogurt. the strawberry is so good. The ingredients are as follows: organic milk, organic cream, and strawberry puree. It taste like summertime to me, and it’s not too sweet like most yogurts. Give it a try!

Oh and I love General Tso’s Chicken from Great Dragon

Moo

I started some seeds for my garden today. Lots of lettuce and spinach for my soon- to- be gutter garden, some squash, and a few chives. I love planting seeds and seeing them sprout the next day! It’s so so cool! I will probably get the rest of my garden as small plants. Also I’m thinking of starting an asparagus bed this year.

Forgot to put this Compost Bin on my list of things to build this spring

I found this cool countertop composter for $5.00 at a garage sell last spring

And now if I only had a bigger back yard, a much bigger backyard…

Our neighbor growing up had a Jersey cow, and she would share her fresh butter with us. It was so bright yellow! Jersey milk and butter is a little stronger than a Holstein’s and takes some getting used too, but it is delicious! Aren’t these girls beautiful? Maybe someday…

Spring Yard Ideas

With Spring right around the corner, I’ve been plotting and planning my backyard. Aside from the addition of our feathered friends and their coop, I’m hoping we can build some of these things too.

Pallet Table for our deck. Really want to have a place to dine outside.

I love these chairs from Ikea. They’re so cheap, so I wouldn’t feel bad painting them whatever color I want.

Gutter Gardens- I don’t have a whole lot of sunny space in my yard for growing my veggies, so i have to make every spot count. I’m thinking of putting one of these in somewhere.

Also these Tie on Slippers have nothing to do with my yard, but they’re super cute and summery

Here’s the link to the pattern http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/lancmaltby/TheElleTieOnSlippers.jpg

Story Songs

I love reading a good book, literature and I love music, so I really love it when they’re put together. This post is just a list of my favorite “story songs”. I guess ballad would be a better term, but oh well.

First this album was my favorite Christmas present this year. Natalie Merchant’s Leave Your Sleep.

Merchant’s first album in 8 years is a beautiful compilation of children’s verse she began working on for her daughter. Some of my favorite include Isabelle by: Ogden Nash, Land of Nod by: Robert Louis Stevenson, Equestrienne by: Rachel Field, and Bleezer’s Ice Cream by: Jack Prelutsky. My hubby knows me so well to get this for me

Many of the songs on my list come from these lovely musicians:

Tim O’brian

The Decemberists (love those dresses!)

Natalie Merchant

Nanci Griffith (love this album)

Nickel Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anywho here’s my very long list of great story tellin songs:

1. I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby – Alison Krauss
2. Hadestown -Anais Mitchel (this is an album. An opera based on the Orpheus myth)
3. The Luckiest – Ben Folds
4. Hurricane – Bob Dylan
5. Smackwater Jack – Carole King
6. The Long Black Veil – The Cheiftans w/ Mik Jagger (this is my favorite version)
7. We Both Go Down Together – The Decemberist
8. Leislie Anne Levine – The Decemberist
9. The Mariner’s Revenge Song – The Decemberists
10. Fair Margaret and Sweet William or Lady Margaret – Cassie Franklin and Tim O’Brian
11. Give My Love to Rose – Johnny Cash
12. Streets of Laredo – Johnny Cash
13. The Ballad of Curtis Loew – Lynyrd Skynyrd (I had a stuffed dog named Curtis Loew)
14. Beloved Wife – Natalie Merchant
15. The Letter – Natalie Mercant
16. The Lighthouse’s Tale – Nickel Creek
17. House Carpenter/Demon Lover – Nickel Creek/Tim O’brian
18. Eveline – Nickel Creek (Based on James Joyce’s Poem I believe)
19. Sampson – Regina Spektor
20. Fortune Teller – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
21. Dear John – Ryan Adams
22. A Mountaineer is Always Free – Tim O’brian
23. Down in the Willow Garden – Tim O’brian
24. Lost Little Children – Tim O’brian
25. The Ribbon in Your Hair – Tim O’brian
26. Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden – Tim O’brian
27. Fair Flower’s of the Valley – Tim O’brian
28. Mick Ryan’s Lament – Tim O’brian
29. Highwayman – Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Kris Kristopherson
30. Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean
31. El Paso – Marty Robbins
32. A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash
33. Dress of Laces – Nanci Griffith
34. Desperadoes Waiting for a Train – Nanci Griffith
35. Darcy Farrow – Nanci Griffith

Most of these songs are folk songs and terribly sad. I think that to qualify as a folk song, there has to be some amount of sadness, death, or murder in the lyrics.

Oh and I love this album. I grew up listening to it on our trips to Missouri. 

Chickens

Just got back from my Tuesday night riding lessons. I’m always amazed at how much exercise i get from riding the horse who is doing all the work. Anywho that’s not what this post is about. Ashlee and I are getting chicks this spring! We wanted to do it last year, but it just didn’t work out. We were going to order them directly from Murry Mcmurry hatchery (here: http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html ), but you have to order a minimum of 25 chicks. We are only getting 6, so we had to figure out something else. I remembered that Steve’s Ace hardware had chicks last spring, so I went by to see if they would be getting them an again this year, and they are . So when April roles around Ashlee and I should be receiving our 6 little fluffy chicks.

We’re getting 2 of each of these beauties

Buff Orpintons

These girls are great. We had a few on our farm in TN.

Black Australorps

Also had some of these pretty ladies too.

Plymouth Barred Rock

I just think these look like the classic chicken

While our little chickies are growing up, they will be living in Ashlee’s garage, meanwhile, my sweet sweet husband will build them their perfect little coop. I’m thinking of using these two designs; pulling different things from both. Now if we can just keep Atticus from them!

Our big monster. Hopefully not a chicken eater!!

Atticus