New American Homesteader - Summer Issue

The summer issue of New American Homesteader is out (giveaway below)!  This was such a fun issue to contribute to - for one thing I was writing and taking photos of something I love to do (preserving), but I also got to do a lot of it with my mom, and we had such a great time working together.  My grandma, and then my mom, have always preserved homegrown foods and they are such an inspiration to me. 

This issue, like the first, is packed from cover to cover with lovely photos, inspiring stories and guides to all things summer, like gardening, canning & preserving, and much more. 

 While preparing for this issue, we took a lot of photos and edited a lot of photos!  Not all made it into the magazine, but the above photo (one of my favorites) did.  I took this photo at my mom's house... I was there to help take photos of her preserving corn, but ended up emptying her entire pantry cupboard and filling it with her preserved goods.  I'm not sure there is anything more appealing to me than rows of canned goods in a kitchen... my grandma's kitchen is like this and it brings back so many wonderful memories.

 There are easy instructions on how to can goods like green beans, tomatoes and pickles and, even easier, freezing corn and berries.  With summer's bounty approaching, I'm looking so forward to doing some preserving! 

I feel hesitant to mention this (it not being easy to talk about myself), but it was such an honor to have one of my photos selected for the cover.  I snapped this photo last summer of local strawberries, never dreaming it would be on the cover of a magazine.  I think I like that best of all though - it wasn't snapped with any other intention than enjoying the beauty of the season's first fruit.  There's so much joy in canning and preserving and I hope you get a chance to pick up the issue!

The issue should be available on newsstands as of yesterday and hopefully you can find it wherever magazines are sold.  (If you would like to purchase online, you can find the previous issue here and the new issue soon.) 

I also have a couple extra issue that I requested just so I could give them away here - I am so thankful for each of you taking the time to read.  You encourage me and make me smile and I'm so grateful for that.

_____________________________________________________________

Giveaway - open until 6/11/14

I will select two winners to receive one copy each of the summer issue of New American Homesteader.  To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment.  And just a reminder, you don't have to have a blog to enter!  Just be sure to leave your email address so I have a way of contacting you should you win.  

New American Homesteader Magazine

 I had the privilege of contributing to a magazine on newsstands now called New American Homesteader.  As you can probably tell from the title, this magazine is all about taking little steps towards becoming a little more self-sufficient, no matter where you live, from gardening to raising chickens to making your own cleaners and more.  

I think it's safe to say this is a topic that is a little dear to my heart since these are steps we are gradually taking on our little homestead.  They have been very small steps so far, taken one at a time, but they have all been rewarding.  I don't just speak of the natural benefits either, like homegrown produce and fresh eggs.  It's so much more - spending time together as a family, enjoying nature, teaching our girls where our food comes from and responsibilities, learning to be more content and thankful for what we have, even in the simplest of things and not just material either.  

 There are a few photos you may recognize in the magazine and there's also a little feature on our family.  

I'm thankful for opportunities like this that have come from my blog, but I want to mention again that I would not still be blogging today if it were not for you all.  You'll never know how your thoughtful words have encouraged me.  

Have a wonderful week!

Celebrating Everyday Life Magazine

 

The September/October issue of Celebrating Everyday Life with Jennifer Carroll is out and it is packed with beautiful fall inspiration from fun DIY projects to delicious recipes to beautiful homes and more.

I'm honored to be a contributor in this issue... Jennifer asked to feature our chicken coop and I was just blown away when I saw what a beautiful job she did putting it together. 

You can preview the issue below and purchase or find additional information here.  I know you'll love it! 

On The Back Porch

 Just a quick post to let you know I'm on Anita's back porch today at Cedar Hill Ranch.  (I just wish I really was visiting... doesn't she have the most beautiful porch?)  Anita is extremely creative and talented, and she's also such a lovely and thoughtful person... you will love visiting her blog.  

Anita asked me some questions that took a lot of thought... and I even dug around for some old photos from my childhood (smile).  

You can find the post here.  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

P.S.  There is still time to enter the Pfister giveaway for the kitchen faucet and I just had to mention that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments left about your kitchens! 

Image Courtesy of Cedar Hill Ranch

Mini-Makeovers at Country Living

A while back I was asked if I would contribute a photo and idea for a story on Country Living's website.  It was all about quick mini-makeovers... I spent a few days thinking it over and kept coming back to the pantry post I had done a couple weeks before.  As a busy mom myself, nothing makes me feel better than a makeover that is quick and easy and combines organizing and decor all in one.    

Above is the photo I sent them... I had such a great time rearranging our pantry and took the opportunity to give our old cabinet a little makeover at the same time.  

BEFORE:

 As you know, I love the old cabinet we use as a pantry but the inside did look a little rough.  Although the outside is painted white, I had never done anything inside other than give it a thorough cleaning.  I actually like the all wood interior in its natural state, but I thought the door could use a little freshening.  So I painted a coat of white on and then a light coat of ASCP in Paris Grey, followed with a little clear wax.  

AFTER:

I love the way it turned out... it not only looks better, but feels better to the touch.  In addition, I put a coat of ASCP Paris Grey on the lower shelf, which is the only part of the cabinet that is not original.     

You can find the tips I shared here, along with several other great ideas shared by some fantastic bloggers (I love the sugared berries by Gourmandistan so much that I plan on making some to use for Jillian's birthday cake coming up in a couple weeks).  I'm so honored that Country Living asked me to be a part of 7 Mini-Makeovers You Can Finish Fast... I hope you'll head over and check out all the inspiration! 

Thank You Romantic Homes

 I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day!  Ours was nice, but low key... although the girls and I did do some impromptu cooking baking (chocolate hearts, of course) and I've been enjoying my beautiful Valentine's bouquet of tissue paper flowers that Jillian made for me all week. 

 I wanted to say a huge thank you to Romantic Homes Magazine for including my blog in the Site Seeing section of this month's issue.  The entire magazine is beautiful and not only features some gorgeous homes, but inspiring bloggers as well.  

 I was so touched when I read what was written about my blog.   It's an honor to be featured in such a lovely magazine.

Thank you, Romantic Homes!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  It is cold here, but we are making some progress on our outdoor projects and I'm busy dreaming of springtime and gardening! 

Thank You Country Living Magazine

It has been just a little over one year since I published my first post here.  My blogging journey thus far has been fun and rewarding to say the least and filled with some amazing highlights.  Being notified that I was nominated and a finalist in the Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards was incredible in itself... to actually be chosen as the judges' pick winner, travel to New York to visit Country Living, and be included in the latest issue is still a bit of a dream. 

The March issue highlights such talented bloggers, some that I had the fortune of meeting in person, and I am honored (and humbled) to have a little feature there too. 

The issue also shares some of the pictures from the luncheon and you can find additional photos here on Country Living's site.  I can't help but smile when I look at these pictures - it brings back such fun memories of our trip there.

Thank you, Country Living!

P.S.  If you missed my post about our trip to New York City, you can find it here.  

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Christmas Kitchen and Guest Post at City Farmhouse

 Good morning!  This past week I added a few festive touches to our kitchen and took some photos for a guest post I wrote at my friend Jen's.  I thought I'd share some of the pictures here too. 

 This month I have been using so much cypress.  It's soft and easy to work with and so far has held its color. 

 I hung some over the window above the sink and then added a burlap bow.  (I used this great tutorial for making the bow.) 

 I also clipped some lavender from our garden... I love catching its light fragrance while I'm doing dishes. 

 I made a little garland for Jillian's room which used some cranberries... while I was at it, I also threaded a few small little strands to put here and there. 

The girls stood beside me as I took these photos... anxiously waiting for me to finish so we could actually eat the pomegranate!

 A fun little treat this time of year... but messy too (smile). 

 On the other side of the kitchen are my cupboards... I'm sure you remember this cupboard, which hasn't changed too much. 

  But I always like adding a few little seasonal touches to it. 

I mentioned in a previous post that we've been baking up a storm.  After we *thought* we were finished with photos, we made some cookies... but I dragged out the camera again (smile).  I never get tired of seeing her drag her little stool over to help. 

(I have to tell you how hilarious Jillian is... whenever I get out the camera these days, she says something along the lines of, for the blog again?!)   

We (okay, actually it's mostly I) have plans for this corner of the kitchen and I hope we can get started on it soon!  Let's just say there's a pile of old barn wood planks sitting on our back deck just waiting...

Today I am guest posting over at City Farmhouse.  If you haven't visited Jen yet, you will love her.  She and her family live in a seaside town in New York... Jen has beautiful style and her home is just lovely and a true reflection of her.  This week she shared her home decorated for Christmas and it is so gorgeous it blew me away... you can find her tour here.   Anyway, she invited me to be a part of her Style House series and I'm honored to be giving a little tour of our home.  And if you are visiting from City Farmhouse, thank you so much for stopping by.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Sharing at Savvy Southern Style 
Common Ground
Miss Mustard Seed

Stockings in the Living Room

 I know it's strange to hear from me so soon... but I had to show you these adorable stockings my mom made for me.  She is such a talented seamstress... my sewing skills are limited to pretty much just curtains and pillows.  She raided my leftover fabric pile and hers to put these together for no cost. 

 Admittedly, our living room is still under construction, so I was pretty excited to hang them and add a little holiday cheer to the fireplace.  I just love them. 

 Today Kelly from Eclectically Vintage is featuring our home... she is so sweet and has a gorgeous 100-year-old house that is decorated so beautifully and uniquely with many vintage items.  If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out her holiday home tour here! 

Tomorrow I will be back with some pictures of our kitchen decorated for the holidays and a guest post at my friend Jen's.  I know... three days in a row is a record... I hope you aren't too tired of me! 

P.S.  I noticed last night that Country Living has photos up of the award luncheon... you can view them here. And there's still time to enter the soap giveaway if you missed it here. 

Our NYC Trip - Part Two

 Do you mind if I share just one more post from our trip to New York City?  I wanted to share the rest of our trip with you, and truthfully, I took so many pictures while we were there that it is hard to narrow it down to just one blog post!

 When we arrived in New York City, Country Living had so kindly arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport... the driver was holding a sign with my name on it, and as we got inside I wondered what he thought about us country-bumpkins.   

(I so badly wanted to get a picture of my husband carrying his hiking backpack with all our clothes inside... I get tickled just thinking about it!)    

   I know my eyes were huge as we drove through Queens and then Manhattan to our motel.  I didn't know which side of the road to look!  Our hotel (the first picture above) was a perfect location... we were within walking distance to so many attractions. We were on the 10th floor and we loved the amazing views out the windows. 

 We didn't waste any time getting started; after checking in, we were off, walking through Times Square and then up to Central Park.  The people... the architecture... the fast pace... it was incredible to take in. 

 I gasped when I first saw Central Park.  Here we had just walked through throngs of people and beside huge buildings and then there was this.  Central Park was beautiful (I think I said something to my husband about it looking like the movies)... I would have loved to have had time to walk the entire park. 

 The next morning we were up bright and early as we had reservations to visit the 9/11 memorial downtown.  Amazingly enough, I had made reservations almost immediately after finding out we would be traveling to NYC, and it was fortunate since after the hurricane hitting they were only honoring reservations already made.  

We also had our first subway experience!  Somehow we made it to our destination without getting lost (smile).  Walking to the memorial, we saw this beautiful old church in the midst of skyscrapers.

We were amazed when we saw the construction of the new towers.  Above is the tallest of the two towers, which will be the tallest building in the United States.  I love the description of the memorial in the brochure we picked up.  It says that the memorial "commemorates the lives lost, recognizes the thousands who survived, and allows visitors to come together again in the spirit of unity that emerged in the wake of 9/11". 

 The memorial was beautiful and yet sobering.  Two pools were placed where the original towers stood and waterfalls cascade into the pools, which then descend into a center empty space. 

 The names of the victims are engraved in bronze panels that surround the pools.  A sign was posted beside the panels inviting visitors to touch the names engraved.  As we walked along, I had a lump in my throat.  And when I saw the name of a woman with the words "and her unborn child" beside it, I was blinking back tears. 

The memorial was amazing.  We were thankful we had the opportunity to visit it and it's something we'll never forget. 

Afterwards, we walked down to the bay to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.  I took this picture of a grocery store on a corner... the city has small grocery stores and delis everywhere.  I could hardly believe the variety of flowers available at this store.

We spent quite a bit of time walking Battery Park alongside the bay.  It was a beautiful day and the park was peaceful and quiet.  

Breathtaking...

 That evening, after navigating the subway system like professionals (smile) back to our hotel, we walked to 5th Avenue.  It's amazing that this picture doesn't show the vast amount of people... we were often rubbing shoulders with others.  Of course we had to visit F.A.O. Schwarz where we bought the girls their presents from the city (smile). 

 The next morning brought many butterflies with the anticipation of the awards ceremony.  I showed you in my last post the outside of the Hearst tower, but here is a picture of the inside.  We had just ridden up an escalator beside a waterfall and here we got on the elevator to take us up to Country Living.

 We were greeted so warmly and we got to tour the offices of the magazine and see things like a peek of the February issue and their prop closet.  

(They tried to get out of showing us the prop closet as it was "messy"... but then somebody had the nerve to raise their hand and say loudly, "Oh, PLEASE?".  Yes, somehow my shyness evaporated at the thought of not getting to see the prop closet!) 

After the tour, we met with Rust-Oleum and then headed up to the 44th floor for the beautiful award lunch, which you can read about here if you missed it. 

Our last stop of the day was the Good Housekeeping Research Institute tour, which was so fascinating.  

I wish I could share a photo of every room, but we saw everything being tested, from appliances to paper towels to beauty products.  We also got to see the test kitchen... can you say dream job?  I've noticed the Good Housekeeping seal many times, but I didn't realize that Good Housekeeping honors a 2-year warranty for every product in their magazine.  Neat!

And can you believe there was a room tucked beside the labs that looked like this?  The rooms here are replicas from the original Hearst Tower and the dining room pictured above is often used for entertaining. I loved looking at the antiques displayed... even the rug is original.

It was such an amazing trip! I never imagined I would have the opportunity to visit New York City and I'm not sure I'll ever have the chance to go back.  But if I did have another opportunity?  I would in a heartbeat.

I joked later that we saw many sights and all kinds of people while we were there, but we definitely only saw one John Deere hat (smile).  I'm thankful for my travel buddy... the trip would not have been what it was without him.

And I want to thank you again... I would not have been there without you.  Yes, I know I didn't win Reader's Choice, but your visits and comments are often what have kept me blogging!

Have a wonderful week!  

   P.S.  I also wanted to thank my friend Brenda at Cozy Little House... she asked me recently if I would answer some questions for her blog about blogging called Cozy Inspiration and she had so many kind things to say.  If you'd like to read about my thoughts on blogging and photography, you can check it out here.