My Farmhouse Style

Brian and I have lived in six houses over our 25 year marriage. The first was a small bungalow in the country. It was small and cozy for us newlyweds. This sad little house was neglected and we set about painting everything - ceilings, walls, bathroom and kitchen cabinets, and closets. At the end of the day, we were covered in paint from head to toe. Once the painting was done, and with a thorough cleaning, we were able to move in. We moved in furniture and boxes from my apartment and Brian moved in things from his. My style then was a mix of country and Victorian.

We upgraded when we purchased a bi-level home on one acre backing onto a small man made lake. It was home for five years. My style remained a mix of country and Victorian. It was here that I discovered the thrill of walking into antique and second hand stores and fell in love with the hunt - for that special piece of china or crystal and for those antiques that I could afford.

Then, with a change in jobs for Brian where he would be traveling, we decided to move into the city. We purchased a cute little semi-bungalow on a beautiful lot backed by green space. Since Brian was gone during the week, I felt like I was a single girl again and decorated our home in Victorian style - lots of flowers everywhere. On the wallpaper, on the walls, on the pillows, with rose pink kitchen walls and anaglypta wallpaper on the bathroom ceiling. It was cozy and warm.

With another change in jobs for Brian, we made the move from our home in Canada to Wisconsin. We were very excited and looked forward to the change. We packed up (or rather the movers packed - I had just had back surgery) and drove the almost 2000 miles to our new home. After a week long search and countless houses, we finally found our home. You know the feeling - you just know. This house was a two-story and was very comfortable with lots of light in the south facing kitchen. We added on a large sunroom which is where I spent most of my time - summer and winter. My style changed somewhat during this time. Gone were the country cows and floral wallpaper. Instead, this home was more traditional in feel although I still had a floral sofa, loveseat and chair that were still in excellent condition.

With another change in jobs we moved from our home in Middleton to Waterloo. We bought a 50s ranch style home. I was able to buy new furniture and opted for traditional furniture in spicy browns and greens. Again I painted the kitchen cupboards and turned the rooms into rooms we were comfortable in. After a few years we were able to fulfill a dream we had had for years. We bought a farm.

So here we are now on our 17 acre farm with room for our alpacas, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, dogs and parrots. My husband and I live in a two story farmhouse that has sagging floors and a stone basement. But it's warm, solid and safe. I'm slowly going through the house and making it my own. My style has evolved and I find myself drawn to French Country. Mostly done in white of varying shades, I'm still drawn to warmer earth tones with white as an accent.

No matter what style you prefer - there's no place like home.

Bee Keeping

Tomorrow I attend my first bee keeping class. I've been burning up google researching and looking at pictures of beehives. I've also spent time visiting blogs about bees. There are many out there but my favorite has been "Two Men and a Little Farm". I've found a lot of information and inspiration there and I just love 1st man's style of writing.

I've decided that I want Langstroth hives with the copper English style roof. Any time I can put English into anything I do is a good day! I'm going to start with one hive, but if I can manage it financially, I'll start with two. My thinking on this is that if one "fails", perhaps the other will not. I like the look of the Langstroth hives and have decided to paint them a crisp white. They'll be easily seen from the house in white so that I'll be able to keep an eye on them.

The hives come in 8 and 10 frame boxes. I'm going to go with 8 for ease of lifting. Since I'll be setting up this year for bees next year, I plan on purchasing my bee keeping supplies through the coming year. I have visions of veiled hats, white gloves, smokers and various other tools dancing through my head.

The next decision is where to place them on the farm. For that, I'm hoping the teacher in my bee keeping class will be able to help. I've also joined the Dodge-Jefferson Bee Keeper's Association who meet monthly and where I hope to gain a lot of information and advice. They are also one of a few clubs who maintain an active hive yard (apiary) so I'm hoping to gain valuable experience even before my hives are up and buzzing.

Bees and Honey - what could be more glorious! A Bee Garden of course!

All pictures in this post are via the internet.

Kitchen Pantry

We have a large back entry that leads into the kitchen. Although there was a bank of cupboards, it seemed to me that much of the space was wasted. Add to that a 100 year old basement that I don't like going down into and you have the makings of a pantry.

This is the bank of cupboards and the nook below where I had Finnegan's belongings.

You can see how much wasted space there is. I had originally thought to place the washer and dryer here when we rebuilt the staircase, but that didn't work out so the washer and dryer will stay in the little laundry room at the front of the house. I then came up with the idea to have a pantry built. I was inspired by the pantry at one of my favorite blogs to visit, "for the love of a house".

So with our excellent contractor/carpenter on board, he set about the task of building the pantry. I'm so glad we had him do the work for us . . . you can't imagine how much work a little project like this is. From removing the trim, to building, mudding and taping, and everything in between and after. Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it! And I have to say this - he matched the stain on the new trim to the old trim perfectly. You wouldn't be able to tell that the pantry was a later addition.

This project is just about finished. There is some floor trim and the door handle to be installed and then I can cross this one off my wish list. Now it's just a matter of stocking it!

I'd Rather Be . . .

I had rather be on my farm, than be emperor of the world.
~ George Washington ~
No truer words were spoken. And I didn't realize the truth of them until we moved onto our own little farm in the heart of Wisconsin. Or until we had rabbits and ducks and chickens and goats. Or until our alpacas came from the farm where we were boarding them to our farm. Or until now, almost a year later, we are settling in to our little farmhouse and well established routines.

Life takes on more meaning on a farm. You are forced to look outside of yourself to the animals in your care and the land you're living on. There's no sleeping in. There's no, "I'll do it tomorrow". You are gently guided into being present. You do not dwell in the past and are not worried about the future. You are in the moment. Thinking and planning on how to best use the space you've got and how you can make a difference.

Chores are not chores, but are ways of spending time with the animals. Looking for signs of illness or injury. Listening to them as they chatter away happily - wishing you could understand them. Almost wishing, at times, that you were one of them. Ducks get along with chickens and barn cats get along with rabbits. There's no animosity. They simply coexist. There's enough for everyone. Everyone gets what they need.

Stepping outside my door in the morning I am grateful for the quiet and peace of living in the country. It was the first thing that struck me when we first arrived. Having spent several years in a small town with a malting facility and the constant drone of machinery and fans, I cried tears of relief and joy. The silence was a most welcome friend. Silence is something I cherish. I don't have the radio playing as other's do. I prefer listening to chickens and ducks any my miniature pig grunting. And the sounds of nature. The birds. The wind. Far off trains blowing their whistles. I enjoy the sounds of life.

With winter almost at an end, we've lived life on our farm through the four seasons. Grateful for the experiences and the learning curves. Grateful that we had a relatively moderate winter. Grateful that spring is almost here. Grateful that the ground has thawed enough that we can get the barn door fully open. Grateful for farm fresh eggs. Grateful for the gift of this farm.

And so we find ourselves content with our little piece of the world. We don't feel the need or desire to travel. We enjoy being on our farm, surrounded by animals, enjoying the peace and quiet. We are home.

Letting the House Speak

The ache for home lives in all of us,
the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
~ Maya Angelou ~
We've been on our small farm for almost a year now. I can hardly believe how fast it's gone by. We've settled in and so have our alpacas with their livestock guardian dog, as well as goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, a barn cat, and our three dogs, three parrots and miniature pig.

Our house has undergone some significant changes in how it views the world. Gone are the small windows in the kitchen and master bedroom and in their place are gloriously large double-hung windows. The living room now hosts a beautiful door and large picture window overlooking crop fields at the front of our property. Our bedroom furniture that couldn't fit up the narrow, steep staircase found it's way up through the new bedroom window. And with the coming of spring, the front porch will be undergoing a face lift. I can almost hear the house sigh as sun light filters in.

I'm a proponent of letting a house speak in regards to its design and how it wants to be lived in. Now that we've settled in our routine, I'm beginning to hear our little farmhouse speak . . . in whispers. Her rooms are gently whispering in my ear that they want to be yellow or a soft white with touches of red and soft green. They want to be uncluttered. Simple. They want to be pretty but not frou-frou. And they want to be lived in, cozy, warm.

I began my farmhouse makeover in the main floor bath by removing the dated wallpaper and painting it a soft, worn green called Burlap (6137) by Sherwin Williams. This room is very small but I wanted to do something unexpected because it is right off the dining room . . . so I added engraved prints in large antique frames.

The large master bedroom is divided into two rooms. I had thought to take down the dividing wall and open the space, but that may well be in a future renovation. For now the second room is a relaxing retreat for reading or taking a nap. I used Turning Oakleaf (ATC-38) by Pittsburgh Paints. It was their 2014 color of the year. "A buttercream yellow that evokes tranquility and is the perfect "no fail" yellow". Don't you just love that? The color changes depending on the light and varies from a soft bright yellow during the day to almost cream in the evening. It's a beautiful color.

My large kitchen and back entry will also be painted Turning Oakloaf and I'm considering painting the dining room this color as well. Because it acts as a neutral (at least to my eye) I think it will tie all these spaces together while adding warmth and light.

The living room was going to be painted a cayenne color, but since listening to the house, it may end up a soft white. My furniture is dark (it suited our previous house well and because it's new we won't be replacing it). So I think white in here will help brighten the space.

I love this picture found at a second hand store for $35.

And so I go thoughtfully and carefully through our small farmhouse that is now our home. Listening to the house as it guides me through each room. Because in my experience, a house knows what it wants. From the paint colors on the wall, to the furniture placement, to the people who live in her. A house knows.

Little Bundles of Joy

After tracking these precious little ones for almost two days, the post office called this morning to let me know they had arrived. I barely slept last night for worry. However, they arrived safe and sound. Carefully taking the box from the postal worker, I sat it gingerly on the passenger seat. I had warmed the car considerably for the last leg of their journey.

When I arrived home, I quickly let the dogs out and then carefully opened the box. Inside were six of the cutest little Ancona ducklings (reminding me of when my Cayuga ducklings arrived this time last year - were they really that little too?). I picked each one up in turn and dipped her beak in the water Brian had prepared earlier with electrolytes. They eagerly drank and then hobbled to the feeder where chick starter pellets awaited them. After getting their fill they all headed under the Brinsea heater for a nap.

And so it's a day of watching carefully these little bundles of joy. Drinking. Eating. Napping. Repeat . . .

Spring is in the Air

Since moving into March we've enjoyed warm weather here on the farm. The snow is gone and in its place are puddles and lots of mud from the installation of water lines to the barn last fall. It's a mess! It's fun to watch the ducks playing in the puddles though and the chickens are venturing further from the coop foraging for whatever falls prey in their path. Seeing them at the outskirts of the farm yard makes me nervous and I keep a close eye out. It's reassuring to know that Rooster is out with his hens keeping watch. I have to chuckle as he prances from one group of hens to the next in all is studly splendor.

The girls have just a few more months before their crias (baby alpacas) are born. Soon they'll be heading into the big pasture and we'll be keeping vigil for the signs of our first born alpaca here on the farm. It's an exciting time!

The Ancona ducklings I ordered in January have been shipped and I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival in the next day or two. I can't imagine starting life out in a box and being juggled around to boot. The brooder is ready with warming lights, electrolyte water and food and we're ready with lots of love and care. It will be fun to watch them grow and have their first experiences. Swimming, of course, is at the top of the list. And their first days outside enveloped in protective fencing for the first few months. I wonder what our resident ducks will think of the new additions?

The window and pantry renovations are nearing completion and I'm looking forward to the porch and stair additions at the front of the house. The new front door was installed last fall and once the weather is consistently warm, I'm going to paint it red. I ran other colors by Brian, but he's stuck on red. Sometimes we just have to appease the men in our life - especially when they rarely have an opinion.

I saw two Robins in the back yard this morning. So now it's a waiting game . . . for the ground to dry and warm under the careful watch of the sun. Spring has sprung.