Homestead happenings

We have been busy the past month. We processed 2 of our roosters for meat. It was much less traumatic than I was anticipating thanks to a friend with a good system and our coop is so peaceful now that the 2 roosters are gone. They were very aggressive and loud. I "chickened" out of killing our older hens. We have decided to let them retire on our little homestead for now. Raccoons have actually taken out a few of the trouble makers so things are good in the coop.

We have some new layers in the coop. I decided to compare the yolks of our new layers with a store bought organic egg. What a difference! I have trained these layers to be good foragers by holding back grain feed during the day. They have access to feed in the coop at night and early morning hours then get sent out to free range during the day. Once they get to laying age they get moved into the larger coop and have more access to grain but are still all over the yard most of the day.

My wonderful husband picked up a new coop for me. It needs a little makeover to give it character but I love the size and functionality! This one is in the front yard and will one day be a cottage garden retreat. For now I just need the chickens to get busy clearing the weeds and grass.

And my favorite scripture for the month:

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Cottage Fireplace make over

The before photo.

The fireplace renovation is complete! Wow, what a difference! I barely remember our home looking this way. This room is far from complete but we are getting closer! Next we will lay pickled wood floors over the damaged popcorn ceilings and update the banaster to the loft.

Tony started this project December of last year and after a week or so of working on it we would both become tired of the construction and put it off for awhile starting again once we recovered and felt we could handle the mess again. This was not a hard renovation but a very detailed one which required a lot more time than anything else we have renovated in this home. I honestly wasn't expecting to work on it again until this Holiday season so the fact that it is finished in time to decorate for fall is such a blessing! I will go into the DIY details of this renovation in another post but for now I just wanted to share the final product. I'm in love!

New cash or coupon clutch design.

Here is my latest design. Every clutch I make is a little different because I use what I have in my sewing room that inspires me. I can make 4 of this design. I had hoped to get my Etsy store up and running by now but there hasn't been time. I have had several requests via e-mail so I'm going to just go that route until I have time to get enough inventory made to put on Etsy. If you are interested in purchasing this clutch shoot me an e-mail and I will send you a PayPal invoice. $55.00 for the clutch and $6.50 shipping and handling. Thank you to all those who have contacted me with interest in my clutches! You are a blessing!

Cash system or coupon clutch for Dave Ramsey followers.

Here is the newest clutch. I hope to have it on etsy this week. This is a high quality linen fabric with a fun, eclectic, design. The bottom photo is my clutch filled so you can get an idea of the size. It holds a phone, wipes, lipstick, and a few other small items.

Homestead Happenings.

There are so many different projects happening on our little homestead right now. We are finishing up 3 major renovations. The back deck only needs a few more boards then will get a tin roof. Off the end there will be a courtyard garden that I will put in this fall when it is cooler out.

The fireplace renovation needs a few more trim details, paint, stain, and decorating but it is getting close! Just in time for the fall decor. The last photo is the before picture.

Madeline's room is waiting on the arrival of more wallpaper. Tony did a fantastic job on all the trim work and after the paper goes up he will finish up the last details and add crown. The bed was originally painted antique pink but was just not bold enough so it is Benjamin Moore's Royal Fuchsia now. The closet was painted to match the wallpaper background.

I finished the final Dave Ramsey Cash Clutch design and have been using it for the past 2 weeks to see if it needs tweaking. It is perfect! I hope to get a few in an etsy store soon for my other cash carrying sisters. I love using a cash budget and I'm pleased to have created something beautiful and functional.

On the "micro" farm things are challenging. In Florida the summer is hard with excessive heat and humidity, pests, low food production, and increased agitation in wildlife. This past month we lost a rabbit and a racoon ripped a hole through the chicken coop devouring one hen and injuring another. I have also noticed several turtle nests that have been dug up and consumed by wildlife. On a positive note, the sunflowers are still working to keep the squash bugs busy and off delicate plants. Most sunflowers in the garden look similiar to this one, covered in squashbugs.


And now it's time to go back to work. Hopefully I will be sharing finished pics soon!

Proverbs 27:23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.

Keeping it real.

Cooking is not my favorite thing to do and living as free from processed foods as we can is exhausting at times but it does feel good to watch my family consume the things that we have worked hard to produce together.

Farm fresh eggs, fresh picked watermelon, freshly ground spelt biscuits, homemade orange/lemonade, sautéed peppers, hand whipped butter, and fresh picked flowers. So beautiful! I just wish it would hold off their hunger for more than 2hours.

Happy Homesteading!

Dave Ramsey Envelope Clutch Wallet.

In our home we follow the Financial Peace model from Dave Ramsey. There are so many wonderful things about the budgeting plan but the thing I love most is I finally feel we don't waste money buying wasteful things. I spent most of last year throwing away bag after bag of items wondering where they came from. Moving to this system helped me to realize how many things I purchased that we didn't really need or that could wait a week or two allowing me time to really think over those purchases first. I will get more into Dave Ramsey on another post. Today I wanted to share a few photos of the clutch I created for those following the cash system plan.

This design has lived in my brain for about six month and now that my paper envelopes have almost disintegrated I decided it was time to put it together.

It needs tweaking still but I'm so excited about the overall concept! I want to shorten the dividers and the change purse about an inch and add a true credit card/Id card divider pockets. Other than that, I'm in love! It has extra dividers for coupons and receipts, the change purse hides the evidence of several envelopes of cash, and there is still plenty of room for my phone, lip gloss, and other items.


This is just the first draft so better pictures coming soon!