The Red Barn Outdoor Market

Sometimes I forget to mention things on this little blog,

and then I'll begin to write about something related and realize

no one is going to have a clue as to what I'm writing about.

There are so many things going on here daily...

I'd guess maybe 25% of it actually ends up being shared.

Sorry, it just happens.

However, I DO want to mention something

that is SO BIG in my life right now

and I am so very excited about it!

This weekend I'm hosting the first annual

RED BARN OUTDOOR MARKET!

We have over 30 local Vendors

whose products are either handmade/handcrafted 

or are Antique/Vintage,

live music playing throughout the day (9AM-3PM),

and delicious food.

It has been so much fun planning this,

and I'm hoping that it will lead to many 

other opportunities to get people out 

supporting our local community!

If you are local,

please do come out, say hello

and enjoy the festivities!

Where all the magic will happen!

The Daily DIY: Pink Grapefruit Sugar Scrub

You'll need:

Sugar

Coconut Oil

Pink Grapefruit Zest

Begin by zesting your grapefruit

(Be prepared, this will smell wonderful!)
until you have about 1 Tablespoon;

Once "zested" place in a mixing bowl

with 1 Cup of Sugar 

and begin mixing with your hands.

Once the zest and sugar are mixed well,

add two spoonfuls of Coconut Oil

and mix together with sugar and grapefruit zest.

Once mixed,

place in a mason jar

and keep up to a week

(may keep longer if placed in the refrigerator).

This is a great lip/hand/body exfoliant even for sensitive skin,

and the Coconut Oil absorbs quickly

leaving your skin feeling wonderfully soft.

Have a lovely weekend!

A Fresh New Coat of Paint.

Sometimes my Uncle

(who manages a paint shop)

gets me free paint;

and sometimes on a whim I decide to 

re-paint my kitchen...

in the middle of the night.

Sometimes this happens 

in the midst of A LOT of other projects

going on.

(Obviously, my husband loves it when this happens...

hehehe!)

Just sometimes though...

Have the most wonderful week!

"I Made That!" Monday: Bead Bunting

Bunting is EVERYWHERE these days...

and I love it!

This bead bunting is a simple way 

to add loveliness anywhere.

You'll need:

Any kind of THIN Twine

Large Beads 

I already had twine, but picked up my beads at 

Hobby Lobby in the Jewelry section

where they just so happened to 

be 50% off that day.

I love it when that happens.

1. Measure out the twine to the length of bunting you want.

(I had ten beads and measured out 15 feet of twine

so I was able to have a bead every foot and twine 

leftover to attach)

2. Find the spot on the twine where the first bead will go and tie a knot.

(I ending up tying two knots as the holes in the beads were a bit larger 

than just one knot)

3. Slip the twine through the bead and then tie another knot to secure.

4. Repeat this with each bead.

See? Simple.

And look how lovely!

And...

This was my Love's dinner last night

after our littles were nestled in bed;

after he constructed a shelf in our kitchen

next to the dishwasher which he installed Saturday;

after he chainsawed through some very thick 

wooden stumps that made their way home with me;

after he then bolted the wooden discs to wooden stakes

(lots of projects going on here, people!);

he's really so good to me.

The Ticket.

The Little Mister and I getting our book signed by The Pioneer Woman.

About a month ago,

my sister-in-law was given a tip

that Ms. Ree Drummond

was going to be making her way here

for a book signing of her most recent cookbook.

She also heard that you HAD to have a ticket to get in.

Upon hearing THAT information, 

she literally dropped what she was doing,

jumped in her car and drove to the little book shop down the street

which was going to be holding this event

and picked up four tickets...

one of those being for me.

Yet just another reason why sisters are 

SO AWESOME

to have around.

Once I heard about this,

I immediately was on the phone with 

one of my other sisters

because I knew she would hate me for life

if I had this information and kept it from her.

She was able to get some, as well

(so all is fine on the sister front).

And so the night arrived.

We packed into the car and made our way over

to the renovated church-turned-theatre

which the book shop so wisely rented for the evening.

I've never been to a book signing.

And honestly,

I'm not one to get hyped up over someone or something

so much that I'll go stand in line to get in to take part in it.

But...

I frequent P-Dub's blog,

I've adapted some of her recipes on here,

it sounded like fun,

so I did.

Doors opened for seating at 5PM.

We arrived at 5:06 and the line was already down the street.

It was crazy, people, crazy.

As we finally were able to walk in,

we were told that the number on our ticket was our

signing number:

I looked at my number and was pretty happy about it.

Then I overheard someone say that their signing number was 1000...

and then I was REALLY happy about it.

Are you kidding me???

So, after a short presentation about how she began blogging,

and really all kinds of funny things

(she IS really funny)

I stood in line,

had my book signed,

had my picture taken,

and made my way out.

So, my first book signing was hit.

Thank you, Ms. Drummond.

And thank you for bringing your life to a halt

to get me that ticket, Sister.

AND thank you to everyone who rode with me for choosing

Chick-Fil-A for dinner.

A grand evening indeed.

Petie Mae Giveaway Winner Announced

Well, the random generator isn't wanting to show it's face on here...

so you're just going to have to trust me on this one:

NUMBER 2

JESSICA R.

Congratulations, Jessica!!

You'll be receiving "Lane" 

from Petie Mae's necklace collection.

Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway

and thanks again to Petie Mae for sharing!

Just a Few Family Photos on a Windy Day in KS

I wish this blue wall was in my backyard

for impromptu photo shoots...

the color is so marvelous!

Those smiles are quite marvelous as well.

These littles are growing up TOO FAST.

Especially this one:

This is my first baby Love...

my first little niece.

She's NINE now.

NIIIIIIIINE???

(Nine going on 21 as you can see...)

She was helping everyone pose and look their best

for these photos...

she's a great assistant in all things.

And even with the wonderful wind

blowing strands of hair every which way,

we managed to get some fun family shots.

**DON'T FORGET TO ENTER FOR YOUR OWN PETIE MAE!!**

I love Punch.

Um, I really do.

At parties, at weddings, wherever punch is served,

I like it.

For my daughter's birthday, 

I tried a punch recipe off Pinterest.

It claimed to be the BEST punch ever...

I don't really like to loosely throw around the terms

'BEST' and 'ever',

so let's just say that it was good.

I thought I could find better.

In fact, 

I thought I could DO better.
It turned out good.

Really good.

I've now made this punchy little drink

three times, two different ways.

The first way I used:

Frozen Pina Colada mix

Fresh Strawberries

Crushed Ice

Ginger Ale

Mixed all the ingredients together (minus Ginger Ale)

in a blender, 

poured some into a glass, 

then poured Ginger Ale over it.

This one was good.

I wanted to try it without the ice, though.

The second time I made it I used:

Frozen Pina Colada Mix

Frozen Strawberries

Ginger Ale

Same thing.

This one, 

also good.

Really good.

The third time I made this...

I seriously only made it to take pictures of it. 

HAHAHAHA!

Okay, and because I really wanted some.

The second recipe wins my vote.

The fresh strawberries and ice

just don't give it the texture it needs

to be magnificent.

And if you're drinking punch,

you need it to be magnificent.

Pina Colada ~ Strawberry Punch

You'll need:

Frozen Pina Colada Mix

Frozen Strawberries

Ginger Ale

Mix the Pina Colada Mix and the strawberries together in a blender.

You may want to add a little bit of water to keep the strawberries

from sticking to one another.

Once mixed,

pour mixture into 5 or 6 glasses until 1/2 to 3/4 full;

then pour Ginger Ale over it slowly,

filling the glass.

Get your straw and give it a little stir,

and then sit back and enjoy!

I think you could also easily make this into an actual punch

in a punch bowl as well. That will be my next try!

**DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE PETIE MAE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!**

DIY Vanity and a GIVEAWAY: Petie Mae Jewelry

I go a little bit crazy with jewelry.

I just love a great accessory... I can't help it.

My dresser, however, was not appreciating my crazy love,

and frankly, neither was I.

I needed to do something.

There is a local surplus store here that

can be a treasure chest of amazingness,

or just a giant junk drawer.

One day when I was there,

it was a treasure chest.

I've had my eyes open for a little desk

or a little bookshelf that I could place

next to our bed as my own

girly space,

so when I saw a little metal bookshelf for $10,

I was just a little bit excited.

With a little paint,

it would be perfect.

I also had in mind a place for all my jewelry,

which in the end, ended up costing me nothing

because I had all the materials.

Tada!

Since I'm WAY into metallics right now,

it's only fitting that this be covered in them.

I love it.

The frame is from an old mirror that had broken.

I've used it for all kinds of things through the years,

and found it out in the shed begging to be used for something.

The wire was already attached,

as it's most recent use was for pictures to hang from.

The wire and screw that it's attached to are from 

a picture hanging kit... super easy.

Just measure out how far apart you want your wires,

screw in the little screws and run the wire through it.

So, once it was up on the wall and my space was coming together,

I was noticing that A LOT of my jewelry are creations from 

Petie Mae Jewelry.

My love for Petie Mae

(the girl and the jewelry)

is a bit unabashed.

I love her creative style.

Her pieces are unique (right up my alley!),

feminine and just altogether lovely

(a lot like the girl, herself!).

She's SO lovely,

she's giving away one of her beautiful pieces

to one of you!!

This giveaway is only open to US residents and will go through
Monday, April 8th until midnight.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 9th!

"I Made That!" Monday: Girls Dress and Skirt

My girls want to wear dresses EVERY day.

The little one will settle for a skirt now and then.

Fine by me...

just another creative outlet!

The dress isn't really a DIY type project...

but the skirt is SUPER easy.

I'll be making more of these

so {if I remember} I'll document the process

for a cute little tutorial.

PS

I LOVE that fabric the dress is made out of;

the lace on the skirt... ah! I love it.