Sundays at Home {Link Party}

Wow! We were blown away by all the incredible posts that were shared last week. From decorating ideas to dramatic renovations, delicious recipes, and Valentine's Day inspiration...

  We can't wait for you to see the features below, and we look forward to seeing what you have to share with us this week! 

So Far This Year at Little Farmstead... (Part 2)

Hi Friends! How is your week going? I had so much fun seeing several of your porches on Facebook this past week! We even had someone from Australia post a picture of the kangaroos who visit her property. So cool! Blogging can start to feel pretty one-sided at times, so it was refreshing to get to look at pictures of your homes and comment on them. I'd love to do that more, so if you'd like, please join me on Facebook here.

Last week I shared Part 1 of So Far This Year, and here's Part 2... 
(Just click on the picture or the caption below the picture to read the full post!)

This one-of-a-kind chippy hutch was a hit on Instagram. It has been a great display piece in our shop space and now will be going to a new - actually old - home built in 1926. I love it when customers are excited to find just the piece they've been looking for!  

Unique Vintage Farmhouse Finds

Fun Farmhouse Kitchen Accessories {January Cheer}

I hope you all are enjoying the day! I wanted to share a few fun farmhouse decor items that have brought some happy into our kitchen this month. And while I love the prospect of a new year of possibilities, let's face it... January can kind of be like the Monday of months. So here's to little accents that brighten and refresh our homes!

A Farmhouse Kitchen {In the Making...}

Hello, I hope your day is going well.

We are in the process of planning some updates for our kitchen, and I wanted to share with you some of the details. We've been gathering information and comparing products, including new countertops, a backsplash, farmhouse sink and faucet. 

The driver for us to renovate the kitchen is our countertops. 

But before I get into that, let me tell you what I love about our kitchen...

A Fall Farmhouse Kitchen...

I hope your week is off to a good start.

For the first time this school year, my alarm didn't go off. I woke up over an hour past when I should have. You know that feeling of running before your feet even touch the floor? I had about four minutes (or so it seemed) to get three boys ready for school, pack lunches and put something on the counter that resembled breakfast.

Ah Mondays! 

So, I'm sharing our kitchen, where much of the morning hustle went down... 

Sunshine and Lavender...

You may want to sit down for this.

It's 88 degrees. Outside. In April. 

In Seattle.

This kind of weather warms this California transplant's heart.

Our older, 8-year-old chocolate lab is panting like we've dropped him off in the Sahara. And the puppy, let's just say the heat hasn't slowed him down in the least. ;)

Farmhouse Kitchen (Simple Solutions)

A lot of living happens here, in this kitchen. 

With three growing boys, it seems someone is always hungry!

Especially during these summer days, when the kids are home from school and spending lots of time being active outdoors...they can really work up an appetite.

Some days, I'll just finish washing the breakfast dishes when someone begins asking, "Did we have lunch yet?" (Help me Rhonda.) 

I've found a few easy solutions that have made every day

 living just a little smoother...

I recently added this shallow basket with silverware and napkins on the counter. Our boys are still getting used to it and sometimes ask, "Mom, could you get me a fork?" I smile to myself as I answer, "It's right there, honey..." 

I'll admit, I'm not the most organized person. So yes, this little remedy brings me satisfaction as I consider the time and energy it has saved. (Small victories.)

Another challenge in our kitchen had been the higher-than-usual cabinets. It was hard for our youngest two boys to get a glass to drink from - - they would climb onto the counter - - dirty little summer feet and all.

I had brought in the white step stool (below) several months ago. It works well when our youngest helps me bake or is "working" at the counter. 

However, it is apparently too labor intensive to move across the kitchen when one is teetering on the verge of dehydration.

So, we purchased this affordable ($14.99) wire glass drying rack from World Market. 

Now, the glasses are in easy reach for the thirsty kiddos.

(Thanks to my sister for the idea!)

Do you have any time-saving or organizational tips for the kitchen? I'm all ears...

So glad you stopped by today!

Xo

Sharing with:
Cozy Little House
The Scoop
Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Style

A Grain Sack Curtain...

The spring rains have returned, leaving us with a half-planted vegetable garden for now. ;) So, I thought I'd share a little indoor project!

We recently added a grain sack curtain underneath the kitchen sink. I used to have one made out of drop cloth, but love the added character the grain sacks bring...

I found the AMES grain sack at the Farm Chicks show last year. The other, simple striped grain sack, I purchased at a local antique shop. Both were about $20 each. That seems to be the going rate for vintage American grain sacks. 

I once was very fortunate and found a few for $4 a piece... they were pretty dirty but washed up beautifully! I used them to cover these chairs.

European grain sacks can be much more expensive ($30 - $70 and higher), 

depending on the condition and the graphics.

My "not-so-secret-weapon" Mom, made the grain sacks into a curtain. Since we opened them up, using both sides, we only needed two grain sacks for this project.

A simple white tension rod (Lowe's) holds the curtain in place.

So glad you stopped by...

Hope your day is going well!

xo

Sharing with:
French Country Cottage

A Farmhouse Kitchen ~ Painted Counters {Before & Afters}

Hello! I hope you're doing well.

After painting our dark green, formica-topped, built-in desk, I developed a bit of an addiction. I've since moved on to painting our dining room buffet and over the last couple of weeks, I've painted all of our kitchen countertops.

While I love the look of marble and also the warmth of butcher block, neither option was in our near-term budget. Since I really disliked the dark green formica, I didn't think of this project as very "risky"... just an affordable way to update, until we can do something more lasting.

Here's the before...

And the after...

One more before...

And after...

Different lighting helps to show the arbor with wisteria through the windows...

I used the same painting technique that I used here. So, although the paint is non-toxic, I won't be doing any food prep directly on my counters. I'm used to that, since I used cutting boards with the formica as well. 

At our last house, we had granite counters, and I do miss the ease. But, we're so grateful to be here and can easily work with what we have.

A stepstool for my youngest helper... 

I'm very happy with the change! Here's to hoping it holds up well...for awhile. ;)

Thank you for stopping by!

xo

Sharing with:
The Scoop
Cozy Little House
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
From My Front Porch To Yours
Share Your Style
French Country Cottage

A Vintage Inspired Sign DIY...

I have wanted to make a sign for a L-O-N-G time. I've tried, but was never happy with the end result. I'm critical of my own work - especially anything free-hand!

(Our new "vintage" sign!)

I would read tutorials, but they often wouldn't make sense to me... or sometimes I'd stop reading when they mentioned a special gadget or tool we didn't own.

After watching the latest episode of Fixer Upper, I was more determined than ever to make a sign for our kitchen! On this particular show, they featured a rustic "Farmhouse" sign above the kitchen window. 

Image source: HGTV

I'm also in love with the old "Super Market" sign in the kitchen at the Gaines' home. 

Image source HGTV

You too? Let's get started making a sign!

Let me start by saying that this would be a great project to give yourself a weekend to finish. That way, you can break it down into steps, allow for dry-time, and take some pressure off yourself! 

There are many steps, but I promise you it is not hard...

1. Decide on what you want your sign to say. I loved the "Super Market" sign above, but wanted to add my own little twist. I saw a picture online of an old sign that read, "Au Petit Marche" in French and means, "Little Market." Perfect for the kitchen! Done.

Image Source: From Up North

2. You'll need to determine what size board to use. I used a thin (~1/2" thick) 1x6 (that's one foot by six feet :) board from Home Depot. It was actually a few inches less than six feet - they gave it to us for free when we purchased a 1x1x6. (The nice thing about using the 1/2" thick board, as opposed to the 1" thick board, is that it is lighter and easier to hang.)

3. Prepare your board by painting or staining it the color of your choice. I painted ours white and then "aged" it, using Annie Sloan dark wax around the edges. The picture below shows how the dark wax helps give the sign a feeling of age...

4. Determine the font you'd like to use and print it out on regular computer paper. Don't use a heavy paper like card stock - you'll need to see through the paper to trace! For my sign, I wanted it to look like a vintage french sign, so I chose "Iowan Old Style Black" in MS Word. I used font size 450. Each letter took one page to print, due to the large font size.

5. Trim off the excess paper around your letters. Don't cut off too much - it will be too hard to work with. Just cut off enough paper so that you'll be able to get a good idea of letter spacing on your board.

6. Turn the letters over and with a pencil, trace the backside of each letter. Make sure you trace rather darkly. (Unless you are making a sign with a dark background color or stain... then you would use a white pencil to trace.)

7. Carefully line up all of your letters (facing right-side-up) on your board to figure out the right spacing.

8. Firmly, pressing down, use your pencil to trace the letters. (You will be tracing on the opposite side as you did last time - this time letters are facing up.) By tracing, the pencil you traced on the backside will transfer to your board. (Remember doing this in school??)

9. If you have one, use a Sharpie paint pen to trace over the pencil-drawn letters on your sign. Or, you could use a small paint brush and paint. (I used a Sharpie paint pen and it made this step super easy and fast!)

10. Fill in your letters with paint. I used black chalkboard paint because it's what I had on-hand. I liked the sort of "off-black" color it provided.

11. After the paint dries, sand all letters so that some of the color underneath shows through. This will help achieve an aged appearance.

12. Install picture hangers on the back of board, hang and enjoy!

It almost feels like the sign has always been there! 

Have you made a sign before or do you plan on making one for your home? What word(s) did you choose? I'd love to hear!!

xo

Sharing with:
Cozy Little House
French Country Cottage
Stone Gable
Coastal Charm
Ivy and Elephants
Savvy Southern Style
From My Front Porch To Yours
Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs. Olson
The Charm of Home
Thoughts From Alice