May is Here!

 May is here! For me that means adding more to my Ameriana! I normally have alot of old America decorating my house because I have always loved the colonial look of it but now Iam adding more. I'm waiting for Hobby Lobby to put their Americana items on sale (probably next week) and I will have some more shopping to do! 

My husband took next week off so we can do our plant purchasing and planting. We look forward to this so much. We bought a huge trailer for our truck and we will be filling that with flowers and plants from fron to back of the house.  Billy just lives for this time of year when he can do his planting! I planted garlic in these adorable pots from Dollar Tree. 

I placed them on a stand on one of my rear porches. It gets sun for part of the day there so it should be fine. 

And look at this little guy! I got him at Hobby Lobby. I don't remember if I showed you the Ladybug too....The frog needed a friend so I bought the ladybug. I will have to find a photo.

We are excited that my daughter's Marine boyfriend will be returning from deployment soon! So excited! Its been quite a while. My daughter has been counting the days of course.

Today I'm just going to do some cooking. My nephew is stopping by and I like to send him with some of his favorites. I'm also meal planning for next week. It';; be some crock pot recipes and easy meals so I can be working outside with my husband. 

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Time to Get Started!

Our raised planters have been assembled and planted! Three different lettuces fill one, peppers and herbs in another, eggplant, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Also planted in tomato cages are four different types of tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, string beans. What else...my mind went blank for a minute. Oh! garlic, onions and strawberries! 

 We'll be doing our flower planting in two weeks. I'm excited! Its been a lot of work cleaning all my outdoor decorations but I love welcoming the new season. Our outdoor kitchen is getting restocked. I just bought some fun dishware and accessories for it. In PA, we bought some great meat at the Shady Maple Market for our smoker. When my husband takes his vacation soon, we'll probably smoke the great big brisket we bought. When he uses the smoker, it smells heavenly!

All the chicks are getting huge! They are growing so fast!By mid July, they should be laying. 

Everyone who knows me knows I'm an "Autumn" girl but I have to say that this time of year with planting and gardens is so awesome. We look forward to getting our hands dirty! . 

Spring is here????

 Well that was presumptuous of me in my last post to say Spring is here! Well, technically and meteorologically speaking perhaps but stepping outside from my front porch ...nah! It is nice today and cool and breezy which is perfect but we have had so much rain and heavy wind! Today is a reprieve but this week, you guessed it! RAIN! April showers bring May flowers but I haven't planted any so......

Moving on, Easter was lovely spent with family and lots of good food. Easter egg hunt for the little ones. Easter baskets for the little ones and of course, my BIG ONES, LOL. I do Easter baskets for my kids and my soon to be daughter-in-law and my little great niece and nephews. I get so much joy from it and from them. I'm happy that there are more babies on the way too this Fall! More for Aunt Margaret to love!

My husband and I have planned out the backyard gardens and we have ordered big raised garden planters! I'm so happy! We saw them at Tractor Supply and actually got a better price ordering from the Walmart app.  These are large stainless two foot deep and eight feet long planters. Plus a couple 4 ft ones. AND our additional gazebo with an outdoor fan came so that will really add to the outdoor kitchen. Once my husband is back from SC he will assemble it.  

We added more chicks to our coop! Yay! Some different ones than I have and a few I already have!  I have a deal with a friend to trade eggs for veggies that I'm not growing! It'll be a good trade. So if there's something I want that is not growing in my garden, I have a connection LOL   

Lets see..hard to believe my son will be married in a few short months! My future daughter-in-law has very, very little family so I'm doing her bridal shower and I just g0ot the invitations! They came out so pretty! My daughter and I spent alot of time in Hobby Lobby picking up some bridal items and of course I spent considerable time looking at all the 4th of July and Americana stuff. I made note of everything I want to buy and will wait for the 40% off sale before I purchase. I saw alot. That will be a big haul! So after we finished in Hobby Lobby, my daughter and I went for sushi. I did accomplish what I needed to,. One of the things I'm doing at her shower is a huge Bridal themed gift basket with totebag, robe, tumbler, flip flops, beauty items, frame, and more. On Friday I got a text from the app for Bath & Body Works that they introduced a wedding line!!! So I promptly ordered a candle, the wedding spray and the wedding body wash. Oh my gosh, I have so much stuff put away plus the things I bought as far as housewares off her registry.  So excited. 

I made a great dinner the other night, chicken flautas! It's a Mexican recipe and they really enjoyed it. When I make Mexican recipes that require tortillas I always use flour so this recipe called for corn tortillas and it was nice preparing this meal using something new. 

I made my guacamole and added some sour cream. Yum! This was delicious. Today I have a pot roast in the slow cooker. That's my favorite meal. Currently!

We squeezed in a trip to Lancaster and I bought a new mailbox! Plus I got to see alll the lovely displays at Peaceful Valley Furniture for Spring! 

 

Went to September Cheese Farm in Honeybrook for lunch and we had a great time shopping for their made on the premises cheese and the best lunch! You have to go there when you visit the Lancaster area. 

Got to see Rhonda at Harvest Moon and then just enjoyed our time there as we always do. On the way home, we stopped at Shady Maple Market so my husband could pick up some big pieces of meat for our smoker. We got a giant brisket, a rack of ribs and three kinds of sausage. I also bought some ring boloney, big jelly donuts and some smoked chicken, We had the new pick up truck loaded for the trip home. 

Well, time to check ont hat pot roast! Have a blessed Sunday!

Spring is Here!

 

Good Morning and Happy Spring! It's 32 degrees here so not very Spring-like, but that's ok cause my husband and I are preparing for our Spring clean up and plantings! 

The chicken coop has been cleaned and refreshed and even has some new decorative items to be installed. My girls like color and bling! I've taken out some of my pots and other decorations I use for Spring & Summer and my fountain and washed them all down. I like everything to go out nice and fresh. My husband already power washed the whole backyard and patio. If it doesn't rain this Saturday, he will power wash the front of the house. My landscaper is coming before Easter for my cleanup. It's not too bad...we had a pretty mild Winter. It's just so fun to pull things out of the garage and start a new season!

Easter decorating in the house:

Blogger won't let me condense the photos this morning so I apologize. This is just some of it. I have to finish taking more photos. 

I've been busy planning my future daughter-in-law's bridal shower. It's been fun and Pinterest is super helpful! We are having it in a restaurant and I'm free to decorate as I wish so I'm being creative with my centerpieces and other things. It's been many trips to Hobby Lobby (yay) and Michaels. Very excited. 

I order4d a quilt and a placemat set yesterday  The quilt is "throw" size. I saw an advertisement for the most adorable chicken quilt and I had to have it. Then I saw Sunbonnet Sue placemats. YES please! I wish I knew how to quilt. I've collected a few over the years and I also love the wall hangings. 

What is everyone making for Easter dinner? And does anyone do a Palm Sunday dinner? oh, that reminds me! My daughter has been baking bread and she is really good at it~she's been trying several kinds. 

Well that's about it for me! I hope you have an awesome day!

Saturday Surprises

 

Snow and Amish Country! Actually one was a surprise and the other wasn't. I was last in PA in November and I'm looking forward to going in April or May or both if I'm lucky! But yesterday, as the snow was falling here on Long Island, which was expected, my husband and I had an appointment in NJ for business and when that concluded, he said "Lets go to Lancaster for the afternoon!" You don't have to ask me twice! So only an hour past where we were, we went. It was so good to drive around and see our favorite places. I stopped in to Peaceful Valley Furniture because I need a new mailbox and I found the one I would like but decided to buy it on our Spring trip since Winter is still here and he probably wouldn't mount it till then anyway. I also saw two hanging wooden plan hangers that I will definitely pick up.

Then we went to Harvest Moon Candle Company, right on Old Philadelphia Pike, which is my favorite store. Rhonda is the owner, originally from Long Island, and her store is the best! She still carries Prim and traditional country items and I bought a few things from her. I always talk about her store on my country and Amish Facebook pages. Shes a super nice lady. Anyway, I picked up some prim stuffed hearts, a pip berry wreath and some prim dish towels. I also bought a candle set in a painted can. Trust me,  it's adorable. I always leave her store with several bags and wooden items and candles, etc. Yesterday I was a light weight! See you soon Harvest Moon!

We only spent about two hours there in PA and we also drove to our favorite towns cause we know PA is where we will be going in a few years once my husband semi retires. East Earl, Narv on, Quarryville, Strasburg & Peach Bottom are on the top of our list for relocation Eventually.  

I'm so happy we have gotten some snow this year. It just doesn't feel like Winter without it and we are used to getting snow so last year threw us for a loop. We got almost nothing! 

I'm tempted to start taking out Easter decorations. I do a little decorating for St Patrick's Day too. Too early? 

Well, time for me to go. I'm off to the store. My daughter is making bread today and needs a couple items and I do too! Have a great Sunday!

Good Morning!

 

Our snow has melted. We may have some mixed with rain tomorrow but other than that, I don't see anything in our forecast for this week. In my Facebook memories, on this day eleven years ago we had almost 17 inches! I remember it well. Now I'm certainly not saying I would like 17 inches now..but 2-4 would be fine with me. I embrace each season for what they represent. In Winter, it's cold and snow! 

It took quite a while to get all the Christmas packed away even though I had taken it all down and it was piled in our storage space; it still took alot more time to get it all put away. Could it be because I'm getting older and a little slower...oh no! That can't be it LOL  It just seemed like it took longer. I really have so much and yet I still buy...but I am more picky about what I'm purchasing. I have a hard time resisting Gingerbread items from Hobby Lobby. That store is just my happy place.

Below is a small sampkling of my Amish dolls collection. The boy and girl were a gift from a lady that I cought Amish made furniture from. The other AMish girl was made for me by someone very sweet on my Country Decorating page. And that Amish bench was one of the first pieces I ever bought from Lancaster MANY years ago! I don't get tired of things. :)

 These dolls below are just porcelain little dolls I have had for many years. I have several sets in different sizes and colors. I'll have to photograph my Amish dolls from the Bradford Exchange and others. I will soon. 

My husband had a surprise for me last week! This beautiful set of rooster dishes from Cracker Barrel! Now I've been using the same dishes I had  since I got married, "Heartland" stoneware from the 1980's and I still love them, but this was an awesome surprise, and he even bought the matching platter. I love them! Aren't they the cutest?

They didn't come with mugs so I of course I bought bright red ones to go with the set!

Well, that's about it for me. Later I am visiting with my nephew and his wife and their little girl Olivia who are visiting from Delaware, I love my great niece so I'm really looking forward to it! I haven't seen her since the beginning of December! I can't wait. I made stuffed mushrooms and two ham & cheese quiches to bring. It's going to be a nice afternoon.

Have a great day and I'll check in soon! 

Snowy Day

 

It started snowing last night when I went to bed! Im so happy! We only a have a few inches but it just makes me so happy!I love the seasons for all that they are~Winter means snow and cold and I expect that and I embrace it LOL Ane we are expecting another round of snow on Friday! Yippee!

So I'm finally gonna get my Valentine decorating done. I have al my little bags of ornaments for the Valentine tree on my kitchen table waiting. Everything was put on hold around here cause I got a bad case of covid and was down almost a week! ugh! I was so annoyed that I had no energy to do it. It just sucked the life out of me! But I'm all good now! 

Last year one of the things I did that I actually kept doing and was really beneficial was menu planning! I really enjoy it. Do you menu plan? Not only does it organize your pantry because it allows you to see what you have and dont have and use what you may have forgotten you bought, but it also takes the "what are we having" issue away. I love to cook! And I also love that I have brought back recipes into the menu that I forgot about! Its super fun!  I am a list maker. I also do alotof food shopping on food apps for my local supermarkets and its just a routine I've gotten into that is awesome!

So here's my Priscilla! One of my girls and she is actually quite Prissy! She likes to keep her sisters close to her and if they wander away, she chides them till them come back. I don't free range in a large area. My chickens free range supervised by me for short periods a few times a week. My husband built our coop with a bunkhouse and a nice size enclosed and secured run. But I know they do like a change of scenery so I take them out in a small area and let them dig and play. Priscilla likes to supervise too! I'm thinking of whether or not to add to the flock this year. Every January through March I do this!  Every. Year. I haven't added in a few years so this year might be the year! They are just a joy to have. 

Santa brought this bed for the kitties and Nova has taken possession of it :) With that, I will say goodbye and meet up with you very soon! Thank you so much for following and commenting. My life isn't exciting but I wouldn't trade it for the world!