Come September

Lucy, our Redhead.

It's late August and the hot summer is waning, and we are patiently awaiting our first eggs from our hens.  Each day we check, but no sightings thus far.  We were told that September would be the magic month, and we're counting on it.  John tells the chickens they need to earn their keep, at this point.  They are spoiled rotten, with special treats in the morning and in the evening. These tidbits include of variety of items... blueberries, pasta, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, cooked beans of the green and black varieties, and other such sundry foods... whatever is "leftover" in the fridge or whatever has been a part of our dinner. Each evening we sit with our girls in the garden while they stretch their legs, running around after bugs and flapping their wings.  It's a good time to relax, enjoy a glass of wine, catch our breath, water the remaining tomatoes, peppers, and okra, and simply just be.

Our four girls on the loose, Lucy, Ethel, Alice and Flo.

Life has been good this summer, and the chickens have been amusing, offering much entertainment for us.  So I decided that this blog post, my first in about a month (!), will celebrate these wonderful critters.  

I found some really cool things on Etsy to share with you.

One of my most favorite pieces of chicken art... Chicken Lover by chickory

 A sweet little vintage chicken basket sold by simplychi

Rooster shirt for kids (though I might want one!) by happyfamily

 

Fun little earrings by lizzglizz

Chicken sisters from recycled sweaters by 4EweDesigns

Rooster by hartart13

A wonderfully cheerful vintage box sold by VintageStarrBeads

 

Welcome sign by cottageartshop

Chicken pendant and necklace by HeatherKent

 Lovely rustic yet chic pillow by Samantha2818

Aged garden art by mountainiron

Chickens in wood by bestlovedchild

 And a funky chicken with tattoos by corelladesign 

 Until next time, keep smiling, keep singing, and run barefoot in the grass, y'all!

summer days, dog days, cooling in the shade days

These late July days have brought some major heat and humidity all across the country.  Some days I find it hard to do anything but stay inside and be still.  The older I get, the less I can take of these high temperatures.  But some good comes of it, and Lord knows I ain't complaining because I love the summer with its sun and light and long days, and I am NO hurry to get through with this season.  So this afternoon, I made this fun little treasury on Etsy as a way to cool my heels while waiting for the evening to descend when I'll go out and let the chickens roam in the garden and sip on a cool glass of white wine.

I've been painting several times a week, and this morning I worked on this painting, Moo Cow, which I've listed in my Etsy shop.  You can find it here.

It's a 9 x 12 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press, acid free watercolor paper.  It was inspired by a trip we took yesterday to our favorite nearby winery, Chateau Morissette, up near Floyd, Virginia and just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There were several fields of cows grazing and lolling about in the heat.  Ever since I was a little girl, that has been one of my favorite sights... it makes me feel relaxed and peaceful.  Of course, the wine helped too!  Those little specks in the background of this photos are cows.

Here are a few other souls who were feeling a little relaxed yesterday afternoon.  This cat came to visit our patio table and she took a nap at my feet.  Quite endearing!

 A dear friend of mine who was our designated driver but who had fun anyways!

 His lovely wife.  They recently celebrated an anniversary, as did we, so Cheers!

And my handsome husband who definitely is a laid-back kind of guy.

I'll leave you with a few more sights from yesterday afternoon.  Enjoy, and raise your glass in celebration of summer and love and friends and all things good!



Finding Fine Art in Spring

This year on Etsy, I was accepted into a new team... Finding Fine Art. It's a terrific group of fine artists who sell original work and who work together in a variety of ways to support each other.

Here is what this team is all about: The Finding Fine Art team was created to provide a unique shopping experience for fine art collectors seeking original art on Etsy. Members of the team are visual artists with outstanding, gallery quality original artwork, a high level of professionalism and presentation, and a positive standing in the Etsy community. Buyers are encouraged to look through our members list to discover new artists or search the tag “findingfineart” on Etsy for a dazzling, virtual gallery experience.

I spent some time looking through the amazing art this team has created and decided to feature some work here... with a theme of spring, of course, in honor of the first day of spring. I considered subject, color, and title, and came up with this mix of abstract and realism, watercolors, oils, and acrylics. Follow the link to see the work up close in the artist's Etsy shop.

Wild Garden by JessicaTorrant
Renovation by heronkate

Ladies in Spring Rain by karensfineart

Spring Fantasy by watermediaworks

Happily Ever After by aliherrmann

Spring Scene by PrankePaintings

Signs of Spring by MDaisleyMoffitt

Little Chick by WaterInMyPaint
Stay tuned for more fine art... and until then, enjoy the new life growing all around us, and kiss the ones you love.