Farmgirl Paints

Thursday, March 12, 2015

blissin' out in the PNW:)

There's something about getting away that can do a correction in you. I think a separation from the norm, from the familiar, is like a wiping off of a foggy steamed up mirror. You come home and everything is crystal clear. Your heart and soul become aligned. This happens for me. I get home and my patience is back. My tone is less growly. I happily do things that normally I would grumble about. I see my people and take them a little less for granted. It's just what a get-away should do. It refreshes and reprioritizes things for you.

I just got back from a week out in the Pacific Northwest. Man oh man how I love escaping to that side of the country. Mossy green lushness all around. Snow capped mountains in the distance. Trees that tower and air that smells fresh. And always an early Spring with blooms pushing through. Add glorious sunshine, which always happens for me when I'm there, and it's like salve to a winter "burn".

When I go out there I share my time between two friends...both whom I've known for years through blogging. It never fails to amaze me how well I can know two people who I met through the Internet and only get to see maybe once a year. God can span distances. He can forge friendships and align hearts. Our ties don't depend on face to face time...we share a love for the Lord and that makes us sisters:)

Can you hear it? The pound of water from the falls... Lissa took me to Snoqualmie Falls and to the Salish Lodge for breakfast. That farm style breakfast might possibly have been the best I've ever had. The biscuit was divine. I was trying so hard not to oooh and ahhh too much. My friend who can't have gluten had to sit and watch me eat it:/ But let the record state it was THE BEST!

Can you smell it? A forest so different from ours here I have to push down the excitement to not squeal when I see the moss and ancient towering trees. It's absolutely magical! After breakfast we took a hike down to the falls. Stopping every few steps to snap pictures. THIS was my favorite moment with Lissa. Nature makes me feels so close to His presence, and this was nature to the max. I loved this day.

With Sasha and her family we took a ferry over to Port Gamble. Can I just pause for a minute to tell you how much I love riding a FERRY! It's seriously so much fun, but I can't imagine doing that as a way of life. Paying that much attention to a schedule would take some major getting used to.

We visited this quaint little town of Port Gamble, which used to be a saw mill town...so full of history, and again snapped pictures of everything in sight. Do these girls know me or what:) It was so much fun!! And while I was paying for a little souvenir in the General Store the clerk recognized me! She asked me about my cuff and when I told her I made them she was like "Oh my gosh...YOU'RE Farmgirl Paints!". Seriously it about made my head pop off!! Getting "recognized" in a tiny little town on the other side of the country made my day:)) I think moments like that are little hugs from heaven. It's not lost on me that my heavenly Daddy would take the time to bless me like that. He knew that would tickle me pink. He planned for that precise moment to happen...to make me feel special;) Oh love how He loves us so.

There were so many more memories made. I was loved on. Fed well. Taken to all my favorite places and had so many laughs along the way. God is good to this "farmgirl" from Virginia.

Be a blessing,

thanksfuls...

My flight days there and back were so stressful. Richmond rarely gets "weather", but it fell on both my travel days:/ God worked it out. I got there and I got home. Hallelujah! So grateful for these sweeties who made me feel missed!! Texting with your 11 year old bonds you!

Spring blooms in February! For a friend that drove 6 hours so I could see Oregon with my own eyes:))

Lissa's port! Sigh...

Whatcom Falls Park... Oh Bellingham you are so beyond cool! This is just right there in the middle of town. Do you see me?

An Outlander series marathon. Loved these cozy nights with my girl Sasha. Add some Trader Joe's fireworks chocolate bars to the mix and it truly was a party;)

The daffodils were in bloom! CAN you EVEN!!!!!

Painting pottery! Hours of quiet creative time equals bliss!!!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

the brownie post

It's been ages since I've really sat down and shared my heart on here. With the shop and Instagram...life just feels really full and really busy. I know some of you out there in "virtual land" still read blogs and don't have Instagram, so you probably feel like I've fallen off the face of the planet, but trust me I'm still here. There's been so much going on. Things that in past years would have easily been a blog post on their own. Like my Big Chick turning 15 and all the emotion and memories that came with that. My paint something every week challenge. Our new found family passion of playing the guitar. Hot yoga and trying to lose 15 stubborn pounds, and not caring as much anymore and wanting to go through menopause so I don't have women's issues anymore. Uggghhhh see... these could all be blog posts. But today I'm going to talk to myself a bit. I'm entitling this the brownie post because well...you'll see.

For Valentine's day my honey bought me tulips and made dinner reservations. We went to a red and white checkered tablecloth kinda restaurant and had a very sweet meal with dessert. Then we went to a movie and it all went downhill from there. Let me preface by saying that we love movies. LOVE them!! It's our favorite thing to do as a family. Our favorite date night. It's fun to walk in and let the buttered popcorn smell overtake you:) There's something exciting about the dark ambiance of a show. We love being entertained. But lately the movies we've seen have been WAYYYY off mark. It now requires a full on research project before you can go see a film anymore. We've been disappointed on more than one occasion and it usually starts before the blasted movie even begins. This last one we saw had countless horror film previews that bombarded us with images and sounds that no amount of eye closing and ear plugging could eliminate. Regardless of whether you like scary movies or not, those kind of trailers feel like an assault.

Last weekend we went to see The Kingsmen. It was an action film. We like those. But we should have researched it. Like we really should have researched it. There is 10-15 minute scene where a spy gets a signal from his cell phone, from a bad guy, and grotesquely murders everyone in a church. I don't have a clue how many people died in that movie, but they made it kind of funny...and that's what was most disturbing. I actually heard some people laughing. We finally walked out. I'm ashamed we stayed as long as we did.

Then in the bathroom all I could hear was countless women full of excited chatter over the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. Don't even get me started on how messed up that is. SERIOUSLY what is wrong with everyone. When is it okay to hurt the ones you "love"? Since when is sexual perversion something to be applauded? What kind of messed up confusing world are we exposing our young people to? Is this what our future generations are going to consider normal and healthy? And regardless of whether you go to the film or not the commercials have to be explained. It's not something I like to have to spell out to my 11 year old. I could go on...but I won't.

Years ago I heard a story from Joyce Meyer. She was explaining a life lesson to her kids, she said what if I made you the richest, most moist brownie ever. It was absolute perfection. So good you could smell it across the room! Would you eat it? Now what if I put in the teeniest amount of dog poop? Not much, just a teeny bit. Would you still try it knowing the brownie had dog poop in it? Well of course not!! I've never forgotten that illustration. I filter out a lot of crap from the world, but I've let some dog poop creep in. I need to listen to that still small voice...that ick in my stomach when I know something is sinful and wrong and turn from it. Even if it is just a song, a movie, a magazine article etc... We are called to be different. To be set apart. I'm making a decision to put down that tempting corrupt brownie. A little is still too much...

Be a blessing.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Share your heart...two awesome GIVEAWAYS:)

Hi girls!!! It's been a whirlwind around here with the Feb 2-6th shop opening! You blessed our little shop once again and we are forever grateful for your support. Thank you...thank YOU!! We've been busy stamping and setting like crazy people. In the midst of all that I am so honored and delighted to share something that I'm pretty excited about. My crazy talented friend Courtney wrote another book and I was invited to be a part of her #ShareYourHeart blog tour. WOOT!!!!

You can get your copy here.

I've been too busy to read more than the back cover, but I can't wait to dig into this book. I've read her others and I just know it's going to be good. Big Chick was eyeballing it too. That girl knows a good book when she sees it:)

This is the book trailer. Watch this video! It's the sweetest. And it can easily become a new family tradition:)

To go along with her inspirational trailer, Courtney started a #ShareYourHeart campaign and challenged a bunch of her friends to create their own version of a "paper heart". And naturally because we are in full on cuffing season right now here is my version:)

This cuff will be given away on her blog...go here to learn more:)

Courtney is also giving you a chance to win a pretty amazing PRIZE package!!! All you need to do is find her on Facebook here and SHARE the Paper Hearts Book trailer with your friends... Then enter the Rafflecopter Giveway. Good luck girlies!!

And HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Spoil those people you love:))

Be a blessing.

Monday, February 2, 2015

OPEN today through the 6th and THE SHOP REVEAL!!!!

Hi girls! HaPpY opening day:) We've been working hard for months to find the perfect leather, expand our blank and font selections, and basically just blow your mind with all things WORD related!! I love our February opens. There's a lot going on. You all know I have a word of the year...which HAD to go on a cuff. Then there's Valentines' day and...because my bestie is having a baby pretty soon we will not be open until end of MAY! So that means we need to plan ahead for Mother's day, Easter and Graduation/teacher gifts etc... Ooooh so many good things to think about.

We've also been busy expanding the shop. If you've been reading along for a while you know we used to be up in my bonus room. Last year we made the leap and took part of the basement, and then over Christmas break this year we made an executive decision that we needed more room. SO MY WHOLE BASEMENT IS MINE...oooops I mean the shop now;)! No seriously it's the coolest thing ever. We have tons of room to spread out. It's super pretty and fun. We can't believe it wasn't like this before. Whatever did we do?;)

Tamara's got gobs of space to hang inventory now and look at all that room in the middle!!! Perfect for us to pull out our extra tables and get situated when it all goes CRAY when the shop is open. *Isn't she cute by the way??

The girls each have their own cuff making desk now. Movin' on up;)

We added that salvaged stainless steel shelf in the corner. I could go on all day about how I found it buried in a junk yard and got it for a steal. The wheels had me at hello:) Then there's the white desk I swoon over...again buried and so dirty, but yet she cleaned up and fits perfect in our new space!!

The rainbow yarn bombed shelf... I had this in my bedroom when I was a little girl. Needless to say it wasn't this awesome when it was in my room. THIS is how I threw my back out over Christmas break. Yep! Hours of sitting on the floor wrapping each spindle with yarn. Worst pain ever, but it is soooooo cute and goes perfectly in our shop:) Sometimes being crafty has a price. Oh and see our little table in the corner?? That's our box shot corner. Now we have a designated spot and light no matter what! Thank ya Jesus:)) OH and can't forget that beautiful hand sewn map my friend Jenna did for me!! Get your own here.

This little lounge area is perfect for serious FGP meetings and progress reports! Nahhhh just kidding. THIS is where we eat lunch when it's too cold to go outside. This little spot is soooo nice to have. We used to take shifts. Now we can eat lunch together.

And see that green ladder thing in the corner? Another salvage yard find. I love repurposing otherwise rusted out junk. That coffee table was at an antique store. It's solid and was pretty perfect before I painted it, BUT I'm a paint over wood most of the time girl. Sorry dad! It was beckoning to be a sunbeam. Just in case you can't see it... it says BURN BRIGHT! Yes that's my heart's desire...to burn bright for Him!!!

SO all that to say that we are OFFICIALLY OPEN and ready for you. If you haven't signed up for the newsletter GO NOW. It's at the top of this page, says "sign up":) It will show our FGP giving vision for this open, a coupon for you and usually some sort of giveaway:) We also show off any new designs or things we love. This month we featured the following: