Pumpkin Patch Prep – say that three times, lol.  This is the east side of my barn that gets a decent amount of sunshine during the day (I took this pic early this morning).  My plan is this 12′ x 30′ plus area will be my future “Pumpkin Patch”.  I’m determined this year to get them planted.  I actually just bought some “seed feed” at Walmart so I’ll be starting the process here pretty soon.  Jason is going to help me pick up the lumber (hopefully this weekend) to get started on my picket fence.  I was stoked to find this 3.5′ x 8′ section of pickets at Home Depot “ready to go”.  I’m going to cut the fence panel in half and put the entrance in the middle (see my cute sketch, lol) which will leave a good 4′ for my John Deere mower to fit through.  🙂

A friendly reminder that you have just 2 more weeks to get me your “Easter Coffee Bar” pics!!  Let’s do this ladies . . . Mom, Angel, Marsha, Laura, Sherry, Wendy, Robin, Michele, Tara, Amie, Diane, Pat, Maurene, Mia, Donna, Judy (coffee guru), Denise, Tammy, Debbie . . . I know you’re all out there! This pic is not my coffee bar – it’s on my buffet.  Email your pics by March 18th to: cottagecharms@msn.com  😉

March 2, 2016

My neighbor across the street from me is a big gardener.  They’re the ones that have the chickens I babysat last summer.  She was cleaning up her strawberry patch & called  me to see if I wanted some of her plants.  I said heck yeah but I wasn’t ready.  I don’t have any of my garden beds built yet.  She said no problem and brought me over her wheelbarrow full of dirt, a bed to borrow & about 60 plants!!  I ran to Home Depot Sunday to get a few bags of topsoil and got them all planted.  For now, I just put the bed in the middle of my future garden area.  Eventually, I want to take the top 1/2 of the metal off this area (about 4′ high) all around the garden and put up lattice to let more sunshine in.  This area right next to the barn is where the past owners kept their dog.  I’ll put my garden beds here, add some crushed gravel, a walkway and a gate.  I added an outdoor light and concrete pad last year right off the door to the barn that goes into my “garden room”.  That’s my “outside” goal anyway for this spring/summer, to get the garden area up and running.  I’m so exited to have strawberry plants – hopefully I’ll have enough to make some homemade strawberry jam!! 😉

I’ve gotten all the tiles cut & spaced out in my closet.  Now I just need to get the mortar down and grout – which will not be this weekend.  It’s my daughter’s 27th birthday!!  And she’s coming up for the weekend, so we’ll do a family dinner and get some shopping in for sure.  Mortar will have to wait. 😉

Clearance @ Kohls

Name Plates – Hobby Lobby

Attached Name Plates

Hung in my Closet!

How cute are these?!  I found these cubby/storage things at Kohls.  There were originally $60 marked down 70% to $17.99!!! That’s not all . . . then their clearance was an extra 20% off AND I had a 30% off coupon!!!  I got them for $10 each!!!!!  I sooooo scored!!!!  I thought they’d look extra cute with some detail on them so I found these “name plates” at Hobby Lobby and used my 40% off coupon (always on their website – hobbylobby.com).  Hung those babies in my closet and love them!  Storage doesn’t have to be plain – it can be totally cute!!

Oh my word – too stinkin’ cute!  Found it at Hobby Lobby 40% off Spring Stuff 😉

I have always wanted a buffet for my new dinning room.  In fact I bought that art piece (from Kirkland’s) a year ago just waiting for the perfect buffet to hang it over.  I’ve been looking since Thanksgiving and I was specific about what I was looking for: no glass, no baskets, wanted it 36″ tall, wanted a couple of drawers, it couldn’t be more than 18″ deep, hoping for about 48″ in length and dreaming of a painted finish.  I stopped by Home Goods, again, and there it was!!!  The clouds parted and I heard singing!!!  It was/is perfect!!  Painted finish, drawers & doors, 18″ deep, 56″ long, no glass, no baskets!!  I’m telling you I felt like a kid at Christmas that scored my dream gift!!  LOL   Yahooo, Home Goods!!  P.S. Look closely at my art – Yes, that is a pig jumping off a dock!  Love it!!