hey there folks! i just wanted to give this little update since i've had to wait a while before i could say for sure –

it's official, the geese are gone for good!

if you have a pond (or know of a pond nearby) you may have had or seen issues with canadian geese – and it ain't fun. well, when we moved in we were sharing our 3 acres with 3 families of geese who would each have 4-6 babies in the spring.

i know this sounds kind-of awesome and seeing the babies was great... at first... until the amount of poop started piling up. (geese put out a ton of poop per day, times that by 18 and we're talking serious poop-city!)

anyway, after trying all the humane ways possible we finally found a system that works!

so here's the secret: 1 happy dog + 1 old canoe.

yup, that's it. we let our old canoe float around aimlessly all day – which works for the majority of the time. and when they really tried to come back to nest and keep their babies (which they do for a couple days this spring) i had kitsune swim/chase after them for hours. she could never quite catch them but kept them constantly on their toes which eventually made it so they didn't want to come back.

so, i'm thinking i may have a new business venture.

i think i'll call us: 1 happy dog + 1 old canoe = 1 ecstatic and goose-free you.

xoxoxoxox

happy friday!

it's such a beautiful day out there and i'm feeling so fantastic!

all this treasury and feed-back love has made me seriously high on life and work...

ok, check out one of my all-time-favorite treasuries created by sammade –

be sure to check out her shop, too! so great!

and then this wonderfully selected balloon inspired treasury by vivalaviolett –

who also has such cute stuff in her shop! xoxoxox

and then, the reason i do what i do...

and really appreciate every minute of it –

i got all teary from the most recent one. i'm so sappy.

so with that – i love you all!

happy weekend wishes,

xoxoxoxo

loving these landmarks!!

such a wonderful treasury by katnawlins –

i'm so thrilled that my brooklyn bridge print has been getting such extra love lately + i have such exciting (however, momentarily secret) news about it's upcoming national debut... stay tuned!

oh boy! it's been such a busy summer and the wedding season has been seriously bumpin' around here! amidst all of that – i've barely had time to post anything new (+ i know some particular family members have been looking for what's news in this neck-o-the-woods) so here you go!

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every other morning kitsune and i have been walk/jogging 5 miles!

– action shots –

here's a fuzzy shot of my favorite farm on top of our hill where i can see the blue mountains and even steam from limerick!

side note: did you know there is a boutique in tokyo called kitsune - and i LOVE it!!

xoxoxoxoxox

ok back to the homestead...

the chickens are doing well and giving us 4 beautiful eggs everyday!

and we've cut them out a new tree for shade next spring.

also, we've been doing some deck gardening while we clean up the real garden –

i've been busy propagating willow trees, irish moss, red clover, rosemary, basil, succulents and more!

green peppers growing

and little tomatoes, too!

thoughts for next year...

we plan to add coturnix quails

and escargot snails to the farm!

xoxoxox wish us luck xoxoxox

happy tuesday all!

check out domestica! one of my newest boutiques is looking soooo fabulous! finding my prints in the backgrounds of these photos is making me beyond happy and excited!! + you can find me in their big cartel shop or just check them out the next time your in des moines, iowa! {thanks so much chrissy! xoxoxox +++ super thanks to jen of hey! jen renee for her awesome blog post }

getting some brooklyn bridge love this past weekend with these great treasuries!

{super thanks to lovelykins and lillya xoxoxox}

check it out as i start making my new portfolio for textile design!

above are some screen shots of pieces i'm adding today...

hopefully i be able to add a few each week from a specific theme.

this theme is called vintage floral folk.

{themes for the future: vintage strawberry vine, dutchy bunny-rabbits, new-folk llamas, quaker's quail, and wild vintage mushrooms. so, stay tuned for more since i'll be making prints of them all for sale in my etsy shop!}

happy monday all!

last week was totally crazy and busy for me in my little world...

but my oasis in the midst of the insanity of my NYC trip was my 1/2 hour of heaven at what is antropologie. i could've spent a million dollars there easily!! but instead, i treated myself to only 2 new dresses...

and gawked for 15 mins at this cardboard chandelier...

can you guess my new project? i can not wait to get started – and it's sooooo perfect since i just happen to have a ton of boxes hanging around here like dust-bunnies in every corner! recycling my boxes + making a big beauty like this = one of the best projects i may ever make. i'll post the completion – someday.

ooooooo - this is my favorite treasury in a long while! sooo beautiful and mindful, too...

happy friday all! xoxoxoxo

last friday my good-old gramps sailed off to meet up with the others that have gone before him...

luckily i still have my grams around who obviously has some serious style –

check out those matching outfits! (that's my mom on the right)

and she had great taste in men, too! gramps was really awesome... and a looker!

7 kids total, farm living, family raising, good old pa dutchies from the lancaster county area – born and raised. gramps died at home in bed with his wife and family around him. can't beat that for good living, and dying. so much love and admiration to you, grandpa.

xoxoxoxox

as promised, here's a quick look at our new chickens!

they are still really skittish so i haven't been able to get any good shots besides this –

1 rhode island red (yet to be named), 1 australorp (blackula for now), 2 ameraucanas (one named goldie hen, and the other named greybeard)

and our first (blue) egg! man, i love raising chickens!

check out this amazing old fruit wagon!

i met mr. mertz (3rd generation mertz, of the kutztown area)

at that small engine show in bowers

who has been taking care of this piece of history since he was a child –

his great grandfather was j.a. mertz and rode this wagon around selling fruits up and down kutztown...

back when it looked like this...

anyway, mr. mertz said, "you can always tell when's something's pa dutch

because the decor and handywork are extra fancy... since they were a very proud people."

yikes, maybe not so politically correct – but proud nonetheless!

look at that ztown, pa i caught! fantastic!

this morning was the most beautiful i've experienced in a long time. it went like this...

the temperature was perfect and the sunlight was shining brightly as walked down to check on our new chickens. (i'll follow up with some photos of them next week - that is if they're still around!)

{+ you can read here about our lovable flock that got eaten in 2 days just last month. }

and all of a sudden, there she was – the most amazing mother fox i've ever seen! maybe it was because i got within 5 feet from her before she noticed me – but staring at her in that sunlight today filled me with utter joy! despite the fact that she ate every one of my birds. even some that i raised from chicks. i was dumbfounded. it's just so funny how sometimes the things you wage war against – went met face-to-face – melt your heart and change you forever.

and with that, happy friday all –

xoxoxoxox

happy to pass along – 2 new shops will be carrying my prints!

first, the very awesome and exciting young blood gallery and boutique of atlanta, georgia!

and second, the super cute and lovely domestica of des moines, iowa!

if you have a minute – please check these guys out! i'm so in love with both shops at the moment + the people behind them – and, if you're in the area please hop on in and find my work along with so many other incredable artists! seriously, the amount of talent in these 2 shops is ridiculous!

quite possibly the best stuff to be found on earth.

happy wednesday!!! xoxoxoxoxox

happy friday all! this fresh new friday brings us 2 new items up in the shop!

first, a big, bright print perfect for the summer kitchen– bless this: now only $20!

and second, love letters: only $20 as well – with your own custom color choice!

{for this last one i got inspired by the house down the road with their big german/pa dutch letter displayed outside their front door. however, this print is meant to be framed inside by the front door or even above the bed. (like i did here at home) but i could see hanging on the front door – oooo, i may try that and post the results!}

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oh yeah, and i finished another wedding poster! check out a sneak peak –

happy weekend! xoxoxoxo