Thursday, March 31, 2011

Toadally Tutus Children's Charity

Wowzers, there is A LOT that goes into starting a charity!

I suppose this is in part because I am a "one-woman show". The other part could very possibly be that I am a perfectionist, and when I get a vision, my brain automatically starts thinking about all of the ways to better that vision. My husband is always reminding me to slow down. In fact, as a little side note, there is an artist by the name of Katie Daisy who has a beautiful painting that says...SLOW DOWN. I need it! I would hang it by my coffee maker, since that is the only daily definite :-) Yes, you are probably thinking, "What about the medicine cabinet, or shower?" Good question. See, as a stay at home mom who is not a morning person, when I drag myself out of bed, I head directly for the coffee pot. My girls have learned that while I may look awake, until the caffeine enters my body I am nothing more than a walking zombie :-)


Ok, back on track...

Tutus!


I have finally decided on a name and logo...


(with the help of a quick Facebook vote)

Another side note: The Farrier's Daughter is now on FB



Toadally Tutus!


I'm happy with it. It may change down the road, but for now, it's a start. I have already started receiving orders and needed a tag to attach. Here's where the stress of being a one-woman show comes into play. On top of ordering, cutting, and making the tutus, there is so much to be done before a tutu goes out in the mail.


Ideally, I would have a very pretty web site and/or blog in place with a handy-dandy counter so that visitors can see our progress. In the last few days I have found myself needing to wear many hats...graphic designer, printing service, web designer.


The plan is to have a website (blog for now), where people and/or businesses that donate their services (ie-graphic designer, web designer, printing, building for clinics, boutiques that sell commission free) can be linked to in the side bar as an incentive for helping!


Until then, I am slowly working on the Barn Babies blog. Where updates about the charity will be posted.


Friday, March 25, 2011

If I had it to do all over again...the perfect wedding decor


The picture in my last post (of my father and I on my wedding day), paired with a wedding I saw featured on the Green Wedding Shoe site got me thinking. If I were to marry my husband all over again, how different it would look. Not to say I didn't absolutely love my wedding; I did! It was a magical day. We were surrounded by wonderful people, and it was fun. In fact, to this day, I haven't been to a wedding where I have such a good time (sorry friends and family, but it was mine so I suppose I am partial)! Isn't it funny how our likes and dislikes change over time? In 2005, lavender and green were colors that made me happy, so much so that they set the scheme for our wedding decor. So this is what my wedding actually looked like:

Doves (ok, so they weren't really doves, but no one knew the difference) were released as we had our first kiss.



These furry fellas greeted guests as they drove up to the vineyard.


My handsome groom and his crew.
All of the ladies getting ready.


Loved the rustic tin backdrop.










Polka dots were also in the mix.


My extremely talented aunt arranged all of the flowers and made all of the bouquets and boutennieres.


Did I mention we had fun???

Who doesn't love the money dance? And where better to stash your cash when your hands are full?

Since our wedding was in the evening and lasted well into the night, we opted for a sparkler send off in lieu of the traditional rice.Now that I am older, and know myself a little better, I would make a few changes. Only in the decor...not the husband, location, or experience. How you ask? Well, it would be more colorful. Much like Roselyn and Ben's wedding (like how it sounds like I know them?).


Take a look at some of these photos (from Green Wedding Shoes), or visit their site. It is full of eye candy, and bursting with wonderful ideas for all of you brides-to-be.




Love, love, love the rosettes!


The turquoise color in the strawberry crates paired with the rich red in the berry is natural beauty at it's best. And how genius is that? It's beautiful and practical...the guests can much on juicy strawberries!


I also enjoy the relaxed feeling that the centerpieces give off. Such a clever idea to use old, farm related photos.


Head on over to Green Wedding Shoes for more photos of this gorgeous wedding. From what I can see, the only thing missing were brightly colored Cowgirl Canteens for Roselyn and her bridesmaids!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Guest Blogger by The Farrier Himself

Today is a special day, as I am having my first guest blogger!

Who better to kick things off than my little business's' namesake...The Farrier himself.

Before I hand over the reins (actually, he hates computers, so I will be typing his handwritten ditty for him), let me give a quick introduction.


My father, a farrier by trade, artist and writer at heart. He is a strong man with a gentle soul, and humor which exudes him. He is walking example of hard work, dedication, and pride to all of his four children and six grand babies. I take great pleasure in introducing my first guest blogger, my father, Marvin R. Fred


I'm the farrier part of The Farrier's Daughter. To share some history, Lindsey's creative inclinations were genetically transferred from her great grandad to her grandmother to her. Her mom and I let the creative field lie fallow. Lindsey has a knack for turning trash into treasure. My knack is to turn trash into the dump!


My daughter's creative endeavors inspired my creative juices. Mother nature needed my help housing her feathered friends. How hard can that be? The end result was a bird shanty built from wood scraps and shingles. The two R's of bird housing were accomplished-rustic and recycled. (My daughter would have created the same structure using an old boot and a hubcap.)


After drilling the appropriately sized hole in the bird shack, and mounting it on a tree it was move in day. Then it was move in week, move in month and move in summer. Nothing! Free rent, no cleaning deposit, and no takers. It couldn't have been the quality of the bird hut. Our wrens are just too uppity. I'm out of the bird house business, there are horses to shoe...and Lindsey wants to know if you have any old boots or hubcaps!


-Written by Mick Fred...the farrier


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Craft Room Makeover

Welcome to part one of my Craft Room Makeover.


You know how before going on a diet or starting a new workout program it is suggested that you take photos of your body in it's current state? They are your "fat pictures"; the ones that are supposed to remind you of why you are putting yourself through the sweat and pain; to remind you of where you came from.


Well, today I share with you my craft room fat pictures!


There are two entries to my space.

The door above is accessed through the garage. My husband's workbench is directly to the right of the door, so you can imagine the laugh I got when this sign went up!

Hahahaha!


Ok, enter at your own risk.......eeeeek, this is so embarrassing.


And wahlah! We are in.

Please fasten your seat belts and try to relax as the tour moves in a clockwise rotation around what will soon be an inspirational paradise.

Above is the only man (err, woman) door in the room. As you can see, it is currently home to all of my daughters' artwork.


My super-dee-duper handyman husband hung the cabinets for me. They were in the kitchen when we purchased the house, but saved them for this purpose. I see paint in their future. Probably white, maybe a color, you will have to wait and see.

To the right of the door we created a built-in workspace for office type stuff.

A girl's gotta be able to keep track of all of those orders right? Ok, maybe just a nice, clean place to blog. The cabinets were special made for the house remodel, but we ended up not using them. Again, my handyman installed a counter top. More painting.

On the Northern wall, I plan to have a special, kid-friendly spot. This is where the girls will be able to craft along side me. Then you will see a bump out in the room. Yes, a small portion of my real estate is shared with our pump room. However, I manage to use any free space inside for storage. Above the pump/storage room is a shelf which allows me to shove more stuff. One of my prize possessions is this old harvest table! You wouldn't know it the way it is covered right now, but she is amazing! Strong legs, long and lean, a smooth top, with a touch of chippy charm... now that's what I call perfection! See those partition walls? They are not a permanent fixture, I picked them up for free. They will be finding a new home in my friend's photography studio. The idea is that each side can have a different look, and they are on wheels, so she can just turn them for various shoots. The other way to access my world/craft room is through a large roll-up garage door. I love this because I can easily move furniture in and out to work on it. I also look forward to throwing it up in the summertime, and letting the kids come and go from the yard as I work. Stay tuned for more Craft Room Makeover.

*Do you have a craft room you would like to share for inspiration? Leave a link in the comments.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

PRICE DROP on EVERYTHING in STORE

Yeehaw!

The Farrier's Daughter has dropped the prices to make room for their new online roommate.

That's right, the online boutique will soon share space with the Barn Babies line and Tutu Charity.


So head on over and treat yourself, and/or someone you love to some very unique gifts!

(reach the boutique by clicking on the image above, or the "shop til you drop" button to the right)


*Prices shown reflect a $10 price reduction

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Cop's Wife

I met my husband at the local Harvest Festival. I had come home from college for the summer, and following family tradition, my siblings and I planned to attend the event together. Little did I know, my brother’s best friend was bringing along my future husband. They were roommates, and now coworkers who had gone through the Police Academy together.

At the risk of sounding cliché, I will say that it was love at first sight. Well, for myself anyway. My husband is your typical “intelligent” type who would never make that big of an assumption so quickly. He came around though, and after two years of dating, he had the talk with my father, and proposed under a stately oak tree at sunset.

Throughout the past six years of marriage, there is one question that I am most commonly asked, “Isn’t it hard being a cop’s wife?” Unless you have walked in the shoes of an officer’s wife, the question seems so simple. Yes or no. I assume most have already decided the answer will be yes when they ask, so I throw them off and respond with an honest, no. You see, over the years I have learned that the answer is actually not as simple as yes or no; but, as not to spend an entire day explaining the ups and downs, I have come up with a very generic reply that seems to satisfy most.

The truth, I’ve learned is that the individual officer, spouse, and officer’s team all play a big role in how difficult or easy the life is to live with. Do I worry? Yes, I do. However, it’s not on a regular basis. My husband has made choices within his career that have landed him in a position that make life on our family much easier. There were days in the early years when he was in patrol, that I worried. I wasn’t a fan of street patrol. He never knew who he was going to encounter, or their motives, and in my eyes it was much scarier. During those times, I took relief in the thought that his best friend was his partner, and I knew that they would be there for each other. While life on the streets was far more exciting, he made the move to a special unit when our first daughter was born. This gave him a regular schedule that did not include working nights, holidays or going into court on his days off. Don’t get me wrong, these things still do happen; it’s just not as frequently. Yes, this can be frustrating; and yes, I dream of the day I can wake up at the same time as my husband, share a quick cup of coffee and kiss him goodbye. I long for the day that I can depend on him being home in the evenings, so that we can have a solid schedule and help getting the girls to bed, the things most families have and take for granted. But, it is my responsibility to look at the perks of the job, of my husband, and the man he is.

Divorce rates are extremely high in the law enforcement field. It’s very clear that the cards are stacked against a young couple. Knowing this, even before we married, my husband and I had to be sure that we were making a commitment with a strong willed person that didn’t believe in giving up. Luckily, we are two of the most stubborn people I know (funny, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth). Giving up is not an option, and it can’t be.

Law enforcement is a very easy job to get wrapped up in…another thing that is difficult for the unfamiliar to understand. At work, they are surrounded by fellow officers who understand them, their feelings, the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies the feelings of adrenaline spikes and falls. At home, it’s an entirely different world, and I am lucky enough to have a husband who tries his hardest to separate the two.

When our second daughter was born, we had another big change within my husband’s career. He had achieved his goal of becoming a member of the highly respected SERT (our cities SWAT) team. This was a big deciding point for us. I knew it was his ultimate goal, and had been since before he even became an officer. I also knew it meant more time away, more life threatening situations. Here is where the team comes into play. When I first met my husband’s SERT sergeant, he greeted me not with a firm handshake, but a bear hug. He very genuinely thanked me for lending my husband to the team, and for supporting him. This went a long way with me. I try to remember this when my husband is away, and take comfort in the thought that he is working with the best of the best.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were home getting ready for our oldest daughter’s birthday party. A page went out for a SERT call out (they are on call 24-7). My husband had taken the day off the pager so that he wouldn’t miss the party. Still, he instantly grabbed his radio and tuned in. He sat, intensely listening to the voices and static. Initially, I was irritated, for one day, let it go! Then I realized something about my husband that made me admire him even more. He was torn. There he sat, a strong man, committed to two very important families. I told him that he could go if he wanted, that family could help me pull off the party. He didn’t. He chose to stay. My admiration didn’t necessarily come from that decision, rather the fact that he was torn. To me, it was proof of his priorities. He didn’t want to let anyone down. He is a pleaser, and he pleases me greatly. So, is it hard being married to a cop? Not for me.

Next time you, or someone you know decides to go on a cop bashing rampage, please remember that they too are human beings, doing a difficult job, and at some time during the day or night will go home to a family that loves them very much.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Tutu Marathon

Last fall, I took my girls to the park for a little photo shoot. I wanted to soak up what last bit of sun we would have here in the Great Northwest for months to come. As I started looking through my photo files for some tutu pics, I came across these and they made me smile.....

See, half way through the "shoot", the girls lost interest. Ok, let's be honest, they were never really interested. There were toys in sight and they wanted to play! Luckily I had come prepared with lollipops! Bribery? Why not?


(this actually backfired on me as it only took minutes before Reese had blue sticky goop all over her face)

Here is where it gets funny. Note how in the photo above Raegen is distracted...

Little sister is no dummy, she goes in for the lick!

Annnnnnnd:

What? I didn't do anything!


Ok, show and tell is now over and I move on to bigger and better things.

I received another shipment of tulle today and am ready to start cutting. It is going to be a one woman Tutu Marathon around here!


I have also been working like crazy trying to get the new site

(where these charity tutu's will be available for purchase)

up and running and should have a link to share very soon!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Gifts Galore


is up and running!

Many colorful items to choose from for Weddings, Birthdays, Photo Props, Bachelorette Gifts,

and yourself of course!


At Junk Salvation, one sweet (recently engaged) shopper purchased the entire Cowgirl Canteen Lineup as gifts for her Bridal Party! A very creative way to say thanks to all of your closest gal pals!


And like a very creative woman once said (of the Cowgirl Canteens), they are

"Not just for Whiskey, ya know"


So grab one and fill 'er up!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Elegant Mermaid Birthday Party

Wow, it's official,

we have a five year old

(going on 15-but that's another story)!

Here she is peeking out from behind a party favor, wondering when it's time to swim. She requested a mermaid party this year, and the local pool where she takes lessons just so happens to have a "Little Otter" party room! Yay, perfect venue!

I wanted to keep things on the elegant side, so we stuck with shades of pink, orange, and coral. Mixing in some natural colors like the tan in the burlap, and shades of creamy whites in the shells broke up all of the color. Each guest had a mermaid (for girls), or pirate (for boys) activity/sticker book wrapped in either brown craft paper with white twine, or solid white wrapping paper with brown twine. On top of the books sat pink square plates (found on clearance at Target). To finish off the place setting was a small white tin, bucket. The buckets had a seahorse name tag tied to the front (seahorse shape was a PS brush from Coolest Brushes). We filled each pail with salt water taffy from Cost Plus World Market and bundled it in burlap and tulle. The cake was actually from the local Safeway bakery. I asked for simple light pink frosting with white coral piped on the sides. I then added a pretty shell found at TJ Maxx. TJ Maxx had GREAT prices on shells and coral (a plus for me since I've been wanting some for decorating around my house any way).
Before the party, the birthday girl wanted to help out with getting things ready, so I purchased a basket full of small shells from the Dollar Tree and we painted shells in colors to go with our theme!
Old pearls were also added to the mix, along with candied shells that we made using candy molds from Michaels. They were super cheap, quick and fun to make.

I placed them on top of homemade cupcakes and scattered them around the room for people to snack on. Another fun idea (I didn't come up with this one), was to sprinkle brown sugar on the food surfaces to look like sand!

The beverage dispenser is one of my new favorite purchases. I got it at Costco, and use it any chance I get! Can't wait to fill it up with some sweet tea this summer.

Live, fan-tail goldfish were also part of the decor!

This was a hit with the kiddos...not so much with the fish.

Poor things don't transport well.

A Great Big Happy Birthday to my Baby Girl!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

A Mermaid Party in the Works

My baby girl turns 5 tomorrow!

I can't believe how old 5 sounds when it's your first born. It honestly seems like just yesterday that we were heading to the hospital to induce labor, nerves flying, back aching.



I always knew I liked planning things, but it wasn't until her first birthday that I discovered how much fun it was/is to plan a child's party!

1st Birthday Party was very Garden/Spring themed...lots of flowers!




Birthday number 2 was a Carnival Theme!

Pretty sure people thought I had lost my mind when they showed up and my sister and I were dressed up as clowns (what a dedicated auntie huh?) Turning 3 was a Cowgirl Theme...seemed to be appropriate since we were living in my parents "barn" at the time! Yeehaw! This party was super fun! We threw a Mary Poppins themed party that was held at the carousel aka 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Kids had black construction paper place mats with their names painted down the side that they were later able to color on outside...sidewalk chalk! Party favors were hats that I embellished to look like Mary Poppins hats.


Tomorrow's party will be an elegant Mermaid Party.


No Disney Princess around these parts. Don't get me wrong, I love Ariel, and all of her beautiful songs, I just don't want the typical, commercialized mermaids :-)


Instead, I have been drawing inspiration from a beautiful party thrown by Kate Landers Events.


My little one's will not be anywhere near as nice as the inspiration party, but a girl has to aim for the stars right???


Check back for the final results!

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