A Couple Gallivants to Mention.

Two weekends ago, my best friend since forever ago (Margie) and I kept up our annual tradition of Birthday Gallivants and hauled my daughter along for the ride. She doesn't ever seem to mind.Nobody has a cooler kid than me.
We ended up in Leavenworth, Indiana. An itty-bitty town next to the Ohio River. Joe was itching to get out for a bit and so were Margie and I.
We took a posed-corny 'town sign' picture.
They had a really neat antique store with these giant jacks (I'll try to look it up and see if I can find an example on the internet), but I WILL go back and buy one someday. The owner gave Joe a little cheap-o ring that she talked about ALL the way home along with a marble that I bought at the Stephenson's General Store.
This General Store was wonderful. We had ice cream cones and it looked like they had incredible food for lunch. There was all sorts of stuff to buy, but I didn't bring any spending money. Overall it was a nifty gallivant, but we need to go on a birthday gallivant for my birthday soon.

Last weekend my mom and I went down to retrieve my camera (because Margie accidentally took both of our cameras with her when I dropped her off). So, after I had my camera back we drove around a bit before coming home.

Got a GREAT photo of a windmill to add to my shop.
And these triplet fawns were 'stuck' in a pasture and were separated from their momma. They bleated and ran and bleated and ran. It was really something to see. They were about the size of a dog. I've never seen triplets before. Pretty cool.

So gallivanting as always has produced some memories.

New Etsy Love.

Another batch of my finds on Etsy that I wanted to share with you.Sweet Dreams Handkerchief Earrings by ThatOldBlueHouse2.
The Couple by ashleyg.
Secret Deer Print by AlicePotter.
Racehorse Lithograph by Printmistress888.
Man Punching Bear Men's T-Shirt by sharpshirter.
Long Distance Correspondence Drawing by stasiab.
Frog Couple Dancing Pendant by retropage.
Coffee Mug by elizabethrobinson.
By the Pier by Maddenphotography.
Autumn Stroll by ericandsteph84.

A Day in the Life.

One of the photos I'm editing...and will soon be in my shop.

So far this morning I've fed the livestock, fed Joe, fed me, put clothes on myself and the kid, trimmed a goat's feet, kneaded bread and set it on the back porch to rise, swept the floor, changed 6 diapers, moved the rabbit grazing pen, turned fans on in the barn, broke a sweat right away, turned the horses out, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, and now I'm sitting down to have a cup of tea and take a deep breath. It's not even noon yet, and I've been one busy girl. That's kind of what most of my days look like. The rest of the day will be spent taking ice bottles down to the rabbits, turning a fan on the pregnant goats, mailing some letters (including the free prints won by the livestock namers), making flat bread on the stovetop, making lots of Etsy treasuries, reminding people about my 20% off sale, feeding/watering again, making supper, taking a shower, editing some photographs, reading to Joe, doing some yoga, and going to bed.

Just to wake up the next day and have a to-do list just as long.

I love my life!

New Etsy Love.

A few recent finds on Etsy.

Visual Poetry. Rogue by ancagray.

Vintage 1940's Pink Bird Brooch by Thrush.

Shutterbug Camera Ring by dilliondesigns.

Mr. and Mrs. Pillow Covers by nextdoortoheaven.

man at sea by loveallaround.

Live Off The Land by boldandnoble.

Lady Bird by munieca.

Life Takes Grit by StephanieCraigDesign.

Fall Scene by spareroomworkshop.

Elephant Walk. by sarahogren.

1915 Illustration by Frank Wing by KingPaper.

SALE*SALE*SALE

***SALE TIME***

15% Off Your Order

Use Coupon Code FAIRWEEK11 at Checkout.

Offer Valid July 17-23.

Click here to go to The Gallivanting Girl on Etsy.

Chow Dow

Here is a Friday Edition of Chow Down. Calzones via Kitchn via Apartment Therapy. Enjoy.

Image and article via Emma Christensen Here.

Birthday Wish List:

My birthday is less than 3 weeks away, so I thought it'd be fun to put some things on here that I'd love to receive on my big 26th. A few are attainable, but most are pretty out of my reach. Enjoy.

A few Etsy finds:

Summer Harvest by jmbarclay.

The Little Sharpshooter by solocosmo.

Old Feed Store Painted Photograph by JPuzWilson.

Infrared Pennsylvania Landscape via jessegradl.

Good Work Poster via quaillanepress.

Fields of Gold via buckscountyframes.

Homecoming by Alicia Bock.

And then of course I wouldn't mind going and seeing the most amazing program in the world before Garrison Keillor retires. He'll be in Louisville mid-August I think. I'd have to go by myself because my husband just doesn't 'get' NPR.

Here is the website--I suggest listening to some of the old shows.

And here is a "definitely not going to happen" present-a $6,000 sofa from Anthropologie, but my goodness it's awesome. I will have a "Bottle Green" couch someday.

Atelier Chesterfield Sofa via Anthropologie.

Then there is this beauty. A typewriter that types in script. Incredible!

This Mint Green version is Reserved for somebody else in meedily's store on Etsy.

This is what the type looks like. Crazy, amazing. Also via meedily.

Then I'd really like a Borzoi/Irish Wolfhound cross puppy like this one from Marble Falls, Texas that's for sale right now for $200.

Via Lunashounds.com.

A couple Brown Swiss steers would be great too, but I can't seem to locate any.

Photo via Mallady on Flickr.

Finally I'd really, really like for somebody to sit down and tutor me on the ins and outs of my dang sewing machine because I'm dying to make a quilt like this one on Etsy.

Via SouthernCharmQuilts.

So, there you have it, a long and odd list for my birthday. I'm guessing I'll maybe get a dinner or a movie night with Mike and that's better than anything on this list. But it's fun to dream a bit.

A Doula for Goats.

My girls are PREGNANT as they can be. They should be due any day, and they are miserable. They are also extremely moody. I go down to the barn multiple times during the day and night hoping that when I do there will be a goat laying down and pushing, but alas all I seem to find are two grumpy, uncomfortable goats. At lunchtime I went and sat in their pen (which is a common place to find me), and the LaMancha (pictured above) proceeded to use me as a human rubbing post. Her sides must itch because she all but crushes me as she goes by anymore leaning with her full weight against my legs or arms or back. Then she and the Alpine proceeded to fight over my attention, and I try to divide my scratchings equally, but neither wants me to touch the other one. Kind of makes a girl feel important.

I feel sorry for them being so uncomfortable (I've been there, I know), so I sit with them in the evenings (the LaMancha usually comes and lays down beside me), and I pet her and talk to her and watch the sun go down. It's really relaxing (for all of us I think). I even had a cottontail rabbit come within a foot of us a few nights ago.

So, just call me Doula until these girls give birth because I seem to be their favorite person these days, and hopefully I'll get to see their little ones come into this world. That would be really neat.

A Step Into The Unknown.

Photo via TwiggyJane on Flickr.

I've got my dream life. I live on an amazing farm, I've got a great guy for a husband, my daughter is absolutely awesome, and I'm the owner of my own business. The part of my life that I feel is incomplete is me. Does that make sense? I have so much that I want to accomplish. I've got more dreams and goals than any person should. I've sculpted everything in my life to match the dreams I've always had, except for those concerning myself. I kind of let myself go by the wayside in order to take care of the rest of my life.

I want to create habits that help me build gradually into the human I want to be. Yoga is something I've always found appealing from afar, but I've only tried it once. I enjoyed it, but then it got lost as does most things I try to start. I want to pick it up again in order to strengthen my body and give me something to help clear my head. I have a garden I tend to when I get a free moment (which isn't often), and it is producing veggies as we speak. I've been making whole wheat flatbread for the household for about a month now, which makes me proud to say I don't buy bread from the store anymore (that was one habit that seem to stick). I'd like to take a crack at making yogurt soon and perhaps that will become habit too. Just keeping up with these things would be a great step in the right direction.

I'd like to join a few clubs and organizations. Get out and volunteer. Support the community, that sort of thing. I'd also like to research things I'm passionate about and never stop learning. Keep up on my writing. Paint and draw and photograph to my heart's content. Believe it or not I miss school so badly. I'd go back to college in a heartbeat.

I just want to erase fear of failing from my life. If I don't try the things I want to learn or do, then I can't fail, but I also stay stagnant. I want to become the person I always envisioned myself being, and I can't do that unless I take a leap of faith and not worry about screwing up or falling short. And if I do disappoint myself, then I need to just not let it get to me and try again.

That's a really hard thing for me to let go of, but this is kind of a vow to myself that I'm starting from scratch here. I'm going to keep realistic and know that change won't come overnight, but gradually I hope I become exactly who I've always dreamed of being. A person Joe can grow up to admire and be proud of.

Perhaps you guys can keep me on my toes.

New Names, and Contest Winners.

The new names shall be...drumroll please:

Sarge.

Ruby.

Maria.

Jezebel, Jilly-Boo, and Juju-Bee.

Willy (Billy) Nelson.

Cinder.

Charity (Cherry).

Buster Brown.

And the winners of free prints shall be: Joy, Hilda, Susan, Jessica, and Ashley. Please send me your addresses and I'll get your prints in the mail. If I don't hear from you in a week, then I'll be contacting you via email or facebook or some way to let you know you've won. Thanks for all the help!