A Wittle White Easter Bunny

I just finished this wittle bunny last night, whilst watching episodes of the Dog Whisperer.....and let me tell you, not only am *I* calm and assertive.....this bunny is too. 

She's is made entirely of wool roving and has been needle felted by me. She currently works as a temptation to any child who visits my house and to my dogs who would like to eat her. But, she'd rather be in your home.......

Here is the link to my etsy page so you can order one for yourself:

White Easter Bunny

A Marvelous Messy Party and Maine Maple Sunday!!!!!

Maine Maple Sunday is always a fun day to get out and learn about (and of course *sample*) some of the great maple syrup made in the state. This year it was held on March 24th. We have gone to a couple different farms in the past (there is even a small Sugar House owned by my extended family). This year we ventured to Sidney, Maine to Bacon Maple Farm. 

Bacon Maple Farm is a six generation family owned operation. It started out as a dairy farm with Maple Syrup as a supplement, but it is now primarily Maple Syrup based. 

After waiting in a fairly fast moving line we got a get a tour of the sugar house. They have a truly efficient operation with all the members of the family involved in every part of the process. 

While waiting in line I met a man, never even got his name, but we chatted a lot about sugaring. He's got an operation of about 200 tree's. I laughed and told him we had 4 going right now, and that was *more* than enough for us. I wanted to show you his picture because that man right there..... he is a Mainer. He embodies Maine spirit to a tee. He waited the whole time in line, not to see the process, but to buy some sugaring supplies from the Bacon Farm store. 

 This man just keeps feeding the fire. And he's full of information.

On top of having some delicious vanilla ice cream with a dabble of maple syrup on top, they were also selling Maple Syrup Cotton Candy!!!! What an awesome idea. It was so  good. The tour led us right into their store (such a bright idea), where just about every size jug of maple syrup could be found, along with whoopie pies, sugaring supplies, maple candy, and I even saw some maple wine. The store was partly manned by some young entrepreneurs:

Who were also seen driving around the Kawasaki Mule with the collection tank in the back. 

That's Maine for you, right there. If you're lucky enough to be born into a farm family, you are part of that process from sun up to sun down. 

All in all, I was truly impressed with this sugaring operation. Bacon Maple Farm is the biggest one I've seen yet and it still maintains that charming family farm atmosphere. If you'd like to visit their website and learn more about them and the entire sugaring process, you can find them HERE.

They are also on FACEBOOK.

On the way back to the car we saw a Mallard and his mate sliding around on the ice, finding the holes where they could stick their beaks down and get something to eat. Spring is coming people!!!!!

....................

I also wanted to let you know who I'm going to be featuring on my sidebar for the next week for their project they added to my Marvelous Mess Party:

Nature Birds by An Idea on Tuesday

Congrats!!! Don't forget to grab my button on the sidebar!!!

Now, please do add your latest to the party!!!!!

A Marvelous Mess Party ~Link Up Your Crafts!!~ Maple Sugaring Tutorial

Spring is tumbling into Maine much faster this year and in response to it, we've all tumbled out the door in search of patches of grass, bulbs peeking through mulch, and lots more sunshine. With those warmer days (and still cool nights) comes my favorite part of spring.....Tapping the Maple Trees!!!!!

If you want to learn more about Sugaring, I've got a post from a while back about how we do it on a very small scale HERE.

We have had some awesome crafts linked up to the Marvelous Mess party.
Here are my fave's:

How To Make Grippy Socks from Brown Thumb Mama. What an awesome idea. Kids flying around on socks on hardwood floors tends to stress me out quite a bit. I would be so much more comfortable with them having these on!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!

If I featured you, don't forget to grab a button from my sidebar and display it proudly!!! :-)

Now, on to the Party!!!!

Celebrity Strollers

We always want to know what the those celebrities are up to don't we? Well, in case you were interested, I've got a fun celebrity infographic about which strollers they've been spotted with. What I recommend more than anything, is checking with an organization like the JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association)  www.jpma.org to make sure that the stroller has been certified by them, as they do some good testing on the products beforehand. If you are buying a travel system, I definitely recommend checking the ratings of the car seat at the International Institute for Highway Safety www.iihs.org..... just because a famous person uses a stroller doesn't necessarily mean that it is safe. Before buying any product for your child you should do your research and be fully informed on the safety of the item, ie: has it been certified, has it been recalled, is it recommended for my child's size?

Doily Art: Winter Snowflakes

What do you think of my doily snowflake art? 

I was inspired by an image on pinterest that came from the site WomenBeforeUs. Doily's truly have many snowflakes aspects to them, from the shape, the delicacy, and the patterns. I think they make beautiful winter decorations. 

If you'd like to make one, here's what you need:

White spray paint

Canvas

Doilies (found mine at Goodwill, .99 cents each!!!!!!)

Adhesive Spray

Lace ribbon (optional)

*Take the doilies and place them onto the canvas in the style you would like. I think having them partly on the canvas gives the art more depth (rather than just centered on it). Once you know where you want them, get the doilies ready..... trim them if needed but be careful, they are easy to unravel. 

*Spray Adhesive spray in the area where a doily will go and quickly place the doily on top. Repeat for the rest of the snowflakes.

*Once the adhesive has set, spray the entire piece with white spray paint, going over the snowflakes many times as they absorb the paint and have all sorts of hard to reach spots.

*When the paint is dry, hot glue some lace ribbon around the edges of the canvas. 

Enjoy!!!!!

I shared this post at THESE wonderful parties!!!!!

Wintery Weather??? Feed the Birds!!

We have got another snow storm coming tomorrow. We got about a 10 inches of snow over the weekend, and close to 2 feet a week before that. For this next storm, they are expecting 6-10" inches.....but who knows??? We are so lucky to have a warm house to nest in while we watch all this snow fall happening.

It's times like these that I think about all the animals outside and what they are doing during this snowy weather. 

Many animals have ways of adapting to snow. Deer and other antlered mammals can use their snouts and hooves to push the snow off the plants they need to eat, amphibians and reptiles slow their bodies down to conserve energy, and some animals just pick up and leave. 

I've worried about the birds that stay in Maine during the winter. Birds have layers of feather to help them retain heat during cold temperatures. Being more social can help them to survive as well..... huddling together in groups can keep them warm, and help them to find the best food. Providing food for birds during the winter can be extremely helpful and fun!!!!! The most recent craft I did at the library was making bird feeders. 

Kiwicrate

It's truly simple. All you need to do it get a bagel, spread peanut butter (or lard) over one side, press that side into a bowl of birdseed and then flip it over and repeat the process on the other side. Tie a string around  and put it up in a tree!!!

Once you start feeding birds, especially in winter, you really should provide a regular supply of food. If you don't, birds could use all of their energy to fly to your house and then find that there is nothing there. You will notice a lot of activity in the early morning, when they need to get their energy up after the cold night, and late in the day, when they are preparing for night time. High fat foods are the best options for birds in winter. 

A Marvelous Mess Party~ Link Up Your Craftiness!

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines Day!!!

Mine was simple and fun..... there are so many crafts you can do around Valentine's Day and the kids at the library just love crafting. 

Here is a fave of mine from the party:

Lemon Cupcakes from Pinkie for Pink. There is something about sweet lemon desserts that just completely quenches my sweet tooth..... and that is saying A LOT.  These cupcakes look delicious. 

I just recently made a wool roving cupcake for a co-worker as a present. I can make these cupcakes in any style you'd like.......  

You can find it on my Etsy Shop HERE.

*smile*

Enough promoting..... on to the party!!!!!

How Can You Benefit By Hosting a Promotional Giveaway?

How Can You Benefit By Hosting A Promotional Giveaway?

If you want to ensure that your blog remains or becomes popular, with many people coming in to visit it, one of the best ways of doing so is by organizing promotional giveaways. These types of giveaways are sure to attract a high traffic and will also help make your blog more popular and versatile.

What Are Giveaways?

If you are a relatively new blogger, you may not know what a giveaway is. Free giveaways are small contests that are organized by bloggers. They aim at increasing awareness and publicity. You can ask people to like your page, post comments, interact and also give your opinions, whether you are promoting a product or just doing a giveaway for your readers. After people have entered into your giveaway and left comments, you can randomly pick a winner and send them their prize.

Having a promotional giveaway can come in handy for your business as well.  A lot of bloggers use this type of platform for the sake of promoting their own business. So, if you too have a business you’d like to promote, these types of giveaways will not only improve your blog traffic, but at the same time will also benefit your business as well.

To learn about different giveaways, try and explore the different details that blogging giveaways need to include. There have been a lot of successful giveaways on various blogs and when you organize one, you need to keep all of your details at hand. Whether you use a site like Rafflecopter, or just list the rules on your blog, it still takes a lot of planning.

Setting up a Giveaway

There’s no doubt that when an individual receives a free parcel and they love your product, they are more likely to buy it the next time around. If the product they receive is not business oriented, you still will have benefits. You will most likely receive a great reader who will be more inclined to visit your blog consistently after the giveaway. This doesn’t mean you should slack on your content, however, because it’s important to have a quality blog that’s great for both giveaways and offering important tips and information. Before hosting a giveaway for yourself or for a company, be sure that you have all the information needed.

Bloggers who have hosted giveaways, depending on what they giveaway, usually boost their traffic rate immensely due to the visits and interaction they receive. Once you excite and entertain people enough to make them participate in a giveaway, you are sure to notice the difference on your blog. Also, if you host a giveaway that seems to work for your readers, do a similar one in the future!

A blog is successful only when you have an interacting community where fellow bloggers enjoy participating in different posts and engage in conversation. So, by hosting promotional giveaways, you can promote your business or another company and make your blogging platform successful and productive. Keep in mind as you become an experienced blogger that there are other ways to bring more traffic to your site, but giveaways are one of the most tried and popular methods to achieve consistent readers.

About the Author: Corinne is a relatively new blogger who is beginning to understand the ropes of giveaways. She thinks that giving away promotional keyHYPERLINK "http://www.underabuck.com/" HYPERLINK "http://www.underabuck.com/"chains is another great way to increase interaction on her blog!

The Blizzard of 2013!

We're in the orange blizzard zone on this map. :-) It is definitely accurate.....the wind is zooming around our house right now and the snow hasn't stopped since Friday morning. Not to mention hurricane force winds and combined with a temperature in the teens, so we've got a below zero wind chill. 

I love a good storm. 

So does Buddy:

This is what the snow was like on Friday afternoon; maybe 3 inches and very powedery.

When we woke up this morning:

We tried taking Chloe out. But, Boston Terriers do not appreciate cold Maine winters or Blizzards for that matter. She tried to play. Kind of.

But soon found herself staring longingly at the door. 

We let her in and made her a bed by the cookstove. We've had it going since yesterday morning. 

Our Buddsies love's the snow. In fact, that's how he spent most of today. 

Running through feet of snow, pouncing on snow banks, disappearing in all the white.....

 of the Blizzard of 2013.

Stay safe and warm friends!!!!!

Here is the latest party!!!!!!

A Marvelous Mess: Winter Walk!!!!

I am totally being crafty right now. But, I'm just not blogging about it. I haven't the foggiest idea why....I guess I just want it to myself right now. I *did* however just get a new Nikon camera and took some fun pictures in the woods today while we got some exercise. The light wasn't fantastic, but the stream we were near had some great ice formations..... and Buddy kept us laughing with his antics. He wanted to grab any stick (from twig size to tree size) and he wouldn't let up. At one point he saw a burl on a tree and was convinced he needed to GET IT..... without much success. :-) 

Chloe definitely didn't get why he needed that burl so very much. 

They are both snoozing right now. Chloe's in her kennel with some loud snoring, all snuggled in her blanket. Buddy is attempting to steal the couch from me, and will groan from time to time (we suspect because his paws might be too dry and getting a little cracked.....or I'm making too much noise, which is entirely possible). 

I hope you've had a lovely weekend!!!!

A Marvelous Mess: Dog Sledding!!!!!!!

We spent some time this afternoon dog sledding at the Arboretum in Augusta!!! It was a terrific event with inexpensive rides, a outdoor fire to warm yourself by, and lots of people passionate about one thing in particular: Sled Dogs. 

This is Lindy Howe, a Maine Guide and co-owner of Heywood Kennels in Augusta.

I introduced myself to her immediately (because I had been adoring her boots from afar.....Steger Mukluks .....I own a pair as well, but hers are just *gorgeous*). I got to learn a bit about her kennel and just get a sense for her. Now, there is a woman who really knows about, and is passionate about her dogs. 

Heywood Kennels offers Sled Dog adventures and they sound fantastic. You can find Heywood Kennel on Facebook HERE.

There were so many people, young and old, waiting for a ride or watching the talented dogs do what they do best. When waiting for people to be loaded into the sled, some teams would howl impatiently.....these dogs just love to pull. We all laughed as a new team lead dog was switched in to relieve a tired out pup, and the energy with which the new blood ran was phenomenal. The sled raced up the hill. 

This white team was particularly noisy; they just wanted to RUN. 

Lindy gave them treats while people who getting on and off the sled. 

Pups that were being rested watched jealously as the teams flew around the field. 

We had so much fun. I totally recommend going to for a Dog Sled ride!!! Find Heywood Kennels on facebook and get a hold of Lindy if you're in the central Maine area. I even saw, as I searched their facebook page, pictures from a birthday party held at the kennels.....now wouldn't that be something???!!!!! What a cool way to celebrate. 

Here's my party, link up your most recent projects:

Plant A Magical Fairy Garden

Image found at Miniature-Gardening.com

Plant a Magical Fairy Garden and Watch it Thrive

Having a fairy garden is not a new phenomenon anymore. After the latest trend of bonsai plants, this is another fun garden trend that’s here to stay. It is now within a person’s reach to create a magical fairy garden without any difficulty. In no time at all you can create a magical and lovely fairy garden at your home.

By now you must be wondering, what exactly is a fairy garden and how is it connected to bonsai plants? Also, do fairy gardens have any connection with the much talked about miniature gardens as well? The answer is very simple: fairy gardens are very similar to miniature gardens, except fairy gardens are more vivid in appearance. With bonsai plants around, they make for a very breathtaking tiny landscape or garden, which can also be conveniently moved, redeveloped, enhanced or even gifted to someone. These convenient gardens are easy to move and take care of. However, just like everything else, you need to learn how to properly take care of this garden and also find excellent quality products to incorporate. Then you’ll be on your way to making a magical fairy garden.

How Do You Create a Fairy Garden?

There are many factors that should be considered during the design process for your fairy garden, but when you begin to create your garden you may find it to be very simple. You will discover that a lot of imagination combined with good efforts goes a long way in designing and developing an attractive fairy garden. In fact, the very first thing to remember is to utilize your creative imagination while keeping in mind the following steps:

·     While planning the design of a fairy garden, you must decide whether you’d like it to stay on a small piece of land permanently or make it movable in a tray or cylinder. That way you will know whether it can be moved or not.

·     Once the location and container is chosen, the fairy garden’s home needs to be prepared for planting and ready to be decorated by first filling it with fertile soil. If the plant is going to be placed in a tray prior to putting the soil into it, it is important to place a few stones around the drainage hole, so that the soil won’t come out of the tray due to excess water.

·     To give a beautiful aesthetic look, after the soil is placed into the container, the plants need to planted properly. After they are planted, they then need to be watered enough so that the soil will settle and the plants will begin to grow. Now filling your garden with whimsical decorations should be fairly simple.

·     Extra care must be taken when applying decorative items to your garden site because they must not get too much dirt or water upon them if they are made of wood.

Keep in mind that changing the overall look of a fairy garden every once in a while will keep the charm alive. Imagination, creativity and nature go hand-in-hand when it’s about fairy gardens so continue to dream up new ideas that will make your garden look its best.

About the Author: Corrine loves planting new gardens and a fairy garden sounds magical. She can’t wait to incorporate fairy houses for the garden and enjoy a magical retreat for both her and her children.

A Marvelous Mess

Here is my latest art project:

It's a Hobbit Hole made out of wool roving. Perfect for a Hobbit who's about to set out on an adventure with a bunch of bearded Dwarves. The door even opens. It stands about 4 inches tall, 7 inches long, and 3 inches wide. It's hollow on the inside. You can see it at my shop here:
Marvelously Messy Etsy

Don't forget to join the party below if you've got a new project to share!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the party: