Happy Friday!

It's Friday...so we know what that means.  I'm linking up again with all sorts of fun people (April, Karli , Amanda, Tif, Andrea, and Rebecca) for Five on Friday!

One

Buy the "When Life Gives You Lemons" print here and don't forget your coupon code!

I'm currently offering 50% off of everything in my Etsy Shop to celebrate my feature on September Farm.  Be sure to get in on the action because the discount code septemberfarm only lasts until June 10th.  I've got some fun new items, including digital art prints, that are at prices you can't beat for 50% off!

Two

Looking so attractive...I have no idea how Muffin resists the hotness! hahaha!

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I had surgery this week.  I've debated whether or not to share my story on the blog, but ultimately decided that awareness is power!  I have a chronic pain condition called Interstitial Cystitis, often referred to as IC.  It's embarrassing to talk about because it deals with pain of the bladder (and discussing bladder issues...even when they are pain...can feel mortifying).  This marks my second surgery with IC and I could potentially have one yearly as a means of managing my pain.  There is no cure for IC as little is known about its cause or triggers.  What I can tell you is that IC has an effect on my daily life and that Muffin (and my family) deserve gold stars for all of the support and love I get surrounding my issues with IC.   Daniel has been the best caregiver this week and I feel so lucky to have him as my spouse!

Three

Our sweet foster labs, Monti and Marlie, are still in search of their forever home.  They are between 6 and 7 weeks old and are honestly so smart and loving.  Play time is their favorite thing right now and they love to try to run around the house to get exercise.  If you are looking to add a puppy to your home, they could be the ones.  Visit Crossroads Animal Rescue for more information on how you can adopt one of these sweet puppies!

Four

We are in desperate need of curtains for our Master Bedroom.  I'm in love with these curtains but am also convinced that I could whip some up that are just as cute for a better price point.  So it's back to the drawing board for me.  I want something light and airy that pulls back in the blue wall color and doesn't have too much pattern.  You'd think knowing what I want would make it easier to find, but it just makes things harder. I'm hoping to go to a local fabric store this weekend to see if they have something that might give me the same feel for curtains!  If any seamstresses out there have any advice, I would love to have it!

Five

Via

I'm thinking about making Sangria this weekend.  I have a vision of sipping sangria on the screen porch listening to the bull frogs and need to make this my reality ASAP.  I've never made Sangria at home, but have been checking out recipes and think I can master it!  If anyone has made Sangria before I would love your tips and tricks--I tend to just throw things together and see how they come out!

Happy Friday!

Memorial Day Recap

As many of you know, Muffin and I love bluegrass music.  I never thought it would be a genre of music that I like, much less claim to love.  However, I can honestly say that over the years I have truly grown to love bluegrass in all of its forms (though there is only so much old school twangy bluegrass this chick can take in one sitting).  Some of my favorite groups would fall in what is called the "New Grass" genre and many of these artists perform every year at a Barbeque and Bluegrass festival in Evans, Georgia called BanjoBQue.  Muffin and I have gone for 3 years now and can't think of a better way to spend our Memorial Days--Bluegrass, Barbeque, and Beer in the sunshine!

Shovels and Rope.  An amazing group from Charleston, SC!

It was waaaay too hot out not to rock my hat (sold out.  similar here) and romper.  I was feeling a little too fabulous for a bluegrass festival, but it kept me cool in the hot Georgia sun! 

Muffin and I celebrated our 11 year dating anniversary on Memorial Day--yes I know we are lame to keep up with that, but I think it's so special that we've been together so long!

Trampled by Turtles

On Sunday morning we loaded up and headed back home for a Memorial Day cookout at our house.  It was a beautiful evening outside with delicious food and great company.

I love to use chalkboard glasses for dinner party place settings!  They serve as a great substitute for place cards and help everyone keep their drinks separate later in the evening.  Practical and cute.  It's a win-win!

My parent's new Goldendoodle rescue Sampson came over to join in the festivities.

We also made homemade strawberry shortcakes for dessert and they were AMAZING!  I will share the recipe soon!

I hope everyone had an fun Memorial Day weekend with family and friends, but mostly that we remember what this day is all about--those who have sacrificed themselves for our country and its freedoms!

Featured on September Farm

I hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day Weekend!  I had some much needed fun, and plan to catch up on that soon, but have been busy getting my life prepped for a minor surgery I'm having today.  In fact, I am probably in said surgery as you are reading this (don't worry, it's nothing major and I typed this post ahead of time and scheduled it so I'm not hanging out in the hospital blogging...not that I wouldn't love to be blogging instead!).

I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to Karli, who blogs at September Farm.  I have a feature on her blog today (along with some other really fun ladies).  Be sure to head over to her blog and check it, and them, out!

Can't wait to catch up soon!

Life This Week...

Life this week has been crazy.  I mean seriously crazy.  I've had some health problems that will require surgery next week, started statistics for my Master's Degree (yuck), and have just felt all out of sorts.

To sum up just how insane things are, we (and by we I mean muffin and his bff) had a small kitchen "fire" this morning that our security cameras managed to capture for your viewing pleasure:

**update since many have asked, Daniel is running off to turn off the gas line**

Don't worry, nothing in the new house was harmed and we are now on our way out of town to a bluegrass and bbq festival to celebrate Memorial Day weekend--and I am excited to relax.  

Happy Friday!

This post is linked up with all sorts of fun people (April, Karli , Amanda, Tif, Andrea, and Rebecca) for Five on Friday!

It's Fri-YAY!

It's Friday...so we know what that means.  I'm linking up again with all sorts of fun people (April, Karli , Amanda, Tif, Andrea, and Rebecca) for Five on Friday!

One

4th of July Washi Tape Invitation

I've updated my Etsy Shop with lots of new invitations this week and have many more that are on the way!  Be sure to check them out and shoot me a message if there is an occasion or theme you would like to see me create! 

Two

As I mentioned in my mother's day recap, my sister Georgia moved home from Paris last week.  I'm selfishly excited she's home, but I know she had a great time while she was studying abroad and probably didn't miss us that much when she was jetsetting across Europe.  She brought home fresh Macarons and I've become obsessed with figuring out how to bake them.  I've attempted to make Macarons before, but they just didn't have the same je ne sais quoi (look at me using french).  I think this recipe looks good and hope to try it out sometime this weekend.

Three

It's getting hotter and hotter every day and the weather has me dreaming of lightweight clothes and shopping online.  I've fallen in love with this gorgeous dress and am thinking of all the places I could wear it this Summer!

Four

So my best friend is pregnant and I just can't contain my excitement about this.  You might remember Morgan from my post about her wedding here.  I get so giddy to read her texts about the baby and learned last night that the baby is the size of a sweet potato and has fingernails and eyelashes.  I just can't even.  It is the sweetest thing ever, but it is also crazy to me that babies have dead calcium cells to grow hair/nails/etc in the womb.  I can't wait to find out the gender of the baby so "Aunt Katie" can spoil this baby with tons of gifts.  What are your favorite things to give friends for their first baby?  I just want to buy him/her all the things and give tons of snuggles.  

Five

Please ignore the dirt I have for a yard.  Did you know it can take up to 3 years to grow grass.  Let's just pray it doesn't really take that long!  Anywho...this is from last weekend and I couldn't resist a photo of my sisters lounging in our Hammock.  I hope to spend some quality time there myself this weekend!  

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I love strawberry rhubarb pie and made it for the first time at our mother's day lunch.  It turned out really well and I wanted to share my recipe because I had a hard time finding one that I liked--most strawberry rhubarb pie recipes used frozen strawberries or tapioca pudding as a thickening agent.  I wanted something that was as fresh and as natural as possible.  What I came up with turned out delicious and I can't wait to make it again soon!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
• 2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 recipe for a double 9 inch pie crust
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a bowl, whisk cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water until combined.
• Stir in rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Allow mixture to stand for 30 minutes.
• Put bottom crust into pie dish.  Prepare remaining crust to top your mixture.  I used a round biscuit/cookie cutter to create an overlapping circle pattern that is easy to to execute.  If you would like, you may also use a lattice pattern.  Just be sure to vent your pie with holes in the top crust.
• Stir the filling and pour into crust.  Put top layer of crust on.
• Brush top crust with egg white and sprinkle with tablespoon of sugar.  Place a pie guard on pie to keep edges from burning.  You can also wrap the edges in aluminum foil to achieve the task.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes; reduce temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 40-45 minutes (until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling).  Remove the pie guard (or foil) the last 10 minutes.  Allow pie to cool be fore serving.
• ENJOY!

This post is linked with What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns in My Oven!

First Fête at the Farm: Mother's Day Recap

This weekend we celebrated our first official party at the new house for Mother's day.  Daniel and I hosted both of our families and had a great time with the people we love!

I designed all of the printables for the celebration to coordinate with the free brunch invitation I featured here a few weeks ago!  The welcome sign was one of my favorite details from the lunch--it turned out to be a much needed decoration to dress up our yard since we don't have any flowers blooming (yet!).

Another detail of the lunch that I really loved was the drink station.  Between both of our families, we had around 20 guests.  With that many people for a seated meal, I wanted to make sure that everyone had easy access to food and drink.  Despite all of the decorations everywhere else, I must confess that I think the giant bow was my favorite décor item.

I made all of the flower arrangements from things that were blooming on the farm.  Saturday morning I hopped on the golf cart and drove around cutting flowers and arranged them later that day.   It was creative heaven for me.

I think we served 5,000 desserts.  My sister Georgia got home from Paris on Friday night and brought back Macarons.  I think I went into a sugar coma.  It was amazing.

We had an amazing time celebrating the moms, grandmothers, and aunts we love so very much.  I couldn't imagine a better way to have our first Fête in our new home!

Linking with Biana & Meghan for weekending.

Five on Friday

It's Friday...so we know what that means.  I'm linking up again with all sorts of fun people (April, Karli , Amanda, Tif, Andrea, and Rebecca) for Five on Friday!

One

So you know you are an event planner when your family gatherings get this level of attention.  We are hosting a Mother's Day lunch at our house on Sunday and I am seriously excited.  I've got lists upon lists and diagrams galore!  I just can't wait to celebrate all of the amazing women in our lives as the first official party at our new house!

Two

Speaking of mother's day, if you are looking to throw together a last minute shin-dig of your own, don't forget about my free mother's day brunch invitation I shared a few weeks ago.  You can find in in this post.

Three

I finally hung a picture.  Thats right A picture.  I'm normally very decisive and know exactly what I want to do with decor, but lately I've had a hard time committing to hanging things.  I think it's the idea of putting holes in my brand new walls.  I got over that fear this week while Muffin was out of town and I hope it gets the ball rolling!

Four

Here's a little outdoor living inspiration update.  We've gotten a lot done from the vision board I created.  We still need an outdoor rug, bar cart, and some accessories, but I'm excited about our progress.  I've really been enjoying my time out on the porch and love listening to the bullfrogs singing at the pond in the evenings.  I know I originally said I didn't want any chairs, but Muffin and I just kept thinking something was missing.  When we saw these white wicker chairs we knew they were the perfect addition to the porch.

Five

Last, but certainly not least, my heart is heavy today for a family that means so much to us:  The Tannerys.  We are so sad at the loss of sweet Lachlan, and I urge all of you to visit the Lachlan Macintosh Tannery Foundation to learn more about this amazingly strong family and to make a donation today in his memory.  In addition to supporting the foundation, please be sure to visit Be The Match and sign up to be a bone marrow donor.  

Weekending

This weekend we became foster parents to some adorable lab puppies named Monti and Marlie.  Monti and Marlie are only 2 weeks old and were abandoned (with 6 other litter mates) in a pillowcase by someone's driveway.  I know, what a sob story.  I just couldn't say no (I'm kind of a bleeding heart for animals)!  To learn more about adopting Monti or Marlie  (or any of their siblings) go to Crossroads Animal Rescue!

Our dogs are adjusting to the little ones pretty well.  Lola thinks they are the greatest thing that has ever happened, Lucy thinks she's their mommy and wants to pick them up by their scruff (that, or she's trying to carry them off to see if they are a chipmunk), and Luna is indifferent.

Lola checking things out

First attempt at eating out of a bowl got messy for Monti and Marlie! My little milk monsters! #foster #rescue #labs

A video posted by Katie (@farmtofete) on May 3, 2015 at 11:25am PDT

In addition to taking in our little foster pups, Muffin and I did some work around our house and visited our town's annual Mayberry Festival.  That's right.  Mayberry.  Our town is so small and quaint it has been dubbed an appropriate location to host an Andy Griffith Festival.  It's the cutest little thing ever.

Another clue that I live in a small town is that we are regulars at the local Mexican restaurant. I'm talking such regulars that giant margaritas just appear at our table.  I was a little shocked (I mean I can't drink this much margarita!) but at the same time flattered that the folks love us enough to remember what we like and take such good care of us!

My final weekend moment is that our breakfast nook table is in!  It used to belong to my parents, and my mother and father-in-law refinished it!  It looks great and I'm excited to start using it!

I'm fueling up on diet coke to get through this week of midnight feedings for these precious little doggies!



Linking with Biana & Meghan for weekending.