we visited the county fair this week. i haven’t been to the fair in quite some time, but i hope to visit every year!
it was an exciting mix of farm animals, award-winning preserves, corn dogs, roller coasters, ferris wheels, hand quilting, petting zoos & so much more. my favorite part was scoping out my competition for next year’s canning. i plan to enter my strawberry jam & pickles. my dear friend, lorna, plans to enter the fair too with her beautiful hand knits.
we also loved roaming the different barns looking at various breeds of goats & chickens. we are adding a large number of chicks to our flock this fall, including a rooster oh my, so it was fun to chat about our favorites.
summer, please stay around for a bit longer… we crave more evenings like this one!
love,
natalie
i have some really amazing friends. friends both close & far away. friends i’ve shared coffee with weekly & friends i’ve only exchanged word through email. i am so thankful for all of these individuals who speak into my life, visit the farm, take an hour or two for a cup of tea & mail packages of heart-shape garland honoring our dear state.
my sweet friend, jessie of the kind pilot, just recently sent me this lovely little arkansas garland just because. jessie & i were in a small & dear-to-my-heart women’s group at church & shared large parts of our life together for some time. i was just recently hitched & she was welcoming her first son. jessie’s home is gorgeous & her personal aesthetic is inspiring. also – hands down- she has the best handwriting on the planet.
so, when i received a package from her filled with a little note & something to place in my own home, i was absolutely giddy. it’s the perfect pop of color & inspired this little corner in our home.
my mom came over recently for a surprise trip & saw the garland. she instantly found the heart with the name of her town where she grew up. it’s such a fun little piece to have in our home & it hangs on a a piece of art my other dearest & kindest friend, jessie, drew. i am officially calling this my jessie wall.
so, if you have a little moment, stop by & welcome jessie’s new etsy shop, the kind pilot. she spreads cheer through paper & thread. & really, who doesn’t need a bit of cheer?
oh, & just in case you thought i was all moved in with a perfectly clean home…
think again.
love,
natalie
luke turned 24 yesterday! happy birthday, luke!
it was a wonderful day filled with wishes for the new year, a special breakfast, sweet treats, homemade cake, gifts & family. when i asked my sweet farmer husband what we wanted in this new year, he shared that he just wants to keep doing what we’re doin’. i couldn’t agree more, babe.
we have a special tradition of preparing a special breakfast for the other on their birthday & baking a cake. this year, i made luke a dutch baby, inspired by my dear friend amy & made from a martha recipe. it was divine. i also made our special smitten kitchen inspired chocolate cake, but we always add a thick coat of jam in between the cake layers. smothered in our favorite fudge icing with little burlap flags for whimsy.
i really cannot believe luke & i have shared life & birthdays for six years now. i met luke as a freshman in college when he was 18. he wore polyester pants with large metal-rimmed glasses & carried around a film camera. throughout those years, he traded in his well-loved camera (& thankfully passed on the passion to me!) for a pitchfork & a love for the soil.
with each year, i love how luke grows into his role as husband, farmer, community builder & friend. he’s a wonderful, sensitive, cheerful, loving, & hardworking man. i love you, luke! let’s keep doing what we’re doin’.
love,
natalie