Some new Kidds hangin out at the Funky Farmhouse!!

 "Cherry Belle Hicks" 1858

 

"Opal Anne"



 

Some new kidds here at the Funky farmhouse!! A special order that sweet Sue let me go free style on the colors!! I LOVE the way they turned out!! I have one more sheep special order I am working on. And then it's a new CROW doll I have been whipping up!! And also getting the farmhouse ready for that very special shower for new grand girl!! Busy Busy!!

Have a groovey day!!

XOXO

Love, Fran.

OH YEAH HAPPY FIRST FULL DAY OF SPRING PEEPS!!!!

Last night we went to a mix n mingle for the Chamber of Commrence in Mt. Morris. It was at Junes Floral Company. Oh my goodness Wanietta was such a gracious host with lot's of goodies to eat. Before we left Sim bought me some Spring flowers. These are Irises!! Still closed up. But soon will be open. I haven't made one of my funky vignettes in along time. So I gathered some things and put this together!! I used one of my "lil chicks" and put it on the seat of the rusty broken down tractor!! I love it there!! LOL Kinda felt good!! like maybe I am getting some of my mojo back for the house. Recently I have been in so much pain that I just kinda sit in my bed and sew. The doc put me on some strong pain meds. Hoping soon to get back off them!! Finally asked for prayer. Seems like it is so hard to ask for yourself sometimes.

 

Yesterday if you took a canned good to Subway you could get a free six inch sub sandwich with the purchase of another one. I took in 4 cans and they gave us both a free one. Felt good to bless others and also to have lunch in such a frugal way. The food banks sure are low on food around here so every little bit helps.

 

 

 





A few new SPRING GIGS for my etsy shoppe!! I love making the bird nests gigs. Well I actually love making all of my gigs!! Keeps my sanity!! I think!! LOL

The sun is shining here today and that is a good thing!!

 But I still have that nasty sn-irt I don't like!! My birds are coming into the feeders like crazy but I have not seen anymore Robins!! LOL Just that one day as a sign of Hope!! God is good.

 

Keep on Keepin on Peeps

XOXO Love Fran.

Here's the Sn-irt on me!!!

 

In case you wanna know Snirt is snow mixed with dirt!! LOL

It was about a week n half ago that I saw my first Robin!! OMG!! I had to get my camera!!! I get so excited when I see one!! Something I always shared with my Mom!! We would call each other as soon as we saw one!! I miss that.

 

 

This is a pic of my two handsome step sons. This is at Ryan's going away party a few weeks ago. He is on the right. Nick is on the left. Ryan left us on March 1st for Africa for one year. He is a Navel Reservist and this is his first assignment away from home. We are so proud of him!! His wife Christine is a rock star and Caylee knows daddy will be home by her 5th birthday!! Sim was in the Navy for 12 years so his family knows how to rally together at a time like this. Please keep Ryan and all of our servicemen in your prayers!!!

 

 

 Ok I have had this ideal rolling around in my head for awhile!! So I put it together. A pig head on a old rusty hammer!! "HAMM -er- Head" What do you think? I may try a more cutesier head next time. Although I think everything I make no matter what I try to do ends up coming out in my own style somehow!! LOL that being what people call Fran. Style!!! LOL

 

 

Ok here is another new gig!! This is my try on a poodle!! I grew up with a poodle dog. Pepie was a white show dog with papers!! We didn't show him but could have!! My favorite memory was when my Mom would color die Pepie for the holidays!! Green for St. Patrick's Day and Pink for Easter and Red for Christmas!! OMG!! he was the coolest!! I named this one "RAGGZ" cuz she went from rich to Raggz cuz I kinda grubbied her up a bit!! and that pom pom on her tail is from my slipper sock that came off!! I up cycled it and it is kinda a bit grubby. It was hard to shoot "RAGGZ" so I did different angles!! LOL Do you think somebody has had a lot of winter? But I look at it this way I am kicking out the gigs and sewing!! LOL

 

I want to show my livingroom soon but it has been so darn cold I haven't been hanging out in there. Stayin in our room with the heater on!! LOL

Tell me what cha think of my new gigs!! I am curious if I should make some more of the pigs or not? Just be honest with me I can take it!!

 

Keep on Keepin on!!

Peace out!!

XOXO Love Fran.



Oh My Goodness!!! so much to catch up on!!

 

 Here is alittle tour of my walk I took today. Sim made this hose wreath for me last Fall. I LOVE it and it helps to remind me that I can get out gardening soon!!

 

  I was outside drying a piece of coffee/spice dyed lace when I saw this!! A gift from God!! Even though it is a creeping weed it has beautiful flowers!

 

Ok don't laugh but he is my friend!! And yes I talk to him! I just call him Sweetie Pie. I had surgery again on Friday and I did great!! No aspirating this time!! And boy did they baby me and kiss my butt!! LOL So I have been talking to the animals. My neighbors cats come over too!! Cuz we feed the birds. LOL I have been sleeping a lot due to stronger pain pills but I am weaning myself off them and getting some sewing done.

 

I am finishing up this little cutie!! How do you like the dolie hat on her? It is handmade from some cotton thread I bought at Salvo. The lady who ordered her likes the original one that looked like a dolie. I had a hard time trying to get one like it. So I came up with this!! I like it myself.

 

 



And Sim got these for me from the hospital gift shop. He was so excited that I was ok!! LOL He loves to spoil me!! These are reading glasses and they are perfect for my hand sewing!! I am digging the bubble tear drop earrings too!!

 

 

 And my MIL brought this cupcake over to me!! She said it looked like a Fran. cupcake!! LOL It does doesn't it? (it was delicious too!!)

 

I have been watching a lot of TV and sleeping a lot. Tomorrow I get to go bye bye!! LOL We have errands to run and then I found a church sale that starts tomorrow!! Now it is really getting to be Spring!! Woo Hoo!!!

So glad to be back and also getting my mojo back!! Now I have another three months of doing things and having fun before the next surgery procedure!! At least it will be summer by then!!!

XOXO Love ya and Peace out!!!

Fran.

 

Well the Slacker is back!!!

PEEK A BOO!!!

 And Hello SPRING!!! I am so proud of these plants coming up!! They are from my MOM's funeral plant I got. I planted the bulbs last SPRING. I have never really been able to plant bulbs and have them grow except for lillies!!! So I am geeked over these!! Today I went out and raked the leaves off of them!!

 

 

We had a great Easter!! Our granddaughter Caylee came up to see us Easter evening!! We got her a jump rope and some sidewalk chalk and a few other things. She loved the jump rope and of course wanted to play with it right away!! I think she likes it!! LOL She is so cute. She will be 3 at the end of the month. We'll be seein her again soon!! Yay!!!

Our Easter was pretty busy. I ended up making two pies and two Apple Snickers desserts. I gave one pie to my neighbors and took the other to my SIL for our dinner there. Sim took one Apple dessert to work and the other I had for when the kids were up to see us. We had a very blessed Easter.

 

 

Then on Tuesday it was my birthday!! We went out for the best BLT pizza they make uptown at The Mountain Inn bar. I love the way they put them on the big tin cans to serve them!! I threw myself a party up there!! Sim is taking the pics, and that is my MIL, SIL, BFF and my two daughters Kaitlin and Brooke!!! It was alot of fun!! I brought cookies for us to have after the pizza!! I tell you between the big Easter dinner we had and all the desserts and then my birthday I have to go on a diet!! No kidding!!! I also had my yearly physical this week too!!  

 

Today Sim and I went on a date!! It was so much fun!! Just being together!! We went to Holly to the Goodwill. A friend had told me about it. I found a few goodies and some jeans I needed real bad!! Then we headed off to Fenton from there and no kidding we ran into a church sale!! I got a few goodies there too!!  Then it was out to lunch with a gift card!! Awesome food and dessert of course!! We drove to a boat launch Sim use to fish at and walked around!! Boy do I need to walk more!! LOL I am so glad the weather is getting better!!!

 

Kaitlin gave Sim the money to buy the wood to make me a shelf for my studio/office/craft/computer room for my birthday. He got it made and painted for me this week and after I get my goodies on it I'll share with you guys. I LOVE it. I have been working on some pigg orders!! Those little dudes are so darn cute. I also made another spoon nest.

 

 

And I LOVE this Mouse Pin Cushion that I up cycled from an Alpaca vintage sweater I got thrifting. I am thinking maybe I might keep this one for myself. LOL She turned out so sweet!!

 

So that is what I have been up to lately!! LOL I can't wait til I can go outside and work!! But I really need to get everything done inside first!! Guess I'd better get busy!! Right? Hope you are all doing good. Thanks for listening to Frannie Downer last time I posted!! Since then I got a couple of orders and I guess I realized when God closes one door He opens another one!! I am gonna be looking for those doors and not running into them!! Cuz sometimes the blonde in me does miss them!!

XOXO Love ya and peace out!!

Fran.

Come share a cuppa Spring with me!!!

 



Well I can't stand it any longer so I decided if Spring wasn't coming soon I was gonna bring it to me!!!! This is my favorite cup for my coffee with my favorite color orange on it!! So when I saw the orange peeps I decided to get them. I had seen something like this on Pinterest. I did this for me to brighten up my coffee and day!!! And I did eat them too!! They were very yummy!!

 

Along with getting the peeps I got two new cleaning cloths!! And guess what!! they are orange too!! I know I will dust a lot more and with a smile on my face!! I decided to go with my fav color!!

 

And my new "ORANGE" purse. Sim got this purse for me from the hospital gift shop and I have been waiting til the first day of Spring to use it!!! Which is Wednesday!!! YAY only two more days!!! I think!! LOL Now I gotta put outfits together!!! Which I need to go through my closets! And I am looking forward to Spring Cleaning!!! both the closets and the house.

 

 

I got some new Springy materials at Joann's. The dog prints are gonna be sweet dresses for my Prim Raggedy Dog Dolls I am sewing up right now. The one print is so cute with the little boots on the dogs feet!! The other two prints I just really liked a lot!!

Well I know everyone is waiting for Spring as much as I am!!

Thanks for stopping by!!! XOXO Luv ya Fran.



 

 

 

Have you voted yet?

These are the new Lay's Potato Chips made up by real people!! LOL You vote on them for the ones you like!! Just let me say the Sriracha ones are super-duper HOT!! The Chicken & Waffle ones taste like Maple Syrup. And my favorite is the Cheesy Garlic Bread. They really taste like it. I gave the Sriracha to my cuzin who LOVES hot things!! She LOVED them. Me not so much!!

 

This is what I woke up to this morning!! I looked out my bedroom window and these little sweeties were on my porch. I LOVE the mourning doves.

(yes that is a trap we are having troubles with raccoons!! Can you believe it!! In the Winter Thyme!! I thought they slept!!!)

 

 

Can you see how big n fat my favorite squirrel is getting!! He is probably getting like that from ripping off the birds!!! But I still love him!!!

 

 

I couldn't stand it any longer. I want Spring so bad. So I made this cake!! It is strawberry with Spring frosting but I also added green and red m&m's. I got the cake mix at the Dollar Tree and the frosting at the Dollar General and the m&m's after Christmas clearance. So I guess this is my frugal Spring cake!! LOL But really have you seen how much the cake mixes are at the grocery store!! When I saw Pillsbury at the Dollar Tree I snapped it up!!! Guess Spring better get here cuz I am going crazy!!  I am making some new things but haven't quite finished them up yet. Today I actually cleaned up the kitchen n dining room and took down my Valentine's decorations. Tomorrow I plan on working in my studio/office/computer/craft/room!!! Shame on me for letting it get so messy!!

Peace out!!!! XOXO Love Fran.





 



HAPPY SPRING!!!

HAPPY SPRING TO MY BEST BLOGGING FRIENDS!! EMBRACE THE DAY!!!

LOVE YA, XOXO FRAN.



Hello and Happy Spring!!!

I was pretty sure Spring was here. I saw my first Bluebird!! and my first Robin last week. In the first pic there is a bluebird on top of the feeder and down in the right corner a Robin!! BUT I do live in Michigan and there is a Winter Storm watch for tomorrow with snow, sleet, and freezing rain. I hope it stays up north of here!! I am dreaming of gardening and being outside!!!!

I thought I'd share with you what Kaitlin and I have been doing. I know so many people are having tough times right now and we are no different. So as one of our ways to cut back and try to get ahead we are couponing!! We work together. Cutting and sorting, and matching sales is a job. But we figure we are making money by doing this. We are planning meals too and eating much more healthier. Here is a picture of the last two receipts from when we did our shopping.

We call this our extreme couponing!! On March 4th we saved a total of $105.49 with a savings of 50%, and on March 18th we saved a total $104.57 with a savings of 53%. That makes a total savings of $210.06 in two weeks!! We shop at Kroger's, Sim is a grocery manager for them. It helps with our gas too. Now that our family and friends know we are doing this, we are getting alot of coupons given to us. I appreciate it so much! I have also been using coupons for eating out. It's kinda funny cuz I'll say, wait I think I have a coupon for there! Sometimes it makes the decision alot easier as where we are going!

With having more stuff in the house we were able to make this really good Greek pizza last night! Our church ladies make soup-to-go once a month and yesterday at church they realized the refrigerator wasn't working.So the bread dough started thawing. They were selling little baggies of it for a donation so they didn't have to throw it out. So for a $1.00 donation we made this yummy pizza! We had everything we needed and this kind of pizza doesn't need sauce. Kaitlin is a very good cook, and does alot of our cooking. I'm pretty good at washing the dishes!! LOL I love to bake more than cook. I am really looking forward to more couponing and saving. I am also looking forward to being able to get out and garden and ride my bike.

XO Fran.