Rainy day love

Personally I LOVE rainy days!

Especially when you don't have to go anywhere or do anything, when you have the option to snuggle up with a cozy cable knit blanket while the baby takes a nap and you can sip on a glass of sweet red wine ( noon is a good wine time for me ) and you can really truly be one hundred percent focused on that really good book that you picked up from the $1.00 table at the flea market the other day. 

Yeah I wish my rainy day was like that too...

Instead my rainy day consisted of a little bundle of joy who just wanted to squeal instead of using her words, who had no interest in taking a nap even though her eyes were bright red, and a crazy puppy dog who is very vocal as well.  

We have a lot of animal drama around these parts. 

Honestly I thought my heart was going to explode from all the pressure building up as I tried my hardest to keep my composure, patience, and temper under control.  

So what do you do when life gives you lemons? 

You tell the baby to "find the puppies" which makes the puppies go into hiding, and also buys you approximately 15 minutes of peace and quiet.  Since the baby loves the puppies more than her own parents this can work a few times as long as you switch out the words "find", "hug", and "kiss".  

In this forty five minute time of bliss, be productive! Do something positive like baking some pretty fantastic Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies that I found on Pinterest.  

Once my brain was put into a state of calm by the sugar endorphins, we all loaded up in the truck to go deliver some happiness and lull the baby to sleep in the backseat.  

WIN / WIN 

I love delivering surprises, and lets face it while eating two dozen cookies on my own is totally possible and has been done before I'm not going to lie, 

it's really not the best idea.  

So while we were out and about in a slow drizzly rain kind of a day I went ahead and raided the chicken coop for some fresh yummies to give to the neighbors.

We never actually buy eggs anymore so I have finally ran out of my egg carton stash.  Luckily I stumbled across this cute method of turning a paper plate into a little basket

I will never again buy gift bags, everyone from here on out will be getting adorable paper plate baskets! 

Hope you have found a way to enjoy your rainy days!

*Angela*

Another round of Chicks

We've got more chickies coming to yard! 

Since we lost two of our last batch we decided to go ahead 

and give it another try with a few more babies.  

From what I've learned chickens are chickens, and when they decide they want to roost behind the bushes in front of the house instead of heading back to their coop like the rest...well...it kinda makes them prime dinner for the mean ole hungry fox that roams our area. 

I can't blame the fox, I mean if I was walking down the street and stumbled across a nice, big, gooey cinnamon roll just stittin there on a silver platter (I hate to admit) I would totally eat it!

These girls however are waaaay to cute to eat,  and they will have their own home on the back deck coming very soon.  In a few months once they are big enough to fend for themselves, we can introduce the little ones to Big Red and Blue, the last of our original flock... not sure that four hens can really be considered a flock, but now we will have seven so...we'll go with it. 

*Angela*

Creme de la Coop

.... so now that the ole` 

what is that?

 *slash* 

 is it supposed to look like that?

*slash*

 pile of lumber?

*slash* 

chicken coop!

 (Oh I see it now) 

is coming to an end, I thought I'd share some of the inspirational coops from around the web that got me SUPER excited about owning chickens. 

Granted... having a mini flock of hens really is quite interesting and entertaining it also provides very edible benefits as well.

 FRESH EGGS

I do have to admit though, I was not all that stoked about receiving a box full of baby chicks for my birthday from a very confused yet well intended husband. 

OK.  The box was very small, and it only had four chicks, but it looked like a lot at the time.

The good part of that gift, the part that made my eyes light up, and my arm hairs get all tingly is when he whispered

 "you get to design the coop". 

 I think I just about dropped the box of baby chicks and ran to the computer, the search was on...

This was one of my absolute favorites, so fancy schmancy...i'm pretty sure these chicks live in a very hoity toity area.

Photo: Backyard Chickens

So cute, do you think the chickens do any gardening with their own little lawn up there?

 Photo: DIY Cozy Homes

 Photo: HGTV

 Photo: modfarm.tumblr.com

 Photo: Organicgreendoctor.com

 Photo: thegardencoop.com

Photo: ChickenVillage

Fresh Eggs.....

          ........Cheap Therapy!

The thing about living with four little ladies in the back yard is you always have someone to talk to... you know...girl talk!

Someone who tells you like it is. 

Ok... so maybe they are a little judgmental with their quizzical expressions and constant bauking at your delimas.  Really the only good they do is let you voice your thoughts and listen to you as you figure it out for yourself. 

( Isn't that what therapist get paid the big bucks to do anyway?) 

 A rare picture with all four girls together.

Buff Buff (Buff Orpington - I know, we are not very creative with names) 

 is my bestest friend... she comes a runnin whenever I head out to the Chicken Yard and squats her little chickie butt down so I can pick her up. 

Really I had no clue chickens could be so domestic, Buff is more obedient than my dogs half the time.

 Big Red (Ameraucana - looks like a Hawk) she is our adventurous one,  you turn your back on her for one minute like your in the kitchen cleaning dishes and here come Big Red marching her silly self thru the front yard. 

next up...

Tweedle Dee and Tweele Dum (Silkies - The poodles of the Chicken world)

 Definitely not the smartest out of our chicks but probably the cutest.  Poor Dum (blue silkie) has hair that is so out of control she has a hard time seeing around her, for the most part she just follows Dee around by watching for her little white feet.  Very Cute!

.....and for bonus points.....

FRESH EGGS  

Every morning whether you want them or not! 

At the moment we don't have their coop finished yet so it really is like going on an egg hunt every day.   Unfortunately right now they are enjoying a wee little corner in the far back underneath their future roost, which means I get to crawl  *yes crawl* on my hands and knees thru the chicken poop to get my yummy eggs.  

Aren't they beautiful! 

I wonder how long I can just use them for decoration? 

All shades of blue, green, blush, and tan...once the silkies start laying we will have some tiny white ones thrown in the mix!

I love my girls!

*Angela*