a barn find

 [  an old rope halter  ]

The absolute best barn find! This halter was something I was hoping to have found. It brought tears to my eyes when I spotted it hanging up in a barn. From the barn to my cozy rustic home... it will be loved. 

This halter has passed through the hands of my grandpa and dad. And, it has adorned heifers that built our cow herd. It was incredible to find. It makes my heart happy. It makes me proud. History of the family farm should be cherished. And, I do.

At first, I was not sure how I was going to style it in my rustic farm home. But, I knew it would be a focal point. I decided to hang it as wreath in my entryway. So, I smile every time I walk into my farm home.

baling cornstalks: 2020

On Friday, my dad mowed cornstalks to prepare for baling them. After a few years of baling cornstalks for our cows, we decided to mow them before baling them this year. Mowing the cornstalks would shred the corn residue. This would also make the cornstalks more useful for bedding and feeding.  

Saturday morning, I raked the cornstalks in the field dad had mowed. Shortly after I finished raking, they were custom baled for us.

Mowing the cornstalks before raking, created more volume to bale. 

Those cornstalks! A nice windrow was made after raking.

80 bales of cornstalks were rolled up on Saturday afternoon. The cornstalks will used as bedding for cows this winter and and for cows and calves this spring during the calving season. 

The cornstalks are also fed in a ration with hay, and corn silage to our cows over the winter. The cows love them.

corn silage 2020

On October 6, corn was chopped for silage. The silage will be fed to our cows over the winter months.

A sample of silage was collected and sent to Dairyland Laboratories for analysis. The test will provide nutritional value of the feed. It is important to know the quality of the corn silage we are feeding our cows in order to meet their nutritional requirements.  

Two 100' bags were filled with corn silage for 2020. That is 200 tons of feed. Along with the silage, hay and cornstalks will also be fed to our cows.

Our cows will enjoy the corn silage this winter!

antique lockers

At an auction, I bought a set of antique lockers. It was the best $35 ever spent. I am absolutely in love with them! Black rusty metal... it is perfect in my farm home 💜

 

[ The lockers were unsold at the auction when I returned to pick up my purchases. I could not understand why someone would not buy it. I fell in love with the lockers at first sight. There was so much possibility! ] 

This set of antique lockers has been repurposed in my rustic farm home. Once I moved the set of lockers into my house, I realized how big it actually was. WOW! It is stunning in my living room. 

The top of the lockers was uneven. To it, I added a cross member from the old corn crib. I love how it looks! It creates contrast and polish. Such a warm feel! And, I adore the knot in the wood. It has so much character  💜

A rustic elegance is the vibe of the lockers. In styling, I used...
black + white photos
clock
antique turquoise canning jars
wood candlestick holder [ Magnolia Market in Waco, TX ] + black taper candle
table lamp
accent chair + frilly black pillow
palm

I framed three of my favorite black + white prints... two 8x10 and one 11x14 lean against the wall. It is pretty great being a photographer... it makes styling my farm home even more special. The framed photos create more height to the lockers. They are at the center of the lockers as the focus. And, I love the layering of the frames. It creates some texture and dimension. The antique canning jars in turquoise add a pop of color for a nice contrast. The wood candlestick holder [ on clearance at Magnolia Market in Waco, TX ] creates height and balance to my framed farm photos. The black taper candle coordinates with the black frames. A lamp on top of the lockers was perfect for this corner of my living room. 

. wood . glass . metal .

The styled lockers add so much coziness to my farm home! The wood, glass, and metal elements created a lot of warmth in the corner of my living room. In love. A plant and an accent chair really completes it.

I then decided to add the vintage bird cage I bought at an antique store while visiting a friend on a road trip to Texas. I had been trying to find the perfect place for it in my home, and I found it... in this corner.  

This corner! So in love 💜 I absolutely adore how it looks!

[ Since posting, I switched out the lamp. I chose a clear glass baluster lamp. I love it. It is even more perfect. ] 

Friday on the Farm

Wild Bergamot is blooming! It is one of my favorite native prairie plants. Love all of the purple flowers 💜

 

I transplanted Wild Bergamot to my new prairie garden two weeks ago. And, I was so excited to see it blooming! The bees and butterflies are too! When snapping photos of the Wild Bergamot, a hummingbird was fluttering to feed. That made me so happy 💜

Friday on the Farm

Two fields were prepared for seeding ground for hay. We use a mixture of alfalfa, red clover, and brome with oats. We seed at a rate of 12 pounds of alfalfa, 4 pounds of red clover, 5 pounds of brome, and 2 bushel of oats per acre. The fields were drilled on April 8 and 9. Favorable weather conditions have been perfect for growth.    

happy adoption day #1

happy adoption day, diesel!
my sweet, sassy, and faithful friend.

It has been a year since I adopted Diesel! So, we celebrated his special day with a PAWTY!

We celebrated his adoption day with new toys, and a homemade pumpkin puppuccino! He thought is was PAWFECT!

 

To prepare the pumpkin puppuccino, I mixed together equal portions of whipped cream and pumpkin. Into a cup, I spooned in the mixture then added a dog bone for a cute little topping. So cute! 

Diesel absolutely loved his pumpkin puppuccino! We will be making this an annual adoption day tradition. Looking forward to many more BARKTACULAR years with D ♥

christmas bedroom decor

I could not resist. This year, I decided to add a little Christmas cheer to my bedroom décor.

 

 

Along side the windows in my bedroom are two large, antique wood doors that I repurposed as unique and charming décor. On one of the antique wood doors, I attached a set of old antlers. This year, I decided to add ornaments to the antlers. I found these pretty lavender and gold glitter ornaments. Then, I used jute twine to hang them from the tines of the antlers. Adorable!

These bottle brush trees! I am in love with them. So, I decided to buy a few more this year. These ivory bottle brush trees from Target are perfect to style the chippy table in my bedroom.

Just a little touch. So simple and sweet. These little bottle brush trees give so much Christmas spirit. 

2019 cornstalk bales

Cornstalks have been rolled up. It was just in time... they now look like frosted mini wheats for cows.

 

Every year, we rake and bale cornstalks to use during the winter and spring months. The cornstalks are used as bedding for cows during the winter and for the cows and calves during the calving season in the spring. We are anticipating another rough winter. So this year, we rolled up over 100 bales to be prepared.

 

Cornstalks are also fed to our cows. They are fed in a ration with hay and silage. It works well for us. And, our cow enjoy it.

inline wrapping hay

Three years ago, we wrapped round bales of hay for the first time. The weather would not allow us to bale hay before forecasted rain. So, we decided to set our baler in order to bale high moisture hay. The bales were then wrapped to ensile. Wrapping the bales allowed us to bale hay despite unfavorable weather conditions.

 

Over the past three years, we have continued to wrap hay. This has given us so much flexibility in baling. And, it stores our high quality hay outside for the winter. Wrapping bales shelters the hay from weather... rain, snow, and ice. So, it preserves the quality and nutritional value of our hay. 

2019 corn silage

 

Preparing for winter, corn was chopped and bagged this fall. The silage will be used to feed our cows throughout the winter. Along with the corn silage, the cows will also be fed hay and cornstalks.  

 

 

Two 150' bags were filled with corn silage. That is 300 tons of cow chow. Hay is in short supply this year due to a frigid winter, wet spring, and dry summer. And, we are anticipating another rough winter. We chopped and bagged double the amount of corn we normally do to ensure we have the quality and quantity of feed we need for our cows.

 

A sample of the corn silage was collected and sent off to Dairyland Laboratories for feed analysis. As cattlemen, we like to know the quality of the feed to meet the nutritional requirements of our cows.

Friday on the Farm

 

It was stunning. The sunset tonight made me slow down. I took the time to enjoy the moment. The colors were just incredible. The sun made the corn look like it was on fire. My dog, Diesel was with me in my truck. I think he even was in awe of the sunset.

finds from Texas

Oh, Texas. I love you.

Texas Antiques Week! I was at Texas Antiques Week! Oh my goodness. I have been wanting to go for a very long time... and was able to go!  For a girl that absolutely loves rusty, old junk... it was heaven! It was incredible. We wandered through the charming towns of Round Top and Warrenton. So much stuff! Oh my... literally all I could say everywhere we walked. It was so much fun to experience with my friend, Keri and her mom!
 

I have wanted an antique dough bowl for a long while. Antique dough bowls are so neat! They have so much charm. Knowing I was going to Texas, I wanted to find one at Antiques Week. I picked this dough bowl at Nomadic Trading Company. I love it so much! It is beautiful in my rustic farm home.    

The next stop was at a Jennifer Casebeer Art booth. Oh goodness. I wanted so many pieces. They are so unique and beautiful! After so much thought, I chose this cream cow on an antique tin. My heart is all aflutter. I am swooning over it. I am sure I will add to this rustic painting very soon.

 

When I saw this used Texas road sign, I knew it was driving back home with me to Illinois. So much fun! I am not sure where or how I am style it...but, it will stellar. I am in love with it. This road sign is a perfect find for my road trip to Texas!

So, I have been dreaming of an antique dress form. I was on a mission to find one in Texas. And, I found the perfect one. My heart fluttered when I wandered into it. It was ridiculously exciting! I was going to repurpose the antique dress form to hold accessories. It was exactly what I had in mind. I absolutely love how it looks in my bedroom. The dress form is displaying the cowhide earrings, leather wristlet, and felt hat I bought while in Texas.  

  

At an antique store in Smithville, I found these vintage Texas plates. Texas, black & white, stars, and rust... had to have them! All of my favorite things.

My first adventure to Texas Antiques Week was amazing! Texas Antiques Week was such an incredible experience. And, I am so glad I was able to go with my Keri and her mom! I am already looking forward to the next time, Texas!

concrete planter

On Pinterest, I found ideas for flower pots made out of concrete. I thought they were super cute and wanted to try it myself!

I used a plastic bowl and a cup to create my mold. Before pouring in the mix, I sprayed the inside of the bowl and the cup with cooking spray. I let it set until fully dry before removing the mold. Then, I sprayed the concrete planter with a sealant for protection.

 

At Lowe's, I picked out a few succulents I thought were cute. Of the three, I chose one for the concrete planter.  It fit perfectly in the planter!

I hope to create more planters... in all sizes and shapes. And, I will try to make bowls and candle holders too! The concrete may be stained for more of a rustic look.

kitchen table styling

In the kitchen of my rustic farm home, is a beautiful old table and chairs of my grandpa and grandma Stevens. This family table is iconic of my farm home.  So, I absolutely love to style it.

A black tablecloth is draped over the walnut table. From Magnolia Market in Waco, is a table runner I fell in love with. The black striped ticking is accented well by the black tablecloth. They are perfect together! I love rich and warm tones. They have a rustic feel I love.

 

At the center of the antique table are vintage finds. I love layering my favorite pieces in styling my home. A pewter bowl from an antique store holds one of two pottery bowls my parents gave to me. On a galvanized cake stand [ from Magnolia Market ] displays a vintage plate from an auction, the second pottery bowl, and an antique Ball canning jar. The turquoise jar adds a pop of color to the table. I really love this look!     

kitchen shelving

. a farm find .

Years ago, I found shelves in a barn on our farm. When I spotted it, I fell in love. It needed to be in my rustic farm home. Fantastic pick off the farm!

 

 

The rustic wood shelving is a focal point in my kitchen. Over the years, it has been so much fun to style. The old shelving has so much charm. And, I add my rustic farm chic style to it. A 2.5' x 5'  antique slate chalkboard leans against the wall beside the shelving. The two look great together. In love!

[  Recently, I decided to make a small change in décor to the shelving. To our old cattle farm sign, I added antique ceiling tins and photos. Both needed the perfect spot in my home. On the shelving was it! It created a neat layered look. And, I am really into layering with my décor. This also added more height to the shelving against the wall. I am in love with how it looks!  ]

The barn board shelving is styled with some of my favorite things...

wooden family farm sign [ Jolen Shorthorns ]

tin ceiling tiles

a 1912 b&w shorthorn bull photo

purple glass lightning rod from a local antique store

antique brass numbered tag from our farm

antique turquoise Ball jars

turquoise insulator

dark brown pottery bowl [ my parents gave to me for a birthday ]



antique brass cow tag from our farm



On the second shelf are more favorites from the farm...





1965 WIU judging team





framed b&w print of my dad as a young boy on a Farmall H
antique Farmall oil can 
framed b&w print of my dad with the 1965 WIU judging team going to the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago

horse shoes

 

And, I could not resist this photo of my dad as a toddler with his favorite dog. So cute!

antique berry baskets [ found in Texas ]
antique Ball jars
vintage plates [ purchased at auction ]

On the second shelf, I placed the antique berry basket I fell in love with at an antique shop in Texas. To it, I added the dishes and turquoise jars. The dishes are so simple and sweet! They have a scalloped edge that is so cute. I love them! I made two stacks with the dishes to fill the shelf and to also display the antique jars. I sat a jar beside and on top of the dishes. This really added color to the shelf.  

 

Illinois Shorthorn sale catalogues
American Shorthorn Association membership certificates
Western Illinois University bull test certificate
The Shorthorn World

On the bottom shelf, I have some history from our 1943 Shorthorn cattle farm. My grandpa had kept catalogues from Illinois Shorthorn sales when he would sell heifers. I especially love seeing prices he had written in with pencil. In one catalogue there is a two-page photo with his cow herd grazing in the pasture. So special! In an issue of The Shorthorn World, he had placed a farm advertisement.



As a photographer, I adore photographs. They are always incorporated in my décor. Old family farm photos, or moments on the farm...they are in my rustic farm home.

This old shelving brings so much warmth to my farm kitchen. I love having it hold so many wonderful pieces. It makes my heart smile every time I see it.
 

rustic Christmas ornament

[ a rustic Christmas ]

I love decorating...especially for the winter. Decorating for winter creates coziness in my rustic farm home.

 

 

When I decorate, I decorate for the winter months. I can enjoy my winter décor for much longer. In my home, I have four decorated trees. My winter décor incorporates greenery, pinecones, candles, snowmen, blankets and pillows. It creates a very warm and cozy feel in my rustic farm home.  

 

rustic Christmas ornament...

clear glass ornaments

chalkboard paint

chalk

jute twine

 

Lightly and evenly spray chalkboard paint over the glass ornaments. Spray a second coat of chalkboard paint over the glass ornaments. Let the ornaments completely dry. Cover the ornaments with white chalk. Use an eraser to wipe the chalk all over the chalkboard paint. A word [ peace, joy, merry ] may be drawn on the ornament with chalk. Cut strands of jute twine. Tie the twine onto the ornament as a rustic hanger. 

 

farm chick favorite

Oh, Target.

These trees! I am in love with these bottle brush trees from Target!! For $3 per tree, I had to bring a forest of them home with me. They are 10 inches tall and are great to decorate a small space.

 

The bottle brush trees are perfect with my rustic farm décor during the white winter months. They are so simple. And, they add a little glam to my rustic style. I love them glittering in white and silver. They coordinate well with my décor. Such a great find at Target!

 

#farmchickfavorite