Christmas Craft Show

I know I have been MIA for a very long time......so much has happened since my last post I would not even know where to start.  Soooooo, I will start with pictures of my new Granddaughter Sophie.  She was born in February and is sooooooooo precious.  I always enjoy the time I get to spent with her, she is a happy-healthy baby and she is also my first Granddaughter:)  I LOVE her so much!!!

 She spent the night with us Saturday night, we had so much fun:)

She looks so much like my Son....I love it!!!

She was more interested in chewing on her book then me reading it to her, lol

Cheese Granny:)

2012 Craft Show

My sister and I did our annual craft show in the Twin Cities last weekend.  We had so much fun as always:)  We sold our jam's, relishes and salsa's and primitives.

Here are some Wiener Dogs I made.....they were a real hit.  Thank you "Crows Roost Primitives" for the pattern:)

And here is one of my snowmen....he turned out really cute:)

 I really like these snowman wreaths....I found some rusty barbed wire, I had my husband form them into wreaths and then I hung one of my snowman head in the middle of it and added white lights....love it!!!

My sister made her jam's, relishes and salsa's.......they were a big hit too:)

My sister standing in front of all her hard work.

A view of our whole booth

Another look at one of my snowmen.

Everything looked so cute set up:)

Prims galore.

My tree of snowman heads:)

Since my last post, I am pleased to announce that I have a job that I love!!!!!  I am working in a salon called D'Ahvee's and I LOVE it!!!!  I will post pictures of my work place soon.  My boss is letting me sell my prims at the salon which is so fun:)

Well that's it for now, time to get ready for work.....blessing to you all, it's good to be back.....Rhonda

A Lot To Blog About

Hello to my blog friends and family. So many things have happened since my last post!!! For one, I am officially done with school (my last day was December 17th). And to add to the excitement....I am now a licensed cosmetologist:) I took my state boards last Monday, and the results came in the mail Saturday and I passed!!!!! I will even tell you all my score because I am so proud of it.....it was a 93.....what a sweet relief!!!!

I interviewed and was hired at a salon called Hair's What's Happening in Spooner the end of December (it was one of the salon's I job shadowed at and I really liked it). We decided to scheduled my first day of work on January 26th, which was last Thursday. So I showed up for duty that day, and I absolutely LOVE it!!!! My work schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and every other Saturday for now...and as I build my cliental, I will add another day. The salon is so clean, professional and very well organized. I love my boss and my co-workers and the clients are amazing too. I am excited to start my career and learn and grow as a stylist.

My cosmetology teachers at WITC, in Rice Lake. Ms. G, myself, and Ms. L. They were great teachers and I miss them very much. I was only there a semester, but I learned a lot from these ladies:)

Here is a picture of my class at Rice Lake. They are all great girls and I wish them all a successful career.

Our cake

Before the holidays, I was able to do a craft show with my sister in the twin cities. It was one she had done last year and really liked. I didn't get a change to make anything new because of school (no time), but I had a few things left over from last year that I brought along with me.

Here is a display of cat's my sister made....so cute!

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My sister in our booth

I did get a chance to crochet some of these potholders....sorry I didn't rotate the picture.

My sister makes salsa, jellies, relishes, and handmade laundry soap. They were a big hit!!!!

While I was at my sisters, she gave me one of her spider plants she had started from scratch. Now that I have sunlight....I am going to try to grow some greens to add a touch of warmth to our home.

Because I can not just sit at night and watch TV.......and because my sewing room is still not set up....I picked up a craft that I had long forgotten about, crocheting. I started making some hats and potholders and dishcloths, it is so relaxing to sit at night and crochet up a storm. I gave some of my hats for christmas gifts and also made one from myself. I thought they needed a little sparkle, so I dug around in my vintage jewelry collection and found some vintage earrings to sew in the middle of the flowers.....love the sparkle it added.

My manikin heads from school came in handy:)

Lady in red

..........Christmas.......

We celebrated our first Christmas in our new house. I was so nice to have all our family together enjoying good food and fun times together.

We were all bellied up to the Christmas Eve feast.

Our Christmas tree this year. I found this tinsel tree at a garage sale last summer, I have wanted one for a LONG time. I had planned on also putting up a real tree but, because I was so busy with school, decided the tinsel tree was enough. Next year, I will go all out and decorate the house up good. But there is one nice thing about not going all out on the decorating.....there is not as much to take down after Christmas....loved that:)

Last but not least.....our blood hound is growing like a weed, she is an awesome dog!!!! We started letting her in the house late Fall....she is doing so well. We only let her on a blanket by the fireplace because we don't want hound dog hair all over the house and scratches on our new floor. She is very content there and is minding so good.

My birds.....I finally got the birds I have always wanted. I found this clothes drying rack at a garage sale also last summer. It makes an excellent bird feeding perch.

Our hound dog fast asleep:)

And if you are wondering about our chickens....well, the girls are laying eggs like crazy, about 17-20 a day. It's so nice to have fresh eggs to enjoy and share with the family:)

Well, it's it for now....ohhhh, I do have one more thing to tell you all. After my state boards last Monday, I headed to the twin cities to spend some time with my sister and nephew and also to reward myself for finishing school and state boards by buying a new Mac computer. My Dell got a virus last April and I have spent way too much time and way too much money trying to get rid of it, sooooo I finally junked it and moved on. I LOVE my new Mac....still learning how to get around on it, but it is not that hard. I am also excited because I can finally Skype with my daughter Alyssa who is teaching English in South Korea. I miss her so much!!!!

Hopefully, now that my life has a schedule again, I can find more time to blog. Have a blessed day everyone...until next time....Rhonda

Still Here And Still Love Blogging....Just Need More TIME!!!!!

I am sorry I have been MIA for so long....my life has become a daily count-down/struggle to when I am officially done with Cosmetology school. Seriously......I have a daily planner and I cross off each day. December 16th is my last day and I will be officially done with school and I will be SOOOOOOOOOOO glad.

To up-date you all.....I was able to transfer to WITC in Rice Lake, WI. School started August 21st and at first it was fine....but it didn't take too long to realize that things were done very different there and I would have a daily struggle trying to figure it all out. I am finally settling in after 8 weeks and am starting to understand the flow there. It's not the teachers fault or the schools......it's just that I learned the Milady curriculum and they teach pivot point there which is a bit different, and they use a different color line also then what I learned at Mid-State. But I am so thankful that I was able to transfer, otherwise, I would be in Rapids right now instead of being home in my beautiful new home with my wonderful husband every night.....so, I am grateful....but very STRETCHED!!!!

But on a happier note, I am hoping that it will make me a better stylist right out of school because, any salon I work in will not have the comforts of school and I will be learning new things everyday. So I feel this will give me an edge in the scheme of things.

Well, enough about the boring stuff and onto the fun things going on here at our new homestead. Our bloodhound dog, Klara, is growing like a weed and from the photo above you will see that. It's so funny, she has taken over a chair I have in the garage. My plan for this chair (which I got at a thrift store last summer) is that I am going to have it recovered and I am going to use it as a desk chair. I have the fabric and everything. But, for now, she is keeping it warm for me until I can find time to take it somewhere to have it recovered. She is such a doll and we love her very much!!!!

And as you can see.....the chickens are growing like weeds too. The roosters are starting to crow....it sounds like someone is getting murdered in the coop when they crow right now, but bless their little hearts.....everyone has to start somewhere. I am hoping they get better at it soon but until now, it makes me laugh. I am also hoping the hens start laying eggs soon, farm fresh eggs will taste so good........can't wait for that and either can my kids. And as you can see, my little dumpling boy (my grandson Carson) loves the chickens, he is my little chicken buddy:)

Well, hopefully I will keep up with the posts....they may not be long, but somethings better then nothing......... right. I want to also say that I miss sewing so much and hope to be at my sewing machine creating soon and have creations to share with you all:)

God bless and stay tuned:)
Rhonda

Chicken and Dog Daze At The Homestead

Life on our new homestead is anything but boring these days that's for sure. With the addition of our 25 chickens and our bloodhound pup, who is the size of a small pony I may add, Brent and I have been kept very busy and entertained this past week.

First off, I have and update.....we changed the name of our dog. Brent told me on Saturday that he was having a hard time calling her Nettie and that he liked the name Annabelle. So.......I was not crazy about the name Annabelle, and he was not fond of the name Nettie....we compromised with each other and named her a name we both liked which was "Klara". So her name is now Klara and she seems to respond to it already:) and besides it goes really nice with her brothers name which is Karl......Klara and Karl so cute I think. I will have to say that it is kinda confusing because my daughter's name is Kara...so we have Kara, Klara and Karl now...what a tongue twister.

Brent holding one of our chickens....look at her beautiful wings.

The chickens will be 2 weeks old on Thursday and they are getting so big. They are losing their fluff ball look and growing real feathers on their wings and their tails. I am starting to ween them off their heat light during the day and they seems to be doing fine with that. The reason for that could also be because it has been 90 to 95 here during the day so who needs a heat light right....but anyway, I think this weekend we are going to put them in the chicken coop which will be good because I would really like to have my garage back so I can set up my tables for the garage sale which I am planning to have August 5th, and 6th.

Chickens all huddled together.....what cuties

Karl and Klara playing in the pool together....how cute!!!!

We stopped over at my daughter's tonight....we bought her dog Karl (who is also Klara's full brother) a swimming pool to cool off in during these hot days we have been having here lately. We bought Klara a pool also and she LOVES it. It is so funny to watch them play and drink from their pools....the little things in life make them so happy.

Thirsty dogs....they look so innocent here.....but it's only an illusion guys, lol they are busy, busy dogs!!!!

They found a piece of rawhide to chew on but they kept fighting over it, we laughed so hard watching them two. I LOVE the look on Karl's face....bloodhounds have the sweetest faces and the kindest eyes, they totally can melt your heart with their eyes.

Here is Klara in Brent's truck after arriving home from Kara and Trav's house after her fun time playing with her brother Karl. She really didn't want to get out of the truck....she loves Brent's truck and spralls out in the back seat like she owns the place.

After we got her unloaded from the truck....I watered a few trees and of course Klara was front and center. She loves drinking straight out of the hose.....never a dull moment with ole Klara.

After we spent some time playing with her in our yard, it was time for us to cook supper and for that....we have to put Klara in her kennel or else we get nothing done. Brent carried her down there tonight....it was so precious!!!!!

Here she is being carried like a little princess to her kennel.

Look at that face and if you look hard, in the background, you can see her kennel. That kennel is such a blessing when we have things to do and can not be watching her constantly. She seems to like it in there which is good....her pool is in there and also her dog house which she goes in off and on during the times she is in there. She may bark or whine a little when we first put her in there but it does not last long at all which is good because I don't want her driving the neighbors crazy or us.

At night she sleeps in the house in a large kennel which we put in our laundry room. She is starting to learn her boundaries but we have a LONG way to go with her on that. She is so big, sometimes we forget that she is still a puppy. Anyway, after supper, we let her out of her outside kennel, played with her in the yard for about an hour. Then brought her in the house and put her to bed in her own little space in the laundry room and she is sleeping like a baby as I type...what a good girl we have:)

Last but not least I will leave you with a picture of our garden. It has really been growing during this heat wave which is so fun to watch...it really seems to grow over night sometimes. We had cucumbers and radishes out of the garden tonight for supper and they were delicious!!!

Well, that's it for now....hope all is well with all my blog buddies....until next time.....God Bless, Rhonda

Rodeo Time And New Family Members

The Spooner Rodeo was in town last weekend, and we were front and center Thursday and Friday night. The Rodeo is something I look forward to every year. But when the Rodeo comes to town, it also means summer is 1/2 over, bummer. Anyway....it was so fun spending time together walking around the Rodeo grounds and enjoying the Rodeo together. The above picture is of Brent and I before the Rodeo started.

My beautiful daughter Kara and my handsome son in-law Travis

Jessica (one of Kara's friends), Kara, Trav and Brent before the Rodeo started looking forward to a fun time.

The Spooner Rodeo

Saddle Bron riding

Bareback riding

One of the acts this year was the One Arm Bandit. He rode his horse totally off his legs while herding his buffalo around the arena. And at the end of his performance, he herded them onto the top of his trailer...it was pretty cool.

One of the buffalo

The One Arm Bandit on top of his trailer

His buffalo on top of his trailer

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New Family Members

We have been plugging away here trying to get our yard finished and also the house organized. It has been a slow process as far as the unpacking and setting up the garage sale, but it is slowly happening.

I do have some exciting news, last week we added to our family.....25 Road Island chickens and a 5 month old 60 pd female Bloodhound pup. We named our puppy Nettie and she is a complete sweetheart. We named her after my favorite client at school, (I have a picture of her and I together in my last post) she is 94 years old and the sweetest lady you will ever meet. Brent has wanted a bloodhound for years and on Sunday he finally got his wish. My daughter Kara and her husband also bought one of the puppies......they bought a male and they named him Karl. He is a bit busier then Nettie or should I say A LOT busier....but Kara and Trav are handling it wonderfully and they love him very much. He even sleeps with them in their bed, I don't know how they all fit......uh youth is all I can say to that:) Nettie on the other hand, sleeps in her kennel in our laundry room. I have been dog-sitting during the day for Carl while they are at work so Nettie has had company during the day. They play and sleep all day in the kennel outside. That kennel is a blessing seeing that I will not let the dogs run through my house like wild animals. I told Brent, and he agrees, we worked way too hard on our house to let a dog ruin it. So, we are working on setting boundaries and learning manners. She is a very smart dog and seems to be a fast learner.

Here is Kara with her dog Karl

Brent with our not so little little girl

Nettie and Brent

And here are our 25 feathered friends, I have 21 hens and 4 roosters. They are growing so fast....I got them last Thursday, they were a day old. And today they are 6 days old and are already getting tail feathers. They are in a box under a heat light in our garage, but will be put out if the chicken coop soon. Can't wait to start gathering my eggs someday:)

Cute little chickies

Here they are growing like weeds....they are so fun!!!!
All these new adventures are filling our new homestead with love and happy memories and I am looking forward to many more to come!!! I LOVE being HOME!!!!

I am hoping to get my sewing room set up soon so I can start sewing up a storm.....I MISS SEWING SO MUCH!!!! Still waiting to hear about what is going on with my transferring to Rice Lake so I can finish up school....will keep you all posted on that.

Well, better get going so I can get something done today before I have to go to work. Oh, I don't know if I have mentioned that....I am waitressing at a bar/restaurant called "What The Heck". We have been very busy and I pretty run my butt off at work......oh well, the money is good. My daughter, Alyssa, works there too so I get to spend time with her at home here and at work which I LOVE!!!!!

Blessings....Rhonda