The Fabulous Farmhouse

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I didn't know what to name this post so my fallback on dorky takes over. The important thing is that you're here, nooo don't leave! Just hang out a minute and see what my latest garden photos looks like. I will mention minis at the end:) I promise! Here we go! So I'm starting with this photo of peas that were so big they were squishing each other! I ate them right after I took this shot so now their struggle is over. Potatoes from out on the farm, and fresh blackberries that I pick daily and freeze so we can make jam or jelly, one or the other.

Here are our tomatoes resting on the stick supports I made for them. These are working very well for housing so many, very inexpensive with lots of room for growth. Thanks to Karin for sending in how to prune these, I do my best to see each leaf has it's share of sunshine and not too crowded. See tomatoes yet? They're there, and green. The cats are obsessed with tomatoes so we won't be leaving these on the sill to ripen. Silly kittens.

Carrots, broccoli, lettuce, and beans.

Go peas go! They like my trellis! So far we've got two big mixing bowls full of peas, frozen now. I don't especially like shelling these as it takes a while.

The corn is happy!

Some crazy looking yellow onions, and beans. The tomatoes are just past these rows. The white string/rope around the garden is a deer fence. It's sprayed with something foul, probably urine, and it's sworn to keep deer out. Rabbits don't care about this fence and think some things are theirs.
The nerve. That's it for the lower garden.

Up above in the second patch is winter squash, and more tomatoes.

More peas on a much smaller scale trellis. One thing we learned is we'll just go on ahead and keep peas next to each other next season. We'll also make some rows bigger, like the tomatoes.

Delicious lettuce, broccoli, and lots of weeds interspersed with random growing tomatoes from last years planting. I felt so bad after seeing these weeds I did spend an hour weeding today even though I didn't have that plan...

Some more crazy looking onions, these are red and white onions. Next to some of the best potatoes I've ever had!

Isn't this bloom pretty? This is a red potato that was planted last year. Surprise!

Blackberries picked daily to beat the birds.

Another surprise, a hollyhock growing behind our shed. So tall, and pretty. It is taller than I am!
Wait, everything is taller than I am:( Thank you for hanging in there and seeing the garden with me, it's been a lot of work I tell ya! I feel like frontier woman sometimes between these gardens here and out on the farm. Always something to do!

See, here is the mini! This is the beginning of our new bookcase coming by special request from a customer making a bookstore:) Exciting! I love seeing the books on it even though it is only halfway finished. So cute!!! Now Bruce gets to make measurement notes, and finish it up with sides, paint, etc.  That's all I have for now. I've made a stew for dinner with our fresh garden pickings so I'm off to go check that now. Delicious! Thanks for popping in:)   Cathy

Let's Have Tea Miniature Cookies

Teapot and teacup cookies for the miniature dollhouse

A special request by a sweet customer for individually wrapped teapot and teacup cookies has brought this assortment of sweets for your collection to
The Fabulous Farmhouse.

Old Fashioned Candy Sticks Display For The Miniature Dollhouse

Recently added to our miniatures collection in the store, this old fashioned candy sticks display filled with dozens of sweet little sticks in flavors ranging from blueberry to pistachio and fruit punch. The new display is available in both filled and unfilled. We also have 24 different flavors of old fashioned candy sticks and you can find them here in the new category container candy To see more about the candy stick display click here. Thanks!

Garden Goodies

Jack the Pumpkin King still stands guard over the peas, though his bat tie has seen better days, so far he's been great at keeping the deer out of there. I also mixed up a deer repellent recipe of 4 eggs to 1 quart of water and I've sprayed that on this and that. I don't know for sure what works so I can't say just yet, but we'll find out! I love the rustic trellis I crafted for the peas, and they seem to be taking to it and climbing. I used cut wood from out on the farm for posts, and strung 22 gauge wire and string for the peas to climb. Very inexpensive compared to what I saw for sale in the stores, and all recyclable.

I did a little internet research on caging tomatoes since I had so many to support. I wanted to see what options I had, and this system seems to make the most sense, and again is the least expensive. I used old baseboard and window trim from a room that's being redone in the house for vertical posts, and more sticks from the farm. As the tomatoes grow and stretch their limbs the horizontal sticks can be readjusted easily using twistie ties. This support is working well! The tomatoes smell so good!

Yellow onions, bush beans, and corn in this half of the garden are doing well. So are the weeds, and I'm tired of weeding, a never ending job! The straw in between the rows helps a lot with keeping the weeds down, and allows us to walk in the garden without getting muddy.

More onions, potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, and lots of weeds. Half of this upper garden is getting rototilled this weekend and replanted because some of the seeds didn't take, and it will just be easier to start over and replant if it's rototilled. The two houses across the street there are repo's that were recently purchased and are in the process of being fixed up. That will be nice for the neighborhood.

Look! Fruit is setting on the blackberry bushes we trellised! Yay!

Lastly, is it a rose? I don't know what it is, but I found it today while I was in the backyard taking these photos. It sure is pretty. Anyway, there is the update of the garden, and you can see it can be quite time consuming to keep up with, fortunately we haven't had to water a whole lot because we live in the thumb area of Michigan, and we get plenty of rain. A large storm is due in today but you wouldn't know it looking outside, it's beautiful. I hope it leaves as soon as it arrives, as the storms here usually do. Thanks for stopping by and checking out our garden photos, I'm headed back to the minis now, I'm excited today because I've got my hands on a new candy display project, and you know how I love those new projects! Enjoy your day!   Cathy

It's a Girl!

My son and his wife Jess found out they are having a girl! I begin by congratulating them and then make a miniature chocolate. Right? Yes, absolutely. Naomi Kay, their future little princess is expected around December 6th. She's going to be spoiled, and I can't wait! There is nothing in the world like a new baby to cuddle and talk baby talk to. I get lost in thought wondering where the time went, no worry because the little one's keep us young and give us an excuse to watch great movies like The Lion King again! I swear I get chills every time no matter how many times I've seen them hold that new cub up to show! As soon as Naomi doesn't eat clay, we'll be playing with mini food, and all kinds of other fun stuff. My granddaughter and I are going to have a fabulous time together! This new chocolate and other new items are listed in the store today. Also, hanging candy displays are back in stock as well.

Honey Bees

I was in the back yard garden yesterday thinning the carrots when I heard this swarm flying over me on it's way to it's new home. Thousands of bees and they made quite a noise! Bruce and I stood watching them for some time while they settled in on this branch in the back yard. They're about 25 feet up, and still there today. So funny because I was telling him I wanted bees! Chances are good they won't stay, but who knows?

Watering potatoes at the farm yesterday, I took a couple of pictures. It's such a beautiful serene place.

Potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes are doing so well! They're happy in that sandy soil, and we won't be needing to purchase any for the rest of the year. I'm a little disapointed so many of the onions flowered, but that's ok, I'll use many of them to can tomato sauce anyway. An onion that has flowered doesn't store long. I read that while I was trying to figure out what to do about the flower. Anyway I thought I'd share some of our weekend with you. I have a little bit of yardwork to do today feeding corn and doing some garden bed weeding and then it's back to my favorite thing to do, make more miniatures! Enjoy your Monday!

Run! Run! As Fast As You Can!

   Did you know June 5th was National Gingerbread Day? I'll be darned. Never heard of it, but we like it! After a quick internet search I found this great site on gingerbread and some incredible photos in the links section. Gingerbread Lane has recipes, tips on how to make gingerbread houses, as well as candy suggestions.

   This little 1/12 scale glittered gift bag with gingerbread man and more Christmas miniatures tucked inside is now for sale in our store. Individual gingerbread man cookies are available as well. The gingerbread man gift bag with hearts is new this year and is located in our gift bag section. There are currently two gift bags available free with any order while supplies last. You'll find these in the gift bag section as well, simply add them to your cart while shopping. It's never too early to shop for the holidays at The Fabulous Farmhouse.

Happy Holidays!!! Can I say that yet?

A Great Father's Day Gift For Dad?

My son looks pretty enthused to find liver pudding in his local North Carolina grocery store. I can't say I've ever seen it in California, nor here in Michigan. Brent you scored!!! I bet it's a taste of creamy heaven in plastic! I bet you finish it and wish you had more! Let us all know how it tastes little Marine buddy! Later this month Brent and his wife Jess will hopefully find out whether they're first child their expecting will be a boy or a girl. That means next year Brent will be subject to all sorts of Father's Day fun! If you're decorating the miniature dollhouse for Father's Day be sure and check out our Father's Day category at The Fabulous Farmhouse miniatures store. There are a few things there that will express your appreciation for Dad in miniature.

Miniature Drop Cookies

Miniature drop cookies fill a display and are a delicious bakery sweet treat. Trays of dozens of drop cookies in candy topped chocolate, cherry chip, chocolate chip, and cherry topped. All of these are available in our store sold by the dozen as well as individually wrapped three-packs. These trays can be cut in strips for mix and match, or taken off of the trays completely to set on a plate, etc.

Old Fashioned Candy Sticks

   The Fabulous Farmhouse currently carries 21 assorted varieties of old fashioned hard candy sticks for the miniature collector. Grape, lemon lime, peppermint, rainbow, just to name a few. Our newest display is a perfect way to showcase sweets in your miniature bakery. Sitting on the store counter, the measurement from the floor to the very top bag of candy is 5 1/2". Perfect reach for anyone looking to indulge their sweet tooth.

The display comes in two pieces for multiple displays if you wish. Each measure 7/8" tall for a total measurement of 1 3/4". The display can be set on the floor or the counter for displaying anything miniature you wish! As with our other displays this one is available in other color stripes. Email us with any questions.

To see our old fashioned candy stick category in the store click here. If you'd like more information on the display click on the photo above to enter our miniatures store.