Red Gate Farm-Thank You

Hi farm friends, hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed Farm Friend Friday (FFF) as much as we did. We made new friends this week and were so impressed with all the wonderful posts. We were also excited to have 65 participants. I would love to get 75 this coming Friday for FFF #5. If you have thought about joining, this week would be a great time. Spread the word and invite your farm/ranch friends to join the celebration. Now, on to the story at hand.

A dreary Feb. was recently brightened in an inspiring way, coming when the winter seemed heaviest. I’ve been fortunate in the past few months to have found a wonderful blog, Red Gate Farm, I’ve been reading and loving. Chris and her family are fun to follow and examples of hard working, creative, innovative people. That hard work and creativity is on display at their picturesque farm, which I envy. This dear blog friend celebrated her first year in the blogosphere by having a giveaway--and boy was it a dandy. I was so excited and wanted to win.

One evening, on the road, away from home, in a hotel, sort-of feeling sorry for myself, I opened an email from Chris informing me I had won. I was so happy I actually did a cabbage patch dance, right there in the hotel room.

The package soon arrived and as I said before: Boy it’s a dandy. Two boxes filled to the rim with goodies. She carefully wrapped some of the pretties in awesome, vintage dress patterns and fabric ribbons. And, it’s as if the gift box was bottomless. Like a magician pulling handkerchiefs from a top hat, I kept on and on pulling gifts from this wonderful box, becoming more thrilled with each find. I had hot teas, a vintage teacup and saucer,  Lindt chocolates, a garden planner, colored pencils and so much more. It came in a fabulous burlap bag with a cute flower. Wow.

So far, I have enjoyed the chocolates and half-heartedly allowed farmer to have a piece. I’ve been looking through the 2011 garden magazines, as well as a vintage seed magazine and my next step will be to put pencil to paper and start my special garden journal/planner. I will also dig in the wonderful dirt with the cutest garden tool you’ve ever seen and don the best garden apron around.

Chris, I can’t thank you enough and I am so thrilled with this wonderful, generous, lovingly shared giveaway that has truly brightened a gloomy, grey month here at Verde Farm.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Winner chosen, insurrection put down

Well, it’s been quite a long evening here at the farm. The chickens had a tough, tough time deciding which way to go. There were so many great ideas, more than they ever dreamed, and all were cock-a-doodle-riffic. Frank and the gang kept going back and forth, huddling, discussing, grumbling and deciding until a consensus was reached. You see, there are some rock’n’rollers in the coop and the duck branch, although told they technically had no input, were heard talking, plotting and conniving to Frank, Sunny D and anybody else who would listen--a script which could have been lifted from a bad Survivor episode. Even though the ducks had no dog in the hunt, so to speak, they lobbied the chickens to name the coop in honor of their leader, Elvis the muscovy, explaining it was only fair since the chickens were getting new digs and they were getting nothing. It also helped that the farmer was an Elvis fan and had even named his daughter, Presley, after the king of rock’n’roll.  Finally, the ducks' protested they would be “heartbroken” if they were denied and would go elsewhere, even if that meant going to the “end of lonely street,” to live.  So, without further adieu, Nancy at A Rural Journal came up with Heartbeak Hotel, and that is the official name of our new coop! Congrats Nancy and thanks to everyone for all the fun, creative suggestions. Y’all are amazing.

After all that, we asked Frank himself to draw for the random giveaway. Sixty-eight entries went into the fancy bag...and drum roll please...

Welcome To Lavender Dreams blog. 

Ladies, please e-mail me your addresses and I’ll get Frank to the post office right away. Thank you all, we had lots of fun here at the farm.

Frank finds grand prize, eager to show

Hi farm friends, hope your week is off to a great start. We are having such a great time sorting through  your incredibly clever suggestions in naming our new chicken house. The hens are not only clucking about the contest, they even sent Frank Rooster out to get the grand prize. The little fella brought it by earlier today to show it to me and I thought you all might want to see it too. His taste in gifts tends toward his own kind--chicken--yet his choices are not paltry. He found a beautiful ceramic rooster, a chicken book marker, and a great little book on poultry. The lucky contest winner will be selected on Wednesday night. No idea is a bad idea, and we, as well as Frank and the hen house, are grateful for your suggestions and participation.

And, we also are doing a giveaway for all who leave a comment on this post for one entry-- and another entry for sharing the contest on your site. This winner will be selected by random drawing and will have a different prize especially for them.

Good luck to all.

Cluck, cluck,

First Snow Winner

We have had so much fun this week with the giveaway. The stories shared about your most memorable Christmas gift have been heart warming, funny, unique and touching. Some of my favorites involved red purses, go-go boots, ice skating rinks, love and extraordinary family memories. Thank you all for sharing your stories.

At midnight last night I wrote all the names for each entry and cut them up to put in the bowl. This morning my husband stuck his hand in and pulled out the winning entry.

Drum roll please...

Sharon at Life With Jack and Jill. If you haven’t read Sharon’s blog, it is filled with humor, dry wit, family and a love for her babies, Jack and Jill. She is a great read and you should check her out. Sharon, send me your address via e-mail and I will get you package in the mail on Monday. Congratulations and thank you all for participating. This was so much fun.

Merry Christmas,

First Snow-First Giveaway

Hello farm friends, we had our first snow of the season this weekend and it was beautiful. Big, white, cottony flakes peppered down all day Saturday. It didn’t cover the roads, but provided a thin layer of snow over everything else making it ideal for Christmas decorating and shopping.

This past week, I shared my appreciation for the wonderful blog friends I have, and in this spirit I decided it was time to do a giveaway for our Verde Farm buddies. The rules are simple: If you are a follower you get one entry. For a second entry, comment on this post and include the most memorable Christmas gift you ever received, and why. For a third, if you share the giveaway on your blog or in one of your posts, that will enter you another time. Just be sure to tell me that you shared it. If you are not a follower and you become one, you get entered automatically and have the above options for extra entries. If you don't want to follow and just enjoy stopping by, that is perfectly fine too. You don't have to be a follower to win, just share a comment so I can add your name to the bowl.

The prize is a wonderful gift basket from a beautiful place called Yellow Goat Farm.  They make wonderful soaps, herbal lotions and sachets as well as unusual jams, and all from organic herbs. I think you will love the goodies in this basket. The giveaway starts now and will close Friday Dec. 10, at midnight. I will announce the winner the following day and get it in the mail to you by Christmas. Good luck to all our wonderful friends.

We are linking up with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.  If you’ve never seen Mary’s site or the Mosaic Monday entries, you are missing out.  Beautiful entries every week. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas,