Cottonfieldfarm Vintage Images, Buttons, Mirrors

Memorial Day and Victory Gardens

2012-05-26T16:15:00.000-06:00

My prayer is that we will all take a few minutes to remember our wounded and fallen heroes, not only on Memorial Day, but every day as we carry out our plans, enjoying all the cook-outs and fun-filled summer activities that are ours because of those very heroes who fight and give their lives so that we can enjoy ours.

To help celebrate this Memorial Day, I am offering you these World War II Homefront Memory Collage Digital Sheets. Just right-click to "Save Picture." I hope these will help you think about our soldiers and this great country that they protect.

Today as I was picking beans in my garden, I thought about the Victory Gardens that Americans had back during World War II. Their purpose was to help stretch food here at home so our troops overseas could get the food they needed.

As I picked more and more beans, I thanked the Lord for the bountiful harvest and for our military who makes it possible for us to live in a free America where we can have gardens or anything else we enjoy.

Our Victory Garden.

They were hanging by the handful.

Thank the Lord for our harvest and for our great country, the home of the free because of the brave.

Gift of Love and Mother's Day

2012-04-22T14:24:00.002-06:00

Husbands try hard but often do not have a clue when it comes to purchasing gifts for their wives. They are notorious for choosing such "personal and romantic" items as toasters or vacuum cleaners for holidays or anniversaries. I've even heard of a fella who for some unknown reason thought his wife would just love a new outboard motor for Christmas! My husband (bless his heart) bought an iron for me one Christmas and a crock pot for another holiday. I'm guessing he thinks as long as I have the right tools to keep him neat and fed, then I will be happy. He tries.
Well, a few weeks ago, my husband outdid himself. I came home from work one afternoon, and he had that "little boy who just got into the cookie jar" look, so I knew something was up. He invited me out to the workshop to see what he had bought for me. Oh, how sweet, I thought, and it wasn't even my birthday!
He led me to the shop and proudly pointed out his "gift of love."

A brand new, muscle-powered (no wasting of gas like the tiller)

garden cultivator.

Oh, I said. That's nice.

He continued to explain the benefits of such a fine piece of machinery. It fits easily between the rows. It's just my size. And the biggie: I won't have to wait for him to till the garden anymore (see how thoughtful he is).

Okay, to be honest, he knows how much I like gardening and old things, so I have to give him some credit.

It really is a pretty contraption.

Yesterday I thought I would give the new plow a try. When I pushed it down the row between the snake beans and peas, it turned the weeds and soil amazingly well.

Hmmm...I decided this was fun. I continued along the row, turning at the end to come back down the row. After about 8 trips up and down the 50 foot row, I had a nice, clean tilled pathway. Only 11 more rows to go.

It wasn't bad once I got the hang of it. I only dropped it on three pea plants. I only plowed up 4 corn stalks. I only skinned one knuckle when I passed the post holding the sprinkler head. I only got one busted blister.

AND, the best part was, it only took me four more hours to finish tilling the whole garden (and saving all that gas).

This morning I realized another benefit of my husband's love gift.

I no longer need the treadmill (Maybe my husband will sell it and buy me a thoughtful gift for Mother's Day).

Creative Sewing

2012-04-16T18:27:00.000-06:00

Tina from ttimecreations purchased some vintage Easter images from my shop and this is what she created!

Even though Easter has passed, this is still a beautiful bag and would be worth purchasing for spring or saving for next Easter. But Easter items are not all she creates!
She also made this adorable little pillow case dress:

For more bags and goodies, go visit Tina at:
http://ttimecreations.etsy.com

Mom

2012-04-14T20:21:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday, Mom. I've thought about you all day, and you have been right here with me...when I heard the birds singing and remembered how you loved the wild birds...when I made your famous cheese biscuits this morning for breakfast...when I made squash casserole and remembered the little "squashettes" we used to make together up in Eclectic, Alabama...when I took a canning jar from the dishwasher and gave thanks for the many jars of green beans you put up every year and for teaching me how to do it...and mostly, when I picked up Lillie and Lanie for the afternoon and thought how much you would have loved those great-granddaughters, and they you. I told them today was your birthday. Lillie said, "Awww...." liked she missed you too. I look forward to the day we can celebrate together again. I love you Mom.

Vera Elizabeth,

my mom

Spring's Early Vist

2012-03-20T14:24:00.000-06:00

Spring visited early this year! My azaleas began blooming the end of January, and now they have come and gone. In their place, is the lovely wisteria "tree" my husband planted and trained several years ago.

Its lovely purple, grape-like blossoms fill the air with its special sweet fragrance.

Can't you just smell it?

It sits nestled in the shadow of the bare pecan trees in the front yard.

Hope as I may that Spring truly is here to stay, those pecan trees tell me a different story. Its a well-known southern fact that spring may come to visit, but never stays until the tiny, tender green leaves burst forth on the bare branches of the old pecan trees.

I check them almost daily, waiting to see the smallest hint of green.

The buds are swollen, but patience must prevail; they come when they are ready. Not a minute sooner.

Weather in Florida

2012-02-12T08:50:00.001-06:00

You never know what the weather will bring here in "sunny" Florida.
After a pretty cold winter last year, we have really had a nice, mild winter this year. The tulip trees have all bloomed out nicely, and my azalea bushes are about half-way covered with beautiful pink, red, and white flowers. I noticed the other day that even the bridal bush is showing some white blossoms.

But, alas, last night we had a hard freeze. This morning I had to break the ice in the chickens' water dish. My beautiful azaleas are a bit droopy. But that's the story of weather here in Florida. There's an old saying going around that if you don't like the weather here, just wait around a few minutes and it will change. Tonight we're supposed to have another hard freeze, 23 degrees. Tomorrow night, a mere 58 degrees. Go figure!

Florida Apples

2012-01-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

Starting to harvest the apple crop. I picked up these few from the ground. The apples aren't very big (I think they're cute as a button), but they sure taste good! They are a little tart with just enough sweetness to balance out the flavor.

My gathering apron:

Seems odd that one would be harvesting apples in the dead of winter! I'm counting my blessings and thanking the Lord for this special treat!

January Gardening

2012-01-16T10:27:00.000-06:00

Is this January?

Wal-Mart has flip-flops and sunscreen on sale already!

My husband plowed the garden to get ready for the potatoes.

I have apples on my apple tree!

Seems like January always sets my heart and mind on spring planting and warmer weather. This year I had a little help when my husband picked our last ripe tomato just before the freeze last week.

This is an heirloom called, "Brandywine."

This Granny Smith apple tree bloomed around September, not last spring when it was supposed to. I call these apples gifts from God since this tree is supposed to be bare this time of year!

With stores stocking spring clothing, seed catalogs arriving in the mail, and apples on my apple tree, I'm starting to get the gardening itch. It's so nice snuggling up with a steaming hot cup of coffee, in a warm house on a January morning with temperatures outside dipping down to the mid 60's (hey, it's Florida here), dreaming of things to come:

like my spring flower garden...beautiful yellow squash blossom,

...melons on the vine...

...more bounty from the garden...

Headin' to the field on the 'Ol Gray Mare.

Summer garden in full swing...

Sweet corn and snake beans...

Peaches from the orchard...

And of course, puttin' it all up.

Red Geranium from my husband's mother.

Another flower from my mother-in-law, this sweet-scented Phlox is one of my favorites.

Remembering all the bounty of the coming spring helps warm us up a bit on those cold January days! Thank the Lord for all He gives us, including the time spent indoors in January, resting and preparing for the work to come.

2012-01-16T08:26:00.001-06:00

Shabby Style Victorian Valentine Cards

2012-01-04T21:22:00.000-06:00

I would like to share with you a couple of beautiful shabby chic cottage style Valentine cards that Melisa Waldorf of Paperlicious Designs created using a couple of images from my digital sheet:

Melisa used this sheet from my shop, C-101:

Melisa is a great designer, and you can sign up for classes

with her at Meet-up.com here. She also has many card and craft tutorials on her blog for free!

Vintage Valentines!

2012-01-01T17:53:00.000-06:00

New listings for vintage and retro valentine digital sheets and buttons at Cottonfield Farm! Lots more to come for the new year!

Retro Valentine Kids and Animals Pin Back Buttons.

Digital sheets are also available.

Romantic Victorian Angels Pin Back Buttons

Mirrors are also available

Victorian Valentine Romantic Hearts Digital Sheets Set of 2

Soft shabby cottage greens and pinks Victorian Valentine postcards Digital Sheet Set of 2

1,000th Sale Celebration!

2011-12-21T20:56:00.002-06:00

Whoo-hoo! I just made my 1,000th sale to Johanna in my Etsy shop! I celebrated by giving her 4 FREE digital sheet sets! Now, I'm celebrating by offering EVERYONE ONE FREE DIGITAL SHEET SET with every one set purchased! Just purchase a digital set (or a set of buttons, mirrors, or magnets) and you get a FREE digital sheet set of equal or lesser value FREE! Let me know in "message to seller" which free digital sheet you would like!

This Celebration Sale runs from now until Christmas, December 25, 2011, at midnight!

This is the digital sheet that made the 1,000th sale:

Here is a little onesie Johanna made with one of her free images:

Johanna has a shop in Australia!

Visit her at:

www.madeit.com.au/joeyjellybean

Thank you to ALL my customers! I wish you all a wonderfully blessed Christmas!

Christmas Sale!

2011-12-08T12:39:00.000-06:00

Cottonfieldfarm is having a Christmas Sale on Christmas Pin Back Buttons! All my Christmas buttons are 20% off: Retro Christmas, Victorian, Vintage, Shabby Cottage Style, Sock Monkey, and more! Just send me a message on Etsy and tell me which button set you would like, and I will set up a listing at 20% off! There's still plenty of time to mail before Christmas! See cottonfieldfarm.etsy.com.

Remember Pearl Harbor

2011-12-07T06:23:00.001-06:00

Seventy years ago our nation was thrust into the second world war when Japan attacked our military base at Pearl Harbor. Read the post here. Lest we forget...

Retro Christmas Buttons for Decorations

2011-12-03T12:57:00.001-06:00

There's still time to order your Christmas buttons, mirrors, or magnets before Christmas! I have Retro Christmas, Antique and Vintage Christmas, and Shabby Cottage Pink Christmas buttons!
Check them out in The Christmas Shoppe at http://cottonfieldfarm.etsy.com/! Use these fun buttons to decorate your tree, stockings, pillows, gifts, and even yourself!

Black Friday Sale Has Begun!

2011-11-23T18:47:00.000-06:00

Black Friday Sale starts November 23 @ 6:OO at Shabby Cottage Shops! Hurry! Go visit all the shops that are participating in this pre-Black Friday Sale! It runs through Monday, November 28!
Check out cottonfieldfarm's Black Friday Sale on Digital Sheets:

This sale includes ALL my digital sheet sets! There's no limit to the number of sets you can buy! You receive your choice of a FREE digital download of equal or lesser value with EVERY set you purchase!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Victorian Christmas Tags

2011-11-22T16:20:00.000-06:00

These Victorian German Christmas Tags are new at Cottonfieldfarm.etsy.com! Lots of Christmas goodies there!

More German Die-Cut Christmas Ornaments.

Victorian Santas Two Inch Circle Tags

Print this vintage "Merry Christmas" greeting on to your next craft project. It would look lovely on a Christmas pillow, T-Shirt, Tote, Gift Bag, or even on a chair cover!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-11-12T08:28:00.013-06:00

With Christmas right around the corner, try these Retro Christmas Children Pin Back Buttons for instant pizazz for your favorite scarf or tote. These little Christmas buttons also make great Christmas Tree decorations and gift tags. Grab a few for your friends or your Secret Santa or even for your holiday hostess. Pin a couple to your children's Christmas stockings.
They make Christmas decorating fun and easy!

If you like a little shabby chic cottage style, try these mod candy pink, green, and cottage white buttons. Just glue on a little rhinestone or add a Christmas ribbon, and you have an instant ornament for your tree or yourself!

These cute Sock Monkeys add a touch of whimsy to any Christmas decor.

Veteran's Day Thank You

2011-11-11T08:59:00.000-06:00

Hopefully, we think about our Veterans and the sacrifices they make, everyday; but it is also nice to have a special day in their honor to remember and celebrate their service to our great United States of America. As we go about our daily activities today, at work, school, shopping, or participating in a Veteran's event, I hope we take the time to remember that it is their sacrificial service that allows us to be able to go about our daily activities today and everyday. We honor and thank our Veterans, past, present, and those yet to serve our great nation.

My dad and uncle, John and Lewis Goempler, both served in World War II.

Shabby Cottage Shops Christmas Shoppe Pink Present Holiday Giveaway Is Here!

2011-11-06T20:47:00.001-06:00

It's finally here! Shabby Cottage Shops' Pink Present Holiday Giveaway, and you know that means Christmas is just around the corner! This year's Pink Present Giveaway is huge!
Click the banner to the right to see all the goodies in the "Pink Box," donated by 30 participating shops, and worth over $350!
Don't forget to enter to win the best Pink Present Holiday Giveaway EVAH!

Also, while you're over at Shabby Cottage Shops, be sure to check out the Pinkalicious Christmas Shoppe, Christmas Tree Contest, and much more! You can do all your Christmas shopping there and then sit back, relax, and enjoy the season!

Good luck and God bless!

Amish Buttermilk Pie

2011-10-08T11:24:00.000-06:00

My mother was always trying new "old" recipes, and we never knew what she would come up with next. One of her concoctions was "Buttermilk Pie," a delicacy that I had no intention of trying. However, I liked left-over cornbread crumbled into a tall glass of ice cold buttermilk, so I gathered up my courage and tasted a forkful of this mysterious pie. Wow! Was it ever good! I couldn't imagine that a pie made with sour milk could taste so delicious!
I'm not sure where Mom got her recipe, nor what happened to it, but it never got passed down to me. When looking through some old Amish recipes, I was delighted to find this recipe for the special "sour milk pie." I made it for my husband, and yep, he didn't want any part of it. That's okay, because that left more for me to enjoy! I hope you will try it for your family too (you might want to hold off telling them the name of the pie before they taste it though).

Amish Buttermilk Pie

1 unbaked pie shell-9 inch (homemade or store-bought)

1/2 cup of real butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour, all purpose

3 farm fresh eggs, beaten

1 cup fresh buttermilk (homemade or store-bought)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

pinch of salt

Grated nutmeg (I left that out)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while mixing the pie. Cream together softened butter and sugar. Add the next 6 ingredients and mix well. Pour into the pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Bake in oven for approximately one hour, or until the top browns up some. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice and enjoy!

Homemade Natural Laundry Soap

2011-10-01T14:57:00.000-06:00

Here's the recipe for the natural laundry soap I promised!

2 Cups Baking Soda

2 Cups Borax

2 Cups Castile Soap (Powdered)

20 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

20 Drops Orange Essential Oil

Add the essential oils a little at a time to the baking soda, mixing well. You can use a pastry blender if you like. Then combine all other ingredients and mix well. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

To use: Measure out 1/2 - 3/4 cups per load.

Enjoy the cleaning power and fresh scent of this easy to make natural laundry soap!

Solar Dryer and Clothes in the Freezer

2011-09-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

Fall is here and colder weather is just around the corner, but there's still plenty of good, sunny weather for drying clothes on the solar dryer...AKA Old Fashioned Clothesline. If you're a Baby Boomer, I know you grew up with solar dryers and probably even still use them occasionally. Many people have gone back to hanging clothes out to dry, either to save money or because they just enjoy the wonderfully fresh scent of sun dried clothes.

I love being able to hang out my sheets, shirts, and my husbands clothes. But when I was little, the only thing worse than hanging out clothes was folding them! A family of six, we had 4 lines. On wash days (which seemed to be every other day), Mom, my sister and I would fill the lines as soon as the washer finished spinning. Mom was the Commander of the Clothesline. She decided when and where items would be hung. She was adamant about her system: Socks were hung first, followed by Dad's hankies, then the boys' underwear (most of the outside pictures I have from childhood have my brothers' underwear hanging in the background), Dad's "shorts," t-shirts, shirts, jeans, and then our "girlie" things and dresses. Finally, the washrags and towels were hung. Sheets and linens were washed and hung on different days.

Mom also decided when the clothes were dry and ready to be taken in. I didn't mind too much taking in the clothes, except when only part of the lines were dry and we to pick a few, leave a few. That took longer.

Or when it started raining. Hoo boy, I never saw my mom move so fast as when the first drop of rain fell from the sky. She'd holler, "Get the clothes!" as she grabbed the basket and raced out the back door, tearing down half the clothes before the screen door slammed shut! Usually, we would have to rehang the clothes on chairs, in the bathroom, and on the wooden racks set up in the kitchen. Often, when the rain stopped, out we'd go to rehang the damp clothes.

Through the years the lines began to sag under the weight of wet clothes. My dad split 2 X 4s down the middle and carved out grooves in the ends. After hanging the clothes, we placed the sticks about midway down the lines, catching the lines in the grooves and hoisting them up so that nothing touched the ground.

When we finally got the dried clothes off the line for good, then came the folding and ironing. My sister and I were assigned the task of folding and putting away the socks, underwear, hankies, jeans, towels and washrags. While we worked, Mom got busy "sprinkling" the shirts, trousers, and dresses. Then she would very carefully fold and roll each piece and place them in the freezer! Now, for the life of me, I never understood the purpose of freezing clothes! If any of you out there ever had a mother like mine and know the why of that ritual, please let me know! I'm guessing it had something to do with ironing.

After several hours in the freezer, Mom would carefully remove one of the frozen garmets. Next, came the ironing. The old wooden ironing board was set up in the kitchen, dividing the cooking area from the eating area. Mom would unroll the frozen garment, sprinkle it a little more with water from the Pepsi bottle, and begin ironing it with gusto, I guess to make sure it was dead. I would watch her in amazement, just waiting for a frozen sleeve or collar to break off in her hand. She was a pro though. Nothing was ever scorched or broken.

We continued to wash, dry, fold, and iron our clothes in this way until my sister and I were in high school. My sister got a "real paying job," and I saved up my birthday and Christmas money. We pooled our money together (mostly my sister's money), and yep, you guessed it, we bought Mom a clothes dryer!

Nowadays, my preferences seem to have reversed. When I was little, hanging out clothes was a chore; now it is a special pleasure. With school back in session and days getting shorter, I hang my clothes on hangers and place them over the shower rod, but I have to use the dryer for the other items. On weekends, when the weather is nice, I get to hang the clothes on the line in the fresh air and sunshine. I think being able to dry my clothes on the line does save electricity and they do smell nice, but probably the main reason I now enjoy the "chore" of hanging out clothes is the wonderful memories that this simple ritual brings to my mind.

Next post, I will share a recipe for homemade laundry detergent.

Summer's End: Tomato Pie

2011-07-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

Hooboy, it's true what they say...the older you get, the faster time flies!

Seems like we were just picking the first squash and beans last week! Now, with August just around the corner, that school bell will be ringing before we know it (we go back August 15 here in Pensacola)!

As summer begins to wind down, so does the summer garden. Not much left of the tomatoes; just some struggling green ones and a few red ones picked earlier and stored in the refrigerator. Not really enough to put up.

So, what to do with the late stragglers? Why, make a Tomato Pie, of course!

I don't really have this recipe written down, just sort of rattles around in my head when I see green tomatoes. So, I'll try to piece together a recipe like I piece together the pie, just adding whatever sounds good at the time!

Of course, you have to start with fresh red and green tomatoes. Throw in some onions, too.

Don't forget green bell peppers (and red if you have them on hand).

You'll also need some shredded cheese and two deep-dish pie crusts (I cheated on the pie crust..got store-bought).

That's about it for the ingredients, unless you can think of something else you want to add, like maybe some eggplant or squash. You probably would have to make it in a 9 X 13 dish (and more pie crust) for that many vegetables. But for this pie, we'll just stick to the main ingredients and make a round pie.

Slice and layer the green tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese (I use "Seriously Sharp"). Also, I chopped the bell peppers because there's not a lot of room in that round pie crust.

Now, slice and layer the red tomatoes, more onions, bell peppers, and additional cheese if desired.

Oh man, I'm getting hungry.

Place top crust on pie and crimp edges. Bake in 350 degrees oven roughly 40-45 minutes, checking it toward the end so as not to burn the crust.

Serve with a salad, some of those homemade wheat rolls, southern sweet tea, and you've got some mighty fine eating ahead!

Using those last tomatoes to make a tomato pie is like putting the period at the end of summer...make that an explanation point!

Stay tuned for more recipes for fall...Buttermilk Pie, Amish Cinnamon Coffee Cake...

Home Canning: It's a Family Tradition

2011-07-19T11:07:00.000-06:00

The first several weeks in June are always filled with puttin' up vegetables. As far back as I can remember, we picked, snapped, and canned green beans in June, as well as froze squash. My mother did it, as did my grandmother before her. It is a family tradition, one of those special family activities that is passed down from generation to generation.
Until my children. For years, neither of them showed any signs of interest in planting a bean, much less canning one. Finally, a year or two ago my daughter decided she wanted to try vegetable gardening, and she even froze some of her green beans. As for my son, as long as I plant the tomatoes at his house, he will water them (and eat them). So, a glimmer of hope arose on the horizon.
This year brought a nice surprise. Glory of glories, my daughter announced that she wanted to learn how to can her beans (didn't like those frozen ones!). Well, do you think I was one to stand in her way? Bring it on, I said! I went all out and even created a "Canning Frolic" invitation:

We had a wonderful time canning beans for Shelly and us! Little Lillie (our little Mother's Helper) got in the act too. Lanie was there, but she stayed out of the kitchen! Will have to work on her...

Lillie is very serious about her work.

We started with clean jars.

And of course beans.

Washed and snapped (on this canning day, we had so many, I cheated a little and cut some of them).

Got our water boiling to add to the jars.

Simmered the lids.

Raw-packed the jars (meaning we didn't cook or blanch the beans).

Added the boiling water.

Hubby tightly screwed on the lids.

Put the beans in the caner.

We do the actual canning outside on the camp burner since we can't regulate the temperature as easily with the electric stove in the house. We've had this caner over 20 years, but she's still puttin out the steam!

And there we have it! A beginning to our winter's food supply AND a beginning to "passing the torch" of our Food Preservation Family Tradition!