And the Vintage Gods Are Smiling.

*Disclaimer*

The results of this thrifting trip are not typical.  I am usually happy to find one wow item on any given trip.  This trip yielded the score of all scores.

On a recent morning, Joe brought me a cup of coffee as I sulked in that "can't get a positive pregnancy test or start my period" pit of despair.  Which is pretty much the worst time in the whole month long process of this.  Just something give already!

"Come on" he said.  "Let's go to the thrift store and be there when it opens...in your pj's.  Don't even change."  Awesome.  That man knows me like the back of his hand.

He poured to-go cups of coffee, and I threw on a hat and a flannel over my fleece  pajama pants (and that whole phrase sounds like a fashion rock bottom.  and it was.)  But I was still better dressed than most of the old ladies waiting in line for the thrift store to open.

I am methodical and routine in my shopping.  Jewelry, then dresses, then shoes, then everything else.  I give the place a little scan first to see if I have any competition lurking around...i.e. if I have to be panicked to get all of the good stuff before someone else does. (that sounds totally neurotic now that I see it in print). (maybe replace methodical with OCD?).

But I was all set on this particular morning.  Just me and the old ladies.  I started sifting through dresses and found a gorgeous 1950's party dress.  And then another.  And then another.  And then I thought to myself "ohmygodohmygodohmygod they put out someone's entire amazing wardrobe last night!"  Then I think I pushed a lady out of the way to finish going through the dresses.  I had a perfect cart full from the 1940's through 1960's.  Many with tags.  Seriously.  

And then I was all "what else did they put out of her's last night?!"  I ran to the fancy dress section, and there it was.  All lacey and satiny.  It wasn't till I was in line that I even thought to look at the label.  Sigh.  Gasp.  Oh my God this shit is for real.  Ceil Chapman's are breathtaking and fancy folks.

Then the cashier was all "Do you have a 1/2 off coupon?" ????  What?? I thought coupon's expired yesterday!  "No, tomorrow" she said.  And, up walks a lovely old lady who offered me one of her extras.   Because you make friends with the old ladies when you are waiting in line for the thrift store to open.  And sometimes it pays off.  I needed that half off coupon, because $1.80 was clearly too much to pay for a 1940's rayon dress with the original belt. (*note sarcasm here*).

Thanks Karma, I needed a solid today.  xoxo, e.

p.s.. if you were wondering about the cow in labor whom we left to get Chinese food (Confused?  see here), well...It's A Girl!!

This All Happened. No, Really.

In an attempt to cheer myself up, because I don't "feel" pregnant (i.e. I feel premenstrual), I would like to recount conversations that I actually had this week.   (more to make myself laugh than you...but I'm comfortable in saying that something on this page will crack your shit up).  These are the little bits that make life worth living, and laughing through, folks.  And even if infertility does win this round, I am surrounded by people who love me, and who crack the shit out of me.

********

Random cute man flirted with me at value world (not really random, I call him my "value world boyfriend" but we never speak and pretend not to look at each other...and then Joe comes over and ruins it every time and reminds me that I am happily married.  jerk.).   Joe sighed, rolled his eyes and shrugged...

Me:  If you like it than you should've put a ring on it, don't be mad once you see that he want it.

Joe:  OK,   A.  I did put a ring on it, and B.  You feel comfortable in using Beyonce lyrics?  Like, you're as hot a Beyonce?

Me:  Are you saying that I'm not?

Joe:  Are you saying that you are?  Is that one of the things that you say about yourself?  Do other people say that about you and I just haven't heard them?

Me:  Yeah, well you are no Jay Z mister.

Joe:  I don't even know what that means.

*********

On the way back from the goat barn, Kelly and I stopped to check on the pregnant cows.  Big Grandma cow was in "early labor" (there was mucous folks.)

Kelly:  Maybe we should scrap Chinese food and just stay here and watch.

Me:  I am totally content to watch cow labor all night.

Kelly:  Crap I'm really hungry though.  Text Allison and tell her "We are staring at mucousy cow vag, and starving- Bring food and cocktails."

Me:  This is the one and only time in the history of texting that this text will be sent.  Ever.

Kelly:  Oh screw it.  I'll probably be out here all night on a cot with a flashlight, wishing I had Chinese food.  We're going for Chinese...I'll need my strength to pull that bitch out,

*note*  we went for Chinese, cow still hasn't delivered.

**********

Call from Allison:

Me:  Hi!  What's up?

Allison:  Well, if you were planning on meeting me at the bowling alley, don't bother.  We have to switch bowling alleys because there was a blind bowling tournament going on at that one.  No seriously, like with seeing eye dogs and everything.

Me:  speechless.

**********

Conversation that Joe had with someone early this morning...Joe's side (fill in the other person's part as you like):

Joe:   Hello?  Yeaahhh I have an Iron Cobra!

Joe:  No man, just put the oil in it and brush through it every night.

Joe:  Like a curly perm?  No man, I think that would make things worse.

Joe:  Like a straight perm?  No, I still think that would make things worse.

Joe:  Yeah, I'll smack some bitches up.  Over and Out.

*this was all too much to process before I'd even had my coffee.*

*********

Text from me:  There was a petition at church giving thanks for our ability to help the Albino fund of Tanzinia.  Asking for our continued support for the Tanzinian Albino's.  What does that even mean?

Kelly:  Do they need sunscreen?  Put me down for a bottle.

Allison:  I'm on hats and sunglasses.

*It's lent people...we should all be giving to the less fortunate (i.e. tanzinian albinos)  (this is apparently a real organization so I am in no way making fun...but it was such a random petition, and was too much to not laugh at in church...sitting next to Joe who was elbowing me violently like "wtf?")*

*Damn it.  I just googled it and it's seriously a serious problem.  So now I mean it...everyone go donate...Tanzania Albino Society.

Happy Holy Week!!!  xoxo, e.

(p.s....friends, I will not always recount your texts and stories, but, come on!  You guys were hilarious this week.)

Birthday Shots!

Yay!  Whoo...oh, wait, not that kind of shots!

This kind of shots ;)

If you are over my infertility already, you can stop reading.  But if you'd like the nitty gritty details, do carry on.

Score:

Infertility: 1       Erica: 0

Damn it!  We lost round one.  Our first try with IUI (intrauterine insemination) (turkey baster) didn't take.  So, as one is full of crazy hormones and has just started her period, one must decide immediately one is going to try another month of treatment.  (we call this my $1,000 period...because basically I will get a huge bill this month for not being pregnant.  jerks.)  One must call around and find the best prices on meds that one doesn't know the name of...on a Saturday...with no one calling her back...because I thought I needed the meds by Monday.  No one is clear about anything in this process.  It is bizarre the lack of information given to us.

So, last Monday I started on a different med that will hopefully pull down a few more eggs than last month.  On Friday (my birthday), Joe made an amazing fish fry dinner...then gave me my first hormone shot.  One shot a day, and then they will do an ultrasound on Monday to see how my eggies look.  Then we can decide if we would like to do another round of IUI or try timed intercourse (exactly what it sounds like ;).

But on to sunnier skies and greener pastures.  My birthday week was amazing.  I seriously believe in indulging oneself for one's birthday...we deserve it gals!  We did a lot of thrifting and antiquing this week, and lot of food indulging, and a lot of snuggling.  I love my Jojo Buns...he deserves a medal for taking care of my hot flashing hormonal ass!  (No, seriously, I have so many hot flashes because of the hormones!  If I had a nickel for every time I uttered the phrase "Excuse me, I'm having a hot flash - I'm all hopped up on infertility meds"...too much information for people?)  ;)

Joe and I went out for a delish lunch at Frita Batidos..

Then he took me to my favorite antique Jewelry store, Arcadian, and let me pick out a perfect 1920's locket!!

Then we attended the Friday night fish fry at St. Jojo Buns...

Then my sister sent me amazing birthday gifts!!!   Hand made bangles using embroidery thread (brilliant), an Urban Decay Naked eye shadow pallet in perfect bronzes and blushes, and an olive velvet clutch.  Becca rocks and I love her.  And I love you!  Happy almost spring!

xoxo, e.

Chick Days.

Have you ever run into Tractor Supply to get cat food, but then gotten side tracked by the tiny white chick that was cuddling with a duckling, and her tiny bantam friend...but then you remember that there is a six chick minimum so you pick out four more?...why not right?   Happy Chick Days!!!

It's that time of year people...chick days!  Some people have tiny chicks pipping and peeping in their incubators, some get a call early one morning from the post office that their chicks have been delivered...and some people just go to Tractor Supply and pick out chicks!

If you've never been to Tractor Supply, you should probably go.  Farm stuff, all matter of pet stuff, boots, kick ass jeans, goo goo clusters, peanut butter filled pretzels...we all have our favorites at TS.   It is the joke around here every year that your Christmas present is probably coming from either Value World or Tractor Supply.  I could hang out in there all day - especially when the chicks come in!

They have big metal bins set up in the middle of the store with all different kinds of chicks and ducklings.  You don't have to buy any (but you probably will), but you should probably take the kids in to have a look...it will make you happy for the rest of the day!

This year is my year to re-boot my flock.   My plan is to get 18 new chicks total (and maybe some ducklings a little later in the spring...don't want them in the house because they are a hot wet mess :).   I have specific breeds that I love/want, so in all of my driving for work I pop into the different TS's to see what kind each store has.  I've gotten 12 so far...but I need to pace myself.  There are a few more breeds that I hope come in to round out the flock!

Tiny chicks in giant bins...peep peep peeping!

And Oh the Ducklings!  They are getting so big that they are "on sale" for .50 cents.  They are hopping out of the bins at night, waddling around the store, and setting off the security censors.  God I love them.

Coco carrying her chick "to go" container :).

My babies!! "I'll just take a quick nap in the food" the tiny one said.

The Set Up - Chicks live under a heat lamp in your house till warm spring days.  The dining room excitedly gets turned into the nursery!

The Watchdog - Trixie jumped in once and layed down with them...she is a herding dog people!   It's her instinct!

xoxo, e.

Just Some Oatmeal.

Consider yourself warned that this is a pretty lame post.

We've been hunkering and snuggling.  I've been lazy and hormonal, and I haven't felt like living in cyber land.  But, I can take a few moments out of my 7th Heaven marathon to entertain you for a bit.

Sometimes I walk down the cereal aisle, and I stop to stare at the oatmeal.  I look at the tiny sugary packs  of individual servings and I want them.  I want the variety pack.  I want the single serve cups.  I want the maple and brown sugar, and the apple cinnamon.

But in the back of my mind I can hear Joe saying "why in the hell would we buy that when we can buy oats and make healthy oatmeal?"

I get it, and so we do.

Breakfast for two!

And in other news, the chicks are here...I'll get a chicky chick post together soon!

xoxo, e.

Name That Sheep.

This shit fascinates the dickens out of me...so here, good people is your sheep naming tutorial.

It's no secret that I want to be a farmer, but since I didn't win the lottery this week, and have to work at my real job, I'll live vicariously through my friend Kelly and play with her animals.

We attended a super bowl party on Sunday.   And, along with the typical hot wings and buffalo chicken dip, the hostess cleverly built into the festivities some "light" farm work.  Name and tag 21 sheep.

Kelly recently acquired a herd of Tunis sheep.  These beauties have cream wool, but cinnamon and white colored faces and legs.  They are a meat breed, so the mammas are the breading stock, and the boy babies will be raised to eat.   

They came very pregnant, so over the last few weeks, in the middle of a harsh deep freeze, babies have been coming!  Little, tiny, shivering sheep.  Kelly has been loving and creative - everything from taking the babies in for the night and giving them warm baths, to dressing them in baby clothes.  Then back out to the waiting, protective mammas.

On to the naming.   The USDA designates a letter each year for that year's herds.  That way, you can easily keep track of what generation your stock is, and you also know not to breed daddies and grown up babies.  The mamma sheep fall under last year's letter "C," and this years babies will be "D's."

In true Cornman Farm fashion, letters and numbers didn't cut it.  They love each of these little beauties, and so they needed names.  "C" names to be exact.  We layed out the tags and the children started yelling ideas.  We ended up with a Clio and a Chloe, Queen Catherine, Curious Georgia, Charlotte, Cowgirl, and the ram, Captain Crunch.

For some reason, Joe decided he would do the tagging...piercing the tag into the sheep's ear with a tagging gun.  The young 4H young men showed Joe how to wrangle the sheep and where to tag...and the rest is history.

We were four sheep in before we realized that we forgot to identify and tag the ram first.  And of course, he had already been tagged as "Cossette."  Don't worry, we fixed it.  I also lost one tag in my pocket, so we had to come up with an extra name...hence was born Carmen Miranda!

And in other news, as we were setting up a Valentine's making table for the kids in the basement, Kelly found this Huge striped sweater in a bag.  "Put it on!"  I begged her...and she did.  And we laughed,  Hard.  I tried to defend it...It was hand knit!  It was high quality!  Ok, never mind, it was pretty bad.

And as I cuddled into bed later that night, this picture came across the wires.

This is Carlos, probably my favorite animal on the farm.  He always wants a pet and a cuddle.  He was a rescue donkey, and he came with a sombrero...you can't make this stuff up folks.  And now, he is the proud owner of a hand knit sweater.  And here is Carlos in the warmth of summer!

xoxo, e.

Farm Week In Review...

It has been a cooold one here in the mitten, but quite a lovely week at the snowy white farm.  We had snow every day, two snow days due to snow and fog, and just an all around good week to snuggle in and be with each other and friends.

On Wednesday, my friends and their cavalcades of children rolled in for Scrabble night!  There is nothing I love more than putting an apron on, putzing around, making the house pretty, and making some yummy cocktails and vittles.

The Cocktail:  The Improved Brubaker

Tequila Agave

Fresh Lime Juice

Fresh Blackberry Syrup

Dash of Cinnamon

The Eats:  Homemade crustini, baked asiago, fresh pomegranate (do you know about pomegranates?  These are a new discovery for me, and we can't get enough!)  Followed by pasta with sauce from this summer's garden, Allison's tiramisu, and Kelly's root beer floats...belly up people!

The pretty ladies...

This is the life...a house full of happy moms and happy kids...and Kelly with the camera...

And while the moms eventually moved the scrabble board to bring the food and wine closer to us, the responsible children set up the board and played a round in the other room.  We are raising responsible kids people.

And in other news...We had to give the bird back.  It's mamma came home, and she needed him, and it was the right thing.  We truly enjoyed our time with him, and welcome him with open arms should he ever need a home :).  And, kindness begets kindness.  His mamma baked us an amazing chocolate cake with butter cream frosting that tasted like love, and angels, and heaven.  And home made goats milk soap and a beautiful card.  

And still, in other news...kittenpants took a nap in the vintage piles.

And in even more news (last one I promise)...The first issue of Hey Doll vintage magazine came out yesterday, featuring yours truly in the "all dolled up" section!  These two lovely gals put out an adorable and informative online magazine for us vintage gals to connect...yay Brittany and Bunny!

We wrapped up last snowy night in the embrace of friends at a cozy groundhog celebration, and we leave in a bit for an early Superbowl "eating and making valentine's for the elderly" party.  Because we're cool that way.

xoxo, e.