Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to All my Friends and Customers!

 

Thank you to ALL the friends and online acquaintances that have crossed my paths

this year and to all the customers who have trusted me to be a part of your wedding day and supported my store. I truly appreciate the support and friendship that you have shown me this year.

 

As we turn the page the calendar and start a new year, I hope that each and everyone of you have a wonderful 2013!

 

Snow Predictions

I convinced my sweet man to take me to work the day after our Christmas snow. I didn't want to drive in the snowy, icy conditions plus he would have the truck warmed up when he came to get me that afternoon. The local paper has researched and can't document a Christmas Day snow since 1929 in our area.

On the way home that evening, he pointed out how pretty the swamp pond down the road looked covered in snow earlier in the day. He had stopped and took a couple pictures with his phone, but it was too dark to take pictures at that time, so I decided to leave a few minutes early the next morning

This little pond is usually sooo ugly and murky, although I think the snow made it pretty.

Our snow has since melted, yet it did stay on the ground for three days. Old timers are saying that since it stayed three days, it will snow again this winter.

That it turned has brought up the persimmon seed prediction saying a snowy winter. We cut persimmon seeds open earlier in the fall and there was a spoon shape, which means you will need a shovel to dig out the snow. (Other symbols are the knife meaning a cold, icy winter where the wind will cut you like a knife and the fork representing a mild winter.)

I'm not a big fan of snow, except for the pictures that can be captured. It won't bother me if we don't get any more snow this winter, but if we do, I'll have my camera in hand! Now if it will only snow on days I don't have to work, so I can drive the country side in search of pretty snow scenes!

A White Christmas in Texas!

What does a East Texas girl do when it snows on Christmas Day?

 She grabs her camera and heads out in the rustic junk for a photo shoot! 

One time I remember a few snow flurries at Christmas time, but never this much snow on Christmas day. It rained and stormed most of the day, then all of a sudden, everything began to be covered in snow. (Scroll over the pictures to see the description.)

 The Christmas farm scene I shared yesterday was from our last snow, almost two years ago.

 Donna from Cottage Days said it best on Twitter "Snow on Christmas Day is magical."

 I've never been a big fan of snow - I don't like the cold or the mess or driving in snow. The only thing I like about it is taking pictures.

A snowy pine tree...When I first started taking pictures it hadn't been snowing for too long. I went back outside a few minutes before dark and the poor pine was very droopy. The lights have flickered a few times too. I'm sure hoping the power stays on tonight.

 One year we had a small live Christmas tree that I dug up out of the woods. After Christmas, I planted the cedar in the yard and today its covered in snow!

Its still hard to believe we had a White Christmas in Texas! As a farm girl, I am very appreciative for all the rain and moisture we received today (over 2 1/2 inches rain and we've got almost 3 inches of snow and it hasn't quit yet.) Our ponds and ground water are low, so its nice to see the precipitation.

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We are hearing reports of tornado damage across the south and are thinking about all those who may have been in the storms path and hope they are safe tonight.  

 

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of my Friends and Customers a Very Merry Christmas!

 

TheGypsyFarmGirl dot com

 

After much thought and research, I purchased the domain name www.thegypsyfarmgirl.com today.

I am still here on blogger and everything should stay the same, except you will be redirected from http://gypsyfarmgirl.blogspot.com to www.thegypsyfarmgirl.com .

 

All previous links should continue to work with no problem. Just a little change to my address, with all the same stuff here on the blog.

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Delight - Brownie Truffle

 

 

I've never been the type that considered myself a great cook, even though I have a Best of Show Plaque from a pie contest. This week though, people have been calling me and asking for some of my recipes. It kind of flattering that someone wants to fix one of my recipes.

 

I've made a Chocolate Delight or Brownie Truffle in the past and have plans to make a sugar free version for Christmas Eve. I was on my way home from work one evening this week and was thinking about my Christmas list and wanted to give a little something more than I already had purchased and wrapped for my co-workers. That's when it hit me! I could make the dessert in fruit jars for each person.

 

The recipe is very easy, but the results are oh so yummy!

 

Start out by making a 9x13 pan of Brownies. You can make them from your favorite scratch recipe or from a box (like I did). Let the brownies cool, before you continue to the next part. If time is an issue, make the brownies one day and assemble the next.

Next mix 2 boxes of White Chocolate Jello with 1/2 cup Coffee, and 1 1/2 cups milk. Then fold in 1 Large tub of Cool Whip. Now you are ready to assemble the truffle.

Crumble up the brownies in the bottom of the fruit jars (I used 4 wide mouth quart jars for this recipe) or a truffle dish. Next add the pudding mix. You can refrigerate till serving time. Before serving sprinkle with Heath Bar Toffee Pieces. Since I was giving this as a gift, I tied the toffee in a small bag and attached to the outside of the jar.

 

I decorated the jars with a strip of burlap, some lace and assorted ribbons, then made a tag from scrapbook paper. Since I made 4 quarts, the pudding mixture didn't quite fill the jar up, but nobody knew the difference with the cute decorations to the jar!

 

I have been ask to bring the desserts for our family gathering this week and have two people who are diabetic. I will be making this recipe with Sugar Free Brownie Mix, Pudding, and Cool Whip so they can enjoy it too.

 

So if you are in need of a super easy handmade gift or need to take a dessert somewhere, this is sure to please everyone!

Turquoise Burlap and Lace Wedding Bouquets and a New Photo Backdrop

After I finish with a wedding order, I like to take the Burlap and Lace Bouquets outside to take final pictures with natural light. I'm always looking for a new or different place around the yard to take pictures. I've used the gazebo, picnic table, old school chairs and even a vintage sink to take pictures. When I completed the dresser makeover earlier in the year, I had in mind using it as a photo backdrop. Of course the chippy, peely dresser was occupied with fall decor and unavailable for wedding shoots. Now that the scarecrows and pumpkins are gone, I got to experiment with staging pictures!

 

The Burlap and Lace Bride's Bouquet in a drawer.

Turquoise Burlap Boutonnieres on the rusty tin top.

A shabby chic Bridesmaid Bouquets in the white washed dresser drawer.

The three different size bouquets framed by the rim of a rusted out wheelbarrow frame.

 Finally, a group shot of Samantha's wedding bouquets.

 

I want to say Thank You to Samantha for choosing GypsyFarmGirl for your customized bridal bouquets. I send my Best Wishes for your wedding!

 

Put a Shade On It!

Earlier in the fall, I was dividing plants and moved this Lamb's Ear to a new flower pot. It was droopy and needed some support.

Well I had this rusty ol' lamp shade that just wondered around the yard, with no real purpose. So these two got together and have made a great pair!

The lamp shade started as a temporary fix, but I think I like the combination and will leave the shade on the Lamb's Ear. What do you think?

 

A Burlap and Lace Christmas Tree

I think I finally finished decorating my little Christmas tree!

I chose a Burlap and Lace theme this year.

 I decorated the tree with a scrunched up red burlap garland, strips of a lace curtains rescued from the Goodwill, strings of pearls, white burlap roses, and various tan burlap flowers and ribbon. Three white feathers topped the shabby chic tree.  I thought I was finished, yet something seemed to be lacking.

 I came across a box of bling that I had  used last year and decided to pick in the brown, gold, and green glittery stems. Now it seems finished and there's no place to put anything else on the tree.

 We live in a small house and the little tree is perfect for our crowded home. The shabby chic mini tree sits on an antique sewing machine in front of our living room window.

 Everything that went on the tree was either hand made or recycled from years past, with no money spent on decorating the tree this year.

 

Click the links to see my Junky Little Christmas Wreath and My Vintage Typewriter decked out for Christmas.

 

Merry Christmas Y'all!

 

Linking to

A Rusty Bucket of Kale

Someone was describing their son to me today and said "he was a winter time person..."

 

These words will NEVER describe me. I, for one do not like cold weather or the dreary days of winter and forget about snow. So this week I am happy. Our air conditioners are running in East Texas and its mid 70's. Most are complaining that it "doesn't feel like December", while I'm happy it feels like spring.

 

Over the weekend, I got to work in the yard for a while and I planted some kale in the rusty, bottomless bucket.

 Now you may be thinking I said the pansies and dusty miller would make it till spring, but I left out a small little detail. You MUST remember to water the flowers for them to survive! Life got crazy for a few weeks and since time changed (have I mentioned I hate DST), I get home after dark and didn't water. Oooops!

 Some of you might remember the original planting in the bottomless bucket last spring.

 I had been wanting to plant some kale for a while, but hadn't seen any in the garden center. Well last week that changed, so I grabbed three of the ornamental cabbages and decided they would be great for the bucket and should survive the winter with a little water along the way.

 I brought most of my plants out of the greenhouse to enjoy the mild week, but it sounds like the cold weather will return by next week. :( I've heard rumors of the twenties in the forecast.

 

 Now what was I suppose to do? Oh yeah, go water the plants!