Sisters Q&A: Part 3

October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 | Allison

It’s been awhile since the last part of Sisters Q&A – I wonder who will win this time! (You can read my guesses for Megan HERE. 🙂 )

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ajayiq

Coffee or Tea?

Guess: Well, she doesn’t really drink either… She likes the smell of coffee, but not the taste. I’d guess… tea.

Answer: I guess tea, but I could definitely learn to like coffee – I just don’t think it’s worth it because then I’d have to buy it to drink every morning. XD

Clara

If you had to dye your hair a really bright/crazy color, what color would you choose?

Guess: Umm… Purple?

Answer: Purple, but I don’t think I would ever dye my hair a bright, crazy color. XD

Favorite book?

Guess: The Mysterious Benedict Society!

Answer: The Mysterious Benedict Society! Guys, did you know Trenton Lee Stewart is releasing a new book called The Secret Keepers? O.o

How many pets have you had in your life?

Guess: Five?? Counting fish, that is. 🙂

Answer: Do you mean personal pets or family pets? If you mean personal pets, I think I’ve had three: Honeybunny, Willow, and Lily. I still have Willow and Lily, of course. ♥ Well, I guess I did have fish and crayfish, but…

Do you like gathering eggs? 😀

Guess: Nope!

Answer: Well duh, who wouldn’t? I wouldn’t, that’s who. XD I don’t like gathering eggs, nope, no way. Although at least we get paid…

How old were you when you learned to swim?

Guess: Six, I think.

Answer: 7? We didn’t use to swim very much except on vacations, but now we go to our neighbor’s pool a lot during summer.

Grace (The Girl Upstairs)

What’s your favorite farm animal?

Guess: That we own? Rabbits, if they count and if not, then cows.

Answer: Do bunnies count? Aw, shucks. Well then, I guess cows/calves because our chickens are rawther boring. 😉

What’s your least favorite farm chore?

Guess: Gathering eggs. (OH MY GOODNESS! Guys, I even got the emoji right. Do I get a bonus point? XD ~Megan)

Answer: Gathering eggs.

What clay creation is your favorite?

Guess: Probably her purple dragon.

Answer: Ahh, that’s a hard one! Maybe this dragon? I also really like my gnome house (at the end of this post), the custom owl at the beginning of this post, and the custom dog figurines I’ve made for people.

If you could change your hair and eye color, what would you change it to?

Guess: Maybe blond hair and… blue eyes? Maybe?

Answer: I like my hair color just the way it is, although I might make it all as light as the end of it is. 🙂 If I could change my eye color, I’d change it to violet/indigo, but since that’s not common at all, I’d probably change it to blue.

What’s your favorite book?

Guess: What she’s going to say. XD (The Mysterious Benedict Society)

Answer: Once again, The Mysterious Benedict Society series!

Who is your role model?

Guess: Jesus. 😉 I don’t know if she has a human role model…

Answer: Jesus. 🙂

CutePolarBear

If you could add another pet to your farm, what would it be?

Guess: Hmm. I don’t know what she’d want. Maybe a really cute nice rabbit? XD Or some exotic animal like a fawn (okay, not exotic, but out of the ordinary) or a panda. 😛

Answer: Maybe a cute wittle hedgehog – if it was tame!

Of what color are most of your clothes?

Guess: Light pink and white.

Answer: You know, it’s funny. It seems like every year I accidentally get clothes of mostly one color or style, though it changes from year to year. XD Right now I actually have pretty varied colors, but mainly blue, white, and pink, and of those: pink.

Do you expect to go to college? For what?

Guess: I don’t think so…

Answer: Right now I’m thinking I might just take a few classes (maybe Business and/or Art), but I doubt I’ll do the whole thing because it’s just so expensive, especially if you end up not using the things you learned! That’s why I might pick just a few specific classes that I think I will use later in life.

Do you write in a diary?

Guess: Nope.

Answer: Nope, unless my blog counts!

Do you like swimming laps or playing a game in the pool more?

Guess: Probably playing a game, but she also likes floating on our huge inner tube! 😛

Answer: Probably playing a game because swimming laps gets tiring after a while. 🙂

Do you have a tendency to leave things around the house or yard or room or wherever they don’t belong?

Guess: No, not really.

Answer: Not really, although I don’t clean up every single thing I get out right away. But generally I’m pretty tidy. 😀

When you go to sleep at night, do you try your very best to keep the bed all neat and nice?

Guess: Not necessarily, no.

Answer: Well I don’t really try one way or another, but yeah, I suppose so. I don’t like having to remake the entire bed.

*******

And the winner is… BOTH OF US! We tied!

I hope you enjoyed this post, dear readers. 😀 Have a wondermous day!

***Allison***

AND THE WINNER IS…

October 29, 2016 | Allison

WHO WILL IT BE? WHO WON THIS GIVEAWAY? WHO GETS THE PRIZE?

CAN YOU GUESS?

IT’S MEEEE! Nope, just kidding…

I’ll give you a hint: the winner is a “she.” Oh wait… so was everyone who entered…

AHH THE SUSPENSE! Okay, okay. I’ll tell you now.

The winner is… TheOriginalPhoenix!

Congratulations, Jasmin! You won the prize of a miniature garden kit and an Etsy coupon! Jasmin’s quote was:

“The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.” – Captain Jack Sparrow

Thank you soooo much, everyone who entered! Here are a few of my favorite verses/quotes/riddles from you guys.

Bible verses:

Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” (from Grace and Mya(AGLane) )

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (from Lainey)

Quotes:

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” -Unknown (from Lydia)

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun is risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” – C.S. Lewis. (from Jewel)

Riddles:

“Alive without breath, as cold as death. Never thirsty, ever drinking. All in mail, never clinking.”

Answer: a fish! (from Grace)

“What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?”

Answer: a towel! (from Gracie and Bella)

Thank you once again, everyone, for participating! It was lots of fun! 😀

***Allison***

How to Use a Grain Bin for Acrobatic Training

October 27, 2016October 27, 2016 | Allison

Have you ever played in grain bins? If not, you are missing out.

Since I’m guessing most of you have in fact never played in grain bins, I have kindly compiled a tutorial to show you how it’s done. 😀 (Even though the pictures are *ahem* not my best – the grain bins don’t have what you’d call perfect lighting.)

First, you must find a grain bin. Fortunately that’s not too hard for us since we have several on our farm. You’ll need to find one that has corn in it, or the fun will be considerably diminished. (Although empty grain bins are good for letting your dog catch mice in.) Make sure the bin isn’t too full so you’ll have plenty of room for your acrobatics.

An example of a good grain bin choice: (Fun fact: did you know this grain bin can hold about 45,000 bushels of corn when it’s full?!)

Next you must enter the grain bin. Depending on how full it is, you will either need to climb in through the door or else climb a ladder/staircase and enter through a trapdoor. We chose the latter. (But not the ladder. Heh heh.) Some advice while climbing: don’t look down and try not to dwell on the seeming frailty of the staircase.

Now comes the hard part: getting in. This takes a good bit of courage the first time, because you’re pretty much looking down into a cavernous black hole. Also the trapdoor is usually rather small. But be brave – adventure awaits!

Climb down the ladder. Once inside, the grain bin looks quite light, and you shouldn’t feel claustrophobic anymore. In fact, you wonder why you were worried. (You remember again when you climb out.)

Time for the fun to begin! One of the best things to do in a grain bin is practice your acrobatic skills: in other words, jump off the ladder a lot. It’s kind of like jumping off of a hay loft into hay, only more… corny. Plus you get an added bonus of sinking up to your knees in corn kernels!

grain-bins-6-1280x960 — If you’re wondering what all that annoying bokeh comes from, the answer is corn dust.

If you tire of acrobatics, you can always bury your friend in the corn or throw handfuls at the metal wall to make a satisfactory ringing sound. It’s also fun to play “Whales.”

Whales Instructions: fill someone’s socks (preferably your sibling’s/friend’s) with corn, and tie off the top. You have made a “whale.” Now divide up into two teams with equal amounts of whales per team, select a battle cry (“FOR NARNIA!”) and throw your corn-filled aquatic mammals at the other team, making sure not to cross the invisible middle line. Each participant is out after being hit three times. If you catch a whale, the person who threw it loses a life. Whichever team has the last person standing wins!

HA HA HA that was so fun to write. XD I hope you enjoyed this helpful how-to, and I trust you will refer to it if the need arises. XD

***Allison***

P. S. You have only day to enter my giveaway! (Thank you soooo much, everyone who entered so far!) I will post the winner on October 29th. I can’t wait to see who wins!

Autumn Photoshoot: “Undeniable”

October 26, 2016October 26, 2016 | Allison

Bonjour! (Or hola, since I’ve been studying Spanish…)

I’ve wanted to do a lyric photoshoot for a long time, and I finally got around to it! I love the song “Undeniable” by TobyMac because it’s so uplifting, and so true. Especially on these gorgeous autumn days it’s easy to see God’s “evidence piling up” in the beautiful world he created for us. Click the play button on the video below, then enjoy the rest of the post while listening!

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There are moments that I doubt You.
Blind to the beauty that surrounds me,
I try to push away the need that I’m needin’ proof.
And this struggle that I have, it ain’t nothing new.

But the evidence is piling up, yup.
You change my heart isn’t that enough?

You give me life that I can’t take credit for;
Call me to walk through an open door.

Undeniable, You are, You are, You are;
Unmistakable, You are, You are.

You’re the bright and morning star,
But still You speak to my heart.
Undeniable, You are, You are.

Your work doesn’t stop with me –
Your signature’s on everything we see.

From the hills of Negril, Jamaica,
To the kid that the doctor said would never make it.
Which is harder to believe: that You don’t exist,
Or that You orchestrated all of this?

Living in the world that is so confusing,
You’re the argument I’m never losing.
‘Cause I believe.

Undeniable, You are, You are, You are;
Unmistakable, You are, You are.

You’re the bright and morning star,
But still You speak to my heart.
Undeniable, You are, You are.

From the hymns that my Daddy sang,
I know I was made to glorify Your name.

And from the prayers that my Momma prayed,
I know I was made to glorify Your name. [x3]

So undeniable, You are, You are, You are;
Unmistakable, You are, You are.

You’re the bright and morning star,
But still You speak to my heart.
Undeniable, You are, You are. [x2]

Which is harder to believe: that You don’t exist,

Or that you orchestrated all of this?

Living in the world that is so confusing,

You’re the passion that I’m never losing.

*********************

I love that line: Which is harder to believe: that You don’t exist/ Or that you orchestrated all of this? Seriously! Which makes more sense: that a Creator God designed our incredibly complex and beautiful world, or that God doesn’t exist and everything just happened to evolve this way?

Living in the world that is so confusing,/ You’re the passion that I’m never losing.

‘Cause I believe.

***Allison***

Interview Swap with Aria

October 25, 2016October 26, 2016 | Allison

Hey guys! Aria recently asked me if I would do an interview swap with her, and I agreed. 😀 The theme was “farm girl,” because we… uh, both live on a farm. XD We both asked a few questions and answered them, like so: (Oh, and all the photography is Aria’s except the title poster.)

___________________________________________________________

Have you always lived on a farm? If not, when did you move to the farm, and why? My parents and grandparents bought the farm after I turned eleven and we started building houses on it. We moved here nearly a year later when our house was finished.

Why and how do you identify yourself as a farm girl? I identify myself as a farm girl – not because it’s my atmosphere, but because a farm girl is just what I am. I may be an accidental farm girl, but I love my life here on the farm so much more then when I lived in the city. It’s become a part of me.

What’s something about you that is the least farm-girl like and unexpected? Hmmm… I wear makeup every day and own heels 😉 Also I don’t have very much of a country or southern accent.

Do you do anything that is very stereotypical for a farm girl? Wear cowgirl boots. But I don’t wear overalls. Or a straw hat. Sorry.

What’s your favorite farm chore? Taking photos of everything? I’ll admit that really isn’t a farm chore. It just comes with the territory. Otherwise, I like picking vegetables and canning and all that.

What’s your least favorite farm chore? Probably watering plants with grass tea. (Water that grass sits in for days out in the sun and it is the worst thing you’ve smelled in your life.) But the boys do that for me now.

How big is your farm? Seventeen acres. Not all of it is farmland, and we’re also hoping to buy another seventeen-acre plot next year.

What is the main purpose of your farm? We don’t grow for commercial use – just mainly for ourselves. Our farm is for a sustainability purpose. With the rise of more and more chemicals and toxins in fresh vegetables, the degrade in quality, and the increase in price of organically-raised food, we really want to be able to provide complete year-round produce for our three families living on the property.

What do you ‘farm’ mainly (crops, livestock, etc.)? We mainly farm crops (although, not field crops) but we also have livestock if you count chickens, rabbits and soon to be a cow or goats 😉

What is your favorite thing about living on a farm? The freedom. In the city you really can’t go off and disappear in the woods for two hours; you can’t walk down to pick vegetables for your dinner; you can’t just roam. Living on a farm makes you feel just so free.

What is your least favorite thing about living on a farm? I enjoy everything about it except for the fact that I can’t really sleep in during the summer and bugs.

Do you have many employees, or is it just a family business? Well, as I said above, it’s not for commercial use – just for us family to live off of. But we do have one farmhand who helps granddaddy a lot with farm work.

Do you live in a farmhouse? Sadly, no! I would LOVE to live in a farmhouse, but unfortunately for me, when my parents designed our house, they made it very contemporary and modern. It DOES NOT go with the surroundings 😛

What chores do you do around the farm? I really only work on the farm during the summer, so: picking, planting, weeding, canning, and that’s about it.

What is your favorite farm memory? We haven’t lived here all that long, but I remember when we first bought the property, we had a lot of dead branches and trees cleared into a pile and lit a bonfire…then we roasted marshmallows on it. 🙂

_________________________________________________________

That was fun! Thanks, Aria! If you want to see my answers (and a picture of my house O.o), click here.

***Allison***

Beauty From Ashes, Part 4

October 24, 2016November 12, 2018 | Allison

Hello, hello! I’m excited to present the next part of Beauty from Ashes! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

If you’re new to the series, it’s basically a fairytale mash-up of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. (Thus the title. 😀 ) You can click here to read the previous chapters. Let me give you a little refresher from the last part before we begin:

“Come, Ella, my dear one. I have some explaining to do.”

_________________________________________________________________

He led me to the mossy couch that I had built for him, was it only a few weeks ago? I remembered with astonishment how fiercely I had hated the Beast that day.

“Sit down,” he said, “and I will tell you everything.”

“I know you are wondering who I am – this man that appeared from a monster? That is a very good question, my dear. A very good question. And the answer is a very surprising one. Do you trust me, Ella?”

I nodded hesitantly, and he smiled in return.

“Very well. Ella, I am the Prince.”

I blinked, stunned. My gruff old friend, the Beast, had melted into a prince? How? Why?

“I see you are wondering how? Why? I’m getting to that… Months ago, my father began planning for this ball, my wedding ball. I did not want a wedding ball. I wanted to find a real princess, not a girl frozen by awe and oozing false politeness. I began to think, to dream. What would those hundreds of girls act like if I were not a Prince but some ugly creature of no benefit to them? I determined to find out. And I knew just who to turn to for help: my grandmother. Grandmother is very… unusual, you could say. You see, her mother was a fairy, and it was Grandmother’s fairy knowledge that turned me into a lumbering, shaggy Beast.”

“Every day I traveled the woods, meeting girls like you, Ella, but not like you. Oh, they performed the tasks I required of them, but they hated me with all their hearts. They were not true princesses.”

I squirmed a bit in my seat. “I hated you too, at first,” I whispered guiltily. “But of course I got over that.”

The Prince smiled. “Yes, you got over that. You alone of all the girls I met took the time to pierce through my dead shell and discern the living heart underneath. You were brave, humble, hardworking, patient, kind, and honest. You were a real princess. You are a real princess. And so, my dear, that is my story. But I have one more favor to ask of you.” The Prince looked kindly upon my doubtful face. “I am a hard master, am I? But this task I am sure you will like. Ella, I personally invite you to my ball tomorrow night.”

I gasped. Could it be that I, ash-covered Cinderella, would go to the ball at last? “B-but I don’t have a dress! How am I to get to the palace? Who will take me? And, oh!” My face crumpled in despair, “My mother will never believe me when I tell her who invited me.” I bit my lip against the threatening tears. I was so close, and yet so far!

But the Prince only smiled. “Don’t worry about the details. My grandmother has arranged all of that. She will meet you here tomorrow night, after your sisters have left. That is… if you want to go…” The Prince hesitated.

“Yes, oh yes! Of course I want to go! ”

The Prince smiled yet again, although he never really stopped smiling. His face was so brilliantly happy that I didn’t know if it was even capable of frowning. “I am glad, Ella dear. So glad. But before I leave, allow me to give you one last gift.” The Prince knelt and drew a gleaming box out from under the couch. I opened it carefully.

Inside were two shining, perfect slippers, made of clearest glass. My eyes widened in delight.

{image via zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com ]

“I thought perhaps you should have some new shoes… since a certain monster so cruelly took the only pair you had. Do you like them?”

I couldn’t even answer. I slid the shoes onto my stained feet. A perfect fit. “I love them,” I whispered.

______________________________________________________________

Huh, who knew that Cinderella’s glass slippers had a story like that? Not me. 😀 I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!

P. S. In my survey, some of you said you enjoy writing posts, and others… not so much. Although I know I can’t please everybody, I do love writing posts that you love to read! That’s part of the fun of blogging! So I’ll try not too post writing too often because although writing is delicious in small doses, I understand that it can get a little tiresome in big chunks (at least for me). 😉

Hidden Pictures #1

October 22, 2016October 24, 2016 | Allison

Thank you, Clara, for suggesting this post idea! 😀 I’m really excited to show you this, guys! It’s similar to my mystery pictures posts, but more like “I Spy.” I’m going to list the hidden items for you to find, then give you several pictures with those items hidden somewhere inside. I also included a few extra pictures that don’t have any of the hidden items to make it a bit more tricky. 😀

These are six things to find in the pictures below.

a butterfly
a mushroom
a gnat
a grasshopper
a pinecone
an ant

hidden-pictures-8 — By the way, this is not the mushroom you have to find. I wouldn’t go THAT easy on you. XD

Since I haven’t done this before, would you guys mind telling me your opinions on it? Was this too easy? Too hard? Just right? Do you like this kind of posts or not?

I hope you had fun! Oh, and if you need a hint, I’d be glad to help you out in the comments. 🙂

***Allison***

P. S. Autumn is in full swing here, guys! A few of our trees are practically burning up with fall colors. Ahh, so pretty. 🙂

More Clayations

October 19, 2016November 12, 2018 | Allison

(See the previous clayation posts here and here.)

I haven’t made a clayation post for a while, have I? We must remedy that, mustn’t we? I should stop asking questions and get to the post, shouldn’t I?

Ahem.

A lot of these things either were or are in my Etsy shop. ~~That sentence sounds kind of awkward but I don’t know what else to say.~~

snowy-owl-2 — I made this little fella as a custom piece. I really love how he turned out!

028-1280x960-2 — I was trying to make Toto for Dorothy, a clay doll I made a while ago…

030-1280x960-2 — I was really pleased with how this mushroom turned out! I kind of made a bunch. 🙂

037-1280x960 — This is my whole collection of succulents – some of which star in my giveaway.

039-1280x960 — This was my first attempt at a baby dragon. He’s really-very-super tiny, but he didn’t quite make it to Etsy. I think his brother is a bit better… no offense, little guy!

baby-dragon-3 — This is his brother. 🙂 Shhh! Don’t wake the dragon!

042-1280x960 — I made this little cutie just tonight. She got a bit dusty though, so I might paint over her and fix her up a bit. 🙂 I think I’ll name her Angel… But then again, maybe not. Do you guys have any name suggestions?

044-1280x960 — It’s fun to make realistic, actual size ladybugs! They look pretty real from a distance. 🙂

005 — This was a custom order made for Clara (from Clara’s Craft Corner). Maude is so cute – and she looks a lot like our dog, Maggie!

002 — This was another custom order by Clara. It was really challenging, but he turned out pretty well.

merlin-the-dragon-1 — This is one of my favorite pieces ever, I think. 🙂 He’s for sale in my Etsy shop, but I don’t hardly want to sell him. XD

rose-pendant-1 — This little rose pendant is also available on my Etsy shop.

023 (960x720).jpg — And lastly but not leastly we have Miss Snail, a gift for a friend. She’s really shiny from the Triple Thick Gloss Glaze I used.

Whew, that was a lot of clay! 😀 Which was your favorite little creation?

Do you like making polymer clay things? I’d love to see them!

***Allison***

Old and Worn: A Photoshoot

October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 | Allison

After reading Rebekah’s post the other day, I was like, “Ooh, I want to do that!” So I did. 🙂 I went for a walk around our farm with Maggie and took looots of pictures. Thankfully none of our barns are falling down or anything, but some of them do look beautifully old and worn.

This is somewhat of an experimental post. I don’t usually do B&W (black and white) or architecture photography, but today I’m doing both! Let’s see how the experiment turned out…

2016-10-12-allisonfallcalvesbuildings-165-1280x960 — AHH I LOVE THIS PICTURE SO MUCH! 😀

file-oct-17-2-01-12-pm-960x1280 — Lots of straw!

file-oct-17-2-01-29-pm-1280x960 — Barn siding…

file-oct-17-2-02-48-pm-1280x960 — Maggie had to stop for a drink. 😛

file-oct-17-2-04-59-pm-1280x960 — Look at the “candlestick”! The moon really lit up this post. 😉

file-oct-17-2-06-04-pm-1280x960 — I love this picture as well!

file-oct-17-2-06-27-pm-1280x960 — This is a broken window on our “Pighouse.” We don’t use it anymore except as a machine shed, but it used to be a pig barn (thus the name). I always thought the broken part of the window looked like a pig. 🙂 Can you see it?

2016-10-12-allisonfallcalvesbuildings-168-1280x960 — Isn’t this neat? Vines (I think they’re Virginia Creeper vines) climbed quite a way up this old grain silo.

I think the experiment was a success! At least it was fun to conduct. 🙂

Do you like B&W or architecture photography? What is your favorite thing to photograph?

***Allison***

P. S. Thank you guys sooo much for entering my giveaway and taking my survey! I enjoyed reading your suggestions and opinions. I’m going to do a post soon that Clara suggested in the survey!