Birds of a feather...

flock together.

My 6 chickens, 3 Comets all named Haley and 3 Black Sex Link x Rhode Island Red Crosses all named Francine.  They are such sweet girls!

One of the Haley's always goes to the same spot under the rhodie bush every time and settles in for pecking and napping. 

Workin' girls, eatin' bugs and keepin' the grass mowed down for me!

They stay in a secure coop while I am at work.  We live on several acres surrounded by woods outside of Asheville, NC and coyotes and bears among other wildlife are often spotted.  I would love to be able to let them out all day, but I feart for their safety.  I would love to hear from fellow chicken keepers, see your chicken websites or blogs.  So drop me a line!

Cacti, Clay and Summer Sun

The mornings are getting a little cooler here in the Blue Ridge Mountains but the days are still beautiful, bright and sunny!  I decided to enjoy the lovely weather outside and replanted some new little cacti yesterday afternoon.  The brightly colored psychedelic pot is the latest made by me:

It may give you a sense of deja vu if you have spied these buttons in my ArtFire shop.

My question for you, dear readers, should I make more pots and buttons like this to share with others???  Or is this just too funky and wild for most people?  

CandyAppleCrafts Featured Artist Friday!

CandyAppleCrafts on ArtFire.com has come to my attention through the ArtFire Power Promoters Guild and ArtFire Collections.  I love that she sells both vintage items and her own handmade creations that are often inspired by her nostalgia for vintage items.

I love these 60s era Hi-snack picnic trays that I found featured in an ArtFire collection:

These would be great for a Labor Day family picnic!

Featured Artist Friday: JustFabulousDarlin

My Featured Artist Friday selection for today is the ArtFire shop, JustFabulousDarlin.  I happened upon Denise's shop in an ArtFire guild, PowerPromoters, that I recently joined.  I chose to feature Denise's shop because I love the connection she makes with nature in her jewelry work.  Some of her pieces feature handpicked shells from La Jolla Beach in San Diego not far from where she lives.  Denise picks the best, most perfect shells for her creations:

Denise offers free shipping in her ArtFire.com shop and a buyer gurantee policy.  Check out her shop and let me know what you think!