Souvenirs [life is like a box of chocolates] 

it is simply Christmas and Jason, I and the children want to thank you all so very much for helping support our endeavors throughout the years

last year, we put together an e-book entitled simply Christmas... with Farm

and it is still available... it's only $2.99

able to view right there on your computer... online only that is...

we'll be leaving this up for some time, and if you are wanting to relax and see into our home, gather some simple recipes that are delicious and easy as well as some nature inspired gifts and decorations, we'd love to share last years e-book with you

here's a look inside...

you can purchase it here

xo + simple blessings,

there wasn't a lot of sparkle here at the farmhouse this past December

the serious nature of life overshadowed that sparkle
i accept this

i accept the serious nature
i accept
to truly love God, i must accept it...
whererver you may be at this very moment reading this... know that you are a gift in itself

there is no need for the material
there is no need
no need to be sad... nor worry... nor fear... but accept
open your heart this moment to His will
seeing the poetry in life
feeling the sense of the acceptance

breathing in His love

exhaling it to others...

(photographas taken of my dear little girl and her spirit is what inspires me upon this day)

It's snowing here!!
yeah!

yesterday was my birthday, and I awoke to my oldest son making pancakes, decorations my two daughters put up the night before... and the day only got better

my husband gave me a kiss goodbye for work, and when he returned, family came over to enjoy dinner at the farm... and lots of laughter...

my 9year old son crafted this wreath for me!! i love it!

and then came my 11 yr. old daughter's gift... a work of art...

all the details she put into it, all on her own, were so incredible... a treasure...

when my husband returned home from his long day, he blessed me with a strong hug and a tender kiss, and the most beautiful bouquet of white roses...

there was one pink one he said "for you are my one true love"

yup
i lost it... i let the moment go and let me totally feel his love

where did my 9yr. old get this wreath idea? for Thanksgiving, I made a paper wreath for my sister-in-law as a hostess gift, and she hung it in her kitchen:

I hope she liked it!
This post is part of White Wednesday, and for more white inspiration, go here.
~a very merry december to you all!~
xo+blessings,

my Farm Kitchen is now open!
come by for a visit anytime you'd like a "homemade from the heart" recipe

this week I'm featuring the Spritz cookie... a classic cookie here at the farm

Have a great weekend!
And oh, by the way... if you have a loved one in the hospital... nursing home... care facility...
go visit them
love them
they need it!! so badly!

another year with my beautiful daughter serving us the traditional Santa Lucia buns she made herself...
my little saint

we all were told to get back into bed... we used the bed in the sunroom... and she served us in bed with fresh coffee... homemade apple jelly, butter, and the biggest heart...

she has the kindest heart to anyone I have ever met... I love her so very much words cannot describe the joy I feel when I am with her... like an angel on earth...
she always takes care of others, and this tradition on this feast day of Saint Lucy (santa lucia)
is a blessed way for any daughter to express their love towards their family

Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding Lucy, the truth is that her courage to stand up and be counted a Christian in spite of torture and death is the light that should lead us on our own journeys through life.

whether you believe in His Saints or not, one thing is for certain, we could all learn a valuable lesson from Santa Lucia:
bear light against the darkness, as Lucia did
find the strength within you this Advent Season to become the very best person you can possibly become
peace and blessings,

if you are interested in seeing last year's Santa Lucia Day here at the farm, you can go HERE there's a paper doll you can print out for your little ones

THANK YOU FOR YOUR IQUIRIES: NO, I did't purchase the dress, but I made it for her a few years ago... but thank you for those who inquiried if it's a "Santa Lucia Dress"... you are all so nice... but it will be passed down to her little sister, who is anxiously waiting to wear it

The colder weather and Christmas approaching doesn't 'freak me out'... does it you?
Instead of running around buying gifts, try buying from your favorite bloggers' shops that they have online...

seriously

you can buy anything from organic handmade soaps, to jewelry, to nostalgic items, to even macroons and books!

I'm not plugging my own shop... I just know why I do it, and hope that others do too...
"to support local businesses... " trust me... it's not about the money (that under $10 item I sold for the month of November, well, I'm not relying on that to feed these guys... it's just fun)


(a few years ago... i don't know about you, but I hate looking at the kids when they are so young... time goes so fast...)
I went out this past weekend with my sister-in-law and seriously couldn't even believe how much stuff in the stores were "made in china"
that really puts people in our free country out of business you know...
help support each other... by doing so, you are not only supporting small businesses, but also cutting back on the pollution that is involved with all that transporting from goods overseas to here...
not that I don't like the goods from other countries... just be conscious of what you are doing this holiday-
or better yet... do what we do, and not give but one gift per child and spend the weekend with them snowboarding and making memories...
it's just a good thing to look at the 'big picture' when it comes to this holiday season: don't get caught up in spending your money
but DO get caught up in the belief of the WHY we are celebrating
think about it: would you rather give your child a plastic toy with harmful chemicals on it to suck on and break a week (or sooner) after they get it from you?
or would you rather give your child your time together? making homemade hot cocoa and wrapping gifts for families that are in need?? let them know the word "charity" not "selfish" or "spoiled"

it starts at home, and to us here at the farm... its simply with nature...

farm... we work it, enjoy it, live it, learn from it, and be it
our farm is just for us... the eight of us here every day, but share it with so many others

food... from all the work we put into the farm, we are then able to put it on our table... through the food we create daily for each other & the local farms around us, and also for those who come to our table to experience a taste of farm food... farm food

fashion... we love to sew, have a devotion to slowing things down and using the needle and thread in our hands at times, appreciate the history behind the traditions of this practice, and are practical with what we put on, and how we put it together... all of us...

all three of these elements... farm... food... fashion

a new article in the pages of Where Women Cook Magazine

all photographed by my very good friend Traci Thorson

it's nothing fancy, or hard to create, be, cook or wear

it's farm, food & fashion
written by me, Anne Marie

the debut article is 'The Slow Rhythm of Oatmeal & Cozy Knits"...

I'm honored to work with Jo Packham on this project, and be included in her magazine for the current issue that just debuted this month, and for the year of 2013

you will be able to have some farm, food & fashion each issue

xo + farm food & fashion blessings,

the sweet Zaira posted this today, and I had to share it with you too... (she has such a beautiful blog too!!)

I'm a huge fan of Loretta's work because of Zaira, (and a blog follower as well), and this photo shoot has my mind into a whole other world right now... everything about this photograph styling is conjuring up a great story...

click on picture to see more of Loretta's photography:
this is my favorite one... I have spent many a morning with my babushka on making pastry of some kind (not this beautiful to look at, but I "feel" this picture)

AND I HAD TO SHARE WITH YOU A VERY GOOD FRIEND IN ITALY: FRA
AND HER ABSOLUTELY WARMING LIVING ROOM!! (click on image to visit her fireside!)

isn't it lovely??? she's expecting in Febuary, and I would love nothing more than to be by the fire with her and drink our hot cocoa together!!!

photo courtesy of Un Coeur en Provence (click on to visit Laeriss's great blog)
this above photograph stopped me in my tracks
it is so completely opposite from what I decorate like, yet I really like it
so free like... expressionistic...
flea market treasures
I have seen some amazing homes this Christmas here on the web... I'm so impressed with what you all do!!
and that above picture is certainly not Christmas decor, however, it has given me some ideas I hope to implement tomorrow and share with you by the weekend (besides... this farmhouse needs a bit of rearranging and color I say)
hope you are enjoying your moment in life,

no... not to a publisher... not to the next blogger you meet... not to any editor...
but submit yourself to your calling as a mother
as a wife
as a woman 

(one of my favorite depictions of the Blessed Mother when she is being told she is to have a Son)
don't get caught up in the shopping... the hustle... the bustle...
if I can do it with five kids and nearly seven months pregnant, I think you can too
This blogging world is not a competition... it's not something to bring us down... but to lift us up! keep us inspired!! that doesn't mean you have to go out and purchase that cabinet just like you saw at "so and so's" blog and break the bank... or decorate your home just like "so and so" and waste your money on what truly isn't your style but someone else's...
help support one another ladies!
look around and see it's okay to not spend your money!!
For so many of the women in my life that I LOVE, this is what I hear them saying:
"Santa" + money + gifts + gas money + stress + anxiety + topping last year's gift + "so and so" + family + Jesus' birth = Christmas
take money out of the equation
what are you left with:
Family + Jesus birth = Christmas
sounds pretty good to me... but the best part is this is how it should be
here's to a holy and happy holiday season for each of you this Christmas... truly from the bottom of my heart...
peace and blessings,

a look back in black and white at our stay in Montana camping...

cooking just another meal for the 'crew' at Big Pine National Forest in Montana...

we ate our supper just steps away at the creek watching a local young man fly fishing while the sun was setting

a stay we will never forget