Remodeling...the Barn!

I don't know. Would I call this an addition? A 'remodel'? Why does it have to be so fancy. I'll just call it what it is - 'Adding More Windows'!

It is no secret we have been having a heat wave I don't think I have ever felt yet in my life. It's hitting over 100* with the heat index. It is sticky and suffocating outside. GAG!

While I hate air conditioning, it is days like these that I don't mind stepping into an AC cooled house. My horses though, the poor babies, do not have that luxury. They have a fan, but at this point, all it is doing is blowing hot, suffocating air around. Again - GAG.

Luckily, the barn the mini's are in is positioned just right and it manages to stay fairly decent even during this sorching heat. The barn the 'big' horses are in - not so much. So, hubby started making more windows for them. Bear with me. These pictures probably all look the same to you, but it is so exciting for me :)

This picture is standing in the entrance of the barn. You can't really see the second window here but look how nice and big and open :)

These new windows face East and also face the barn the minis are in. That shaded, grassy patch you see in the background is soon to be the mini's own pasture.

Look! Hubby is in Gypsy's stall and I am standing in Romeo's taking the photo! Now Gypsy will be able to see the rest of her herd :)

Ahhhhhhh - it just feels cooler looking at these new holes in the wall!

Hubby will be framing them in and then making them so that we can close them up in bad weather - but honestly, it has to be really bad for me to close up the barn. Horses live outdoors - the more fresh air, the better. Yes, this means even 20* weather!

I am standing in the corner of Apollo's stall here looking out to the new windows!

And again, in another corner of Apollo's stall looking out. These windows make the barn so much more breezy, open and just nice! Ok, can you believe how excited I am about holes in the wall :) I'll stop now. But I will just add one more thing - the horses are excited too. When we walked them in from the pasture last night, they each had to stop in the aisle and stick their head out the new windows, checking out the new view!

Favorite Farm Finds on Etsy!

I'm so excited for my finds from this past week on Etsy! They are all things I have found with the theme "farm" in mind! Let's 'plow' right in...no pun intended!

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These adorable little barn farmyard friends are from Etsy Shop, Down in the Meadow! I had an opportunity to chat with Suzanne and she is lovely! She lives in South Africa with her husband and children; they have some fruit trees in their yard including figs and peaches!! Check out Down in the Meadow - Suzanne has some cute Easter things up now too :) Check out her blog too if you get a chance.
This photograph is a staple of 'farm' if you ask me! Don't these eggs looks gorgeous! Looking at this photograph from Etsy Shop, Willow Dawn, makes me second guess my decision to allow my husband to have chickens ;) If he could bring eggs in like this every morning, I might have to consider!! This picture also promotes buying local, which I am all about!
I love my kitchen. I love being in it and cooking! And I need a good mixing bowl; especially when I am doing up some kind of sweet like cookies! This beautiful mixing bowl is from Illyria Pottery. Take a chance to check out all the goods in this Etsy store! There are bowls, mugs...even sushi bowls :) Ok, so Sushi doesn't really scream farm.........

And, it wouldn't be a favorite Etsy Finds post without me posting a tote or apron, right? How about this awesome gathering apron :) So Cool! This is from Etsy shop, Frog Creek Cottage. I could surely use this once the gardens start harvesting, and for sure once the orchard starts it's harvest! If you have little harvest helpers at home, they make these aprons in their size too!
Now these are something new to me and really cool! Green too! They are Farm Fresh Dryer Balls from Farm Fresh Fiber. Eco-friendly, you pop 'em in the dryer and they take the place of your dryer sheets! This Etsy shop is also a small family farm; stop by their blog and show them some love!
And last, but certainly not least, what kind of farm theme/topic would be complete without a red barn! This wonderful watercolor painting is by fellow Cleveland Team Etsy Member Red Maple Studio! Amy, over at Red Maple Studio, lives in near vicinity of myself and she is also an equine lover!! I will have to have her over to the farm when the orchard is in bloom :) Amy also has a blog and you can follow her on twitter. If you Facebook, check her out there too!

Thanks for popping in today to check out my Favorite Etsy finds of the week! This was a fun 'theme'; I may just have to continue it on weeks to come! The horses are itchin' to get outside and my crazy kitty loving niece is begging to take a trip over to Kitten Krazy! Have a good weekend!