A Great Giveaway!

In honor of the arrival of Spring, and to thank all of the followers of our new A Primitive Place Magazine blog, APP is having a very special blog giveaway! The winner will receive one of these wonderful tobacco baskets made just for the winner by our friend Pam from BasketNPrims. This 14" basket is based on the larger style once used to carry tobacco to market

So go on over to A Primitive Place to sign up for the giveaway! You click on this link http://aprimitiveplacemagazine.blogspot.com/ to be entered. Make sure to read the rules as they are pretty simple!!!

Red Ware and a New Buttery................

Well Spring is 5 days away and I am so counting down the days. Most of the snow is gone now and all my spring flowers are up through the mulch and some have heads on them. This week on Thursday it's suppose to be a high of 17 ah I can't wait to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. I have been keeping a close eye on the buds on the forsythia bushes because I will be making sure to cut some and bring them into my home. I love the bright yellow flowers in the spring time. This week some time I hope to get out and paint my door box black or tan so then I can hang it up with some forsythia in it for the spring.

I purchased some redware from Janet at Winter Willow Primitives and I love it. What a nice change it was to my corner hutch. I love the pitcher I purchased and can't wait to use it for some fall decorating. And the willow tree plate is just a nice touch to the pitcher. I want to continue my collection of redware so when I find pieces I like I will try to purchase them but it is a costly collection so little by little it will grow.

I have also made some changes to my hutch in the kitchen. I kept looking at it and never really liked it in the first place how I had it decorated just seemed so cluttered and to much mixed stuff on there so last Thursday night I decided I wanted to change it up and see what I could do to create a buttery for myself. After seeing Linda's at Behind My Red Door change over in her kitchen I thought I might be able to come up with something. I still do need to put divider's up in it but that will come once the warm weather comes. As well as some small crocks to go with my large ones! That will take some hunting. Hey but I am always up for antique hunting!! Who isn't when they love the prim style.

Here it is last Christmas with so much clutter yes I know the christmas stuff just adds alot to it but just take away the christmas stuff and yuck. To much small nicky nack stuff so...................

..............here it is now clean and organized. Soon as I add the divider's it will look more like a buttery I think. I loved Audrey's buttery in the Spring Addition of A Primitive Place.

I want to add some stuff in the back but not sure just yet what???? That is why I hope to find some more small crocks or jugs then I can put the big one's in the back and have the small one's out front. So what do you think???

Some other great news.............................we are going to having a new addition to our family Easter weekend. I can't wait and am so excited. 5.5 years ago we lost our beloved Chocolate Lab Dallas. She was everything to us and was a huge part of our family. I miss her so much and still cry when I think about her. She would have been the best pet anyone could ask for but she crossed the road to get a dead rabbit and someone hit her. The person never stopped and how could someone hit something so big and not stop to see what it was???? Heartless people out there that is forsure. It broke my heart to have to say goodbye to her but after a long 5.5 years we have decided it is time to bring home another addition. She was born March 7/11 along with 6 other brother & sisters. Now out of the litter we aren't sure which one we will be taking but one of them. We get 2nd pick so that is good. My brother-in-law's black lab Paisley had the pups. 4 chocolates & 3 blacks. They are so tiny and brand new, just 12 hours old in the picture.

Introducing Jersey Hoskins she's one of the chocolate babies. Soon enough we will be able to pick her out and put a collar on her until she's ready to come home with us!

Well that's about it from my neck of the woods! Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather.

Have a good one,

Lynnly

Spring has popped up at the Hoskins' Homestead

Things have been busy around the Hoskins' Homestead. I just registered my daugther for school. I can't believe she will be starting JK in September. Where has the time gone? She is so excited to go, mom on the other hand well it will be nice to see the daycare bills go down but not to see my baby start school.



My son has kept us busy with hockey. It's been on-going since August so needless to say I am ready for a break. He lives for it and counts down the days for when he plays again. I can't believe how good he is from August. He's a natural and who knows maybe he will be the next Sydney Crosby! These pics are from his first home game and he scored the first goal of the game. It's so fun to watch them play at this age!



It has taken me about a week to get my Spring Decor out of the tote. I got the tote out but than just sat there looking at it. With it still snowing here in Blenheim, who is really thinking Spring?? I know I wasn't but wishing it would just hurry up and get here. This weekend the temps are suppose to be in the 50's so that will eliminate most of the snow we have laying around. I can't wait until I can sink my hands in to the soil and clean up my gardens! Gardening feeds my soul.

So take a look at my little vignette's I have created around our home. I am not completely done just got out some of my stuff so far. I hope to finish up this weekend with the nice weather coming!

These 3 bunnies I got at Piper Classics. I love them they are such a cute little family!

And this rabbit is from Olde Farm Creek Primitives. She is so cute with her egg basket.

When I finish I will take more pics and post them. I hope also to get some pics of my new redware I purchased from Janet at winterwillowprimitives . If haven't checked out her website I tell you its a must do. She has great stuff and great prices and quick shipping to boot! I love it!!!

Hope you all have a great week!! And hope the sun is shining and the temps are going to raise in your neck of the woods!

Have a good one!

Lynnly

New Items and Spring Fever..............

After such a beautiful day on Friday I was inspired to purchase some beautiful spring flowers to add to my hutch. My husband and I got outside on Saturday to do some yard work and clean up most of the christmas greenery. I noticed that my tulips and daffodils are peeking out of the dirt. I was so excited to see them. I love the spring when you see the new greens peeking through. Now I know for sure Winter won't be here much longer.

But when I woke up Sunday morning I heard the weather man say there was a winter storm watch out and that we were suppose to get 15 cm. So Sunday afternoon as we sit around and wait for the storm to hit it started around 3:30 pm. And it hit hard and quick. Our drive home wasn't so nice from the In-laws. This was from this morning on my way to work, a beautiful old house that I drive by every day.

And here is in front of our garage last night when we got home. It was snowing pretty hard. So much for seeing the nice green grass. But I heard that on Thursday it's suppose to be a high of 45 and rain so that will get rid of a lot of the snow hopefully.

Well on to something alittle less depressing. Last Saturday I went to an antique store about 45 minutes from my home. I didn't find a whole lot. I guess I didn't really need anything. But I did find this tiny crock bowl. Thought it would be so cute filled with fake strawberries come summer.

I love how tiny it is! And the ban around the centre that isn't painted. So cute! And for only $5.00.

And I found this large hog scrapper. Thought it was a good deal $2.00. I was lucky to find a ton of old christmas ornaments but didn't take a picture of them as I am done with Christmas so next Christmas is when I will get those back out and post about them. I am just collecting them as I find them. I love the old vintage ornaments they remind me of decorating my grandma's tree.

So this weekend I hit the craft store that is an hour away from home. She had just come home from the show in Pennsylvania with a lot of cash and carry stuff. She also told me that she seen the people from a Primitive Place magazine but didn't stop to talk to them. So I told her I would send her the link to the magazine so then maybe she will start carrying it in her store. She has finally come back with awesome goods. Stuff that you see in the magazines but no one will bring over here.

Here are a few of my items I purchased. One thing I am really excited about is that she is going to be bringing in Family Heirlooms table runners, table squares and lots of bedding and pillows!!!!! I can't wait. I love their stuff so much! So that will be in around April!!!!! Along with much more she ordered from vendors at the show!

Some strawberries!!! Thought these will be super cute for summer!

Primitive Easter Eggs. I love them. I should have bought one more then I would have had 5. I don't know what I was thinking because we usually decorate with odd numbers. Duh!!!! Oh well it will be on my list when I go back in a couple weeks I am sure! I put them in my weigh scale for now!

Here's a close up of them. Very prim! And I can leave them out all year round if I want!

Here is a candle board I bought. It's cute and plan on usually it on my dough board over the stove when I get that decorated for spring next week!

And a new mat to add with my spring stuff as well, once I decide to get it all out! Now that we have the snow I am not so inspired anymore.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe! Keep praying for the nice weather to come! It will be here before we know it!!! I will be back next time with some spring vignettes!!!! I will be getting my spring decor out next week!!!! I can't wait!

Have a good one!

Lynnly

My Garden is featured in A Primitive Place Magazine Spring Edition

Well back a few months ago actually a while ago I recieved an email from Kristine from A Primtive Place magazine asking me if they could use this photo in their spring edition of A Primitive Place. I was speechless. I think I called everyone I know telling them that I had been asked to have my photo in a new magazine. Of course no one had any idea how much this meant to me because they don't subscribe to the magazine as they are not Primitive Lovers but I do know one thing there was no way I was telling them NO that would be crazy. So I emailed Kristine back and told her I would be honoured to have my photo in their magazine!

So today it arrived!!!!

I just want to say thank you to those at A Primitive Place for selecting my garden photo to be in your Spring 2011 Edition of APP magazine. You have no idea how exciting it is to me to have a photo featured in APP magazine. I couldn't get the shrink wrap off quick enough to see my photo. I had tears in my eyes as I looked and read the comment explaining my photo "A rustic fence defines the border of Lynnly Hoskins' driveway in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada. The grapevine wreath adds additional texture and interest." My 6 old son came over to me and so I showed him the picture and he was grinning from ear to ear saying "that is our garden isn't it mom!!!"

Thank you once again A Primitive Place! This really made my day, week, year!

Have a great day!

I know I will! he he he!

Lynnly

Some of my favorite finds for under $20....a kidless weekend......and a little bit of snow!

This past weekend my husband and I had a kid free weekend. My in laws took our 2 children up North with them for the weekend to spend it with Aunt Bre & Uncle Mark. The kids had a blast with snowmobiling, sledding and going to an outdoor carnival. I guess they didn't want to come home. My husband and I had a nice quiet weekend to ourselves. We went to dinner and to the movies. Wow I forgot what it was like to not have kids around. I missed the kids but we needed that time for ourselves that is forsure. I feel refreshed but now it's back to reality. As we sit and paiently wait for this massive snow storm that is going to be dropping in on Tuesday afternoon through to Wednesday afternoon. I can hardly wait to see how much we actually get if they are right and we get 30 cm YIKES. We got hit on Saturday with about 5 inches so needless to say I think we have enough snow. I don't remember having this much snow in a long time. But here are some pics from around the house. I will take some more pics after Wednesday to compare. I know that this doesn't compare to some of the states that have gotten alot more but this is alot for us.

Well I finally got around to charging my camera it's been sitting on the counter full of pictures of some of my great finds for under $20. I love hunting for stuff at antique malls, yard sales and just people's old sheds. I have been pretty lucky with people just giving me items that they no longer want because it's old or they don't want the junk sitting around anymore. Like the saying goes "One man's junk is another man's treasure!" Isn't that the truth for us antique hunters.

Over the past year I have decluttered alot of my home and trying to follow what Linda from Behind my red door says "Less is More". I love so many people's houses and the different decorating that everyone does. I hope that some day I can have a beautiful home like some of you other bloggers but for now I will enjoy my home the way it is and just make it as cozy as possible and keep changing things around until I get them just so..............even though I know we are all always tweaking aren't we!!! wink wink!

So here are some of my great finds..................................beware there are alot of pics on this post! I can't even tell you which one is my favorite just that they are all my favorite! They all have different meaning to me and some are from special people and some not but they are all great to me. Anything old and used with a little bit of history is a favorite to me!

My very first dough board I got for $20 from an antique barn. I loved it and it fit perfect on my stove!

Here is my very first prairie doll that I attempted to make. I think she turned out pretty good. I love her sitting in my molds I have!

Some of my rolling pins! My family think it's funny that I have a whole crock full of them. They just don't get my collections but oh well I enjoy collecting them!

These are 2 of my old favorite chairs that I purchased from yet another neighbor of my parents for $10 for the pair of them. They have so much character to them. They both belong to her grandmother so I know for sure they are old because I remember her mother but not her grandmother. I wish back then I would have known about all this old stuff and enjoyed it as much as I do now.


Here is my crock collection or some of it anyways! I love crocks of all sizes and shapes! My largest crock which is a 12 gallon I bought from my parents neighbor for $5!!! Yep you heard me $5. Her husband bought it for her for pickles but she can't lift it so she put it outside by the shed. I was walking through my parents back yard and seen it. So I thought I'd ask if she was interested in selling it. I was shocked and couldn't get it in my van fast enough. It is cracked but hey I don't mind I am not using it for canning just decorating!

Hope you all enjoyed seeing some of my favorite finds! Have a safe and warm week! Hoping that we don't get snowed on to much!!!

Have a good one!

Lynnly

What Love Means to me...............

What does love mean to me? Well it means alot of different things to me for instance you can love in so many different ways and sometimes you think how can you possibly have enough love for everyone in your life?? Well that is simple because you love everyone differently. Like the love for your husband or wife is different love than what you have for your children!

I have a story about love that recently happened to me. I was over at my parents and my husband called me as he was at a meeting. I talked to him and then hung up. My dad said "how come you didn't say I love to him when you hung up?" "Well every time I talk to him I don't say I love you, I never have it's just not a word that I want to throw around all the time." "I like to use it when I feel it most and it to mean something when it comes out." Love to me is a very serious word and should mean something when you say it.

I always love when my daugther comes and up and says "I love you mom!" or my son before he goes to bed gives me a big hug & kiss and says "I love you mommy!" It just makes my heart melt!

The pictures below represent love to me!

Hope you all can find a little love in your life to share! As we always have some to give!

Thanks Dan over at Yesterday Once More for such a great idea!

Love is the best gift!

Have a good one!

Lynnly