The Hen House and Aprons

It's just always something, isn't it? Since I last posted, I broke a molar and made an emergency trip to the dentist; the fam went BACK to the dentist for our check-ups; had to take the little one's to the orthodontist; we've started back to school ... oh, I just can't even think of what all, but I just have to show you the hen house!
Hubby and Little Man built the hen house!!!! We used the plan from MaryJane's Farm Hen Hotel .

Of course hubby made some changes because we bought the door and windows from an antique shop in town and that threw the measurements off just a bit - but all in all, it's just about the same! We still have to put the chicken wire in the windows and the roosting boxes have to be put in...but we have until spring to get that done!These windows date back to the 1850's -- they're antebellum! They survived all this time - well, ONE of them did, the other was broken less than a week afer being brought to our home. Hmmm???They're building the floor!!!Set the footings...Finished the floor!

Building the walls...

First one up!

Now two... this is getting so exciting!!!

There are 3.... just one more to go!

And here we are....

Now they've framed the roof.

He's clamping down the rooftop so that he can screw it into place.

He's now finished the roof (isn't it pretty?) and added the back wall to the frame.

Little Man handing Daddy the nails....

Now it's Little Man's turn -- Y'all he was soooooooo cute! See the pencil above his ear? That's totally his Daddy! He just has to do everything he sees his Daddy do! It's so sweet.

Four walls are up and spaces for door and windows are cut out.

Now it's all framed out! Isn't this looking too cute?

Now he has installed the door and windows.

They're replacing the broken glass.

And these next few pictures are of the finished (well, almost finished) hen house. This is the front view - I'm standing in the "chicken walk" - the garden is to the left and the exterior fence, to the right.

We still have to paint the wooden fence -- but I'm working on other projects right now and it really needs to cool off some more!!!

All 5 of us have our hands in painting this little house... Baby Girl and Little Man painted the inside, Franny and I painted the outside, and Hubby painted the very tip top boards covering the tin.

Baby Girl and I painted and glittered the eggs that she and Little Man blew out...

and we laughed and played about her "destroying" my blue egg ... Jealousy is an ugly thing, I tell you! Just kidding, we were just keeping busy finishing projects while the men were building the adirondack chairs (can't wait to show you them -- when they're finished!)

Ah-Ha! Caught you Little Man.... you want to glitter the blue egg? See how thrilled he is? He's been working with his Daddy and this seems a little too "chick" like, if you know what I mean.

And here they are....

We painted them with a base coat to match the glitter, then I watered down some Elmer's glue and we sprinkled and rolled them in glitter.

Now if I could just figure out what to do with them????While Hubby and children were building the hen house and in between my lesson planning, I finally got around to making some aprons. I used a pattern that I bought from an antique shop on Antique Alley. The pattern was printed (in AMERICA) in 1942! I wondered, as I cut and sewed, if my own grandmother had used it. (One of my grandmother's was a great seamstress.)

As you can see, this is a very simple apron -- nothing fancy, just straight stitches. I didn't inherit my grandmother's genius!

And many thanks go out to our Baby Girl to modeling these!!!! Smooches, Baby!

Of course Will and Lexi wanted to join in... Thanks to y'all, too -- but NO smooches, I've seen where y'all lick! I'm sorry but there's NO WAY a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's!!!

And finally, Here is our "Franny", wearing the apron I made for her 20th birthday (it's got a matching tea towel, too!) The print matches the one I made for Baby Girl (for her social studies fair project) except that Franny's has polka dot (her favorite) material.

All right, now I'm off to paint a second coat on the plum adirondack chair! It sure is hot out there....

I can't wait to catch up with y'all this week-end! Stay safe and have a blessed Labor Day!

Many Blessings ~~ Julie