That time of year....

New soap packaging. It's about time. 

This time last year, 4 goats were still in milk.... This year 1. Last year at this time, all the honey I could gather and sell. This year none. Last year late October, eggs were plenty. As weather changes.... nothing for over a month.

Could be me... Most likely it's just what it is. Life. Weather. Animals. Ages. Farming. Nothing is ever the same every year. The only constant in farming is change.

It is helpful to learn other farms are facing the same challenges. No one it seems in my area pulled honey this last flow. Good to know. Many chickens in the area aren't laying. And so on..

To help get me thru this downtime, luckily, I have other options for income..

I have 'soap. note cards and art for sale.'

I also have a 'Zazzle' page where t-shirts, pillows, mugs, banners, posters, stickers - can be great stocking stuffers. There is some fun stuff up on that site. If you want something but don't see it, email me and I'll create it.

And, if in the future you hear of someone needing 'design' work, pass my name on.

I love what has been created here. Proud of it. And the passion I have for the goats is immeasurable.  But, sometimes the art and design need to step up and get us thru.

Remember to support your farmers this holiday season. Buy local. Buy hand crafted, artisan and made with love products.

Note cards. New design for Bee lovers.

Artwork for sale 8x10 aprox. size.

Always busy here even if I'm not milking. Making signs for next year.

Handbag Art Design

Every year I try something new to create some kind of 'value' added income. This year I stumbled on these burlap bags by mistake. And an idea was born. It starts out with a freehand black marker. and some colored markers. And I just start doodling.

Then It's just a matter of picking the colors that strike the mood. 

Usually its complementary colors. Though love the Pink / Greens next to each.

The bags are bright, fun, colorful and useful. It's art on the go.

A Close up of a pattern on the Burlap.

These bags are pretty sturdy and big. This is the bottom of the bag.

Inside lining and details.

 Left size 22 inches. Right size 20 inches.

 They take between 6-9 hours to complete depending on how intricate.

Each bag design is different / unique. I sign each one.

There are some repeating themes - love the sun and heart shapes. And the free flow of it all.

It's turned into an evening calming effect, after a full day of farm work.

The quality of the bag itself is pretty nice its cotton lined on the inside.

Next up is photographing all and putting up on Etsy.

And see how they do there.

 3 different size bags are available.

Link to my Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/milandesign?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Good Riddance August!

August, (well the entire summer) has been difficult. As, Im trying to muddle through we had a few things happen. Setbacks. Progress. Heat. Life..... Yes... As you might have known by coming to visit, my house is a barn.

 

Linny became hypocalcemic. I didn't know at first what was wrong, just that she was tying up ( horse term) legs stiff, wobbly, her sugar and calcium levels obviously dropping deadly fast. I do think that catching it in time save her. I kept her in the house for over 8 days. Everyone said to save her, dry her off. I was able to save and keep her milking. Not easy. And the easier route I'm sure was to dry her off. So this took up almost half the month in nursing care for her. When one goat gets sick the others suffer too. :( all is well though! And September is looking up!

Especially the weather! I can feel fall in the air! woot!

 Meet Desire :) She has the prettiest face. But not so much the milker i was hoping for. I can already tell she'll be just like her mum.

The good news is that we received our DNA typing for the 4 doelings - Noble did it again. All four doelings are out of Noble. As a part of my "airheadedness" due to circumstances, I will blame on life issues, I couldn't ascertain who bred who when? I was almost 2 months off on birth dates. SO.... we had to DNA test the boys and the kids.

Here are the other three. Now I do have higher hopes for Delilah's two on the right. Their names will be (left/right) Desdemona, Sable, Fern. I think that Sable is showing signs of being quite nice. Desdemona has some serious potential, but she was the runt that lived in the house for 3 weeks, her two littermates died at birth or in utero. She had extra help. But only time will tell on the conformation dept...Delilah's kids heads always more refined then Latte's line. Desdemona is latte's. And obvious that they are just more milky and just like their mum. I'm keeping them all till freshening. At least.

 

The "Pekin 3" need to be congratulated  job well done. One of them bred to my Malley (Muscovey mix) and we have 3 little ducklings now running around. What fun! I do think if the three ducklings are girls they are end game ducks. They can breed and lay eggs but will be duds. I'm not sure about this though.

  

My pullets are just starting to lay!!! Time for them to go into the coop. That will make 6 in the coop.  And hoping for more consistent eggs. As they grow I put them in the coop so they will lay and not want to brood. I've created monster chickens that free range and do everything in their power to NOT let me find their eggs. Well, that and trying to find them before the dogs. I'm hoping to quell this by pulling the pullets and cooping them. 

Truly an odd couple. Here we have my silkie (black gal) with my mutt roo. They can be found always together. Its such a funny little coupling. I've tried to coop her. Not!!! She escapes all the time. So I gave up.

Goodness Gracious sooo glad we are out of August!

September has always been a resurgent month for me. Since the time I was a kid and school started, the weather was changing, and always the end of summer vacation. It's to me a back to work month.

And back we are! Delilah's Dairy is now in two stores. We sell the milk to Heritage Hen/Lay'ed in Delray as well as the soaps. And in Lake Worth we are selling our soaps and artwork at Hennevelt's Gallery.  (both are also on Facebook). Goood! Zazzle is still doing well with goat designs selling more and more. As well, I'm back up on Etsy in case anyone wants soaps.

My newest endeavor is taking my "doodles" and creating fine art prints and some notecards soon to come. So like I said earlier, Good Riddance August, so happy September is here. 

Being sick has its benefits

First I draw. Then I scan. Then I colorize.

shoes were started in the ER clinic. Took about 6 hours.

Then I go to Zazzle.com and create items for sale.

Tshirts. hats. postcards. posters. all sorts of fun things.

Being stuck in the house there is only so much you can do. I don't really have TV anymore. Not the click the remote kind. Laying in bed is not an option. So I've been catching up on drawing. This has always been a way to clear my head. :) and I'm having some fun with it. Draw. Scan. Illustrator trace. Colorize. Save. Put up on Zazzle. And possibly make some money. Saving my butt. I would be pulling out my hair right about now trying to stay in the house and not exert myself. Interestingly, the meds are making my hands shake. I kind of like the line it creates. So there are benefits of being sick. You just have to look for them.

flamingo took me about 3 hours

new mug design

Zazzle mug from jojjo: goats n' soaps MUG goats n' soaps mug Visit jojomilano's store Join jojomilano's fan club	View "goats n' soaps MUG" by jojomilano Create your own products @ Zazzle.com

Posted via email from goodnessgracious's posterous

Goat tshirts

I love Zazzle. :)
And i was inspired this morning to create some fun new tshirts. Like?

The Tshirt material is pretty nice. I just ordered a version to see. Though i would order a size or 2 larger than you normally wear.

If you have an idea you'd like me to try for you let me know.

Click Here to see more designs.

Antonio Ballatore

Where for art thou!

I'm looking for an email addy and i can't find.

I wanted to invite him to come re-do MY house. what an undertaking that would be, huh? Potterer, soapmaker, graphic designer, artist, resident goat milker, milkroom, art studio, animal fixer upper, parrot enclave all rolled into one. This task is so daunting even i have no idea where to start. And I live here. I guess thats the rub, those that are in the design field of some sort are either SO over the top creative at home, or like me, so over the top stagnating in my own confusion, nothing ever gets done.

If you haven't ever seen HGTV's Design Star series no worries as the WINNER gets their own show. And this winner is like NO OTHER. He is a mix of biker bad, with eclectic chic all rolled into one. I watched the show last night in awe {The Antonio Project} and all i kept thinking was come here, help me, I know he'd figure something out. He's just WAY TOO COOL. You  need to see how he took one artistic field (detailing and airbrushing) and re-invented it in his bedroom. Stellar. I've watched these shows for 3 seasons, never once thinking YOU! HERE! NOW! pretty please? All the soap and cheese you want for life.

Antonio, if you are out there PLEASE, HELP! Trust me this will be like no other redo. I have 2 bedrooms just rotting away, too small to do anything with. One houses my soap that is curing, and the other i toss relatives in. Neither of which are comfy, or designed, nor can fit anything more then a single bed. Then i have two macaws in the main part of the house whose cages now take up the place where my dining room table used to go. They are too important to move anywhere else (the birds not the cages). My kitchen which has 3 faces is where i clean my milk, make cheese and soap, and on occasion try to eat. What an ordeal that is when i want to make soap and milk in the same day (or pasta). Each of these endeavors has their own tools, pots, utensil and so on. Just the other day i poured my pasta into my soap pot. NOT FUN!

My garage? well the chickens like to lay eggs in there. Its also where my pottery wheel resides, my drafting table, my washer/dryer and the myriad of art, paper, design supplies plus 20 years of work. Oh! and its also where i milk my goats and house my freezer for the milk. Which is now i see not big enough. (Thats my next purchase another fridge just for the milk and cheese making). My grandmothers china cabinet is in the garage, as there is no other place in the house. My office? Well at least i found a place for my dining room table. My computer sits on it. I have too many things going on in a house that is meant for someone without anything going on. Last year i built walls onto the patio, so now i don't even have a place to sit and enjoy the animals any longer while outside. I was thinking of parking my butt outside a Home Depot to get the attention of another show host who focuses on backyard living. :) But what Home Depot is the question.

Yep! i'm a mess. But at least an eclectic one. One whose house is not so much a show piece but, every once in awhile wishes it was. And i admit it, i need help. The hobbies, businesses, and animals are just taking over my life. When i want to be alone? (which is funny as i am always alone) I go into my bedroom, shut the door, and watch TV. The only room in the house i use with efficiency is this one- the office. And if this letter finds you? Then this room is well worth that cost.

So Antonio, I think you are fabulous. The show I watched last night showed more talent, and more cool ideas in one show than I have ever witnessed. Wouldn't you like to see what you could do with a house -housing designer/goat herder/artist?  3 businesses rolled into one?

Here are some photos of life....

In the kitchen making soap. This  is my pal Kathy sometimes
she comes over and we experiment with soap ideas.

Same kitchen when a goat is sick.

Same kitchen when i'm trying to cook, clean the milk pails.

This is my dining room.

therefore this is where i must entertain. On the Driveway!

Sometimes this happens. :)

New office built on to patio.

Kitchen when its "clean".

This was a great idea. I'm just stumped at whats next.

Any ideas anyone? Is there any hope for me?
the internally designed challenged?
Only when it comes to MY house. and MY space
do i just not know what to do next.

antonio, antonio, where fore art thou?

Art relieves stress. This i know! droodling.

Over the years in advertising and corporate America it's pretty safe to say I was overly stressed. As an escape from it, I noticed that droodling (drawing doodles) would be my panacea. Over the years, during client meetings, or times of extreme workload, stopping and drawing one of these droodles would help me. It was like taking all the confusion in my brain, and wrapping it around the pen and just letting it release. The more stress, the more intricate the drawings.

They started out as just blobs of lines and amorphous shapes.
The longer the meeting, the more intricate the droodle.

Then they took a turn towards mythical creatures.

Then one day recognizable things started to emerge.

I have hundreds of them. Lots of client meetings.
Last year i started to scan a few of them in and experiment with them in illustrator.
And Now they've got color.

This week I got my first commission to do 4 of them. I was working on a logo for a client and wondered if this style would work as a logo. They loved it and are now using it. On a whim I sent them a few droodles and they asked me to create a few "water" related animals. I'm very excited.

This truly has been what's saved me in extreme times of stress. One pen and paper.
Cheap hobby. Now fun. Maybe something will come of it. Maybe not.
:)

For the BIRDS. Website for my VET is up and running.

Sometimes work and play get to coincide.

My vet Susan Clubb, located here in Loxahatchee, FL, asked if we wanted to barter. Hmmm, bartering. It never works. But, my wallet and my 30+ animals made me rethink this little ditty. How could i say no? It's a truly win-win. She needs a website. I could use a break on the vet bills. She sees all my animals, but the pig. And the full size horse. The pig? NO ONE wants to see the PIG! we just don't let him get sick anymore.

The only thing is that i'm a print designer/ art director, I'm not a “web” programmer/ designer. Explaining this wasn't hard, just oddly enough, guilty sounding on my part. I really wish at times I was a programmer well versed in code but alas, you can only really be good at some things, not all things. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

I could only take the DESIGN and organization, of the site so far. Someone else would have to implement it, manage it and host it. So the bartering still works in both our favors. She saved half the cost of the site as a barter. I on the other hand have utilized my end 3 times already, and the site wasn't even live yet. Ugh!

I had fun creating the site! I know her pretty well. She's been my vet for the last 5 years.

Our first encounter was me bleeding in her office because like a total idjiot, I didn't put my macaw in a travel case to come visit. My first parrot. My first taking him out to the vet. My first of many stupid moves. He was fine till a 6 foot giant walked in the door. Obviously, hemi didn't like giants. and well he bit the crap out of me and i bled all over the office. And I knew this was the vet for me when she didn't make me feel any worse, or idjiotic than I already did. That seemed like eons ago. Since then she has become an integral part of my HERD. Even so far as to come test milk for mastitis. Clip wings. Birth goats. nueter piggy. Nothing seems to be out of her pervue.

Yes, the point....The site went live today. WOOHOOO.. loverly. There is going to be a blog. And more interaction with Susan and bird lovers. There will be a private consultation log-in area for more heady vet to vet, or vet to client contact. There is a store with some really cool things Susan will be marketing to us knuckleheads that need her in the middle of the night - emergency kits. There is all the old stuff from her older site, but now formulated a bit better. I think! She is going to start a blog. Post pictures. start writing more on what is going on in the clinic, etc.

She has so much going on. First is the Aviary she runs. Full time job. Then the Clinic. Full time job. Then the products she selling. Not to mention the kadjillion articles she's written. The on the verge of discovery stuff she is working on. Stuff that makes her one of the top Avian vets in the country.

Pretty darn impressive stuff!

I hope I did it all justice.

Did i mention I LOVE my vet?

On a personal note, it's a bit rare to have your vet call you back when on vacation. She does. Its even rarer to have the amazing, wonderful techs come help you in her stead. They do. But what I find so dis-arming is that even when I had to put an animal down, they were here with the remover to pick him up, they did everything, and were crying with me. (my sweet Samson!).

Omygosh i could just go on and on.... One time I called and she was in Cost Rica at a conference, and was talking me thru a birthing episode. One time I called she was on the other side of the world somewhere and it was 3 am there. She answered the phone. EEEK!

But truly sound the trumpets! here comes Joann and MaryJo to the rescue and this is the key and the success of their practice. I can't say enough about them. Two vet techs extraordinare. They are the task masters. The organizers. The, the, the.... hell! just amazing. Finding a vet you like, you trust, and doesn't cost you an arm and leg, wing, hoof, and snout is another thing too. And I've considered moving a few times this past year and Susan and staff is admittedly one of the reasons i haven't skipped town to greener pastures.


Needless to say, if you live in Palm Beach county, Or South Florida, for that matter, and you have an exotic pet-- goat, parrot, turtle, ostrich, camel, kangaroo, tiger, oscealot, oscealos, reptiles, snakes, gators, mangoose, marmecet, and well, you get the picture... she's the vet for you! And even if you don't live local? Now you can consult too! All that will be coming soon.


All this blubbering! I went off on a tangent. Point is go check out her new website. And bookmark it!

www.susanclubb.com

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