Often I get questions about our chickens. I don’t recall the day we made the decision to have chickens. When we were living temporarily in a double wide trailer while restoring Bella Terra (that’s a complete story in itself!), I remember having 2 toddlers, a newborn, a puppy and baby chicks. Crazy times.

A daily trip to the hen house is restorative for me. The girls are always happy to see me!

Their quarters are designed for up to 25 chickens. If you missed my previous post on the hen house, click here.

Here are some questions I get asked about our having chickens:

How long do fresh eggs keep?

When an egg first comes out, it is covered in a wet coating and then dries within seconds. This invisible coating is called the “bloom” and works to keep air and bacteria from seeping through the pores of the shell.

In the United States, commercial egg growers are required to wash their eggs, which then requires refrigeration. Unfortunately, washing off the bloom accelerates the aging of the egg.

I never wash our eggs and if I do, it is just before I use them. I have read that an unwashed egg can last up to a year!

How do you tell if an egg is old?

Gently drop an egg into a glass of water. If an egg sits flat on the bottom of the glass, it is fresh egg. If the egg floats, it may still be good but it is definitely an older egg. As it continues to age, more air enters the shell and it will float at a steeper angle. But why eat an old egg if you can use a fresh one?

Why are hard-boiled fresh eggs hard to peel?

As an egg ages, air gets in through the pores on the shell. The air forms a pocket between the members and the shell making it easier to peel. Older eggs are best hardboiled.

Does each chicken lay an egg every day?

First, the female chicken, a hen, will lay eggs. It depends on the breed as some hens lay more eggs than others. Typically, a hen will lay only one egg per day but can also skip days. The average hen will lay approximately 300 eggs per year. Chickens require a certain amount of light per day in order to lay. Therefore, hens typically lay more eggs in the spring and summer.

Does a female (hen) need a male (rooster) in order to lay an egg?

No, the female lays eggs regardless. The hen does need a rooster if she is laying a fertilized egg = baby chicks.

Why don’t you have any roosters?

The City of Phoenix does not allow male poultry within the City limits. Since it is rather difficult to determine the sex of a baby chick, we have had roosters. Typically we discover a rooster when a neighbor calls to complain about the crowing.

Do roosters only crow in the morning? No, they tend to crow all the time.

Is there really a pecking order? Yes, the chickens do determine their own hierarchy of status.

Why do you have different colored eggs?

The color of the egg is based on the breed of chicken. We have white, brown, tan, blue and green egg layers. But like people, we may be different colors on the outside but the inside of the egg is the same.

Do you let your chickens free range?

Yes, with some supervision. We keep our dogs inside while the chickens roam the yard. Since we have birds of prey (hawks, owls, etc.) we let them stay outside but for a shorter period of time.

Do you eat your chickens?

No, we do not. Once the children named the hens, it was hard to think about eating Fluffy or Spotty.

What do chickens eat?

We provide them with scratch and crumble. With scratch, they use their toes to mix up litter or scrape the ground in search of various seeds, greens, grit, or insects to eat. Spreading scratch grains (cracked, rolled, or whole grains such as corn, barley, oats, or wheat) encourages this behavior. Crumble is their actual food that provides the nutrients they need.

Do you give your chickens treats?  

Yes, they get fresh greens from the garden, any healthy kitchen scraps and I spoil them with dried black soldier fly larvae~~they LOVE this!

I also add fresh herbs and flowers to their nesting boxes. Not only does it look pretty and smell nice, while keeping the bugs out. Who wouldn’t want to lay an egg in a nest of rose petals?

I hope you enjoyed this information on chickens and eggs!

Our family room is one of the most utilized rooms in the house.  I love the actual room as it feels like a solarium.  It is my least favorite because I am not fond of how it has been decorated. Originally an outdoor porch, it was enclosed in the 1940s.  The room is really large – 31 feet long by 16 feet wide.  The other challenge is that all 4 walls have numerous windows and/or doors.

Below are pictures of the original room.  Notice the fluorescent ceiling lights and the scored concrete floors. The only air conditioning was from the window unit, which died a few hours after we turned it on.

In the first photo, the exterior doors lead to the back porch. The interior doors go to the library and living room.

On the opposite end, the exterior doors lead to the front porch. This room runs the entire width of the southern part of the house.

I have never been able to make this room “right”.  The reason I am sharing this with you is that I am hoping you will weigh in on how I can improve this living space.  Due to its size, I have split the function of this room in half.  This side serves as the tv/family room.

Currently we have a very large, 96″ Mitchell Gold slipcovered sofa.  I would love to replace it, but our dogs and cats seem to use it more than we do.

Even though the sofa has slipcovers, I added an organic cotton Coyuchi blanket that I purchased from Camps and Cottages that can be easily removed and washed weekly.

We weren’t the best at training our dogs when they were puppies, so they have run of this room. Cooper, our huge white dog, takes up most of the sofa as his nightly bed.

And the cats seem to like napping on the back of the sofa near the windows.

When we were restoring Bella Terra, I wanted to keep the original single-paned windows in this room.  I love how the imperfections in the original glass blur the view to the outside. However, since we did not replace the glass with double paned panels, it is not energy efficient.  As a result, this is the warmest room in the summer and coolest in the winter.

The other half of the room is more utilitarian.  There is a large work table that is used for sewing, painting or school projects.

Along the wall under the windows are two desks side by side, with upholstered (using Dash and Albert rugs) ottomans for sitting.  Here the computer and printer are easily accessible. With two out of my three children out of the house, I’m not sure it makes sense to still have these two desks.

I do love the two 9’x12′ natural fiber rugs I purchased from Ballard Design.  They are such a nice quality and are holding up well to the wear and tear of the pets.

We installed remote controlled exterior shades made from Sunbrella fabric.  This really cuts down on the heat during the summer months.  It also reduces the reflection from all the windows on the television screen.

If you have any ideas or suggestions on how I can improve upon this room, I heartily welcome them.  I feel a bit stuck with which design path to take.  Part of me wants to take everything out and start again. Should it look more like an old porch? A greenhouse? But the reality is, this needs to be a comfortable, attractive, pet-friendly room.

Sunbrella shades by Phoenix Tent and Awning Company

Slat chairs were purchased from Relics Consignment and Antiques in Phoenix

Pumpkin pillow- Pottery Barn

Drapes by Country Curtains

Since my visit last weekend to Patina Farm for the book signing by French Country Cottage, I’ve been pondering the concept of home. Brooke and Steve Giannetti spent countless hours planning and designing their home, making it unique and special to them. Courtney Allison’s home is filled with romance in the French country style.

It’s hard not to return to Phoenix and look at our home with a more critical eye. What does home mean to you? I posted a part of this on Instagram earlier this week.

Home ~~For me, it is a soft place for our children to land. Where they can be themselves under any and all circumstances.  Where their friends are always welcomed. Where they know they are unconditionally loved.

A home that is filled with animals that wag their tails and greet you happily at the door.

Where warm and wonderful smells pour out of the kitchen.

A place you can wear decades old sweat pants with holes and no one is judging.  (No picture here, folks!)

A creative outlet for expressing my own style, collecting cherished items and finding comfort in the every day routine.

Where tears are wiped and boo-boos are kissed.

Where I can find solitude when I need it…..

and the company of family and friends at all other times.

Home is where things grow and change, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Where learning and living is one big experiment.

Is our home perfect? No.

Is it magazine ready? Definitely no!

But life here is genuine and real with a goal to find the sunny side of life.

A sanctuary from the madness in the world.  Where simple, lovely, sincere, and elegant feed my soul.

Life at Bella Terra is our treasure chest of memories~~a place we call Home.  

What about your home? How is it special and unique to you?

This past weekend, I was fortunate to attend the book signing of one of my favorite bloggers, Courtney Allison of French Country Cottage.  I’ve never met Courtney and just started following her this year. However, she has inspired me to learn more about photography because every single thing she posts is stunning.

The photos in her first book are truly drool worthy.  It was such an opportunity to meet her since being a relatively new blogger, there is so much I don’t know.  I am always grateful when others share their knowledge. Having the book signing at Patina Farm was an extra special gift!

On our drive in to the farm from Santa Barbara, we passed a sign that said, “Flowers Ahead”. We pulled over to this sweet unmanned flower stand and purchased a few bunches of lilies to give the hosts. They were only a $1.00 per bunch and the money was left in a box ~~simply on the honor system.

Here we are at the entrance of the event. Janie is a dear friend who is an artist and an expert in anything to do with home decor and antiques. Janie also has the best jewelry!

Patina Farm is the home of Brooke (@velvetandlinen) and Steve Giannetti (@stevegiannetti)~~a design/architect duo that continues to impress the design world.  Their 5 acre farm was designed and built by them~~including cherished pieces they have collected around the world. The color palette is neutrals and soft pastels both in the home and garden.

This area, just off the kitchen, is the cover photo of their book, Patina Farm.

Fresh flowers were in every room.

Here are more house details. It is very apparent why they call their lovely home “Patina” farm. There is an abundance of textures and finishes.

Bowls of fruits and vegetables were in abundance.

Courtney was signing her book in the shade of an enormous oak tree.

I cannot recommend her book enough.  Drawn to a French country look, Courtney’s home is filled with wonderful decorating ideas and stories.

The property at Patina Farm is on different elevations.  Pebbled paths lined with lavender and rosemary lead you to secret spaces.

These fun wooden mushroom statues can be purchased from the Giannetti Home store or giannettihome.com

Steps lead you down to the donkey barn, greenhouse, shed, vegetable garden, rose trellis and lavender maze.

The guest cottage is set above the small pond and boat dock.

Brooke and Steve Giannetti were such gracious hosts.  They served light appetizers and lavender lemonade, with or without sparkling wine.

I was so happy to finally meet some of the bloggers I just know through the internet~~Karen from Sanctuary Home Decor.  I am disappointed to know I missed meeting Julie Blanner and Slim Paley, but respect and admire all the work they do.  It was also such a pleasure to meet the agent who provided all the guidance to both books~~Jill Cohen.

Being with others who love beauty and simplicity fed my soul.  We also met a group of 5 women (Debra, Cindy, Beth, Melissa and Tori) who traveled from Northern California together in celebration of Cindy’s birthday. Within minutes, we became fast friends and I hope we keep in touch!

It was a very civilized way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Rubbing elbows with a house filled with talented individuals is inspiration at its best!

Even the cat seemed to enjoy it!

Have a wonderful week!

P.S. All the photos were taken by me….I think I see some improvement!

Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.  Anatole France

I find it interesting that some people love animals and others not.  Is that determined during childhood?

My very first dog was a beagle named Cocoa.  When I was in  2nd grade, Cocoa went missing.  While looking out the window of the yellow bus going to school, I saw a dead dog on the side of the road.  It looked like Cocoa.  Of course, I wanted to tell someone but we didn’t have cell phones back then. I wasn’t sure anyone from school would call my parents to share my suspicions.

But it was Cocoa. We (my four siblings and I) had a proper funeral procession for him and he was buried in the backyard.  We all cried and shared our favorite Cocoa stories. It was my first experience with death.

After Cocoa came Peanuts, a mutt. He shared my teenage years with me. Dad loved dogs; Mom not so much.  Here is Dad and Peanuts. Peanuts was a GREAT dog.

Pets, especially dogs, are always happy to see you.  Unlike people, they aren’t judgmental or moody. They are unconditional in their love.  They don’t talk back. When I’m having a bad day, they just seem to know.

We introduced animals into our family when our children were young.  Caring for something other than yourself is a good life lesson. I’m hoping no one at child protective services sees this next photo, but it was where the girls liked to play with the baby chicks.

Currently, we have dogs, cats and chickens.  My mother did not like cats so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about them.  But my two daughters managed to catch both of our cats in the yard.  Once wild, they now lead cushy lives. Meet Tippy and Donovan.

We have two dogs.  Sox, is my youngest daughter’s dog.  She picked him out of a litter and their love for each other is boundless.  We were told he was a pocket beagle, but he may have a little Basset hound in him.

As a pup….

And now…

Cooper, is the 2nd Anatolian shepherd we have owned. An Akbash (the all white version of an Anatolian shepherd), he is a big boy, weighing in at 120 lbs.  His head can graze the countertops in the kitchen.  He has a hefty bark but is the sweetest dog.

He was irresistible when he was a puppy.

And today, he is the protector of our family.

Any chance he gets, he sits his back end down…in chairs, on ledges, the coffee table…doesn’t matter.

We trained him to do this when he wants to come into the house.

I can’t imagine life without animals, but my husband is done being a pet parent. Each animal, with their individual personalities, have provided us with warmth, love and funny memories. In my next life, I hope I come back as one of my pets.

Are you a lover of animals? If so, why? If not, why?