Finally! A Series of Children’s Books That I Love

When Lyli was born in 2006, I shopped and searched for the perfect children’s books. I saw many that I loved and many that I didn’t. But none were exactly what I wanted. I dreamed about making my own, and I had all these ideas, but no artistic talent. I really can’t draw. My stick figures actually look like sticks.

Then I thought, but I can take pictures! I had taken a class on Photoshop in college. I made a couple of books and tried to sell them to publishers. No luck. I priced some printing shops. No way. So I printed them as 4 x 6 pictures and placed the “pages” in a small photo album flip book. Lyli loved her books. I gave a few away as gifts and then let it slide. Enter Kindle Fire. I have self-published a couple of children’s books on Kindle. They look amazing on my smart phone, so I imagine they look great on Kindle Fire, for which they are designed. And the kids LOVE them. Mission Accomplished.

Baby’s First Counting Book is free today on Kindle!

And my most favorite so far… (and also the first in the NikiBooks series)…

Old Junk Gets a New Life on My HomeStead

I love to find old junk and clean it up, spray paint it, and add it to my homestead garden.

Here’s the windmill that someone abandoned. A little scrub, a little paint (with help from the kids, of course), a little work from Mr Farmgirl, {Hehehe. He’s going to love that!} and we have a windmill befitting this eclectic homestead garden we’ve got going here.

The blue tail barely shows in these pictures. Sky blue. Gorgeous. And the stem is pistachio green.

Love!

What Does Your Home Say About You?

So I went to the $3 book store last week. <LOVE that place!> and got Moll Anderson ' s Change Your Home Change Your Life for FREE! Yay!

And she asks, "What does your home say about you?"

Mine says,

I live for my kids. 

And I let them decorate. 

And I love it!

Happy Halloween

The last day of my favorite month should rightly be celebrated. If it was just me, I would enjoy this evening with a good book, a nice fire (I wish- FLORIDA), and a cup of coffee. But since I have such cute and creative kids, I think we will go trick-or-treating.
Happy Halloween!

Loral is a "blue butterfly" (her idea), Lyli is a "mommy kangaroo" (her design), and Eliott is a beach boy (cute and comfortable).

Clothespin Bag

I don’t remember where I first saw this- probably Pinterest or a BlogHop. My dear friend Mary knits me the cutest stuff for my babies. But my knitting skills are limited. So, to return the favor, I made a clothespin bag for her. (And one for me, too, because I found these adorable Mermaid overalls at the thrift store.) You just buy some cute overalls (I chose a gorgeous baby-dress for Mary) and sew up the bottom. Hang it on a hanger, fill it with clothespins and it is ready to go.

If you’ve read my first novel, you know about Mermaids. I am a Mermaid. If you’re heart has ever been broken, you are a Mermaid, too. My book is available on Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Ocean-How-Became-Mermaid-ebook/dp/B00B8I9DL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414166250&sr=8-1&keywords=mermaid+beach+ebook+phyllis+franklin

Am I shamelessly plugging my novel? Yes! But it fit so perfectly into this post, please forgive me.

Unassisted HomeBirth—A Collection of Real Life Stories

The HomeBirth book I co-authored with Amanda H. has been doing quite well on Kindle. So, I decided to publish a print version. Mainly because I want to save one for each of my two unassisted homebirth babies.

It can be purchased at CreateSpace (an Amazon company) here:

https://www.createspace.com/5033096

It will be available on Amazon in a couple of days, and of course, it is still available on Kindle.

The Kindle cover looks slightly different than the print version. Here is the link to the Kindle eBook:

http://www.amazon.com/Unassisted-HomeBirth-Collection-Real-Stories-ebook/dp/B00HTO770Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1414114544&sr=8-5&keywords=phyllis+franklin

If you’d like to order a signed copy, please email me at PhyllisWrites@yahoo.com.

Swamp Planting

Here on Soggy Bottom Mini Farm, we have lots of water. We have low areas, ponds, and high-clay soils.
To best utilize these natural features, I planted some pumpkins and Hubbard squash in containers with drain holes in the bottom, then set them in the swamp. TaDa!  Raised bed self watering container!