Craft Coach is coming to Richland Hills on Memorial Day

 Craft Coach with Maggie Hamlin and Billie Long

I am so excited that Craft Coach "Rambling Rose" is on the road finally! Billie and Maggie have been working hard over the last couple of months restoring this beauty!  It's been a lot of hard work, long hours and sacrifices by their families, but they are done. 

Craft Coach will be coming to our Memorial Day Tea Party at my home at 4:00. I hope you all are able to stop by, have some tea or lemonade and work on a great craft project designed by the two of them. 

The project will be $5.00, bring scissors, adhesive, and a paper trimmer if you have them. I will have some of these items on hand for  those that don't. 

I can't wait to see what they have created for all the ladies to make at our tea party, I know it will be a fun project no matter what it is. 

Craft Coach will also be making visits to Whitworth Ranch Retreat to show their merchandise and to create projects for your group if desired. Contact Maggie at 817-360-4825 to make request your groups project. They will also come to your home, birthday party, girls weekend, shower, reception, etc. Any event that you would like a hands on class for a girls craft project. 

Also watch for Craft Coach and Whitworth Ranch Retreat at this year's Scrapbook Convention, we will be located next to Melissa Frances. We will be giving away a weekend to the retreat, and who knows maybe even something special with "Craft Coach"! 

More pictures coming soon, stay tuned. 

Under Construction

Hi Everyone,

I can't wait until our new addition is completed. We are getting very excited about the progress and can't wait to start moving in beds, vanities, bed side tables, works tables and chairs!

Have I mentioned that we are adding on a new kitchen, dining area, 2 bathroom and 2 bedrooms along with another craft room?? A total of 1600 square feet addition. This is very exciting news for all of us!

I can now book 2 small groups or 1 large group. This also gives us ability to have open crops on un-booked weekends or big events like National Scrapbook Day.

We have also been asked if we would do family reunions, wedding receptions, birthday parties and more. This would give us a little more flexibility to do these things.

We are pre-booking weekends now for the new addition. We are calling the new rooms "Pretty in Pink" and "Beauty in Blue" each are going to be decorated in a shabby chic vintage style in either pastel pink or blue of course. We have purchased lots of really cute bed side tables, dressing tables and beds.

Along with the new amenities we are adding space for a massage room upstairs. It will  be nice, quiet and peaceful for your massage treatments.

We will host an open house sometime this summer with booking incentives. Watch for our posts on our web page and Face book for upcoming events.

New addition coming along nicely

We are so excited about the progress of our new addition! It won't be long now before it's all done and ready to start decorating and filling it with all the new furnishings we have found. Alisha Munden from Kaufman is helping us with some of our new decor along with some other great vendors at Canton First Monday!

I will post some pictures of the great finds we have found very soon.

We are hoping to have an open house sometime this summer once the building addition has been completed. I will get the details out as soon as we are ready for the grand tour.

If you are in need of some great home decor, furniture, and clothing stop by and see our friends this weekend at Canton! Gypsy Pearl (ask for Alisha), Jackie with Urban Gypsy Rags and Cathy with Girls Gone Junkin.

Melissa Frances

Melissa Frances and Craft Coach are coming to Whitworth Ranch Retreat this September. Please follow their blogs to see the details. We are so excited about this fun vintage style weekend. Great food, memories, projects and new friends! 

http://vintagestylebymelissafrances.blogspot.com/

Weekend with Melissa Frances

I am very happy to announce that the blog has been launched for the Vintage Style by Melissa Frances weekend in September. Maggie and Billie have been working very hard the past month to get this finalized. This will be a great weekend of food, fun, projects and meeting new creative and talented women!

This weekend will be have 2 options; here is the break down.

Option 1 (they are calling VIP) Check in at Whitworth Ranch Retreat on Thursday. Meet and Greet on Thursday evening with Melissa over wine and hour devours.

Friday breakfast, some small projects, lunch and nice dinner all with Melissa.

Saturday continental breakfast- depart for Arlington where you will do an all day project have lunch and then  go back to the retreat for a nice dinner with Melissa.

Sunday continental breakfast- depart for Arlington again for another all day project, have lunch and then head back for another dinner at the retreat for your final evening with Melissa.

Option 2 is just the off site classes at Arlington Holiday Inn. You can chose to do a one day class or the combo with both Saturday and Sunday included.

Visit Craft Coach blog for more details~ You will find the button to be connected on my Blog page.

I will be posting pictures as Maggie and Billie release them, with upcoming projects, things that are going on with Craft Coach and more!

http://www.melissafrances.com/

http://www.craftcoachshop.blogspot.com/

Craft Coach

I am very excited to introduce to you all Maggie Hamlin and Billie Long. Both have been my life long friends. These two beautiful ladies are both very talented. They are in the process of opening their mobile craft store. They will come to your next retreat, crop, party, shower, birthday, well let's face it any event that you need a cute and inspirational craft project!

They are currently working on a very special weekend in September. They have coordinated with a talented designer that will be instructing some classes. Watch their blog for more details to be announced soon.

Below are some things that Billie and Maggie put together for an event we just had at the retreat called "Beauty in Blue". Not only did they make some special garlands for me, but they also captured every detail in these wonderful photos!

Let's get this building addition going!

Hello everyone,

I just returned from a fabulous week in Colorado! My family had a wonderful time playing in the snow. Now it's time to get back to work. I hope everyone had a great spring break.

We have our plans complete and they have been given to our builder. We are very excited about everything that is going on. We will be adding on an additional 1600 square feet to our craft facility. We will be extending that building off the back, adding 2 additional bedrooms (each sleeping 4), 2 additional bathrooms with step into showers, an additional craft room for 8, kitchen/dining area and a dedicated massage room.

I have had lots of questions about our add on and how this will be arranged with our existing groups. If you are on the books, your group will remain in the house unless you want to move to the new area. We are hoping the add on will be completed no later than 4th of July.

We will be able to accommodate 2 small groups or 1 large group. If you are concerned about the new arrangement, please contact me. Each group will have their own dining/kitchen/craft area. If you have a party of 14 guests/ we will not mix the groups. This will also allow for each group to either have their meals included or not.

We will also be hosting open crops on weekends that aren't booked last minute. The cost will be 50.00 and will include lunch and dinner on Saturdays from 8:00 am to midnight. If you would like to host an open crop for your group, we can arrange that as well. This would be a great way to have birthday parties/ mother daughter craft days and more.

We will also be teaming up with Craft Coach for classes, mobile craft store, make and takes and more. Owners Billie Long and Maggie Hamlin are both very talented women and I am so happy that their dreams are coming true.

I will be posting pictures as the construction begins.

Have a great week and happy crafting!

Craft Coach

Hello everyone,

I am so excited to announce a great blog by Mrs. Maggie Hamlin. She has made some beautiful things for Beauty in Blue and is working on a very special event in September that will be held at our place. Be watching Maggie's blog for more details on this upcoming event. You will not want to miss it!!

Check out her blog at www.craftcoachshop.blogspot.com

Beauty in Blue has arrived!

 

 

I am so excited, the time has finally come! Karen Hillman and her group will be arriving tomorrow and we have a full week planned!

Wednesday, Karen and Sherry arrive and the 3 of us will be getting things ready for the rest of the group.

Thursday, we will pick up 9 ladies from the airport and spend the afternoon at Simplici Tea's Tea Room and Lone Star Antique Mall in Watauga. Then we will head to Ruby Ellen's to see Deidra and Debbie and spend time shopping at her very cute, vintage clothing and boutique store.
Thursday evening we will have a nice dinner at the retreat. On the menu is homemade spinach/basil pesto with penne, salad, bread and cheesecake for dessert.

Friday, we will be headed to Canton for a day of shopping and fun with Cathy at Girls Gone Junkin and Jackie at Urban Gypsy Rags, just to name a couple.
Dinner will be fish en papillote, asparagus, salad and lemon tarts for dessert.

Saturday, will be filled with lovely projects by Molly Knox and Karen Hillman.
Lunch will be a boxed lunch with an egg salad sandwich, pound cake, angel food cake, fresh berries and sorority punch.
Dinner will be a down home Texas style BBQ with chicken, brisket, sausage, potato salad, baked beans, bread, triple berry cobbler and smores` fixings by camp fire.
During dinner we will have live entertainment by Wade Hawthorne.

Sunday, we will have a nice relaxing breakfast at the retreat before heading to Little Blue House where Tracy and Susan will teach a wonderful quilt project. We will have a boxed lunch with a chicken salad croissant, chips and cupcakes from Sugar and Frosting.
Sunday afternoon will be spent shopping at Southlake Town Center and afterwards a wonderful dinner at Trulucks.
That evening we will head to Oak Street Cottage and will be staying with Mrs. Mary Davis the wonderful Inn Keeper.

Monday will be a farewell departure for Karen and her beauties! Be watching for pictures and stories from our group on our web page under news and on FB.

Building Addition

Our Architect brought out the first set of plans yesterday. Let's just say it's back to the drawing board. There is a huge difference between women's and men's ideas.... With that being said, it's going to be at least another week before we know anything. So far the plans  look great, he added a HUGE kitchen/dining area, but only enough cropping room for 8 people at 4' tables... We told him we need cropping room for 16 people each to have 6' tables... He added 2 sleeping areas, 2 bathrooms, and a lot of storage along with a big porch.

Over dinner last night we sat and talked about what is needed and the things that he needs to change and we followed up with an email to him... Basic needs are; Cropping room for 16 with 6' tables, small kitchen area and dinning space, sleeping area for 8 people, 2 bathrooms (ADA), 36" doors. Easy enough, let's see what next week holds (while holding my breath)!

I don't know about all of you, but I am very excited to see what the plans are and what's in store for our future!

Until next weeks building addition news- keep cropping and have a GREAT week! 

Weddings, Receptions and Love

Good morning,

What a beautiful Saturday we are having at the retreat!

I am honored that a beautiful couple thinks our place would be a GREAT venue for a fall, country, vintage wedding. I will be giving this wonderful couple a tour of our place today.

We have been wanting to create a magical place for weddings/receptions and formal events. I have been compiling lots of ideas on Pinterest for  special events. I can't wait to hear their ideas and if they plan on setting a date.

I don't know about all of you, but I LOVE weddings! They are such a joyous occassion, bringing family and friends together to celebrate love.

We have had 2 weddings and a reception at our retreat and all were beautiful and fun in their own way. The most special was seeing my Mom marry her soul mate under the big tree in the front yard. It's hard to believe that Mom and John have been married almost 17 years. I love to watch them, it's like being in high school. There is nothing more romantic than seeing your parents kiss, hug and hold hands. They share a very special love that most only dream about. I am thankful to have them as reminder that fairy tales do come true!

Justin and I had our reception around the pool area with family and friends prior to our wedding. We were married on a cruise and wanted something relaxing and fun before the big day. It was also beautiful and very memorable. Like my Mom, I am very lucky to have fallen in love with my soul mate. Each day it's a reminder of God's plan. Sometimes things don't work out for reasons unknown to us/ but Thank God he knows what he's doing. This year will be our 4th wedding anniversary, it feels like yesterday!


Spring and Summer is definitely the wedding season! What special memories do you have of your big day? As we are approaching Valentines Day, remember that special person in your life.

Ready For Spring Time!

Spring reminds me of butterflies, light rain, fresh air, and all the beautiful flowers in bloom.

This time of year is when we start trimming back the Knock Out Roses that are all around our pool area. They are stunning from spring to fall. My Mom loves to landscape, plant new iris and work in her garden. I think it relaxes her to dig in the dirt (even though she has never said that).

I have been thinking about my new house and the garden area I want. Gardening has never been one of those things I have enjoyed, for most it's a labor of love. I can appreciate all the time spent in the garden, fertilizing, digging, trimming, watering, pulling weeds and grass, it's truly a LOT of work. I like to sit back when it's done and take in the beauty of it all. Over the last few years I have helped my Mom and it is very rewarding to see the end result.

At our retreat we are lucky to have enough space for our garden areas, whether it's the beautiful flowers my Mom likes to plant or the vegetable and herb garden. I love to pick fresh veggies each day for our guests and can't wait to get started this year, I am actualy looking forward to getting it planted.

I will also have a vegetable garden at my house and hoping to get started on it soon. We have a great raised bed in our new back yard which will be great! I cook for several families in my area, and I love to provide them with the freshest ingredient. There is nothing better than a home grown tomato!

I would love to hear about your spring time gardening and memories~ until then, happy digging!

Retreat Happenings

Good evening everyone,

I don't know about you all, but after a foggy, drizzly, blue kind of day.... I am ready for some sunshine and good ole` Texas heat! I love late spring and summer, hotter the better. I know most can't stand the heat, but this gal likes flip flops, shorts and lots of sunshine!


I am hoping come summer time we will have our  building addition completed! More craft room, full size bathroom and a massage room. We have been told it could take 3-4 months to complete. We are hoping if all goes well and we are able to complete this large task, that we will have an open house and pool side party this summer. It will be fun to have everyone out to spend the day, relaxing by the pool. I will probably even grill hot dogs and hamburgers or something. It would be a fun way to kick off the summer activities.

When I think about summer, it brings back lots of great childhood memories. It didn't seem so far away. Now that I am getting older and my daughter is half grown (stop, slow down) I wish for those easy summer days as a kid.. Nothing better than riding your bike all day, playing in the sprinkler, catching fire flies and eating popsicles. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

 Summer is a great time to catch up with family, friends and neighbors. It's always fun to slow down a bit and remember what is important to us. This year I want to make some summertime memories; my challenge to you all is this... Dance in the spring time rain, have a lemonade stand with your little ones, make old fashioned popsicles, play in the sprinkler, swing on a tire swing (if you have a tree to support one), plan a 4th of July pic nic, catch fire flies, go camping and just have good old fashioned fun! None of this costs much and you would be amazed how many kids never experience it. Make some memories and traditions, new and old.

We would love to help you make some memories~ Just a reminder the retreat isn't just for my talented crafty women.. I have lots of families that like to come out for a "staycation". We have a great pool for the family, hot tub, washers, darts and other outside games.

Until next time~ start thinking about your summer time memories and I hope they bring you lots of joy and happiness!

Retreat Happenings

Good morning,

Nothing like waking up refreshed and ready to go!

 I am at the retreat preparing for a wonderful and very talented group. This group does everything from scrapbooking traditional albums to more modern digital ones. Some sew, bead, play games, read and some to just relax! Mrs. Stevens is bringing  a couple of new ladies this weekend and I can't wait to meet them. It's always fun having new ladies join our groups.

I have made a cup of coffee and sitting here blogging away while my orange pound cake cools and awaiting my granola to finish baking. Mom baked my Great Aunt Velda's apple cake last night and I am getting ready to start mixing some cookie dough. Thinking chocolate chip cookie dough nestled into a brownie sounds good to me. Just found that recipe on Pinterest and thought I would give it a whirl. We will see how they turn out.

We have lots on the agenda for this weekend. I have a beautiful family coming out to take portraits tomorrow, nothing like cute country photos near an old well, tractor, barn or on the piped fence. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Then on Sunday our architect is coming and will step us through the building process and drawing up some plans for us. We are so excited and can't wait to see what he comes up with. Continue to say a few prayers that all is reasonable and we can add onto our crafting area. I know ya'll will love it as much as us!

Hope you all have a wonderful day~ Now back to the kitchen, UMMMMM the smells are heavenly!

Update on our new addition

Hello all,

We met with Justin the builder today. He is sending out his architect to draw up some plans for us. This should happen over the next couple of weeks. We should have a better idea of cost size ammentities and such.

Ladies~ Thank my Dad, John...... He is now saying we need 2 bathrooms out there, if we are going to dream big, well DREAM BIG I guess.. If all goes well this will be a 2 story addition with more cropping room downstairs with a sink, bathroom, snack and eating area. Upstairs will have a bathroom and more cropping and additional sleeping area if needed. Justin says it will take about 3 months to build.

I don't know about you, but I am excited to see what Justin and his crew come up with. We have told them we MUST have lots of natural light and tons of cam lighting vs florescent lighting.

More updates coming as I hear. Until then have a great week guys and get busy creating~

At the ranch

Hello everyone,

I am just getting started on blogging, so please be patient~ I can't wait to see all the new groups that are coming to stay with us in 2013!

We have lots of things on the horizon at Whitworth Ranch Retreat. We are meeting with our contractor, Justin to go over the details of adding on 1200 square feet to our current craft area. We hope if all goes well, this will be completed by Spring.

If you have not had a chance to visit our place, please come out anytime. I would be more than happy to do tours on Thursday or Sunday afternoons after my guests leave for the weekend.

We will be hosting a day by the pool this summer to all customers and friends. So, stay tuned for more details.

Signing off for now~ going to cook chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cream gravy and green beans.

Have a great week ya'll!

Stacy