Category: Chihuahuas

My Country Farmhouse – Getting my Reno Groove Back

It is SO easy to just sit around and be lazy. It’s cold out, there is snow every where, and nothing is open… Oh and my littlest dog J is 100% a snuggly lapdog which doesn’t help me at all. When he’s on me I just don’t want to move… just look at his face.

Since I suck at sitting still (getting better) I looked around the house at the small jobs that still needed to get done. Made a mini list – mostly in my head and got to work. These jobs were done with only the supplies I have in my house. I have not gone out for anything — yet.

Here are the jobs I’ve completed this past week:

In my master bedroom the closet is large enough to convert in to a walk-in. I moved all of the dressers from each bedroom one room counter clockwise. Leaving the little white dresser (will likely repaint it later on) into the master. This little dresser is small enough to fit in to the closet which means my makeup table can, for now, be moved to a full wall and not directly in front of the bay window. Once that was complete I realized I hated the floor which was a piece of vinyl floating over what I discovered is hardwood. Score!

  • Old blue floor
  • Hardwood floor

In the “sitting room” (original the kitchen) now wasted space/catch all room… the original cold air intake register was SO ugly. Big, bulky and brown. It stuck out into the room around 5″ which is where the table and chairs are set up. I found a picture of a converted grate DIY project and realized – I CAN DO THIS! I have a 1″ x 4″ and 1″ x 2″ pieces of wood, nail gun ,screws, paint and tools to get this job done right. I pulled the actual grate panels out of the old register and reused them for the DIY. Here are the before, during and after pictures. What do you think? Night and day right!

  • Before
  • During – Dry fit
  • During – painting
  • After

While I did the grate painting I went around the house and did some touch up painting. Two birds – one stone.

As I stood in the dining room looking at the walls and windows I realized I hated the dining room door still being white. It was a little sad and bland now that the rest of the house has been getting refreshes all over. I went down to the basement and found the Sherwin Williams – Alpaca can of paint used on the other interior doors throughout the house and started to paint. Two full coats and only a couple of hours later it was done. It adds a little more depth and richness to the space. It helps to carry your eyes around the room.

Before
After

I am back to work this week from Wednesday to Friday. So for now the little projects are again on hold. Only for a few days really.

Peanut update:

What I haven’t mentioned is that I got free dusty rose crushed velvet fabric to recover the benches in Peanut as well as some white fabric to make curtain panels for each of her windows. Did I mention it was FREE?

Here is an inspiration photo I found that I fell in love with for Peanut.

Source – Pinterest

Well that is all for now – until I get something equally as neat done.

🙂

My Country Farmhouse -The Holidays Have Arrived

FINALLLY!!! I thought this day would never come. I’m SO happy I will be off work for a bit but sad that our show (the movie I’ve been working on since August 21st) didn’t finish shooting as scheduled mid December and I will be back to work for a week or so in the new year. I know some of you are saying “stop complaining, you still have a job” and YES I am thankful for that. I’m just SO exhausted.

As many of you now I work in the Toronto Film Industry. Our industry had been given the green light to get back to work in early August. With strict protocols in place each show one-by-one began prepping and soon after shooting. I had my first Covid test Friday August 21st and started working Monday August 24th. And I have been full steam ahead since. Since that time I have had 22 Covid tests, worn a masks every single day with no complaints and if I am on set used safety glasses as well. All for my and our crews safety.

Covid Passport – All my tests tracked (minus my very first test – before it was implemented)

It has been a long journey with some bumps along the way. But we in a small way have nearly made it to the end.

And So begins my Christmas Holidays. This year I did things a little bit differently. Usually I bake 12 – 14 recipes just before Christmas Eve, however, this year I decided to buy homemade cookies, squares, fudge and other fancy little items from local small bakeries to help support them and keep them in business. You cannot be disappointed by any of the baked goods you get at a bakery. YUM! I will be baking two of my absolute favorite recipes (chocolate peanut butter marshmallow squares and rice krispie squares) that everyone looks forward to once a year.

I did finish Christmas shopping a couple weeks ago. Some online and a few items in store. This year will be a quiet low key Christmas with items that family members can use over the upcoming (December 26) Province wide lock down which will be about a month long. For my babies (dogs) I got them adorable little sweaters with a hood that has little ears on them. A pink one for Chaya and a light grey for Lil’man J. Pictures will be shared after Christmas.

I did some more decorating (forgot to take pictures) mostly added strings of cards and pictures to the living room , twinkle lights in the kitchen and found my Santa Cookie Jar. Unfortunately a string of lights went out on the roof line and so I replaced it with a spare set I held back for emergencies (who knew I’d actually need it?).

Christmas will look very different for most this year. I’m sure some of you will be doing a Zoom or FaceTime style Christmas dinner with family as you eat your turkey dinners. Others may only be celebrating with immediate family (household only) and of course there will be some that will visit family members from other households. Whatever it is you choose – BE SAFE.

From my little family to yours – We wish everyone the Merriest of Christmas’ and the Happiest New Year!