::farm dogs run in shed::

My two giant breed dogs are outdoor dogs.  They occasionally come in for love sessions but they mostly run and protect our farm.  With that said, I love these dogs like my heart might explode.  They are both well designed to withstand extreme cold, but I worry.  So I talked Josh into creating a space in my greenhouse to be their winter retreat.  Our long term plan is to build an extension off our shed for the dogs, but we need something right now that is more significant than their large dog house.   

First thing we had to do was clean out this disaster area that had become my greenhouse.  I had Rosie in there for a few nights when she got spayed and she did some really great decorating.  

It is FREEZING right now here and the short kids are all on break.  So we forced them into cold gear and made them help.  

It's hard to really explain how gigantic these dogs are.  Pictures don't really capture the proportions of these guys. 

Gus met our new house dog today.  He thought she was pretty boring.  

All cleaned up and fence built!  See the green fabric flap in the back?  That leads out into their run.  Gus figured out the flap in about two minutes.  Rose just followed him.  

Cat have their food lifted to a higher level and some comfy beds added for them.  I'm hoping this gets the ducks to leave the cat food alone.  

Hay is all added and the happy meatballs are tucked in.  

::i needed a mantel::

This poor man gets to build my ideas all the time.  

He just wants to go hunting but I rope him in to all kinds of projects.  

I've never had a house with a fireplace and I really wanted one in this house.

Budget kicked that idea out.

But I locked my brain onto a faux mantel.  

I wanted it to match the concept of what is already in the house.

Here is the base he built.

I wanted the scale to not be too large but still fun to decorate.  

The top is a piece of salvaged wood that we got from my father.  

I finished the top with just satin wax and it really shows how pretty the wood is.   

Then I primed it. 

And did two coats of the same white paint as what is on the trim.   

I still plan to add some more things to the interior box area.  

Maybe another level of trim? 

Fake painted brick in the back?  

I'm not sure - but it is a great start.   

::getting the tree - a family affair::

Craft station

It was pointed out to me this year by Emma and Josh that I usually ditch them and get our tree when they are not home.  We made a point of picking a scheduled date to all get to go together this year. 

Since we have moved we tried out a new place this year.  Turns out the manager had babies that I LOVED and got to take care of when I was a nurse.  What a fun small world.  I hugged her so tight I about squeezed her head off.  

The littles and I got there early and had a meet and great with Santa.  

Josh and Emma met us and off we went on our tree hunt.

  

Piney Acres is a magical place.  I have a not so secret dream that if I hadn't been a Nurse Practitioner I would have tried to start a pumpkin patch/tree farm.  It's just so flipping cute and agri-fun.  Josh would not have been suited for the intense amount of socialization that would have taken, so it worked out best that we just have a hobby farm.  Still - every time we go to a place like this I try to talk one of the kids into why they need their own farm when they grow up.    

Quinn felt like a big stud for cutting down the tree.  

Our cozy little house looks very festive.  

::barn shop remodel::

When we first toured our farm it had two big selling points:
1.  The land was the right size/location and it was PRIVATE
2.  It had the most monsterously cool old barn

I'm not joking about the monstrous part of the barn.  It's around 12,000 square feet of really old barn.  It used to be a large working dairy farm, but about 25+ years ago it was sold to a family that wanted the barns for storage.  Eventually they turned the house into a rental - which is how it ended up in the state it was when we bought it.  The barn has a really awesome cement block area that was begging to be redone.  It has three rooms, one large main room and two side rooms.  I feel like with lots of work from Josh and encouragement from me - these rooms have become what a very sunny basement would be to most people.  A dude room, a study, and a studio. 

First Josh tore out the shop ceiling which was dying a slow death. 

He also removed the no longer functional furnace.  

This awesome old sink was in one of the side rooms.  We carefully removed in and are storing it for a future use that has yet to declare itself.  I thought about trying to use this in my kitchen but it didn't work.  

Now the side room is being used for storage, but at least its window has been repaired.  Eventually it will be turned into a study.  

The main room needed some major love.  

See the missing ceiling?

We painted it cubs blue and grey.  

Josh added in some awesome built in cabinets.  

Chairs from my dad, Josh's dad, and Josh's grandpa are providing seating from three very different eras.  

It looks a little like the three chairs in Goldie Locks.  

The other side of the main rooms shows what a hot mess ripping out the ceiling was.  

Raccoon poop and old insulation = facial mask.  

This is the main entrance into the largest room in the shop. 

Here is a picture of the ceiling joists being replaced.  

Starting to come along with new ceiling and paint.

And dressed up with floor paint and furniture.  

Phase one for this room is done. 

He is the corning of the third room in the shop.  

Look at all that amazing natural night.  

And here is that same corner after it was all fixed up and we talked Josh into giving it to Lily and I as our art studio.  

We quickly put in our supplies.

Including an old Mountain Dew bottle we found in the barn.  

LOOK AT THAT LIGHT!!!

It makes my hearty sing.  

This room is getting lots of use and will never be this clean again. 

::mudroom - salvaged cabinet::

This is a picture of one of the rooms in our barn from the first time we toured it.  See my cabinet across the back wall?  It had water dripping on it from a leaky roof and the bottom of it was eroding away to the point that it was only being held up by the open doors. 

Once I got the doors moving a little I started to really see how much potential this cabinet had. 

Josh got it out in the sun and I power washed it.  

 But I knew I was going to have to put some serious work into dealing with the spray paint.  

This was after some serious power washing. 

More power washing.   

And more work.  

Why did the paint so easily come off one side and not the other?

But I did finally get enough of the paint off the doors.  I never wanted it to look brand new, it has age and it should look it.   

Josh fixed the bottom of the cabinet and installed it.  

Here it is from the door as you walk in the house.   

The mudroom still needs lots more work but this cabinet gives us lots of storage.