Here we go!

Many of you may recall my New Years Resolutions' about a month ago.  If not, you can catch up on it here.  

To get a kick start on some of these items, I used my sweet persuasion skills to convince my best friends that what I wanted most in the whole world is a window framing lesson.  So when my Birthday came around last Monday, they came by with a 6-pack of hard apple cider (Did I mention they are my best friends?).

Off to our favorite Ace Hardware store to pick out some trim and buy supplies.  About a $100 later and a cart full of goodies we were ready to get started!

First, a "Before" pic:

And now an "In Progress":

And TA DA!

.....

Just kidding! We didn't finish that night.  Hey, I never said we were perfect!  

This was our learning curve window and some of the trim was cut too short and Ace had already closed for the evening.  Don't worry, I promise I will post a picture of it once we have it all completed.

Not to be discouraged, we decided to start Item # 8 on my list: remove the wood paneling from the wall in the living room.   The tricky part about this item is that I wanted to preserve the wood mantle in front of the fireplace.  

This is where I got a little scared.  Out comes the circular saw!  The plan was to cut just around the mantle and remove it carefully.  Then, we could pop the wood paneling pieces carefully from the mantle.  

It was loud!  And it made the room smell like burning wood.  Not to mention that sawdust went flying every where! 

"SW SW SW SW SW SW SW SW!!"

Look at how thick that paneling is!  Nice stuff, eh?  Hopefully it doesn't come back in style in about 10 years.

And now!

So where do we go from here?  We will continue removing the panels, baseboard, and molding.  Set some structural bracing for a TV over the fireplace.  Then run some electrical and low-voltage wires for the TV while the walls are open.  Last, we will sheetrock, tape, paint, and add some moulding.  We may or may not add some granite tiles over the brick.  We'll see how our pocketbooks feel when we get there. 

But the best part came at the end, when we found the treasures behind the mantle.  These are the little bonuses you get when you buy an old home.

A nail file, a button back, a fishing hook, and a business card

But the best treasure was this one.

This picture is dated 1954 a few years after our house was built.

Now, how cool is that?

Birthday Present

WOW!  What a wonderful holiday weekend!  Not only did we get a day off, but it also happened to land on my B-day.  Happy 29th Birthday to me!  And what did I get for my B-day?  The best thing ever, a new camera!
Now I can pretend I am photographer and take pics like these of our property:

Our Red Barn

I just happen to find this little hidden gem the other day

Miss Butters

Missing her Goat Momma... aka Kevin

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I enjoyed taking them.  I think I will do one more post by the end of the week.  I am on a roll!

Love is in the Air

This is the time of year when every one takes a moment to tell that special person how they feel.  It doesn't matter if you've been together a week, 5 years, or 75 years that buzz of romance can be felt pulsing through air.  This weekend we had the honor of being invited to our good friends, David and Nancy's wedding in Mendocino, CA. There was something about the beautiful setting of the Mendocino coast that made you feel love like an electric current.  And for some reason, that Tom Jones song was playing on repeat in my head throughout the weekend: 

"Love is in the air everywhere I look around, 

Love is in the air every sight and every sound .... 

Love is in the air, in the whisper of the trees, 

Love is in the air in the thunder of the sea... 

And I don't know if I'm being foolish 

I don't know if I'm being wise  

But it's something that I must believe in 

And it's there when I look in your eyes." 

-Songwriters: PENNINGTON/LEMAIRE

Here are some pictures of the some happy couples feeling the love!

And now the Groom!

And the Bride walking in with her Father!

Everyone here at Blue Antler Farm is feeling the love and wants every one to have a wonderful Valentines' Day.  Reach out and tell someone you love them!

New Years' Resolutions

Hi All!

Sorry I have been gone for so long, sometimes life gets ahead of you and it takes some time to catch up.  Due to some financial restrictions there hasn't been too much DIY at the house.  But that doesn't mean we haven't been busy! Since I last wrote to you all both Harley and Ellie have had surgery to remove some unwanted items, the goats have both had their copper bolus, the tree house has fallen down, and Harley has gotten skunked.  Our first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years has come and gone.  And we continue to plan crazy new ideas for 2013.

So here is my list of New Year's Resolutions... Don't laugh at me because it is February, like I said we have been busy!

1. I want to put up a blog post every week.  Even if it is just to say hi, I want to connect with you guys and let you know what we are planning.
2. I will finally get those hyper links to work at the top of the blog.  Someone please send over an IT genius because I really have no idea how to do it.
3. I am hoping we have the land on our property clear of all brush, debris, and fallen tree houses by Spring.
4. Chicken coop and at least 6 chickens.
5. I hope to of at least have found a stud for one of the goats and to have our First Freshener by early 2014.
6. Finally finish painting the interior of the house (includes removing chicken wallpaper from the kitchen).
7. I plan to put new trim around all the windows and doors, new baseboards, and crown molding in the house.
8. I would also like the wood paneling in the living room removed.
9. Some new living room furniture would be nice!
10. Last but certainly not least, I hope to have a summer vegetable garden and actually eat from it!

I know this is a pretty ambitious list, but let's see where we are at next January (February) 2014!

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

~Blue Antler Farm