Jenna

Skip the Skirt, Get a Box!

Published on December 18, 2015 by Jenna3 Comments

This year we tried something new with out Christmas tree. Instead of using a tree skirt to hide the base, we have a box. I saw someone selling these on the local buy/sell page and considered having the hubs make one but since they were selling for $40, which is about what the materials would cost we agreed that it was a better idea to just buy and leave the extra time for more important activities.

The box came unfinished, with the trim being 2×4 and the planks being cedar, probably fence pickets. Although that was pretty it felt a little to raw for me, so I gave it a quick rustic coat of white to play off the flocking on our tree. There is also a small hole drilled in the back for the power cord to go through, which works perfectly.

The hubs likes the look and Luna likes having a new hiding spot inside. I like that I’m no longer constantly fluffing the fur throws we used to use as a skirt! Although it’s one more thing to store, I’m glad we made the switch and can see us using it for years to come.

Farewell Bacardi

Published on December 17, 2015December 17, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Last week we sent our youngest fur baby, Bacardi over the Rainbow Bridge. It still hasn’t fully sunk in that she’s gone, even though we picked up her ashes and paw print last night. She had seemed fine, playing outside with her siblings and the dog we were watching for friends one day but the next she was lethargic, wobbly and wouldn’t eat. I had been gone most of the day doing holiday photo sessions and when I got home she crawled in my lap and just laid there. For a dog who had earned the nickname “wiggles” this was an obvious sign that something wasn’t right. When I started looking her over I noticed her eyes were extremely jaundiced and told the hubs to call the vet so we could take her in right away.

Once there blood work confirmed that the jaundice was caused by her liver not functioning correctly. They thought she must have ingested some type of toxin, but we couldn’t think of anything she could have gotten into that the other dogs wouldn’t have as well and no one else was sick. They started her on fluids and antibiotics to try to stabilize her systems and bring the liver back around. We agreed she would stay for treatment and we would head back home to our other fur babies for the evening. We had a quick visit with her before leaving to let her know that we would be back.

Back home, her siblings were confused that she hadn’t come back with us and kept looking at the door waiting for her to return. We tried to keep a normal routine for them, but they sensed that something wasn’t right. The vet called with an update late that night to say that the fluids were helping but she still could go either way. They told us no news overnight was good news and we made arrangements to come visit her early the next morning.

Just as I was finishing getting ready to leave the next morning we got a call from the vet, who told us Bacardi had started having seizures. We headed out together to see her in person and evaluate the options. When we arrived it was a difficult sight – they had her laid out on a blanket, in the same spot they had treated Sangria just two years prior. Her muscles were tense and her pupils were dilated but she did seem to respond when she heard us. The vet described the options for continued treatment but said that they only had a 5-10% chance of success and noted that it was likely that if they were she would still have neurological issues due to the seizures brought on by the buildup of toxins in her brain.

Although we wanted to give her every chance at a recovery, we didn’t want her to suffer if she wouldn’t improve so with the facts presented we made the decision. Now that repairing the liver wasn’t a concern, they administered a sedative to ease her tense muscles and gave us time to say our goodbyes. We told her we loved her and to find her sister Sangria when she got to the other side.

We were never able to figure out what caused her liver to stop working, but think that because she had been the runt of her litter perhaps she had always had an issue and we just didn’t know. Thankfully, the other dogs are healthy and seem to be accepting the change. Luckily they have each other to play with unlike when Sangria passed, leaving Tequila alone.

While her life with us was fairly short – she would have been two in February – it was a happy one. She knew she was much loved and had many adventures. Here are a few of my favorite memories of her time with us, starting with the day we brought her home.

Cute

Daddy

FlowerbedNap

BGrass

TioTruck

MirrorKRPUA

RideTrio

RideFanBoatWaves

Snow

This was the last picture I took of her, just a few weeks before when we were out scouting a new photo shoot location. She and her siblings had a grand time exploring the river and chasing each other around on the trails.

And until we see each other again, this is how I will imagine her. Warm and cozy by the fire, completely content and surrounded by her family. It will be hard to enjoy Christmas without her this year, but we know we will see her again and will ease our grief with the love of our other fur babies.

Fireplace

Taking a Break

Published on December 8, 2015 by Jenna1 Comment

Hey everyone. I know it’s been quiet here on the blog and that’s because real life has been a bit much recently. My day job has been extremely demanding over the last few weeks, I have numerous photography clients needing their holiday card photos, we’ve been working on several projects and yesterday we had to say goodbye to one of our fur babies after a sudden onset liver issue. So I’m making the choice to take a break for a bit. I’m going to focus on spending time with those I love and tackle only what is absolutely necessary for a while as we process how things have changed for our family. I’ll likely be back sometime next week and will share some of the projects we’ve been doing and some holiday decorating. Until then take a few minutes each day to appreciate your loved ones, whatever species they might be, because you truly never know when it might be your last opportunity to do so.

Craft Paper Roll Holder

Published on November 25, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Although it’s been quiet here on the blog it’s been crazy busy around our house recently. I’ve got multiple events going on at work, we’re preparing for the holidays, everyone wants family photos for their holiday cards and I’ve been crafting up inventory for a holiday bazaar this weekend. I’ll be sharing some of those projects once I have time to take photos and do some writing, but in the meantime I wanted to share a little project the hubs did for me recently. I keep a roll of craft paper around for projects and wrapping, so I wanted an efficient way to store it yet have it at the ready when needed.

The solution was a simple metal bar mounted just above the craft cart which can hold the roll. It consists of a flange, a short piece of pipe, a 90 degree elbow, a length of pipe and a finishing cap. The hubs put it all together and located a stud to secure it to so it’s super sturdy. Although I’d envisioned it positioned in the center of the cart, having it off to one side actually works because it provides a spot for my task light.

Since the end is open it’s easy to slide the roll on and off if I need to use it elsewhere or refill it. The industrial pipe ties in with the open shelving above the desk on the other side of the room and wasn’t too expensive to put together, which makes me like it even more. And it will come in very handy when I start wrapping Christmas presents soon! 🙂

Simple & Elegant Fall Centerpieces

Published on November 17, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Today I thought I’d share a simple centerpiece I created for a recent work event. I wanted something fall themed for this particular event, but hoped the elements I chose would pull double duty for our upcoming holiday party so it needed to be able to transition into winter.

The venue provided the silver lanterns, so I added a birch round, pinecone, pheasant feather and mini pumpkin to compliment. Some of the birch pieces were thicker than others so I set the lantern next to the birch for those so they didn’t impede the view of the presentation being given.

We also had some small signs on the tables with factoids about the subject matter, which we put in small silver place card holders. Although I can’t share the factoids, here’s a blank card to give you an idea of how they fit in with the centerpieces.

I was able to do all 7 tables for around $100 which was pretty minimal. They were just enough for this business luncheon event once the rest of the table was set, and next month I’ll reuse the pine cones, birch pieces and feathers for our “silver winter” themed holiday party! Low cost and multipurpose, that’s my kind of décor! 🙂

DIY Industrial Vintage Laundry Dry Rack

Published on November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 by Jenna5 Comments

Today I’m sharing another industrial pipe project the hubs recently did for me – a dry rack in the laundry room. I often have sweaters and tops that need to be dried flat, but since I don’t have a space to do that I usually hang those items on a folding dry rack over a vent in the adjacent dining room. Unfortunately the hubs like his jeans to air dry and are often occupying the folding rack when I need to dry sweaters so my solution was a permanent rack in the laundry room over the sink.

I originally asked for a bar straight across but the hubs determined that in order to get the best stability we’d have to place the bar higher than I originally thought so he created a small drop down in the design to compensate for the higher spot. Luckily, I’m pretty tall and can reach the hanger up to catch the rod with the hook easily, so the height is no problem for me.

As you can see I’ve already put it to good use. It does infringe on Luna’s eating space a bit, but I think she secretly likes hiding behind the clothes when the rack has several items on it and as long as she can see out the window she’s a happy camper and I’m happy to have a space that functions and looks awesome. Thanks honey! 🙂

Shared on Knick of Time’s Vintage Inspiration Party!

DIY Industrial Cart Bed

Published on November 10, 2015November 12, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Remember this cool metal cart I shared last month? Well the hubs has worked his magic and converted it to the coolest bed for our foster room! I don’t have step-by-step instructions since he worked on this while I was working on other projects, but you can see the basic design in the picture below.

He also built a trundle frame based on a plan I found on Pinterest that rolls right underneath so we have the ability to take in siblings if needed. Both the trundle and the bed are super sturdy so there’s no worries about having a kiddo and all of the dogs on there together, which I can envision happening.

Here it is all dressed! And because we went with a simple day bed style it should be simple and easy to teach kids how to make the bed and keep things tidy. It’s also a great new place for Luna to explore as you see below.

We still need to get a mattress for the trundle frame and figure out a desk and nightstand for either side of the bed, but I think this room is finally starting to come together!

Shared on Knick of Time’s Vintage Inspiration Party!

Don’t Mess with Momma Moose!

Published on November 5, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Hi there, remember me – that crazy gal who writes this blog? I’m still here, I’ve just been held hostage by real life recently and haven’t had a chance to share much the last few weeks. So here’s a quick recap. The hubs got pretty sick with a nasty head cold and cough that he still has yet to totally kick. I had to fly to the tiny town of Ketchikan, AK for a grand opening of a new branch last week and the day before I left I developed pink eye due to excessive congestion (similar to the hubs) that seeped into my tear ducts! This week it’s started snowing and I’m in the midst of a huge online and live charity auction at work and am finally – hopefully – kicking the congestion that’s been plaguing our house for the past three weeks. Somewhere in there we still managed to get several projects done and a couple more lined up, I just haven’t had time to edit photos and sit down to put words with them. But that will be coming soon. I promise. 🙂

In the meantime, today I thought I’d share a little encounter we had with the neighborhood moose recently. The hubs was off and had been home all day, but I had just gotten home from work. He told me that a momma moose and yearling had been hanging out around the back yard on and off during the afternoon and as I looked outside I saw they had returned so I grabbed my camera and stepped out on the back deck to get a few shots.

Now that I was outside, the dogs became fairly determined to let the moose know they were on guard duty. She wasn’t impressed and stood her ground on the back side of the fence.

When Stoli attempted to show some dominance by jumping and barking, she gave him a big snort and stomp as a warning, which he obviously ignored. Seeing that momma moose was agitated we commanded him to leave the fence and come back inside, which took several attempts because he wasn’t happy about leaving a threat near his turf unattended.

That was when Bacardi decided it was her turn on guard duty and started to patrol the perimeter.

Momma moose took one step and Bacardi quickly realized she was no match, and she came running back inside before we even had a chance to give her a command. Smart girl!

Momma moose continued to stand her ground for quite a while with occasional snorts in our direction, but eventually wandered off into the woods to find a quieter location to forage.

Typically the dogs barks keep the moose at a distance and we don’t have close encounters like this, but fall is their breeding season so I can understand why this momma was more defensive. Luckily we were home and able to monitor the situation so there was no physical contact between them. Now that the dogs have learned not all moose run off with a few barks, hopefully they’ve learned to keep their distance from the fence when they come in close like this – especially when we’re not home! It’s always a delicate balance of respecting the wildlife, knowing that we’ve claimed land they used to wander for our home and maintaining safety for both us and our pets as well as the wildlife that surround us, but it’s a balance we value highly and plan to continue. 🙂

The Struggle is Real

Published on October 14, 2015October 13, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

As the name of this blog implies our home is constantly filled with dust bunnies. It’s a daily struggle just to keep up, even with the addition of Roomba, who we run several times a week. Recently I noticed he was leaving behind little piles of fur on the edges of rugs but hadn’t signaled that he needed to be emptied. I knew he was probably nearing that point so I flipped him over to check and discovered that the fur was actually just collecting on and around the brushes rather than getting pushed into the dirt compartment; plus it had wound around the gears of the brushes as well!

I spent the next 10 minutes tediously digging the hair out of several little nooks and crannies in the brush compartment and behind the front wheel. It was amazing how much fur was stuffed inside – just look at the monster dust bunny it created on the floor as I pulled it out!

And that doesn’t include what was actually in the dirt compartment! This is the reality of a three dog + one cat home! But these goofy mugs and the love they give make it worth it, so we’ll continue to be the Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys household!

And if you wonder why I don’t mention cat toys in that moniker, it’s because she’s too dignified to have silly toys like those heathens. Instead she has things us humans bring home for her approval. Like baby carriages, boxes and small yet important parts of larger things, which she skillfully hides to test our hunting abilities. I’m sure she’s very discouraged by our lack of skill in that department! 🙂

DIY Measuring Cup Storage

Published on October 13, 2015October 25, 2015 by Jenna5 Comments

I’ve been meaning to do this project for some time now and finally checked it off the list this past weekend while the hubs was sleeping of a cold and I needed something quiet to work on. Our stacked measuring cups always seemed to be in the way in the cabinet, so I decided it was time they found a different home, one that didn’t cause extra effort when grabbing things in the cabinet. Since there was a little extra room on both sides of the spice rack the hubs installed on the pantry door and that’s often what we’re measuring with these cups I figured that was a logical spot for them. A few small hooks on either side of the spice rack was all I needed.

The hooks screwed right in, although I did create a pilot hole with a finishing nail and hammer to get things started. I placed each cup as I went so I could eyeball how much space to leave between it and the next.

Here’s how the first side looked a few minutes later. All but one of the set fit on this side.

So I put the remaining cup on the other side with our odd duck extra from an old set that is handy to keep around.

Unfortunately the way they were hanging you couldn’t see the measurements with out taking them off the hook. A metallic sharpie marker took care of that problem. We’ll see how well it holds up to the washer, but I’m thinking it should be ok since they will have plenty of time to cure and dry before they go in for a spin.

It might take a bit to get used to the sound they make as they sway against the wood when you open and close the pantry door, but I’m fine with that when it comes with improved organization. Simple, inexpensive and efficient. That’s my kind of project!

Shared on Tatertots & Jello’s Link Party Palooza.