The Thanksgiving Surprise Part 2

I have had a few questions about my parents' ranch house and what we call the bunk house. The bunk house kind of turned out to be more than just a place with extra beds. I guess if you are going to do something you may as well do it right. The houses are pre-fab homes and you pick a few things here and there and wah-laaa. Or something like that. I am sure that my mom would say that I made it sound way more simple than it is really is! But we are grateful that they have the opportunity to create this get away for our family. And like a few of you mentioned - the kitchen in the bunk house is bigger than my kitchen. For reals. :)

We were hit with a furious wind storm this past week. As I made my way to work the freeway was a site that I hope to never see again. I passed seven semis that had been blown over. The shoulders of the freeway were lined with semis who dared no longer continue driving but tried to take cover. I saw emergency crews scrambling to help those in need. The winds rattled my SUV and I felt like I was being tossed about. I did not know if I should continue or turn around and go back home. I called my Dad who I figured was driving at the same time and he told me that I had about another two mile stretch and then things would die down. Once I got to work I checked with family members to learn of power outages and closures of schools. I warned everyone to stay home if they could because the dangers of the weather were not worth a trip. That evening as I drove home the winds had died down and the damage was revealed. I drove past downed fences. I witnessed huge pine trees at the golf course virtually laying down - sometimes three to four in a row. I saw broken windows, displaced garbage cans, broken branches, chimneys on lawns and homes ripped down to plywood. We have been told to brace for another wind storm tonight with perhaps snow. I hope all those in the Davis County area are safe and prepared for what the night and morning brings.

The Thanksgiving Surprise Part 1

Just before Thanksgiving I mentioned that our family was heading up to my parents' ranch house for the holiday. We were all anxious to see the new barn that was built. Well we were in for a much bigger surprise than just the barn. My family was the first to arrive. As we rounded the corner I could see the lights from the ranch house and the big spotlight on The Barn. As I looked closer my mind was trying to make sense of what my eyes were seeing. There just seemed to be extra lights. Lots of extra lights. The bunk house that my parents were going to put in next summer ... well they decided to go ahead and get it done for Thanksgiving and not tell any of us! One thing I need to mention and clarify is my parents live in Utah but they have built a ranch house for the family as a great get away in Idaho. They are not at the ranch house full time much to my father's chagrin.

Anywho my parents were very excited for our arrival and we got the first tour plus we got to see everyone's reaction once they arrived. The new bunk house includes five additional bedrooms, three more bathrooms, another kitchen with a huge island, a washroom, and of course a family room area. Check it out.

Does this Josephine dresser look familiar? I had no idea when my mom wanted this refinished where it was going. It was so fun to see her pull in a few Frosted Gardner pieces!

More to come . . .

Book Page Christmas Trees

We have been doing a little bit of Christmas decorating around here. It is always fun to get out the Christmas boxes because there are little items you have collected over the years that have been forgotten until the lids are pulled off. Faith had so much fun going through nearly every box! I made these book page Christmas trees last year but opted to put a little handmade garland around each of them this year. Each garland is a bit different and some are hardly noticeable but I like the simplicity of the look. I did a tutorial on the trees which can be found under our December 7, 2010 Studio 5 segment on the right side bar if anyone is interested in making a set of their own. I hope that you are enjoying the start of your holiday season!!!

The New Barn

I mentioned earlier this week that we were heading up to my parent's ranch house for the Thanksgiving holiday. I was excited to see their new barn and after talking to my mom I knew that my Dad was anxious for all of us to get up there as well! Little did I know that we were all in for a HUGE surprise. It was one of those things that I thought are my eyes really seeing what they are seeing? Are we at the wrong place? I will be sharing all of the details in the next couple of days.

So back to the red barn. Did you see what it was named? Hard to miss I know. "The Barn". It is what it is, right? As we pulled up the dirt road the barn was all lit up and my dad had a portable heater warming up the place so the boys could play a game of basketball. There is a hoop as you walk in and they plan to put to trampoline in there for the little kids.

Aside from the surprises we had a wonderful holiday with the family. We ate lots of great eats and laughed and chased little kids and even broke up a few fights of "she has my doll" and "I want that Ariel". The boys played X-box and we watched a bit of football. We caught up on the happenings of each family and in between all of this we ate some more. You know how it goes.

Hope you are all enjoying your holiday weekend!

The Ole Pie Hutch - Before & After

What better way to head into the Thanksgiving weekend than with this cute little pie hutch. It has an extra tight latch for very safe keeping! It has the punctured holes at the back so that all of the lovely aroma makes its way to each of our noses. Okay, okay the holes are functional as well. They allow the moisture and heat to escape as the pies are cooling. I can see it now . . . apple, cherry tart, peach, and maybe rhubarb pies all nestled in this little cabinet. It is a sweet little thing and it sure looks pur-dey in white.

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

The Curly Wreath

Faith wanted a wreath for her bedroom door so we came up with this one. So many wreaths require glue guns but that just does not work for a four year old. We did this by using masking paper and book pages and ripping them into strips. We then curled them around a pencil. While I used the glue gun Faith was able to curl her own strips and tape them on so it worked out perfectly. Here it is hanging from her door and greeting all who walk by. Super easy and not too time consuming which is a big factor around here!

The Clementine Dresser - Custom Refinish Before & After

My parents were spending a weekend up in Park City and walked into a consignment shop and spotted this little wash stand. My mom has started gathering pieces in hopes that next summer they will be able to put in a bunk house next to the ranch house. The family has grown so much we just need more room. She opted for this green color that compliments her taste of colors that tend to be more on the rich side. Perhaps this will sit between a couple of twin beds or maybe as a nightstand in another bedroom. I think that the original hardware keeps the vintage look and feel and I always adore pieces sitting up on little legs.

Happy Wednesday!