I Love Online Auctions

I've had amazing luck in 2014 with online auctions. Often downsizing or estate sales, these auctions are an amazing way to find an ecletic array of vintage and antique goods! And they're addictive. My first purchase was an assorted lot of teacups for our wedding favours. I got them for a steal. My second purchase, which I picked up Friday afternoon, were two items from a flea market that I frequent often.

Vintage Hobnail Milk Glass Light Fixtures

I snapped this pic in the back of my car. How gorgeous are these lamps? I'm officially obsessed with milk glass! They're in good working order and simply need a shade and a bulb. I went out looking for shades last night but didn't have any luck at Homesense or Home Outfitters they seem to only sell the whole lamp. I'm going to try Lowes tonight. I was thinking of a simple black shade... what colour or type of lamp shade would you put on these babies?

Five Antique Porcelain Door Knobs & 1 Antique Glass Door Knob

I'm using these antique door knobs as place holders for the wedding. I already have someand jumped when I saw these on the online auction! It's a cute little DIY that I will post on the blog once I've collected more knobs. Considering what I spent on the glass knobs I purchased for our  these were amazingly priced with my high bid of $29 for the lot. They also threw in two enamel style dishes (pictured below the knobs). Not sure what I will do with them yet but they're kind of cool!

Advice on Using Online Auctions

• Wait to bid: getting into a bidding war on something you really want with five days remaining will just drive the final bid price up. I only bid on the last day of the auction so I have a clearer idea of what the final price is going to be. Don't get excited when you find an amazing piece for $2 on day one. It won't last! That said...
• Go for the deals: Sometimes things do go for ridiculously low prices. I find this especially happens with mid-low range art. I've seen it go for $2-3 on the final day of bidding. Keep an eye out for nice frames even if the art isn't totally to your taste. Sort the items from low to high to control yourself from looking at that gorgeous harvest table that is already at $300.
• Decide how much you want to spend: when you see an item you want, whether it's an old steamer trunk, a vintage typewriter or a piece of art, decide what the most you'll pay for it is up front. Do some comparisons on ebay or kijiji to see what it might be worth. Don't overspend! It's easy to get pulled in to a bidding war and end up over paying for something you didn't even want before you opened up the auction.

Most importantly have fun! Let me know what amazing finds you've found on online auctions I'd love to hear your thrifting story.

The Old Bathroom

Finally, finally, finally after months of hard work (on my bf's part not mine) and patience the old bathroom is GONE. No more teal and black tile, no more weird shutter cupboards, no more ugly lighting, old mirror, outdated vanity, scummy tub or old toilet. Can you believe a family with four kids used this bathroom as their only full bath? They were troopers! I could not be more excited to see the bathroom completely cleared out. I'm still going to do a room tour of the sparkly NEW bathroom but there are a few finishing touches I am hoping to complete first so that you can have the full experience.

BEFORE

BEFORE

"AFTER"

Originally, the plan was to convert the old bathroom into a main floor laundry room. Our plan to put in a patio door and build a deck off the back is still going to happen however when it came down to measurements and practicality this room is simply too small to be a functioning laundry room. There was no way to position the machines and have the door without being cramped. So we scrapped the laundry room and kept our dreams of a patio alive! Taking the wall down actually opens up the space and makes the odd main floor layout a little more spacious and open. We're going to treat it like a mudroom to out back with some bench seating and space to hang jackets and store clothes.

What would you do with this space?

Planning the Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill wedding fundraisers seem to be one aspect of a wedding that create quite a bit of controversy among guests. Some people hate them with a passion! They see them as a "money grab" and one more thing that they have to cash out for (in addition to presents, outfits, babysitters etc.). While I agree that couples shouldn't PROFIT off of their wedding, I think that Jack & Jill's can be fun and cost party-goers no more (in reality probably less) than a night out on the town or dinner at a nice restaurant. Why not spend Saturday night helping out the bride & groom if you're going to go out and do something anyway? Again, in moderation: a couple I know had a Jack and Jill despite having the wedding PAID for by their parents and simply pocketed the cash from the Jack & Jill. In my opinion that is wrong but throwing one to help pay for your wedding is totally okay! In many cases young couples really need that extra money to front the bills. I've been to a couple and for any friends whose party I couldn't attend I bought a ticket to support them anyway. I think they're fun and don't cost any individual person too much.

We're throwing our Jack & Jill in June. Interestingly, I couldn't find many tutorials or blogs on the internet so I've decided to write my own.

My Dream Jack & Jill

My dream Jack & Jill would have been a party outside, preferably on a friend's farm or in a backyard, where we could sell alcohol ourselves, have a BBQ and serve delicious homemade food. Good music, great weather and all of our friends would be there. I think this would have been the best profit margin if we had the perfect place to host it with a pre-existing sheltered area. Unfortunately, we don't have such a place to use and to rent one or rent a tent for a backyard would have been far too expensive. (Tent rental = up to $2K in our area).  Plus, we would have had to pay for additional things like tables & chairs, either a DJ or a sound system, portable outhouses ... it adds up quickly and suddenly becomes almost like the wedding! Sadly, we realized an outdoor party wasn't the best way to make money.

The Reality

So, my dreams are not going to come true for the Jack & Jill. My bridesmaid who took event planning in school reassured me that they were taught that outdoor events are often way more expensive than indoor ones. Plus, we're having my dream wedding at the most amazing outdoor venue I could ever imagine so I decided I could take a loss on this one. That left us with the question: where else could we host the party? A country legion or hall is just about my worst nightmare. It's too country for me; they just aren't my style of party at all. I want something a little more chic and trendy. So we compromised by finding a hall type venue in town.

The Venue

• Must be cost efficient (the average rate was $300 in our area for a hall-type space)
• Must have a cash bar with enough bar tenders to keep party go-ers happy
• Must have room for fun & games and a dance floor
• Must either have reasonably priced food or allow you to bring in your own
• Must allow you to stay until a decent hour
• It's a bonus if... they have a sound system that allows you to plug in an ipod save on the cost of a DJ for the night

We crunched the numbers on a couple venues before deciding on one. The cheapest venue that was in the best location ended up wanting us to be packed up and out by 12 a.m. (way too early!) and didn't have a sound system for us to plug into. We decided early on to save on the price of a DJ by creating an awesome playlist for the night and simply plugging an ipod into a sound system. We assumed that halls would have such a thing already set up.

The venue we chose is a local curling club that was built within the past five years so it's totally new and up-to-date. The room is very nice looking, has a big bar with two bartenders for the night, room for 200 guests, tables and chairs set up, a sound system to plug in to and we can party until 2 a.m.! We're thrilled.

Pick a Theme

A theme makes it much easier to pull everything together. Popular party themes include Hawaiian/Beach Party, Carnival/Circus, 80s/neon, etc. etc.

We are going with a 90s theme as per my event planning bridesmaid's suggestion. We grew up in the 90s so it's the perfect decade to celebrate. Once we started throwing ideas around there were endless game and decorating ideas to go with it. Other themes seemed tired and over-done but this one spoke to us.

Games

Games are run by the bridal party. They should be fun and cheap enough for people to want to play. I've been to a country J&J where we did minnow racing and log chopping. For our 90s theme we're thinking:

• Beanie Baby Toss
• Pogs Tournament
• Battleship Station
• MASH
• Kareoke 
• Board Games

We will also do the usual games like toonie toss and goldfish insurance. 

Food

Food should be free for guests. We are going to serve something easy and affordable like pizza! The rest of the food will tie into our theme:

•  90s Candy Station: baby pops, rockets, popeyes....
• Cupcakes decorated like a 90s show like Pokemon
• Crazy Straws for drinks
• Soup Nazi soup station (I love Seinfeld!)

This is what we've planned so far. We still have two months to do the final planning. Do you have any awesome 90s themed ideas? Comment or tweet me I'd love to hear them! 

Spring Chickens: Part II

My Spring List

Welcome to Part II of my Spring Chicken Keeping Post! If you didn't read Part I you can click here.

I've got a pretty good understanding of the chicken keeping basics. It's been less than a year and I've figured out a lot. My goal for this spring is to make my chicken's lives even better.  I was thrilled to be able to finally  put the girls outside yesterday. When I left in the morning they hadn't worked up the nerve to venture out yet but when I arrived home all twelve of them were happily enjoying the "warm" weather (is 8 degrees Celsius really considered warm this year?) and sunshine. 

A Couple of our Girls Hanging Out

Now that spring is almost  here I want to make some changes and upgrades to our coop.

Dust Bath Upgrade: Chickens love to take dust baths and it's great for them! Our outdoor area is a dusty space which we filled with mulch from trees we cut down on our property last spring before the chickens arrived. I spent an entire day "prepping" their outdoor space.  Last summer, the hens made their own dust bath spots in the ground. This year, I would like to make a special dust bath for them. I have decided to fill my dust bath with sand. There are many options for what to fill the tub with and a simple google search will show you there are strong opinions about it. You will often hear about using food grade diatomaceous earth (DE). I have decided to avoid DE for now since it's recommended that people wear masks when dealing with DE I can't see how it's okay for the hen's respiratory systems, either.If anyone has any information on this I'd love your input! :)

Up-cycled Dog Bed becomes a Dust Bath
Source: Inside the Chicken Coop

This is the type of basin I want to use!
Source: Little Farm in the Big City

A Ladder: Although my hens have tons of roosting spots there is something so cute about chickens hanging out on a ladder! It would provide them with more roosting spots and  some great photo ops. I have always wanted an outdoor ladder but since we haven't enclosed the top of our coop it might act as an easy escape route. For now, an interior ladder is on my spring list.

Source: Pinterest

An Exterior Light: Whether it's a solar light or actually hooked up to electricity it would be nice to have a light source at the coop. Our coop is closer to the back of our yard and it gets a little dark on my walk down sometimes. I always get the girls in before dark in the summer however in the winter it would have been really nice (luxurious, even) to have some light down at the coop!  I love the two luxury coops pictured below and the hanging lights are perfect!

Source: Urban Garden

Source: The Art of Doing Stuff

Improve the Exterior: For "Year One" the outdoor yard and interior coop were the priorities. Installing the run, electricity and water went way over our original concept of what keeping chickens would cost us. This year I can have a little more fun with the exterior and decor. First thing I want to do is power wash the exterior and paint it. There are brackets for hanging baskets and I'd love to get some flowers outside this year. There are "flower beds" on the front and side of the coop that were a hot mess of bushes and weeds last year. I'd also love to order a cute sign off of Etsy for the coop.

I love the black hardware on the chicken coop below! I also love the rustic charm of the second pictured coop. Maybe I can add some rustic touches to mine.. the shutters and hanging star are super cool and trendy.

Source: Tracy Porter

Have you noticed that when you search Chicken Coop on Pinterest every coop is a glamorous, impeccably clean mini-mansion? If i've learned one thing about chickens this year it's that they are dirty. They poop everywhere. I don't understand how people let them in their houses? They look adorable but where is all of the chicken poop? Probably just outside of the photograph. As much as I want to make improvements I want them to benefit the chickens more than me. They don't care about gallery walls or couches in their coop; they like being outside and pecking at bugs. I'll try not to forget that as I get caught up in pictures of luxury coops that belong in the Hamptons. :) If you want to see some of these over-the-top coops check out my Chicken Keeping board on Pinterest! I pin everything from chandeliers to coops with seating. Oh, I also pin informative and helpful chicken related articles too.

Spring Chicken: Part I

Part I of my Spring Chicken post is going to be about general chicken keeping. What I do, what i've learned and what websites are good references on the web. Part II will chronicle my To-Do List that is meant to make my gal's lives even better come spring.

I've dedicated myself to being an informed and responsible chicken keeper. My grandfather studied poultry at an Agricultural College before going on to Teacher's College and rasied chickens his entire life. I find it sad that I'm raising hens now that he's gone because I have so many questions I wish I had asked him. It is nice to keep one of his passions alive, though, and I feel like it connects me to my farming roots. I wish I had paid more attention when I was a kid on the farm but when we did chores together I was always caring for the ponies and missed out valuable poultry lessons. My grandfather primarily raised Buff Orpingtons however he always had a variety of other fowl around the farm including peacocks, ducks etc.

As I've said before, it's been a long winter for both the chickens and myself. Keeping chickens in the winter is a lot harder than I expected. My hens are a group of spoiled, fair-weather gals who love to be outside and probably would have prefered to move down south this winter (but hey, so would I). This winter has been extreme both in temperature and conditions; constant cold, blizzards, freezing rain, hail.... you name it we've had it. It feels like it's never going to end! The gals have been inside since early November. They are bored, bored, bored! I did open up the coop for them on two mild days but they simply popped their heads out and went back inside. Next week is supposed to be mild so I am looking forward to letting them back outside during the day.

The Girls say NO to Snow and head back inside.

The Winter Coop: We bought our house a year and a half ago and luckily there was the added bonus of a lovely chicken coop in move-in-ready condition. Before we got the hens I used the coop as a garden shed. It's spacious and bright with floor to ceiling windows on one side, nesting boxes and plenty of roosts. There is a trap door to the outside but we built our own enclosure... the previous owners either took theirs down or had free-range hens. The coop is insulated and has excellent ventilation. We added electricity for the winter and have a heat lamp for them. When the weather gets a little warmer I will start turning it off and letting them outside during the day. We also ran water down to the coop but decided to wait until spring to get that fully functioning so that is something else I am looking forward to!

Keeping Chickens : The Basics 

I have learned a lot about keeping chickens this year but I know that I am far from a poultry expert. I have some serious to-do's to tackle in order to make the lives of my girls even better come spring. I will share a few of the basics for new chicken-keepers before getting into the "Spring List". The blog  Life at Cobble Hill Farm has an excellent section on Chicken Keeping which is a great reference. I also visit Fresh Eggs Daily and Backyard Chickens frequently for information and insights. I do not consider myself an expert however am more than happy to share my experiences thus far.

Feed

I feed a quality laying mash which I purchase locally. As Staci from Life at Cobble Hill Farm says, "if you feed a balanced feed, you shouldn't have to worry about many of the supplements {i.e. vitamins, immune boosters, etc.}". (Supplementing Your Chicken's Diet). I have recently discovered  "scratch grain" which is not sufficient in protein but is often fed as a treat and am hoping to pick up a bag to try out on the girls.

Water 

Fresh water, always. I have a heated water-er in the winter and a pretty standard one in the summer that stays cleaner and holds more water.

Apple Cider Vinegar 

Add 1-2 tbsp.s per 1 gallon of water. ACV promotes health and supports a chicken's immune system. ACV is full of vitamins and minerals and is an antiseptic. Note: unpasteurised ACV is available in large quantities at tack and feed stores. Please see this link for more information: Poultry Keeper. Poultry Keeper's recommendation is to add ACV to the water for the first week of every month not daily. (The Devils Advocate: another blog claims that the recommendation to put ACV in water on the internet is "grossly exaggerated" and points out that there is very little research that actually proves the benefits of ACV in water. See the blog here: Chicken Waterer Blog. I read the article and I'm not deterred from using ACV. It's always better to be informed though, right?)

Oyster Shells

Can be purchased from your local tack or feed store and act as a calcium supplement. I used to just throw the shells down for them to pick at but have more recently been feeding it to them in a separate feeder. I find they poop in it but recently read the suggestion of positioning it under a hanging feeder to protect from droppings... might have to try this! Otherwise I will have to raise it up.

Grit

I don't worry about grit because the girls have access to the ground/dirt and pick up stone on their own (except in the winter of course). Grit is available at the feed or tack store.

Treats

Our chickens are our new composting system. They love our leftovers and I actually grow veggies in the garden specifically for them. When they see me picking tomatoes on my way to the coop they go nuts! They've actually started jumping up in the air when they see me coming with my treat basket. Treat should be just that, though, a treat. The chickens should never consume more 'treats' than food. Here is a list of treats to feed and treats to avoid: Chicken Treat Chart.

Have any helpful hints for me and other chicken keepers? Feel free to share them here. I will post Part II tomorrow :)

Why I'm Excited for Spring

One of my absolute favourite blogs is Life at Cobble Hill Farm. If you haven't checked it out you really should. Staci blogs about homesteading, raising chickens, cooking, making soap... I can't even list all of the amazing things she does. I admire her approach to living simply and enjoying animals, food and life! Plus, she has two adorable Frenchies. Staci recently posted a blog entitled

20 Things I Look Forward To Doing This Spring and it got me thinking and planning for spring. I decided to make my own list of reasons why I'm excited for spring. In yoga last week we set an intention for spring hoping that our energy could help coax spring along. Unfortunately, it snowed the next day. Today is -10 (Celsius) here and spring doesn't feel any closer than it did two weeks ago.

Source: We Heart It

I've always been a lister. Listing helps me get organized, gets me excited for upcoming events and has been integral to packing for trips and moves. I've made a "Summer List" every year since I was in highschool but this is my first spring list. I don't think i've ever had to make a spring list before -  normally spring feels like it's on it's way by March 26th - but not this year!

Spring List

1. Longer Evenings: I love when the sun stays out longer. It feels like we get longer days.This has already started happening however, I find because of the cold weather it isn't enjoyable the way it is on a spring evening.
2. Spring Flowers: I planted a "spring bed" last fall. 200 bulbs. I planted mainly tulips and hyacinths however I included a few crocuses as well. I cannot wait to see what comes up and how the bed looks.
3. Dog Walks: Harley and I have had a seriously limited walking route this winter. Between snowed in trails, icy paths and sub-zero temperatures we have cut back on our walking routine. I cannot wait to get my hunter boots on and start exploring all of our old haunts and as many new trails as possible when the weather turns!
4. Sitting Out: We installed a new second storey front porch last summer. I can't wait until it's no longer covered in snow and we can eat out dinner outdoors again!
   
5. Planting the Veggie Garden: Last year was my first year with a veggie garden. I loved every minute of it. Cucumbers and tomatoes were my favourite. The chickens were in heaven with all of the fresh produce treats they could want! This year we'll try a few new veggies and remember our favourites from last year!
6. Planting Planters: I love planters and hanging baskets. I can't wait to choose what I'm going to plant this year! Last year I enjoyed mixed planters and a couple of strictly geranium planters on my front porch. This year I am testing out two planters with hyacinth bulbs that have stayed out all winter... will they bloom?
7. Cute Sandals: It always amazes me how quickly we get to start wearing sandals. I've already bought a super cute pair of leather bottomed pink strapped flip flops.
8. Letting the Chickens Out: It's been a long winter for the chickens. It's been a long winter for a first-time chicken owner, too. They were so happy all summer and fall... they love being outside but ever since I shut them inside they've been bored, bored, bored! At this point they haven't been out since November because of the extreme weather. I did open the doors for them on two mild days and they popped their heads out but quickly went back inside. I know they will be thrilled to get back to scratching in the dirt and eating bugs in the sunshine!
9. Cottaging: I love our family cottage. It's my safe place and my happy place. Our cottage is on a huge acreage on the lake and is truly simple: no tv, no internet, just hammocks and the screened in porch for napping, books for reading and the dock for lounging. I can't wait to get back there.
10.  Driving with the Windows Down: I love the feel of the breeze while I'm driving on the country roads!
11. Screen Doors: Just like the windows down, I also love letting the breeze come into the house through our screen door. There is nothing better than the fresh spring breeze.
12. Frappuccinos: I'm a Starbucks addict. I try not to get Fraps too often because they're terrible for you but they just taste so damn good. Cinnamon Dolce Frap, Si Vous Plait!

Source: We Heart It

What are you excited for this spring? Comment and tell me I'd love to hear from you :)

Selecting the Bridesmaids Dresses

Choosing bridesmaids dresses has been the most difficult aspect of the wedding planning thus far. I have seven lovely ladies in my bridal party and as wonderful and accomodating as they have been I am mindful that they are making both a huge financial and time commitment by being a part of the wedding. I wanted to respect their budgets and also give them some choice in the matter. One of the girls had expressed her annoyance in being maid of honour last summer and being told to "pick up and pay" for the dress without having an input in the matter. I took her complaint to heart and decided I don't want them to feel like they have no say. The bridesmaids dresses at the boutiques and salons I visited were upwards of $400 which was just too much, in my opinion. I set a budget of $150 max and managed to stay within ten dollars of my budget with my final decision.

The photo below was the initial inspiration for my dress search. It inspired the navy colour scheme and my original desire to have long dresses with a sweetheart neckline. To me, this is the picture of elegance from the manicure to the perfect posture.

Source: The Every Last Detail

I looked high and low for the perfect dress. The closest I could find in our budget in an actual store was at David's Bridal. There are countless online shopping options for bridesmaids dresses but I didn't feel comfortable asking the girls to spend such a large amount of money on a website I'd never ordered from before.

Source: klambinewomen

If you are looking for this type of dress and have a bridal party with a bigger budget I recommend checking out J Crew. My favourite dress in the search was from their birdal line for $425. It is an absolutely stunning dress:

Source: J Crew
(Arabelle long dress in silk chiffon)

My MOH tried on the long chiffon sweetheart neckline dress at David's Bridal. It was stunning on her. Unfortunately, our sales girl told us that at 5'10" these dresses hover above the ground and if someone tall-er is wearing heels they have the same issue. DB has no "extra long" option. With one bridesmaid who is over 5'10" and two around 5'8" this helped me decided to go with short dresses.

As much as short dresses weren't in my sights when I first started looking I came around to the idea pretty quickly. When I saw the girls trying them on I loved them. I love that we're going to go with mismatched styles so they can each choose what suits them best. The dresses are young, fun and summery. The girls won't have to pay to get them hemmed which is also a major bonus.

Here are some photos from Pinterest (source: Pinterest search results for Short Navy Bridesmaids Dresses) to help me get a grip on how the ladies will look! I am going to give them the choice of heels or flats in any nude colour.

So this has been my first lesson in compromise and change in my overall wedding plan. The dresses won't be what I originally envisioned but I think they will be better all around for everyone... my girls are so gorgeous I don't think the dresses will make or break any part of the wedding day. They all seem excited about picking out their dresses and I am happy that they get to have that choice! :)

A few of the David's Bridal short bridesmaid dresses in Marine. The dresses are so cute and have great detail. They range from $120-159. (Source: google image search).