Vote Ron Paul!!!!

I am obsessing with him lately.  He brings tears to my eyes.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjBoAQw7bgo          But don't hate me for liking him :)  LOVE LOVE LOVE

Mountain House

This is the teeney weeney upstairs, the old tower.  The pull out bed JUST fits when open.  The new wide window is great but it was extremely difficult to get a sun-proof curtain for that size.  Plus it had to be able to tuck away to the side well or it makes it difficult to open the window.  So another DIY project was needed.  I found this great, light-tan, LONG sun-proof curtain, turned it on it's side, and modified it with some dark brown fabric to close well :)    I had fun making the toggles from some wood found in the area.  The toggles keep it pulled tight on the side too.  The orange leather is that discarded leather that I'm lucky enough to get and reuse.

again, i wish we had done all the trim in that pale wood now,  like the ceiling. Oh well, live and learn.

The renovations this year are on a shoe string budget because some are temporary just to make it livable for weekends away until the second floor is built. And I HATE to waste, we did things that can easily be changed or moved around. This will always be the original stone tower but it will just be a staircase leading to the upstairs with 2 bedrooms and bathroom, with glass walls for an amazing view. 

ideas for new bathroom/jacuzzi

we're thinking to put a sauna on the end of the property to have that view, hope she doesn't roll !

idea for outdoor fireplace/grill area

idea but a bit traditional for me

The front of the house today, lots of work to be done still.

my DIY birch bark vases and the grapevine is growing beautifully despite the harsh winters

I'll get real cushions one day, that's just a bedspread and fun cigar shaped pillows we had hanging around

furniture that we had around, we picked up the umbrella on sale

Designer inspired lamp, there's a split in the back and all the holes make for a really nice outdoor lamp (plus some little tricks ;) we had fun making it

the new WIDEASS window in the tower, what a view!

outside table today but I want to change it to the one pictured underneath when the grass terrace is finished

    

it's actually very long, I shot it from the short side.  I can just see the sun beaming thru the legs 

sad little walkway, it will be redone

during renovation

this will be a grass tiered terrace so we're not always frog legged

imagine the front yard like this, but one big tier 

from design week in milan and i want for the mountain house

inspiration from design week milan

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", plus we can't afford the original :O so I'm making my version of it.

once the grass terrace is finished, there will be a grill/fireplace built in, this is a little traditional for our taste but the idea's there

kitchen countertop work in progress, i was diggin the yellow :(

some cool containers from Design Supermarket with local shrub

here is the countertop after........the heinous white tiles with the more heinous crap adhesives are COMING DOWN ASAP!    so , the man enjoyed sculpting and tainting this wood beam to make it look like a trunk, we went with slate looking tiles.  Again, I would change it all today and go superlight, the house is just too dark inside and I prefer paler wood at the moment.  

fun

  the view

inspiration for the second floor, keeping the original stone tower but a modern all glass second floor.  no neighbors, why not?

All of the furniture was already around, the man revamped an old shelf unit into a wine rack, not finished yet

thank God that cheap iron stand wouldn't hold the heavy stone sink! we had a much nicer one custom made for the temp bathroom

this is the new simpler iron bracket for the sink, it's so much nicer. It was difficult to find a stone sink here, so the boys went to Switzerland to get this. Boys being boys don't think of cleaning practicality. This is originally an outdoor fountain sink so it isn't smooth on top, making it impossible to clean. 

temp shower area today 

this is the old tower, it's the shower area until the upper floor is built, love the old stone steps

temp shower area

we're using the furniture that was already there for now. keeping it simple

inspiration for the second floor bedroom sans monitor, more glass wall

i want 

keeping the original door, but adding the little window, remember that window from the old tower door? Gotta put some light in that cave!

the outhouse!   that's right Jethro!

the new windows and door, very practical

oh we're gonna have fun redoing this fireplace

the outhouse today, just keepin it simple til ready to renovate. It will be made into a much bigger bathroom/sauna attached to the house like them there big city folk

His eyes say everything! He's SO mad at us!  I would be too if someone locked my family in a plastic box and kicked us out of our comfy home!  These adorable Italian squirrels "Ghiri" have made our ceiling their home for quite some time it appears.  They've completely enjoyed chewing up the new ceiling insulation. They're nocturnal, so we heard them partying like wild animals while totally destroying the new ceiling. So you can imagine my guy's joy at staying up all night catching these 3 buggers, he found about 9 over time.  We kept them safe til we made them a new home.  

When we let them free, this one just waited there looking at us until the others came up too.  Their cute little hands. Aw.

So this is their super comfy new home! We looked up online what they like and my guy and his kid made some adjustments on a wooden box that I found thrown away, and voila'.  It even has 2 floors!  Chez Squirrel with the Nutcracker Suite ;)

Inside look at the hotel. They didn't like it either : (   It was never used.  I guess I should've put some fresh flowers and chocolates on the bed cuz they just ran away.  I was sad, we never wanted them to leave, heck , they've been living in that old house for a while probably. But their party days were over.  

i know i know , i loved the orignal green beat up doors, but so not practical. We didn't throw them away, we're using them for the backyard storage doors.  The old tower was once used to catch local birds for food.