in october

Screen Shot 2014-10-28 at 8.30.30 PMNot only is today Halloween, but it also marks the last day in October. Another month has come to an end. I always feel a bit nostalgic on these days. Like something important is concluding. Do you agree? Yet, at the same time, I like these days for the sole purpose of being able to sum up the entire month of blogging.

Screen Shot 2014-10-28 at 7.59.24 PMWhile 30 days may not seem very long ago to most people, to a blogger who publishes 5 posts a week, it feels like a lifetime. No longer do our previous posts seem relevant, as we are typically already planning an entire month in advance.Thus, something that we posted one month ago, in actuality, is really two months ago in our minds. A lot can happen in two months!

That being said, let’s finally discuss what did happen in October.

BeFunky_04.jpgI began the month with the introduction of my store’s website, as well as the grand opening of Potomac Trading Post, Ltd. itself. I also published my Pinterest finds on my store inspiration.

Holly03Next, I described the big changes that I’ve gone through emotionally this summer, as well as dealing with Holly’s health problems and being able to witness the self-effacing beauty in a dog’s own strength and will to survive.

Screen Shot 2014-10-09 at 10.41.45 AMWe celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada. I wrote about what I was thankful for, in addition to showing you my outfit for the delicious holiday.

01.jpgSpeaking of food, my husband was October’s guest blogger and he made the most delicious Butternut Squash Pasta.

J+J 08I was hired to shoot a prairie couple and their dog, seen here and here.

Moon.jpgI also blogged about my discovery of RAW format, not to mention testing it out on the night of the partial solar eclipse. (The former of which has become one of my most liked posts!)

BeFunky_2.jpgIt wouldn’t be a successful month without including at least one home design idea. Here is my reigning kitchen concept. 

Screen Shot 2014-10-14 at 9.58.13 AMThis was probably the most that I’ve ever blogged about The Little Barn as well. I showed you our roofsiding, and appliances in these posts. I also discussed the idea of a dream home and you guys had some really amazing and insightful advice on the topic.

Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetOn a rare evening out, we were able to see the film Pulp Fiction in theatres. What a great night that was!

IMG_1050 copy06.jpgOf course, Halloween also occurred this month. I began by showing you the cutest pumpkin DIY, not to mention 10 scary film choices, a healthy holiday treat, a makeup tutorial, and finally, our costumes for that night (tonight, in fact).

Screen Shot 2014-10-28 at 7.58.56 PMIt was such a busy and diverse month. Bring on November, baby.

<3

Emory

the not-so-reclaimed siding

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetHi friends, and happy Saturday! Are you enjoying it? I hope so! I’m spending mine working at the store, which in my eyes, doesn’t really feel like work at all. So I’m pretty happy. :-)

Before we examine the siding and the title of this post, I’m going to backtrack a little. It was only 10 days ago when I revealed our metal roof to you. While I initially liked it, a tiny part of me did question if we made the right decision in going with brown. It didn’t pop the way that I had hoped that it would, yet at the same time, that’s exactly why I did choose it. Putting my emotions aside, I told myself to just wait until the siding comes. I knew that everything would change once that was up. Boy, did it ever.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetNow to discuss the siding. The plan for the siding on The Little Barn was always to be reclaimed wood. So my husband and my brother-in-law began to spend their weekends tearing down old barns and outbuildings across the province. They were not hard pressed for these types of structures given that we live in Saskatchewan. Yet, it was backbreaking work and extremely time-consuming to do so. It didn’t take long before we began to rethink our decision. Upon assessing the quality of boards, mulling the idea over amongst ourselves, and finally discussing it with our contractor, we chose not to put that particular wood on our house. We were just too afraid of leaks and dry rot.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetIt was our contractor that came up with the perfect solution. He was able to get wood siding that had been sitting on a distributor’s lot for a few years. No one had wanted it because it was beginning to look reclaimed. It had already turned grey, and best of all, they were selling it to us at an extremely low cost. In the case of miracles, this was a big one. I still cannot believe how lucky we were to get this amazing material.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetIn the end, our not-so-reclaimed siding is one of my favourite things about The Little Barn. Well, one of many.

<3

Emory

up on the roof

Screen Shot 2014-10-14 at 9.58.13 AMHey guys! The day is finally here for me to reveal our metal roof to you!

2.jpgIf you can remember this post, I had enlisted your help in choosing a colour for a new roof. Most of you thought that red would vibrant and beautiful, which I agreed with. However, given that our previous metal roof stood out, this time, I wanted one that would blend in with its surroundings.

4.jpgMaybe I was playing the devil’s advocate, or maybe I was just stubborn in my vision for a weathered-looking house. Whatever the case, I am so thankful that we chose the colour that we did! 

1.jpgI think that the brown looks great here, but honestly, you should see it with the reclaimed siding that is now up. Honestly, it is absolutely gorgeous. 

3.jpgDon’t worry, the siding post will come soon. :-)))

<3

Emory

the little barn dance

1.jpgAn important matter has recently come to my attention. I have never showed any of my amazing readers photos of The Little Barn’s construction site! Not once! How did this happen? I have been freely discussing moving since January, and blogging my room ideas for our new home on a weekly basis, yet I have not been including photographic updates on our property.

The last time that any of you saw pictures of our lot was on June 4. That was nearly 4 months ago! Actually, that is a bit of a lie. I have been giving my Instagram followers little peeks of TLB. So maybe you should all join the @hello_scarlett_blog bandwagon already. It’s time to get back on the wagon!

Ok, enough chit chat. I’m really excited to present to you the progress so far. So dust off your computer and smartphone screens, get settled in your seats, and most of all, get ready to do The Little Barn Dance with me!

01.jpgWe officially received our lot on June 30. After spending Canada Day there with Holly and Truman, we had to wait nearly a month to have our mortgage and building permits approved. After that, we went out there one day with Ellie, and saw that not only had all of the trees been cleared away, but the screw piles and septic tank were put in, and we had a foundation! That was the day that we felt as if we really were building a home.

2.jpg 3.jpgThe contractors worked away at the foundation for the next week, and put up some pony walls. The flooring came next, and drawing out each wall on the main floor. Passerbys kept asking them if they were building a garage.

4.jpgAfter the walls were drawn out, it took only a few days to erect them. At this point, the bathroom, mudroom, spare bedroom, and pantry are all framed. The kitchen and living room walls are still laying down. Progress!

5.jpg 6.jpg7.jpg8.jpg9.jpgAfter the framing of the main floor was complete, the second floor went up merely days later. Now our neighbours were asking if it was a church that was being built. I have to agree with them. It’s divine.

10.jpg 11.jpg13.jpgThe addition of the roof occurred over a few days, and the windows and doors were installed in only one. The photos of our house, as you see it here, were taken just this past weekend. The metal roof, soffit, and fascia, should be installed by the end of next week, as will our electrical and plumbing. By then, our home will be approximately 50% completed!

02.jpgI love our Sunday drives out to the lake to check on The Little Barn. I’ll never forget turning the corner and seeing for the first time our house with a second storey. It was such an imposing structure standing so tall against the trees. It was so shocking and gratifying at the same time. I was so proud of our new home, and so grateful for all of the positive reinforcement that we had gotten from my side of the family, friends, coworkers, and even our contractors so far. What started off as a somewhat rocky affair has now turned into such a natural and smooth housebuilding experience. We have honestly been blessed. Maybe it is like a church after all.

<3

Emory

we are couch potatoes

1212When gathering inspiration for our living room in The Little Barn, my site of choice was Pinterest. It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago, I didn’t even know what a Pin was. Now I’m all up in Pinterest’s biz, pinning here, creating boards there, and reposting on Hello, Scarlett like mad. I can’t help it. The site is so pin-teresting! It’s pin-terrific!

We are not really couch potatoes. The title is the best one that I could come up with for a post on living rooms. Because that’s where a couch is located, right? You get the pin-ture. (That one didn’t really work. It was pint-rifying.)

Alright, I had better stop with my creation of ‘pin’ words and start with my showcase of photos. So without further ado, here are my favourite living room ideas. The theme is Modern Rustic Industrial.

1.jpg(via Pinterest)

2.jpg(via Pinterest)

3.jpg(via Pinterest)

4.jpg(via Pinterest)

5.jpg(via Pinterest)

6.jpg(via Pinterest)

I’d love it if you left your thoughts below!

<3

Emory

  • Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
    email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com

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