berry picking

On one particularly beautiful morning in August, we went berry picking.

We drove out to a farm near our old house in Pike Lake called Rhodes’. They offered black currants, raspberries, and Saskatoon berries. Although we went a little late in the season, we were still able to find a great selection of berries.

It was so beautiful out there. We were able to grab enough to eat and freeze in just over an hour.

The kids had a lot of fun, which made it such an enjoyable (and productive) experience. I’m almost positive that next summer, we will be returning to the same place.

Emory

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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

a day in the life (two)

BeFunky_001.jpgOn October 18 2013, I published my first Day in the Life. That’s almost one year ago exactly. I love these types of posts, and I especially love when other bloggers take part in them. They’re so interesting. Even if that individual doesn’t do anything particularly interesting that day, their own take on, and how they relate to the world, is what makes it so intriguing.

I randomly chose one day last month to highlight here today. Below is a list of each event as it unfolded:

7:00 am. Get up. Take the dogs for a walk.

8:00 am. Get back, throw on clothes, pack the dogs up, and leave.

8:15 am. Drive into town.

BeFunky_002.jpg9:00 am. Arrive at the Vet College and drop of Holly for her all-day appointment. When I get back into the vehicle, I call my mum and bawl my eyes out. I return a missed call from my contractor. I’m needed at our new home, which is out of town. I start making my way out there with Truman.

BeFunky_003.jpg9:45 am. Arrive at our building site and start making decisions on lighting, electrical, appliances, fencing, decks, and anything else that my contractor needs an answer for.

10:15 am. Building inspector arrives. I introduce myself and then leave. 

PicMonkey Collage10:20 am. Drive down the street, and take Tru for a walk. I hang out on the dock for a bit while Tru plays in the water. It’s going to get up to 31°C that day, and it’s already a gorgeous morning.

BeFunky_004.jpg11:00 a.m. Head back home.

11:45 am. Get back and start making breakfast for myself and Tru. We’re starving! 

12:15 pm. Tru and I finish eating. I haven’t heard from the vet in regards to Holly, so to distract myself I clean the entire house and then get ready for work later that night. 

BeFunky_007.jpg1:45 pm. I get overly impatient, so I call the Vet College. Holly is ready to be picked up. I make the 30 minute drive into town and to the college for the second time that day. 

2:15 pm. Grab Holly, load her up, and leave to go back home. We’re both so relieved to be with one another again. 

2:45 pm. Get home, feed Holly, and take her outside for a stroll around the acreage. Once back inside, I begin to cook Geoff’s supper in addition to getting the dog’s meals together. 

3:15 pm. I finally have about an hour to myself. I use that time to start a blog post and work on my store. I’m trying to keep busy, but am having a hard time concentrating.

BeFunky_008.jpg4:15 pm. Make my final trip into town for my shift at the library. I forget to take supper.

5:00-9:00 pm. Work at the library. Later in the evening, I continue writing my blog post on my break. Working my other jobs while at work, it’s something that I’ve come to master over the past year.

9:00 pm. Finish my shift. I’m exhausted, but it’s time for the gym. First though, I have to make a quick stop at my store.

BeFunky_0010.jpg9:15 pm. Arrive at my store. Grab what I need, then head to the gym.

9:30 pm. Get to the gym and try to have a good workout.

10:15 pm. I’m too tired to do anymore. I get changed, and make the drive back home.

10:45 pm. Get home. Eat supper. Blog some more.

12:00 am. Bedtime. I’m dead. 

Not everyday of my life looks like this. For the last few months however, they have followed a similar suit. I mostly wanted to write this because up until I stopped caring, I was getting tired of my in-laws and friends complaining that they don’t see my husband or I anymore. When we tried explaining that we were busy, their response was that “everyone is busy.” Yes, to an extent. 

On this particular day my mom told me that she didn’t know how I kept it together. When she initially said that, I didn’t have a response. Now I do. I am able to keep it together because I have the support of my mom, my step-dad, my husband, my sister, my brother (via phone), and my competent contractors. If I didn’t, I know that I would have already fallen apart.

BeFunky_006.jpgWhether it’s a photographic or written hourly journal of one’s day, the A Day in the Life posts offer such an intimate portrait of that particular blogger. I challenge my readers to do the same, and then to link their publication here, to HSB! Let’s start a movement! Or at least, another take on an already established series. ;-)))

<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

  • 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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