Sneak Peak Next Week's Bathroom Remodel, The Ugly Side of Urban Life With Chickens

Before

Sneak Peak Next Week's Bathroom Remodel-
Back in 2015 I did a Mini Bathroom Makeover, and a last year we added a new Ikea medicine cabinet over the cabinet-

Back wall-

This next week we're adding new flooring, vinyl plank wood look, in a light brown/gray. I wanted just gray, but not easy to find apparently. Vinyl sheet flooring seemed to have gone away since our first remodel. We ordered a nice sheet flooring design but it got put on back order, and decided to go for good timing/same price. I can live with it. I'm going for a relaxed coastal vibe, not beachy. I'm re-using the light fixture, towel rod and small rack. Walls will be a soft nice blue/gray, Ace's Buoyant Blue, more gray in real lighting, a bit darker/grayer than the current shade-

We bought the new Ikea cabinet-

with this sink/counter, same as our other bathroom, I wanted a rectangular but Ikea was out of stock-

and a new Ikea faucet-

Lillsvan Faucet

I found a few fun accessories at Hobby Lobby last weekend. I'll take lots of photos during the process. Saturday Dave and I are ripping out the old cabinet and clearing the walls. Sunday I will paint. Monday flooring guy is coming, will add new floor and new toilet. He's also stretching some carpeting in our 2 spare bedrooms. Then I can get them cleaned! Later in the week Dave and I will finish up. More coming soon!!!

The last two

The Ugly Side of Urban Life With Chickens-

I had to think about whether I really wanted to post this or not because I was so upset. Even Dave  was upset and he's not a big fan of the chickens. A few days after coming home, with Annie gone, Dave came home and found Sarah, our beautiful big red hen dead as well-

When I came home I couldn't find Dave and I was wondering where he was. When I saw him on the back deck with a terrible look on his face I knew something awful had happened. From what we could tell a dog got under our back fence (on an easement) where some of the boards were rotting, got into the coop and killed Sarah.

Her carcass was outside in the garden and when I took a good look at her she had been eviscerated. It looked like she was cornered in the coop. I was so shocked I didn't even know how to feel. Dave and I both blame ourselves that we should have kept the fence more intact, but I guess after 5 years you start feeling like things won't go wrong. We're not sure now if dog also killed Annie?

I kept the last two chickens in the coop the next day, since the weather was cool and let them out in the evening so that they could stretch their legs. Dave bought some lumber and basically removed all of the cedar fence boards that had rotting bases. He then back filled along the fence line on the outside in the easement. He showed me the hole where the dog had dug down. It wasn't that big but it was big enough for medium/ small size dog to kill a hen. Ironically the two chickens that were killed were both the young ones or some place supposed to replace the old ones! So now our flock went from 4 to 2 and I'll think about if we want to get a few more chicks in the spring. I just never in my wildest nightmares thought a dog would break into my yard, kill one of my birds, a few days after a the other one. Shaking head...

How I Hygge- Or Making Your World More Cozy

How I Hygge, Or Making My World More Cozy-
Hygge is a Danish word that started showing up in the states a few years ago. I recently bought a used copy of

It's fascinating to read how the Danish people have such long, dark winters, but they can be made very livable by some simple concepts. Many people around the world already make their home cozy, year round. Many of these ideas can be incorporated with low cost or free items. Things like bringing in nature- leaves, branches, pine cones. Buy some books, snuggle up and read! A big one is staying in the moment, be present. Board games are making a comeback, put the phones away and have a fun round of Monopoly! Talk to each other. Bake something from scratch, have friends over for tea and cake.  Listen to music with no distractions. Hygge has lots of simple concepts, here's a Hyggekrog, or cosy corner, something soft, warm drink, candle and a book-

From Curbly.com Scandinavian Lighting Tricks

Bringing nature in is important, year round, too! Watch the weather too. I've watched the clouds at work, and it very relaxing!!! So, here's some photos of how I Hygge, and read the sweet little book for more ideas and recipes!!!

Faux sheepskin throw on chair, 

Anya in front of the heater, she 's Hygging!

Warm blanket on chair, ready anytime

Dave's fave red blanket, Anya's too. In the winter I switch out the regular pillow-

to this-

Thrifted pillow sham, full size pillow, with blue velvet, warm and cozy!

My corner, place mat made from old Sari's, electric candle, and a pumpkin!

Read some books!

Soft, nature inspired lighting- 

 More soft lighting, from a salt crystal, set on a timer-

More soft lighting (we do have bright floor lamps for reading)-

Made a big pot of veggie chili, with homegrown tomatoes and peppers-

The Second Hawk Attack Was The Last One

The Second Hawk Attack Was The Last One-

I wrote about the first time Annie, my white hen, was attacked by a hawk here and survived Hawk Attack . The second time she wasn't so lucky. I looked out yesterday morning and saw a big blob of something white on the ground, thought it was a row cover that had blown off in the wind from my herb box. I put on my glasses and realized it was my hen. I went flying out of the house to find my poor honey almost decapitated and dead. I was so upset I didn't know quite what to do, since I had to go to work. I decided to simply remove her from the area and set her aside. She was a really sweet pea with a real curious personality. When I came home from work I had more of a chance to look at her, look at the scene and try to figure out what happened. I was pretty convinced it was a hawk attack and I still am. I found a little bit of blood on the top of both sides of the gate going into the garden-

Her neck was broken so hopefully she died fast when the hawk struck. Her body was outside the gate in the big pile of feathers. One breast was completely removed and eaten. Looking back I think she may have been attacked around dusk the night before, but it's hard to tell it might have been early in the morning. She was out the day before after work, when I collected the eggs and gave them a snack. I looked up and read that hawks to attack really early in the morning/late in the day near dusk. Last night I decided to close the coop door and only let the other 3 out after there was more daylight in the sky. It's hard when you have a small flock to lose one after you have raised them from a 1 or 2 day-old chicks. You really get to know their personalities. So rest in peace Annie,  you survived one but unfortunately not the second one. So sad.... 

Annie