New: Cupola installation, Bohemian rug runner, and Cabana curtains

This post is all about DIY projects that have finally been completed. 

Way off in the distance, do you spy our new cupola? 

 It is incredibly darling, don't you agree?

I am overjoyed with how it enhances the shed, and our gardens. 

 The shed is almost hidden by the large arborvitaes that create the private area that holds a

small tomato garden and the garden shed.  So adding the cupola makes it more visible from

the lower levels of the yard and courtyard, and even from the street.  

A dog weathervane in Piper's likeness sits atop this small wooden cupola I found on a FB yardsale site after a quick search.  The family that never used it, sold it to me and coincidentally they had 5 golden retrievers themselves, one being an English Cream, like Piper. It was meant to be...

Mr. Maison Decor had a friend who crafted a spinner piece so the weathervane will move with the wind.  Originally it was made to be a decorative piece and attached in one permanent direction.

This was the moment he placed it on the top of the tiny shed, and my heart skipped a beat.  I have been in love with cupolas forever, and finally I have one to call my own.  Yippee!

The other thing that finally happened was installing black and white cabana curtains to frame the cellar entrance that leads to my son's apartment.  Our house sits sideways on the lot, and this side faces the front of the street so it was nice to enhance it a little bit.

The entry to our house is accessed by the old granite stairs at the far end.  The cabana curtains add a decorator flair to the house, where once there was none.

A porch swing my dad made decades ago hangs in the enclosed space.  

These are all part of the things I have been doing to get ready for the book shoot with Nora Murphy. The feeling I have is that if its going to be captured forever in the pages of a book, I would hate to not try my best to get projects completed that have been in the "to do list" in my head.  My wish list, as it were.  We all have them....and maybe they get put off, and ignored.  So the book shoot has made them come alive and give me sleepless nights.  Can I get this or that done before Nora??  Life is busy and full at our house, and so getting projects done is more daunting because of my other jobs at home.  So any that I do get finished gives me a sense of fulfillment, because I know how hard it was to pull it off.  Piper and Colby are fast friends, with Piper taking the lead in the house. No doubt about it, she is a confident dog, and its been fun to watch her play with Colby.  He is so gentle with her, and they have their routine down pat now, leaping from dog bed to dog bed, chasing toys and tug of war.  

Another thing on my to do wish list, was to have a carpet runner installed to the third floor.  For one reason, it helps the dogs to safely navigate the stairs, and since Piper is growing like a weed, we won't be carrying her up and down much longer.  I found this pretty bohemian patterned rug at Joss and Main (online store) and ordered two 12' runners.  We had them professionally installed and it really finished off the space.  A collection of vintage art work hangs on one side, and it makes for a pretty walk up to bed each night. 

So life in the country is simply grand around here....

and after the book shoot I think I will relax so I can enjoy the 

entire month of August  with the hubs and kids and 
with little or NO projects at all!

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Puppy Piper and a cupola and weathervane for the shed

 My first kiss. 

Piper joined our family almost a week ago, and she is a pure delight! 

She is a golden retriever puppy with a sweet and playful temperament.

 She is 8 weeks old and seems to be pretty smart, in addition to being delightful.  She is doing great on her housebreaking, and sleeping through the night after the first two nights.  No whining or whimpering in her crate either, and I have to say it is because she found it comforting to join Colby.  As soon as we took her out of the car, she seemed a bit flat in spirit....maybe it was the three hour drive.  But as soon as we brought out Colby to meet her, her little tail started wagging, and it hasn't stopped.

 We put in a fence last year so we could let Colby out to do his business in a secure setting.  When we trained Colby for bathroom breaks, we used the x-pen that you see Piper sitting in.  It is the place we plop her down and tell her to do her business.  She is getting an A on her report card so far! After she does her biz, she gets to get outside the pen and play with Colby.

 This view shows the small contained yard we created for the dogs. 

 There is another gate that leads to the back yard and the courtyard.

 Last night both dogs enjoyed being on the other side of the dog yard as I grilled some burgers.

Colby is always hooked up to a long lead when he is in the courtyard side. 

 Piper got to run around and check things out.  So far we can keep up with her....

 In the meantime, it was remarkable and lucky that I located a

 golden retriever weathervane at HomeGoods. 

On the clearance aisle!! 

 Then I shopped my Facebook Yardsale groups for a cupola, and voila! 

 I found a new wooden cupola that seems

 it will look just right up on top of the garden shed.

 This is my next outdoor project, and I think it will look really cute up there.

Remember this image of my shed in Matthew Mead's UPSTYLED HOME Outdoors issue? 

Currently on the shelves, it is packed with ideas.  And I am always adding more things to my outdoor spaces, and trying to improve on the spaces we have established.  The cupola is something I wanted to do FOREVER.  I remember when I was first married to my kids dad, and we had a tiny garage.  I asked him to build me a cupola...he did.  He was busy building it in our basement. One day he came up to have me take a look at how it was coming out.  I went downstairs to see the biggest most enormous cupola I had ever seen!!! OMG.  Our garage was not much bigger than a shed. LOL.  So it never worked out, the scale was all wrong, but like I said, I have been wanting a cupola for a long time.

 Leading to the shed was this old arbor I found on craigslist.  The climbing rose planted last year is doing really well, and it has just started to bloom!  I am training the canes to the arbor and I have no idea if this is how to do it, but I think you just "persuade" the branches to go towards the arbor with garden twine/wire stuff.

 Piper is just so sweet....

I loved trying to catch her in a pose, and she granted my wish.

 She is a little soft furry dollfaced puppy!  

You will be seeing alot more of Piper in the blog.  She is already growing like a weed.

 She stands up in her pen, as if to say, hey I did my business, now let me outta here!

And she holds her own in a gentle tug of war game with Colby.  

Its all dogs around here for much of my day, and it will be that way for awhile.  

I will be lucky to get that cupola installed....but I will give it my best shot.

P.S.  Piper has her own instagram account: 

@pipers_parade if you want to see more of Piper and her progression.

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