monkeypants's Profile

yes, I would absolutely love to live rurally and have a small(ish) farm. Maybe 5 acres where I could build my own cob house and have an artist's studio with my looms and a kiln. I would have sheep, cashmere goats, alpacas because I love, love, LOVE to knit and weave. I'd have chickens and dogs and kitties and rabbits and a pony. Yes a pony! A Shetland pony. And a gorgeous, brown-eyed Jersey cow named Maisey. I would also keep bees to help with their dwindling populations and also to make some yummy mead out of their honey. I'd tap the maple trees for syrup. I'd pick wildflowers. I'd hang my clothes to dry outside in the fresh air. I would love it.

....... but I haven't really given it too much thought....

oh it's a great idea! This is going to be my next craft project. Thanks.

Hi Lisa - how about more of a kennel (with room to scamper around) than a crate?

I got the 4' x 2.5' Ingo dining table from Ikea http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/14630009

I screwed picket fence posts around it and made a picket gate with a latch. Painted it all white and glued a sign with my dog's name on it over the entrance.... might as well commit all the way.

It's rather folksy looking but it fits with my decor. My little dog loves having her own private fort and hangs out in there even when I'm home and the gate is open.

You could paint or stain or decoupage (great idea paula!) or stencil or mosaic or whatever your imagination fancies to help if fit into your new home.

I'll take the cheap knock-off of Jonathan Adler's lustrous piggy and bank the change!

But back to the pink.... I've learned to embrace my enjoyment of certain shades of pink - like cherise, raspberry, magenta (in small doses) and sorry but I gotta say it: a soft rose. You know the colour I just can't bring myself to type?? That much overused shade by Laura Ashley circa 1982... dusty rose! *gasp* oh the shame. Don't judge.

I use a gravity rack that leans against the wall and requires no anchoring (yay, no holes) to keep it stable. I was initially skeptical, but it actually works and it keeps my two bikes sorted.

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442507577&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692829&bmUID=1207205179723

I've dreamt of building a cob house for a long time.... I love the free-form organinc look of the structure. I admire the lasting quality of cob too - there are cob houses in the UK and Ireland that are a few hundred years old. This is an ancient building technique used around the globe and a technique which is particularily suited to the damp environment of my hometown Vancouver. Cob's longevity is dependant on a good hat (roof) and boots (foundation). Cob also has a structural flexibility, which is a boon in an earthquake zone! Yeah, I'm a fan... and I'm not in a cult, nor do I have 34 wives :p

lukeh, has a valid point: cob is hardly condusive to urban density (which just happens to be another eco philosophy).

I suppose it's all about options. Lovely, lovely options.