Our "Chillas"

I would like you to meet our “children.” Well, they are not human children, but both our parents call them their “grand-chillas.”

This is Mocha (the ebony/black one).

And this is Pinball (the standard/grey one).

They are our chinchillas. And aren’t they adorable?!? Mocha just turned one on May 3^rd, which is also our anniversary. Yeah, he was born the day we got married, and when I found that out about him I just had to have him. Pinball will also be one this month. We got them from a breeder who lives in Tennessee back in July last year. By the way, if you ever think of getting a chinchilla, I recommend finding a breeder close to you; even a hobby breeder would be great. They know all about the ones you are trying to purchase and can set you up with a pet that will best compliment you. They can also tell if you’re not ready for one and can give great advice. And best of all, most breeders will meet you and work with you if they live further than you’d like to travel.

When we got them, we still lived in an apartment. The pet fees for a cat or dog were too expensive and the land lady let us have small caged pets without any fees. We really wanted to get a rabbit because I had fostered a rabbit from a society that is now called Huntsville Friends of Rabbits and I just love rabbits. However, with the loose hay, the dander, and other allergens, I was not able to keep the rabbit. Andrew and I weren’t married yet, but every time he came over he had a severe allergy attack soon after, and I noticed I wasn’t sleeping well and had headaches a lot. We had to give him back. That was a very sad day.

Well, after we got married we wanted a pet and I started researching rabbits, how to live with allergies to rabbits, and other things. Andrew made the suggestion of getting a chinchilla. I thought it was a little strange because they had always been in the “too exotic animal for me” range. So, I researched all I could about chinchillas and found out they are, in a sense, hypo-allergenic. They do not have dander, LOVE condensed hay cubes, and, most importantly, don’t get flees or other pests most pets get. The only draw back was the dust baths they have to have.

Most everybody said they loved their chinchilla and had next to no allergy problems with them. We were sold.

So then we traveled to Chattenooga, TN to meet the breeder to get them.

They are so cute, and yet so spoiled. Keep checking back here for chinchilla adventures and stories. We’ve got plenty. :)

Have a great day!

Lee

Welcome greetings and first project

Hi!
This is my new blog. I've been bitten by the blog bug and now I have two blogs! I can barely keep up with my first one: www.rocketcitycakes.blogspot.com. So, I hope to post at least once a week on either or both these blogs.

Well, since the other blog is dedicated to just the cakes my husband and I make, I'm dedicating this one to our house and other goings on that I would just like to put out here on the interwebs.

I guess I should welcome you to our humble abode. Welcome! :)


Yes, that is the MLS listings picture. I was so excited about this house that I saved all of the pictures from the MLS listing.

So, on to more exciting stuff! This is my greatest creation (that isn't a cake) yet. I bought a sewing machine and the cabinet/table for $20. Turned out the sewing machine (the thing that I wanted the most) had broken gears and the feed wouldn't work. But, I soon realized I could use the table as an entry way table. I've been looking for one that my husband and I could agree on. The entry way is a little narrow so we had to find something kinda small. Anyway, here is the before.

That's a piece of art we got from my husband's grandmother. It's a modern type piece and thought it was kinda cool to go right there. And now, here's the after:

Oh, no. Sorry it's so dark. I'm not that great at taking indoor photos at night. Here's a close up:

I love this so much!!! Here's a photo montage of the process:

There were some scratches and water stains in the finish of the wood and it needed sanding badly.

Here is my new toy. I really like this thing! :)

I meant to take a picture of it after I sanded and before I started spray painting, but I forgot.

Here's a leg that I haven't painted and that's what most of it looked like.

Yea! And please excuse the head in the corner I wasn't paying much attention what was in the shot because I was so excited.

If you want to know of any advice that I could give when doing a project like this, it would be: take your time. I'm very impatient when it comes to projects and tend to skip steps, like priming before painting. The wood totally soaked up a lot of the paint on the first coat. What I should have done was sand, prime, paint, sand, paint, and protect (with a coat of protective sealer). Well, the sealer is on my to do list, but I will have to do it later because I just wanted it in the house by this weekend. I'm so excited for the possibilities of this little piece of furniture.

Have a great day!

Lee