A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

City Dog Finds a Home in the Country

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Since so many people have emailed, Tweeted and texted Mom wanting to know the status of our my house, I figured I would update you. If we wait for her to do it, you’ll be waiting a long time. Luckily, I’m up for the task.

Maltese puppyIt’s been a long road to this point. We packed up our San Francisco apartment in April 2011, then spent the summer going on an epic road trip, then came back to Tennessee where I have been living with my grandparents, great-grandfather and six five other dogs (RIP Kasper, who passed this summer) for the past 14 months. It’s hard getting a little peace and quiet when you live in a circus ring.

Ella in the sunlightThen, after purchasing our new (old) house—it was built in the 1800s!—we spent nearly two months renovating before moving in. And when I say “we,” obviously I mean “I.”

City Dog Goes Country

I went all Dexter on this joint. On top of doing all the grunt work myself, I also have to manage these amateurs and make sure they don’t screw anything up.

Maltese puppy

Sigh, it’s so hard finding good help these days.

Home Reno

We officially moved in 12 days ago and finally have rid the house of the rooms full of boxes full of crap that Mom and Dad accumulated over the years.

Moving Day

The house is far from done—I will be painting and scraping ceilings and other small tasks for months to come; Mom agreed to host a handful of Christmas parties and guests so we’re on a tight deadline…for now—but my bedroom is more or less set up, which is the most important part, wouldn’t you say?

Ella in Bed

All this dust and paint means I’m subject to the dreaded “b” word every few days. LAME.

Maltese puppy

Still, I’m just happy to be away from my pesky little brother—though he doesn’t live too far, so I wind up seeing him every couple of days anyway when we go to my grandparents’ house for dinner or Homeland marathons.

Knox and the Cone of Shame

But my new house and yard are killer—there’s so much space for me to roam, and I’m no longer subject to doing my business on puppy pads as I was all those months as a San Francisco city dog.

fall in the South

Except for that pesky Squirrel Team 6 that lives out back and taunts me from the window. Much of my afternoons are passed barking at those disgusting rodents from the upstairs. One day, they will be mine. (You have been warned, Squirrels.)

Ella and the Squirrels

I’ve also spent time getting to know the locals (aka dinner).

Ella and pig

So yeah, life is good at the moment.

Maltese puppy

No complaints from this pup.

xo,

Ella

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COMMENTS
  • November 5, 2012

    Kristin- that outfit you have on is Awesome!

    • November 11, 2012

      I know, right? Such a fashionista, I am 😉

      Ella, on the other hand, was such a teenager: “Mooooooom, are you really going to wear that getup on MY blog?”

  • November 5, 2012

    That looks like a great house! You’re a lucky dog to have the roam of it all!

  • November 5, 2012

    *swoon*

    I so dearly love this post. It is so lovely.

    Your house is STUNNING!

  • November 5, 2012
    Virginia Brown

    Can’t wait for a visit Emma. Looks like you’re having great fun in you new “digs;.”

  • November 5, 2012
    JeJe

    welcome back Ella…it’s good to see you again. I love your new hairdo!!

  • November 5, 2012

    The house looks wonderful! Such a lucky dog 😉

  • November 5, 2012

    Love the Dexter reference. I’m two episodes behind!

    • November 11, 2012

      We are, too! Now that we don’t have Showtime (we have a biz account so they won’t let us get premiums), we have to schedule a viewing party at my mom’s once a week to catch up on Dexter and Homeland.

  • November 5, 2012

    Ella, you’re doing a great job on the house. Can’t imagine how much work is involved getting those two humans on the right track.

  • November 5, 2012

    I love Ella posts! Looks like things are coming together nice 🙂

  • November 6, 2012

    Oh Miss Ella, you are always as cute as a button! And your house is looking fantastic, I can’t believe you did all that work with your own 4 paws!! 🙂

  • November 6, 2012
    Mom

    I’m so impressed at your writing ability Ella. Please come back and teach my babies how to be so … well, verbose!

  • November 7, 2012

    Congrats on the new(ish) home!!
    Not to freak you out or anything, but your staircase looks a lot like the one in the haunted house on American Horror Story…
    Sweet Dreams! 😉

    • November 8, 2012

      We have already determined that we have a friendly ghost named Bernadette =)

      I actually haven’t seen American Horror Story–it was one of those shows that debuted while I was doing my RTW so I missed the first season–but I always planned on catching up on it. Though now I’m not too sure–it might make me too scared to live in my own house!

  • November 7, 2012

    There is too much cuteness in this post. Love the picture of Ella with all the Dexter sheeting, and looking out the window!

  • November 7, 2012

    So good to see you on this corner of the internet Ella! I see the country is treating you well 🙂

  • November 8, 2012

    I could eat her up with a spoon! I love these posts!

  • November 9, 2012
    Haidang

    hi ella

    your owner is so skinny and in shape

    and that arm of her looks like it could throw a GOOD punch

    woof!

  • November 15, 2012

    oh Ella- you are growing up to be such a pretty pup! And congrats on your beautiful new home!!

  • November 20, 2012
    Mister Sister

    Love the snarl in the bath photo…

  • November 2, 2015

    This blog is hands down my favorite. It’s the only blog I keep in my regular email inbox. All the rest go into one big blog of an archive. Gorgeous blog, people, dog, house, life. Love it! Thanks for sharing!

    • November 2, 2015

      Ahhh you’re the sweetest! I’ll pass along your kind words to Ella 😉

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