It Wasn’t Meant to Be Like This. STONE CABIN IN THE COUNTRY

This week on our country stone cabin renovation, we face and accept our first failure on the project…kind of. Sign up to Milanote for free with no time-limit: milanote.com/l...
Being a couple of newbies to building with stone, restoring a house, and just DIY in general, this old stone house renovation has been pretty overwhelming at times, and in an effort to avoid said overwhelm, we’ve only been able to focus on the current task at hand as well as maybe the next one or two jobs. Well that way of thinking caught up with us this week as we realised we hadn’t left sufficient room to create the brick overhang design that we wanted.
As well as problem solving this issue, we also started prepping for Portugal’s fire ban and land clearance deadline, and Victoria added a new fruit tree to our ever growing collection!
LIKE THIS VIDEO if you enjoyed it & SUBSCRIBE to follow our journey as we document our life here in Portugal & the many DIY projects that we'll be tackling including renovating a tiny stone home, setting up systems to grow some of our own food & finally restoring the 100+ year old farm house.
Also say hi in the comments! We'd love to hear from you 😊
Ricky & Victoria x
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We're Ricky & Victoria 👋 We're slowly bringing an abandoned off grid Portuguese farm back to life & transforming it into a beautiful homestead for us & our two rescue dogs Teddy & Poppy.
We both agree that we’re not experts in anything that we do here, however we don’t let that stop us from giving it a try. We live our life by trying. We live our life by doing. We live our LIFE BY LIVING.
#stonecabin #stonehouse #renovation

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks to Milanote for sponsoring this video! Sign up for free and start your next creative project: milanote.com/lifebyliving

[@hansejr]

I’m checking it out!

[@sharonbuckley4591]

One thing my father taught me was to put water in the hole first before you plant the tree. It gets rid of any air pockets which are not good for the roots.

[@TheMissbelo]

The broom is called giesta and the flowers "maias" because you put them in windows and doors, the night of April 30th till May ( maio) 1st ,so you can attract good fortune, avoid " Evil eye" and celebrate the spring. Very ancient traditon. Maybe from the ancient roman empire. Of course it was forbidden by the christian church but somehow survived and it' s still celebrated mainly in the north of Portugal. Love, love your channel! Bom domingo

[@LifebyLiving]

Maybe we’ll put some on our door this year!😊

[@mondeo984]

From subscribing to 180 KZbin channels, you guys speaks the most perfect clean english I have ever heared, Anyway awesome to follow your work.

[@getgoing-cv]

Including se.ual innuendos

[@MrMycoo]

They have a very entertaining channel and I like them very much, but their English is...I would say a little bit too English. 🙂 I like better the Canadian accent.

[@markcolburn6632]

Their accent is beautiful and their channel is very entertaining.

[@catarinacarrasco5938]

Lol truly love watching you guys and your both hilarious... totally love your humor 😂😂

[@1MartinWaite]

To me their accent is a bit like they were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. 😊😊😊

[@tonyhirons5445]

It's looking good. Lovely to see such a nice couple who take the time to do things properly. Keep on smiling 😊

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Tony. We definitely take our time to do things…not sure whether it’s done properly though 😂

[@klazyy641]

The work is great (even with an infrequent boo-boo), the pups bring a smile to my heart, and the way you two work together and light up yours (and ours) lives is priceless! Thank you for sharing your lives with us.

[@hilaryjohnston9481]

a strawberry tree is known in Ireland as Arbutus as in " my love's an arbutus by the borders of Lene, so slender and shapely in her borders of green"

[@joannecanetti7481]

Good morning from Prescott. Arizona. I look so forward to your video. You two are such a joy to watch. Thanks for sharing your videos with us 😊

[@LifebyLiving]

Awww thanks Joanne 😊 Thank you for watching!❤️

[@9Antonian]

You may want to run your roofing paper over the top of the block you just laid, if you have a roof leak you don’t want that water to end up behind your wall. Try running rebar horizontally through the top center cells of the block then secure at the corners of the house, this will help strengthen your architectural detail to the band/bond beam. Don’t forget to install a drip edge. Great job ,enjoy your channel,good luck!

[@davidreid8835]

I think the overhang that you are constructing looks great and will function to divert water away from the walls of your stone cottage. I enjoy checking out the stone walls on your property, they look well made and add a lot of beauty to your property. Thanks for the video.

[@heatherbruce4496]

Hi guys that is the scots broom but in Scotland it's called a gorse Bush. So much of Scotland covered in it. Coz it's too wet to worry about fires 😂 xx

[@andymccabe6712]

Er.. Broom is 'genista' Gorse is 'ulex'... .... Completely different.... And gorse has vicious spines...!!!

[@LifebyLiving]

It’s a shame it’s so flammable as we really love the look of it throughout the land

[@Django44]

Good call on pulling out the broom grass. Get as much as possible because of its being so invasive. The close-up glimpses of 'nature' are such a pleasure; a wonderful addition to your already tasteful and enjoyable videos.

[@nickbremner6274]

Broom in French is "plante genêt" which is where the royal family name "Plantagenet" came from - their badge included a sprig of Broom apparently. I'm aware this is not helping you to find the Portuguese name for the plant but it's just a bit of fun.

[@andymccabe6712]

The botanical name for broom species is 'genista'... So there's clearly a common origin....!

[@tonynunes4965]

Interesting etymology! I always found the "Plantagenet" name odd, but now you've explained it. Actually, it does help with the Pt name for the plant, which is giesta, as others have commented here (Pt words often drop consonants, esp in the middle of a word -- Fr words often also drop consonants esp "s" in the middle of a word... the latin having been "genista" -- although there are 2 different genuses referred to with these common names: Genista and Cytisus ).

[@LifebyLiving]

Great fun fact! Stashing that one in the vault for a pub quiz one day!😊

[@curtiscameron4505]

From google - Portuguese broom strongly resembles Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) which is invasive noxious weed in California. The main features that distinguish this species from Scotch broom are the paler yellow flower color, 8-10 versus 5-8 angles on the stem, and the densely white-hairy fruit pods of Portuguese broom3.

[@davecleggett9371]

Bliss. Perfect bliss. Lovely way to spend my Sunday afternoon, watching beautiful videography from Victoria (I guess?) and the sheer effort you two guys put into your wonderful homestead. A joy to watch, thank you so much for sharing!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Dave! What a lovely comment 😊 It’s actually Ricky that edits the videos but we both film

[@AdamofCA.]

@@LifebyLiving Ricky and Victoria, the films and editing are a pleasant enjoyment.

[@waynehall8131]

You are so lucky to have a beautiful redhead an fare skin lady too work side by side with as they are the very best their is, you are very lucky 🎉 don't ever take her for granted 😮

[@auracolmanni8040]

Indeed, your English is beautiful , music to my ears! And your project and dedication to it are wonderful. What a pleasure to watch your videos

[@hansejr]

You’ve just moved up to 1st place in my KZbin watching. I’ve been watching another favorite (Martijn) for 100 episodes. Your videos are released on the same day. Today I chose you first. Your cheerfulness and interaction, plus your humor made me choose you first. Congratulations! Lol

[@jenh9252]

I watch Martijn as well, I love both channels😊

[@LifebyLiving]

Honoured to be your first choice!

[@lieuwina]

I do love how Victoria comes out with a hanky and wants you to protect your neck and the humour is lovely to see. The build is looking good and very neat. I love seeing the dogs lying there with not a care in the world. Have a lovely day.

[@TofferJ-UK]

It’s always a pleasure to catch up with you guys and the dogs. ❤👍🇬🇧

[@LifebyLiving]

Cheers Chris!

[@jeanrichardson2044]

I wonder if the person who added the concrete mortar recognized how beautiful the stonework is and how talented the Mason was. Almost criminal to cover it with concrete.

[@Miranda-wi9yp]

Always a treat to watch you both and your happy dogs. Just one question today: I noticed you tucked your roof membrane behind and under the top brick as you laid them. In the UK we would normally keep this membrane above the outermost part of the wall, so that any moisture that gets through the roof tiles flows off the edge of the building. Some builders even overhang it into the gutter. I know we are much wetter in UK, but isn't there a risk you will introduce damp into the top of your walls? There is a nice video on this from the restoration couple called finishing the eaves. Hope this is helpful

[@RodneyPike]

I was just searching for your channel. KZbin somehow unsubscribed me. Hope this isn’t a trend. Anyhow, loving your channel. You guys are great! Thanks so much for sharing!!

[@AnneHeyns]

KZbin sporadically go through accounts and those that have not been active posting videos get unsubscribed and in some instances they sometimes delete your channel too.

[@RodneyPike]

@@AnneHeyns Wow! That’s not cool. I realized after resubscribing here that it didn’t take from my iPhone. I submitted again on my desktop and it seems to have taken. I found two more channels that were unsubscribed. I’m checking all of my subscriptions now. The ones I can remember. Thanks for the heads up!

[@LifebyLiving]

How strange!

[@YaYaPaBla]

I’ve notice a lot of videos I’m subscribed to get hidden. Idk why

[@AnneHeyns]

@@YaYaPaBla yt does it thats why i check often

[@Sciayam]

When together you can withstand any challenge - well done

[@Tracyforever]

Hello from Canada. I discovered your channel recently and I have been bingeing your videos and I am currently up-to-date. I love your videos for many reasons, but the upbeat nature of your personalities is infectious. I’m smiling and laughing along with you. I watch quite a few renovation/château/villa shows and you two are by far bar none the best KZbinrs around . Please keep the videos coming and keep up the great work that you’re doing with your restoration. Thank you, Tracy

[@pamela5568]

I'm always impressed with the quality of your video's

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Pamela 😊 we try!

[@jamesiversen]

Scotch Broom is horribly invasive stuff here in Canada. We've been battling it on our property, pulling and burning it as the seeds spread so easily and can live in the soil dormant for years until disturbed. A local company here on the west coast of BC makes and sells a product called "The Extractigator" that uses leverage to make it easier to pull out the roots, and it has made my life soooo much easier on both the back and the hands. There might be a similar product in Portugal that would work just as well!

[@gaynor3976]

Ricky looks like hes ready to join the Foreign Legion with hid neck shade flap lol. Its all coming together nicely, overhand looks good. Im excited to see what youre both going to do on the inside. Have a good week ahead both of you xxx

[@faithvansanden82]

The stone house is looking really good, don't doubt yourself it all works out in the end ❤

[@beavischrist5]

Maybe an idea to have some Bee hives there. Honey is expensive at the moment. And some medicinal herbs growing. You van make money with it too❤

[@nomorehate9176]

Can't wait to see the finished overhang!

[@LifebyLiving]

Neither can we!😂

[@micheleparadis2808]

I always love your videos but the 1st minute, 30 seconds made my heart smile. Beautifully simple. Thank you. (Cytisus scoparius, Cytise à balais, en français. No reference to Scotch or anywhere specific except Western Europe) Almost forgot: thank you for the Milanote!

[@costasworldofmusicmemories5792]

A great decision to change the scheme of the overhang of the roof. You guys are amazing. Always look forward to your videos. The musical score is so good. Where does it come from.? It lifts your video to another level. Hope you and the dogs are doing ok. Sending you Hugs🫂 and Kisses💋 from Richmond, Va. Jim, Harriet and Yuki

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks gang! It’s all from a music library called Epidemic Sound 😊

[@user-lx7nx9xm2f]

Well done you two. It is coming along so nicely Ricky. Victoria i love your adventurous nature to try different plants and keen to see your planting/resting area ideas under some of the trees. Keep at it, you are both a joy to watch. All the best. 🙂 🇨🇦

[@dollymembrebe3470]

you two are so amazing i am really impress i am not really a fan of watching vlogs and videos but when i saw your works i was really impress watching from the philipines i am looking forward to watch all your videos everyday

[@erneststevenson3872]

Pointing the outside walls with a strong mix would be beautiful and strengthen the walls while making them more waterproof. Should also mention the varmint exclusion benefit.

[@margomoore4527]

You guys could sure use a nice tractor to help move boulders. My parents had a Kubota, and it was very durable and scarcely ever needed a repair. But it takes about a dozen different oils and lubes to keep it running, so make sure to keep owner’s manual handy.

[@garyhollywell2112]

Looks brilliant the final finish will be great, excited to see the plans for the inside fitout.

[@karenoliver6837]

I love how thorough you both are with your renovations! Keep up the great work, you are doing it all beautifully. Don’t worry about any negative comments, those people probably wished they had your guts to do what you are doing by living your life your way!!❤

[@esmekaffen4961]

The roof is looking great and so nice to see spring is arriving and the pups enjoying the sun! As always thanks for sharing and have a great week.❤

[@anastazijamuller5278]

You are great people. I like you, and what you've done together is fantastic.

[@DivyaJoan]

Your videos make me smile. Both of you are so much fun with your innuendos and puns. :D Very quick witted!

[@margomoore4527]

My Dad (fair and freckled) did the same (towel tucked under hat) when working under the Texas sun. It worked well.

[@YaYaPaBla]

Adorable fur babies

[@ellenpearce6885]

Like many others I look forward to watching your progress on your stone house every week and learning more about living in Portugal. Thank you. Your videos are very well made.😊

[@deirdrecerasa3932]

Love the overhang! It really looks great. Fun to watch Gloria getting the plants into the ground. ❤

[@Drmac64631]

Good morning from Daytona Beach, Florida

[@LifebyLiving]

Goooood morning!

[@prettyuber3293]

A Filipino new subscriber here ❤😊 I’m looking forward to your journey as you create your beautiful farmstead.

[@johntowner5906]

I see both of you sitting under a big umbrella situated in a lovely little garden with your great dogs. " Heaven-"---for 10 minutes and then up to start the next project. Sorry to burst your bubble that way. LOL

[@leslietarboxjr4287]

I love watching you two work together, you make an awesome team, and you get funnier with each video. Love every improvement you make to your land and tiny home.

[@Linda-it6ci]

I love that little stone house. I would be very happy living there.... You two are doing a beautiful job. The dogs will be very happy sleeping inside of a night...... Blessings darlings from Granny Linda.....

[@ahzzz-realm]

the place is looking great, jobs done well.

[@donnaroberts8791]

I've just signed up for Milanote via your link. Like you, I'm a visual person who needs to see my various ideas lumped together. The glimpses of your ideas makes me excited about your vision coming to life. ❤

[@LifebyLiving]

You'll love it! We're using it for so many things now

[@nicolaharris3709]

The tiny house is looking great. You two work so well together I love your videos... love to see some more of Ted and Poppy ❤❤

[@amajjad]

Love what you are doing ❤

[@addiekeen7219]

Enjoy your channel a lot you two are great together👍❤️🙏🏻

[@ilzitek2419]

I love your channel. You seem so real and your content is so grounding. Like breath of fresh air.

[@planetdal]

I love your channel….especially enjoy the progress you make every week and your great sense of humor 😂

[@LifebyLiving]

Thank you!😊

[@AdamofCA.]

Ricky and Victoria have Grr8 smiles, ideas, and English voices. And Victoria is blessed with an angelic face so well sculptured as a fragrant Gardenia. Adam of CA.

[@Lizzycarmon]

Hi guys. We are from Philadelphia, PA and we are waching your videos. Is a hard work, but with perseverance everything is possible. Good luch.

[@maxe.8336]

Cabin renovations and riské innuendos are always a winning combination in my book. Keep serving up those cheesy double entendres!

[@ZeeCeeCreations]

The roof/overhang looks lovely! It will be beautiful when completed! Keep taking care of each other! ❤️

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Marsha!❤️

[@SusieMonk-jh8tj]

Just another thing when you are next planting. As someone else said fill the hole with water first then submerge the plant until bubbles of air stop escaping. If the entire plant is under water it will be so much better. A drop of washing up liquid to reduce surface tension works well if the soil is very dry. You are a joy to watch and happy working together. Brilliant

[@paulkane6208]

Hi both, enjoyed your latest video. Much better to spend that extra time in prep, even if you thought it had cost you more time & work, rather than have to do even more revision work after cementing the overhang bricks in. Well done from Wales. Paul 👍👍

[@Valcour]

If you build a 5 ft tripod out of lumber and hang a ratchet strap from it, you could pull those plants, roots and all with very little effort.

[@jeanrichardson2044]

I watch a program where they repair cemetery headstones and they use a similar tripod to lift heavy marble headstones into place. Sometimes the tripod gets a bend in it, so the lumbar needs to be sturdy. Very ingenious.

[@user-lb1eh8hn8s]

You could have used a construction adhesive to bond the bricks together. Its incredibly strong and once the bricks are bonded you will not be able break the joint. This would have been a much faster method and you would not have had to cut or fill the bricks with cement. Also, this would have allowed you to have a wider over hang that you wanted. You would then just concrete over the bricks to get the required finish. 😊

[@NiceDonkey3417]

Awe, I just planted a strawberry tree for my dog who passed last month. It's doing great, hope yours is too.

[@LifebyLiving]

It’s doing really well. Sorry to hear about your lovely dog ❤️

[@chloeuntrau4588]

Would be logical that you have the Mediterranean or Spanish broom,,,,Anyway all are yellow, and a few in the south are whitish.... Great work anyway and the dogs seem so happy!

[@nancycouch357]

I was wondering how you were going to solve the overhang situation, looks like it will be fine. On our property, we have some non native invasive species of brush and hundreds of standing dead ash trees. The Ash trees were wiped out by the emerald ash borer in this region and we have slowly been dropping them and cutting them up for firewood. Have you considered getting a wood chipper for grinding up the brush and smaller branches? Our summers are not as dry as in Portugal but the ground up brush can be mulched to build up our poor clay soil instead of releasing all of that carbon into the air...just a thought, carry on :-)

[@LifebyLiving]

We do have a small chipper but it’s nowhere near big enough to handle the volume of cuttings we create every year. Definitely want a bigger one however they’re quite pricey here & there’s a number of other big purchases we’re saving for first

[@nancycouch357]

Understandable. In fact we probably won't get one either because of the price as well as the fact that it will be just one more machine to maintain ,repair and keep out of the weather. We might rent one though ,for big jobs in the future. We just have so many projects and can only do so much.

[@annettev8362]

I really enjoy watching all you do on your property & building. I love the wall looks so clean & after pointing it will be beautiful.... Hello 👋🏻 from Southern California 🌴

[@joannecalcutt6724]

I don’t think getting every bit of the concrete off is necessary. You don’t want to bother the stability of the stones any more than you can help. Smart to start your fire prevention plans. Great video, great channel. ❤

[@mm.6991]

the broom in Portuguese is Giesta. A big 👍 for your work.

[@chrishiggins1811]

I’ve just watched every episode from the start to finish, you both are smashing this out great work to you both. I’m always keen to watch new you tube channels

[@user-ei5fh4xg7c]

I liked it better with just the concrete but the brick is good, too.

[@nurkomala9790]

Sekian lama saya menunggu baru sekarang ada lagi Semangat ya broo

[@richardbell466]

Great work guys.

[@Britbabe53]

They call it Scotch Broom here in Canada as well! It's more than a bit of a scourge here in BC.

[@lulubelle0bresil]

there are actually two kinds of broom in Portugal, each kind with one of the names you mentioned.

[@januszlewicki5783]

Hi, I found this on the internet. The Scottish broom is a short-lived species (10-15 years), reaching a height of 1 to 3 m, less often 4 m. It is a very branched shrub. It is an invasive plant. Traditionally, the flower has been used as a diuretic and to treat circulatory disorders. Root removal is often best done carefully by hand in the landscaping of your home. Make sure you have all the roots, as partially removing the roots will cause it to come back instead of getting rid of the scotch broom entirely.

[@lynmargaretnorwood8015]

Thank you both for the wonderful interesting information you give us each week. Your subtle humour is so welcome and refreshing.God bless you .

[@clairecooper9931]

I would love to do what you’re doing, you lucky things 😂 you are getting closer to finishing the roof, you should be so proud 🙌 have a great week ❤

[@silvieb2024]

Lovely video, lovely property, and lovely couple. Thank you ❤

[@janehavens3086]

If you get rid of the broom you could naturaluze under the trees with daffodil's or rother spring bulbs

[@monicamestas7566]

With the love and care you guys have put into your property, you'll have to live there for 100 years :)

[@johnmcguane8218]

❤ Well done guys,looks great.

[@LifebyBertie]

What a nice idea with that overhang, I'm sure it will look awesome. As always some beautiful B-roll. Have a good week!!! Cheers Bert 🙏🏻❤

[@joewalsh733]

Great work! The tiny house is coming along nicely.

[@paulinelogan1400]

Abit further on with the house Rick good job...your pancakes looked delicious Victoria i think your fur babies thought they smelt good too ❤

[@shawnajanae]

You guys are my favorite!! My husband and I watch you weekly and remind us of each other. Teamwork and home making 🖤🖤🖤🖤

[@richardhouston7277]

You guys should get in touch about doing a entertainment show...I am always laughing and having a smile. You two look good for each other. Best of luck. 💚

[@rmellersh]

It's called 'Cytisus scoparius' and was very popular when I was a landscape gardener. I think you've just convinced me to subscribe too. Well done

[@kathrynmcaravy5966]

I love how much your sense of humor comes out. You two are so adorable to watch. Keep up the good work I love watching your progress

[@nativetexson]

The "square" corbeling for the roof is great. It creates a wee bit of modern edge to the traditional stone building. Good work.

[@pitsnipe5559]

Keep it clean, boys and girls, keep it clean. 😊 Placing that cloth in your hat is called a havalock. It was a common accessory to a kepi style military hat common in the late 19th century.

[@fatimar8924]

Olá família linda boa noite 🌃😘🌾

[@anneliesjoss]

Yep, we have that same Broom in New Mexico, and here it’s called Mexican Broom😁. It also grows in coastal Belgium, but I can’t remember what it’s called there.

[@mgmm1956]

Giesta!

[@allenlaakso794]

I’ve seen other UK Portugal people remove the concrete/mortar with a pressure washer you can look into it 😮😊I like your channel just found this evening 2/26/24 from Michigan best wishes

[@andriesmaritz2055]

Wonderful to see the beauty of the stone walls without mortar all over it. You two are working soooo well together and Victoria you are one hard working lady and cheerful. I am originally from South-Africa and live in New Zealand since 2001. Here we have identical broom which apparently came in with European people and became a big invasive pest plant. Here it is just called Broom. The new tree you planted looks great. Kind regards.

[@patriciapoyanestebanez408]

Victoria , los frutos de Madroño también se comen . En España son muy típicos .

[@LMStevens]

When planting a tree, fill up your hole with water and let it seep. If the weather is dry, do it again. Then and only then, plant your tree, cover with dirt and then water again.

[@skullingtonfly]

You are both certainly hard workers 👍🏼

[@abqresident4461]

In New Mexico USA we call it Indian broom. According to tradition it was harvested and used as a broom to sweep out dirt floors. My neighbor and I share one and she ferociously trimmed it back a couple of years ago and it bounced back like a champ. The yellow blooms are very fragrant and act as a harbinger of Spring. Another delightful video; stay adorable! Love and hugs from me in New Mexico USA.