The Citizen, 1999-05-05, Page 12Jdonie Garden 1999
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1999.
Artwork makes nursery a child’s Disney land
A child’s delight
A peek-a-booing Mickey Mouse sets up a perfect
showplace for little Rachel Hastings' stuffed animal
collection. When looking at decorating a nursery,
parents Donald and Dawn Hastings of Brussels wanted
to create something unique for their firstborn.
Watching as she sleeps
Artist Michelle McNeil has The Seven Dwarfs keeping a watchful eye on Rachel as she
sleeps and plays in her crib. The lovable Disney characters were sketched on the wall first,
then painted.
Under the sea
The Little Mermaid makes a
splash of colour on the green
background of the lower
portion of the nursery wall,
which was bagged for a
special effect.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Expecting your baby is always an
exciting time, a time for change, a
time of welcome.
When Dawn and Donald Hastings
of Brussels, were looking at
remodelling a bright pink bedroom
into a nursery, they not only wanted
a welcoming, cozy environment that
would suit either a boy or a girl, but
decided that it needed to be as
special as the new family member
would be to them.
"We wanted something different
for this first baby," says Dawn.
Conversations with Donald's
mother, Karen Hastings led to her
niece Michelle McNeil. Best known
for her decorative window
paintings in local businesses at
Christmas, McNeil also does
interior design work.
When consulted by the Hastings,
she was excited by the challenge.
"We decided to paint Disney
characters on the wall," says Dawn.
Animal friends
The Hastings decided on a furniture layout for their
nursery before the artwork began. Bambi and friends
were created with the idea that the crib could be moved
to that side of the room if a change was desired.
"Though Michelle had painted
things like this before, she had
never actually painted them with
interior paint on a wall."
Knowing what the furniture
layout was to be, the next decision
was deciding what characterizations
would go where.
With McNeil working evenings
the project took about a month. First
she painted the walls then bagged
on the bottom half. Characters were
outlined in chalk, then painted in.
"She’s very talented," says Dawn.
"Michelle can look at something or
just be given an idea and follow
through. She has done some very
unique things."
The finished product is an
enchanting entertainment centre of
colourful characters for the Hastings
now 11-month-old daughter Rachel.
Entering the room, the first thing
one sees is the cheery faces of the
Seven Dwarfs peering into the crib.
Winnie the Pooh is carried away by
a balloon overhead, while on the
other wall the Little Mermaid floats
in suspended animation.
Located across from the crib is
-<
Bambi, while Mickey and Minnie
Mouse peer around the window
frame.
Dawn says they couldn't be more
pleased, believing they got the
special environment they hoped to
create for their, firstborn. "Rachel
does spend time looking at them,
but I think she'll enjoy it more when
she gets older. "
Asked if they would undertake a
similar project for the next child,
Dawn says probably not.
"But if it's a boy, Donald does
have some ideas, like race cars."
New product
improves
septic systems
It seems like a never-ending
problem.
The heavy clay, rocky soil or
high water table are hampering the
efficiency of the septic system.
A new product has come on the
market which can deal with these
situations as well as easily handle
more receptive soils.
The Ecoflo Biofilter is a fully-
integrated on-site wastewater treat
ment system which consists of a
fibreglass shell and a filter bed of
treated sphagnum peat moss.
With this system, the wastewater
flows from the septic tank, into the
shell and then is dispersed evenly
over the filter with a gravity-based
system.
After percolating through the
peat bed, the wastewater infiltrates
the soil.
Unlike conventional systems,
Ecoflo uses high-performance fil
tration which maintains its purify
ing capacity over time.
Property can be optimized
because less space is required for
the system.
Approved by the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs and Housing, the
biofilter has comprehensive war
ranty which is transferable to new
owners. An annual preventive
maintenance check is included in
the price.