I was going through my travel photos and realized I didn’t finish a single project I brought to London. I guess that’s a sign of 2 things:
I was so busy being on vacation that I didn’t have time to hook.
I slept on the plane.
I don’t think that has ever happened before. 😉
I didn’t work on any new rugs this past week, but I did cut a bunch of wool and it’s ready to go into the dye pots.
Some weeks I am able to squeeze in a bunch of hooking time. Sometimes I don’t.
Online Things
Online Goals for 2025
- Reach 20,000 sales in Etsy shop MavisButterfield {I’m currently at 19,522}
In Stock and Ready to Ship by March 31st{DONE!}Create 4 new patterns/kits- Take all new pictures + videos for Etsy shop {in progress}
Get as much as humanly possible done online January – March of this year.- Stop picking up my phone so much
- Spend less than 3 hours a day online
- Tidy up the back end of the blog
We are coming down the home stretch on the upstairs bathroom remodel… And that feels good.
The skies are full of rain and cloudy this morning {and supposed to be all day}. Hopefully that means I can get some painting done inside. We’ll see.
House Things
House Goals
- Paint The Inside Of The House – 2 closets left to paint!
- Paint The Interior Window Trim
- Remodel Bathroom #1 {scheduled!}
- Freshen up Bathroom #2 {Just need to install the facet and hang something on the wall}
- Put Stuff On The Walls {working on it}
- Work on “new” Kitchen Game Plan
Garden Things
I froze a second bath of tomatoes from the garden {and a few from The Kiln Guy}. I think I’ll head down to the farmstand either today or tomorrow though and see if they are offering cases of tomatoes at a discount.
That way I’ll be able to make some homemade salsa and maybe some sauce.
This has been a really busy summer for us and the HH didn’t want to dig up the backyard and add more garden space… But next year will be a whole different story.
We’ll have a much, much larger garden, that’s for sure. 😉
Here’s what we’ve harvested so far:
- Green Beans 5 pound 2 ounces
- Radishes 8.4 ounces
- Rosemary 2 ounces
- Sugar Snap Peas 1 pound 2.3 ounces
- Strawberries 5 ounces {the Chippy’s keep eating them!}
- Tomatoes 18 pounds 7 ounces
- Zucchini 4 pounds 2 ounces
Garden Goals
- Grow 365 pounds of food
Install a side yard {flower} garden{DONE!}Make a Potting Bench{decided I didn’t need one}MakeFIND a Garden Cart to sell flowers/veggies out front{DONE}
Kitchen Things
This past week I shared a recipe for Burrata and Prosciutto Salad With Pesto And Cantaloupe. It’s a total copycat recipe from the salad I had at Harrods {minus the gold leaf} and it’s fantastic!
The HH is already asking me to make it again. I love when that happens!
Kitchen Goals
- Try 12 new recipes {3 down, 9 to go}
- Fill the canning cupboard
New Recipes I’ve Shared This Year
- Double Chocolate Rye Cookies
- Velveeta Zesty Chili Dip
- Haddock and Corn Chowder
- The Best Way To Freeze Avocados
- Freezing Refried Beans
- Burrata and Prosciutto Salad With Pesto And Cantaloupe
Travel Things
My hiking trip to Utah is about a month away and I need to start getting in shape for it.
Something tells me hiking 10 miles a day in and out of canyons is going to be a little different than power walking around the harbor for an hour.
I should probably start doing some stretching exercises too. Maybe yoga? Gaa. I hate training. And yoga too. I’m more of a roll out of bed and just do it kind of person.
But something tells me I need to be in shape for this.
- Explore more of the great state of Maine
- Go on a painting holiday {BOOKED!}
Québec City{Accommodations and 1 tour booked!}Travel Overseas{Spent over a week in the Cotswolds with the HH}Send the HH on a vacation{He went to NYC!}- Hiking in Zion National Park {This wasn’t planned – but how could I say no?}
Marriage Things
This past week the HH and I went on a few walks but most importantly we spent a lot of time talking about my secret project #2.
The whole project is crazy and will be exhausting but in the end I think it’s going to be a really, really good thing. I’m excited to tell you all about it but there are still a few things we need to do first.
How are YOUR goals coming along? Can you recommend any strength training or even yoga videos? I really need to get in shape for my hiking trip. Quick!
Have a great Sunday everyone,
~Mavis
~Mavis
Marriage Goals
- Keep my husband busy
- Date days
- Walk more
Barb says
Your bathroom looks lovely. One comment is that the hand towel seems far away from the sink. Perhaps a small stack of disposable guest towels by the sink to avoid water drips across the floor? That bathroom probably doesn’t get used constantly so the “environmental impact” from disposables shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Barb says
Unless that’s your main bathroom, then you might want a small towel rack/ring under the mirror by the sink.
Mavis Butterfield says
It is our main bathroom. There is a towel ring with hand towel just to the right of the sink {out of view}.
Wendy says
Does secret project #2 have anything to do with England? I have a feeling a move there is quite possible for you guys.
Mark says
The “We’ll have a much, much larger garden, that’s for sure.”. screamed we’re moving again to me.
Staci W says
I heard that, too. 😉
Kirsten says
I have a friend in No. Calif who just bought a house. I was wondering if you have a brand of tomato seeds you would recommend for her backyard garden. ( plenty of sun and hot summers )
Thanks
Kayla says
I’m from No. Cal-
Sungold cherry tomatoes are amazing and they grow great from seeds. One year I picked fresh cherry tomatoes a week after Christmas.
But any variety grows great as California weather is a tomatoes happy place. Just make sure you put a Tums or a canned sardine in the hole under your tomato seed- about an inch beneath the dirt under your seed or starter tomato plant. They like the calcium and nutrients.
suzanne says
Such a good call on the blue vanity and floor tiles.
For your hike I would recommend simple planking and reverse planking. If your core and glutes are weak your lower back and knees start to over compensate. That is why so many folks in their 50’s or so start to have knee problems. Lunges and Belgian split squats can build leg strength as well very quickly. Won’t take more than 15 minutes a day. Having said that I don’t think you’re at the stage where you need to use your arms to help get you out of a chair or even off the floor.
Debbie says
unrelated…I realized I’ve never seen the Garden Cart—when did I miss that??
Lori says
Hey Mavis,
We had an awful time this year with chipmunks eating our ever-bearing strawberries. What I did was paint rocks the size of strawberries to look like strawberries. I painted a lot of them. Some of them even fooled me when I went to pick strawberries. I layed them through-out and around our strawberry patch. It cut down on the strawberries the chipmunks and the birds were getting. You are so artistic I’m sure you can paint strawberry rocks beautifully.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ve done this to keep birds out of the berries. Works every time. Glad it works for chippys too.https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/painted-garden-rocks-scare-birds-away-the-natural-way/