Last week the HH and I went to Port Clyde and the Marshall Point Lighthouse for date day and boy was it windy! And cold too. But the view… it was totally worth it. I can’t imagine being a lobsterman in Maine, in February. Talk about needing some serious layers to stay warm.
If you’ve ever wanted a behind the scenes look at what happens to lobsters once they hit the dock and before they get to your door, Leroy has a new video up {or you can just click play above}.
Weigh What I Weighed When We Got Married {128 pounds}
Weigh ins will be on the first Sunday of the month.
- My February 7th weigh in was 137.3
- My January 3rd weigh in was 140.7
Progress is being made with our little bathroom remodel. The tile has been laid and hopefully by the end of today the HH will have the vanity installed {he tried to do it last night but needs another part for the sink}.
The tile is actually a little lighter than if appears in the photo {we haven’t installed the lighting yet} but so far the whole light and beachy look we were going for is coming along.
I’ll post before and after pictures when we’re done,
The HH’s Honey Do List {so far} for 2021 š
- Build a new set of stairs down to the water. The old set… it’s not exactly useable.
- Build a firepit near the edge of the property. {He’s handy, he’ll figure it out}
- Build a picnic table near the birch trees for summer lunches {NEXT on the list!}
- Build 4 or 6 garden boxes for his little lady
- Build a boatload of birdhouses for the {soon to be} bird sanctuary
- Remodel the bathroom in the hallway {In Progress!}
- Install some sort of driveway border
- Install a workspace for me in the basement for dying wool.
Things We’d Like to Buy
- A dinghy for zipping around the nearby islands and for summer ice cream runs
- Archery Set {every camp should have archery!}
- Kitchen table and chairs
- Sideboard
Bench for the entryway- A full size washer and dryer set {the house came with a small stackable w/d set}
- Deck chairs and a patio table set
A set of 4 Adirondack chairs for the fire pit area- BBQ {Sayonara smoker?}
Unplug As Much As Possible {but still keep the blog, FB and Instagram}
My phone is still on silent mode. š Not having to be interrupted by the noise of a ringing phone or text messages is really pretty awesome.
Last night I finished up Mad Men Season 5 and next on my list is Waking Ned Devine. Have you seen it before? I think I’ll make a tray of pickety bits for dinner tonight and watch it with the HH.
- Goodbye Amazon Prime {Done!}
- Goodbye Hulu {Done!}
- Goodbye Netflix {Done!}
- Goodbye keeping my cell phone in my back pocket and checking it constantly {so far so good}
- Limit time online to 3 hours a day {for writing, working, and Etsy} {so far so good}
Try 24 New Recipes {and remember to link them here}
This past week I shared a recipe for colcannon.
New recipes I’ve made this year:
- Colcannon
- Tuna Wiggle
- Grilled Steak Tips with Garlic Butter
- Seville Orange Marmalade
- Jalapeno Cheddar No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- Hearty Cheeseburger Soup
- Meatballs and Brown Gravy
Read {or Listen to} 12 New Books about Maine {or written by Maine Authors}
I didn’t borrow any new books from the library this past week and I’m still waiting my turn in queue for The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.
Books about Maine {or written by Maine authors} I’ve read this year:
- Christina Olson Her World Beyond the Canvas.
- At First Light: Two Centuries of Maine Artists, Their Homes and Studios
- Bernard Langlais at the Colby College Museum of Art
Audiobooks I’ve listened to {or attempted to listen to} this year:
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig {I’d give it a 7/10}
- Wintering by Katherine May {Hit the return button after 7 minutes}
Get 24 Stories Off My Phone and onto the Blog
When I set this goal, I had originally meant to get 24 stories {pictures I had taken to tell you about something, but never got around to} and so far, I am totally slacking. If only I had no new stories to share with you. If only we had totally bought a house on an island, this goal would have been SO MUCH easier to check off my list.
The photo above? It has been sitting on my phone since 2017!
Stories I’ve Taken Off My Phone and onto The Blog:
Get the Photos on My Phone Down to Less Than 1,000 {started the year with 2863 photos}
If I could only stop taking photos of all gorgeous sunrises I could probably whittle down the amount of photos that are on my phone. š This is one I took this morning. Waking up to a sky of pink puts me in such a good mood!
Clean Out My Closet
I turned all the hangers around in my closet on January 1st and so far 85% of them are still backwards.
My House Projects For This Year
So far I’ve painted trim and walls in the hall bathroom {I’ll do the touch ups once the HH is done in there} and basically the goal is to get all the painting done in family room, entry and dining room before Mrs. HB comes for her visit in late May. So, at least I have a deadline. Which is a good thing.
- Figure out new window treatments for the back of the house
- Come up with a game plan for the kitchen remodel {for 2022}
- Paint the family room
wallsand trim - Paint the entryway
trimand doors {halfway there} - Paint the dining room walls and trim
- Paint the master bedroom walls and trim
- Paint the barn and add a new fixture {okay, so the HH will be adding the fixture}
Paint the hallway bathroom{Done!}
My Garden Projects For This Year
It’s still too cold to play outside yet but I think I’m going to have the HH build the same garden boxes he built for me at our last place again for my garden out front. I liked the height and thickness of the garden boxes and they were easy to maintain. This time around though I’ll snap some photos in case you want to make them too.
My List of Garden Projects For This Year I want to Accomplish :
- Install a simple flower bed border in front of the house
- Install a boatload of birdhouses/feeders in the side yard
- Transplant evergreen saplings to the side of property for a privacy border
- Clean up and prune the area that faces the road
- Install a vegetable garden
- Install a sunflower patch
- Plant 2,500 flower bulbs {Why 2,500? It seemed like a good number to start with}
Reach 10,000 Sales on Etsy {as of this morning I’ve made 6389 sales on Etsy}
Only 3,611 to go!
Last week I added a bunch of new rug hooks to my Etsy shop and this week I added a few more bundles of hand dyed wool. Next Friday I’ll be adding the new pillows rugs I’ve been working on the past 6 weeks.
Create 12 New Rug Hooking Patterns or Kits
I just started hooking a new pattern with a sweet little heart border last night and I’m hoping I’ll have it ready by my Friday update. If I can do that, I’ll be right on schedule with this goal {3 new patterns in 3 months}. Yee-Haw!
Create 12 New Ornaments for 2021
This past week I’ve been experimenting with a new white clay. I have a specific project in mind, so I’m especially excited to see how it all turns out. š
I first got into using the redware clay because I had planned on making a set of ornaments for one of our previous houses {the red colonial} but now that we’ve moved to the coast of Maine, I feel like I’m being drawn in a different direction. And that’s always exciting. Who knows if my idea will work out… but I’ve got to give it a go.
2021 Ornaments I’ve Made So Far
- #1 ♥ Ladybug Heart ♥
2021 Garlands I’ve Made So Far
Discover 12 Made in Maine Products and Share Them on the Blog
I’m so excited about this goal!! This past week I found another 2 made in Maine products that I’ll be sharing on the soon. Plus, I already have another one my list I want to check out.
Made in Maine Products I’ve Discovered in 2021:
We finally visited another lighthouse! Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, Maine. It was lovely! 1 down, 5 to go!
Lighthouses We’ve Visited So Far This Year:
Lighthouses I’ve Been to in Maine Before 2021:
Other places in Maine We’ve Been to This Year Are:
- Owls Head General Store
- Wasses Hot Dogs in Rockland, Maine
- Langlais Sculpture Preserve ā Cushing, Maine
So that’s it. That’s my progress report for this past week. How about YOU? Did you make any goals for 2021? Have you checked any of them off your list yet?
Have a great one,
~Mavis
Paula says
“Waking Ned” is a great movie. You will love it! Enjoy!
Kathy says
Just curious how you watch movies if you are not connected to any service? Do you get them from the library? Thanks.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. DVD’s from the library. š Free.
Betta from daVille says
My mother-in-law runs the art gallery at Pemaquid lighthouse (all local artists). I hope you return during the summer season!
Deb K says
Oh…Waking Ned Devine is hysterical! I think you’ll love it! Thanks for the reminder to watch it again!
S.B. says
Waking Ned is a great movie. I’ve decided that HH has shifted from “Handsome” (though I’m sure he’s still a handsome fella) to “Handy.” š
Pat from Buffalo says
Maybe we should refer to him as the HHH – Handy Handsome Hubby!
Tanya says
If your library is anything like the one I work at you may want to find another book while you wait for Four Winds. Weāve ordered extra copies several times already and still have a long waiting list!
suzanne says
Great movie choice. I would love to see all the HH builds. Maybe you can get him to share the birdhouses and fire pit as well.
Martine says
Hi Mavis, I wonder if you’d enjoy the film Finest Hours? Its a disney film based on a true story of a coastguard rescue off the coast of Maine. Chris Pine is in it and I loved it. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I hope your neck is healing well and your poor hand too! Take care. x
Cheryl says
Beachy bathroom remodel is coming along nicely. Love the tile!
Pj Truman says
The Mediavine ads are really messing up my enjoyment of my favorite relaxing thing to do on Sunday… read your blog! They have so much motion they distract the eye while trying to focus and read. They canāt be paused to stop the motion. Not only that, the topics are usually something you really donāt want to see while trying to relax. You might consider dropping them from your blog posts. Iāve been reading this blog for years and this is the first time Iāve had this problem. Iām sorry to complain, but thought youād want to know they really change your normally relaxing vibe.
Pat from Buffalo says
I agree Pj
Carolina Cooper says
Love the bathroom tile and also love the names you give to your wool colors—“mud on the back porch”—what a hoot!
About Maine lobster men (and women): Don’t know if it still true, but years ago, the folks on Monhegan Island had January 1st as the day that they all set their traps. They realized that the waters were being “fished out” and so they only lobstered from January 1st to June, to give the lobsters time to replenish. Nobody was partying on New Year’s Eve and they all set out at the same time on New Year’s Day, early. Hardy folks, those lobsta’ men (and women).
Mary Neathway says
My husband, raised on the east coast of Canada, tells me potatoes ātaste like dirtā . I would eat potatoes 3 meals a day and be happy. The other day I made your colcannon recipe and the comment? āthese potatoes are delicious, you should make them more oftenā. And yes, I surely will!
Teri says
Love your bathroom flooring; is it vinyl plank? Can’t wait to see the vanity. You have great taste!
Mavis Butterfield says
12×24 tile. š
Idaho girl says
Mavis! I am hoping to get some Adirondack chairs for our deck. Could you or your readers please tell me where to get some sturdy, well priced chairs? Thank you!
Mavis Butterfield says
I bought mine from LL Bean. They typically have a 15% of 20% coupon every few months or so. Also, if you sign up for their CC you can get another 15% off.
Linda says
I have an idea to reduce your photos for furture stories. If the photos are from 2017, 2018, or 2019 , get rid of them. They are from your past and even from living in a different location. The stories from your current location /house/yard/garden are current and very interesting, and things all your readers seem to be very intersted in. Let the past go to your fond memory bank.
Sam says
The lobster video was disgraceful. Treating living creatures like this is horrific, tossing them about like theyāre already dead…And no, I donāt eat lobster, or any sentient creature, come to that, but even if you do, your own humanity should demand that the minimum amount suffering happens before it gets to your plate.