Get Back To The Basics + Learning to Unplug
All I do these days are eat, sleep, play with wool and keep my plants watered. Yep. That’s pretty much my life these days.
I haven’t watched a movie in at least two months. I maybe check my phone once a day {if that} and some days I even forget to bake my afternoon cookie.
It’s that crazy around here. I have to force myself to leave the “island” at least once a week. Staying unplugged is super easy to do when you have a to-do list a mile long. 😉
In The Kitchen
The HH is in charge of cooking for the rest of the month so I can stay focused on getting all my wool projects done.
Yesterday’s linner was an egg salad sandwich.
Kitchen Goals For This Year
- Master the pear frangipane tart from Standard Baking Company.
- Put my Weck jars to use.
- Use two bins of beans.
Rug Hooking
I finished dyeing all the wool!! I can’t believe it! Now I just have to bundle all of it.
Besides labeling and bundling wool, I still have about 100 more kits to make. If I stay on track and log about 10 hours a day until the end of the month, I think I’ll finish in time!
It will feel SO GOOD to check this massive project {getting 12 months worth of work done in 4} completed.
Rug Hooking Goals For This Year
- Finish drawing out all my patterns, making kits, dyeing wool by March 31st. {92% done!!!}
- Release 10 new rug hooking patterns/kits. {3 down 7 to go}
- Hook 27 of the patterns from the “someday I’ll hook these” bin. {4 down 23 to go}
Go New Places – See New Things
I bought a new travel outfit for NYC. What do you think? Brown pants, a red sweater and a belt.
I can’t even remember the last time I owned a belt. I hope the arms on the sweater are long enough. 😉
Travel Goals For This Year
- Travel someplace {internationally} that I’ve never been before.
- Travel somewhere in Maine {overnight} that I haven’t been before.
Places I’ve Been So Far This Year
- Boston {Birthday getaway}
Walk And Stretch More
We got a few good walks in last week and one day I even snuck in an extra loop around the neighborhood. C’mon warmer weather. I need you if I’m going to get in shape before the half marathon in May!!
Fact: If it was warmer out and I was walking more I’d be able to eat more pastries.
Walking/Stretching Goals For This Year
- Get into some sort of stretching routine
- Fast walk a 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon {signed up for a half marathon}
Garden
Hey look what I found lurking in one of my chive plants. An invasive ladybug. How do I know it’s the invasive kind? See the “M” on the ladybug’s head? That’s how you know it’s the bad kind.
I guess it’s time to get out the old vacuum {I knew I was saving it for something!} and do a little housekeeping. Yikes!
Garden Goals For This Year
- Rework the driveway and garden areas
- Go crazy and plant a ridiculous amount of flowers
- Step out of my comfort zone and plant some flowers I’ve never planted before
Paint
It was another week of no painting. Not buoys, not walls, not a single brushstroke on my paint by number. Nada.
The only project on my mind from now until the end of the month is to finish all my wool projects. Once that’s done, I’ll be able to pack everything away and get some serious painting done.
Yee-Haw. I’m almost there!!
~ Mavis
Painting Goals For This Year
- The Van Gogh wall
- The gallery wall down stairs
- The captains wall in the hall
- Trim and walls
Tracey says
Love the sweater! and sort of off topic, but seeing you are heading to NYC maybe not so much: what portable kettle do you pack? I recall you brought it to London but can’t find the post –
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ll have to dig it out and see what brand it is.
Nancy Settel says
Mavis, Love all 3 of the outfits and on my computer it comes out like a deep orange color and I never ever wear orange but loved that color also. On a different topic as your husband is doing all of the cooking I thought I would send him another crock pot recipe that is so darn easy and so good. Actually my granddaughter gave me this recipe. It calls for pork lion but I didn’t have one so I used 4 large chicken thighs and we LOVED it. In a sprayed (we use PAM) crock pot add 4 lrage thighs or a pork lion, add one can of whole berry cranberry sauce and a package of onion soup mix cook on low for 4 hrs. then add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard stir as best you can then cook an additional 2 hrs. Thats it. We served it with mashed potatoes and left overs for the next day.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Nancy!
We’ll give it a try. It’s hard to go wrong with onion soup mix!
Sue says
Eew, gotta smoosh those lil’ invaders if they’re outside.
Speaking of chives, mine overwintered and are thriving. I didn’t expect that since I’ve never been able to keep any other herbs alive through winter. I am delighted!
I really like your outfit (shoutout to The Official Preppy Handbook).
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Sue. 🙂
Linda Sand says
I have long arms but narrow shoulders. They mostly balance out when it comes to sleeve lengths. I hope your new sweater works for you.
Ashley B says
I like the outfit. It reminds me of a mix of GAP and JNCO jeans, but in a classy way 😉
Mavis Butterfield says
I think the outfits have a very early 90’s vibe too. Ha. Maybe that’s why I like that look so much.
Ashley B says
I actually saved a lot of my clothes from college(05) and a few from high school (01) and since I have lost weight have started to incorporate a few of them back into my wardrobe. It’s a great feeling after losing a lot of weight. And tbh, I like a lot of the styles, and they do seem to be coming back around again.
Remi says
Where did you purchase your outfit from? It looks very nice!
Mavis Butterfield says
https://passecompose.es/
Remi says
What store/where did you purchase your outfit from? It looks very nice!
Deb from Ohio says
Congrats on the wool project almost finished!
I didn’t know you were working 10 hour days, how do you have the discipline? Do you decide your schedule each day, or just play it by ear? Do you set an alarm? Wish I had your energy, but I think I did at your age
Mavis Butterfield says
I just wing it. I know what needs to be done, so I just pick something and work on it.
The discipline part is easy… I want to spend my time in the garden this spring/summer. If I get all the wool stuff done I can do that.
I don’t set an alarm anymore. 🙂
Pam says
Such a cute outfit! Looks perfect for travel. Have you ever seen the sudoku packing method. Maybe you’ve used it before. Just found it and looking forward to trying it
Mavis Butterfield says
Never heard of it. When I travel I pretty much wear a casual outfit and then pack 2 more {something suitable for dinner out and something casual}.
Dianne Labadie says
Good choice of outfits. #3 pieces? I really like the dark pants on you-ditch the scarf – I haven’t seen anyone wear those in 10 years. I still have mine hoping they come back in style. If wearing sweater over shirts the arm lengths should be fine. If not, roll up your
shirt cuffs over the sweater sleeve. I hope you plan a theatre show. Good job, Mavis.