Sunday, January 19, 2014

Project #1 Scrap Bin

Completed a project that we started early last summer. Plans were ready and we had all the materials we needed, but we lacked some serious motivation. I must say we were a bit rusty, but in the end we got it completed. Nothing fancy just a bin to put all the scrap wood in. We did add some sturdy casters to it. Rolls great.

So nice with it all out of the way! We even know what we have now. Maybe some other smaller projects will finally be completed. Maybe...

 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Sandwich bread

Could it be? Have I finally found a good sandwich bread recipe... I think I have. The hubby has been wanting to make bread with me for a while. He picked the recipe and I think it's a winner. Thank you Brown Eyed Baker for American Sandwich Bread.

Two days of sandwich goodness.

 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Tomato Wrestling

The garden got a bit out of control over the holidays. I always plant my tomatoes too close together so I had to thin them out a bit. We build some quick trellises and added some more dirt/fertilizer. Also finished replacing the wood garden bed with stone, and wow, what a difference that made. The bugs are no joke in Hawaii. The wood we pulled up was as light as paper and folded just as easily.

Left to right: three heirloom tomatoes???, two basil plants, three or four cherry tomatoes, and two yellow pear tomatoes. Hope to add some green beans soon.

The stone just looks so much better, I don't know why we didn't do this in the first place. I will be filling the holes in the cinder blocks and planting small flowers to bring the bees back. My tiny yard feels huge now that the tomatoes aren't creeping halfway across the yard. Traded our reel mower for a electric weed eater. First time cutting the grass and it did the job a lot faster and better. This yard is just too small for any mower.

 

Friday, January 3, 2014

2014 Goals

I can already tell that 2014 is going to be a better year for me. I'm really looking forward to all the great stuff we will be doing. Not sure what all that great stuff will be, but I'll figure it out sooner or later! So this year my goals revolve around all my favorite things.

  1. Log 500 miles on my treadmill. I actually enjoy running on it verses running outside because it has built in air pockets that make it easier on my legs. I also love to watch Netflix while I run. Hope to soon upgrade my wireless earbuds to a quality pair that don't need to be held on with a stretchy headband.
  2. Log 400 miles on my bicycle. Got a great bike last year but didn't really ride it. I'm super scared of traffic and downhill. Really hope to conquore those with practice. Already logged 8 miles.
  3. Read 12 books. So anyone who knows me would be shocked that I have to make this a goal, but over that last few years I have fallen off the reading wagon. Already started my first book: The Blood Gospel by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell.
  4. Blog at least 24 times. I got totally derailed last year and regret it. Blogging is something I really like so I need to make the time to do it.
  5. Continue my musical education. I rented a violin the beginning of September and took a few lessons to get started. I even went to the violin store today and got a new bow. Turns out I was seriously over rosining the last one. Played for a while when I got home and wow, what a difference it made. Paul was my audience and I didn't do too bad. Thinking about how much better I am now than when I started makes me want to keep practicing to see how much better I could be. Learning to read music has been a unique challenge; feels like a whole new language.
  6. Dejunk my music collection. I have a bad habit of keeping music in my iTunes account even if I don't like it. I figure someone will like it so I should keep it, right? Wrong. It is time for a good purge.
  7. Digitize, date, tag, and sort all my pictures. I started this project about a month, month and a half ago and have already made a serious dent. I think I've deleted the majority of the duplicates, but I still have to merge pictures from multiple computers. Decided to scan all my old pictures in so that I can make nice professional looking printed books. I'm also taking the time to tag all the pictures (people, place, activity, etc...). I love photo albums.

That is a lot of stuff! Lets see what I'm able to accomplish in 2014!

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2014!

Rang in the New Year the best way possible - with my husband, at home, and in our pjs!

 

So what did I accomplish in 2013:

  1. Woodworking - completed two leaning book stands, two sets of night stands, and a garden shed.
  2. Started playing the violin - I have always wanted to learn how and I really love it. I may switch to the viola. We shall see...
  3. Wracked up way too many air miles - a trip Kauai with the family and two trips to South Carolina. My ass wants to stay on the ground for a while. Unless it involves a trip to New Zealand or South America.
  4. Crafts - I completed my very first blanket and two infinity scarfs, all crocheted.
  5. I have managed to truly stay active all year - I can run for 3 miles no problem. I've never felt better and I'm looking pretty dang great if I say so myself!