Building

I got out of my comfort zone on the weekend. I helped my dad make progress on his guest house project.

Duke appointed himself honorary foreman and I was in charge of climbing, fetching and toting. Thank goodness for electric staple guns.

We managed to fully insulate this shed and get over half of the tongue and groove flooring done. Boy oh howdy am I sore! That was a lot of lifting and bending. Not sure who was more sore me…or my dad. We just need a few cool days so we can finish the floor!

Happy Constructing!!

Outdoor Crafting and Peace

Now that the summer sweltering has eased, I finally kicked my patio project into high gear. And I am super happy with the results. I spend many of a pleasant morning drinking coffee and knitting in the cool shade.

Our fence posts had become loose during the wet summer so we pulled and reset those. And while we were there, we replaced some of the cross beams. Then we power washed and re-stained the fence. Followed by power washing the contract and some SUPER cheap amazon patio furniture. And the icing on the cake are some solar lights attached to the fence lining for soft glow.

I may only have a couple of months left to enjoy so I am going to soak up all the outside time!

Let’s Fence

Our patio fence had started to lean last year so we had to pull the two panels and re-cement the post. And it was covered in algae. So we pulled out our power washer and got to work. Okay, I hired a college student to do it.

We still need to reseal the fence with some oil or finish. And then I have BIG plans: outdoor solar lights, hammock time, clean concrete, trimmed trees. Basically an outside oasis for mom since the family has taken over the rest of the house.

Honestly, it feels good to make some progress on long standing house projects!!

Mom Skills

PB reached 100 days of school and celebrated by dressing up as a granny. Per my usual MO, I went to Amazon to help this working momma out. But alas the kit came WAY to big and way to late to exchange.

So it was my sewing machine to the rescue. I had to take up 10 inches which meant a 5 inch hem. I did not cut off any fabric so as she grows I can just pick out the stitches and let the “dress” down to fit her.

She was EXCITED. She had her cane, purls, granny glasses and dress. We skipped the skull cap and wig because I don’t hate her teacher. And bonus, she can now play Grannies like they do in Bluey. IYKYK

Happy Sewing!

Dark Humor

I was recently at a bakery and found the perfect gift for my former work bestie. She has moved to another company and I miss her dearly. She and I enjoy self deprecating humor and the occasional cocktail. This towel fits her PERFECTLY.

I think I am going for work up a little “new job” basket and add this towel, a bottle of wine, some chocolate and a fidget toy. We don’t really do birthdays or Christmas and prefer random acts of kindness.

Happy Tuesday!

Puppy Progress

The puppy continues to grow and grow. Now that it’s September we are approaching 6 months old. He is my dog and has imprinted on me like a duckling. Where I am…he is…

He is crazy smart and loves to play and learn tricks. We are also entering the “chew everything” phase of puppy teething. Nothing is safe, not even PB or Jellybean’s toys and objects. We are learning important lessons!

I am not sure he is supposed to bend this way???

But he sure is cute and brings so much love and joy after long and stressful work and back to school days! May he also bring you a smile!

Happy Friday!!

New Addition

I have been a little absent here lately. Work continues at a frenetic pace. I went a little cuckoo and we got a puppy mostly on a whim. I saw a local FB post about a family with a litter of yellow labs and there was ONE left. I was hooked and two days later we have a tiny tornado!

His name is Duke and incredibly intelligent. He is working being potty trained and learning basic commands. And he is very active and playful so my crafting time is non-existent. But he is the sweetest and already bonded with both PB and Jellybean. The kids have been asked to step up and help with puppy chores.

Don’t you just love his smooshy face?!?

Spring Cleaning

I got SICK of tripping over junk in the garage so I got mad and I got to cleaning. This is my side of the garage where I park. The top is the before and the bottom is the after.

I filled half our trash tote, organized everything to fit on shelving, and swept out about 1,000 bugs and fall leaves. It will likely last 2.5 seconds but it felt good to purge some items and be able to get in and out of my van easier.

Now, what you don’t see is the dumpster fire that is my husband’s side of the garage. That’s a mountain for another day! It’s time to start the weekend and soak up some sunshine…

Happy Cleaning!!

Let’s Try Bagels

My baking addiction continues unabated. My family asked for bagels and I had never made them before. So we tried a little experiment.

I used my bread machine to mix, knead and proof the dough. And then I took over and did the salt boil and custom toppings. We did cheese, everything and plain bagels.

I learned some lessons. They need to go right from boil to toppings to oven or they will shrink. Definitely more cheese next time. And the plain ones would benefit from some sea salt on top. But all in all, not a bad first try!

Happy Baking!!