17 Things I Want To Do In 2023 – Week 44 of 52

17 Things I Want To Do In 2023 – Week 44 of 52

Earn $1,493.04 {Last Year’s Grocery Expenses} Selling Totally Random Things Online

No movement on the T-Rex. 

Sold so far

• 1 Box of “Native Organically Harvested Maine Driftwood” for $89.95
• 1 Box of 12 Heart Shaped Rocks for 24.95
• 1 box of 6 Heart Shaped Rocks for $22.95
• 1 box of 2 Folgers Coffee Cans for $29.95
• Set of 3 Brim Coffee Cans for $39.95
• 1 Martinson Coffee Can for $19.95
• 26 Dried Pumpkin Stems for $39.95

*Money earned selling random stuff so far $267.65

* At the end of the year I will deduct all the shipping/supply/selling fees from the grand total. 

Go On a Staycation/Craftcation With The Girl

We went on a mini craftcation and had a great time! The accommodations were spot on and everything was within walking distance. I’ll tell you more about it soon.

Send 52 Cards To 52 Different People. {29 of 52 sent so far}

I popped another card in the mail this week. 29 down, 23 more to go! Also, I found a few boxes of Christmas cards in a store,but nothing exciting enough to buy. 

Where do you get YOUR Christmas cards? Do you even send them anymore? These personalized watercolor pet cards I found on Etsy by BellissiCasaGifts are pretty cute. I may have to get those.  

Make 12 Totally British Recipes In The AGA. 

No new recipes this past week but I’ve been craving a slice of the upsidedown gingerbread pear cake I’ve made in the past so I think I’ll bake one of those this week. The slices freeze well and it’s always nice to be able to pull something out of the freezer for a quick dessert this time of year. 

British recipes I’ve made in the AGA so far:

• Pear Frangipane Tart
• Cauliflower, Broccoli and Squash Casserole
• English Muffins
• Currant Scones
• Sticky Toffee Pudding 
• Beef In Horseradish Cream

Turn The Craft Room Into a Proper Studio Space

I’m back to researching Juki sergers. I just need to make a trip to Portland to test one out. 

Changes I plan on making to the space:

• Rip out the old gross carpet and replace it Fresh paint
• A proper light fixture
• New serger
• New work table {I bought 3!}
• A sitting area with a spot to hook

Hook 100 Rugs {75 of 100 done so far}

I was able to get a whopping 6 {smaller} rugs hooked this past week for my next Etsy shop update. 

Having a dedicated time and place to hook was especially nice and I was surprised at how much I was able to get hooked! 25 more rugs to go before the end of the year. Yikes! I better hop to it if I’m going to check this goal off my list. 

Create 15 New Rug Hooking Patterns {12 of 15 completed so far}

I did draw out 3 new patterns yesterday, but I haven’t hooked them up yet. I have a few more Santa rugs I want to hook first {and get those listed on Etsy} and then I’ll start on the new patterns. 

New patterns I’ve added to my Etsy shop in 2023:

• Betty’s Big Chickens with American Flag
• Fair Isle Sheep
• Olde Hares
• Antique Hearts and Flowers
• Fat Cat with Easter Eggs
• Fat Cat with Shamrocks
• Fat Cat with Hearts
• Horse and Hearts
• Valentine Kitties
• Little Chicken
• Hit and Miss Flower Basket
• Mable’s Kittens

Revisit An Old Friend. FAIL

Maybe next year? — I’ll tell you about it towards the end of the year. 😉

Grow 1,000 Pounds of Vegetables In The Religious Family Sized Garden FAIL

Gardening season is almost over for the year {yesterday I trimmed back my chives} but the beets, kale, chard and broccoli are still hanging in there so I can’t put away my garden boots just yet. 

I may not have been able to grow 1,000 pounds of garden goodness this year, but at least we were able to grow a few things.

Empty The Canning Cupboard / Fill The Canning Cupboard

I didn’t remove any jars from the canning cupboard this past week but I did buy a bag of chips, so I suspect when those get cracked open we’ll use up a few jars of salsa. 

Also, those jars of split pea soup are calling my name so we might have that for lunch today.

Make $500 Selling Plants, Flowers or Vegetables {I made $95} FAIL

My latest flower bouquet from Trader Joe’s. I LOVE the fresh flowers they sell. I am on the hunt for some sort of dried flower bouquet for this winter though.

Any ideas? I want something big and colorful {is that even possible?} for the kitchen counter after the holidays.

This year I sold:

{3} rosemary plants @$3.00 each = $9.00
{8} 6-packs of corn @ $3 each = $24.00
{4} 6-packs of basil @ $3 each = $12
{9} 6- packs of pea starts @$2 each {then I upped the price to $3} = $24.00
{4} Daffodil bouquets @$3 & $4 each = $14.00
{4} Chives @$2 each = $8.00
{1} Basil @$2 each = $2.00
{1} Mint @$2.00 each = $2.00

Buy 12 Handmade Items {From 12 Different Artists} 9 down, 3 to go

So far this year I have bought:

• {2} Wooden wreath forms from DavesWoodStudio
• {3} Linen Aprons from BedCult
• {2} Charcuterie boards from FarmHillWoodShop
• {3} Fair Isle Hats Rachel of Barkland Croft
• {2} Quilts from ZoëDawn Shop
• {3} Bread Bowls from ZoëDawn Shop 
• {1} Handmade braclet from a little girl’s lemonade/craft stand
• {2} Watercolor Palettes 
• {1} Fair Isle scarf from Mati Ventrillon
• {4} Notecards from Etsy seller ColorBoxLetterpress

Update Every Single Recipe On The Blog To A Printable Format 

Nope. But I have until the end of the year to do it. 

26 Official Date Days With My Handsome Husband {24 down, 2 to go}

No dates this past week but I did snap this picture of a heart on the beach and thought of the HH. 🙂

• Date #1 Thomaston Cafe for lunch. It was lovely. 
• Date #2 Rising Tide Co-Op
• Date #3 Oysterhead Pizza
• Date #4 Oysterhead Pizza 
• Date #5 Schanz Family Maple
• Date #6 Camden, Maine for lunch and candy
• Date # 7 The Quiet Girl movie
• Date #8 Rockport Farmer’s Market
• Date #9 LL Bean & Solo Pane e Pasticceria
• Date #10 Jameson Point Lobster
• Date #11 Marshall Point Light, Hedegrow Market
• Date #12 Bet’s Fish Fry
• Date #13 Moody’s Diner
• Date #14 Beth’s Farm Market
• Date #15 The Beach
• Date #16 The Craft Store
• Date #17 Cat Video Fest
• Date #18 Kayaking
• Date #19 Lunch!
• Date #20 Donut date at The Port Clyde General Store
• Date #21 Apple Picking at Bailey’s Orchard
• Date #22 Waldoboro Historical Society Talk
• Date #23 Portsmouth, New Hampshire
  Date #24 Kennebunkport, Maine

Goals already accomplished 2023:

Go On A Solo Adventure.  Done

A solo adventure to Fair Isle. I don’t think I could have picked a more unique, isolated and cozy spot to spend a few weeks. I’m already dreaming of going back. 

Take An Adult Education Class Done

The Girl and I took a 3 day British Baking Classics course at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont and had a good time. 

Set Aside 200 Items For A Yard Sale DONE!

The yard sale was a great success! The Duck Lady and I were both able to get rid of a lot of items we didn’t want and as an added bonus, I only had 1 box of stuff to drop off at the thrift store. Yee-Haw!

How about YOU? How are you coming along with your goals for this year? 

~Mavis