One Hundred Dollars a Month

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey 

My goals for 2018

Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~  Barbara Kingsolver

Goal #2 – Slow Down

I stayed in my pajamas ALL DAY on Friday. It was marvelous. It was so much fun, I might do it again today.

Goal #3 – Shop Small

On Saturday I dragged the HH to a local craft fair {to see if I’d want to be a vendor there next year} and I ended up buying The Girl a gorgeous tea cup from a local potter. My daughter adores tea {almost as much as I do} and has a growing handmade mug collection so I thought this mug would make a wonderful addition to her collection. Now I just have to hide it {and remember where I put it come late December}.

Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day

Nope. But hey, I bought a pound of cinnamon sticks at a flea market for $3. What a deal!!!

Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden Done!

I am looking at this picture and wondering if I am going to be this excited to garden come next March?

Those homegrown vegetables though, they keep me coming back year after year. 😉 Never before in my life have I ever wanted to slow down in the gardening department. But after a summer of bugs, extreme humidity and a few trips to Urgent care, at least I’ll know what I’m in for next year. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area 

Egg production has slowed WAY DOWN and these slackers are now only giving up about 1 egg a day. TOTAL… between the 3 laying hens. And well, since I am a big fan of rest, I don’t think I’ll put a light in their coop to keep egg production in high gear this winter. But then again, I may change my mind. I’ll keep you posted.

Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables Done!

Wowie Zowie….. another goal checked off my list. In case you missed it, I shared the final garden tally HERE and man oh man, am I ready for a little R&R. I have absolutely no idea when I’m going to get started on planning next years garden, but you know, January is sounding pretty good right now. 🙂

To everything there is a season.

Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs

Only 3 rugs to go until the end of the year!! When I set my goal of hooking 100 rugs by the end of the year I seriously thought NO PROBLEM, I’ll totally be able to check this goal off my list by summer. Well! That sure didn’t happen now did it? But with only 3 more rugs to hook, I am hoping to knock this goal off my list by the end of next week.

A few months ago I was contacted by the creative director of a popular magazine who wanted to feature a particular {hooked rug} item of mine to be included on the cover of the winter issue of their magazine. And well, even though the magazine doesn’t come out until December 1st {I think, I hope, maybe it’s November 1st?}, I suppose I should probably have that particular item available in my Etsy Shop just in case someone wants to buy it. It’s a somewhat pricey item though so I’m not sure exactly how many I should have made up and available for sale. 3? 5? 10? I have no idea. But I do know it is a time consuming piece, so if I’m going to have any ready to sell, I better get crackin’.

Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls

I was going to make a boy and a girl doll, but now that I’m actually to the point of cutting out the fabric, I think I’m going to make two girl dolls. They’re more fun to make anyway with the dresses and things I stitch up for the dolls to hold in their hands. Back in the day, when I was making dolls to sell in shops and on Ebay, the thing that I loved most was that no matter how hard I tried, no two were ever alike. It will be fun to see how these turn out.

Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall Done!

I might still make another one by the end of the year!

Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries

No bakeries this week but we are headed to Woodstock, Vermont in a few days and then New Haven, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island the week afterwards if any of you happen to know of a good bakery in those areas. The Girl and I visited Sift Bake Shop in Mystic last year and it was CRAZY good but you know me, I’m always on the hunt for a good bakery. 😉

Goal #12 – Start a Collection

I didn’t find any potato mashers or butter molds this past week but I did pick up a sugar and creamer set, a fall set of cookie cutters {I’ve been looking for a good acorn!} and 2 small canning jars.

Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books Done!

This past week I picked up A Fine Romance by Susan Branch. “This charming book is part love story, part travel guide ~ a hand-written and watercolored diary/journal of Branch’s six-day transatlantic crossing on board the Queen Mary 2 and a two-month ramble through the backroads of rural England”  I just started this last night, but so far so good. 🙂

Also currently on my night stand, Yankee Magazine’s Lost and Vintage Recipes.

Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes

Only 8 so far, but no worries, I’m good under pressure. 😉

So far this year I’ve canned:

• Apple Cider Butter
• Tomato Sauce
• Carrot Cake Jam
• Spiced Peach {Crazy good!!!}
• Blueberry Jam {without the mint}
• Pickled Beets {without the funky spices}
• Cherry Almond Jam {freakin’ AWESOME}
• Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly

Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project Done!

I must admit, I was getting a little worried this summer that I wouldn’t be able to show you what I’ve been working on so it was a big relief to check this goal off my list. On Friday I was able to restock my Etsy Shop with more candy canes {my favorite ornament I’ve made so far this year!} personalized dog bones, some new whale garden markers and a few Crazy Chicken Lady ornaments. The kiln is cooling down as I type this and I am looking forward to adding a handful of more ornaments this Friday and then probably one more round before I’m done making them for the year.

Thank you to everyone who placed an order this past week. 🙂

Have a wonderful day,

~Mavis

Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.

You can find my Etsy shop HERE