Winter Bucket List...

Happy Winter! I kind of like this list making stuff so I'm doing it again for this cold, dark, dreary, long season we call Winter! Maybe it'll help me fight off the Winter Blues! Here's my list:

 1. Make homemade noodles. Didn't get it done in the Fall so I'm trying again.
 2. Start a quilt. Again, didn't get it done in the Fall. I will, I am, I have all the stuff to do so. < That's me trying to convince myself to cut up the pretty material I purchased months ago.
 3. Catch up on my CAL (crochet along). I'm a little behind due to the Holidays.
 4. Crochet a rag rug. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now. She makes some awesome rugs.
 5. Participate in CY365. I'm hoping this will help me improve my photography skills.
 6. Participate in FMS photo a day. I have an awesome little book to fill up. Thank you Paula!
 7. Continue using My Fitness Pal. I've been using it for a few weeks now. I'm eating healthier and I've lost 4 lbs. If you haven't tried it, its pretty awesome!
 8. Bake something new. I have a couple of things in mind.
 9. Purge un-needed things from this house. I've been working on this since we moved in but there is still plenty to toss out!
10. Organize the items I am keeping. I have a lot of this done but I have a bit of OCD so I'm always organizing something!

Whatever the season in your part of the world. I hope you are enjoying it.
Me! I'm really looking forward to Spring. I have a whole new yard and some flowers to plant!

Fall Bucket List Update...

Back in September I made a Fall Bucket List hoping that it would give me the push I needed to get a few things done. It did and I'm happy to report that I completed 8 of the 10 items on that list. I'll add the last two itmes to my Winter Bucket List coming soon.
I need to learn to make a collage in PSE. Sorry for the long/picture  heavy post.



The Wreath
source

Halloween Package to my Aussie friend.
For once, it arrived in time.

The scarves, a lot of them.
I do not sew by the way.
source

 

The orchard. No apple picking within
city limits. Who knew?



• Four apple pies!

The pumpkin patch with the Grandkids.

Hike at the park! Granddaughter not interested.
Lets teeter totter instead.

Fall foliage at the park.



Fall foliage

 

Just A Minute In December...

Watching...Christmas movies, Survivor and cooking shows.

Listening to...Christmas music most of the time.

Cooking...as little as possible and baking lot of Christmas goodies.

Eating...Cookies! Fresh baked ones are so, so good!

Buying...Christmas gifts.

Looking forward to...a New Year and a fresh start. This year has been a little off for me.

Just A Minute In November...

Watching...the steps on my pedometer add up. ! Getting 10,000 or more most days.Yay! Just started using My Fitness Pay today. It's pretty neat!

Listening to...Pandora and my dog, he is very whiny these days.

Cooking...Lasagna, cookies and stuff I shouldn't be eating. I'm sure this will get worse with the Holidays coming up. 

Eating...small amounts of the above. 

Buying...a new Chi. My old, cheap drugstore iron is shot. And most likely a new iphone, mine keeps black screening on me. Ugh! Oh and a new external drive, mine somehow got reformatted, luckily my daughters friend can get my data off it for me. Yay!

Looking forward to...Craft fairs and the Holidays. My sister and I may do the drumstick dash. A 5K walk on Thanksgiving Day.

Just A Minute in October...

Watching...The leaves change and rain, lots of rain.

Listening to...My Norah Jones station on Pandora.

Cooking...Apple pies, soups and stews.

Eating...Apple pie, soup and stew.

Buying...Clothes and boots for Fall.

Looking forward to...the Covered Bridge Festival on Saturday.

Running Out Of Time...

The SPSH ends tomorrow and I'm still short a few pictures. I hoping to find the last 4 items today but in case I do not I have one substitute to use. Here are a couple I did find.

#1 A sign welcoming people to your home town
(or a nearby town)
I looked high and low for something a little more interesting
but this is all I found. It is harvest season around here but
those beans aren't ready just yet. Must be a late crop!

 

#6 An urban street scene
This is a new urban building for artist. They just added
and opened a new brewery and the city now rents
 bikes for touring around town.

Fall Bucket List...

Happy Fall! I love this time of year, the days and nights are cooler, the Orchards are open for business, the bees are buzzing around like crazy, the leaves are starting to change just a bit, pumpkins, mums and Halloween goodies are everywhere and last but not least....Christmas décor is in the stores. In my opinion its just a bit early for Christmas décor, I can't even think about Christmas for like another month or so. How about you?
Last week I noticed Fall Bucket List/Fall To-Do Lists showing up here and there. And since list making has become routine for me lately I made myself a Fall Bucket List adding in some things I've done in the past and some new things I'd love to try. Who knew one could accomplish so much just by adding it to a list! Here's my list...

 1. Make a front door wreath for Halloween/Fall.
 2. Send a package of Halloween goodies to my Aussie friend.
 3. Complete scarves for my sister. These were started before we moved.
 4. Go pick apples.
 5. Make apple pies with apples from #2. I own Bob a pie!
 6. Visit a pumpkin patch with the Grandbabies.
 7. Go on a hike at a local park.
 8. Photograph Fall foliage.
 9. Make homemade noodles. This may or may not be a good thing. I love homemade noodles.
10. Start a quilt. Materials purchased, starting out small.

How about you, any big plans or list to complete this Fall?

Settling In...

We've been in the new house just a little over three months and other than the basement and a few boxes left to unpack in the garage we are settling in quite nicely. Someday I'll share a few pictures of the inside. We've purchased a lot of new furniture and appliances which I love but there is still plenty of decorating to do. Most of the walls are blank, at this time we have a TV (in the great room), a shelf (in my craft room) and one small picture hanging in the guest bath. I have some old photos I like to hang in the study but I need to do some planning before I hang them.
My taste in décor is pretty simple, I like to keep things light and neutral with a bit of blue thrown in here and there. I've been shopping looking around for things I love but very little has came home with me. And since I have no plans to move again anytime soon I will keep looking and remain patient, someday that perfect something will show up.
Here are a few things I have found and love and will be getting soon.
I found this shelf I love for our nook. I've even found someone to build it, isn't it lovely. I'd also love to have a dough bowl like the one on the top shelf. I'm adding it to my Christmas list.
I love this stool for the master bath. I also love this one.
And as crazy as it sounds I want to change the backsplash in our kitchen to this. The one we choose when we built the house just isn't working for either of us.
Well, its Friday and the Mr. and I are getting ready to go out for the evening. I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I feel Fall in the air and have made a Fall Bucket List, I'll share it soon.

Another Bus And Item #8...

Sharing a couple of finds for the SPSH again today. Someday I'll blog about something different.

#20 A bus
This is the second one I shared but
I like this one better.

#8 A tattoo on a person
My Granddaughter @ Irish Fest
Airbrush Tattoo

 

Three Weeks To Go...

I found a couple of items for the SPSH over the weekend. And if I'm counting right I still have 5 more to find before the deadline which is just 3 short week away. I put a message out on FB to see if anyone knew a juggler and lo and behold one found me. He just so happens to be my step-son and I didn't even know he could juggle. I've also searched high and low for a bus with a picture painted on its sides, again not much luck. The one I did see was on the opposite side of the road and I was driving. Luckily, on that same day I noticed one sitting in a parking lot on the way back to work.

#15 A juggler
At work, in between jobs and with coffee creamer.
It was the only thing we could find that seemed to work. I don't know if you can tell by the quick
picture I had to take but he really can juggle.

 

#20 A bus (not a car, truck, lorry, camper or RV) with a
picture painted on its sides.
I waited to see if I could catch the gate open to get a clearer
picture but every time I drove by it was closed. Its a tailgate
bus for the Indianapolis Colts games.  

No Pictures, Rainy Weekend And A Little Crocheting...

I had big plans this weekend to get out and take some pictures with the Rebel but the rain put a stop to that right quick. It has rained off and on the entire weekend. So, no picture taking yet but I still have high hopes that the rain will stop by tomorrow. The Mr. has been busy finishing the framing of the walls in the basement, he told me earlier today that he is sick of looking at 2 x 4's. Guess what, me too! The drilling and hammering has been going on since we moved in and it is starting to become a little nerve wracking. Thankfully, the framing of the walls will be completed by tomorrow. Up next, finishing the walls. Once completed there will be a full bath (shower, no tub), a sitting area with a TV and his racing memorabilia, a game room (shuffle board, darts, checkers, space for card tables and such), an exercise room and a nice big closet for all my stuff junk. He plans to have it completed by Thanksgiving so that it can be used for the Holiday season. It'll be nice when its all completed. I'm looking forward to the exercise room, I really miss Lance, my treadmill.
On another note, I did a tiny bit of crafting today. I was busy filing papers and organizing craft supplies so I pulled out some cotton yarn and crocheted a little baby headband, took all of four minutes to make but it felt so good to craft something. I'm hoping it can be used for the babies as well as the hats from this post. If so, I'll make a few more to go along with the hats which did not get delivered as of yet! My daughter is in charge of the delivery and should be delivering them to her friend very soon. Here's an Instagram of the Baby Headband I whipped up today. It measures a little over 8" around and should be a good size for the cause.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of this Labor Day weekend.
Happy Labor Day, Be Safe and
Enjoy your time with Family and Friends.

Dusting Off The Rebel...

Over the weekend I decided to get the Rebel out to see if it still worked. It does but I'm not so sure about me. I was shooting in AV mode and my picture were very dark. You would think that after taking a couple of online photography classes and partially reading some books that I could have figured out what was going on. At first, I did not so I switched over to manual and my pictures came out fine, back to AV, still dark. I then realized that I just needed to change the light meter. How did I not know this (or did I) and why were my pictures always light enough before, was it luck or did I just forget about this very important step. Anyway we ( the Rebel and I are working fine now) and I can't wait to take some photos now that I've remembered/figured this out.
I have a niece that has volunteered to let me take a few photos of her for practice. Katie, when are you available? I'm ready anytime.

A Bakery...

I love going to the grocery in the early morning hours. There are very few people, the lines are short and the baked goods are fresh. I was out of there in 40 minutes and I did a weeks worth of shopping. I snapped this photo while there today. Another item marked off my list for the SPSH.

#9 A bakery

Just A Minute In August...

Watching...lots being cleared and houses going up.

Listening to...Nora Jones on Pandora.

Cooking...as little as possible.

Eating...more salads.

Buying...a few new craft items. Shame on me!

Looking forward to...learning a few new things.

An Abundance of Lamp Posts...

Sharing #17 on the SPSH list today. The first one was found at Eli Lilly Corporate Headquarters here in Indiana. My sister is a retiree and we stopped by after the fair so she could run in for a couple of minutes. Me, I'm not allowed inside...at all! But it sure is pretty on the outside. I love the water fountain that sits out in front but I've been told its really called an animated water structure. Anyway its really pretty. Sorry no picture of that today. The other two lamp posts were found at the Indiana State Fair last week.

#17 A lamp post
This one is by the entrance to
Eli Lilly Corporate Headquarters.
I love that its surrounded by flags
from different countries.
See that Australian flag, it is the
reason for this picture.
Australia is #1 on my travel bucket list
of places to visit.  

 

#17 A lamp post
Located at the Entrance to the Midway
at the Indiana State Fair.

 

#17 A lamp post
Located by the DNR area at the
Indiana State Fair.

SPSH And The Indiana State Fair...

Last week my sister and I attended the Indian State Fair. Of course I had to look for some items on the SPSH list. Luck has it that I found a few.

#19 A public garden. Purdue University puts out a flower
and vegetable garden each year at the fair. Lots of 
gardening information is available at their booth. I
gathered up some information on flower gardens
this year.

#18 A water fall. Manmade in the FFA
Barn.

#10 A photo bomb. I was sure that I
captured this animal (Ram) sculpture/bush
by itself but there they are lurking in
the background.
 Its a little hard to see things on the
phone screen sometimes.
#11 A horn (s). On an animal (Ram)
 sculpture/bush.
Its quite different but I like it.
I may still look around for a photo
of one or the other just so I'll have
21 photos in the end.
 

Found another...

I was wondering when I might come across #16 on the SPSH list. It wasn't until I started looking for a  no smoking sign in another language that used to be at the office that I came across this one. It was right in front of my nose the whole time. Look closely, its there, pictures and all!

#16 A sign in a language other than English.

2014 SPSH...

Today I'm sharing #2 on the SPSH list. I still can't figure out why birds like to sit on the wires when a storm is coming but they always do. I think I'd find a drier, safer place if I were a bird. How about you?

#2 Birds on a wire
 

Found Another...

But then again, its pretty easy to find yourself. I think! Today I'm sharing #21 on the SPSH list.

#21 A photograph of you with something
 representing the season.
Me and corn. Notice how tall it is. We've
had a good growing season here in the Midwest.
Corn definitely tells one that it is Summertime
 here in the Midwest.
 

Still Hunting And A Bit Behind...

But no worries, I'll eventually pick up the pace. Today I'm sharing #7 on the SPSH list. I came across this little scene while out in my sisters hood. I love that the red stands out so well amongst all the green and the pretty blue sky. This is what summertime looks like around here. Its so lovely and when it looks like this I'm actually happy I live here in the Midwest.

#7 A rural landscape
Midwestern Farm
Silo, Barns, Corn cribs and Soybeans.

2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt...

Its slow going here so far but I plan to pick up the pace very soon. I found a couple of items but I'm waiting to see if I can get a better shot of either. Today I'm sharing a photo of #2 on the list.

#2  A garden gnome
He doesn't actually sit in a garden but rather on
the Mr's desk. He received it for Christmas from me last
year. He loves his Notre Dame football and can't bear to
sit the little football gnome out in the weather.

Just A Minute In July...

Watching...Houses going up all around me. Dust, dust and more dust. And more dust!

Listening to...Pandora daily.

Cooking...more than I want to but I must feed the Mr.

Eating...more than I want to because of the above.

Buying...less. Finally getting the house together. Still need to find new bedding for the Master Suite.

Looking forward to...a vacation. Its been almost 4 years people. I need one, BAD!

2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt...

I'm participating in the SPSH again this year. Come, join the hunt if you'd like, anyone and everyone is welcome. I've been a little busy with the move and all so I've only found one item (happy accident) so far but its a pretty one. And there is still plenty of time to find the 20 items remaining on the list, everyone hunting has until September 23, 2014 to complete the list.

#13 A Sunrise
Taken out a window at work. I didn't even realize that it
was on the list but it was much to pretty to pass up.

Just A Minute In June...

Watching...birds...lots of them on my sisters bird feeders.

Listening to...coughing...some are sick, some are getting sick.

Cooking...lighter meals.

Eating...tuna salad and veggie sandwiches often.

Buying...a few little things for the house.

Looking forward to... Next Wednesday! Closing on our new house! : )

Just A Minute In May...

Hello there, I'm back for a just a minute post.

Watching...not much, living with my sister who has no cable TV...Ack!!!

Listening to...alot of chirping birds and goats. Living in the country for a few weeks.

Cooking...for four instead of two.

Eating...much better. We closed on our old house, moved to my sisters and my nerves have somewhat calmed down.

Buying...things for the house. Fun, fun!

Looking forward to...moving again. NO really! Only this time into our own house! :)

Just A Minute In April...

Hello...anybody there?
Stopping by this poor neglected blog to share a Just a Minute post today.

Watching...the new house go up. We stop by every couple of days. It is Awesome!

Listening to...a lot of Van Morrison at the moment. Oh and King Harvest "Dancing in the Moonlight" Love that song. Its a mood changer for me.

Cooking...what seems like less every day. The husband has decided to stop eating beef. I did that years ago along with chicken and pork. I am a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian.

Eating...a lot of fish, veggies and peanut butter. Trying to cut back on the sweets.

Buying...furniture and appliances for the new house. Furniture done! White or stainless steel appliances? Decisions, decisions.

Looking forward to...June 2014 the month we will be moving into the new house. I can hardly wait!

Just A Minute In February...

Whoa...what happened to January! It seemed to fly by very fast even though we had extra super terrible really cold weather and plenty of snow. I for one am happy we've started a new month and that we are a little closer to Spring even though today we woke up to 7+ inches of fresh snow on top of ice but somehow it doesn't seem so bad...unsure why! (long sentence and maybe there should be a comma in there somewhere but I've got just a minute for a post so... here goes).

Watching...it snow again and again!

Listening to...a lot of Gary Alan lately! Good stuff!

Cooking...mostly for the husband. Peanut butter for me. : )

Eating...Peanut Butter...a lot! : )

Buying...things for the new house! Flooring, window coverings, etc.

Looking forward to...the builder starting on the new house! Come on weather...give us a break!

 

Sorry for the rambling, I seem to be

extra busy these days.

Hope all is well! 



Out With The Old...

On Dec. 31st we sealed the deal. We are building a New House! : )  And today we put a sign in the yard to sell the home we've lived in for 28 years. I can't even begin to tell you how excited and  busy I've been these last few weeks. WOW!!! what a way to chase off the Winter Blues even if we do have 12 inches of snow on the ground.
They are supposed to break ground around the end of January and our new home should be ready  sometime in May. In the meantime I'll be packing up our current home. I've started packing but I've got a long way to go before its all packed up and ready to move/store. The realtor seems to think our current house will sell quickly and if it does I want to be ready to move out. I have a sister that has offered us a place to stay just in case. Thank you Mary!
Some have suggest that we rent a storage pod if our current home sells before the new one is ready. My sister Mary has also offered to let us park it at her house until our new house is ready then we could just have them deliver the pod to our new house. Sounds like an excellent idea to me but I don't know much about storage pods. I'll be calling the Pod company with lots of questions soon. Have any of you ever used a storage pod?
I hope your New Year is off to a good start. As you can tell, mine is. I'm still in a bit of a daze at this time, it all happened so sudden but I'm definitely looking forward to May. Tomorrow we will be visiting the Design Center again to choose interior things for the house (cabinets, countertops, flooring, fixtures, lighting, etc). I'd better get packing, lots to do. Have a great Weekend.

Four New Things 2013...

Back in 2010 I started a challenge to do, try or learn four new things each year. You can read all about it here. This is something that seems to happen every year even though I don't think about it...at all! Each year when I look back and write this post I can see that I've accomplished something over the course of the year. And once again this year I've met the challenge.

Here are my top four for 2013:

1. I love to crochet so when I saw this I joined in to see if I could learn something new about crochet.  It was fun, I learned a few new things and got a pretty scarf to boot. :)

2. I came across this on Debs blog and joined in on the fun. Go visit Debs blog, you'll be happy you did. What's not fun about a scavenger hunt! I plan to play along again this summer.

3. I went to my first COLTS game and got up the nerve to ask JS if we could get a picture together. I'm a bit shy so this was a Big challenge for me! Just look at those eyes of his ; )

4. I did this at the Covered Bridge Festival. I've wanted to do it for years but was a bit iffy. It was very interesting, I'm happy I finally did it!



Yes, I did more than four new things this year. Like this for instance.

 I've found this to be true

since I started keeping track back in 2010.  

Its been a fun little challenge for the last four years and

one I'll continue to keep track in years to come.  

Do you challenge yourself to do, try or learn new things each year?

If you do, I love to read about them!