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Sunday Happy

April 16, 2017 Colleen Stem

Every part of my body hurts today. Over the past few days the mr and I have hauled more then a ton of construction trash out of the back yard and drove it to the dump (finally), cleaned the crap out of the yard , picked up the large load of cedar for the siding of the addition and cleared out the basement. Nonstop tossing and picking shit up is catching up with me, but man does it feel good to get all things done, outside no less. And in a t shirt. It's a gratifying pain.

On top of all that we have been plugging away at the front porch, the mr has been scrapping and prepping one of the apartment building for a new coat of paint (not exactly excited to have to paint 2 very large buildings in the next 2 months) and I accomplished finishing the taxes. All we need to do now is send them all of out money and a few vital organs. Worst case scenario is we air bnb out the house far a little while in live in the teepee the kids built in the back yard.  I mean the thing even has lights so it would be kind nice. Glamping but without all the glam. I think it would be great.

It's Sunday and Easter so that means family. Everyone is coming over hear for lunch, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and hula hooping. There will of course be an egg hunt which is always fun to watch. Nine or so littles running around trying to find candy filled plastic eggs without getting into a fist fight. Its ruthless and pretty freaking comical. (especially when you hide all the eggs high in the trees and hide them empty while the adults sit back and eat candy ) I figured since we cleaned the yard of all the nails and rusty metal and it's so freaking nice out that everyone needs to enjoy it and stay out of my clean house. Haha (but really)

Hope you all are finding your day full of happy spring things too!

The week of interneting

-People are just eating that much better, hippies or not. The Hippies Have Won. But FYI, just because it's granola doesn't make it healthy.

-The Original Natural Remedy for Burnout: Nature. For real. The woods makes everything better for me.

-Back at looking at tiles for the downstairs bathroom. Loving these CEMENT TILES FROM POPHAM DESIGN

-The Hippie Toothbrush Experiment. I have been using the Radius for years. It's like hairbrush for your mouth.

-Love these DIY plywood picture frames. I have a shit ton of scrap wood so it's on my list to do.

-Really like these  Storybook Illustrations of People Communing with Nature by Jin Xingye

-There Are More Than 60,000 Tree Species Worldwide. Lets try to keep them around.

-What do you think of wallpaper on ceilings? I have never tried wallpaper but I have painted a few of our ceilings (a good shiny gold ceiling always makes me happy)

-Why Is Time In A Hurry?

-This is what you are suppose to do with all the peeps in your Easter basket.

Pictures from the week.

IMG_4568.jpg

Happy Day!!

-C

In internet links, life, photography, sunday happy, Winooski, vermont, Spring Tags Sunday happy, internet links, photography, vermont, vermonting, family
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Sunday Happy

January 15, 2017 Colleen Stem

If a big ass pile of balloon animals (and balloon swords and flowers) doesn't make you crack a smile, well then, that just sucks for you.

A couple of littles slept over this week and took over the house with balloons. Not only did the kids bring their own balloon kits, but the mr has a crap load of balloons himself that he inherited from my late brother-in- law Richard (he would be so happy to know that the mr uses these balloons to drive me crazy....thanks dude) And to top it off, we stopped over at the loft with the kids to grab a few things and there was as large bag of blown up party balloons that must have blown into our yard. Those also ended up in the car ans back at the house. Seriously, the house was flooded with balloons. It was kinda amazing.

This week has gone by like a blur.   The mr finally got his wish and got himself a couple of fish. One is a gold fish which he named Lefty, and the other might be a goldfish that I named Dead -in- Two- Weeks (yes, I am an asshole). I am not exactly thrilled to have fish for a few reasons, mainly that I have been fish traumatized. Back in college the mr went through a fish faze. He would get a beta fish, name it, feed it, love it, then a week later the thing would jump form it's fish bowl and commit fish suicide. It happened 3 times.  So yeah, fish don't do it for me, but the mr is happy so I deal. Plus these fish are goldfish and the tank has a cool lid that grows plants. We shall see.

There was some other stuff, like apartment stuff that happened this week, but mainly it was a quite week.  We did finally tackle the kitchen pantry which I painted pink,and started putting up the shelves. Now i just need to pick a color tile for the floor and just get it finished already because once that happens the kitchen will basically be all done. And I will be so happy and I will take lots of picture to show you.

And it's Sunday. You got any plans? Doing anything spectacular? I am still not feeling 100% which I blame on the weather. Super cold and crazy warm... the ups and downs really screw with me. (but those warm days were really so nice) Winter just needs to dump some snow and let me be cozy for a bit. (not happening this week) But what can you do? For me, I hope to keep it slow today, maybe do some napping, reading, drinking of too much coffee. Just as long as I order the flooring, I should be all set.

Some of the internet browsing I did this week.

-It's 6 am, I am running at the gym, and I get a text from the mr. It's a link to this, Dyson 360 Eye. Why he was looking at vacuums at 6am, i could not tell you but what I can tell you is no cleaning robots. NO.

-The world after a snow storm always makes me so happy and peaceful. There's actually a scientific reason why the world gets quieter after it snows.

-The More You Swear, the More Honest You Are. Fuck yeah.
 

-I think I might try this for the mr this week. Roast Pasta Before Cooking it.

-I love mustard and am very interested in trying some on this list. THE MODERN PANTRY GUIDE TO THE WORLD'S BEST MUSTARDS

-Saving my pennies for a someday purchase of this Staub Round Cocotte. But this one by Martha is really good too and sooooo much cheaper.

-Muffins are basically cupcakes that people eat fro breakfast, don't be fooled. Why Muffins Are a Trap.

-Walking In America Remains Dangerous. I would be lying if I said I was never afraid of getting hit.

-Bees Have Just Made the Endangered-Species List. It sucks that it has come to this, but it's good that there is awareness and protection now.

-This dude is pretty badass. Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World

 

Have a lovely day!

-C

In home, internet links, life, photography, remodeling, sunday happy Tags sunday happy, vermonting, Home, Vt, house, remodeling, family, photography, internet links, balloons
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Sunday Happy

October 23, 2016 Colleen Stem
IMG_1975.jpg

Yawn, stretch, throw on some pants and back to it.

But it's taking a whole lot of will power to get up and go. It's just too perfect out to do much of anything. Is it weird that I love this cold and rainy weather? These are the days that I can spend all day in a ball of blankets on the couch next to a window looking out with hot beverages and good books.. I will get there soon, but not today. We started tiling the bathroom wall yesterday and need to finish it, along with he rest of the house.

This week flew by fast. It included a very quick foliage drive(stopped by a river so the mr could fly fish),  Barbara turning 17 while watching her field hockey game, a tiny little baby that fell in love with me and wants me to be it's new mommy, and the scraping and painting of so much everything. I think the highlight was when the 17 year old Barb stopped by the house to bring us coffee, hung out with us, and lent me her sweater that I love but probably won't ever get a chance to wear cause all I wear are grubby, paint stained clothes. But none the less, it was great and maybe I'll just wear the sweater to bed.  And the colors. Every time I walk out of the house and see all the trees, all the colors...it just blows my mind. So good.

Other then that, not much else. I am giving myself a political detox for a few days before i barf, eating lots of roasted celeriac and missing my kitchen. I can't freaking wait to spend all day cooking in baking in my kitchen. I can't freakin wait!

And now I got to find those pants.

Internet for the looking.

-Everyone Should Make Time for Daydreaming. I do me a lot of it.

-The Difference Between Pepitas and the Seeds from Your Halloween Pumpkin

-6 Things You Need To Know About Cycling On The Sidewalk. I sometimes bike the sidewalk, but only when I have to and very slowly.

- Maybe this is the reason I hate wearing shoes. ABSORB EARTH’S FREE FLOWING ELECTRONS THROUGH THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET(EARTHING)

-Read this book this week. One of my new favorite books. It changed the way I look at the world, especially trees.

-Forget Tomayto/Tomahto: The Real Debate Is, Should It Be Refrigerated?  II never do unless it's 100% necessary

-feel like this is a close representation of my knitting basket. A Mass of Tangled Red Yarn Unravels from a Loom to Overtake a Brazilian Chapel

-What Tree Is that has been a frequent question. Trees With Leaves - A Deciduous Tree Leaf Key

-Speaking of trees, I would live in this tree house.The tree alone is pretty amazing.

- A little preemptive in looking, but I told myself I that I get to buy knew sheets and duvet cover when we move into the house (I am a linens slut) This bed set is looking good, although can't go wrong with these either.

And pictures.

Have a great day.

-C

In Winooski, vermont, the great outdoors, sunday happy, remodeling, photography, life, internet links, home, fall, adventure Tags Sunday, Sunday Happy, internet, links, foliage, vermont, vermonting, trees, photography, leaves, nature, fall
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Sunday Happy

September 25, 2016 Colleen Stem

It is super chilly and dark out and the smell of jelly donuts is wafting in from open windows (it's coming from the donut factory down the street) and I am thinking about grabbing the wool blanket from the packed away winter stuff and crawling back into bed, just for a little while longer until the coffee is done brewing. (4am wake up this morning and I am feeling like a nap is in order soon, even if it is 6am) This is the stuff of the best fall morning. Now if this could be my all day.#lifegosls

The week was a week, but a good week at that. Started getting squash with the farm share which lead to a discussion between me and the mr about what our absolute #1 food we could live off of forever (him, pizza.Me, super roasted kombucha squash covered in nut butter)  I made a sheet birthday cake that also contained about an entire package of oreo cookies for a newly 15 year old Jackson that is making me feel old. There was a dinner here and a dinner there and just a lot of people and family. We haven't spent much time at home or by ourselves this week so I am definitely ready for a quite day all to my lonesome. My brain is on overload.

We ordered the downstairs flooring!!! Come this Wednesday, the mr and I will be unloading 40 or so bundles of some pretty white "utility grade" oak.  We also found some floor tile for the bathroom for dirt cheap at the resourse store( tiny white squares.. nothing fancy but looks sharp) Flooring is for real you guys. Once we lay this stuff it's over. We are good and yeah. (until 2 hours later when we realize we have a million other things to accomplish) But all is good. We have flooring.

So today is going to be a fun one. The mr, my brother and I are going to attempt to move the 10 million pound radiators from the back yard to the upstairs..... Going to be oh so much fun (no, not it is no) Once we move them, I am going to finish painting them and the mr will install them. Whoa hoo! Plumbers are coming soon to hook up the new boiler so we have to get all this shit ready. WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK!

How about you? Got any fun activities planned for this here fantastic fall weekend? Find something enjoyable, preferably outside, and try to stay away from reading all about the politics. We all need a break from that.

Internet stuff that kept me interested.

- Do yourself a favor and go outside. This Is Your Brain on Nature

- Almost finished this book and about to start this one. 

- I like honey crisps all right, but I am a mac girl for always. (and they are usually one of the cheaper varieties) Why Are Honeycrisps So Much More Expensive Than Other Apples?

-Breadfruit came from testicles and other weird myths. THE WORLD'S BEST FOOD-BASED CREATION MYTHS

-How can trees not have secret lives. A Web Of Trees And Their 'Hidden' Lives

- And this. Today in Terrifying Bird News, Pigeons Know How to Read

-This would be my bliss (with an added coffee bar)  Secluded Library In The Woods

-I got my information from Meryl Strep in The Devil Wears Prada (love the movie) How Trends Trickle Down. The circuitous path of ideas in food and fashion.

-Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos. I am officially scared.

-I think this might be my next knitting project. Purl Soho Pullover

Some pics from the past week.

Happy weekend!

-C

In Winooski, vermont, the great outdoors, sunday happy, remodeling, photography, life, home, fall Tags sunday happy, photography, family, internet, links, sky, flowers, cake, weekend reading, vermonting, VT
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Sunday Happy

September 18, 2016 Colleen Stem

Sweet, sweet Vermont. Things around these parts he been oh so nice. Warm days (not hot) and cool nights. The colors are starting to show on the trees. People are starting to wear clothes again and eating apple things and drinking those darn pumpkin spice lattes. I still haven't gone apple picking yet (I've been waiting for at least a good week of cool temps so the apples get nice and sweet) but I did eat a pumpkin this week. And the sky, the sky has been nothing but pretty. I have been loving it all.

Straight up a crazy, full week.  Lots of family dinners, bunk bed building, and mathematical problems solving in order to lay the tubes for heat in the floor. We went to a wedding (congrats Alex and Allison!) were we saw an eagle and I ate all the fresh figs from the cheese platter.(sorry, not sorry) Over at the house the mr and I made the decision to rip out all the old flooring on the first floor down to the sub floor so the radiant heat can go under the new floor instead of coming up from the basement. I know, I know, we need to stop ripping shit out and just finish putting it all back together. We are getting there. Lucky me I didn't have to do to much of the floor ripping, more just the pulling of all the stupid nails left. Not the funniest job, but I have gotten pretty good at de-nailig floors. I could market my new de-nailing skills and make millions. Yeah, sounds about right.

On a sad note, I killed another freaking immersion blender so now I have to pull out the big blender every time I want some smooth soup. Me being me, I almost burned my face off when I went to blend some boiling hot soupand the lid was not on tight and hot soup splashed my face. (I am fine, minor burn left on my ear) Lesson learned. Now I wait for soup to not be so hot and check the mother f-ing lid.  Oh, and my bike tire finally fell off completely which really sent my life through a loop. I know I have been saying all summer that I was going to get a new tire but the duck tape was working oh so well (no, not really) And because I waited until the tire fell off and I wanted to save 20 bucks by ordering a new tire online, I had to ride around town all week on the mr's bike which really sucked a big one. Thank UPS man for delivering me my new tire. All is well now(besides needing a new brake pad and handle bar tape, but that will happen in time) and I can go back to my own bike. I have missed it so much.

Today the mr and I are going to plug away some more with tube laying on the floor. He is starting to worry about getting a source of heat in the house soon. I say as long as we have some type heat by November, we are all set. And if the weather is decent and not pouring rain later, I am going to break in my new bike tire with a heavy trip to the library. My stack of returns is getting pretty ridiculous. (8 books high)

What I saw on the internet this week.

- Tricky tricky sons of bitches.. 50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat

-These are some crazy photos. Winners of the 2016 British Wildlife Photography Awards

-Sad truths. Three Foods That Might Not Survive Modern Diseases

-I don't know if I would do this but it's pretty cool. Body Marbling Is A New Festival Trend That Turns Your Skin Into Art

-This is not a joke (I thought it was) Self-Driving Shopping Carts May Be the Way of the Future. I don't think I like this, not one bit.

-We have our cat Only. We do nit snuggle him cause he is evil and likes to dig his claws in, so I am ok with this.  Doctors Rudely Warn Public Not to Snuggle Kittens

-It has happened to me and it freaked me the f out. Ever wake up to a numb, dead arm? Here’s what’s happening.

-As a seltzer water drinker myself, this was all the right. A Millennial’s Guide to Seltzer

-Researching siding for the addition. Think we are going with the Shou Sugi Ban method. We get to set stuff on fire!!!

-5 Ways to Tell If Your Knife Needs Sharpening. I try to keep mine sharpened not only because cutting food withsharp knife make sense but the danger is for real. The duller the knife, the more likely I am to cut my dang finger off.

Some pictures of the happenings.

Catch yas later.

-C

In Winooski, vermont, the great outdoors, sunday happy, remodeling, photography, life, home Tags internet, links, vermont, vermonting, home, remodel, life, sunday happy, fall, photography
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