Sunday Happy

Ah winter. Warm and sunny one day, then bam, snow and wind and bitter bitter cold. Why you got to be so fickle winter? 

I shoveled quite a bit this week. We didn't get as much snow as some, but.we got enough to keep me busy.. The world is now heavy with fluffy (although it's pretty heavy now) white. With all the snow we were able to go for a nice long winter hike AND we went snow showing which was fantastic and beautiful and was a great little end of winter treat. Now my hope is that we were going to finish up winter with this last hurrah this week  (another storm is a'comin). One more week is fine, I can handle one more week of really cold and snow and ice  because it will all of a sudden be spring. Then we can finally put the boots away and I can uncover my bike that I prematurely brought out into the world and is now a bike icicle (a bicycle.. haha)  I can make it one more week, I think I kind of have too.

Besides the snow the rest of the week stuff went mostly well. As always there was work, littles, and a grocery cart full of cabbage,  although I did break my freaking camera. I first I thought I just smashed the lense but there is definitely something broken it the body. How it happened? I got the strap caught on a handle while I was taking pictures and it kind of tugged/yanked out of my hand and smashed into the wheel of the kitchen island. So son of a bitch I have to get a new camera. But hey we got new tooth brushes and we all know that new tooth brush day is always a fine day.

Friday night we went out on the town and hit up the opening night of Mileys play Mary Poppins. First off, Miley was awesome and did a fantastic job. Secondly, holy crap was that torture. I totally and completely understand that the play was more for the kids, and like the mr said, we were there to watch the kids learn and have fun, but 3 hours of sitting in plastic chairs with grumpy littles and not being able to even hear a word the kids were sayings... It was rough and it kind of kicked my ass. Yes, an elementary school play kicked my ass. But jeez, 3 hours...I guess I am not one for the theater. 

It's Sunday and I am feeling fine. The house is clean, I washed my hair last night so I don't have to do it today, and I have a good book to keep me reading throughout the day. I am contepletaing weather or not to play around in the kitchen and maybe start making some bagels?... If not today, this week for sure. I might just settle for a  good long walk, coffee, and reading all day long. That would make me pleased as punch. Hopefully your day will make you pleased as ouch too. 

Internet reading from the week.

-The Science of How Your Diet Affects Your Mental Health. Of course it does and in so many many ways. 

-I heard on tv or something that the Unicorn is Scotlands national animal. I didn't believe it but it's true. Why is the Unicorn Scotland’s national animal?

-Tennessee 'Natural' Burial Ground Will Offer A Simpler Farewell — Casket Optional. Talking about what's good after death isn't always fun, but you know, it's gonna happen some day. This place sounds just about right although I  don't want to be buried in Tennessee, I want my own VT natural burial ground. 

-This is my kind of tiny house.

-I am partial to the dumpsters. Haha. But really, kinda of into this. In Britain’s Playgrounds, ‘Bringing in Risk’ to Build Resilience

 -I watched Even Stevens when I was in middle school and had a little crush on Shia LaBeouf. This biopic should be interesting. to say the least..Shia LaBeouf’s Hollywood Comeback Begins with a Movie About Shia Labeouf

-Miniature Faux Fur Landscapes

-Do you hate it our love it? I very much love it.  We Know (Some) People Hate Cilantro, but Why?

-I played (and won) a shit ton of Jenga in college. Meet Leslie Scott: The Woman Who Invented Jenga

-IKEA Made the "Fast Food of the Future" and It Includes Vegan Hotdogs Crickets and carrots and green buns for the win.

Pictures from the week. 

-C

Sunday Happy

It's officially kinda official. WE MOVED IN!!!! And yeah sure, we might not have a kitchen or a 100% functional shower, but hey, who needs that when you got a real freakin bed to sleep in. (we are showering and preparing food at the loft) Going form sleeping on a futon on wooden slates in a crawl space to our real bed, with a real frame, all in a giant room with windows..... It's hella crazy.

Other then the move in, the week has been pretty jammed packed. Still spending every minute plugging away at the house all while making sure all of our tenants are keeping warm with working heaters. (we have spent way to much time at the plumbing supply store this week) Barb, the mr and I ditched a day of work and school to travel to the north and hit up the land of Canadian Ikea. The mission was simple. Get a kitchen sink and maybe a cool rug or a shelving unit, and for barb and the mr, to eat as many hot dogs as they could. Success was had. We go the sink, I got a jar and a rug, towels were bought and an obscene amount of hot dogs were eaten (I think they each ate somewhere between3.5 and 5, plus a fro-yo. Me I was happy with my carrots) We we home before dark and spent the remainder of the day hanging up the Christmas lights. It was a grand day indeed.

As for the mr, well he went and turned himself one year older. And what did we do?  We went and had a happy birthday party with family and friends at the newly unfinished house. It was all sorts of fantastic. We frantically ran around to pick up all the construction mess, tossed some plywood on the cabinet frames, ran all over to make paper lanterns for the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and cleaned the toilet. I made huge vats of soup and kept the warm in slow cookers (I am now a new owner of a vintage 70's crock pot so I guess I need to learn how to use it) and we borrowed an electric griddle, cut up some veggies and fruit and had a soup and grilled cheese party. (shout out to barb for helping me cut all the everything, oh and having the first official dance party with me) A classic homemade vanilla cake with some Duncan Hines frosting and ice cream topped off the night. I must also mention that even with a house full of people, including a bunch of littles, there was barely any food wasted. My brother even asked where he could find my compost bin to toss the orange peels. That might have been the highlight of the night.  After the evening my ass was tired so off to bed we went.  Then I woke up. Nothing beats waking up at 5am the day after a party to a plywood covered pile of soup crusted dirty dishes.  2 hours later, a rag, some peppermint Dr. Bronners and the bathroom sink made things look good again. And now the house is full of every chair we have ever owned, every piece of mismatched bowl, plate, cup,jar, and spoon we could find, and a freezer full of wheat bread and lots of carrot sticks.

Yup, things are moving along. Pretty soon I'll be cooking up a storm in new kitchen and will be bring you all some food posts to boot.  The appliances are set to arrive tomorrow and all we have left to do is build the cabinets, run a few water lines, pour a concrete counter.........

Today the mr have to remove the 500 plates, cups, bowls and spoons out and the rest of the birthday cake out of the kitchen area and get back to work to makingt he real kitchen thing happen. But the coffee pot and all the coffee has found it's permanent home. I'll have coffee all day long. Whoa hoo!

Things I saw and read on the internet that you can now see and read too.

-Not really a "gingerbread house" but what ev, it pretty fantastical. How To Build An Indestructible Gingerbread House. Gummy bear epoxy seems so right.

-Speaking of gingerbread houses. Holiday gingerbread cookies have a dark and violent past

-Cute Animation Imagines How Day Turns into Night

-A hairy tail has be found.  First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber

-This is a good guide with lots of good recipes. The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate

-I want this.

-Now I know where I have seen you before. Scientists Think Your Face Evolved to Look Like an Ape’s Butt

-Why Nutrition News Contradicts Itself All the Time. One day my diet is super healthy and the next, I am probably going to die cause of it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. (nah, I think I am good)

-A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life. Doing it

-I get excited every year when this list comes out (I know, I a dork). NPR’s Book Concierge Our Guide To 2016’s Great Reads

Picture fun time.

I made him throw this sock away..... It was time.

Have a fantasticday.

Sunday Happy

I know it's early an I know it's Sunday, but other than that I am having a hard time concentrating on much of anything. All I can think about is paint color, well that and the kitchen stove. (I am getting closer to making that decision. I am secretly hoping Bluestar will just gift me one.) Oh, and how I want to hang some lights on the house because what is the point of having a house without hanging the holiday lights. So I guess I am thinking, just not very clearly.

How was your week? Good I hope. Ours was kind of quite. We spent most of our time at the house working and feeling sick. I might have convinced myself at the beginning of the week that I had listeria due to the fact that I ate a shit ton of some hummus that was recalled due to contamination. But I am alive so I think I am ok. We did get to see lots of family, spend a little time in some woods, and even got to take a afternoon nap .(mostly because I was sick) And it snowed!!!! There is no more snow now, but there was and it was so white and fluffy and great. I am looking forward to having an actual winter this year with some actual snow.

The mr and I are working our butts off, trying to maybe move in soon, like as soon as possible. Yesterday at the house, the mr was downstairs patching up the pantry walls and I was upstairs, painting. The plan was to touch up all the paint and to paint the closet doors. Sounds simple right? Well it wasn't. Long story short, I spent the entire day painting, hating, remixing, then repainting the closet doors in the bedroom. I didn't get to anything else. I almost tore my eyes out of my head. I seriously repainted those freaking doors5 times, each time thinking that I likes the color. Then an hour later, after painting front ans back of both doors (they are louved so they take longer) then I would hate the color and start all over again. I was going a little crazy. I blame it on the fumes.

Today I am going to bring over a scented candle (to mask he smell of urethane), put on some Christmas tunes, touch up all the paint in the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs and paint those stupid closet doors one last time, color be damned.   We are getting there. It's going to be great

There might even be some time to bust out the Xmas lights!

Internet for the looking.

-My hometown. America’s First All-Renewable-Energy City

-Your Brain Can Barely Handle Conversation and Eye Contact at the Same Time.

-Cool Ass Lamps. The peacock is the best.

-My siblings.. Best friends, worst enemies. Love them all to pieces even when I want to punch them in the face. Give Thanks For Siblings: They Can Make Us Healthier And Happier

-I could spend forever in one of these (Cornell is my favorite). THE 15 MOST BEAUTIFUL COLLEGE LIBRARIES IN AMERICA

-Maybe someday I will sit around and make bird houses, but they have to be this cool. These Modernist Houses Are Literally For the Birds

-Can't wait to go crazy and cover my life with all the green, it makes me happy. Green and Peaceful

-So I for sure talk to myself, sometimes just saying lists out loud, but sometimes....The mr always thinks I am talking to him. I have to tell him to stop budding in on my conversation. The Running Conversation in Your Head

-The mr always get me purple carrots in my stocking and my birthday. WTF ARE PURPLE CARROTS AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

And photos from the week.

happy weekend!

Sunday Happy

Happy May Day!!!  Now that it's May, it can't snow any more! (right?)

Did you get some of that early week snow storm? Yeah, it was freaking fantastic. I left the house early on my bike with a few little n=snow flakes hitting my face, thinking it would clear up soon, only to have to walk my bike home by lunch time because it turned into a snow storm (I might be over extravagating, we got like 2 inches at most) but still!.) But now it's lovely out, the trees are budding, the flowers are blooming and I have got my normal itchy as hell allergy eyes and sandals on my feet. No more winter jacket, i just can't.

Lets see, what else. Oh, the mr installed all the windows at the house which has turned our little bungalow shell into an actual living space. Crazy what a few pieces of glass has done.. It's no longer a outside/inside situation and the birds can't get in anymore.   Things are moving along quite well and I am actually starting to see myself living there. Woo HOO! All I do now is daydream about hanging out in the kitchen or what colors I am going to paint the trim (medium dark grey with pops of colorful window trim?) and which room I am going to sit in a read every morning( I think I am going to have to move from room to room, too many choices) I guess I am on a good high from the windows so am ready to just blast through and get the rest of the house done.

As for today, I think I am going to try and put in some outdoor time. I will plug in my ears with some good tunes, grab me a ho.. and a rake and fluff up all the pretty things popping out of the ground! I am really excited, I haven't spend any real time in the dirt yet this year so I hoping to get really really dirty.

Some stuff the internet had this week.

- I really want one of these Froob shirts...but which one?

-Some scientist is saying that hugging your dog can increase their stress level. I can see that, but I swear that my pup wants to be hugged (or man handled)

-I think I want to go to all of these Fairy Tale Villages, and you can actually visit all of them.

-INSPIRING STUDIO SPACES.

-Do you know the difference between cold brewed and iced coffee? And which one is better? Cold Brew Versus Iced Coffee:Which Is Actually Better? (I like them both!)

-Drug sniffing dogs, bomb sniffing dogs... Its about time for bee sniffing dogs. Keeping Bees Safe: It's A Ruff Job, But This Doggy Detective Gets It Done

-Hell Yeah!!! 1 Minute of All-Out Exercise May Have Benefits of 45 Minutes of Moderate Exertion

-Get your mail and you lawn mowed..smart move Finland. Finland's postal workers to mow lawns

-Hahahaha.. For all the crazy cat ladies (and gentleman) These Linguists Want to Help You Speak Fluent Cat but this new collar will give your cat an ACTUAL voice... Oh boy oh boy!

-EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY ON HOT SAUCE

And a few pictures that I managed to take this week.

-

Sunday Happy

AAAaahhh!!! It Worked !!. My wax paper snowflakes to the gods sent us some real, bona-fied snow.. like 2 whole freaking inches. I was so excited when saw it at 430 am this morning that I even woke up the mr to make hii come look..("Oh, cool.. now let me sleep!") I finally feel like the black whole inside of me has been filled, and it's filled with fluffy white snow. Aah. I feel normal again.  ( I will not think about the fact that it still suppose to be in the upper 50's on Christmas)

On that note, oh shit yes. It is indeed Christmas in 5 freaking days. How did that happen, I can not tell you, but what it more crazy is that this year is almost over.  I can't wrap my head around. I guess we have been so busy with the house and other life stuff that the these last few months have just kind of flown on by, but I guess that is how it is for everyone.  But one day at a time folks. So today let's all take some time to meditate and relax and enjoy the simple little things, like a fresh cup of coffee or being the first one to walk on freshly fallen snow, or napping. Coffee naps. Walking through the snow with coffee and coming home to take a nap. Simple.

And on another fantastical l note. the mr and I... We bought plan tickets to Ireland! And along the way we are going to be spending a few days in Copenhagan and in Iceland. Holy Fuck right?(Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday/we have been trying to take a trip Ireland for a few years/to us. So yeah) I am so excited I can barely stand it. We are leaving at the end of January so I have a month to obsess over the absolute cheapest things to do, places to go, things to eat (I am scared of the food in Iceland) and modes of transportation. (If you got any good tips, please, throw them my way!)  Oh boy world, get ready!

And seriously people, chill. No need for a bunch of shopping, just make everyone cookies. IT will make everyone happy.

The weekly web stuff.

- 52 Favorite Tips for Smarter Holiday Baking

-So true. Why It's Better To Give Experiences, Not Things

-I used to make this all the time. DIY Lavender Linen Spray

- Love this  Parisian Flat

- I totally have a thing for cool old mirrors.

-Call me jealous. A VINTAGE AIRSTREAM ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD

-And check out this bus!!

-A little chemistry lesson on yeast and why it makes bread rise.

-Would you eat at atHello Kitty Themed restaurant?

-Inspiration for my windows at the new house. 10 Cozy Little Window Benches

-Thank you NPR for making this awesome list of books for me to read

Pretty things in picture form from the week

Have the best week!

-C