This winter break we have done many things. This table is currently holding a couple painted skateboard sea creatures and an almost completed afghan.
The completing process is sometimes tedious, but worth it.
The angler fish was completed during this winter break, the octopus was a previous project, but both were polyurethaned.
One of us likes the Christ's Mass and one of us despises it with angry passion. We compromised and made stockings with handmade gifts in them. Puzzle, replacement id badge, knitted card, and cans with string.
No buy year means even more homemade gifts than usual.
A picture book, written and illustrated by us.
Recipe book with our favorites.
Notes for coworkers.
Chocolate chip cookies as well.
Simple design. Made from wood, screws, and glue. Used blue stain. Polyurethaned shelves. One of the most useful things we have built.
Two cups frozen fruit. One cup ice cream, vegan or not vegan friendly. Fill to just over the top of the fruit and ice cream with juice. Blend. You should see the vortex in the blender. If it is too thick, add more liquid. If it is too thin, add more tasty things. Let it blend for a while. Pour into overly large glass. Consume all of your fruit for the day in one sitting.
My toes were quite numb during this morning's bus stop wait and I was thinking about having next summer off. This picture captures last summer quite well.
For Thanksgiving we make pumpkin spice bars, with cream cheese frosting. They were amazing...no really heaven like. I would like to think that it was because we made them using the pumpkin puree we made from the pumpkins I grew in the back yard this winter. Without the whole waiting for pumpkins to grow, it is a super easy recipe and super tasty.
Left over plastic cups from hosting a bridal shower, duct tape collage to cover hearts printed on cups, nail cups to wall, place objects inside. I have many writing utensils. This re-purposing of materials worked quite well to house them.
In July of this year we started a “No Buy Year” which is pretty much as it sounds. Basically it means not buying anything new for an entire year other than necessities. People do this for all sorts of reasons; saving money, buying less, reducing clutter, reusing what we can, re-purposing what we already have, and using fewer resources for products and packaging. All of these reasons apply to us. More posts about our progress with this will follow. These are some of the specific rules we made for ourselves:
1. no purchasing anything new, except for household or work necessities
2. no purchasing of craft materials even just to finish projects
3. $10 weekly entertainment and eating out budget
4. no prepared food meals such as frozen pizza
5. rent or buy things used whenever possible
6. $15 every week for the “Train Fund”
7. convince parents and friends to not give store bought gifts
This is the view from my walk between bus stops under the Hiawatha bridge over Franklin in SE Minneapolis. I think the pillars and light are quite stunning.
In light of recent ovarian pain, I made hot pads from leftover fabric and rice. Just sew around the outsides, leave a hole, put desired amount of rice in, sew up the hole, and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave. You can reuse it as much as needed. Also, some people put herbs and things in with the rice. The hot pads worked quite well. One for each ovary!
A local park has an event called "Empty Bowls". It is their 5th year. The idea is that handmade bowls are donated, you choose a bowl, donate money, fill your bowl with soup and bread, and enjoy the company of friends and neighbors. The money is donated to local food shelves and organizations. These are the bowls we chose.
