Social Distancing = More Craft Time!

Social Distancing. Focusing on what matters. Supporting local businesses. In these times of uncertainly, there is still one certainty – and that is our HOPE that keeps us anchored and keeps us going. So here we are finding the new norm in all of the craziness that the world is going through. With all this extra time the kids are spending at home means that mom is now surfing Pinterest looking for schedules and constructive ideas of ways to continue life as much as normal while teaching them at home while mom is still at work. School will continue (Thank you Me-Ma) – but you can’t do schoolwork ALL DAY everyday! (so I’ve been told!) While we continue our lessons learning to cook and clean we also get to spend a little more time with their favorite - learning to craft! The girls love to help me in the craft room. They pick out our designs, they weed vinyl, they paint, they make messes. Lol.
Let me just pause a minute and share with you a site that I found that will help give our craft time a new outlook and fresh products. This site by far is one of my newer favorite “go to” places for new designs and fresh ideas. DesignBundles.net has some of the neatest and intriguing designs for every holiday, occasion and crafting idea – even including cute new fonts! Now as someone who has crafted since they were gluing painted macaroni on cardstock (which may or may not have been recently – Ha!) I am in awe of the nostalgia and at the same time the fresh new ideas that these bundles include!

 

As I often make items for sale as my little hobby –

I also do custom commission work – and these bundles allow me to allow you to customize your own work! If you browse through their bundles and you see something that you absolutely MUST HAVE on a commissioned project – Just reach out to me!

 

My love for making people smile by making new and exquisite products will work it out in your favor! Now that spring is in full force here in North Carolina – I’m excited to start creating personalized garden stones. The new springtime bundle is just what I needed to get those designs on stone and available to you. So without further delay – Go visit their site and by all mean window shop and let me know what you like and want to see on my future products! Meanwhile, I’ll be over in my shop, making memories and messes.

Follow this link! https://designbundles.net/

 

Mustang - Lil' Legends Life Jacket Review

As I reported back in November, Occasionally I’ll be selected to review a new product through a program I joined online. This time around, the item wasn’t as much for me as it was for the girls. Although Charlotte still has a few pounds before it will fit her properly, Josie still falls within the recommended range. When I first opened the package I was a little taken back by the design of this life jacket. My family spends a lot of time in boats and on the water, so I’ve seen my share of life jackets for myself and two daughters. This jacket is built like most of the infant life jackets I’ve used, with a floatation ring around the neck. I thought at first that Josie (4 years old) would hate this and it would be more uncomfortable than her Stearns Hydroprene Jacket that she’s used for boating and swimming for the last year or so. After the first wearing of the mustang jacket in the boat however, she chooses this jacket every time. What makes this jacket different is that the back of the jacket is completely mesh, so it’s much more comfortable and fitting to her shape.

We have been out on several occasions and so far she has always asked to wear the one with a sea horse on the front! My two daughters are currently 18-lbs and 47-lbs. These weights are at both ends of the recommended range for the jacket I own. Although my 4 year old is 47-lbs, she’s very tall and slender and I love the fact that this jacket has the leg strap to prevent it from rising above her head. I realize also that the buoyancy may be affected by her weight being so close to the top end, and I hope that I will be able to transition my preschooler out of it and my toddler into the jacket by summers end (Although I’ve got this feeling I’m going to have to purchase the same jacket for the next size up for my older daughter before she’s going to pass this one down to sister!) I haven’t had a chance to test the buoyancy of this jacket yet, but as soon as warmer weather is upon us, and we’re out swimming in our pond, I will update this further! For now it’s a win in our book!

A quick review of my new fishing gear

A long time ago I joined a club that offered *free* stuff that you could test and keep, as long as you reviewed the product and sent it back to the company for publication.  Since that time, the club has grown, the items I’ve received have continued to get better and just recently I received my best test yet.  The Cabela’s Prodigy MG40 spinning reel.  Granted that it’s been a few years since I’ve bought any new reels, let alone a spinning reel, but this reel is a beauty right out of the box.  Although it’s a bit larger than some others I’ve used, it’s bulkiness doesn’t take anything away from it.  So far it appears to be made out of quality materials, although time and continued use will tell.  The thing that surprised me the most was how smooth the reeling is on this thing!  I can honestly say that with the gear ratio and the ball bearings, this is one of the smoothest spinning reels I’ve ever used.  I really like the anti reverse mechanism as well.  The only downfall I found with this reel is it’s casting distance is not as far as some other reels I own.  It almost seems as though the line drags a little too much against the top of the reel and slows down the cast.  I switched from the braided line to a mono-filament and that didn’t help it either.  I’ve only had a short period of time to test this reel so far, and once we’ve made it through the striper season this winter, I’ll come back and update this review if I need too!  The only reason it didn’t get five stars is because I do have a reel that can outcast it, but overall the casting is still smooth and I think it’s a great reel, at a great price.
So if you see the 3 stars on Cabelas page – I just don’t see it.  I really do think it’s a good reel, but plan to put it to the real or reel test come this winter when the rock are running!  Can’t wait to snag one on my ugly stick with this thing!  Stay tuned to see if I change my mind!

Septic Systems

I never would have thought that putting in a septic system could be so durn hard.  Evidently when you've had week after week of torrential rains, and the water table is only 2" below the surface, putting in one of these babies is a chore - let alone two of them. 

Yeap - you heard me right. We had to have two tanks to pass inspection. It's a lift system technically, but waste goes into tank number one, then tank one overflows into tank two, which is then pumped back up to the drain pipes in the new "built up" field in the yard. I'm glad I have a lot of back yard, otherwise, this could have been a BIG mess!

BUT  - Yesterday it passed inspection!  So YIP-EEE! On to something bigger and better.... (and hopefully a lot easier!)

The upstairs bathroom is almost done!

The girls bathroom upstairs is almost finished!  Just a few minor paint touch-ups, a wipe of poly over all the wood for good measure, the cabinet and drawer pulls and she'll be ready!

 

 

 This room is so hard to photograph because of the layout, but I promise to get better pictures once we get the mural on the wall.

 

 

Oh yeah - did I forget to mention that?  One of the first things I bought for the house, even before we started digging the foundation was a mural to spruce up one of the bathrooms.  It's a coral reef mural....

Sorta like this one.....

but with a few less dolphins, then throw in a huge shark and a sea turtle ;) 
But you'll have to wait and see the final results!

 

The Concrete Pad

We've been waiting over a month for this, but the weather just didn't want to cooperate! We finally got the concrete apron in front of the garage poured on Saturday! And as you can see, it's already being enjoyed! :)

Kitchen Cabinets

I know I said I wouldn't post anymore cabinet pictures until drawers and doors were installed, but I had to share these pictures of my hickory cabinets!  I'm in love!  Jeff built all the bases on site, but all the doors are ordered and are coming from a cabinet shop in Chesapeake.  I can hardly wait to see them all together!

 This is a shot taken from the Living room looking back into the kitchen.  Look closely and you'll see the Fridge, Freezer and oven hiding in their new hideaways!  The bottom front of this island will be covered in airstone!

And here is a shot of the galley part of the kitchen.  The Fridge and Freezer are just out of the picture to the right, and the laundry shoot access will be between the upper cabinets on the left and go all the way down through the bottom cabinets.