Happy Sunday! It’s another 3 week SAL update!
Here is where I left off last update:
And here I am now:
I am still haven’t finished that last flower lol!
I promise to finish this piece by next update. 😊
Now off to see what the other ladies in the group are stitching! Links to their blogs below. Thank you, Avis, for organizing this Stitch-a-Long.
See you in three weeks!
Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Jackie,
In my last update in June we owed $8108.06 on the credit card. My goal was to get under $8,000. I am happy to say that I did achieve this goal however, not by much.
Right now that credit card is at $7529.65.
I was getting a bit down on myself because I have only paid about $600 off on that card in two months.
BUT, I paid about $1600 in cash for my new counter tops (that are now on order), and, yes, I could have put that money to my credit card debt but there comes a point where you have to take care of repairs otherwise you lose your mind. My formica counters are probably original to the house, making them 70 years old and are very embarrassing for me, and the microwave over our stove leaks from a poorly installed vent on the roof when it rains hard.
Now here’s the good news…I have also been paying on the other, LARGER credit card and, between the two cards, have paid off over $7000 in debt since the beginning of the year. So, in reality, I am more than meeting my goal of paying off a credit card this year. If I keep at this same pace, I should be able to potentially pay off $10,000 of debt this year. That is freaking fantastic!
When you don’t think you are working hard enough to pay off your debt, give yourself some grace and stand back and look at the entire picture. It becomes crystal clear when you do.
Keep moving forward even when you have to take a step back to see your progress. Don’t give up!
Until next time -MM
Hey there!
Here’s what I have been working on:
GOAL #1 Home repairs professionally done – New kitchen countertops, rip out over-the-oven microwave and replace with new exhaust hood, trim all fruit trees and cut down all sumac in the hedgerow.
I can’t believe how much we got accomplished on this goal. I had even written this goal off because I thought it could’t be done this year.
My honey worked on trimming the overgrown apple trees himself. Look at the before and after:
He took three trailer loads of brush and branches down to the Town’s transfer station. Feels amazing to get that all out of here!
As far as the kitchen counters and range hood goals I am happy to report I paid for the counters and they are now on order. Yay!! We are going with Formica laminate. They have come a long way with what they offer in laminate counter tops. There are some beautiful options! It’s kind of hard to tell from the stock photo below but this is the color we are getting. What do you think?
In addition to the counters, the range hood install is also included in the work to be done. The contractor said 3 to 5 weeks to get the countertops ordered (they will be custom made).
GOAL #2 Home projects done by us – Paint all trim in kitchen, re-paint upper kitchen cabinets, paint ceiling and walls in hallway, finish painting and put up picket pallet fencing, finish painting master bedroom and hang mantle over bed, front porch stained or painted, new brick patio in the backyard.
I haven’t accomplished a thing on the goal.
GOAL #3 Sewing projects – Finish Joyce’s Rose, New curtains for kitchen window, new seat cover for kitchen chair, new curtain over cat’s window seat, Christmas tree skirt, finish winter and summer season x-stitch projects
I am almost finished with my newest project, which I will use for a seat covering for my kitchen desk chair. The original pattern had the square outside border, but I had plenty of room on the seat to add some of the pattern outside of the border. You can see I have started to extend the pattern.
GOAL #4 Read 30 books (It’s my goal every year)
I finished three more books since last update. “Dirty Thirty“, by Janet Evanovich, “The Girl Who Chased the Moon“, by Sarah Addison Allen, and “Graveyard Girl: part 2 of 6“, by Stephanie Bond.
Graveyard Girl is a daily serial book from July 1st to December 31st. I have been reading Stephanie Bond’s serials for about 9 years now. Each year, it’s a different series with different characters, and I look forward to reading it every day for six months.
Books read so far in 2024:
1. “Not Quite Prince Charming”, by Liz Talley
2. “Buttercups in the Basement”, by Jane Harvey
3. “Searching for Sandra”, by Jane Harvey
4. “Christmas at Hummingbird House”, by Jane Harvey
5. “Perfectly Charming”, by Liz Talley
6. “Home for Christmas”, by Lloyd C. Douglas
7. “Witch Is When I Said Goodbye”, by Adele Abbott
8. “The Sun and Her Flowers”, by Rupi Kaur
9. “God Never Blinks“, by Regina Brett
10. “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, by Agatha Christie
11. “Witch is When Stuff Got Serious”, by Adele Abbott
12. “The Murder on the Links“, by Agatha Christie
13. “Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight”, by Janet Evanovich
14. “The Echo of Old Books“, by Barbara Davis
15. “Going Rogue“, by Janet Evanovich
16. “The Peach Keeper“, by Sarah Addison Allen
17. “A Girl Called Samson“, by Amy Harmon
18. “Graveyard Girl: part 1 of 6“, by Stephanie Bond
19. “Dirty Thirty“, by Janet Evanovich
20. “The Girl Who Chased the Moon“, by Sarah Addison Allen
21. “Graveyard Girl: part 2 of 6“, by Stephanie Bond.
That’s 21 books read. 9 to go.
GOAL #5 Take at least 2 mini vacations and see my step-daughter’s new house in NC.
We have our tickets bought for the Chiefs/Panthers game in November in NC!
GOAL #6 Garden goals – raise 500 lbs of produce, new kitchen garden in front and new fruit garden in back, compost all dug and reset, raised bed garden re-imagined.
Tons done on this goal!
This update I have weighed 184 lbs of produce. Wowsers! I cant keep up! The gardens have exploded. 223 lbs raised so far! That’s halfway to my goal!
GOAL #7 Exercise somehow every single day concentrating most on core and pelvic floor and mobility.
It may seem small but every day I try to get steps in before I go to work and I am upping it every week. I started out with 1000 steps before work and now this week it is 1200 steps before work. My job is mostly sedentary now, but I get up a lot to help people at the window and the copier is in another room. I was used to being on my feet all day, every day at the store so sitting is not good for me.
GOAL #8 Get all of my Etsy listings listed by March 31st so I can enjoy my garden in the Spring and summer months.
I don’t think I have gotten any more items listed. I need a break from it for a while.
GOAL #9 Explore the Western NY Antique Trail (Yes, there is such a thing).
Nothing more on this one.
GOAL #10 Explore at least 3 local walking/biking trails.
We finally did one yesterday! I was getting worried I would never get to this goal.
We walked part of the Ellicott Trail in Batavia. From Blondie’s ice cream shop to Seven Springs road and back. Only a couple of miles but it was fun!
GOAL #11 Sell 300 listings on Etsy this year.
I sold 41 more listings in the past few weeks. 170 down, 131 to go! More than halfway to my goal 😀
GOAL #12 Church goals – Six thrift sales this year, Work on baptism records and historical info, work on getting our church info out there for weddings, one historical themed event/fundraiser this year.
Next sale is October 5th.
GOAL #13 Pay off one of the two credit cards.
I’ll update this soon.
That’s all I have for now.
What have you all been up to? How did your summer go?- MM
P.s. if you would like to check out my Etsy shop here is the link https://redmillvintageandnew.etsy.com
Here are some of the cakes and goodies I have worked on in the last eight months!
Wow, it’s been a busy year so far. It was so much fun doing all of these cakes.
I’ll update again soon! -MM
The current project I am working on is to replace the seat covering on my kitchen desk chair. It desperately needs a refresher.
Here is where I left off last update:
And here I am now:
I am still not happy with the pink. It has no definition. It almost looks like it is glowing. But I don’t feel like ripping it all out either. We’ll see I guess. I love the blue border though!!
Now off to see what the other ladies in the group are stitching! Links to their blogs below. Thank you, Avis, for organizing this Stitch-a-Long.
See you in three weeks!
Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Jackie,
I am doing a happy dance because other than the one yellow color I am missing for the sunflowers, I have finished Summer House 🏠 💛.
Here is where I left off last update:
And here I am now:
I have already started another project, and the way I am moving through this one, I should have it done within a couple of updates.
This project is called Bierdermeier Bouquet, by Modern Folk Embroidery.
It’s a blank chart, so you get to pick your own thread colors.
The thread is variegated, so it gives an interesting effect. I plan on using this project to recover my kitchen desk chair. It needs a lift!
Now off to see what the other ladies in the group are stitching! Links to their blogs below. Thank you, Avis, for organizing this Stitch-a-Long.
See you in three weeks!
Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Jackie,
Holy cow, it’s been almost two months since I last posted about my goals!
Here’s what I have been working on:
GOAL #1 Home repairs professionally done – New kitchen countertops, rip out over-the-oven microwave and replace with new exhaust hood, trim all fruit trees and cut down all sumac in the hedgerow.
I restarted this goal because I just cannot take my kitchen counters any longer and the vent on the roof for the exhaust has been leaking with all of these heavy rain storms and I need to get it fixed asap. Our contractor came out last week and measured again and looked to see what the issue was with the vent on the roof and will be getting me another quote. Looks like we will be going with a laminate countertop. With my baking and constant use of the sink and water splashing up laminate would be much more durable than butcher block.
As far as the hedgerow trimming we took 3 loads of brush and branches to the transfer station a couple of weeks ago and will continue to work slowly on this goal ourselves. Getting there!
GOAL #2 Home projects done by us – Paint all trim in kitchen, re-paint upper kitchen cabinets, paint ceiling and walls in hallway, finish painting and put up picket pallet fencing, finish painting master bedroom and hang mantle over bed, front porch stained or painted, new brick patio in the backyard.
Just a few more tweaks on the brick patio and it will be finished!
GOAL #3 Sewing projects – Finish Joyce’s Rose, New curtains for kitchen window, new seat cover for kitchen chair, new curtain over cat’s window seat, Christmas tree skirt, finish winter and summer season x-stitch projects
Summer House is done!
GOAL #4 Read 30 books (It’s my goal every year)
I finished four more books since last update. Going Rogue“, by Janet Evanovich, “The Peach Keeper“, by Sarah Addison Allen, “A Girl Called Samson“, by Amy Harmon, and “Graveyard Girl: part 1 of 6“, by Stephanie Bond. Hey I love how all of these works were written by women. Didn’t even notice that till just now.
A Girl Called Sampson is based on the true story of Deborah Sampson a woman who disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Absolutely captivating!
Thank God for listening to books in the car and while I wash dishes. It’s been hard for me to find time to actually sit down and read.
Books read so far in 2024:
1. “Not Quite Prince Charming”, by Liz Talley
2. “Buttercups in the Basement”, by Jane Harvey
3. “Searching for Sandra”, by Jane Harvey
4. “Christmas at Hummingbird House”, by Jane Harvey
5. “Perfectly Charming”, by Liz Talley
6. “Home for Christmas”, by Lloyd C. Douglas
7. “Witch Is When I Said Goodbye”, by Adele Abbott
8. “The Sun and Her Flowers”, by Rupi Kaur
9. “God Never Blinks“, by Regina Brett
10. “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, by Agatha Christie
11. “Witch is When Stuff Got Serious”, by Adele Abbott
12. “The Murder on the Links“, by Agatha Christie
13. “Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight”, by Janet Evanovich
14. “The Echo of Old Books“, by Barbara Davis
15. “Going Rogue“, by Janet Evanovich
16. “The Peach Keeper“, by Sarah Addison Allen
17. “A Girl Called Samson“, by Amy Harmon
18. “Graveyard Girl: part 1 of 6“, by Stephanie Bond
That’s 18 books read. 12 to go.
GOAL #5 Take at least 2 mini vacations and see my step-daughter’s new house in NC.
We have our tickets bought for the Chiefs/Panthers game in November in NC!
GOAL #6 Garden goals – raise 500 lbs of produce, new kitchen garden in front and new fruit garden in back, compost all dug and reset, raised bed garden re-imagined.
Tons done on this goal!
So far I have raised approximately 23 lbs of produce between the herbs cut, rhubarb, spinach and black raspberries, beets, beans, jalapenos, a few potatoes and peppers and squash.
The new kitchen garden is booming! That’s where all the beans, beets, spinach and squash are coming from. It’s amazing how much you can get out of a small space.
The big gardens are just coming into their own. I will be harvesting potatoes in about 2 weeks and onions next week. garlic is pulled and drying. The pumpkins and squash and tomatoes and sprouting broccoli are doing really well too!
We worked on cleaning out the compost area yesterday, which had become an unruly mess of cut tree branches. Still more to do but lots of great compost already from years of breakdown to be used!
GOAL #7 Exercise somehow every single day concentrating most on core and pelvic floor and mobility.
I am back at it!
GOAL #8 Get all of my Etsy listings listed by March 31st so I can enjoy my garden in the Spring and summer months.
I only got 17 more listings up since last update. I have been so busy in the garden that Etsy has kind of taken a back seat.
GOAL #9 Explore the Western NY Antique Trail (Yes, there is such a thing).
Nothing more on this one.
GOAL #10 Explore at least 3 local walking/biking trails.
Hubby scouted out a trail this week so will do that sometime in the next 2 weeks.
GOAL #11 Sell 300 listings on Etsy this year.
I sold 21 more listings in the past few weeks! 129 down, 171 to go!
GOAL #12 Church goals – Six thrift sales this year, Work on baptism records and historical info, work on getting our church info out there for weddings, one historical themed event/fundraiser this year.
I spent a couple of hours down at church one night going through the 200+ year old history of the church. Did you know that vital records were not officially kept by a municipality in NY state until at least 1880? Our town’s records start around that time. Before that, many churches recorded their birth, death, and marriage in their books, but they are not official vital records.
GOAL #13 Pay off one of the two credit cards.
Here is my latest update: https://marymargaretripley.com/2024/07/08/not-impressed-with-our-debt-june-2024/
That’s all I have for now.
What have you all been up to? Got anything good growing in the garden?- MM
P.s. if you would like to check out my Etsy shop here is the link https://redmillvintageandnew.etsy.com
Gah! I forgot to post again! I was so glued to the TV yesterday that I totally forgot to post an update. Better late than never, I guess.
Here is where I left off last update:
And here I am now:
I should be done by now, but my garden and graduation cakes have been calling my name. I have been too tired to pick up a needle. I know, excuses, excuses.
Now off to see what the other ladies in the group are stitching! Links to their blogs below. Thank you, Avis, for organizing this Stitch-a-Long.
See you in three weeks!
Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Jackie,
In my last update in March we owed over $10,000 on the credit card.
It has been a struggle to get my husband on board about paying off our debt. I would tell him how much I paid down the debt in the month, but it wasn’t really clicking. He needed to see it visually, he said. Ok, then, I told him I’ll go a different route when reporting.
In May, I slapped a piece of paper with our debt amount and the date right on to the wall next to the coffee pot so he wouldn’t miss it every morning. Each time I make a credit card payment, I attach a new sheet with the amount and date over the last. The original amount is there in the back of the pile, so we can see how far we’ve come in a short period of time. This has really helped him!
In March, we owed $10,721.74.
I am thrilled to say we are down to $8108.06!
That’s a difference of $2613.68. Remember that includes any monthly interest, so we actually paid a couple hundred more than this is reflecting.
Goal for July: We get the credit card into the 7000s which will be easy peasy.
Until next time -MM
Last update I started a new challenge for myself to only spend $45 on groceries one week and $90 on groceries the week after and so on. Well I blew past the $90 on week 21 for a very good reason, because it was Memorial Day here in the States and that meant some awesome deals I just couldn’t pass up. So, I stocked up big time. Hey, I’m not stupid. In this economy you have to grab those deals when you can because you may not find them again for a while. Some of the deals I got were Hellmann’s mayo for only $2.99 with coupons…um..yeah! Bagels were BOGO, chips were buy two, get two which calculating it out was an excellent deal (sometimes it’s really not). Coffee, ketchup, cheese, and Oreo’s were also great deals. Plus the ice cream and the chicken legs were great too.
Total spent: A whopping $165.24. Eeeks! But it’s ok, seriously!
Week 22 was back to the $45 spent: my total that week was: $44.90. I only bought 12 items that week!
This week, Week 23 I spent $88.45, so just shy of $90. Feeling good about this!
Have you ever spent a ton of money and gotten what looks like a ton of food only to realize you don’t have much to cook with? I felt that way the week I spent over $160. Weird huh? But in hindsight most of what I purchased that week were condiments and just stuff. Not a lot of meat or veggies.
Week 24 it’s back to only spending $45. I think I can do it, especially with my garden getting ready to explode with greens. (Plus I still have a turkey in the freezer from February).
Ok, let’s get to what we have been eating.
There was also pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, chicken and rice soup and more I didn’t get a photo snapped for.
Total spent on groceries so far in 2024 – $2,138.88 that’s an average of $93. I want to be better than that! Hopefully with my garden growing strong I can get the grocery bill average way down. What do you think?
Question of the week: How much is butter where you are? A woman in Canada said butter was $9/lb where she was. Yikes!
Until next week- MM
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