bus project

Interior of bus as purchased:

Happy people in the bus:

Possible floor plan:

As of now, the benches are out and we’re on the hunt for new seating. Heading to pull-apart junkyard this week.

boy blanket

First quilt project: baby-size quilt with fleece backing instead of traditional quilt backing. I will never make a quilt any other way. Fleece feels fantastic and hides stitching mistakes real well. I hope my boy likes it!

And just for the heck of it, here’s what a pregnant girl of 23 weeks looks like:

Thanks for letting me scratch that itch that apparently possesses pregnant girls to post pictures of their bellies on the internet. I feel much better now.

kitchen going out

Goodbye favorite cabinet, this wall is going away. Fridge and pantry will go in the corner.

old sink space, windows moving to other wall

Old stove space. Stove will move under old windows and sink and new windows will go on the other wall.

temp kitchen for the next month or so

ink

I’ve been seriously looking to get some tattoo work done on my shoulder and to cover up the arm band I’ve never been happy with. I am really digging this guys work and might try and commission him to do the artwork:

http://myleskarr.com/

ruff guide online

http://ruffguide.blogspot.com courtesy of jeff boni

springtime enthusiasm

it’s been a while since I’ve felt an itch to do or make things beyond my daily grind of work and now grad school. I’ve been so held up in a rigid schedule that it’s nuts that it’s springtime already. I’ve got lists of summer projects going, here are some of the tick list hopefuls:

1. Bigger/better garden = lots of canning (got a jump on this, onions and garlic in the ground and a basement full of roma seedlings)
2. Summer kitchen/screened back porch
3. Back patio with stones/brick/pavers/whatever
4. Pave the driveway
5. New roof and structural supports for garage
6. Extend fence to edge of property
7. Build clothes line

Come on warm weather.

I’ve been scared of my tomato plants lately, all those tomatoes that’ll need pealed cored and cut. Though tomatoes are about all we have left growing in the garden. Besides the root crops and some winter squash, everything else is done and turning brown already. I’m still figuring out the timing thing as to when to plant to get the best staggered harvests. We got a decent amount canned and frozen along the way, here’s the tally: 

• 8 pints green beans (hot packed)
• 8 pints green beans (cold packed)
• 4 quarts dilly beans
• 13 pints dill pickles
• 2 pints dill relish
• 7 pints tomato sauce
• 5 pints hot hot salsa (I used the wrong peppers)
• 7 half pints blueberry jam

 

jars

With all the tomatoes left I am planning on doing lots of stewed tomatoes, some bruschetta and another batch of tomato sauce. I’m also going to try canning soup at some point, anyone have any good soup recipes? 

As much as I love a garden in the summer, Fall is sounding real nice right now. Low humidity, cooler air, lots of climbing weekends in west virginia and no more nights elbow deep in vegg scraps – at least not till next summer when we do it all again.

bike powered float

bike powered float built by recycle bikes in york for st. pats day.

fixed gears built over winter

j

found jess’s ten speed schwinn on the side of the road three years ago. stripped the entire thing. ground off all the brazons and painted it. frame and single piece crank are the only things original. things a tank.
i snatched up this orange american flyer from recycle bikes since it was the only bike that has ever fit me. put in new bottom bracket, cranks, wheels, bars, stem, seat post, and saddle. didnt tighten the first cranks i had on there enough and stripped em out on my second ride in the dead of winter. then proceeded to break my lock of in my chain after getting groceries. i cut through it with my multi tool.

new home of bike shop

third time ive helped move these gypsies this year