Bunny Run Cottage

Looking for my Diamond in the Rough

2012-01-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful Diamond in the rough. It is very inexpensive, but talking my husband into it is anything but easy. He says to wait until a better one comes along. But, I want to put my own spin on it. I would tow it home by myself, but it has no tires on it. I have a wonderful plan for a travel trailer in my future. Stay tuned.

A Transitional Time

2011-12-15T07:20:00.000-08:00

The holidays have made me realize that I am totally in a transitional time with my children. As they get older and get their own lives, it leaves me with some time to myself. That is not a bad thing, it just seemed to creep in to my life kind of fast. It is kind of like the weather. It is transitioning from fall to winter, then from winter to spring and so on.

There comes a time when you need to have a back up plan. Mine is right now. Even though I sit down every January and total up all my income, expenses, debt and goals for the year, which usually included dentist/doctor appointments for my kids, schooling options, etc and figure out what needs to happen in the next year, it seems that even though my kids still need to visit dentists and doctors, the need for me to make those appointments and be there with them is not the case anymore. Now is the time to think about me. I need to make some immediate and long term goals for myself. Ideas like get a full-time benefit paying job, or put a plan to my craft business and make that my full-time job. I need to purchase a vehicle for myself. I have been sharing a car with my 20 year old daughter, which now my 17 year old son will be driving, finding different transportation is becoming increasingly more important. One child, 26, has moved on to his own home, while my two other children, 20 and 17 are still at home, and can stay here for as long as they want, they just have their own schedules to adhere to with college and work.

I am also expecting my first grand-baby in March 2012, and although I will be a huge part of her life, her momma is in a job where she can take the baby with her, which I love, and my son, the baby's daddy, works for himself, so his time is flexible.

I do have different hobbies that I would like to keep in my regimen like hiking, zumba and bunco club. I also work a seasonal job running a beach and boating club, which I want to remain working at, so I think working my craft business will give me that flexibility. I would also like to purchase a small travel trailer and do some traveling with just my husband while selling my crafts.

I think I will go out and buy myself a beautiful journal and start writing down a life plan in my new life journey.

Gifts for Bunco Ladies

2011-12-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

I play Bunco with eleven other ladies once a month here in my subdivision. It costs $4.00 each month to play, which gives the next host $44.00 to cover the costs of gifts, goodies and dessert. For December, we usually have a Christmas party instead of playing Bunco. I am bringing scalloped potatoes for my dish. We also do small gifts for each other, one larger gift for the white elephant game and a dozen cookies to share, so we all come home with a plate of 12 different cookies.

In my "use what you have series", I decided to make the 11 gifts with items I already have, which ended up being the jelly jars filled with cinnamon and wintergreen hard candy. Sooo yummy and what a great savings. They turned out real cute and I am sure the bunco ladies will love it.

It's Only the Beginning

2011-12-03T04:46:00.000-08:00

It's only the beginning of December and I am really not a cold season person. I do, however, like how pretty it is, especially when the sun shines, but the cold I could do without.

I have comprised a list of "to do's" to get done throughout the winter to hopefully help it go by a little faster and let me slip into the springtime.

Cottage:
*Finish painting living room trim and clapboard.
*Caulk areas around the cottage.
*Finish setting up office area.
*Re-paint my son's bed, find a bigger rug for his room and get it re-organized.
*Re-do laundry room.

Craft Business:
*Find/make a great journal to write down my business plan and keep ideas in while building my business.
*Make more items and get them listed for sale.
*Would like to have something for sale each month.
*Goal - to have my craft business be sustainable by December 2012.
*Find vintage motor home (for an excellent price) to restore for traveling and craft business.

Hobbies and self-sufficiency:
*Work on catching up picture scrapbooks.
*Print out recent pics.
*Work on sewing projects.
*Work on Gardening projects. Plant more edible foods.
*Find vintage motor home (for an excellent price) to restore for traveling and craft business.

Baby Shower:
*Write out plan for baby shower - done.
*Purchase items needed for shower.
*Have Shower.

Personal:
*Work on exercising and eating healthy.
*Cooking/baking more of our own food from scratch.
*Find more local resources to switch over to instead of utilizing a store.

Financial:
*Use what I have before buying.
*Keep adding to my emergency fund.
*Get gazelle intense on paying off debt.
*Become financially self-sufficient by December 2012.

Becoming Debt Free while working on Projects

2011-11-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a little bit of debt, but with some re-thinking and some sleepless nights, I came up with a plan. I am going to try to live on just my income and use what income my husband gives me to pay off my debt over the next year.

All of this while planning a baby shower for my first grand-daughter, looking for a "in good condition" travel trailer to restore while building my craft and treasures business.

I will need to be very frugal, yet not cheap, to make these projects/dreams come to fruition. I can see 2012 will be an exciting year.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2011-11-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

Our household ran out of jam recently and I have been meaning to make some more. Well, due to time constraints and wanting to use up items that were in my home, I ended up making some Strawberry Freezer Jam. It is sooo yummy on everything. Hoping to get through until the new year when I will have more time for making real jam.

Starting my Craft and Treasures Business

2011-11-16T05:06:00.000-08:00

On a whim, I went out into the woods and pulled down grapevines to make Christmas trees and wreaths. I started a little late in the season because the vines are drying up, which means I will be soaking them in order to get them to wrap good.

I ended up making three Christmas trees and three wreaths, and all of them sold within a day of me posting them to family and friends. I actually have a waiting list, which means, next year I will get started a little earlier.

Some people are dissappointed, but they are time consuming and now hunting season is upon us and I don't want to be caught dead in the woods.

Well, I had such a good time making them, that I thought, why not start a craft business and do something spectacular every month for some extra income, so I am now in the process of writing down my plan in hopes that by this time next year, I can sustain myself with my crafts and treasures. Stay tuned.

A Walk Down a Whole New Path

2011-11-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog, which is also an online journal of a new beginning of my adventure in life. I turned 50 this year and I am walking down a whole new path. A path where my children are grown or almost grown, giving me - me time. I have my first grand-child on the way - a grand-daughter. I am working my way out of debt to the tune of $13,000, which I am diligently working on paying off and becoming debt free, along with becoming mortgage free within the next 7 - 10 years.

I am looking forward to showing you my cottage and its treasures. I am also looking to buy and restore a vintage travel trailer, becoming a Sister with Sisters on the Fly - sistersonthefly.com, launching my craft and treasures business, called "Bunny Run Cottage Crafts and Treasures", enjoying family more, traveling more, gardening more, sewing more, crafting more, enjoying nature more, baking more and writing a cookbook, called "Bunny Run Cottage Recipes" in the future.

I am hoping to share my venture with all of you as I walk down this path.