Some recent “101 Things” things

I recently had a look through my 101 Things list and it doesn’t make for very good reading. I’ve got about 9 months to go and I’ve only completed 18. Eighteen??!! Yoikes.

I think #59 Move somwhere with a garden… can be ticked off, given that I’ve moved somewhere and that somewhere has a garden. Although I should probably have finished #22 Make something for each room in the house before I moved somewhere with more than double the number of rooms. Schoolboy error, that one!

#73 Eat fresh pineapple was there for the taking, but I didn’t follow through.

In fact that’s twice I’ve had a pineapple sitting in the kitchen for the sole purpose of being eaten in the name of #73. And that’s twice I’ve let it sit there until it’s too old to eat. Total fail. Although I do like the picture

I have been continuing, somewhat haphazardly, with #69 Try 2 new recipes every month. I tried a a new gluten-free-adapted pear cheesecake recipe and a new welcome drink at Christmas (prosecco + cranberry juice + passion fruit juice = yum) because clearly there’s no time better for trying new recipes than when you’re also trying to cook Christmas dinner for the first time, for 12 people *facepalm*.

I also made chocolate orange cupcakes for a pot luck party, complete with chocolate orange buttons as decoration. Yum

In a couple of cheats, #16 Finish the bedroom curtain is done. Not because I finished the curtain, but because I moved house and the curtain is no longer required. Loophole? Definitely! But my list doesn’t have any small print

I’ve also swapped Diablo III for Torchlight 2 in #48 Play Diablo III.

They’re both RPGs so I figure they’re close enough. Plus Diablo III requires an internet connection and I didn’t have one for 5 weeks (did I really survive that?!) after moving house. Torchlight 2 was kind enough not to require that, so it got my money instead

Anyway, although this is a somewhat longwinded post, it’s unfortunately not down to me completing lots of things. I really need to step up my game in 2013…

101 Things: #26 Make a piece of jewellery

This steampunk bracelet was a kit that I picked up recently in John Lewis, which is somewhere that I really, really shouldn’t be allowed to go unsupervised (especially as I’d only gone there to return things – bad KT).

I had a bit of a problem with the jump rings jumping out of my hands into the black hole that is “under the coffee table”. But other than that, it was really simple to put together.

I did have to battle my symmetrical/non random issues though as there weren’t enough charms to do symmetrical. So this is *gulp* a random layout. Go me for surviving a foray into the big scary world of randomness!

Oh and on another note, it’s holiday time again, yay! OH and I are staying put which means it’s time for another Week Off Work Week. I’m hoping that without the distractions of Skyrim, this one will be more productive than the last one, but watch this space…!

101 Things: January ’12 round-up

Here’s January…

Key: In progress, Completed

#15 Crochet a blanket

All blocks done and most blocked.

#34 Watch at least one film a month or cancel the LoveFilm subscription

Unknown (that’s the film called Unknown, not that I can’t remember!)

#69 Try 2 new recipes every month

I managed 3 and all in one day!

1. Chicken with wine and peppers (from The Slow Cooker Cookbook)
2. Donut muffins (sadly disappointing)
3. Homemade dough balls with homemade garlic butter. Totally om nom nom.

Hmm, that wasn’t a very productive month really – nothing crossed off and no more in progress. I’ll need to do better in February.

101 Things: August – December ’11 round-up

I haven’t posted a 101 Things update for a while, although I have been doing odd bits here and there, so here’s a catch up of August through to December.

Key: In progress, Completed

#15 Crochet a blanket

100 blocks done.

#17 Make a Christmas wreath

I’m so, so pleased with how this turned out. I’d also forgotten it was on my list, so this one’s a bonus 🙂

I also made homemade cards so that’s the next one done too…

#18 Send homemade Christmas cards

#28 Use Orange Wednesday 6 times

1 of 6 (Sherlock Holmes 2 – awesome if only for the Stephen Fry breakfast scene. Pure genius…)

#29 Complete a 2000 piece jigsaw

Just in time for Halloween, I completed this cartoon haunted house puzzle over 4 days…

#34 Watch at least one film a month or cancel the LoveFilm subscription

1. Sherk Forever After
2. My Sister’s Keeper (rubbish – the book is way better)
3. Oops – I kinda missed this month
4. Tron Legacy
5. Captain America

#42 Go once to each of the following: theatre, musical, opera, ballet, classical concert

Saw We Will Rock You earlier this month. One word. A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

#49 Play Skyrim

I haven’t finished the game but I’m head of the Mages Guild and I think I’m Skyrimed out.

#55 Store CDs in the attic

#61 Take meter readings each month

Meh. I just never seem to do this. I think I’m going to give up on this one.

#69 Try 2 new recipes every month

1. Beef stroganoff (from The Slow Cooker Cookbook)
2. Paprika pork (from One ingredient 4 ways)
3. Tuna & noodle casserole (also from One ingredient 4 ways)
4. Strawberry daiquiri mini cupcakes (from Cake Days. These disappeared so fast!)
5. Chicken and mushroom risotto
6. Blueberry crumble loaf (again from Cake Days. That book is bad…)
7. Linguine with smoked salmon and rocket (also from One ingredient 4 ways. Handy book that one…)
8. Chicken and vegetable casserole
9. Banana and raspberry loaf
10. ? No idea. I think I managed two each month but the details of the last one escape me!

#70 Make something with each unused piece of kitchen equipment

I made a bit more progress on this by making gingerbread cookies with my Christmas cookie cutters. I think I need to do an inventory to work out what I have left unused as I’m not too sure what’s lurking at the back of some of my drawers!

Overall, I think that’s not too bad going. Still got a lot left though!

101 Things: #53 Take a day off work and play a game on the day it’s released

So I’ve been a bit MIA of late so I guess this post should really be a catch up on all that’s been going on of late. But it’s not because today is Skyrim day! Skyrim day has been a muchos anticipated day for me ever since they announced the 11/11/11 release date. For those who are oblivious to the Skyrim anticipation, its the fifth in the Elder Scrolls RPG series. I loved the previous game and this one promised dragons. What’s not to love?

So I took the day off work and at midnight I was ducking and diving as I tried to outrun a dragon. OH also has a copy and is currently busy catching salmon. Yes, there are dragons to slay so he’s splashing around in a river catching fish! Although I can’t really talk. 10 minutes ago I was making vegetable soup over a campfire in a bandit cave. Why is it that making soup in a game is much more fun than in real life?!

And now I have to go find some standing stones. According to OH I can get a special magic power from one that I missed earlier in the game…

101 Things: June & July ’11 round-up

A round-up of what I did on my 101 Things list during June and July.

Key: In progress, Completed

#4 Visit all the Scottish Island areas

• Shetland
• Orkney
• Outer Hebrides
• Inner Hebrides

This is the Quiraing on Skye (in the Inner Hebrides). Isn’t it just stunning.

#15 Crochet a blanket

80 blocks done.

#34 Watch at least one film a month or cancel the LoveFilm subscription

1. Red
2. Karate Kid

#38 Watch a jousting event

This was so much fun. And it didn’t even rain, which for an outside event in Scotland is pretty impresive!

#46 See Bon Jovi live

They were A.W.E.S.O.M.E. I hope they come play here again!

#61 Take meter readings each month

Oops for June, done for July.

#69 Try 2 new recipes every month

1. Mixed fruit muffins (yum)
2. Gnocci with pancetta and parmesan
3. Gnocci with red pesto and pine nuts
4. Pasta with ham and marscarpone

#85 Sponsor a child

We now sponsor a wee girl in Cambodia.

101 Things: May ’11 round-up

A round-up of what I did on my 101 Things list during May.

Key: In progress, Completed

#15 Crochet a blanket

60 blocks done. It’s been pretty slow going in May. I’ll need to step up the pace a bit if I ever want this thing finished!

#34 Watch at least one film a month or cancel the LoveFilm subscription

Knight and Day.

#57 Finish the bathroom

Done.  We couldn’t get a match for the existing tiles so tiled over with small white ones which match the ones in the shower. Is it wrong to be so totally happy over tiles?! It’s so much nicer having a finished bathroom that one with a hole covered by an empty cereal box and I keep going through to have another look 🙂

Before and after:

And to top it off, and to ensure my happy, skippy, jumpiness reaches ridiculous heights, I also found nice storage boxes so that’s #58 crossed off too.

#58 Find nice bathroom storage boxes

#61 Take meter readings each month

Done for May.

#62 Fully offset mortgage

Wahoo, wahey, yay and happy dance!

#69 Try 2 new recipes every month

1. Lemonade cupcakes from Cake Days. They were absolutely om nom nommy and got the thumbs up from my team at work who nicknamed them mugcakes because they were somewhat humungous!
2. Garden fruit crumble. I kind of made this one up and probably could have done with more sugar, oops!

101 Things: March & April ’11 round-up

A round-up of what I did on my 101 Things list during March and April.

Key: In progress, Completed

#15 Crochet a blanket

56 blocks done.

#25 Make a cover for my Kindle

Done

#34 Watch at least one film a month or cancel the LoveFilm subscription

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Megamind

#52 Build a new PC

Done, and it’s soooo super speedy. I love it!

#61 Take meter readings each month

Oops for March, done for April.

#63 Exercise once a week for 12 weeks in a row

Done, yay!

#69 Try 2 new recipes every month

1. Blond rocky road (the ultimate teeth breaker!)
2. Banana and chocolate muffins (a bit odd really)
3. Chipolata casserole (okay, but I’m not rushing to make it again)
4. Apple strusel cake from Cake Days (which has the most om nom nommy recipies – I see lots of baking in my future)

101 Things: #25 Make a cover for my Kindle

Woohoo, my second 101 Things finish!

I got a Kindle last year and bought a blue case for it. Bad decision. Really bad. I was trying to get away from my pink obsession, but the blue just doesn’t do it for me. It’s just not pretty. So I decided to make a case for the case. It helps keep dust out, but really, I made it because I needed wanted a pink cover!

I left a bit of time between making this and blogging it because it the making part didn’t go so well. My first attempt (ah yes, things are obviously heading downhill when I mention it took more that one go to make), was too small. I still have absolutely no idea how that happened, but it did. Then my sewing machine took a dislike to the second version and refused to top stitch through the layers.

But I got there in the end. And it’s pretty (and pink), so I’m happy. The outer fabric is Cathedral Peony from the Good Folks range by Anna Maria Horner. The inside fabric is something from my Baby Jane collection.

And for future reference should I decide to torture myself make another of these, I cut 16.5″x10″ but would probably go to 9.75″. 9.25″ is too narrow.

Oh, yeah, looking at the second picture reminded me that I originally sewed the snap fastener on upside down *sigh*

101 Things: February ’11 round-up

Wow, I can’t believe February is almost over! So, how have things been progressing this month?

#15 Crochet a blanket

I have my yarn (pretty, pretty colours) and I’m currently going through a ridiculously lengthy colour saga (here is the latest part).

#34 Watch at least one film a month or cancel the LoveFilm subscription

I watched Stardust. It’s absolutely bonkers and well worth a watch for the sheer lunacy of it all!

#61 Take meter readings each month

Done for February

#63 Exercise once a week for 12 weeks in a row

7/12 . I’ve been charging up and down the pool in aqua fit. I look daft but it is exercise.

#68 Use the exercise bike for 20 mins a week or get rid of it (can skip max 3 weeks in any 8 week period if there’s a REALLY good reason like illness)

Complete! I hadn’t used the bike since I started this list so it’s gone, leaving a nice bike-shaped space in the living room. I think that means I’ve got more space for fabric, but that idea is probably best kept quiet from hubby!

#69 Try 2 new recipes every month

I totally forgot about this till yesterday. Cue an emergency cooking session to make banana muffins from this book and salmon and couscous parcels from this one. Both were om nom nommy and as a bonus, I used two unused pieces of kitchen equipment to make the muffins so…

#70 Make something with each unused piece of kitchen equipment

… is now in progress! I used my muffin tray which has languished in the kitchen, unused, for years and these mini muffin cases that Anna gave me recently (thanks Anna!).