green love.

actually, maybe that's not such a great title... perhaps green neglect would be better...

you see, having been so busy with working, and festiveness, and more recently being a resident in germ hq (40 hours in bed, not the most productive use of time at all), any greenery that's been happening, or even just staying alive to be honest, has been entirely of it's own free will...

and in the interest of keeping it real...



this is my back yard right now. ATROCIOUS!
there are so many things not ok with this picture, the knee high grass, the struggling plants, the overgrown vines. i'm more than a little disappointed in myself.

but tomorrow, all that will change (she says hopefully). new year's day, being a public holiday, means i have the day off from work. so (weather and health permitting) i will be getting out with my power tools, my secateurs, and my watering can full of fertiliser to give this little space the time and love it deserves.
and that i deserve. it's my happy place after all.

how's your backyard looking at the moment? is it your happy place too? what are your plans for new year's day?

sunday snippets.

well hello there!
it's been so much longer than i'd meant it to be... but what a crazy time of year!

i've been super busy with work since getting back from our little roadtrip, and when i wasn't busy, i was trying to get ready for christmas! lots of knitting, and food prep...



a beanie for my bestie's hubby, a pair of socks for my cousin's littlest (don't ever try and take a photo of a dancing young lady) and my take on babymac's salmon stacks (so delicious!)

and of course, when there's lots to be done, there's always something i end up doing instead...



like organising projects i want to knit next year from my stash. naturally...

they may just be all bagged up, and labelled, in a basket ready to knit. there are lots of beanies in the works, as well as a couple of scarves, a pair of socks and my first shawl!
can't wait to get knitting!

how did your christmas go? are you already making plans for the new year?

sunday snippets.

the holiday edition. running just a week or so late...

it's been a big couple of weeks since getting back, and blogging has definitely fell by the way side.



watching the sun set over the ocean in robe. bliss.



happy hour. erryday. with free popcorn this particular night.



a +20,000 step day resulted in me destroying my favourite shoes. damn!



there was lots of knitting done, mostly in the car, but some balcony and tea knitting too.



we checked out grapes in the botanic gardens (we spent maaaaaany hours there, hopefully more details on that later...), and then saw heaaaaaaaps more when we drove through mclaren vale.



and how awesome is this blue lake? so many different coloured lakes about!

have you ever travelled to adelaide? or taken a ridiculously long road trip, just because?

green love.

just a quick round-up of the NEW things i came home to after our little trip away (more about that later...)



POTATOES!
well a ways off potatoes still, but my seeds have started growing.



RASPBERRIES!
this was gone about 2 seconds after i snapped this. still needed another day or two but i didn't want to chance it with the wildlife...



and PRETTY FLOWERS!
i picked up this 'potted colour' a few weeks ago now, though it didn't have any colour on it at all, just greenery, and now look at it! beautiful!

what new things have you noticed in your patch this week?

green love.

gosh it has been a warm few days in these parts, and i have been struggling a little bit to keep everything happy and well watered.
over the weekend, one of my strawberry plants got well and truly crispy fried, but i'm hoping i can revive it with lots of love.

but otherwise, i've been busy doing lots of little jobs, like replanting all of these tomatoes...



there were quite a few crammed into that one little tray, and they definitely needed to be replanted a few weeks ago, but hopefully they'll all come good again now they've got some room!
i spent a bit of time sharing them out to different friends on sunday too. i planted out wayyyy too many seeds this year ha ha!

i'm in awe of how much this ivy has grown to be honest...



not only is it growing all the way along my side fence, it's making a sizeable impact on this wall, and the back fence too. i LOVE it!

oh and this little lavender plant i grew from a cutting...



well it's going from strength to strength. i have it planted in a planter box with lots of other flowers, so hopefully it continues growing and finds its own little niche in amongst the other flowers.

and i FINALLY got around to planting some potatoes too...



i don't really know if it's the right time of year for these bad boys or not, i just wanted to get them happening. and now they are! happy days!

what's growing in your patch at the moment? how are your tomatoes?

december.

it is the last month of the year?!? the LAST month? how did that happen?!?!

my goals for november? well, they've not really come to fruition at all!
i was hoping to have some socks done and dusted... but they're not really happening... i have one pair, past the heel, but there's still quite a loooooong stretch of foot to go, and i'm more than a little worried i'll run out of wool to be perfectly honest.
the kris kringle plans i had? well i haven't touched them!
and running? let's not even go there!



and this month? well i'd like to finish off the purple socks i'm working on, and get those kris kringle presents DONE!
i've also got one or two christmas presents i'd like to make, but well, that might not happen... we'll see!

and HOPEFULLY my oven will get fixed/replaced at some point and i can bake up some bread! i whipped up the above loaves while i was at mum and dad's over the weekend.

a small number of goals for a busy, busy month!

what are you up to this month? are you making any christmas gifts?

meal planning monday.

i had a bit of a dilemma today, do i write up a meal plan because it's monday, or a 'december' post because it's the first of the month...?
the meal plan won!



tonight, i've got some roo burgers to use up. pretty sure they were on the menu last week but that never ended up happening...

tomorrow night, i'm out all day for work training and THEN have ballet. slow cooker satay chicken will be ON!

wednesday night, i'll grab some kind of meat from the butchers. maybe some lamb chops. and i'll serve them up with all the vegies in the crisper that needs to be eaten.

thursday, i'll be celebrating being on holidays (woo!) and will definitely be cooking up EVERYTHING that is in the fridge. bb and i are heading interstate for a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary so the fridge will need to be emptied!

and we'll definitely be eating out for the rest of the week!

taking stock.

taking some time to take stock today. answering a couple of prompts about what's going on around here at the moment.









Making: a pair of socks.

Cooking: nothing. dinner should be happening. but i'm holed up in bed instead.

Drinking: copious amount of water.

Reading: blog post after blog post. cleared out my reader this morning, there were posts from over a week ago, oops!

Wanting: the gusset decreases on the aforementioned socks to be done! sooooo slow!

Looking: out for the kitty. he's playing outside.

Playing: episode after episode of anything and everything. netflix has my heart.

Deciding: on whether to get the dishes done or not.

Wishing: there was a dishwasher fairy.

Enjoying: the new edition of pompom. i had a little read of it in the sun. too lovely.

Waiting: to hear from bb. he'll most likely be working late again tonight. poor thing.

Liking: lots of pictures on instagram. all of the hearts.

Wondering: when my oven will be fixed... it's been weeks!

Loving: and hating the fact that it's a month until christmas. scary and exciting all at once!

Pondering: new knitting projects. always and forever.

Considering: plans for the future. working out what kind of house to buy and whereabouts is super tricky!

Watching: new girl. and outlander. and gilmore girls. i can't commit to just one show!

Hoping: my brain plays nice this month, less severe headaches would be lovely.

Marvelling: at how dirty my floors are. gross.

Needing: to vacuum. and mop. and i need some energy to do those things ha ha.

Smelling: the jacket i was wearing last night to rescue the cat off the roof. in the rain. everyone talks about how smelly wet dogs are... wet cats... terrible.

Wearing: pyjamas. it's never too early for pyjamas.

Following: paul west on instagram. swooooooooooon.

Noticing: just how green everything is. the sunny days punctuated by rainy ones are making everything lush.

Knowing: that it is definitely bed time. Thinking: about the weekend after next, heading away for our anniversary.

Feeling: anxious as i haven't booked anything for the weekend away. eep!

Admiring: this blog series. lots of handmade gift ideas.

Sorting: out my ballet schedule. lots of classes to catch up on, only 3 weeks to get them sorted!

Buying: nothing. at this second.

Getting: sick of the facebook app on my phone. it doesn't get on with my phone at all.

Bookmarking: recipes. always.

Disliking: my silly scalp. psoriasis. not fun.

Opening: my new pompom magazine! i bought a subscription a few months ago and every issue is wrapped in tissue paper with a little handwritten thank you sticker on it. so cute!

Giggling: at gilmore girls. i'm really loving that show.

Feeling: a bit full. i popped into the city to have a most excellent lunch with a friend.

Snacking: on leftover cake from the tupperware party i went to on sunday. it was packed up in vintage tupperware *swoon*

Hearing: sampsons little bell jingling as he runs and plays outside. hopefully it keep the birdies nice and safe.

do you want to take stock too? pip has a blank list on her latest taking stock list if you want to play along!

meal planning monday.

so last week, i wrote my meal plan, and that's about as far as it went. there was a lot of toast for dinner last week...

hopefully this week will be a little more successful...



tonight, i have no idea what time bb will be home from work (massive week for him this week!), so i grabbed some bolognaise out of the freezer. i'll cook up some pasta. easy.

tomorrow night, i'll throw together a curry. chicken, vegies, rice, again EASY!

wednesday night, it's ncb night! huzzah! i'll grab something while i'm out and bb can fend for himself. and by that i mean he can have leftovers ha ha!

thursday night, i'll cook up the kangaroo burgers that are in the fridge. soft squishy buns and a whole lotta salad and they should be out of this world. yum!

friday night, i'm off to the country, we're having a family christmas party with close family friends nice AND early and WAY before christmas. it's not until saturday night, but i'm making a bit of a weekend of it and heading down early. i'm so looking forward to it!

what are you eating this week? do you get any of your holiday celebrations out of the way early?

sunday snippets.

playing along with {tinniegirl} and her sunday snippets.

a few pictures, and some words, summing up the week that just was. well, it's been a few weeks since i snippeted on a sunday, so it might be snippets from the last couple of weeks ha ha!



i cooked up a storm on one of my days off.
lemon curd, kale chips, lemon and lime cordial and jammy berries.

snuggling with this monster.



he always cuddles up to me just when i need to be getting up for work.

i've eaten a couple of these beauties so far.



they were delicious!! now to remember to keep the water up to them so i get more deliciousness to eat!

i bought a hat!



i realised that i didn't have a hat that actually provided shade to my face, the main purpose of a hat... so i found one. it's been modelled in the tea room at work, as evidenced above, but also used out in the sun over the weekend.
it works a treat!

and i tried my hand at green smoothies earlier in the week...



i had never made, or drank one before. it wasn't too bad but i think i'd change a couple of things next time i make them... mainly, i'd HALVE the recipe! way too much for one person, and too much for two people too to be honest!

what have you been up to this week? have you tried a green smoothie before?

green love.

i thought i'd share a little of what's going on in my backyard, as it has been quite a few weeks since i did...



the rocket patch i posted about back here has now well and truly gone to seed, the flowers are just too pretty to pull off though! and there's still plenty of rocket to be had...

hanging just above the flowery mess of rocket, are these bad boys!



SO many passionfruit! my vine has well and truly re-established itself since i moved it from it's original planter box home. fairly stoked!
it's only ever had one passionfruit grow on it, and i was so paranoid about it, covering it with a paper bag to keep it safe from possums, that it never ripened! fingers crossed for these ones!

and speaking of fruit ripening...



raspberries galore! i feel like my raspberries were super late last year, not this year though! they're coming along before anything else! love it!

what's growing in your patch at the moment? what kind of fruits do you grow?

meal planning monday.

monday again already? how do these weeks keep getting quicker? seriously?
i had a mild conniption at work over the weekend, when i realised it was LESS than 6 weeks til christmas! how?!?

anywho, i'll just keep on, keeping on over here, with my meal plans every week and about 12837094 unwritten blog posts in my head. i had plans for posts every day last week, EVERY day! life got in the way a bit though...



tonight, chorizo and pea risotto is on the menu. and it's baked! no stirring required AND uses up ingredients i already have in the pantry. winning!

tomorrow night, i'm off to ballet! satay chicken will once again be happening in the slow cooker because it's super quick and easy to prepare and i know it tastes amazing!
i've got a little plan happening in my brain, to tackle the sometimes strenuous amount of preparation that goes into a slow-cooker dish (the stuff i don't have time for in the mornings before work)... but i'll keep you posted on it. fingers crossed it pans out!

wednesday night, i think i'll throw together a caesar salad as i got a big beautiful cos lettuce in my vegie box this week. haven't had a caesar salad in years!

thursday night, i'm working late! i failed miserably at not eating when i got home from work last week, so this week, i think i'll at least slow cook something to come home to... osso bucco. sounds good!

friday night, i'm hoping to meet bb in the city so we can head out and check this out! hopefully it's a decent night!

i'm NOT working this weekend, and thankfully, we don't have a huge amount of plans! i'm hoping to chill out at home to be honest. get some cooking done, and some gardening... there's lots on my to-do list!

what are you eating this week? what's on your weekend to-do list?

projects galore.

how many projects is too many projects?

i have a real addiction to starting new things at the moment, and even though i really, REALLY want the satisfaction of FINISHING something, i keep starting things!



so that would be, two pairs of socks, a mitred square memory blanket, bits of a tea cosy (still don't know what size tea-pot i'm knitting for, so technically, i CAN'T finish), a stack of swatches to stitch together into another blanket...
oh and a puzzle. that's a slow process now that all the easy (colourful and patterned) bits are done, and only hard (black and unpatterned) bits are left...

if only i had another few sets of hands... i could knit so much more ha ha!

how many projects do you have on the go at the moment?

meal planning monday.

whew! what a week! it's been a relatively big one (not that i see them getting any smaller, in the lead up to the end of the year...) and a pretty massive day today too!
i'm literally sitting down to dinner while i get my meal plan on! right now! and here's a picture for you...



pesto pasta! and a cider. did i mention it's been a big day?
anywho, down to business!

tonight, well i'm having the above...

tomorrow night, i'm off to ballet! i had the night off last week and i feel super strange about it to be honest. back on the bandwagon this week though... and if i drag myself outta bed early enough, there'll be satay chicken in the slow cooker for sure! if not, well leftovers i guess!

wednesday night is ncb night this week! totally stoked as i missed last fortnights as i had spent the day at mum and dad's and needed a night at home. not this week! i'll grab something there, and bb, well those aforementioned leftovers may still be there...

thursday night, i'll grab some pork fillet out of the freezer, and whip up some kind of asian pork noodle stir-fry concoction. hopefully it's not terrible ha ha.

friday night, i'll be working late so i'll leave bb up to his own devices... and i'll have something in my break at work. must try to stop being ravenous when i finish at 9!

saturday, i'm heading out to help an awesome lady celebrate turning a special age. i'll definitely be grabbing something in town, as well as a few celebratory drinkie poos!

sunday, i may well be nursing a sore head, so a slooooooow day will be in order. hopefully with a wee roast chicken for dinner? a girl can dream right?

what are you eating this week? is your lead up to the end of the year getting a bit hectic already too?

meal planning monday.

last week, i managed to get through the large majority of the vegie box we picked up and everything was so yummy! i've got another to get through this week and i am super excited to get cracking!



tonight, we had steak. and lotsa salad on the side.

tomorrow night, there's a big ol' leg of pork in the fridge, ready to slow cook all day (partly because it'll be amazing slow cooked, but mostly because my oven is still a bit dead). delish!

wednesday night, i've organised to head out to dinner to catch up with some friends. it's been an AGE and i am very much looking forward to it!

thursday night, i'll be solo dinnering. i'd say i'll probably just end up cooking up a big lot of veggies as we'll still have plenty. doesn't sound so exciting but i'm sure it'll be delicious!

friday night, i'm working late. we had a heap of leftovers in the fridge by friday last week so i never ended up throwing together the satay chicken i'd planned to. this week, it's happening!

saturday, i'm working! and we have country plans on sunday, so i'm hoping to head down saturday night to get a jump on things in the morning. that means i have literally no idea what we'll be eating ha ha!
time will tell i guess.

what are your food plans for the week ahead? plans to catch up with friends?

sunday snippets.

playing along with {tinniegirl} and her sunday snippets.

a few pictures, and some words, summing up the week that just was.



tuesday, i had some rhubarb on my chopping board.
i cooked it up with some red wine and a few spices and it's now sitting in a jar in the fridge, ready to be spooned over steaming hot porridge during the week. yum!

a little pair of booties.



the commission order i was working on, all done and dusted and delivered!
pretty stoked with how they turned out, now just need to sketch down the pattern before it flits out of my brain!

this week's vegie box!



picked up yesterday and chock full of delicious goodies! am loving the amazing work these guys do!

and to supplement all of the above delights...



my own little rocket patch! i got to picking this the other night, thinking it was a big ol' patch of spinach... a closer look, and a taste test later, and i quickly realised it was ALL rocket! definitely not a bad thing and it gave the pesto i was making a bit more zing ha ha!

i was a bit cheeky when i headed down to the farm during the week, hijacking mum's oven.



totally worth it though, i had missed fresh crusty sourdough SO much! can not wait to get my oven back up to scratch (note to self: chase up with electrician tomorrow!)

this guy.



chasing sunbeams, on the one patch of bed sheet he could get to.
cutie pie.

and another look at those little birdies from last week.



so so SO adorable!

what have you been up to this week? care to share some snippets too?

november.

helloooooooooo november. if you could hang around a bit longer than the previous month, that would be REALLY great!
october was pretty freaking manic around here, work-wise and at home too, with the same old story; too much to get done, not enough time!

my goals for october were pretty simple, so i managed to get most of them knocked over quite easily!
the dreaded final red sock is done! my sock plans are slowly on their way, i feel like i've gotten heaps done in the greenery stakes aaaaaaaaaand...



the crocheted blankie i was whinging about not having finished on thursday, it's all done too!
AND up in my shop already as well!

and now, november... i've got a couple of kris kringle presents to work on. and i'd love to finish up my sock plans.
i'd also love to actually get running this month, i haven't pulled on my runners since BEFORE last month. can't believe it's been so long.

what are your plans for this month? are you making some gifts for christmas too?