Dabbling All Day

sunday snippets.

2012-02-12T22:38:00.003+11:00

a snippet of my week, in the form of terrible quality iphone photos.

delicious chocolate mousse. definitely big enough to share though, will know for next time ;)

pedicure turned spa pedicure to while away a lonely saturday night.

breaking the third opped frame, bought to frame the beautiful tea towel that i received in an op shop swap. bb is convinced this third break is the universe trying to tell me something... i'll give it one more go though.

a delicious birthday cake for a co-worker. made from this recipe. cathie assured me this was a very forgiving recipe, even when i was a quarter cup of flour short and own the dodgiest oven around. and she was right! it rose beautifully and was scrumptious and so rich and moist.

and finally, brunch from this morning. so. very. sweet.

what have you been up to this week? you can share some pictures and join in!

you so square!

2012-02-09T08:32:00.003+11:00

once again, i've managed to get my bamcal squares done at the very start of the month.
i think my quick hooking is to do with the excitement of the patterns being released at the very start of the month, it's a bit like christmas morning, logging onto ravelry to see if they've been released and what they are. might be just me though...

i was pretty pleased with myself for getting these ones done. they all presented a bit of a challenge as they all had something a little bit different to them. i learned some new things!

they still all need to be blocked out, they're all looking a bit wonky...

and i think i might start putting them together soon too! if i wait until they're all done in december, it'll probably seem like way to big a job and they'll just sit in piles forever!
just have to work out how i'm going to join them...

do you have any joining recommendations?

outside.

2012-02-08T10:34:00.002+11:00

this morning, i headed outside. i had some spare time before i started work because i'd gotten up nice and early (morning person routine, getting established :D), so i thought i'd make a start on a gardening project i've been putting off for a looooooong time!

there's a narrow garden bed that runs between the fence and the driveway that has been in a state of utter neglect for a little while. my neighbour that sold up and moved out at the end of april last year was the sole caretaker of this little garden strip and i don't think it's really been touched since! poor little garden bed!

so today was the day, i had a spare half hour, and i made a good start! i've gotten a good two metres clear of weeds.
i left a few bits and pieces where they were, namely a cute little daisy and some baby sprigs of ivy. hopefully they'll grow and grow and provide some nice ground cover :D

and hopefully i'll get a bit more time this week to tackle the other 15 or so metres of garden bed there is left to weed...

there's a LOT more plants in this section but there is also some almightily large weeds.
this one might take me a while...

playing along with my place and yours again. you can join in too!

what i'm reading... february.

2012-02-07T12:55:00.006+11:00

one of my 2012 goals is to read a book a month. last month, i successfully (finally!) got through this book, which took me almost a year! it wasn't a bad read, i'm just a bit of a spontaneous reader. i'll be in the mood for a read, read a third of a book and then not touch it again for a month or two!
this one took me even longer to read because i managed to lose my copy in june, only to find it in a second hand book store again in august!

this month however, i'm making a flying start!
i've chosen to read...

after a fair few people had said some good things on 'the twitter'

it was actually the first purchase we made on bb's christmas present...

a kindle! thanks to the delightful wes, for tweeting about the super bargain price!
i'd never used one before and was a whole lotta skeptic, but i do kind of love it :D
it takes all the awkwardness out of reading because of the buttons on either side.

i'm over half way through this book and although there's been a couple of moments where my inner prude has recoiled somewhat, the large majority of the text is quite easy to read. there have actually been a couple of instances where i've laughed out loud, scaring the crap out of bb, or whoever is on the train/bus next to me.

definitely a page turner, er, button clicker, so far. i don't think i'll have much trouble getting through it by the end of the month ;)

what are you reading at the moment?

this week...

2012-02-06T10:31:00.004+11:00

i'm going to try being a morning person on for size.
i am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a morning person. generally i roll out of bed at most an hour before i start work/have planned commitments that day and then spend that hour or less frantically getting myself ready to get out the door.

this week though, i'm going to try and change that.
my plan is to wake up that little bit earlier, actually get out of bed a bit earlier, and seize the day a bit!
maybe i'll get some housework done, or go for a walk, or, heck, maybe i'll have time to write some blog posts!
this early morning lark should help with my goal from a few weeks ago of eating breakfast daily too... after that one week of breakfasting, i fell off the wagon miserably. but these two goals should go hand in hand :D

i'll also be finishing off a beanie (hopefully) when i head to SAY tonight and NCB on wednesday (again, hopefully. last time i said this on my blog, i failed to make it to either!).
and i'll be finishing up my BAMCAL squares for february. i've finished two, just one to go now :D

what are you up to this week?

green love.

2012-02-03T10:59:00.005+11:00

thought i'd break this little bloggy drought i've got happening by playing along with vic and her meme, my place and yours. the theme this week is green. i thought i'd share some of my green growth as the other day, when i was searching my blog archives for a suitable before picture, i stumbled on a few pictures of my fledgling garden. oh how it's changed :D

i shared these 'before' pictures in dec 2010.

when i first planted the jasmine vine in the ground after i saved it from a building site (which funnily enough is still a building site, 14 months on and they're still building...)

and when i first started training the ivy to grow along the fence to cover it up! boring fences are boring!

but look at them now!

the jasmine has gone crazy! i think the regular 'trimmings' that it gets from the local possums is contributing to it's mammoth growth :D and i'm in the process of training it to grow along the fence too! soon there'll be no fences to be seen! and because it's not my fence, i don't have to worry about what the weight of the plants is doing to the structural integrity of the fence, huzzah!

and check out this ivy! there isn't much fence to be seen on this side any more! now to start training it to grow up the garage wall and around the corner to the next fence :D

thank goodness for plants that grow like weeds!

do you have anything green to share? you can join in too!

sunday snippets.

2012-01-30T08:06:00.004+11:00

a week of breakfasts. instagrammed.

i managed breakfast everyday last week! if you could consider thursday's breakfast to actually be breakfast that is...

joining in with tinniegirl

happy australia day!

2012-01-26T20:47:00.005+11:00

happy australia day folks!
hope you've all had a fabulous day, celebrating however you do!
i do generally like to get my party on on australia day but considering how much partying i did on the weekend just gone, i thought i'd have a quiet australia day this year.
after a bit of a lie in, i jumped in the car and got a few supplies from bunnings and then spent my afternoon in the garden.
i got all the garden beds weeded and re-mulched and re-trained some of my vines, more about that tomorrow though...

when i was all gardened out, i got my revamp on!

take one beat-up set of outdoor furniture, rusty and pathetic looking.

add several cans of black spray paint...

and voila! brand new outdoor setting!

now i just need to get rid of some of that vine that is taking up almost the entire footpath and then maybe i can actually use it!

now i'm watching the tennis and trying to nut out how to crochet onto this lampshade. it'll definitely take some thinking about... not only on the how-to front but also how i want it to look and how i want the light to shine through it. hmmmm decisions, decisions.

what have you been up to today?

the filmlife project - blogger's challenge.

2012-01-24T09:14:00.000+11:00

i'm a little slow to jump on this boat, but i guess it's never too late! i'm definitely not one to make any kind of film so i thought i'd play along by answering a few quick and easy questions.
read all about it here!

1. What’s your take on or experience with organ donation, and why did you choose to take part in the FilmLife Blogger Challenge?
i don't have any first hand experience with organ donation, but i couldn't really understand why you'd not be an organ donor. it's the easiest thing you'd personally have to do, to completely change someone's life! it doesn't cost you a cent, it doesn't cause you any pain and it's not anything you'll miss!
i chose to take part to spread the word! i've gotten to know a lovely lady, whose life will completely change due to someone being signed up as an organ donor. it'll mean she's around for a lot longer, as well as living a heck of a lot easier! pretty cool!

2. If you were to donate your organs, which one would you love to donate, and why?
i'd love to donate my corneas, imagine having your vision restored after not being able to see for goodness knows how long! it would be amazing!

3. Who in your family would you need to talk to about organ donation, to be sure your loved ones knew your wishes?
organ donation (as well as many other much more grisly topics...) was something that was always talked about at our dinner table growing up due to my mum being a nurse. the 'you can't take them with you' sentiment definitely runs in the family and as far as i know we're all signed up on the national registry (you can sign up here).

the lovely curlypops is having a bit of a blogalong with these questions. if you want to answer them too, pop over and put your link in too.
oh and tweet your blogpost with the hashtag #filmlifeproject to join in the fun :D

this week...

2012-01-23T09:19:00.002+11:00

i'm re-prioritising.
as many times as i've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, i've never particularly taken it seriously. dinner is always the priority, being that it's the meal that bb and i get to eat together.
so this week, i'm making breakfast a priority. breakfast meal planning, well probably not, just making sure that there are sufficient breakfast foods in the house.

this morning, i'm having pesto, tomato and fetta muffins. thankfully i was gifted some home grown tomatoes on the weekend, so yummy! coupled with a big mug of tea. yummo!!
maybe i'll instagram the rest of the weeks efforts. i'm misscoleyann over there if you're keen to check it out!

what are your plans for the week?

sunday snippets.

2012-01-22T21:00:00.003+11:00

i thought i'd share some of my pictures from the past week, and play along with tinniegirl!

a very busy and family-centric week! i didn't manage to get to either of the crafty get togethers that i'd planned to, but i did spend a lot of time at my parents house, staying up late and drinking far too much alcohol to celebrate my brother turning 21.
back to reality and the real world tomorrow though!

how was your week?

this week...

2012-01-16T10:04:00.003+11:00

i'm getting my social on a bit! last week, the week of incessant work, was a very hermity week for me. i got home from work and the last thing i wanted to do was anything! it was a big week for finishing work, changing into my jammies, cooking dinner and then crafting on the couch!
this week however will be wayyyy different!
tonight, there's stitch and yarn, and northern craft bonanza on wednesday!

i'll be catching up with all my crafty ladies and knitting up a storm!

tomorrow is my little brother 21st birthday. i have never felt so old! to celebrate with him, i'll be heading down to the country to have some dinner with him and my folks.
friday night i'll be heading back down to the country for the official 21st celebrationings. and heading to a local pub to see the legendary mr. josh pyke with my mum and my brother (hopefully driven by the lovely bb :D), then there's the actual 21st party on saturday night. i'm anticipating quite the sore head on sunday. but gosh it'll be fun doing it!

but today, today i'm catching up on all the little house things that i was too exhausted to get done last week. do you want to see my list?

i was hoping writing in a cute purple pen, on an equally cute list pad, would negate the fact that the list is a whopper! nope, still huge! oh well, wish me luck!!!

what are you up to this week?

kicking back.

2012-01-15T18:00:00.004+11:00

phew! what a week it has been for me! since my last post, i've worked almost every day, so not too much time for blogging at all!
i had a package arrive the day after my last post...

full to the brim with some beautiful wool for the crochet-a-long i'd joined in with.

naturally, i got to work straight away. i managed to get all 3 blocks done within the week and after putting it off for while, got them blocked out too.

i blocked them out to 9" squares. they're a bit smaller because i'm using an 8ply wool instead of the recommended 10 ply. i've also messed around with the pattern a little, making the 6" square a bit bigger. i think i'll do this with all of the 6" squares, so that i can have a 6x6 square layout at the end, no worrying about complex sizing of the squares.
i also took a bit of extra time and did a final round of single crochet around the outside of all of the squares, to make joining them together that much easier.

i'm very excited for it to be february now, bring on the next 3 squares!

now i'm going to kick back and have a bit of a relax, i have the next two days off work!

what have you been up to this week?

this week...

2012-01-09T08:43:00.003+11:00

well how about last week first? last week i got to getting organised! the couple of ridiculously hot melbourne days we had meant that i locked myself in the only room in the house with air conditioning, the study. luckily, there is a cupboard in there that is packed full of crap that we literally haven't touched since we moved into our house 3 years ago...

a fairly lazy day and a half of sorting (and napping and reading and crochet) resulted in this lovely pile of stuff to go to the op-shop (some of it is from other areas of the house...) and bb and i managed to concentrate our "paper nursing home" ie. the filing cabinets and folders, from a drawer and three file folders, down to half a drawer and a box for appliance warranties and manuals. fairly proud of our efforts!

i also finally got some things hung above our bed! bb had a good read of the instructions (as he does, drives me insane! i'm a very 'just do it' type girl, stuff the instructions!) and discovered that things shouldn't be hung above a bed, in case they fall off in the middle of the night and brain you! anywho, we compromised and i hung some of the smaller, lighter things above the bed.

not exactly the massive hanging wall i was after, but it'll do.

i've also been reading a bit, i think i've almost finished my january book! and i've also been getting some beanies on and off my knitting needles. halfway through my third for the year!

this week, i'm working an awful lot, 6/7 days! bb has also gone back to work today so i'm determined to keep it together! i've got meals planned for a large majority of the week and i'm planning to get to the gym a couple of times this week too...
i'm also hoping the wool i ordered last weekend will show up this week so that i can start working on the bamcal blocks. saying i'm keen to receive the wool would be an understatement. i love wool shopping, i also love mail. mail order wool, be still my beating heart.

what are you up to this week?

2012 - the list.

2012-01-02T10:47:00.004+11:00

knowing me to be the ridiculous list maker i am, you must've known this was coming right? right?

so without further ado, the 2012 list. some of this list is a re-hash of 2011's list, because as you read yesterday, i didn't quite get everything done that i wanted to...

* organisation - i've got myself a beautiful new diary which i'll use for meal plans and life plans and keeping on track of work and social commitments as well as hopefully getting the cupboards around this here place re-organised so i can actually find stuff when i need it!

* keep an eye on the scales - i did this last year too, to make sure weight didn't creep on over the course of the year. 58.5.

* buy a new car

* crochet creatively - i've promised some projects to some people that i will need to think a bit outside the box for, could make for some interesting results...

* try and keep a regular exercise routine.

* take better care of myself - get more sleep, take care of some underlying health issues (bye bye wisdom teeth and hopefully intermittently sore stomach too)

* actually start using ravelry for the amazing tool that is. organise and record my wooly projects instead of just searching for patterns... i'm coleykane over there if you want to urge me on.

* speaking of ravelry, i joined a block a month, crochet-a-long (bamcal) over there the other day. so that's definitely on my to-do list for the year. i've treated myself to some beautiful wool and can't wait for it to arrive so i can get stuck into the lovely (yet somewhat complex looking) patterns for this month.

* i think i'd also like to read more books. goal of 1 per month. i've already got one on the go so i should be able to get that done before the end of january...

* and lastly, i'm looking to give my blog a bit of a make-over... i've got some ideas ticking over... just need to get my butt into gear and get bb's butt into gear to help me!

have you made a 2012 to-do list? i'd love to have a read!

2011 - the revisit.

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000+11:00

as i am want to do, earlier in the year, i made a list of things to-do this year. i thought that on this very last day of the year, i'd have a little revisit and see how i've done...
*warning - word heavy post*

the list

* keep the lawn under control - thanks to the purchase of a very cute little electric mower, this is actually happening. i don't mind doing the lawns anymore and neither does bb. we don't fight over who gets to do it or anything... it's just not quite the task that it was when the whole lot had to be whipper-snipped. and it looks much nicer too :D

* plant out the last of my planter boxes and grow some vegies worth eating. - i took some homegrown peas to my aunty and uncle's for lunch on christmas day. proud as punch!

* try and cook as many homemade dinners as possible in a week (so far i'm 5 for 5 :D) - this went ok. maybe 50-50. ok probably more than 50-50 but still not as great as i'd like... hopefully i'll keep a bit better track next year, more organisation!

* re-organise (and hopefully give a lick of paint to) all the cupboards (wardrobe, linen, crockery) - i managed to get the and the kitchen drawers too. not quite all of the cupboards in the kitchen as i would have liked... but there's always next year :D

* become better friends with my neighbours - i'm getting there with this one. a neighbour that i was getting quite close to, sold up and moved out earlier in the year. i've met the new home-owners, but they don't speak great english, maybe in the new year i can help them learn :D i'm embarrassed to say, that of the 5 units that are in my block, i still don't know the people that live in number 1. maybe i'll get to know them in the new year too, or at least introduce myself...

* make myself some clothes - i bought some patterns, does that count? no? damn.

* have people over for dinner more often - um, yes. this hasn't happened either actually. bad nicole.

* finish some of the unfinished embroidery/crafting projects lying around the house - i sorted them out a little. they now have their own drawer, at least i'll know where to find them when i feel like finishing them i guess...

* empty the "crap" box (not actually full of crap, just things that don't necessarily have homes) - i did start on this earlier in the year, i got it down to about half way. it is now chockers again.

* get a tattoo - nope. still haven't decided on a design that i'm ok with permanently inking on my skin. always thinking though...

* avoid putting on more weight. 58.9 or below this time next year. if i don't lose any, i'm cool with that, i just don't want anymore creeping on... - tick this one off the list. it's been higher through the year, it's been lower through the year, but this morning it was exactly the same.

* get crafty things happening. crafty things that could be put in some kind of online shop - still in thought production stage. i want to get some moo cards made, and some things knitted and crocheted and stitched, the time part is what's lacking...

* organise the paperwork. the boy and i have 4 super funds EACH. this needs to be rectified - one super account each. done and DONE. it took freaking forever but it's done. so much more to do in the new year though...

* read more - i think i read a grand total of 3 books this year. book list fail.

* go on a holiday with the boy, not a big one, just some time away together - done. easiest to-do ever :D

* not get caught up on what i should be doing, live in the moment a little more - this is perhaps the least measurable to-do. i don't think it went great though. i'm still always thinking about what i should be doing, washing, dusting, cleaning the floors, crafting. my brain never stops. i kinda find though that it's kinda like binge eating; the more that i have to do, the less i do. i'm wayyyyy more likely to slob on the couch and play games on my laptop if the house is falling down around my ears, just like i'm more likely to want to eat a massive amount of chocolate if i'm trying to be super good with my diet. i think it's more about the way i think about things... and that's what i should try and change. work in progress definitely.

* graduate - doooooooooone!

* take care of myself a little better - yeah this didn't really happen either. i still ate a whole lot of crap, drank a lot, exercised infrequently at best and got myself super stressed on multiple occasions. this is something i promise myself every year and it kind of seems like a pipe-dream resolution. i think again because it's not measurable. next year i think i'll only have measurable goals ;)

so that's the year's resolutions rehashed.
how'd you do with your resolutions? is there anything you're going to do differently next year?

and so that was christmas...

2011-12-30T09:04:00.004+11:00

phew! i'm exhausted! how about you?
bb and i managed to get to 4 christmas dinners in just 2 days. 2 lunches, 2 dinners, 2 days, one heck of a lot of food! oh and a fair whack of driving too!
did you get caught in the storm on christmas day? we did a couple of times, once on the way to christmas dinner (thankfully bb's brother was driving in his 4wd, i think our car would've drowned), and then while we were waiting for dinner to be served (thankfully safe inside this time)

there was such lovely weather the next day. i spent lots of time sitting in the sun and hugging babies. boxing day lunch was pretty sweet.
boxing day dinner was quite the affair too, with spit roasted pork (well the whole pig actually...) and a very fun game of kris kringle, where we got the opportunity to steal other people's presents if we liked the look of them more. it turned out the boxes of chocolates we brought with us were a BIG hit.

and what did santa bring you this year? i was very spoilt as bb somehow managed to read my mind. there were two different perfumes wrapped under the tree and a delicious bottle of wine. my parents gifted us with choice, a gift card to spend on what we want!

we also received a truly ridiculous amount of chocolate and bb received a beer making kit from his mum (i'm not sure why, but i'm really excited about this...) and a kindle from his dad (also, quite excited).
overall, we're two very spoilt little kiddos!

did you get spoilt? and spend lots of time with your family?
and generally have a really great, albeit exhausting time??

merry christmas all!!!

day 24.

2011-12-24T20:25:00.005+11:00

'twas the night before christmas and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

well no stirring from mice here, but bb is baking a ham. his first, well our first really. i've never baked one either. he keeps asking me what to do, not realising i have NO IDEA!

and me? well i'm wrapping presents. i have some done but bb got some last minute shopping done while i was at work today and now there are even more to wrap!
i'm trying really hard to get them all wrapped tonight so that i can have a super relaxing morning tomorrow!

after our super relaxing morning, we're heading off to my aunt and uncles for lunch and then to bb's mums for dinner. need to make sure i go for a biiiiiiig walk between meals i think.

what are your plans for tomorrow?

day 23.

2011-12-24T08:00:00.004+11:00

on the 23rd day of christmas, i spent a little bit of time baking.
but after a long day at work, all the baking i could muster was dipping things in melted chocolate...

chocolate coated christmas pudding. i bought a christmas pudding, rolled it up into balls and dipped it into chocolate.

and chocolate bark. i used the left over melted chocolate and threw in some macadamias and mixed berries. i have no idea how it's going to turn out :S

throw into takeaway containers with a few extra bits and pieces and, voila, instant last-minute coworker presents :D

so my christmas organisation has turned into last-minute panic. how are you going with everything?

day 22.

2011-12-23T22:24:00.003+11:00

oops. a day behind again, lucky i'm good at playing catch-up!
yesterday, the 22nd, was a pretty massive day. we left home at 9.30 in the morning and didn't get home until after 11 at night! many drinks and many laughs helped along by some beautiful weather :D
i do have something christmassy to show though...

the stockings that i was working on on tuesday are all done (and full to the brim after some very hectic lunch break shopping on tuesday).

i'll be back tomorrow to finish catching up... i am so in denial about tomorrow being christmas eve! are you?

day 21.

2011-12-21T22:29:00.002+11:00

On the 21st day of Christmas, I made some Christmas cards!
Well technically I actually made them last night... I took the photo this morning though, that counts right?

I've put these cards together because the large majority of gifts we've bought this year are vouchers, not handmade gift as I would've liked. This is the compromise I've made with myself due to a ridiculous lack of time (or pre-planning), gift vouchers with a homemade touch :D

How are your Christmas plans coming along?

day 20.

2011-12-20T18:16:00.003+11:00

on the 20th day of christmas, i put the finishing touches on the christmas stockings i mentioned yesterday...

embroidering names and sewing on the hanging strings. i got the stockings cut out and sewn together last night at stitch and yarn. i mayyyyy have been there a bit later than normal...

what did you get up to today?

day 19.

2011-12-19T17:24:00.004+11:00

on the 19th day of christmas, i received my final piece of bunting from rach's bunting swap. i thought the last piece wasn't actually coming seeing as how the swap was aaaaaages ago, but it arrived today, with a postmark of 26/10/11. seriously. step up your game australia post!

anywho, i thought i'd share this little flag with you, oh and the other two that i've received since my last bunting post. i've been soo very slack and haven't shared them yet! bad nicole!!

these one are from (from right to left) leonie, cyndy and yaga. thanks ladies! i love them :D

now that i've received them all, maybe i'll get them all sewn together and in proper bunting formation :D maybe tomorrow even... i've got plans to get my machine out to do some (very last minute) christmas sewing. i've just remembered a promise i made to my brother and bb about a project i was working on last year...

day 18 - we have a winner.

2011-12-18T19:28:00.004+11:00

a little bit later than i was expecting, but bb surprised me by taking me out for dinner! we went to the local pub and had a yummy meal and watched the cricket. not exactly the most romantic of meals but nice all the same.
now i'd best get to announcing le winner!
because we were out for dinner, i asked bb to pick a number between 1 and 7. he picked number 6, so a big congratulations goes to the lovely pinkpatentmaryjanes!
i'll be sending her an email right away to get her address and pop it in the post.

but first, would you like to see the finished product?

it came off my knitting needles at about 4.15 this afternoon. i then sewed in all the ends and sorted through my inherited button stash for something matching.

so, ta-da! done just in the nick of time!

congratulations again to the lucky winner :D

hope you've all had a fabulous weekend!

day 17 - flea market finds.

2011-12-18T12:00:00.003+11:00

so technically this post is from yesterday so probably shouldn't be a flea market find post, but whatever, i live by my own rules!
i also don't think that sophie is running flea market finds today, but as i said, i make my own rules. i will fly solo ha ha!

anywho, onto the find! the other day, while visiting brianna at her new house, we went in search of something yummy to eat and stumbled upon a lovely little op-shop.
i found another frame, for attempt number 2 at hanging vintage tea towel. it again was a complete failure, this time it didn't ever get to the wall. i knelt on the glass and broke it when i was trying to mount it in the frame. suuuuuuuuch a framing failure!

i did however find something lovely and cute in the opshop too!

can you see it??? don't mind my mess of a kitchen. keeping it real with this picture ;)

this little canvas print! cost me a measley $2 and will hopefully assuage my kitchen picture cravings until i can find ANOTHER frame to mount the tea towel in. keep your fingers crossed for me?

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. i'm drawing it today instead! better hop to and enter because this is your last chance!

day 16.

2011-12-17T21:44:00.003+11:00

on the 16th day of christmas, i harvested a little something from my garden!

some onions! this little onion started sprouting in my cupboard. the sprouts looked so healthy that i decided to shove it in one of my planter boxes and boyyyyyyy did it make it happy.
it started to die off a little and not knowing correct onion protocol, i yanked it up!
now i have half a dozen little baby onions :D can't wait to think up something yum to cook with them!

even though the whole advent blogging thing is supposed to be to blog about christmassy type things, i find myself more and more blogging about my gardeny type things. there's just way too much going on in my little backyard oasis to keep to myself!

what's going on in your garden?

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. i'm drawing tit tomorrow instead! better hop to and enter because this is your last chance!

day 15.

2011-12-17T08:28:00.004+11:00

on the 15th day of christmas, i, once again, didn't get up to many christmassy shenanigans...
i did however send off some hearts to open drawer.

they're raising funds for the margaret pratt foundation by yarn bombing a tree with many, many hearts! read about it here. the yarn bombing is happening today so get down there! unless of course you're stuck at work like me :(

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. i'm drawing tit tomorrow instead! better hop to and enter because this is your last chance!

day 14.

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000+11:00

on the 14th day of christmas, i received a lovely christmas gift, and my first christmas card!

i love this beautiful ceramic ring. this lady knows that i love me a peacock. i'm so lucky!

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. still time to join in :D

day 13.

2011-12-14T20:06:00.004+11:00

on the 13th day of christmas, again, not too much christmassy action happening here. work and then tutoring and then cooking dinner and getting some chores done. oh and making some more discoveries in the back yard...

i've got snowpeas growing! i think there's also some peas and one lonely bean too! all very exciting.
now i just have to make sure they get onto our plates before they are munched up by the possums. they've already gotten all but one of my passionfruits! bastards! i've put a paper bag around my sole surviving passionfruit in the hope that it'll still ripen up for me :D

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. still time to join in :D

day 12.

2011-12-13T22:26:00.003+11:00

i thought i'd share another of our christmas decorations today. or multiples of them...
bb and i bought these little tinsel trees just after we moved in together, in the post christmas sales.

i'm pretty sure we payed something ridiculous for them, like 50 cents a piece, but they're the perfect way of spreading some sparkly christmas goodness throughout our whole house!
this year they've taken up residence on the dining table, the bathroom shelf, the hallway table and our bed head.

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. still time to join in :D

day 11.

2011-12-13T08:42:00.006+11:00

after a busy day at work and reading about curlypops getting a parcel delivery on twitter ON A SUNDAY, i checked my own mail box and low and behold, a parcel for me too! posties must've been doing a special sunday delivery to deal with excess mail over christmas i guess...
but back to the parcel!
i opened it up to find my kris kringle swap! so exciting!
inside the package from maya was a beautifully handpainted box,

wrapped in some very sweet ribbon.
and inside...

some very lovely fridge magnets (they didn't stay in the box for long, they're already on the fridge!) and some equally lovely, covered hair ties.
very nice to come home to that on a sunday afternoon :D thanks maya!

i forgot to share the item that i sent too, which i can do now as i know my partner has received it safely :D
i crocheted a little frame, embroidered a circle to fit in the middle and then stitched it in. lots of different crafting mediums to keep my fingers busy!

thanks to jodie for organising the swap! i'll definitely be joining in again next year :D

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. still time to join in :D

day 10.

2011-12-12T21:00:00.003+11:00

on the 10th day of christmas, i finally downloaded instagram on my phone! i was having a good old think of things i wanted to get done while i was walking to work and figured getting onto instagram was definitely something i could do then and there!
these are a couple of pictures i've taken and posted...

feel free to follow me if you're already on instagram, or join up too if you're not! it's a bit of fun :D

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!
i also extended the deadline because i mayyy have forgotten to draw it on sunday. still time to join in :D

day 9 - catching up.

2011-12-12T09:40:00.004+11:00

oh hello, goodbye weekend. wasn't it over in a flash! oh and little to no blogging on my behalf! slack, slack, slack!!
i've also been slack on the giveaway front! i was supposed to draw it last night at 6 and completely forgot!! i think i might extend it til next sunday, same time, same place ok? i'll set myself a phone reminder so i won't forget again!

anywho, the 9th day of christmas! i was recovering from my morning of pampering...
and also heading to work.
not a lot of christmassy type stuff happening so i thought i'd show you my violet!

this little beauty has moved with us on our last house move and has just gone from strength to strength.
it was flowering when i bought it, reduced to less than a dollar at k-mart if my memory serves me correctly, and since taking up residence on the kitchen table, has been in flower continuously for what seems an age!
it got some more room to grow here and seems to be loving it :D

do you have any special plants that have a story? i'd love to hear!

also, don't forget to enter my giveaway!

day 8.

2011-12-08T20:51:00.003+11:00

today has been a pretty rad day! my lovely bb set me up for a blissful morning of luxury.
he got me a lovely bath bomb and instructed me to have a good old soak when i woke up, after he'd left for work.

he'd then booked me in for a deep tissue massage in the city. the whole getting my kit off in front of a total stranger was tres weird but i'll feel better for the rub down in the long run :D

we then met up for lunch! bb was able to take a bit of a longer lunch break than normal which was lovely. we headed to one of our favourite places to eat, cookie.

yummy pork belly in red curry and a duck salad. oh and a pimms :D

the view was pretty nice too. lunch with a view, with nice company and amazing food. best.

i then headed home while ben finished work and we spent some nice relaxing time together when he got home.
all in all a pretty great day :D

what did you get up to today?

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

day 7.

2011-12-08T09:10:00.005+11:00

everyday, i seem to be more and more surprised by just how lush my little green patch out the back is getting!
i think it may have a large amount to do with the hose that i bought for out there (filling up a watering can takes forever when the water pressure is so terrible!), but there's a lot to be said for giving yourself the time and space to get the green things done.

i discovered the first passionfruit to grown on my vine and upon inspection last night, there's actually a fair few on there!

my herb crop has also gone a bit crazy! i spent some time last night trimming the rosemary, oregano and thyme back and even took some to ncb to share! there are really only so many herbs two people can eat!

i also spent some time last night cutting back all of my coriander. it had all gone to seed so i now have a big bunch drying in my garage. when it's all dry in a couple of weeks, i'll get the coriander seeds replanted! huzzah!
i also discovered that the little lemongrass plant (that i thought had drowned over winter) is starting to green up! double huzzah!
now i think i need to go and buy myself a hose for my front yard too, it's starting to look a little barren with all this hot weather!

i'll be back later to post all about my day today, bb and i are celebrating 7 years! <3

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

day 6.

2011-12-06T18:35:00.004+11:00

today, i started on getting everything into the frames i found yesterday. i even hung this one on the wall!

unfortunately, it didn't stay on the wall for very long. gah silly sticky hooks! one day i will own a house where i can put real hooks in the wall when and where i want to! one day...

and that 'find' i mentioned earlier...

this awesome lampshade! i drove past it three times, and convinced myself i didn't need it.
that was until this lady posted this photo! then i knew i had to pick it up!
so i have big plans for this one. but not until i finish some other projects i have on the go! focus nicole, focus!

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

day 5.

2011-12-06T09:00:00.001+11:00

late again, late again! but after posting so late last night, i thought i'd wait until the morning for another post!
i thought i'd share some shopping that i got done yesterday.

these are (hopefully) the last of the frames i need to frame up everything for my much talked about hanging feature wall above bb and my bed.
if i get the picture in these frames today, they might get hung some time before the end of the year! shock and horror!
i did actually pick up something else yesterday too. and by pick up i mean pick up from the side of the road...
i think i'll share it a bit later though ;) stay tuned!

also,have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

day 4.

2011-12-05T22:57:00.006+11:00

please excuse my lack of blogging yesterday. i was a little, under the weather... ahem. moving on...
i thought i'd share some of my favourite christmas ornaments, ones that have a story ;)

this one was one of the first ornaments bb and i bought to go on our tree. from an op-shop. we were poor students after all!
in fact, we didn't even have a tree when we bought this one, we had a dress mannequin, in a very pretty green dress!

this was an ornament that i was taught to make by a very lovely lady at a market where we were both selling items. i was selling jewellery and she was selling handmade christmas ornaments. i can't for the life of me remember how to make them as it was about a zillion years ago, but it's pretty and memorable none the less.

this was another handmade number. i guess the first i'd made that i'd be still happy to have on my tree. so simple but so pretty!

and this is the newest addition to my tree, from the lovely and thoughtful yvette!

what are your favourite ornaments?

also, have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

day 3.

2011-12-03T17:20:00.004+11:00

on the 3rd day of december...

we finally put up our tree!!!
i'd been waiting for bb and i to have time together to get it up and today it happened.
happy days :D
heading off (hopefully soon) to a lovely ladies engagement party. just waiting for a ride...

have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

day 2.

2011-12-03T09:00:00.001+11:00

on the 2nd day of christmas (or december even...) i managed to get a couple of decorations up.
our cheap and cheerful wreath. it lives on our front wire door and means we can't open our front door 100% and i spend the entire month sweeping glitter off the front porch. luckily i like glitter :D

and this little tiny house. i won it in a giveaway at the end of last year but it didn't arrive until after christmas. this clever lass put it together and it is just the cutest!
the cute little figurine is from this lovely lady and was hidden in this post.

i also used a gift voucher i had and got some false eyelashes applied. verrrrrrry interesting experience that's for sure.

i like how they tuned out but not sure i like the process of them being applied. having to sit still with my eyes shut for an hour + is not really my cup of tea...

have you entered my giveaway yet? you could win a very nice hand-knitted cushion! all you have to do is leave a comment on that post! easy as pie!

december.

2011-12-02T20:35:00.004+11:00

today's the 2nd of december which means there are not many days at all until christmas, and then only a few more until it's 2012. is that freaking anyone else out??
after some serious thought yesterday, i've decided to play along with car in her advent blogalong. i'm liking this daily blogger caper :D even i i am officially already a day behind...

so what did i do on the first of december? i worked, and so did bb, no time for christmas tree decorating on our front. i did however manage to buy advent calendars for us both.
mine was this horrible commercialised freddo one. one year i would loooooove to have an awesome home-made advent calendar like cathie's or vic, but for this year, when i'm feeling beyond time-poor, freddo will do me just fine ;)

i'll be back tomorrow with post number two, and maybe even three but in the mean time, what are your plans for december?
reviewing my november plans, i think i almost got everything done...

except for the slow knitting project that is, that one is still on the go. in fact, you've even seen it now. and it's actually up for grabs! lyndel made her decision based on my (terrible) photos and has picked the granny square cushion.
pop over here to enter the draw to win :D

now december, i think my main goal is to make it out alive :| christmas is always one of those tricky times, but most of the time it just does my head in!

what are your plans for december?
xo

the month that was.

2011-11-30T18:58:00.006+11:00

this past month of blogging has actually been great! playing along with 30 days hath november has been really motivating and has caused me to blog about things in my life i normally wouldn't and to look for inspiration in places i normally wouldn't too.
i've thoroughly enjoyed having a topic each day to blog about and i'm pretty proud not to have missed a single post (some of them were a bit late, but they did get there in the end...)

speaking of which, i'd best get to today's topic, 'three wonderful things that happened this month'

the first of which, was that i won some giveaways...

this wonderful cook book from sophie.

and this amazing pattern book from lisa! i made a special trip to a local wool shop to buy some extra nice yarn to lace up :D
the patterns are quite well written and i would highly recommend it!

the second wonderful thing that happened was that i was invited to the opening of a very cool little shop.

betty's place officially opened last saturday and is somewhere i'd highly recommend you stop by! especially in the lead up to christmas ;) the lovely magdalena, or her hubby will be there to help you out!

the third wonderful thing actually involves this very post!
this post is number 300! 300 posts of me nattering on, who'd have thought!
i thought i'd have a little giveaway to celebrate, to say thanks for reading all my silly words and looking at my pictures and even making the occasional comment. it's awesome :D

the prize for this giveaway is one of two cushion covers... neither of which is 100% finished, but i did pop into spotlight for all the necessary finishing touch items! they'll be finished verrrrrrry soon!

unfortunately, you do not win your choice of cushions, this lady does. i owe her a cushion from back in may! i am such a slack crafter sometimes! so i will let you know once i get them to lyndel, and she has made her choice, but until then, dream of both i guess!

to enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, easy as pie! oh and it's open to everyone, international readers and all!
i'll draw the winner sunday the 11th of december (at 6pm my time), it should hopefully arrive before christmas that way :D

i would just like to say a big thank you to des for running everything. it's been a lot of fun playing along!

preparing...

2011-11-29T18:35:00.004+11:00

for a little surprise for tomorrow.

oh and relaxing a bit. have had a fairly big couple of days at training sessions for work. so much information now in my brain!! feels good :D i really do love to learn!
knitting and blog reading and martini-drinking is supremely relaxing :D

how's your week going so far?

some place i'd like to visit.

2011-11-29T07:36:00.002+11:00

one word.

that word is paris.

maybe 2012 is the year?

where is some place you'd like to visit?

still to go...

2011-11-28T08:40:00.000+11:00

today's 30 days hath november topic is 'a skill i'd like to learn'
where do i start!?!
how about with gocco?

definitely something i want to get into, start up costs be damned!

after gocco, how about some resin casting?

yep, definitely want to get in on that action too!

what about quilting?

i've had a quilting pattern stuck in my head the last couple of days and managed to get it down on paper. now to get a cutting mat, rotary cutter and complimentary quilting cottons. well it's on my to-do list ha ha!

and last on my immediate list is felting.

my mum owns a very grumpy cashmere goat that sheds all of it's fleece every year. i'd like to do something productive or even pretty with it :D

now to find the time to acquire the necessary items, and then use them. maybe i'll ask for time from santa...
by the way, click on the pictures for their original links :D

what's a skill (or four) that you'd like to learn?

a year ago.

2011-11-27T17:30:00.000+11:00

so this is a picture of myself one year ago. sitting on the side of the tarwin river, failing to catch a fish.
there was cider though, and good company, which made the whole not catching fish thing ok really.
oh and i'm wearing my favourite dress!

what were you up to a year ago today? do you have a picture of it?

something i'm looking forward to.

2011-11-27T09:00:00.000+11:00

so very many things i'm looking forward to really...
christmas, the new year and exciting opportunities it will bring...

fun crafty times and the possibility of meeting fellow blogger types. also a holiday to canberra :D

hopefully more career growth in my job :D

and who knows, maybe i'll even get some of the things done around the house i've been harping on about all year!

exciting times ahead that's for sure!

what are you looking forward to?

the purse! eep!

2011-11-26T18:07:00.004+11:00

so the topic for day 25 of 30 days hath november are 'the contents of your purse'

eep! do you really want to see that? goodness knows what's in there! well ok, i know, 329875293 cards for varying uses and some spare change.
how about the stylised version of what's in my purse?

a couple of business cards, my bank cards, a metcard, about $12 in cash, 4 pearl earrings and a spare car key. nothing too exciting really...

EDIT: i'm realising (based on everyone elses posts, that purse means bag. so click here for a read of that one!

what do you keep in your purse?

it means a lot.

2011-11-26T18:00:00.003+11:00

one thing that means a lot to me is this...

nope, not silly self portraits with big cheesy smiles, just the smile itself.
sometimes when i'm feeling a bit blue, i think to myself, as long as i can put a smile on my face, things can't be too bad!
by that logic too, happiness is something that means a lot to me and i guess it's something that can be a bit elusive at times. i definitely know that i'm slowly figuring out the things that make me happy and can therefore make sure i do those things more often :D

big smiles!
one of the many things that mean a lot to me.

what is something that means a lot to you?

8 things.

2011-11-24T23:03:00.002+11:00

a list of 8 things that some people probably already know about me.

- i'm terrible at sitting still. in fact it's probably the biggest reason i get so much crochet and knitting done.
- i enjoy wearing large rings. the bigger the better. it's considered quite the comedy act at work.

my newest ring purchase. made by the clever girls at finikigirl.

- if i was born a boy, i would've been called drew. when i was told this at the age of 12, i refused to answer to nicole, only drew.
- i have developed a very expensive and unhealthy relationship with shellac. i am forever spouting it's amazing abilities :D see above picture for evidence!
- i prefer savoury to sweet, 90% of the time.
- i enjoy cooking dinner. i like providing delicious food for myself and my bb. i hate cleaning up after said cooking though. dishes urgh!
- i watch wayyyyyy too much tv.
- i can NOT wait to put up my christmas tree. i am hanging out!

care to share 8 things about yourself that most people don't know about you?

travels.

2011-11-24T16:51:00.005+11:00

so i know i shared a travel story already, but i have another. except this time it's mostly just pictures. apologies about the quality of the pictures, they're from my scrapbook. the scrapbook i put together when i got back and haven't written a single word into. very angry at myself now as i don't remember all of the things we did everyday!
anywho, this is my school trip to japan in 2005.

yep, that last one is pretty kooky. i definitely wouldn't be able to sell stuff in tokyo!

where have you travelled to?

never tired.

2011-11-22T09:23:00.003+11:00

one thing i will absolutely never tire of is being in bed, snuggled up with my pillows and a doona.

luxury.

what would you never tire of?

anecdotal.

2011-11-21T13:50:00.003+11:00

i may have mentioned once or twice before, just how damn terrible my memory is. what that means is that when i'm asked to blog about a childhood anecdote i struggle majorly!
perhaps i'll amalgamate today's topic with day 22, 'some place i've travelled' as that is something i can remember.

in 1996, my parents, my younger brother and i hitched up our little pop-top caravan and made our way across the nullabour (with a quick stop in broken hill for some reason...). the sole purpose for our trip, apart from seeing the sights of course, was to visit my auntie who lived in perth.

we were in perth for the sum total of 11 days and it rained, every, single, day (which coincidentally made for excellent olympics viewing weather). it also rained almost our entire trip across the nullabor, apparently we were excellent drought breakers :D
looking at the weather report, mum and dad decided that rather than trek back across the nullabor with more rain expected, that perhaps we should head to somewhere with a bit better climate. so back in the car we piled and up the west coast of australia we went!
i got to feed a dolphin at monkey mia, went for an amazing glass bottom boat trip in coral bay and spent a ridiculous amount of time pulling burrs out of my feet in broome. i celebrated my 8th birthday in kununurra (on the border of wa and nt), but instead of a cake, we had a watermelon that we picked off the side of the road and shared with all the other kids in the caravan park. we kayaked along katherine gorge and spent a very eventful night at the daly waters pub. we missed out on seeing uluru due to a poorly timed bout of gastro (not so fun when you have to use communal toilets, that are over 200m away!)

so very many km's in the back of that car. so many nights spent in a caravan. so many happy memories :D

do you remember any childhood anecdotes?

silly self portraits.

2011-11-21T09:45:00.004+11:00

yep i'm a few days behind. my mind has been up there with getting these posts written, but my body has been doing 38023749 other things. bad body!
like last month, i'm not going to be too hard on myself though, i'll get there :D

on saturday night, i spent the night home alone, so decided to finally move all my important files from my old laptop to my new one. so today i thought i'd share 3 years worth of silly self portraits that i unearthed from the photobooth album on my old laptop.
narcissism is gooooooooo!

i might be back later to play catch up!

hope you've had a great weekend!!

my family.

2011-11-18T14:39:00.010+11:00

this is my family. my mum (who i introduced you to yesterday), my dad, my brother and my bb.

we were all frocked up for my graduation in april and they're pretty awesome if you ask me.

i came home from running some errands this morning and there was a package sitting on my doorstep. would you like to see what was inside?

an amazing box of goodies from my op-shop swap partner, yvette. isn't she lovely!!!

i've been wearing this little cutie since i opened it up!

receiving this today made me realise i hadn't gotten started on yvette's goody box! very slack of me! i popped over to the oppy and have gotten almost everything i need, i just need to make a couple of things and i'll be done!

also, this is what i was wearing to run my errands and do my op-shopping.
maxi dress + hot weather = summer is coming!

the dress i bought from a shop in richmond and i'm pretty sure the rest of the accessories were thrifted :D

what are you up to today?

inspiration.

2011-11-17T09:39:00.004+11:00

this is my mum and she is a person who inspires me so very very much.

this woman never freaking stops. she'll come home from a long day at work and then get to mowing the lawns or chopping some firewood or just generally anything that needs doing. she's definitely a go-er my mum.
everytime i hear this song, it reminds me of her.

love you mum.

by the way, i'm a bit late today. last night i decided to sleep instead of type, terrible blogger i am!
be back later to write some more about my family, which is today's "30 days hath november" topic :D
have a good day!

fashion tips.

2011-11-15T19:41:00.002+11:00

i don't consider myself the most fashion forward person. so when i read that today's blog topic was 'some style inspiration for the season' i knew i was in trouble.
figuring the coming season is summer, the only 'style inspiration' i have on the subject, is pretty dresses.

i loooooove me a pretty dress. i picked up a couple of cute little numbers on a recent thrifting expedition with a friend and i just can't get enough of simple cotton frocks, something you may have picked up from this post.

so here are some very pretty cotton dresses, from the wonders of pinterest (click images for original sources)

a pretty, flowy bohemian style dress.

a retro style dress.

and a cute and casual dress.

do you have any fashion inspiration for the coming season?

it all started with a chair...

2011-11-14T20:32:00.002+11:00

i don't have a favourite movie so much as i have a movie i've watched so many times i can quote every line...
oh you don't know from the title of this blog post?
no? it's morgan freeman, you got any bones that need collecting? only the one in my pants!

honest to blog?

ok, yep, i like juno. for a very long time, it was my go-to movie. nothing on tv? i'd watch juno. couldn't get to sleep? i'd watch juno.
i kinda like it's quirkiness and i guess indie-ness.
i still hate that mark is such a freaking jerk and decides he's too cool for fatherhood (yup, spoiler alert) but i love vanessa and how strong she is.
also, bleeker is awesome. 'your shorts are looking especially gold today'

:D

what's your favourite movie?

proud.

2011-11-13T22:34:00.003+11:00

today, as part of 30 days hath november, i'm writing about something i'm proud of.

now if you've read any of my previous posts, you may have noticed a behavioural pattern i'm not proud of, leaving things til the last minute.
well today, i'm kicking that behaviours butt!
i've got a fair few things coming up (and with christmas, haven't we all!), that i knew i needed to get crafting for so i've started ticking them off the list!

a softie for mirabel...

consider it done! well it's hopefully the first of a couple... hoping i'll improve on my bear facial expressions...

and i've just finished a kris kringle present for a lady i work with!

just hoping the she doesn't read my blog...

and also that she doesn't mind cute little buttons from the stash i inherited from my nanna.

now just to get started on everything else on the list... ncb kris kringle present, the haby goddess swap, the op-shop swap AND assorted christmas presents for family and friends.
yep! need to get busy!

what have you done recently that you're proud of?

three blogs i'm partial to.

2011-11-12T20:32:00.004+11:00

there are a fair few blogs i read, which when i see that there is a new post from, i get a big giddy grin on my face. and it's because, i know that the words and pictures that will be in that post will be just lovely.

the first is the among the first blogs i ever read. brianna introduced me to this blog, and the world of blogging in general actually.

lucy of attic24 is a crocheting genius and her posts are always full of colour and beautifully happy words.

the second is a blog i stumbled upon thanks to the massive and friendly network of australian bloggers that exists.

kate of fox's lane blogs about her life, her kids, the organic farm she and her hubby own and run, her family, her community, her crafty exploits and most recently, her family's trip around australia in a caravan. bb keeps hearing about their amazing trip and i'm ever so slowly convincing him we need a caravan...

the third is a blog i came across after i was linked to a tutorial by (brianna again i'm pretty sure, she lets me know all the cool things on the internets!)

lisa is an absolute whizz with yarn and almost all associated crafts. she also takes very beautiful photographs and knows how to make them look even more amazing using the photoshop contraption. i always feel so inspired after reading through her posts. she's also the one that pointed me in the direction of 30 days hath november.

lots of good reads in that list there!!
now i'm off to drink a cider and get started on some kris kringle presents! alcohol always makes me crochet faster ;)

what are your some of your favourite blogs?

craving.

2011-11-11T20:58:00.002+11:00

after a long day at work today, i've been craving... well i've been craving a bit of my creative space.
today was a pretty long day at work and i was dreaming about my bed and my knitting and tv shows on my laptop for the large majority of the day.
now if only i could convince bb that that is what he is craving too because i'm definitely craving one if his bear hugs too!

what are you craving today?

my creative space.

2011-11-10T22:23:00.004+11:00

late night creativity happening over here. a big day of exercising and houseworking this morning, then a little pampering and then a long afternoon of work. i got home and cooked dinner and now it's time for a little bit of relaxing crafting in bed. oh and watching medical dramas. re-lax-iiiiiiiiing!

lots of long rows of plain stitches. baaaaaack and forth. baaaaaaack and forth.

more creative spaces over here

oh and for today's 30 days hath november topic, 'what i love about my job'...

i love that i can wear pretty shoes. and get my nails done and not destroy them at work.
and while i'm not always particularly fond of working in a shopping center (i have NO idea what the weather is doing, it could be 100 degrees or teeming with rain and i'd have no idea!), i kinda love that i can head to work a bit early and get my nails done and buy pretty shoes (even if it does cancel out any money i might actually earn in a shift...)

oh, i'm pretty fond of the people i work with too. they're a bit of all right :D

close ups.

2011-11-09T22:49:00.005+11:00

today's blogging topic is 'a close up of my day'
being the amazing decision maker that i am, i took an array of photos. hope you enjoy some close ups of my day :D

a morning run. i'm slowly improving my fitness :D

sample swatches in a furniture shop, one of many brianna and i visited this afternoon.

rummaging through a junk shop.

knitting. everywhere. on the train, in the car, at ncb.

delicious apple crumble, courtesy of stuzzi.

what did you get up to today?

the last item i purchased.

2011-11-08T20:00:00.005+11:00

today i had a lovely headache. and yesterday too. i went for a little walk to the supermarket to buy some much needed pain-killers and i also happened to stumble into my local op-shop.
in the op-shop, i found a spring lid jar. the perfect size to put the bag of caster sugar into that's sitting in my pantry. i keep all my flour and sugar and pasta and rice and pantry type things in jars like this.
i also got my pain-killers (and a can of coke :D). they helped :D

in other news, i dyed my dress from yesterday today. it's a little darker than the original colour but it's completely even now. the colour on it before was most uneven and if i wore it without a cardigan it looked like i had a super sweaty back. much better now :D

what was the last item you purchased?

my favourite frock.

2011-11-07T16:39:00.004+11:00

i thought i'd play along with my place and yours this week. i did mean to play along last week, but the week just went way too quick!
in any case, this is my favourite frock. or piece of clothing.

a watermelon coloured spotty dress. i love the way it's shaped. i think it's quite complementary too, hugs in alllll the right places.
i bought this pretty piece second hand last year at a market. it's had some repairs aaaaaaand it still needs a good dye (it's on my to-do list, and it's getting quite close to the top!)

also, this is my song for the day.

i heard it on the weekend over dinner and a big stupid grin came onto my face as i sang every single word. i remembered how much i loved it :D

what's your favourite outfit?

what i'm reading.

2011-11-06T19:37:00.003+11:00

day 6 of thirty days hath november, asks you to post about the book you're currently reading...

i started reading this book wayyyy back in march and i'm still going! i took it away with me to daylesford and may have left my copy there...
i then found it again when we were in lorne in the second hand book shop there.

i'm about half way through but definitely need to get going on it again. i'm definitely a big fan of rosalie ham :D

what are you reading at the moment?
hope your weekend has been fabulous! i've had my first weekend off from work in a while so bb and i went down and visited with our parents. fun times :D

3 years ago.

2011-11-05T10:15:00.004+11:00

i have a terrible memory. heck, it's one of the reasons i started blogging. so when i read day four's topic (3 years ago today) for thirty days hath november, i knew i was in a world of trouble.
thankfully, 3 years ago today, i was a pretty big facebook addict so it was just a matter of scrolling through all my past facebook posts to today's date, three years ago.

and this is what i was up to.
barack obama won the us election and i'm pretty sure i cried during his speech.
i moved house from a tiny 1 bedroom apartment in the inner city, to a sprawling 3 bedroom house in the outer eastern suburbs. i actually think that was the day that we cleaned up and took the keys back to be honest.
apparently we also set up our internets. i'm pretty sure there was an unsecure wireless network somewhere around us that we were using to actually sign up for our internet plan...

from the look of the statuses before and after these ones, i was pretty heavily in the midst of studying for my first year end of year exams. and it wasn't going very well...

how's your memory, what were you up to 3 years ago today?

my guy.

2011-11-04T14:35:00.004+11:00

today for 30 days hath november, the theme is a 'friend you adore' but well, i guess the title gave it away.

this guy is a friend i adore. he's my bestie and i'm very fond of him :D
i've known him for almost 10 years and he's been all mine for about seven.
he's super awesome (and also makes quite a good pillow at music festivals)

this photo was taken when we were at falls festival together over new years of 2009/2010. sarah blasko was playing some tunes and it was HOT! it was pretty dreamy though.

my creative space.

2011-11-03T20:22:00.005+11:00

today my creative space feature a box full of bear bits. well it's not quite full, but it's slowly getting there. i've been adding a couple more bits every now and then.

maybe i'll have them all made sometime soon and be able to share a fully assembled bear :D
more creatives spaces, over this way!

and while i'm at it, the third day of 30 days hath november, requires something that you can't leave the house without. i was tempted to write something like, my bra or underwear, but didn't much fancy taking a photo for you all. i was also tempted to go the philosophical route and say a smile, or a sense of humour, but some days i do forget to take those with me, in fact, some days i don't know where to find those things!
the truth is, the thing i can't leave the house without...

is my iphone. i'm a hopeless addict. it helps me feel and be connected to all of those that i love (and the entire world!) at the push of a button. i would be truly lost without it!

what can you not leave the house without?

some words.

2011-11-02T19:11:00.005+11:00

the second day of 30 days hath november, calls for three inspirational quotes.
here they are, courtesy of pinterest.

bb and i have started watching 'how i met your mother'. barney stinson (neil patrick harris) makes the show :D

hope you're feeling inspired!

november.

2011-11-02T16:43:00.006+11:00

seeing as how i went so well with blogtoberfest, and blogging everyday (ahem), i thought i'd give this blogging every day thing another crack and sign up for désirée's '30 days hath november'.
each day has a theme which i think will inspire me a bunch! my mind is already ticking over with lots of ideas.

now, the month that was, october. i don't really feel i got much achieved at all! i've got some crafty things ticking over, but nothing of note finished. the garage looks like a bomb site and i only had one or two quite pitiful attempts at decobwebbing the outside of the house, it's still looking as shabby as ever!
never fear though, this is a new month! full of time and promise :D

this month i've got a few crafty things to do, a kris kringle present to make for ncb, another to make for the haby goddess swap and i should probably get started on some other presents :D
i've also got a softie on the go and a very slooooooooooowww knitting project i'm hoping to get finished.

and i'll leave you with this self portrait, the theme of day 1 of 30 days hath november. i call it 'dirty hair'

off to wash it now and i'll be back later with 3 inspiring quotes :D
what are your plans for the month?

linking it up.

2011-10-29T20:36:00.002+11:00

i feel like i've been a fairly slack blogger of late, a very lazy blogger. i've been linking up to memes and not looking at other peoples links. i've been signing up for bloggy linky posts, and not advertising on my blog. and it's blogtoberfest and i haven't even entered any giveaways!!!
very very slack!

the other day, i signed up to rie's universal craft blog directory.

a massive directory to find lots of crafty bloggers!

then, this evening, i added myself to the australian women bloggers directory.
lots of linking happening here! and i'm going to put some buttons in my sidebar. yep, i am.

now i'm off to enter some blogtoberfest giveaways, read over last weeks my place and yours posts and make a start on some ears for my first softie .

hope your weekend is going well!

things that are making me smile.

2011-10-28T21:28:00.003+11:00

this, from here

these, from here

crocheting this, from here, for this.

and remembering a great night last night. met lots of lovely blogging folks, well put faces to twitter and blog handles. lovely lovely lovely!

happy long weekend to melbourne peeps. happy weekend to everyone else.
i'm working all weekend so i mayyyy be a fairly silent weekender! enjoy all!

wordless wednesday - obsession.

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000+11:00

bunting along.

2011-10-24T20:50:00.005+11:00

i've been getting bunting in the mail almost every day the last couple of weeks. there's nothing better than receiving a letter in the mail, especially when it's full of such lovely, colourful flags :D

these beauties are from jill, faith, lauren and rachael.

and these are from jules, lea, beberouge and sophie.

so many beautiful flags using so many different techniques :D thank you ladies!
and they're definitely getting me through the ick list which today is featuring ironing, microwave cleaning, dishes and cleaning the floors. ick!

i've got lots to look forward to after the ick though. i'm making a curry from my new cookbook for dinner and i'm going to have a scroll through softie designs on ravelry. i've got a big basket of wool next to the couch to get stuck into :D
i've also got a parcel waiting at the post office, the suspense of waiting to go and pick it up is killing me ha ha!

my place and yours.

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000+11:00

i'm joining in with vic and playing along with my place and yours.
the theme this week is my pin cushion, chosen by the lovely nic.

now i'd hazard a guess and say there are at least three pin cushions floating around my house...
i have one that i guess gets the most use, but this one is by far my favourite (and unconventional)

yes, you may recognise the fabric, i've posted about it before...

definitely an unconventional pincushion, but it is highly convenient :D

there's a nice big list of pincushions over with vic!

sunday suppers.

2011-10-23T20:30:00.002+11:00

another (mostly) successful week of meal planning AND another one planned.

this week:
sunday - delicious roast chicken, yes, the one we were supposed to have on friday night, still good though :D
monday - a long day at work for me, followed by a staff meeting. a quick and easy pasta bake is definitely on the cards, lots of protein, lots of carbs, lots of cheese, nom!
tuesday - i treated myself to a new cookbook on friday, a cookbook full of curries! going to try out a thai green curry from it on tuesday, can't wait!
wednesday - ncb night. brianna will be over for dinner and i'm working all day! something quick and easy, chicken pad thai should do the job.
thursday - heading off to a little soiree and will probably catch up with some crafty peeps for dinner. no cooking for me :D
friday - bb has requested fish and chips, so i'll bake both in the oven :D oven baked chippies and some crumbed and oven baked fish fillets.
saturday - another long saturday at work for me, hoping that bb will whip us up something delicious, maybe some steak sandwiches? fingers crossed!

ps. do you like the picture? it was the first thing that popped up when i searched 'dinner' in pinterest. picture originally from here

my creative space.

2011-10-20T09:43:00.004+11:00

isn't particularly creative at all this week.
yesterday i was feeling pretty bogged down, quite overwhelmed in fact. every now and again, i feel like i'm completely in over my head. there's just a bit too much going on and absolutely no time to get it all done.
there's a few too many ick things on my to-do list that are overshadowing all the great and fun and creative things i want to get done.
all these thoughts and feelings make me want to curl up in a ball and not do anything at all. and this in turn causes me to feel guilty for not using my time more productively.
it also makes me not such a fun person to be around, just ask my work colleagues from yesterday or bb when he got home from work. no fun at all!

today i'm tackling those icky things.
i've got a pile of mending to do. nothing big or overwhelming, just stuff i keep putting off that has been plaguing the back of my mind. a pair of pants to take up for bb, a button to sew back on a work shirt, a shoulder pad to sew back into a dress.

i've also got a beanie to finish that's been on the go for a looooooooong time. it's 80% of the way there and i think getting it to 100% will make me feel pretty good.

there's also a big pile of dishes (ick) but i'll tackle them after work, post post-work manicure :D

small, achievable things ticked off my mental to-do list to make me feel good!

all this is the main reason for me being absent the last couple of days from blogtoberfest. i don't think the commitment to blogging every day has been helping these feelings of 'too much to do' and guilt. something had to give and it was blogging (and to a lesser extent twitter). i'm therefore relinquishing myself of the commitment, if i post every day for the rest of the month, i do, if i don't, i don't.
there! take that feelings!!

less angsty creative spaces over here.

getting my bunt on, part 3.

2011-10-17T13:00:00.000+11:00

last thursday, i finished off the very last parts of my bunting swap flags, wrote on all of the cards and sealed everything up into envelopes.
would you like to see my flags?

i couldn't decide between using crochet or sewing to make my flags, so i just used both!
i backstitched in wool along the seam of the two sides and then crocheted into the backstitching :D

i also used my bunting stamp to make little cards to send with the flags :D oh and i stamped the envelopes. basically i just had a stampy good time!

i did put off posting this ta-da because i didn't want to spoil the surprise for anyone. there's nothing better than a nice surprise in the mail :D
massive thanks to rachael for organising everything. i can't imagine how hard it was to co-ordinate all those bunting flags to go to different places. clever lady!

flea market finds.

2011-10-16T13:00:00.000+11:00

it's been a while since i've played along because honestly it's been a while since i've been op-shopping. i think you really have to be in the right state of mind to go op-shopping, you've got to be in a patient mood to sort and sift through stuff to find the little something you're looking for.

thursday afternoon, after posting off my bunting flags, i popped into my local op-shop and almost the first thing i saw was this little milk jug, which perfectly matches another of my finds!

i also found a bigger jar for my rice and a couple of pairs of work pants for bb. i then went back to the same op-shop the next day with a friend and found a couple of work skirts and a nice sweater dress :D

more flea market finds with sophie

sunday suppers.

2011-10-16T09:20:00.004+11:00

yep so i missed posting yesterday. saturday is a big black mark on my blogtoberfest record. but i'm cool with it. i was sick and was super tired from working all day, and anything i wrote probably would've been a total snooze-fest! i've decided instead to post twice today, and well i bet it's still saturday somewhere in the world :D

anywho, back to blogging! meal planning worked quite well for us last week, i even fancied things up a bit on monday night, cutting up the pork fillet, marinating it and serving it with salad in some tortillas i had hanging around :D flexibility in the planning is nice ha ha!

so this week:
sunday - my mum is coming down to stay the night and i think we'll head to the pub for dinner. gotta love a pub meal :D
monday - i have the whole day off work (to spend with my mum, naturally) so i'll have a bit of time to rustle up something nice. roasted rack of lamb. yum!
tuesday - working til 5.30 means a quick and easy dinner. pork chops and steamed vegies will do the trick i think.
wednesday - working again! chicken pad thai will be nice and quick, oh and super delicious!
thursday - more work, ho hum. steak sandwiches with heaps of salad. i even bought some new olive oil so maybe i'll attempt a mayonnaise :D
friday - a day off but a big day of op-shopping planned. i think i might spoil us and cook up another roast! chicken this time. yep!
saturday - i'm going to leave in bb's capable hands. i'm working all day and he's at home. definiteley his job ha ha!

hrmm that all sounds pretty yummy!
do you have meal plans for the week?

i'll be back a bit later with some flea market finds!

etsy friday finds.

2011-10-14T22:27:00.002+11:00

the lovely margaret quite often posts some etsy finds on a friday, so this week i thought i'd join in!

i'm always on the look-out for some cute hairwear to dress up my work uniform and these are some of my favourites on etsy at the moment... (click on the pictures to be taken to the original etsy post)

as you can see, i'm a bit of a fan of flowery head pieces. and vintagey metal pieces. oh and newborns. yup, they're alright too!

apologies for the tres late post, i got called into work until 9pm last minute AND i can feel a head cold coming on. oh and i'm working all weekend! roll on monday ha ha!
hope your weekend is fabulous!

my creative space.

2011-10-13T07:00:00.001+11:00

today in my creative space, i'm working on something a little different...

a doily rug. major inspiration from here. pattern motif from here. i do intend to alter the pattern however as it's not sitting as flat as i'd like it to and i have this feeling that no amount of blocking is going to make it! i have a feeling i'm going to be doing a LOT of frogging and re-crocheting today!

more creatives spaces, over this way!

how does your garden grow - wordless wednesday.

2011-10-12T14:36:00.005+11:00

play along?

getting my bunt on, part 2.

2011-10-11T11:42:00.004+11:00

my bunting swap flags are all made! they just need a little bit of tidying up (they have embroidery marker all over them!) and they'll be ready to be sent off!
as well as getting my flags prepped to send today, i'm working on a little decorative element to add to my packaging... a little lino bunting stamp!

now this stamp has been a long time coming, many many months ago, tinniegirl was moving house and brought a whole heap of her crafty stuff along to ncb to recycle. one of those crafty things was a set of lino cutting tools which i gratefully took home with me. the following fortnight at ncb, cathie brought along a little square of rubber for me to try my skills on.
they sat together in the top drawer of my crafty chest for all this time but now they're out and working together beautifully! the last time i tried my hand at lino cutting was in year 10 and was using actual lino. this was a massive pain as lino is not the most pliable surface and it has to be heated to make it a bit nicer to work with. rubber however, smooth as silk!
i will definitely be buying some more of this stuff :D

thanks for your generosity lovely ladies!

now i'm off to tidy up those bunting flags, as well as grabbing out my paints and getting stampy!

planning.

2011-10-10T19:40:00.004+11:00

yesterday i had a bit of a clean up of my garage. eagerly, i moved the old cabinetry that was against one wall and it literally fell apart! as i've been planning a bit of a makeover of the garage anyway, now i get to do the job good and proper and you know what that means...
scouring the internet for inspiration!
i've been trawling pinterest and this is what i've found so far (click the pictures for their original sources)

i think i'm definitely have to get some opping done to find exactly what i want, but i'm hoping i can get it looking pretty nice by the end of the year!

hope your monday wasn't too tedious!

sunday suppers.

2011-10-09T18:37:00.002+11:00

i'm taking a leaf out of the lovely ppmj and committing my meal planning to writing this week.
do you plan your meals for the week? i've found that it's a great idea for bb and i! we do a big shop once a week, that way we have all the ingredients ready to go when we get home from work or wherever!
we've been planning quite well the past couple of weeks however we fell off the bandwagon last week and had ridiculous amount of take away, i think i only cooked one night! not great for our health or the health of our budget!

this week:
sunday - we originally had a bbq planned but the weather has put a dampener on those plans, good old sunday roast of lamb instead.
monday - i've got training in the city and bb is working. a nice and easy dinner of pork fillets and salad planned.
tuesday - a day off from work for me but tutoring in the evening. another quick and easy dinner, steak and salad sandwiches.
wednesday - bb is on his own tonight as i'm off to ncb to craft and celebrate a birthday.
thursday - another day off from work for me, chicken and noodle stirfry, i'm going to try and 'wing' a delicious sauce to go with everything, wish me luck!
friday - another quick and easy dinner as i'm working until the evening, tortellini with a spicy tomato sauce.
and saturday - out for a celebratory dinner with a friend who will hand her honours thesis in the day before, good luck anna!

hopefully it'll be easy to stick to, now that i've committed it to paper (er, screen?). well surely it couldn't be too hard, i'm out for dinner two nights out of seven!
what are you up to this week?

grateful.

2011-10-08T20:13:00.002+11:00

today i'm grateful for a few things.
i'm grateful for the life that i live.
i'm grateful that i have a steady job, and that my partner does too.
i'm grateful that i have my degree, even though i'm choosing not to use it right now, and the debt that i owe from my studies to get it are not forcing me from my home or life or lifestyle.
i'm grateful for my family and my partner and i'm grateful for the knowledge that they're always there for me.
i'm grateful for my health. and the health of those that i love. in case you don't already know, cancer fucking sucks, sorry for my french there...
and i'm also grateful to be maid of honour. i'm going to have you soooooo organised brianna!

sorry, sappy grateful post today, mainly inspired by this actually...
what are you grateful for? join in here.

vintage crochet friday.

2011-10-07T20:33:00.005+11:00

this week i thought i'd play along with lara, every week she posts a picture of a vintage crochet project, some hilarious and some not too bad actually...
i was looking through a magazine series that my neighbour gifted me before she moved, to find some crochet edging ideas/patterns.

this magazine series is really great, there's a section for just about every craft imaginable!
and there are a LOT of vintage crochet images in it too!

bikini anyone?

flower motif jumper.

a very flat looking blouse.

something to hang in the window.

and my favourite of all, the crocheted string bag. i LOVE the pose. the props. the accompanying outfit. so neat!

hope you've got a great weekend planned!

my creative space.

2011-10-06T06:55:00.000+11:00

i wracked my brain all day yesterday, trying to think of a topic for today's post, completely forgetting that thursday is my creative space day! silly me!!!

today i'm working on some repairs to a well travelled blankie. one you might remember seeing before...
my first blanket effort hasn't held up to toddler time quite as well as i would've hoped, but it's very repairable. and it's a good indication just how far i've come with my crochet. i'm looking at the joining that i did with this blanket and wondering what the hell was i doing! hopefully the latest blankie holds up a little longer :D

more creatives spaces, over this way!

wordless wednesday.

2011-10-05T16:47:00.003+11:00

play along?

tuesday afternoon.

2011-10-04T17:02:00.003+11:00

after a busy morning of house and yard work, this afternoon i'm relaxing on the couch, watching a movie.
however, as i'm completely unable to sit still for any period of time, i'm partaking in some couch craft.

pinning bunting flags together while watching 'love and other drugs'.
afternoon well spent in my books :D i just hope i get a bit of time to sew them together today too!

what did you get up to this afternoon?

getting my bunt on.

2011-10-03T08:52:00.005+11:00

a couple of weeks ago, i signed up for the bunting swap. with the deadline fast approaching (15th Oct), i really need to get my behind into gear and start cutting/sewing/crocheting some bunting flags into life!

i've got my suitcase of supplies ready to go. literally overflowing with vintage fat quarters and opped bits and pieces, i've got no shortage of materials...

and i've got inspiration coming almost daily in the mailbox, my bunting flags have started to arrive! Thanks ruth, alison and lionesslady!

did you join up to the swap? have you already sent your flags, or are you like me and leaving it to the last minute?
happy monday!

in the bag.

2011-10-02T09:00:00.001+11:00

i've been wanting to do a post like this for a while, i'm pretty sure almost every blog i read has done one at one stage or another and now i will too :D
i finally got around to taking the photos, well i was cleaning out my bag and happened to have my iphone in my pocket and it even had charge left in the battery (it's forever going dead due to the silly amount of apps i have open constantly...)
so this is it, the contents of my bag...

2 pairs of sunglasses (i have no idea why you'd need more than one, in case you were wondering.)
my purse
a tissue holder (hand embroidered by the lovely steph)
blistex
adhesive hooks (for the much mentioned, slow action design wall for above the bed, it will come together SOMEDAY!)
deoderant
hairspray and hairbrush (neither of which get much use...)
glasses (alex perry, NOT with a big diamonte, or any sparkliness at all actually)
vintage gloves (they fit really well and keep my hands toasty)
a watch (should wear it on my wrist and then perhaps i wouldn't be perpetually late for work...)
a container of mixed nuts
2 sets of headphones (again, no idea why there are two...)
handcream
pens and a sharpie
bright red lipstick (again, doesn't get much use)
my keys
and a torch (we have a very dark lane that runs behind our house that i occasionally have to walk down. i can normally never find it though, as it's hidden amongst the rest of the crap in my bag...)

ok, well that's everything i think... going through and writing a list like this is kind of helping me to evaluate what actually needs to be in my handbag (ahem, 2 pairs of sunglasses?), maybe i'll have a bit of a clean up :D

care to share your handbag?

blogtoberfest!

2011-10-01T09:00:00.000+10:00

oh hello october, or should i say, blogtober!
it's blogtoberfest time again and if you'd like to join in the fun, pop over and visit cathie and sign up!
i'm playing along for the second year and will therefore be posting (hopefully) everyday for the month of october!
before i start on my to-do list for this month, let's quickly recap on the month just passed...
i wanted to get a few bits and bobs done around the yard, which with all the lovely weather, i managed to get done with no trouble at all...

i got some seeds in the ground (basil, peas, beans, snow peas and corn) and replanted my strawberries into a hanging planter. the little wheelbarrow i had them in was much too shallow and the soil dried out almost daily leaving them looking very sad.
they're much happier in this bright little planter. and look how much the ivy has grown since last time!

i also planted some colour around.
pansies in this boot shaped pot.

and some more pansies and some daisies too in my flowery planter box. must remember to keep the water up to these over the hotter months...

i did get all of my drawers painted too, there's just no picture as it would mean i have to clean my kitchen floor and that's not going to happen any time soon...

so now october, what do i have in plan for you...?
apart from blogging every day, i really hope to get lots of little crafty things done (so i have something to blog ABOUT you see ;D)
i really want to get started on some things for christmas (i volunteered to have christmas at our place this year and i have LOTS of big crafty plans), i also finally want to get some things made to maybe sell (hopefully in time for christmas too :D) and i have a feeling i might be getting onto some wedding-y crafts too.
on the (boring) home front, i want and need to get the outside of my house looking nice (read, de-cobwebbed) and also the inside of my garage. it needs a good clean out and i want to get the walls prepped for painting!
oh and did i mention, blogging every day?!? hopefully with this nice and full list, i'll have plenty to blog about!

what are your plans for this month?

wordless wednesday.

2011-09-28T17:17:00.004+10:00

play along?

birthday celebrations.

2011-09-23T08:41:00.003+10:00

yesterday was bb's birthday. he started the day with a little gift unwrapping, i tried to well and truly spoil him after he spoilt me last month.
he then toddled off to work for the morning and i headed in and met him for a most indulgent lunch. 5 courses, matched with 5 different european beers.
in true blogger style, i took lots of foodie picture.
first course (which i forgot to take a picture of!) was citrus and herb prawns, with a glass of hoegaarden.
second course, crisp cocktail sausages on mash with a delicious jus and a glass of stella artois.

up third, braised pork belly on swede puree with caramelised witlof and a glass of leffe blonde.

fourth course (i was well and truly struggling by this point), a delicious beef stew with smashed potatoes and a glass of leffe brune.

and finally, dessert was a rich and decadent chocolate mousse paired with an amazing cherry beer, bellevue kriek. so very rich, but oh so delicious.

it was so great to be able to do this together, it's not something that we would normally do, a new delicious and indulgent experience.

the birthday boy enjoying a pint.

and now, if you have a few seconds, pop over and visit cam. some not so favourable decisions were proposed yesterday and i for one am off to write some letters to tell some silly people what's what.

my creative space.

2011-09-15T10:57:00.004+10:00

today i'm hoping to get some sewing done. some garment sewing *cue gasps and looks of shock*
i'm not a very big sewer but today for some reason, i have some (most likely misplaced) confidence.
last night at ncb, the lovely anna, kindly brought along two massive bags of her 'scraps'. in one of the bags, there was a massive piece of jersey knit and after a quick measure of myself against the fabric, i knew it would be perfect for a wooly winter sweater dress.

i've got a dress that i like in a similar weight of knit, so today, i'm challenging myself to re-create it in the brown knit i thankfully received last night.
well that is as long as i get my painting done first that is...

for more creative spaces, pop over here

this week...

2011-09-12T19:49:00.002+10:00

last week, i wanted to start on some painting and get some long promised sewing done, and i managed to get both done!
the top drawer of the kitchen drawers is all done and the second drawer even has a coat too!

the priority this week is more painting obviously! one down, four to go!

i also have to get some housework done, i've been doing the bare minimum for a few weeks and it's all starting to build up... floors need vacuuming and mopping, there's dust covering almost every surface and the washing basket is full! and you don't want to know about the toilet...
so yep, lots of houseworking to be done!

i also have not one, but two cushion covers on the go. hopefully i can make some headway on both of them this week :D

what are your plans for the week?

sunday snippets.

2011-09-11T17:29:00.003+10:00

i've finally got the day off on a sunday and can therefore FINALLY play along with sunday snippets.
working sundays tend to be quite boring ha ha!

today i wrapped a very belated present...

and then delivered it! i got to meet the new addition and got lots of baby hugs :D

we then headed home and i settled in for some couch crafts while the football plays on the tv.
a bit of sewing on my machine (yes, machine sewing on the couch, the epitome of laziness!)

and some tidying up of granny squares left over from the baby blankie (still yet to be delivered, i'm a fairly terrible cousin...)

now off to do some grocery shopping and organise something for dinner tonight.

what are you up to this sunday? play along with sunday snippets with cathie.