taking stock.

today, i thought i'd join in with pip and her taking stock list!



Making: patches!
Cooking: in the slow cooker. osso bucco tonight.
Drinking: tea. white and peppermint.
Reading: blog posts. trying to catch up on the stockpile in my reader.
Wanting: to stay home and knit all day!
Looking: around at all the tidying i should be doing. and washing...
Playing: with my stash wool, trying to work out what i can knit next...
Deciding: what to have for lunch today.
Wishing: i didn't stay up so late last night. sampson escaped out the back door just as it got dark and only slunk back inside just before 1. very sleepy today!
Enjoying: having the morning to relax and sleep in.
Waiting: for a load of washing to finish.
Liking: that sampson is curled up on my toes. he seems to be a bit sorry for keeping me up and is following me around and looking adorable at every opportunity to make up for it.
Wondering: what to put on my meal plan next week.
Loving: that my laptop is behaving. i was having some cursor issues and it was super frustrating to use. it seems to have fixed itself though thankfully!
Pondering: a slice of carrot cake.
Considering: future blog posts. my brain seems to be on fire with creating blog content at the moment!
Watching: my kitchen rules. so much new reality tv this week! i am a reality tv tragic.
Hoping: my shift at work tonight goes swiftly and smoothly.
Marvelling: at the things these people on my kitchen rules are saying about one another. they really like to stir up the drama huh?
Needing: more tea.
Smelling: lavender on my bead side table.
Wearing: my pyjamas still! so comfy.
Following: karen's amazing work at fringe supply co. her posts are a constant stream of inspiration.
Noticing: that i'm in desperate need of a manicure. i cleaned the bbq last night and my nails are FILTHY!
Knowing: that there isn't enough time in the day!
Thinking: about the future and what it holds.
Feeling: like it might be time to get going for the day...
Admiring: those that are taking part in the year of ethical fashion. i really want to commit, but i think i need to sort out a few things before i can...
Sorting: out my plans for the upcoming month.
Buying: a new iron. my old one is not doing so great... thanks for the tip karen!
Getting: excited for a weekend off next week.
Bookmarking: things on pinterest. always.
Disliking: only an hour til work time.
Opening: emails. and thinking i really need to reply to some!
Giggling: at sampson. he's ridiculous.
Feeling: relieved. there were so many prompts ha ha!

have you taken stock too? would you like to? there's a blank list over on pip's post!

my creative space.

this week, i've been working on a couple of new projects...

after finishing this blankie, i really wanted to play around with the pattern a little, to try and get those little hearts looking a little fuller...



so i decided to play in a little bit smaller format than a blankie, a scarf!
i have, of course, run out of the grey wool again... but i'll be back to work on it as soon as i can get some more!

and then, in the mean time...



i thought i'd knit up some patches, using more stash wool, for post a patch.
the blog over there has been a little quiet, so hopefully they're still accepting patches!
they're quite quick and easy to knit up, i'm hoping to make quite a few of them!

what are you creating this week? would you like to knit some patches too?

green love.

despite not getting out and about in my garden too much over the last week or so, it still amazes me to look around and see what's happening...

this flowering vine, that i planted quite a while ago after picking it up discounted from a nursery, is slowly coming into it's own.



the beautiful blooms are really summery and it seems to be putting off new growth shoots all the time!
i think i originally planted this here with the hope that it would grow along this brick wall, making it pretty and green, and i think it could well happen!

a few weeks ago, the greengrocer had whole pineapples discounted, so i bought one, with the express purpose of planting the top!



i let it dry out for a week or so before sticking the top into a glass of water.
i was super skeptical as to whether it would work or not, but check it out! roots are rooting!
i'm hoping to get it into some dirt in the next couple of days and hopefully it will start to grow! wish me luck!

i've been happy dancing all around the place the last week because four out of five of my tomato plants, have little flowers!



i know my tomatoes are way behind the eightball on this one (i've seen fully grown tomatoes popping up on instagram...) but they will happen at their own pace. hopefully...

and the very last, super-duper exciting thing...



an almost red, perfectly-formed raspberry!! be still my beating heart!
if this guy gets eaten by a possum, possum warfare may ensue...

what's growing in your patch this week? do you have home-grown tomatoes already?

woodland sampled.

it's only taken me the large part of january, as well as all of 2013, but it's finally done!!



my 2013 woodland sampler is all completed and i'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

a little close up of the last couple of months...



november's square took me FOREVER to finish because of all of those little sparkle thread snowflakes! don't look too closely though because some of them have ALREADY started to come apart! much repairing will be needed by the time i get it into a frame!

december...



didn't take as long, but i didn't want to start it until i finished november... so it only got started a couple of weeks ago.

and this cute little bonus square...



finishes off the piece nicely!

i'm so happy this is finally all done! now i can get on with the zillion wooly ideas that are flapping around my brain! phew!

are you a cross-stitcher? have you tried any of the frosted pumpkin designs?

meal planning monday.

alrighty, i'm excited about this week's meal plan as it should clear a bit of the stuff out of the freezer, it's getting PRETTY full! these few meals probably won't make too much of a dent... lots of freezer meals coming up in the next few weeks i think!



tonight, i'm going to grab some of the leftover roast lamb out of the freezer and whip up a 'save with jamie' recipe. i'm thinking lamb biryani... hopefully it's yummy!

tomorrow night, bb has requested butter chicken. easy. peasy.
hopefully there's some leftover biryani for lunches, otherwise, salads.

wednesday night, i'm off to craft group, so i'll grab a steak for bb, and i'll have something while i'm there!
leftover curry for lunch should work.

thursday night, i'll use up some more roast leftovers from the freezer, and another 'save with jamie' recipe. pork buns this time!
i'll try and get up at a reasonable time and whip up some fritters for us to take for lunch, and some salad too!

friday night, i'm working late, so i'll pop some osso buco into the slow cooker. it should be good with a little bit of pasta.
lunches? no idea. hopefully there'll be some leftovers for bb to take... otherwise, he can make himself a sandwich! creative huh?

saturday night, i'm hoping for home made pizzas. it's been a couple of weeks, and we have dough ready to go in the freezer! should be easy after another saturday of work (thankfully, next two weekends off, phew!)

on sunday night, bb has requested a roast. pork specifically. so i'll leave him in charge of that one!

what are you eating this week? do you meal plan too?

a little project.

when you've got a bit of a get together planned the next day, and there's approximately 2810348034 things on your to-do list, sometimes you just need to do something completely unnecessary...



a couple of quick coats of the chalkboard paint i received as a birthday gift last year and now i can chalk up my dining table!

i can't wait to use it to set up the table, both for eating on, and serving on!

it should get a good workout today for the australia day bbq i've got happening today.

are you a procrasticrafter? do you have a chalkboard? are you celebrating australia day?

little lovelies.

every week, i try and share a little list of lovely things that have happened throughout the week in my neck of the woods, to try and keep myself looking on the bright side of things.

belated christmas gifts.



in the past week, i've received not one but two belated christmas gifts!
the above was from bb. he was SO prepared, researching and purchasing this gift for me, several weeks before christmas. the spindle is handmade though, and made to order, so it didn't quite make it in time... i still appreciate it though, and probably more so now, as i ALMOST have the mental space to take on something new, like spinning!
the second gift, was a beautiful necklace, made of rope, in the most beautiful mint green.
it's so lovely and i feel so spoilt this week!

i found a discounted bag of tomatoes in the green grocer earlier in the week...



and on thursday night, they were chopped up and went into the oven, becoming the most delicious pasta sauce.
making something so delicious from such simple ingredients is always so nice.

farm time is something that will always put a smile on my face.



hanging out with my mum, this gal, and the rest of the animals is always such a treasure. i didn't even cop too many headbutts this visit!

earlier in the week, i whipped up 2 and a half dozen bread rolls for the bbq i have planned tomorrow...



they've been hiding in the freezer ever since. but i love the fact that i made them myself, and that bb and i haven't bought any bread all year so far!

and finally...



how could that video not put a smile on your face?

i'm not sure how long the pianos are around for, but i'd love to go into the city and have a play!

what's made you smile this week? are you a spinner? do you bake bread?

fomo.

fomo, or fear of missing out, is something that this little guy suffers from HORRIBLY!



he never sleeps, not truly anyway.
it's not quite with one eye open... but a call of his name will get his tail flicking, and a second call will get him to turn and look at you.



every passer-by is watched through one window, and then chased down to the next, and watched again. my neighbours must think i'm a perve, with all the curtain flicking that happens, but it's not me! my cat just must know what's going on at ALL times!



every item of food that is being prepared MUST be for him... and he will demand to at the very least smell it (he very rarely gets to...) and will quite often try and dip a sneaky paw in to have a taste too. he will even trot over and smell a banana which he seems to despise the smell of, based on the face he makes after having a sniff. every. single. time.



heaven forbid bb or i close the bathroom door when we go to the toilet. he makes it sound like his world is ending!



my peculiar kitty. diagnosis - fomo.

this post was somewhat inspired by this cushion. everytime i see it online, i can't help but think of my sampson.

do you have a strange pet? what do they do that keeps you entertained?

my creative space.

this week, i've been working on getting this devilish thing finished...



i say devilish, because sparkle thread. it's tedious and splitty and in the november block, there were little single crosses dotted everywhere like confetti. or snowflakes i guess...

anywho, i'm on the home stretch and should definitely get it finished tonight after work.

and speaking of getting things finished...



this lovely thing is done and dusted! well, except for the ends... they might get sewn in tonight too...
i started this milo, just to see what it would look like in this yarn, and i left out the signature cable to let the variegation sing.



i love it! and that's another 102g stash-busted too!

raveled.

what are you working on in your creative space this week?

green love.

i spent yesterday outside, in the garden at my parent's place and it was WONDERFUL!
i decided after breakfast, that the garden bed around the front of the house, was going to be tidied. it was completely covered in burnt and dying nasturtium after the heat wave last week.



though not anymore...

it took me a couple of hours, but both sides of the garden bed are now nasturtium, and weed free!



well for now anyway... there were a LOT of nasturtium seeds dropped so i'm sure they'll make a comeback in the next few months.

all of the nasturtium i pulled out, is now residing in the chook yard. being watched over by the watchful eye of the goat.



after losing a chook last week, she's also keeping an eye on the girls, helping to scare away the naughty foxes, and eat some of the overgrowth in the yard too!

while i was digging into the garden bed, i made a little discovery...



some little potatoes! i asked mum when she planted them there, and she thought maybe the year we first moved in... 12 years ago!!!
i'll have to have a look at them when i get home, to make sure they're good to eat, but in the mean time, they look pretty good!

i didn't find these lovelies in the front garden, but instead from the bumper crop being grown in mum's vegie garden.



i was putting them into a salad last night, and it was one for me, one for the salad! so delicious!

now i'm off to muck out the chook house, and change their laying bed straw!
i love my farm time!

what's growing in your space this week? have you found any secret crops?

a little make-do...

when my folks came back from their trip to the us last year, they brought me back this shirt...



i was super thankful for another shirt, and i figured it would be great for exercising in and just generally kicking around the house in.
and then i tried it on...



it was SUPER tight around the collar! eep!

rather than putting it away in a drawer, never to be worn, or chucking it into the op-shop pile, i decided to get out my trusty scissors...



and with a few little snips...



much better!

i cut around the collar ribbing, and into a little 'v' and the shirt now fits MUCH more comfortably!
i wore it all day while i was doing yard work and relaxing around the house on sunday.

over the last few months, i've been trying on a bit of a different mind-set when i come across little problems like this... rather than scrunching things up, and discarding them, i'm trying to make-do with what i've got, for as long as i can...
working in retail, i feel like commercialism takes up quite a large part of my life, so if i can make do without having to buy new, for as long as i can, i'm a happy gal!

are you a mend and make-do-er? what is your favourite make-do story?

meal planning monday.

last week's meal plan wasn't quite as successful as the week before was... but i'd like to throughly blame the heat for that one! with much cooler temperatures scheduled for this week, hopefully this meal plan will go a bit more, to plan!



tonight, i'm heading down to visit my folks straight from work. hopefully they will wait and have dinner with me, otherwise, i'm having sandwiches!
bb will be fending for himself somewhat, but i've made sure there's a big juicy steak for him to cook up!
for lunches, there's leftovers from last nights dinner. we slow-cooked because i didn't quite get around to it on friday... and i didn't feel like the recipe i'd originally linked up last week, so i threw together this one. in truth, i didn't throw together anything as i didn't leave myself enough time before work yesterday morning, bb did all the hard work!

tomorrow night, i'll still be down at mum and dad's, so i'll be eating with them! bb can cook for himself again!
and as for lunches, he can have whatever he pleases as i'll be eating with mum, hopefully in between doing lots of awesome farm stuff and maybe even getting a bit of op-shopping in!

wednesday night, i'm home again! so i guess i'd better cook something awesome... and by cook i mean prepare, as bb has requested this salad AGAIN! 3rd week running!

thursday means i'm back at work... simple dinner it is! bolognaise from the freezer? i think so!
there should be heaps of salad leftover for lunches.

friday night means i'm working late, so slow cooking is where it will be at! this recipe should do the job. i've just got to make sure i leave myself enough time to get in on the go this week!
leftover bolognaise for lunches i think.

saturday, i'll leave bb in charge of cooking dinner as i'm working all day!

and sunday, we're throwing a little australia day bbq as a late lunch sort of deal... i'd say we'll be still quite full from lunch, to be too worried about dinner.
i've ALREADY started preparations on the food! there are two dozen sourdough rolls, fresh out of the oven, and into the freezer from last night and this morning to get us started!
i'm really looking forward to it!

what are you eating this week? are you celebrating on australia day?

little lovelies.

every week, i try and share a little list of lovely things that have happened throughout the week in my neck of the woods, to try and keep myself looking on the bright side of things.

over the weekend, i got to harvesting my first crop of onions!



they've turned out a little small, which may have been due to a lack of water... but is most likely due to the rock hard clay soil i planted them in...
i was hoping they'd help to break it up a bit, no luck there!
they've been a staple in salads this week though and they're super tasty and delicious!

during the week, i received some happy mail!



magdalena was having a clearance sale on instagram of some of her bits and bobs so i splurged and bought myself two packs, mostly for the fabric (for hexie-ing... need to get back to that soon!) but how lovely are those buttons? and that bias? and the lace? swoooooooooon.

monday night, i pulled my ballet shoes out of storage after deciding to take some ballet classes.



unfortunately, the class i can attend (in the evening, after work) is already full for the term! i'm on the list for next term though, and i've started yoga-ing in the mean time!
i'm following this yoga challenge to help me get started, though i'm resting on days when i'm feeling too sore... some of the days have been quite challenging already!

the one thing that has put the biggest smile on my face this week though, is this guy...



four straight days of temperatures above 40 degrees would have most certainly been unbearable without this little portable air conditioner... they were almost unbearable WITH it!
there are very few times that i am thankful that i work in a crappy shopping center, but this week was one of them!

what has made you smile this week? have you survived this heatwave? or is it cool where you are?

green love.

i think this flower is looking a bit like most of melbourne is feeling this morning...



wilted!

it was a super hot one over night in melbourne so i popped out, just as the sun was poking it's head out to get some water on my thirsty, thirsty plants.



keeping that hose head nice and low. soaking the roots to keep them going over another hot day today.

i'm trying to make sure i keep the water up to the raspberry.



i wanna give these berries the best shot at being super juicy and delicious.

my tomatoes don't seem to be minding the heat too bad.



both the plants out the front and back have grown substantially since last time i shared them.

i transplanted the overgrown lemongrass into a different pot over the weekend.



in hindsight, this might not have been the smartest idea... it is not a happy camper at the moment!

what's growing in your patch at the moment? weather playing havoc?

i heart you.

voila!



the scrappy heart blankie is complete!



even though i did the majority of the work on it last year, i'm counting it towards my stash busting total for THIS year. which i've decided i'm weighing out...

2014 stash busting tally - 646g.



let's pretend i didn't buy most of the grey for this blankie ok? it'll be our little secret sshhhhhhhhh!

raveled.

are you stash busting this year? how do you keep tally? what have you finished lately?