This was a marvellous effort by Bessie (all I did was the lemon rind), really she has developed into a really wonderful cook.
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hat knitting
1 hour ago
Sunday, 30 May 2010
missing ghosts
It was only after I'd unsuccessfully photographed this in an enormous number of angles that I set upon the perfect arrangement ...
This was a marvellous effort by Bessie (all I did was the lemon rind), really she has developed into a really wonderful cook.
.
This was a marvellous effort by Bessie (all I did was the lemon rind), really she has developed into a really wonderful cook.
.
i <3 autumn
After so much horrible rain, it was a lovely cold, sunny day today.
Japanese maple on the balcony.
After a quick trip to Broadway for jeans and bra for Bess and pyjamas for Joe/Frank, there was lots of lazing about and cheesecake making (which Bessie accidentally left here when she left this evening!), pizza making, a rousing game of Buzz and watching our playing group almost win and eventually get return to their natural state of suck.
Things I didn't do this weekend: knit, organise our paperwork, vacuum (we paid Bessie to do that last one)
Now we're enjoying a glass (or seven) of wine, cooking minestrone from Marie Claire: comfortand waiting for Eurovision.
Also, as I say every Sunday evening in a whiney voice, "I don't want to go to work tomorrow". Sickie? I've got 11 days up my sleeve. Unfortunately too many super-urgent tasks await me (also, because it is that time of year, my performance review). Perhaps next week?
.
Japanese maple on the balcony.
After a quick trip to Broadway for jeans and bra for Bess and pyjamas for Joe/Frank, there was lots of lazing about and cheesecake making (which Bessie accidentally left here when she left this evening!), pizza making, a rousing game of Buzz and watching our playing group almost win and eventually get return to their natural state of suck.
Things I didn't do this weekend: knit, organise our paperwork, vacuum (we paid Bessie to do that last one)
Now we're enjoying a glass (or seven) of wine, cooking minestrone from Marie Claire: comfortand waiting for Eurovision.
Also, as I say every Sunday evening in a whiney voice, "I don't want to go to work tomorrow". Sickie? I've got 11 days up my sleeve. Unfortunately too many super-urgent tasks await me (also, because it is that time of year, my performance review). Perhaps next week?
.
Saturday, 29 May 2010
it was juuusst right
I had intended to wait until I had a photo of the completed article before I posted this, but Bessie is a bit of a slackard and I wanted content NOW.
Those following me on twitter will know that a couple of weeks ago there was a fashion emergency!
There was camp! There was a disco! There was a theme based on the letter of the roll-class!
Bessie is in 9G and thus was required to something starting with "G". After a great deal of not-terribly creative brainstorming, she settled on Goldilocks and had very strong views about what her outfit should look like (more pale blue gingham?!1)
Bessie appears to have an over-inflated opinion of my seamstressly abilities and thought it would be a breeze. It had been a very long time since I'd sewn a fitted bodice (truth be told, I'm quite convinced that I'd never sewn one) so I felt beholden to acquire a pattern.
In retrospect, I kind of wish I hadn't gone the pattern route. I thought it would be an easy sew, but I had to make so may adjustments that I may as well have drafted a pattern myself. Bessie is by no means a chubbo or misshapen, but I had to increase the midriff band by whole nine centimetres and make ever-so-many other little tweaks here and there.
It was easily the most complicated thing I've ever made. It was such a challenge to fit and took such a long time (fortunately I was a bit fluey and managed to score a day at home watching Murder She Wrote and hand-sewing) and I'm definitely delighted with the outcome.
The back. Very unfinished - tacked together so that I might defy the pattern and make the dress actually fit Bess.
I'm still perplexed as to why I had to add so much to the front band.
If I do say so myself, the lining is pretty stellar. Mad skillz? I has them.
Also at the last minute: the three bears (from the jumper I felted in 2007. See, it pays not to throw anything away)
The whole exercise was a real boost to the ego: complexities, problem-solving, excellent end-product. I really would like to do this again, with possibly a less tight timeline.
1image of Bess as Dorothy has disappeared from INTERNET, must find it on hard drive and upload
Those following me on twitter will know that a couple of weeks ago there was a fashion emergency!
There was camp! There was a disco! There was a theme based on the letter of the roll-class!
Bessie is in 9G and thus was required to something starting with "G". After a great deal of not-terribly creative brainstorming, she settled on Goldilocks and had very strong views about what her outfit should look like (more pale blue gingham?!1)
Bessie appears to have an over-inflated opinion of my seamstressly abilities and thought it would be a breeze. It had been a very long time since I'd sewn a fitted bodice (truth be told, I'm quite convinced that I'd never sewn one) so I felt beholden to acquire a pattern.
In retrospect, I kind of wish I hadn't gone the pattern route. I thought it would be an easy sew, but I had to make so may adjustments that I may as well have drafted a pattern myself. Bessie is by no means a chubbo or misshapen, but I had to increase the midriff band by whole nine centimetres and make ever-so-many other little tweaks here and there.
It was easily the most complicated thing I've ever made. It was such a challenge to fit and took such a long time (fortunately I was a bit fluey and managed to score a day at home watching Murder She Wrote and hand-sewing) and I'm definitely delighted with the outcome.
The back. Very unfinished - tacked together so that I might defy the pattern and make the dress actually fit Bess.
I'm still perplexed as to why I had to add so much to the front band.
If I do say so myself, the lining is pretty stellar. Mad skillz? I has them.
Also at the last minute: the three bears (from the jumper I felted in 2007. See, it pays not to throw anything away)
The whole exercise was a real boost to the ego: complexities, problem-solving, excellent end-product. I really would like to do this again, with possibly a less tight timeline.
1image of Bess as Dorothy has disappeared from INTERNET, must find it on hard drive and upload
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
well, there's an "i" in that
The Duck's newsletter arrived in my inbox today and contained: pimping of new supporter merch; chatter about the training session where everyone wore their junior guernsey; and a mention of how the coach was somewhat displeased with the performance in the last match (you may remember the rainbow of "our team sucks")
(transcript for the un-image enabled: Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy says coach Paul Roos' assertion that the team lacked effort in its round nine loss to Fremantle struck a nerve with the playing group.)
The playing group?
Whatever happened to a team?
Perhaps, that goes some way to explaining why they are playing so appallingly. Comms/Marketing-speak will truly be the death of everything that is right and good.
.
(transcript for the un-image enabled: Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy says coach Paul Roos' assertion that the team lacked effort in its round nine loss to Fremantle struck a nerve with the playing group.)
The playing group?
Whatever happened to a team?
Perhaps, that goes some way to explaining why they are playing so appallingly. Comms/Marketing-speak will truly be the death of everything that is right and good.
.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
my very nice weekend
In my defense I've had a decent excuse for not delivering on the promise to post a catch-up on Friday.
A couple of impromptu dates with my lovely husband!
Really, there is nothing like full-time parenthood to make one really appreciate time alone together.
Japanese on Friday evening. At my suggestion! This is quite amazing considering that I loathed all forms of Japanese food when Don and I first started dating (yes, utterly philistine, I know). I'm still not big on sushi and sashimi (perhaps too delicate for my unsophisticated palate?), but have come to love many other forms. Now I even crave miso, when previously it made me gag.
While I went for my favourite ton katsu, Don bravely chose the teriyaki eel. The eel was actually quite wonderful, I'd definitely consider it for next visit.
Next on my forcing myself upon food I previously found disgusting list - ramen.
Yes, I'm still taking photos of every meal - am just sparing you all from the experience! I'm planning to print them all in a blurb book when the year is over. Oh planning! we won't talk about the book of Italy that we were planning to make (or all the other things I've planned and just not got around to yet).
We commenced our Saturday with bacon and eggs - bacon cured by Don and eggs from the backyard chickens at the babies haus!
The backyard eggs were so yellow!
And the eggs from the backyard chickens are quite a bit smaller than those from the supermarket.
By Golly(!), I want some chickens of my own! Unfortunately, I really don't think they'd play terribly well on the deck.
We then, after a visit to K-Mart for some laundry supplies (bucket, washing basket, nappy-san), we set out to the footy, watched the ducks play a woeful game in the rain and admired the gorgeous rainbow of "our team sucks".
It was the first time as members that we'd not sat at ground level and the view was definitely superior, even though the play was not.
Then dragged ourselves to Pasteur for some quite excellent pho:
And indulged in a spirited game of "count the hipsters" on a lovely walk home after which we enjoyed some wine and You Only Live Twice which Channel Seven ruined by chopping off the last few minutes and going straight into a Kevin Bacon movie (C7: both homophobic and incompetent). Why we watched it on teev, I've yet to fathom, seeing that we own the Connery and Moore Bond collections.
Today we hauswerked briefly then ventured out to DJs so that Don might spend the remainder of his You are awesome! $500 DJs voucher and for me to attempt to spend my $250 Holy Crap, you've survived 5 years at Marie Celeste six-months-late one.
As an aside, Dishy Boss gave the most wonderful and lovely (and interminable) heartfelt speech when presenting me with my award at the staff meeting. Everyone has been commenting that until they heard the speech they did not realise how marvellous I was, I respond that I'm happy to expand on my wonderfulness if and as required.
Back at the shoppering, Don was much more successful than I - eventually scoring a new sportsy-coat and wallet.
I'm finding that DJs has become depressingly either 20-something-ish or uber-matronly (Don found this too - which would explain the eventually above) and it is very difficult to find anything that is not granny or MDL1.
We will not even talk about my attempt to locate shoes! I loved the ones below, but as all my fashion consultants agree, they are really more suited to Bessie.
Today, I managed to acquire a quite lovely vanilla orchid fragrance, which was ridiculously inexpensive. I'm almost out of the L'Occitane which replaced the Crabtree and Evelyn - neither of which are available any longer - what is it about me and discontinued fragrances?
The lovely Joan was given a $200 Myer voucher for being all around awesome and wishes she had a DJs one, so we're talking swapping vouchers.
I'm thinking surely there would be something at Myer that is more between the granny and teen!
1Mutton Dressed as Lamb
.
A couple of impromptu dates with my lovely husband!
Really, there is nothing like full-time parenthood to make one really appreciate time alone together.
Japanese on Friday evening. At my suggestion! This is quite amazing considering that I loathed all forms of Japanese food when Don and I first started dating (yes, utterly philistine, I know). I'm still not big on sushi and sashimi (perhaps too delicate for my unsophisticated palate?), but have come to love many other forms. Now I even crave miso, when previously it made me gag.
While I went for my favourite ton katsu, Don bravely chose the teriyaki eel. The eel was actually quite wonderful, I'd definitely consider it for next visit.
Next on my forcing myself upon food I previously found disgusting list - ramen.
Yes, I'm still taking photos of every meal - am just sparing you all from the experience! I'm planning to print them all in a blurb book when the year is over. Oh planning! we won't talk about the book of Italy that we were planning to make (or all the other things I've planned and just not got around to yet).
We commenced our Saturday with bacon and eggs - bacon cured by Don and eggs from the backyard chickens at the babies haus!
The backyard eggs were so yellow!
And the eggs from the backyard chickens are quite a bit smaller than those from the supermarket.
By Golly(!), I want some chickens of my own! Unfortunately, I really don't think they'd play terribly well on the deck.
We then, after a visit to K-Mart for some laundry supplies (bucket, washing basket, nappy-san), we set out to the footy, watched the ducks play a woeful game in the rain and admired the gorgeous rainbow of "our team sucks".
It was the first time as members that we'd not sat at ground level and the view was definitely superior, even though the play was not.
Then dragged ourselves to Pasteur for some quite excellent pho:
And indulged in a spirited game of "count the hipsters" on a lovely walk home after which we enjoyed some wine and You Only Live Twice which Channel Seven ruined by chopping off the last few minutes and going straight into a Kevin Bacon movie (C7: both homophobic and incompetent). Why we watched it on teev, I've yet to fathom, seeing that we own the Connery and Moore Bond collections.
Today we hauswerked briefly then ventured out to DJs so that Don might spend the remainder of his You are awesome! $500 DJs voucher and for me to attempt to spend my $250 Holy Crap, you've survived 5 years at Marie Celeste six-months-late one.
As an aside, Dishy Boss gave the most wonderful and lovely (and interminable) heartfelt speech when presenting me with my award at the staff meeting. Everyone has been commenting that until they heard the speech they did not realise how marvellous I was, I respond that I'm happy to expand on my wonderfulness if and as required.
Back at the shoppering, Don was much more successful than I - eventually scoring a new sportsy-coat and wallet.
I'm finding that DJs has become depressingly either 20-something-ish or uber-matronly (Don found this too - which would explain the eventually above) and it is very difficult to find anything that is not granny or MDL1.
We will not even talk about my attempt to locate shoes! I loved the ones below, but as all my fashion consultants agree, they are really more suited to Bessie.
Today, I managed to acquire a quite lovely vanilla orchid fragrance, which was ridiculously inexpensive. I'm almost out of the L'Occitane which replaced the Crabtree and Evelyn - neither of which are available any longer - what is it about me and discontinued fragrances?
The lovely Joan was given a $200 Myer voucher for being all around awesome and wishes she had a DJs one, so we're talking swapping vouchers.
I'm thinking surely there would be something at Myer that is more between the granny and teen!
1Mutton Dressed as Lamb
.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Monday, 10 May 2010
vanity search
Around a month ago, as part of a wider work avoidance project, I was googling myself (what? you don't?) and came across a rather expensive designer bag which had, for all intents and purposes, the same name as me!
It was gorgeous and I coveted it greatly, but really was wavering as to whether I should lash out. Hideously expensive (and I do mean hideously) v A Bag With My Name! To give a sense of perspective to ny dilemma, my current (and most expensive one I've ever owned) handbag cost HEB1 ÷ 10.
Cue much dithering.
I arrived home this afternoon to find an international courier box on the dining table. "What have you been buying yourself?", I undulgently question my beloved, expecting some amazingly esoteric foodie device or unusual foodstuffs. "Nothing, it's for you!"
You can guess what was inside.
No photo as too dark for decent shot.
What an absolute darling he is!
And little wonder we're going all Austerity Measures.
1HideouslyExpensiveBag
.
It was gorgeous and I coveted it greatly, but really was wavering as to whether I should lash out. Hideously expensive (and I do mean hideously) v A Bag With My Name! To give a sense of perspective to ny dilemma, my current (and most expensive one I've ever owned) handbag cost HEB1 ÷ 10.
Cue much dithering.
I arrived home this afternoon to find an international courier box on the dining table. "What have you been buying yourself?", I undulgently question my beloved, expecting some amazingly esoteric foodie device or unusual foodstuffs. "Nothing, it's for you!"
You can guess what was inside.
No photo as too dark for decent shot.
What an absolute darling he is!
And little wonder we're going all Austerity Measures.
1HideouslyExpensiveBag
.
Sunday, 9 May 2010
avoidance
Unfortunately, despite my best intentions, I have done precisely no knitting at all, being distracted by the purchase of a new computer (very under-spec'd, very small, very cheap and very suited to my needs and infinitely superior to the elderly T22), much washing and a big walk to and around Balmain today.
Meanwhile, enjoy the cuteness from the end of our street as a distraction:
Exactly like an adorable robot from the wonderful Bennett Robot Works (and probably infinitely more affordable)!
We really do desperately need some sculpture in the haus, sadly we're about to commence our own version of Greek-style austerity measures.
.
Meanwhile, enjoy the cuteness from the end of our street as a distraction:
Exactly like an adorable robot from the wonderful Bennett Robot Works (and probably infinitely more affordable)!
We really do desperately need some sculpture in the haus, sadly we're about to commence our own version of Greek-style austerity measures.
.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
not really any sort of lesson
I have a terrible problem with hording all manner of things which I think eventually might prove useful for years. This often proves at odds with my desire to lead a clutter-free life. Quite often I'll read unclutterer.com and embark on an enthusiastic purge of junk, but some stuff stays for years.
For example, around 6 years ago, the babies' step-mother gifted me with some fabric and a pattern which she no longer had any use for, the fabric was partly cut into the pattern. Given the style of the pattern and the fabric, I estimate that she'd had it for around 6 years before she handed it off to me.
An so it all sat in my stash doing not a great deal, amazingly surviving the giant (more than 2 large suitcases full) fabric purge when I moved in with Don.
Around a month ago I realised the fabric was suddenly fashionable and dragged it out so that I may make a skirt with Bessie, who is well on her way to developing masterful skills in the feminine arts.
Given that I'd spent a great deal of my time in 1983-84 making very similar skirts, we scoffed at the idea of a pattern and free-styled.
The challenge was to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and let Bessie do the majority of the sewing (although I did insert the zipper - mostly because I needed the practice for a project I have on standby).
The results were most pleasing:
Looks quite a lot better in Real Life than in photographs. When I dropped J/F off on Friday night, Bessie was wearing the skirt with black tights and ballet flats and she looked quite marvellous.
Am not sure what the lesson from this is.
Perhaps I should I hold on to everything just in case I need it one day?
.
For example, around 6 years ago, the babies' step-mother gifted me with some fabric and a pattern which she no longer had any use for, the fabric was partly cut into the pattern. Given the style of the pattern and the fabric, I estimate that she'd had it for around 6 years before she handed it off to me.
An so it all sat in my stash doing not a great deal, amazingly surviving the giant (more than 2 large suitcases full) fabric purge when I moved in with Don.
Around a month ago I realised the fabric was suddenly fashionable and dragged it out so that I may make a skirt with Bessie, who is well on her way to developing masterful skills in the feminine arts.
Given that I'd spent a great deal of my time in 1983-84 making very similar skirts, we scoffed at the idea of a pattern and free-styled.
The challenge was to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and let Bessie do the majority of the sewing (although I did insert the zipper - mostly because I needed the practice for a project I have on standby).
The results were most pleasing:
Looks quite a lot better in Real Life than in photographs. When I dropped J/F off on Friday night, Bessie was wearing the skirt with black tights and ballet flats and she looked quite marvellous.
Am not sure what the lesson from this is.
Perhaps I should I hold on to everything just in case I need it one day?
.
Friday, 7 May 2010
i didn't really say which winter
My goal for this weekend is to complete the front of Don's jumper. You remember - that one I said I would complete in January.
I was (and am) a little nervous about dividing for a vee-neck because I've only knitted round neck jumpers before. Fortunately after I wrote out a chart, and after sitting down with loads of MSW, things seem to be going okay. Well they seemed to be going okay 4 weeks ago, which was when I last picked it up (is currently sitting in the corner next to the stereogram taunting me).
So by golly, that front will be finished by Monday! Even if I have to re-watch multiple episodes of the fab Mrs Fletcher to do so.
And then on to the sleeves.
This has taught me a valuable lesson - I really think that I am more cut out for scarves and hats as I have the attention span of ... a person with a very short attention span.
.
I was (and am) a little nervous about dividing for a vee-neck because I've only knitted round neck jumpers before. Fortunately after I wrote out a chart, and after sitting down with loads of MSW, things seem to be going okay. Well they seemed to be going okay 4 weeks ago, which was when I last picked it up (is currently sitting in the corner next to the stereogram taunting me).
So by golly, that front will be finished by Monday! Even if I have to re-watch multiple episodes of the fab Mrs Fletcher to do so.
And then on to the sleeves.
This has taught me a valuable lesson - I really think that I am more cut out for scarves and hats as I have the attention span of ... a person with a very short attention span.
.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
sweet
As you are all no doubt aware, we took our second camping trip over the ANZAC Day long weekend.
This time out, now that we had a little experience under our belts, Don insisted that it wouldn't be a proper camping trip unless we made s'mores! Being all into the cultural experiences (and having had ninety-billion references to them thrust at me through various mediums over the the years) I was all about giving it a bash.
First challenge - graham crackers don't appear to exist here1, so we had to settle for next best thing, which according to INTERNET is digestive biscuits. We decided upon chocolate digestives to streamline the s'more-constructing process.
Second challenge - Australian marshmallows come in pink. Apparently this does not make for a Proper s'more - one needs white (we settled upon a white and pink packet) and white only.
Nonetheless, despite our we gave making them a shot on afternoon two (afternoon one being dominated by torrential rain and leeches)
(One of the things I love about camping is that I can legitimately get about in the most elegant of ensembles)
The verdict? Absolutely the most disgustingly sweet thing I have eaten in my life. It felt like my teeth would rot straight out of my head right then and there.
Don admitted afterward that he had only ever eaten them once before! And he then blamed our marshmallows, which are apparently far too sugary and not like American marshmallows at all.
1Don did order some from the fabulous USA Foods, but sadly they failed to arrive in time.
.
This time out, now that we had a little experience under our belts, Don insisted that it wouldn't be a proper camping trip unless we made s'mores! Being all into the cultural experiences (and having had ninety-billion references to them thrust at me through various mediums over the the years) I was all about giving it a bash.
First challenge - graham crackers don't appear to exist here1, so we had to settle for next best thing, which according to INTERNET is digestive biscuits. We decided upon chocolate digestives to streamline the s'more-constructing process.
Second challenge - Australian marshmallows come in pink. Apparently this does not make for a Proper s'more - one needs white (we settled upon a white and pink packet) and white only.
Nonetheless, despite our we gave making them a shot on afternoon two (afternoon one being dominated by torrential rain and leeches)
(One of the things I love about camping is that I can legitimately get about in the most elegant of ensembles)
The verdict? Absolutely the most disgustingly sweet thing I have eaten in my life. It felt like my teeth would rot straight out of my head right then and there.
Don admitted afterward that he had only ever eaten them once before! And he then blamed our marshmallows, which are apparently far too sugary and not like American marshmallows at all.
1Don did order some from the fabulous USA Foods, but sadly they failed to arrive in time.
.
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