bullet journaling.

towards the end of last year, i started looking in to journals and diaries for the new year...

i came across the bullet journalling concept and boy, did it appeal!

super simple (or not, if you'd prefer...) and aimed to keep you on track and kicking goals.
perfect!



i picked myself up this journal as a fresh start, but the bullet journal concept is so simple you could use any book you had lying about.

i've aimed to keep my journalling pretty simple... i watched a tonne of youtube videos of just GORGEOUS bullet journals that people have put together and use, but i knew, that as a toddler mum, who likes to spend her spare time knitting up a storm, i didn't want to be spending a bunch of time setting up my journal on the weekly.



the above monthly spread, is done, as you can probably work out, monthly, and i use it to keep me on track...
from the monthly goals list, i can break down smaller goals and set them up as tasks on the weekly spread below



this set up is a little more complex than the bare-bones, traditional bullet journalling, but i quite like it...
it only takes me a quick second to set up (no ruled lines here!) and i make notes in certain places within each square for certain things...
for example, my to-do list for each day always starts in the top right hand corner under the date.
in the bottom left hand corner, goes the meal plan for that night's dinner, and i make some journal type notes about the day in the bottom right.

my husband thinks i'm a bit of a loon for setting up my weekly spreads just like a traditional journal or diary, but the reason i like this diy format over a fixed one, is that you can change things up at any point, and throw a 'collection' in here and there.

i've got a great list of books that i've read this year, a list of possible blog post subjects, a mega house master to-do list... a lot of lists really, but having them dotted through my weeks is really ace. and with the index feature in the front of the bullet journal, they're always super easy to find again too!

are you a bullet journaller? what's your favourite collection?

nicole talks knitting. episode 5.

recorded a couple of weeks ago now, but what more perfect time to share this video about my knitting plans for this coming year.



2018 knitting plans, ravelry queue
fluorite sock pattern
fly with me vest project

music by https://www.bensound.com/

are you a planner? what have you got planned for the new year, crafty or otherwise?

2017.

last night, the sun set on 2016 and this morning rose on 2017. it wasn't a great nights sleep for me and i woke up feeling tetchy and annoyed... the last time the baby woke, i wasn't able to lull myself back into sleep. rather than getting more annoyed, that i was missing out on precious sleep time, i took the opportunity to catch up on the backlog of blog posts that are sitting in my reader.
oh, and now, i'm using the time to tap out this wee post! with a cup of tea beside me of course.



what a big and crazy year 2016 was for bb and i! we brought in the new year knowing that there was a (very) little life growing inside of me and that knowledge and the reality of it shaped and changed our year in ways we never would have imagined even just a few weeks before.

we made a tree change before little ag came along, moving back in with my folks on their acreage to help us keep our living costs down when bb decided to take the year off from work. having that time off has done wonders for his mental health, and the health of our relationship too. living in such close proximity to one another, we've gotten to know one another even better, something i thought we were pretty much on top of after 11 years together!
and then there was ag's arrival! what a big, huge, crazy and awesome change that has been. i feel like a whole new person almost... something i'm definitely still coming to terms with.
bb has been so excellent with ag, such a fantastic dad, with a level of patience that i surely don't have. i've enthused to him over and over again, just how grateful i am that we are doing this together, that he's not had to head back to work and we get to do all of this baby stuff together. it's truly amazing.


now if you know me, you'll know that my brain is absolutely whirring with the possibility of the new year, all the plans that i could make and being that i love a list... well, i can't resist!

so without further ado, a few plans for 2017

* knit through my stash of sock wool - i'd reckon there's enough for half a dozen pairs and thankfully socks are the ultimate portable project. very easy to stash a project bag with a pair in the nappy bag! need to finish these ones up first though!

* enjoy the flux that comes with an odd living space and a baby - i'm a bit of a control freak, and like things to be how they SHOULD be so no doubt this will continue to challenge me... but i'm enjoying the freedom to move things around and make this space our own, and will continue to declutter and reorganise as we go.

* strive for simplicity - my favourite reads for last year were rhonda hetzel's books on simple living. and i thoroughly enjoyed listening to the slow home podcast too. very much hoping to make little small, slow changes to get us on the path to simpler living with a focus on family time and doing what will be best for us.

*make time for myself - i'm already realising this mum caper can be a little all encompassing, even with both of us home, and grandparents within shouting distance. i need to constantly remind myself that they're all capable, and i can take some time out for myself to knit, or drink tea, visit and catch up with friends, go to yoga or whatever i damn well please really!

*get productive in the garden - it's been a long time in between green love posts and a lot has changed, but not much new has gone into the garden. i've cleared space as each crop finished up, but getting things into those spaces and growing hasn't happened too much... i'm trying not to feel guilty as it should be the most productive time of the year in the garden, but i had other, more pressing priorities in spring!
now that ag is getting a wee bit bigger, i'm finding myself with snippets of time to get out there and get things happening, sometimes even with him! it's nice to set him up next to me and have him chat away while i pull weeds or plant out seeds.
some solid seasonal plans will help with knowing what needs to be done when i get those little opportunities i think.

*get back on the meal planning bandwagon - purse strings need to be tightened this year, plus it'll help keen us healthier and use up what we've got growing in our patch! win/win/win!

*volunteer - maybe at an op-shop? or something in this new community we're a part of. definitely feeling the need to put down some roots here!

*blog weekly - this one is definitely inspired by kate, i'm loving reading her little snippets ever friday and really once a week is enough to tell the stories i want to tell, share the things i want to share, as well as being a reasonable amount of time to commit to blogging each week. we'll see how we go!

what are your plans for this brand new year?

day one - february.

ok so it is the first of feb... an entire month into the new year already... where exactly did that month go?

i had this grand idea, that i might try my hardest to blog every day this month... being the shortest month and all, what a cinch!
however, i'm currently overseas! sans laptop. blogging from my phone is always a little tricky (apologies for any weirdness in the formatting of this post!)
we'll just see how i go i guess ha ha!

i feel like i have lots to blog about this month, lots to catch you all up on from the last couple of months. fingers crossed i can get it together!

there are a few big things on the agenda this month. i've got a knitting project that i'm hoping to get off my needles and onto my body AND i'm lined up to teach a couple of classes on crochet this month. i'm equal parts excited and nervous ha ha.

hopefully i'll be back here tomorrow!

november.

after the past month, i'm ready to get geared up and get lots of stuff done, on a few different fronts...



having a little read over of last month's list, i really did get most of that stuff done.
with the exception of bb's jumper that is...
i lost all motivation when i realised that we wouldn't be honeymooning in europe, so it wouldn't get a wear until at least april of next year!



and for this month? well wedding prep will be in full swing!
i've made a wee start on prettifying the garage this afternoon, though there is LOADS to do in there. as well as a few bits and pieces that i want to get done outside too. keeping the lawn maintained, and keeping everything watered and well looked after are both on the agenda. though i'd also love to plant some happy blooms towards the end of the month too.
i've got plans to spend a bit of time down with my parents in the country, which will give me some time to finalise the reception plans (table settings, floral arrangements, sound systems, catering...) as well as get a couple of projects finished up that i'm working on too!

on the knitting front, i've started two projects in the last week i'd love to get finished up on...
there's also a little bit of pattern designing i've been working on that i need to finish up with too...
i'll keep the details under wraps so i can surprise you when i'm done!

one of my big goals is to get my butt moving this month. my 10k steps a day has well and truly been slipping the past week or so, so i'd love to get 10k steps every day this month!
and keep myself motivated on the food front too. i've really been enjoying eating vegan food, but over the last fortnight, there has been many occasions where i didn't have myself organised, or was being too lazy so ended up going for non-vegan options...
hopefully i can work towards filling up the freezer with easy options, so even if i'm super tired, or on the run, there's still food for us there ready to go!

what are your plans for this month?

october.

wait, it's october? OCTOBER!?!

some mild panicking as it's just over 2 months to our wedding and there's a whole stack of things that i want to get done before then, not to mention christmas and 2016!!!

*takes a deep breath*



last month, i set myself some pretty simple goals. i wanted to make a start on bb's jumper (tick), finish some socks (tick), knit some more squares on my mitred square blankie (buh-bow) and keep up with my gardening (half-tick).
they were goals that were mostly achieved, but some family stuff that happened during the month took it out of me quite a bit. there was a lot of long solo drives (no knitting time) and quite a bit of time i just wanted to sit and rest. emotions and grieving sure do take it out of you.



anywho, what about this month? well this month is slow fashion october over at fringe association, and i think i do want to join in! i'll write a post specifically about that later in the week (and maybe even that craft sessions one i've had brewing in my brain too...) to expand a little more on what my plans are.

knitting wise, i'd love to finish the little orange cardi i'm working on, and make some good progress on bb's jumper. mainly i just want to enjoy the process of knitting it though. less rush, rush, get it done, more slow, methodical meditation.
i also have a couple of cushions i'd love to get sewn up. we'll see how that goes ha ha!

on the wedding front, i need to get our invites out asap! this will mean having to get them all put together and pretty, enveloped up and in the post. hopefully by the end of the weekend too. having the public holiday tomorrow gives me a bit of bonus time thankfully.
i also need to get my wedding ring organised and set some solid honeymoon plans too. flights and accommodation, here we come!
it's all coming together gradually.

in the garden, i really need to get some bird netting up. on everything! the possums keeps coming in the night and munching on my pretty plants. i need them to look really nice come december, so netting has to happen sooner rather than later ha ha!
i also need to thin out my raspberries a little this month, they're getting out of control already and they haven't even settled in yet!

and in the kitchen? well this past week (4 days? semantics!), i've been ridiculously organised with my meals. jars with bircher muesli are on the bench top for breakfasts, the fridge is full of lentil salad in jars too, ready to grab for work and there's been a meal plan as well... it's been great! and it would be nice if i could keep that up for the month. we'll see how it goes i guess.

what are you up to this month? do you have big plans for october?

september.

wow! what an end to the month!
a quickly organised, last-minute trip to the barossa with bb for his work saw me spending yesterday relaxing and slowing down. as well as seeing some of the sights that the valley has to offer of course!
it's been lovely!



recapping august for a hot second, i think i had a fair crack at my goals. i finished up this hat, as well as my prototype (which still needs so much work it won't be seeing the light of day for another few months at least!), while bb's jumper project well and truly languished...
and the mending? well i introduced you to the garments, and i got them all repaired that same day! amazing what you can achieve when you stop procrastinating huh?
i'm loving having the two casual dresses back into rotation in my wardrobe.

the month started off strong with eating healthy, and not buying and eating random crap, but completely fell apart in the last week there...
it was much the same with the walking thing too, though on a week to week basis. i'd start the week off strong, getting in my 10k steps for the first two or three days, and then, by the end of the week my motivation would be completely gone!

and now for the month ahead... well i do actually have it together to start bb's jumper now. including ordering more yarn to be able to complete it! it's about 28074310 dye lots different though (not surprising since i bought the yarn so long ago!) so i'll be swapping between balls for pretty much the entire project. could get tedious...
there's also a pair of socks i'd like to finish up (there's still a looooong way to go on them) and i'd really love to get a few more squares onto the mitred square blanket i started last year. it's been very slow growing!

i've been easing myself back into gardening to start getting both the back and front yards ship-shape for the upcoming nuptials. spending just 5 minutes a day, a few times a week, is really making a whole lot of difference.
hopefully i can keep it up and everything will be looking smashing come december, without any big fits of panicked gardening needed. fingers crossed!

what does the month ahead look like for you? any big plans?

august.

why hello there! a little bit of a blogging break was had over the month of july.
i completely and totally felt i needed a little time away from this space, to have a think about how i was feeling and to rest up. a little hibernation if you will...

i'm back this month though, with a few goals for this month and a couple of new ideas for what i would like to do with this wee space.



july was a purposefully pretty slow month for me. well kind of... i wanted to avoid this space to get to doing some of the things that had been building up and building up since the start of the year.
and now, a few long term knitting projects are off the needles, the unread magazine pile beside my bed is whittling down, and the number of unread blog posts in my bloglovin' feed is low and staying low.
i've also been making sure i get some movement in my days, committing to my 10 000 steps a day for the large majority of the month and the last couple of weeks, taking measures to bring my diet back in check.
the whole process is definitely making me feel a little bit better, and yesterday i woke up with more energy than i have in MONTHS! it feels awesome!



my goals for the month ahead include finishing up a hat that i started during the week, finishing up a beanie i'm writing up a pattern for (eep!) and making a start on the re-knit of the jumper i knit for bb (i frogged it a year ago! that time sure went quickly...). i finished the swatch for it last night, so i'm hoping after a wash, my tension will be ok and i can get started on it straight away!
the other big project on my to-do list is my box of mending! i've got two garments (a dress and a skirt) that need re-zippering, and a dress that needs the waist band altered. my sewing machine will be out and proud on my dining room table for a few weeks i think. i'll aim to get one garment fixed a week... we'll see how that goes ha ha.

i also want to get back on the meal planning bandwagon. i'm hoping to save some $$$ this month by not buying food at work for the entire month, and to maybe even keep track of my savings to keep me motivated.
i'm also hoping to keep moving, with at least 10 000 steps a day, and maybe even a take a few runs too. i ran for the first time in ages last weekend and it felt really great! my 5k run took me nearly an hour, but i think i can improve on that time for sure.

what are your plans for the month ahead? feeling motivated?

june.

well june is well underway, and although i've had my plans banging around in my head, it's taken me AGES to get them down and into this here blog post.
better late than never right?

my goals for may were pretty simple... i wanted to apply for my passport and get some wedding things sorted, as well as keep up with the 100 days of creativity project i've been working on over on instagram.
i got everything sorted for my passport and popped to the post office last week, only to have it rejected within 30 seconds as there was a mistake. oops! i've got another page to fill in so hopefully that'll be sorted very soon.
wedding plans are slowly getting locked in. invitations are designed, save the dates are going out, catering and venue is in stone. exciting stuff! and the 100 days project is ticking away...



this month, i've got two big projects on the knitting needles, a cowl and a cardigan. i'd like to get both of them pretty much done... as well as make some cute little rainbow pieces for some soon-to-be born twinnies and get a pair of socks on the needles for my mum for her birthday next month. i wanted to knit her a pair for christmas, and then mother's day, and they're still not done!

i also need to get some wedding bonbonierre sorted, the plan i have needs quite a few months to come together so i need to get a good headstart!
oh and we have a house inspection next week so there'll be LOTS of cleaning happening around these parts in the next week...

what are your plans for june?

miracle morning.

last month, angie wrote a super interesting post on the concept of a miracle morning. the basic concept being that by following a little routine first thing in the morning, following a number of steps, you can get your days off to a fantastic start, as well as achieve greater goals by having less to think about in a day and being focused on what it is you truly want to achieve.

the concept simmered in my brain for a little while and i decided this past monday to give it a go...
i broke down the 6 tasks; meditation, goal setting, affirmations, scribing, reading and exercise, and had a little think as to what those things mean for me, and what i would want to achieve from them.
for me, reading and scribing are all to do with blogging. i find i never have enough time to read all the blog posts that i want to, let alone all of those that are in my blog reader, so i'm devoting my 10 minutes of reading to that. and well, the only writing i really do is for this here blog... and there's never enough time to do that either! with these two tasks, i should be able to pretty much stay up to date, which is something i've been getting a little down about falling behind in.



for the exercise prompt, i've found a quick and easy 10 minute yoga video, which i find just challenging enough to keep things interesting, but not so hard i can't walk the next day.
for goal setting, i've been grabbing out calendars, one for my blogging schedule, one for all the outdoor garden-y stuff, and there's my day-to-day diary. there are a couple of big goals i want to achieve this year (hello wedding) so breaking things down into little chunks and essentially making little to-do lists is exactly what needs to happen!



the two tasks that i've taken the most liberties with, are the affirmations and meditations. affirmations i'm taking to be a little bit of self-love, so i'm using that time slot to make myself breakfast and eat it. uninterrupted and completely focused on the task.
a bit of a stretch, but i figure it's the best thing i can do for myself in the mornings, make sure i've got some energy under my belt to keep me going throughout the morning.
for me, the most meditative thing i can do, is a wee bit of knitting. so that's what i've been doing for that 10 minute slot. 10 minutes of uninterrupted knitting, again, completely focused on the task.

i think a lot of what a miracle morning allows me to achieve is focus. i am ALWAYS multi-tasking, flitting here and there to try and do everything, and it's nice and probably really good for my brain, to just concentrate on one task at a time.

i'm interested to see how i go with this concept moving forward, particularly as the mornings are getting colder and darker...

have you ever heard of a miracle morning? is it something you've tried? do you think it would work for you?

may.

once again, it's the start of another month, and once again, i'm not quite dealing with just how quickly the past month went. april is over? really?
the super quick passing of time might have had something to do with me not getting my start-of-the-month post done until midway through the month... oh well!

my goals for april were pretty simple, keep up with the 100 days project on instagram (there's a wrap up of week 1 here, and week two here) and get bb and my birth certificates sorted. done and DONE! woohoo!



and now for may?
well i'd like to keep up with the 100 days project, today is day 27 so there'll be a photo every day with a little bit of creativity for the month.
as well as actually APPLYING for my passport, now that every thing is done. fingers crossed it goes through without a hitch.
there's also some wedding invitations that need designing, as well as some catering and other things that need to be locked in. getting things done!

what are your plans for this month? have you ever planned a wedding?

april.

ok, so we're more than a week INTO april and i haven't even written my monthly intention post yet! oops!!
i've been thinking about it a lot, but a long weekend away in the country saw me having a little too much fun outside and hanging with my family. time well spent me thinks!

now i share a little bit of what i'd been up to in march already, but i'll share what i was up to for the rest of the month too...



making the kitchen pretty while preserving some chillies.
taking walks around my neighborhood, racking up steps to get to 10k steps each day, well most days in march anyway.
hung out with the cutest puppy in the universe, and some most excellent ladies too.
oh, AND, i bought my wedding dress! bb and i got engaged on our anniversary in december last year so now i'm slowly SLOWLY planning bits and pieces to bring it all together. hopefully by our anniversary THIS year. lots to do!

and now for the month ahead?
well i'm playing along with...



and i'm taking the challenge to do a little crafting every day. my crafty to-do list is getting out of control...



so i thought it would prove an opportunity to get it whittled down... now if only i would stop ADDING things to the list ha ha!

last month i didn't quite get to organising mine and bb's birth certificates so that will be high on the priority list for april. especially seeing as now there might be an overseas adventure planned post-wedding. woohoo!

what's on your agenda for this month? are you joining in the 100 days of creativity too?

march.

ok so this post is a few days later than i would have liked... work life balance isn't going so well at the moment ha ha.
i'm slowly getting there though... while simultaneously recovering from an ear infection. not surprisingly a little run down from working a little too much.
it's ok though, as march is set to be a pretty rad month!

but first, february...



i set myself a pretty big list for february, considering i knew i'd be working 6 days a week...
i think i managed ONE session of yoga, and only ran on 2 of the sundays... definitely room for improvement in the month ahead.
i'm still very much off the wagon with the 5 minutes of green time a day. but i'm desperate to get back into it! mornings will be key once we lose daylight savings time i think...
on the knitting front i got a little done. my hitchhiker is done! and my whorl is well on it's way. no beanies unfortunately though...
oh and i managed another book too! the second book in the maze runner series. quite a compelling read.

and for march? i'd love to finish up my whorl, as well as actually get some beanies on and off my needles.
5 minutes a day in the garden wouldn't go astray to keep things ticking over out there... i feel like i should be getting some seeds happening for some wintery crops so they can be planted once my tomatoes are done.

i'd also like to make a little more headway on my passport too... i've realised i have NO idea where my birth certificate is, so will probably need to apply for another, gah! and bb has never ever gotten his... birth certificates needed all round!

what are you plans for march? any tips for passport applications?

february.

whoa. january is over? seriously? could that month have gone any quicker?
i feel like i did get quite a few of the things done that i had planned for the month... as well as a couple of things on my 2015 list too!

i finished up the linen stitch scarf which is now up in my shop, as well as the socks i wanted to get done. i whipped up a beanie for my brother for his birthday, picked up some passport forms and had my photos taken too (rest assured, they're awful!).
i also started and finished (last night, just in the nick of time) the m.1. scarf i blogged about on thursday. i did end up sewing it into a cowl, and i love it! i've had it on all day today as we're having a rather unseasonably cold summer day.

i've gotten approximately ZERO baking done but the kombucha is well on it's way.
oh and i've made a start on my reading too, with the maze runner being the first cab off the rank.



throughout february, i'm working a set roster for the first time, well probably ever. it's six days a week, but i have EVERY sunday off. and late starts a couple of days a week so i'm hoping to get a little bit of exercise happening in my schedule too. a little run on my sunday morning off, and hopefully some yoga on the days that i'm starting a little later.
just a couple of things to get and keep me moving.

on the knitting front, i've got not one, but two projects planned for the #summerofthesingleskein, a whorl cowl and a hitchhiker shawl, the former being a quite pretty lace pattern and the latter being a simple, yet effective, garter stitch shawl. i figure i'll need something simple to knit if i'm also trying to knit something complex and lacy.
oh and i think i could do another beanie or two as well... we'll see!

i've fallen off the wagon with my 5 minutes a day in the garden at the moment, so i'm hoping to get back to that this month, keep everything tidy and growing and happy.

what's on your to-do list thing month? are you a lace knitter?

the fabric stash.

after the awesome little sewing session i had with some lovely ladies on saturday, i was feeling all sorts of inspired. and a little confused.
you see, i took along my entire fabric stash to the sewalong, and found that i had WAY more fabric than i'd first thought. and not just little scrappy bits, but nice sized, completely usable lengths!
naturally, i pulled it all out when i got home, so that i could make PLANS for it!
are you ready?

first up, garments!



these three lengths will definitely be made into dresses.
the purple flower print in front, i bought at the same time as i bought the fabric for this project, thinking i would make two of the lisette dresses, but i never did! time to change that i think!
the graphic pink and brown number, i'm also hoping to make up into a lisette dress. it's SO easy. particularly as i've already made one!
the heart print, i'm picturing it in a more structured dress though... it might take me a little longer to get to that though i think, as i will most definitely need help ha ha!
big thanks to my lovely bestie for the pink and brown print, and the hearts too. she couldn't see herself wearing them anymore, but they look perfect to me!



i bought this flannelette AGES ago, intending to make bb some pj pants... never quite got around to them though. they'd make the perfect valentine's gift though. must get sewing them soon as february will be a CRAZY busy month for me with work!



these two prints, i want to make into more wiksten tanks! i made my first one on the weekend, and i LOVE it! and i loved the process of making it too. simple, straightforward and easy.

and now, the rest!



these florally scraps will be going into my hexie blanket. haven't touched it since i did a whole heap of stitching on it last february. i should definitely get back to it and get some more done...



i'm wanting to make these little panels into cushions. i think they'd work perfectly!



and this pile? well i'm hoping to make a rag rug out of these bits and pieces. we'll see how that goes i guess?

do you have any sewing plans? have you made a rag rug? are you a garment sewer?