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?

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?

sunday snippets.

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

getting organised.

after lamenting in my last couple of posts about my lack of organisation at the moment... i decided to change that this morning!

i dragged my butt OUT of bed when my alarm went off, instead of pressing snooze 1283987430 times which had become a terrible habit!
getting out of bed and into the shower 15 minutes before you have to leave for work definitely does not help organisation!

anywho, 6:30 i was out of bed. i had time to get some self-pampering done that was desperately needed... my scalp HATES winter and flakes terribly unless it gets a lathering with some coconut oil every now and again. i had time to make myself breakfast, and drink a cup of tea, as well as tidy up around the house a little and start to catch up on last nights masterchef and most importantly...



write some lists.
i've waxed lyrically about my love for lists in the past and it's never going to change.
they help me work out exactly what needs doing and helps to prioritise when things can be done too!

i'm hoping to carve out a little bit of time each morning for this practice.

but now, i'm going to sit down and teach myself a sewn bind off for the cowl i'm test knitting.
i used a long tail cast on, and i want a bind off to match! wish me luck!

how do you get yourself organised? are you a morning person? what's your favourite bind off when you're knitting? are you watching masterchef this season?

making progress.

this month i've been working on a few projects...

the re-organisation of my craft supplies is coming along ok.
i've been working my way through these boxes, getting them looking pretty and most importantly, labelled! gotta be able to find what i want, when i want it!



i'm about half way through this stash of boxes...

i also started a new blankie



it's on hold at the moment while i get my pouffe cover done.
i knew that the pouffe cover would be a bit of a boring knit, so i'm not letting myself work on ANYTHING else, until it's all done.



so far it's working to keep me knitting away on it...
this is 3 balls in, just over a third the way done.
i'll definitely need to make another lining for the inside of the pouffe as the weave of the knit is quite fine... i probably should've bought some more wool and double knitted it. oh well!

i can't wait to get it finished because the state of my current pouffe is driving me mental, and i can't wait to get hooking again on that heart blankie above. it's just adorable.

i'm also supposed to be working hard on my study at the moment too... let's just say the list i posted last week, hasn't changed much...
let's not talk about it...

do you procrasticraft too? do you have to be strong with yourself to get projects finished?

stocking up.

this morning, bb and i set off to do something that i've been wanting to do for a very long time!
we filled our freezer up with meat!

this might not seem like a revelation to most people, but buying in bulk is the BEST value and i feel like we got super value for money!



before



and after

i'm feeling really organised right now and now, when i'm trying to write a meal plan for the week, i can have a little looksee at this list i've made up...



and work out exactly what we can have!

oh AND there's a roast in the fridge for tonight! with enough for leftovers one night later in the week!

is it wrong how happy and excited i am over a full freezer and the potential plans??

do you get ridiculously happy about being organised? and a good bargain? are you a bulk shopper?

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.

i've started to make some great progress on my re-organisation efforts.



i have HALVED the number of magazines in my stash. HALF of them are now in a box to go to the op-shop, with all of the recipes that i like the look of, photographed, edited and stored in my computer. they're ready to use and easy to access!



i've also made a start on the prettification of my crafty boxes too!
i'm giving them a couple of coats of gesso before i start the real prettifying :D

i managed to spend an hour or so in the sunshine this morning... having a good look around at my backyard and a bit of a knit



i pulled back all of the work i'd done on the first heel of my sock as i couldn't for the life of me remember where i was up to, and i was pretty sure i'd made a few mistakes.
i managed to get the heel finished in just that little stint of knitting. pretty happy with myself :D

on a more boring note, i've cleared up a couple of major issues with my study and am ready to get everything finished!
it feels really great to know exactly what needs to be done, and when it has to be done by. 13 assessments tasks in 7 weeks. it'll be a challenge but i feel like i can achieve it now :D

and as always, this guy made me smile



pets really do make life nicer huh?

what have you been up to this week? what has made you smile? do you have a pet?

lately.

lately, i've been working on a couple of house organisation type things...

i wrote in my monthly to-do list that i wanted to get my crafty stuff organised and i've FINALLY made a start!

i spent an afternoon pulling everything out, reorganising stuff and then putting it away.
oh, i also got rid of a fair bit of stuff...

i've packed almost everything into boxes, mostly old shoe boxes, which i intend to pretty up a little...



they're looking a bit plain and boring at the moment.
i bought these brass label plates to help me be able to find what i need, when i need it.
they should look really great when they're finished!!

i've also been working my way through the enormous pile of cooking magazines i seem to have accumulated over the years (some of them my mum gifted to me last time i visited, some of them are from 2002!!)
i've been going through the magazines and picking out recipes that i can actually see myself cooking, photographing them, editing them down, and keeping them in a database on my computer.



hopefully i can slowly whittle down this pile of magazines, shipping them off to the op-shop when i've gleaned all of the interesting recipes out!

i'm hoping this will give me a really great resource to help with my weekly meal plans.
some of these magazines have sat unused for years! they tend to be so full of 'samey' recipes and ads that i can't be bothered looking through them to find something good!

what have you been up to around the home? getting any spring cleaning type stuff done? how do you sort your recipes?

meal planning monday.

monday morning, and i'm absolutely ready to meal plan this week.
the last few weeks, i've let all of my organisation-ing (apart from meal planning) fall by the wayside and it's been stressing me out.
this week, i'm kicking my own butt back into organisational shape!



tonight, i've got some chicken in the fridge i need to use (last week's kung po chicken never eventuated...) so i'll grab some parmesan and prosciutto and cook up some parmesan chicken. there's heaps of rocket in the fridge, so we'll have some greens and maybe some chips...

for tomorrow night, there's some lamb in the freezer that i've been hanging out to eat. more salad i think, and maybe some couscous. yum!

wednesday night is ncb night. i think i'll cook up some pasta and grab some bolognaise out of the freezer. dinner on the run!

thursday night, i'll whip up some chicken parmas. more salad and parmas definitely need to be served with some chippies :D

friday night = working late for me. osso bucco in the slow cooker with some spiral pasta. i'm already drooling ha ha!

this weekend i FINALLY have a weekend off from work! it feels like forever!
bb has bought us tickets to pax which he will LOVE, and i will find interesting, hopefully...
i'm hoping that we can go out somewhere amazing in the city for dinner. fingers are crossed.
oh my parents are coming up too, for my mum's birthday. so we'll head out for dinner sunday too which will be great!

think i might spend a bit of time looking forward to the weekend this weekend ha ha!

what are you cooking up this week? do you have weekend plans to look forward too?

my creative space.

today in my creative space, i'm packing!!!
i've got lots of crafty things planned for my time away this weekend!



i've got my granny stripe packed! we're heading up into the hills so it'll hopefully keep me warm, as well as keep my hands busy.



and i've got some of my new wool packed... i've got kina plans and sock plans and beanie plans!
lots to do!



oh and i'm filling this basket up with woolly goodies too! lots of balls from my stash and my knitting needle roll and crochet hook wallet.
inspiration for my fellow holidayers :D

what are you creating today? are you joining in with kootoyoo and her creative spaces too?

meal planning monday.

ooh! the week that just passed was SUCH a meal planning fail! despite my best plans, there was not a lot of cooking happening up in here! a lot of takeaway was eaten ha ha!
onwards and upwards!



do you like that?
that was my lunch prep for the week. that i did this morning. and mayyyyy have been the reason that i was late to work!
oops!!

tonight, i had a hair appointment, so i bought some premade tortellini and sauce for bb to cook. it wasn't take away, but it wasn't far off...

tomorrow night, i think i'll make burgers. i've had a bit of a craving for them the last couple of nights, so tomorrow night will be the night! i think i'll add pip's secret ingredient of grated haloumi! i'm interested to see how they taste!

wednesday night, i've got a co-worker coming over to go over a presentation she's making next week, so i think i might make a big pot of vegie soup. must remember to do the prep before work... oh and maybe throw a loaf of bread together too!

thursday night, i might throw a roast into the oven. maybe that chicken that i was hoping for last week... should be delicious and the perfect little cosy and romantic meal to share with bb. it'll be the last for a while because i'm off on a little getaway for the weekend!
i'm tres excited as i get to relax and knit and crochet and eat good food AND most importantly, spend some great quality time with all of the lovely ladies in my family!
i can't wait!

are you up to anything exciting this week? are you cooking yummy things?
pop over and visit pink patent mary janes for more meal planning monday inspiration!

scheduling.

the last few weeks, i've been working at a cleaning schedule. i've been scheduling all of the weekly type stuff, that always seemed to build up and build up, til i was stuck getting it all done on my days off!
not the way i'd like to spend those precious days off from work at all!

i've set simple tasks for each day, that i can polish off in less than an hour.
that way i can get them done in the mornings, before work, and i don't have to think about them when i get home from work!

perfect!!



monday - clean toilet and basin, water indoor plants
tuesday - clean shower, empty bathroom bin, load of washing (colours)
wednesday - clean mirrors and stainless steel, scoop kitty poop
thursday - change sheets and towels, water indoor plants
friday - make worm food, load of washing (towels/sheets)
saturday - dust, load of washing (whites), scoop kitty poop/change litter
sunday - vacuuming and mopping, ironing



i have some other things that i like to make sure get done daily, like making the bed and getting the dishes done.
as well as having a bit of a tidy up, and making sure our re-usable water bottles are full and chilling in the fridge.
oh and there's the outside watering too...



it sure keeps me busy!
but i feel like i've been a lot less stressed the last few weeks having it in place!
i can just get little bits done everyday, and then the house doesn't fall apart!


do you have a cleaning schedule in place too? is it something you're considering? what works for you?

sampson loves to help me with the housework. dusting is just SO fun!

progress report.

after a very long morning of cleaning, the oven alcove is completely clean! and the outside of the oven (well the back and sides) are pretty spiffy looking too!



however, my cleaning methods were a little voracious and i ended up stripping a fair amount of paint from the sides of the walls. so i'm off to bunnings on my way to work to get some new paint and some tile or lino to cover up those floor boards too!
the discovery of these floor boards under the oven has made me wonder if they're under all the flooring in the house too? wish it was mine so i could start pulling up our (terrible) carpet to check!

a little progress report on lea's blankie too...



i'm 48 rows in (of a calculated 265! eep!) so i think i'll need to pick up the pace a little bit to get it done and to lea by winter! a fair way to go yet.

there's always a reason...

the reason for all of my furniture rearranging over the last couple of days?
lots of new furniture!

this past christmas just gone, my parents bought us a voucher for a furniture store (they like us to be able to buy what we need) as we desperately needed a new bed.
so on the monday labour day public holiday, the boy, who i've decided to refer to as bb from now on, went on a little shopping trip.
we found a bed.



but it was quite below our budget so we still had a bit of voucher left to spend.
so we also found a lovely tv unit (bb has decided that we need a new tv that 'suits' the unit better, i think our tv is fine how it is)



AND we still had a little bit left over so we found some lovely cushions.
they're currently making the couch a very nice place to be. especially snuggled up with some crochet and a nice warm blankie!



so putting together the furniture, removing the old furniture and cleaning around and under everything took me the better part of wednesday and then thursday i spent putting finishing touches on the rooms and trying to trying to deal with the big changes i'd made (not to mention visiting the dentist for the first time since high school). i guess i'll get used to it :D

hope you have an amazing weekend!
xo

my creative space.

today i think i'll be in for a pretty quiet creative space. putting some finishing touches on yesterdays furniture rearrangements, which after some careful planning, went into full swing resulting in a very sleepy crafter at ncb last night.



mostly i think i'll just be plodding along on this blankie today. something nice and quiet and calming to get me ready for the next 6 days of work. ho hum!

kirsty has wayyyyy more exciting creative spaces

making plans...

today i'm sitting down and making some plans....




i'm (hopefully) making a meal plan for the next week or so. i say hopefully as i might just get distracted by all the pictures of the delicious foods and not actually plan anything at all. hopefully, i'll make a meal plan. a fairly large bit inspired by the lovely pink patent mary janes!



i'm planning a bit of a furniture re-arrange. nothing drastic, just trying to incorporate some new furniture which i'm very excited about. promise i'll share more tomorrow! (though not more of my horrible floor layout drawings ha ha!)



and i'm also (less excitedly) planning what housework needs to be done and when. a real estate inspection next thursday and working 6 of the next 7 days is calling for a whole heap of cleaning and some very strict time organisational skills me thinks.

oh and i'm off to northern craft bonanza tonight. can't wait to catch up with everyone! and luckily i've got such a busy day planned otherwise i might run out of wool for the stripy blankie and have nothing to do tonight!