I have moved

A change is as good as a holiday!  In order to combat my blogging drought, I've moved over here for a fresh start.

Come and join me!

Footy fever

I am well and truly afflicted with footy finals fever and just had to say....

GO SWANS!





Here's hoping for a good game tonight (and a win too!).  Also, congrats to Adam Goodes on his 300th game.  What a legend!

It's a boy!

So all is well here in the real world.  We just had our 19 week scan and found out we are having a boy!  The clothes shopping has now well and truly begun.

I am going to make some baby pants from this cool pattern and I just bought this book so I'm hoping this means the sewing bug has returned.

Does anyone know of any other cute baby boy sewing patterns?

Back on the wagon

Look, I made something!  Finally!  It took all of 30 minutes but I still got my lovely and neglected sewing machine out and gave her a whirl.

This cute little pencil holder is for a friend's little girl who is about to turn 2.  I think it's super cute and it makes me want to colour in.  I really loved to colour in.  It also makes me want to go back to Japan and buy some more fabric!

Maybe this means I'm back into sewing again.  Or maybe not.  I guess we'll have to wait and see....

A cupcake

With today being a typically horrible Melbourne Winter day I decided I might treat myself to a cupcake at lunchtime.  They have them at South Melbourne markets and I always eye them off but I never get one.  Never ever.  I am generally pretty good with not eating sugary, not-so-healthy foods but every now and then you have to have a treat, right?  Well...I got my lovely cupcake paid the lovely lady and started to walk away.  And then I dropped my lovely cupcake right on the ground!  At the markets.  On the dirty floor.  I very nearly cried.  I did in fact squeal.  I threw the lovely uneaten cupcake in the bin and then went back to work without a cupcake realizing that it just wasn't meant to be  went and bought another lovely cupcake feeling just a little bit silly.  The lovely lady told me, "there's always the 10 second rule".  Ummm...not when you're pregnant.  And not off the dirty floor of the markets.

Anyway, my cupcake was delicious.

The reason I've been MIA...

...is because I am almost 14 weeks pregnant.  Hooray!

So I have been feeling very tired and uninspired to craft / blog for the past couple of months.  I'm hoping I get some energy and inspiration back soon because I am really looking forward to crafting up some baby things.

And to answer the questions that everybody asks:

1.  I am due on Feb 1
2.  I haven't had much morning sickness at all - lucky me!
3.  Yes, we are going to find out the gender of the baby at the next scan

Hope everyone is doing well and I'll try and not be a stranger :)

another break in transmission

...and now here's a lazy attempt at a post.

Enjoy, and happy Friday!

it's a plus

By keso

Are you on Google Plus yet?  Do you know what Google Plus is?  Do you really not care?

I got an invite this week and have been playing around with it.  I really think it has the potential to rival Facebook in the social networking stakes.  They have clearly thought about what people want, and have carefully crafted solutions to some of Facebook's problems.  I like that you can group people into circles and easily share information only with the people you want to.  I like the idea of the video chat (although I am yet to try it out).

What do you think?  Do you think Facebook should be shaking in their boots?

(P.S If you want a Google plus invite just let me know your email address and I'll send you one over.  It is a bit quiet over there...)

whilst we're talking about brooches

...and we were, right?

My brooch fascination only started about 12 months ago and I really don't have that many in my collection at this stage.  But I do think they are wonderful and lovely and I must have more!

So...here is another of my favourite brooches (I promise my whole brooch collection is not cat related!)



This one is particularly special because of how I came to buy it.  I got it in Kyoto, Japan last year on my wedding anniversary.  My husband and I were wandering through the streets looking at all of the amazing pottery stores (and I was trying very hard not to buy big breakable things to bring home).  We found this little shop where a lady was handmaking and painting these cat brooches and selling them for 300 yen!  That was about $4.50 at the time!  Sheesh!  So I couldn't pass up such a bargain of course and have been proudly wearing it ever since.

Winter blues

I am sick of Winter and Winter clothes already!  I always feel grumpy and I don't want to go outside because I hate being cold.

The only thing making my Winter wardrobe slightly more bearable (how many more layers can I possibly wear?!) are my brooches.  I find them a cute and fun way to spice up my Winter layers of black, black, and more black.  This is one of my favourites.  Cute huh?

a mexican inspired weekend

After hearing the lovely Pip talk about it on Friday, I headed out and bought Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasina Miers.  I had already been planning on making tacos for dinner on the weekend and was feeling a little uninspired by our usual taco fillings.

So...what followed was a Mexican inspired feast of a weekend.  We had stuffed potatoes with a yummy salsa for dinner on Friday night.



On Saturday night I went all out and made the Piccadillo, guacamole and red rice to fill tacos and tortillas.  And of course there was plenty leftover so it was also lunch on Sunday.  If I was smarter I would've taken some pictures.  You'll just have to trust me when I say that it was delicious and I am very much looking forward to trying out the other recipes.

I hope your weekend was as delicious as mine.  Did you cook anything yum?

butter wouldn't melt

He's been a real pain in the behind for the past couple of weeks, but gosh he's cute!



Don't you think?

not-so-lazy daisy

Wow, I am so looking forward to the weekend!  That seems to be all I ever talk about!  I guess it just proves that we should have more than 1 weekend a week.  What do you think?

Last weekend I was full of good intent but ended up being full of laziness.  It was good because it was needed but this weekend I really feel like I might get some things done.  Get some sewing done.  I really miss the whirr of my little machine and the happy mess I make whilst sewing.  It's been too long!

Tonight, I am off to see this lovely man in action.  Can't wait!

being a good sport

This is particularly relevant after the game I went to yesterday.  Sydney Swans (my team!) lost to Carlton by 34 points after a slight improvement in the last quarter.

Now I don't want to go on and on about the game, but I would like to talk about good sportsmanship.  Everyone wants their team to win but it just ain't gonna happen every round.  So you do what a good fan does and come back next week ready to cheer and hope for the best.  You might get a bit cranky, but you still cheer your team on until the end of the game.  And if you win you celebrate, sure.  You might gloat a little.  But I really don't think you need to be mean about it.  I don't think you need to boo the other team (whom you are beating by quite a lot) every time they take a shot on goal (and then laugh if they miss).  I don't think you should laugh when your child says things like, "haha, suck it! You guys are suckers!" and "No one's ever gonna beat us!" for the entire game.  I think there is such a thing as being a good winner.  And a good looser.

Do you agree, or am I just being overly sensitive?

Wow, I am so lazy

Hi there.  Remember me?  Yes, I am the incredibly lazy one that hasn't been around for awhile.  I have no excuse.  May I be excused?

So, what's been happening?  I have had a few very busy weekends visiting friends and having friends visit.  It's been wonderful but I am very much looking forward to a lazy weekend (see how lazy I am?).  I might even manage to fit in some sewing.  Hopefully.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful weekend too, and I will try and not be so lazy next week :)

Not quite a superhero

Well I certainly haven't felt much like a superhero this week, but last weekend I looked like one!  We had a great time visiting our family and celebrating my sister's 21st birthday.  It was so great to have the whole family together as it doesn't happen very often (I have 4 sisters!).  It was also great to see the creativity in everyone's costumes!  My youngest sisters were the most creative - going as the Hulk and a blue powerpuff girl (in the pic with me).

This weekend we're off to spend time with our other family - our fantastic and much loved friends in Brisbane.  I can't wait!  

my creative space

My cowl is finally done!  I'm wearing it today and it definitely passes the test - very comfy and warm!  I'm thinking I may have to make another in a different colour.




That means I have officially finished everything I am currently working on.  Wow, who can believe it?

The plan now is to start sewing myself a shirt (fingers crossed!).  Pattern is purchased and fabric is washed and ready to go.  Now I just have to find some time...

More creative spaces over here

today is all about cute

How cute are my new teapot and tea cup?  I think they are the cutest!  Sometimes our days just need cute things, don't you think?  You will also note that they are both Japanese.  They sure know how to do cute!  I also like how you can see my reflection in the teapot in this picture.

Simple things, people! Simple things.

my creative space

Look, I'll be honest - I've been knitting this for a while now.  It's a cowl and I'm sure taking my time with it.  I just hope I have it done before Winter is over!  To be fair, I have had a few other crafty endeavours going on at the same time.

In other good crafty news, I have finished my sister's quilt over a week BEFORE her birthday. My goodness, I am amazing!  Pictures to come after I have given it to her.

Check out some more crafty loveliness over here

autumn

Autumn is most certainly here!



Whilst I don't particularly enjoy the cool weather, it sure is pretty isn't it?  After having lived in Brisbane for a few years I really notice this season more than any other here in Melbourne (okay, maybe I notice Winter more but that's only because I'm freezing!).

Plus, I do enjoy wearing boots!

today

I thought a picture of Hell's Gate might be appropriate today...



Although it's rather beautiful, isn't it?

This week has not started out so well but there's plenty of time left for improvement isn't there?  Right?

It's days like these where a lunch time trip to Spotlight generally helps.  Although I'm not sure my credit card always approves.

What do you do when you're feeling a little deflated?

our weekend

...was a masquerade ball, a quiet Saturday, shopping and lunch with my sister, slow cooked dinners and snuggling on the couch with the kitties.

Hope you had fun too!

my creative space

...has been a bit lacking lately.



I've had a major urge to knit but haven't had any real time to dedicate to it.  My focus for now is finishing off the quilt for my sister's 21st at the end of the month.  The quilt is keeping me warm at nights as I hand sew the binding.  As much as it's a tedious job, I actually find it quite relaxing - just the repetition and the feeling that I am getting close to being finished.

Check our some more creative spaces over here

Back to it

Howdy peeps!  I've been gone for a little while because I have been doing this:



Fun, huh?  My hubby and I hired ourselves a campervan and made our way around the state of Tasmania for 10 days over the Easter break.  It was so much fun - so relaxing and peaceful and lovely and rejuvenating.  We walked and photographed and drank and ate and got a bit cold but we had a great time and will definitely head back to Tassie one day soon.

More pics to come soon.

Hope you're all doing well and enjoyed your Easter break too!

lazy and short

I had an incredibly incredibly lazy weekend.  My hubby and I are both still recovering from this horrid cold that is making the rounds at the moment.  Ick.  I almost forget what it's like to not feel stuffed up and tired.  Ugh.



But, on the plus side, this week is a short week for me (and for most of us with the Easter long weekend coming up).  Hooray!  On Thursday my husband and I are headed to Tasmania for 10 days.  We will be campervaning around and enjoying the sights as we have never been to Tasmania before.  Let me know if you have any tips!

A happy (and healthy!) week to you all.

you can't find me

not quite 100%

I have spent much of this week enjoying some couch time.  Sadly because I have a dreaded cold (which my husband now has too!).  It seems to be the only time I can crash on the couch and watch trashy TV without feeling guilty.  So, there is an element of enjoyment in there somewhere - even with all the sneezing and the sniffling.  There's been soup and tea and some movies.  I can't think of a better remedy!

Here's hoping it works and I'll be back to being 100% soon!

my place and yours

This week's theme is green and I just couldn't resist sharing this cute little brooch I bought at the Finders Keepers market recently.



Today it is getting it's first outing and I think it's super cute.  I would've loved a "Draw 4" one, but alas...  Doesn't it make you want to play UNO?

Check out some more green things over here

today

This morning my cats thought it would be fun to pull my clean washing onto the floor and sleep in it.

Today my boss is sick so I have to organise people on his behalf.

About now I am going to get a coffee.

Tonight I have yoga.

I have a feeling I am going to need it!

let the laughs begin

By Wardie44B

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has officially begun and I am ex-cited!

I kicked off the festival by attending the gala on Monday night (much laughs from the 4th row - I think my face will make it to the tele!) with my sister.  We had a great time hanging out in St Kilda and laughing laughing laughing all night.  I am attending a crazy 12 shows altogether this year.  Yes, 12!  We like a good laugh around these parts.

I'm sure I'll have some time for crafting soon :/

happy weekend

It seems that Summer is well and truly over here in Melbourne and the colder weather is starting to creep up on us.  It's almost time for soup, crocheting, snuggling under blankets, wearing too many layers of clothing, gloves, scarves and beanies.  What ever happened to Summer?!

This weekend I am looking forward to the start of the football season (and a Swans game at the MCG!), Finders Keepers market and sleeping in.  Oh, and maybe a bit of snuggling with the kitties if the weather continues to be grey and cool like this.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are in the world!  Don't forget Earth Hour on Saturday night!

my creative space

...is quilting again!



I have finished the quilt top for my sisters's quilt.  Now on to the fun task of basting and quilting and binding. I'm really hoping I can get it done before her birthday!

Check out some other creative spaces here

quest for the best japanese - week 5 (Brisbane edition)

Last week we were lucky enough to be in Brisbane on our usual Japanese Monday.  By chance we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant at Eagle St Pier and think it definitely deserves a mention here!

Sake restaurant
Level 1, 45 Eagle St
Eagle Street Pier
Brisbane QLD

Sake is a contemporary Japanese restaurant which usually leaves me a little wary.  But this place is pretty great.  The decor is stylish and modern - particularly the 'caged' tables that run through the middle of the place.  It was lunch time on a Monday so it was very quiet inside, but the service was good.


Tonkatsu cups

Now, the main thing is that the food was excellent!  The highlight for me were the Tonkatsu cups and the Kingfish jalapeño sashimi.   They have a good selection of small dishes to share, as well as a nice selection of mains.


Kingfish jalapeño sashimi

All in all, it was an excellent lunch with excellent food and excellent people.  I highly recommend it!

Rating = 9 out of 10

I now return you to regular programming

I am back!

My laptop decided I didn't need to see what I was doing anymore and so has been in getting a new LCD screen.  But she is back and fully functioning again, and thus so am I!

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend.  I had a lovely weekend of shopping at the markets, going out for breakfast and getting organised.  I also managed to spend a couple of hours soaking up the sun and unusually glorious weather (30 degrees and beautiful blue skies!) in my new hammock.  It was an anniversary present from my wonderful husband and is a double hammock which means we both fit in quite nicely. Yay and awww!

my creative space

...has got me feeling like a bit of a superhero this week!



I wish!  The truth is I spent a lot of the weekend working away on a Superhero costume for my sister's upcoming birthday party in May.  It seems like a while away but we have a very busy couple of months planned and I didn't want to have to rush and end up without a costume (and thus the wrath of my sister).  So...what I have is enough to pull-off a decent kind of costume and for that I am quite relieved.

I have also committed to making her a quilt so I need to really get cracking on that too.  Will someone please add some more hours to the day?

Check out some more superheroes over here

i still do

Today my husband and I celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary.  Aw, how lovely is that?  We are celebrating by heading to Flower Drum for dinner (for the first time!) and then I think we are staying overnight in the city somewhere.  I have been told only to pack an overnight bag.  How lovely and romantic is my husband?  I'm feeling pretty luck today (as I do everyday) and feeling rather happy and chirpy for a Monday.



Happy anniversary Todd!  I love you truckloads!

my creative space

...has been stolen moments of crochet whilst thinking about all of the other things I need to be doing.  What a crazy week!

Check out some other creative spaces here

quest for the best japanese - week 4

Meiji Japanese Cafe
105 Little Bourke St
Melbourne

After last week's effort I was really hoping for some decent Japanese food this week, and by George we got it!  This place is fabulous!  If you live in Melbourne I urge you to go there right now!  Go on!  This was such a good find and we will most certainly be heading back here soon - with some friends.

The cafe is quite small but has an upstairs area as well (which was empty, being Monday and all but I imagine would fill up on the weekends).  What it lacked in size provided most of the atmosphere in that I almost felt like I was in Japan!  It had a real authentic feel to it, which I just loved.

But...getting onto the important part - FOOD.  The food was YUM! And like most Japanese cafe's, more than affordable.  We had a sizzling plate of Wagyu Steak, Japanese style Fried Rice, stir-fried vegetables and some beef skewers (whose name escapes me but were fantastic!  You can see one of them next to our fried rice in the pic below)

I should've taken more photos of this place (and our food) but I was too engrossed in eating!  There was sadly no Okonomiyaki on the menu, but there was plenty of other things to choose from.  I loved the big menu with pictures which made ordering easy - or difficult, because everything looked so good.

Anyway, this is definitely the best so far in our quest.  We will definitely be going back!

Rating = 8 out of 10

my creative space

I'm late again!  How slack!

By OZinOH via flickr

Anyway, my creative this week seems to be at Spotlight.  I think I have visited twice this week and I still need to go back for more things.  I am working on (as usual) too many things at once.  I'm not sure that I will ever learn to control that.  But I am working at a nice and easy pace - not rushing, which is good.  I am almost finished a dress that I hope will fit because I love the fabric I used.  I have one more thing to do and I want to make sure I get it just right.  I have started making a baby quilt for a friend, and I am about to start making a superhero costume for my sister's 21st birthday.  Oh, and crocheting a blanket too.  Sheesh! 

My laptop is broken so I am also lacking decent pictures, and am obviously behind with the blogging thing.

I'm sure you will find some much more organised creative spaces over here   

quest for the best japanese - week 3

Izakaya Hachibeh
143-145 Bourke Street
Melbourne


I'm not going to say too much about this place because I was very underwhelmed.  I'm not sure if it was just poor choices on our part, but the food was very bland.  It was a cool day here in Melbourne so we went for the Udon soup options - I had Fried bean curd and Todd went for the Tempura option.

All I have to say about my meal is BLAH.  And we can add another Okinomiyaki fail to the list too. 

My glass of Plum Wine was nice.  The service was pretty good and quick so we might try this one again sometime and choose from the "Japanese Tapas" selection instead.


Rating: 3 out of 10        

holly throsby is good

Hope this brightens up your Monday!


Holly Throsby - "Here Is My Co-Pilot" from PEDESTRIAN.TV on Vimeo.

my (late) creative space

By Mrs. Jenny Ryan

I am in love with pretty floral fabric right now.  I am trying to make a dress out of some wannabe-Liberty fabric (one day I will be good enough at sewing clothing that I can use ACTUAL Liberty fabric!) and am having some issues.  Yet again with the boobage and some darts that sit somewhere around my belly button.  I need to unpick and try to fix.

I am so loving the floral that I might pick up some new season Liberty fabric anyway and make some pretty non-clothing things.  Like maybe some pretty scarves for my very best friend who is about to take part in Shave for Cure.  I think she is being very brave and is certainly deserving of some prettiness, don't you think?  P.S  You can donate to her cause here if you are feeling nice and generous

Check out some other creative spaces over here

quest for the best japanese - weeks 1 and 2

I only just realised that i should probably be blogging this journey - mostly so I won't forget where we've been, but also because someone might be interested.  You never know.  I'll rate them out of 10 as well, just to make things a bit easier.

Week 1 


Teppansan Japanese Cafe
179 Russell St, Melbourne

So far this is the best Okinomiyaki that we have had outside of Japan.  It was still far from the wondrous thing we had in Hiroshima, but it was still tasty.  This place is small and doesn't look incredibly appealing from the outside, but we very much enjoyed our meal here.  It has a real Japanese vibe to it.  Having said that, I can't remember what else we ate!  The food obviously wasn't very memorable.

Rating = 4.5 out of 10


Week 2


Ito Japanese Noodle Cafe
122 Bourke St, Melbourne



The service at this place was pretty dreadful.  I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt though as it was Valentine's Day and they seemed to be pumping out the takeaway orders (go figure!).  We waited a long time for our drinks and the Sushi chef was so busy we had to have our sashimi at the end of our meal.  I really didn't like that at all.  Sashimi for dessert = not so good.  But....we did have a delicious yaki soba and katsu curry, and very much enjoyed the Sapporo on tap.

Rating = 5.5 out of 10



Now that I'm doing this I promise I'll pay more attention next week!  I'll also try to remember to take some pictures (please excuse the blurry iphone shot)

i like grannies

By knittinandnoodlin


This weekend I reunited with my crochet hook.

It's been a while.

I have reignited my love of the granny square and am making a red and white granny blanket (no pics yet, sorry!).  It should be done before AFL season starts so it can keep my legs warm during a Sydney Swans match or two.  Last year we froze on more than one occasion and I promised I would fix the problem - in the team colours of course - for this season.  I love watching the little old grannies (the people this time, not the squares!) at the football all decked out in their hand knitted or crocheted team colours.  They always have granny blankets keeping them warm.  They always have tea and cakes too.  I think it's lovely!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day for those that celebrate it too!  

konnichiwa!

Last night I attended my very first Japanese class and had a whole lot of fun.  It was on my list of things to do for this year (and not just talk about) so yay me!  I am very much a beginner but can still remember bits and pieces from high school, and of course from our trip to Japan last year.  I'm looking forward to learning a new skill and am getting excited about the prospect of going back to Japan one day armed with some language skills.




Afterwards my husband and I had some Japanese for dinner at a place we'd never been to before - (Teppansan for those Melbournites who might be interested).  It was quite good.  Definitely the best Okonomiyaki (Japanese style pizza) we've had outside of Japan, but still not quite right :/  It's turned into a bit of a quest for us - trying to find Japanese quality Okonomiyaki in Australia.  So we've decided to turn Monday nights into a search for the best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne.  I'll keep you posted!

  

my creative space

Look what I made!



It is a clutch purse and was a birthday present for my very lovely and wonderful best friend.  It is a Cath Kidston pattern from her Stitch! book and it was lots of fun to make. Plus my friend really loves it, so that's great!



Next, I'm tackling something else from the book, getting started on a couple of quilts and maybe making a dress.  It's probably more than I can handle yet again but that seems to be the way I roll!

my sun-filled weekend

I spent the weekend hanging out at Anglsea (on the coast of Victoria for those that haven't heard of it before) soaking up the sun and enjoying this wonderful weather we've been having.  My husband and I pitched a tent at the local caravan park and spent alot of time at the beach over the course of the weekend.  It was last minute and glorious!



And now the dreaded work week has begun again.  Ugh.

not too cheesy

This weekend I finally did a bit of cooking.  It wasn't the most glamorous or difficult of cooking but it was  very meaningful.  You see my Grandmother was adopted and never knew her biological family.  She died before she could find out about them too.  My Dad has recently done a whole lot of research and found out who her biological parents and family were (yay!)  Not only that, but he has found second cousins and aunts and uncles who are all equally as excited about this new discovery.  In doing this, my Dad now has massively extended our family (another yay!) and was given some handwritten recipes that were kept by my Great Grandmother.  Of course I never knew he,r but on Sunday I made one of those recipes - cheese muffins.  They were super easy to make and they are yum!  Next time I'll add some bacon or zucchini or herbs (modern it up a bit), but this time I kept it simple in homage to my Great Grandmother.

I think that's really nice, don't you?