Bye Bye Blogtober

I've noticed that many of us that have taken part in Blogtoberfest are looking back today at the month that has passed. I too have been thinking about what I would say in this post and basically my main thought is...I've really enjoyed it!

At the start of the month I wasn't sure how I would go with the motivation to keep going and thinking of something to post every day, but really it wasn't too hard. Of course there were days where I thought I couldn't be bothered but for the most part I've had fun with the process of thinking what I'm going to write about and finding the pictures to suit the topic. I wasn't always successful, but then that's also part of the learning process.

Some topics of the past month were geared towards giving me motivation towards a goal, unfortunately I still haven't gotten very far with that! My so called attempt at starting to get fit and healthy again have fallen by the wayside and I'm still trying to master the hula hoop. But I'll keep trying and maybe I will let you know how I get on.

Mostly though I have enjoyed reading other blogs taking part in this little festival, as well as some that aren't, and I can honestly say I've learned quite a lot. I look forward to continuing the learning process and in getting to know a few more of you a little better. I also want to give a big thank you for everyone who has been reading and especially to those of you who have left comments, it really does brighten my day to find that someone has taken the time out of their busy lives to write something in response to my ramblings.

Thanks again everyone and Happy End of Blogtoberfest!

Attempts at fitness.

In an attempt to boost my motivation for getting fit and healthy I thought I would try something fun that the Lukester and I can play with together, I bought us each a hula hoop!

We had lots of fun this afternoon trying to use them but they're not as easy as I remember. I couldn't get it to work at all, it kept just dropping to the floor. I'm determined to be able to use it though, so hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll be hula hooping up a storm. Yippeeeeee.

Date night.

Tonight, I met my Handsome Husband in the city for an evening out together, we thought we'd try the Night Noodle Markets which are an annual event in Sydney. It was a lovely night, but very crowded with massive queues waiting for the food, and in the end we didn't even bother with lining up to get drinks, just made do with the bottle of water that we had. The atmosphere was pretty happy and relaxed though, I think because it had been a really nice, warm day today, so everyone was enjoying being outside.
It's so nice to spend some time together just the two of us, it's a pretty rare occurrence these days. I think we'll have to make more of an effort to make "Date night" a bit more of a regular event. What do you think Rob????

Well...

Tonight I was going to do a 'No Words Sunday' post, but Blogger has other ideas and won't post any of the pictures I've tried uploading for the past hour.......so I'm not happy! I have some lovely pictures I took down by Lake Illawarra this afternoon when we went down for some fresh air and sunshine. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to post something a little more interesting again.

Thanks to the Handsome Husband too for his guest post last night, it was a nice surprise to see what you came up with.

The Stash!

Most knitters know that an important aspect of the craft is building "The Stash". Some people don't store much yarn in theirs, but I must say that I am rather guilty of accumulating more than a few skeins, although I am not as bad as some. Yet again Ravelry has helped me to see that there is always going to be more people out there that have way more than me so I don't feel so bad, there are even threads in the forums where people show off photos of their stash and how they store it, believe me it's worth checking out!


Another aspect of "The Stash" that Ravelry has developed for me is the photography of yarn. I would never have imagined that I would put time and thought into taking photos of balls of yarn, but I have, and I think I'm improving! There's another group on the site which is devoted to photographing their knitting projects and yarn which I have been stalking and considering joining, some of the photography is amazing and has really inspired me to try a few different things.


When I think about "The Stash" I know that in my case the majority of it has been bought with a purpose, with a particular project in mind. It doesn't always end up as what was originally intended but there is some thought put into it, much research on my knitting bible (Ravelry of course) and then it comes down to what I feel like casting on at the time. There's a lot more I could probably say here to try and explain myself a little better but I think I'll leave it for now. Maybe I'll get another post out of it if I'm struggling again for something to talk about here! It all goes to show though how much knitting has become a big part of my life, as something that I enjoy and benefit from. Got to love that!

A past life.

In my previous life (a life where I was known as Susanne, not as Mummy) I spent a great deal of time looking at, reading about, and studying art. I was interested in most forms of art, but modern art soon became a firm favourite. In particular, Edward Hopper's work stood out for me as something special, so much so that I wrote my Masters' dissertation on it.


Due to that I immersed myself in his work, reading as much as I could and studying picture after picture, over and over again. The one thing I felt I was lacking though was seeing his work with my own eyes, I felt that my writing would be less informed because of it. Nevertheless I finished the study and did reasonably well, but I still felt the need to see his work.


Soon after my graduation my husband and I were married and off on our honeymoon, first stop New York. My poor husband got dragged around gallery after gallery so I could absorb as much as I could. I managed to see some brilliant works of art that I had thought I'd never be lucky enough to lay my eyes on, and discovered more that just jumped off the canvas, works that had done nothing for me when I had seen them in books.

As I stood in awe of the many Edward Hopper's works we managed to find, Rob snapped these pictures of me so I could always remember that I had seen the real deal, so I could prove to myself that I had actually seen them. Even though they're not the best pictures of me, I'm so glad to have them.

Works in order of appearance:
The Lighthouse at Two Lights, 1929, Oil on canvas, 74.9 x 109.9cm, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hugo Kastor Fund, 1962.

House by the Railroad, 1925, Oil on canvas, 60.7 x 73.7cm, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Given Anonymously.

Tables for Ladies, 1930, Oil on canvas, 122.5 x 153cm, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, George A. Hearn Fund, 1931.

No words Sunday.

Saturday Night

It's cold and raining outside and Rob is off watching the Australia vs. Netherlands soccer match so I'm going to put my feet up with my knitting, a movie and some popcorn....and probably some chocolate, before heading off to my warm bed for some zzzzzs.

Gone are the days of staying out all night with friends dancing and drinking! Do I miss it? Not really.

Have a good night, whatever you're doing.

Unseasonable

It seems that the warm weather we had a couple of weeks ago was a bit of a false start to Spring. This past week has been miserable. I took this picture yesterday evening from my bedroom , the rain was running down the window in sheets. We did get some sunshine today but it has been blowing a gale and absolutely FREEZING!

It's really not helping my resolve to get out and do some exercise, but it is helping my knitting! The cardigan is almost done, just the neck band to complete now. Hopefully tomorrow will see a bright, sunny, wind-free day so I can get out and about and started on my quest for a slimmer, healthier self!

Out and about

A couple of weeks ago we had a lovely day at Symbio Wildlife Park. The weather was perfect and the three of us had a fantastic time seeing the animals. It was the first time we'd taken the Lukester anywhere like it and he had a ball. There's an interesting mix of animals there including Red Pandas, crocodiles, sheep, pigs, ponies, koalas and Meerkats.
Luke especially loved the lizards and feeding the wallaby, it was so hard to tear him away from one exhibit to the next, he just couldn't seem to get enough of everything he saw. I would dearly love to take him to Taronga Zoo to see all the other animals that he's so familiar with from books and tv shows, but unfortunately the trip of at least two hours each way, and the rather exorbitant entry cost won't see us heading that way any time soon. Hopefully we'll make it to Adelaide Zoo when we head back to South Australia for the Christmas holidays.

Nice Lazy Day

We had a Public Holiday here today so we spent it at home not doing much at all, just being together, which was a really nice change for us. The morning was spent playing and a bit of time spent on various computers (don' ask!). Then after lunch we were treated to a pretty good thunder storm. Just before it hit the lake turned a really beautiful green colour, so I had to take some pics.

The rest of the afternoon saw me get some knitting done on my cardigan. The first sleeve is almost finished, so hopefully I'll have a completed cardigan by the end of the week.

I had a good chat with my Mum on the phone then headed off to the supermarket for the weekly grocery shop. I also tried a new recipe, a Gnocchi Pasta Bake which we ended up calling Pizza Pasta because that's what it kind of tasted like! It still didn't impress the Lukester though seeing as we're going through the "terrible toddler not wanting to eat dinner phase", he kept saying that it smelled!
He's now nicely tucked up in his bed, so I'm here on the computer for a little while, then I'm off to finish that sleeve. Have a good night everyone, see you tomorrow!

Regular program resumes tomorrow

I've been laid low with a migraine today so here's a pretty picture or two for you to look at instead of my ramblings, and I'll be back tomorrow with something a little more interesting.

Holding myself accountable.

Ok, well I wasn't sure if I would go ahead with this post, but I figure it may be the only way to get myself motivated enough to do something.

For months now I've felt the need to lose some weight, this staying at home with the toddler is not all that good for my health seeing as I snack, a lot. I have at least 15 kilos that I need to shed so that I feel better about myself again, and so that I can actually fit into my clothes comfortably.

Now I know it's not going to happen overnight, but I figure if I announce it here for people to see that I'll actually have to get started on doing something about it rather than just read the magazines! That way, by the end of Blogtoberfest, I can hopefully demonstrate some change in my habits and be well on the way to reaching my goal. The fact that I have a wedding to go to in November and family to visit at Christmas time should also be motivating factors.

So fingers crossed, starting tomorrow I will consciously make an effort to make a change for the better and will report back here at the end of the month as to my progress.

(Sorry about the reversed picture too, but that's the best I could get with my built in camera on the computer).

Today...

Instead of using these

and dealing with this


I played with this


and this
because they make me happy!

More 5pm

I've been taking pictures....pictures at 5pm! For a week I got the camera out every day at the same time to have a bit of a play around with light and shapes. A couple of days were out in the back yard and there were a few shots that are fairly good, but as you can see here it was the trips to the beach that yielded the best pictures.

There are just so many things to choose from when you're at the beach that I've managed to get quite a few shots that I'm really quite proud of. The weather, the light, the sea, people, creatures, clouds...the list goes on. Although there are all those variables, it seems that the choice of 5pm is a little limiting at this time of year, well it is for my imagination and creativity so far any way. I've been going at it with no real plan other than to try and get good photos and I'm starting to think that it needs to be fleshed out with a little more structure.

I still think I'll give it a bit more of a chance and will try to vary the locations and subject matter a little more just to see where that will lead me. It can't be too regimented otherwise I think it will start to show and I won't be getting anything worth keeping (or showing off!!). It's funny how quickly my perception of things has changed. I'm starting to look at everything in a new way, opening my eyes again to the things around me, which just goes to show that I've managed to cement myself into a bit of a niche, staying at home with a toddler, cooking dinner, so on and so on.

So there you have it, it's been good to get out and have that little time to myself doing something out of the ordinary. Funny how all it takes is a few minutes and some thought!

First Knittaversary!!

On this day, one year ago, I finished my first knitted object. It was a stripy scarf from a Patons Learning to Knit book and I was quite pleased with myself when it was finished. The Handsome Husband, otherwise known as Rob, liked it and he's been using it quite a bit since for his commute to work on the train. Since that day, my knitting (or should I say my new obsession) has come along in leaps and bounds. I'm still climbing the learning curve though, and am enjoying every minute of it. Who would have thought I would immerse myself in something so thoroughly that within a year, if I don't do at least a tiny bit of knitting every day, I don't feel right!!! I never thought I would that's for sure.

I've been trying lots of different things, as we all know that scarves can get a little boring. I do like to make them though and there has been more than six completed in the last twelve months. Of course there has also been some bandwagon knitting attempted, the first being the infamous Clapotis which I tried in Noro Silk Garden. It's a nice big woolly thing (that I for some reason made over the summer) which has come in quite handy as a bit of a lap blanket on chilly evenings sitting on the couch.

Gift knitting has become huge with me as well, most people have been taking it well, so I think my gifts have been appreciated. No one has told me other wise yet, so they'll keep getting hand made items from me for awhile yet I think.

Sometimes though, my gift knitting gets a little behind, like the cute little baby cardigan pictured here. I started making this for a friend's baby that was born last September, I just finished it this month! Mainly because of my fear of seaming and finishing off items but I'm starting to overcome that. I'm learning that without giving it a try it's never going to get done, and if it's no good, it can always be done again!

For my second year as a knitter, I'm hoping to keep adding to my skills, to try and finish more objects (without them having to sit in a bag for four months waiting to be sewn together) and to build on the wonderful friendships I've been making. I really didn't expect, when I started out last year, that I would meet such a kind and generous group of people. Through taking a class, reading people's blogs and Ravelry, I'm finding like minded people that are inspiring me to find something fulfilling in myself........you can't get much better than that from a hobby/obsession now can you??

Food, yummy food!

Today the Lukester and I had a play date. We haven't had one in such a long time that I thought I'd mark the occasion with some yummy baking. I even tried a new recipe, something decadent, something by Nigella Lawson! The Chocolate Mint Cookies from her Nigella Express book worked a treat. They are so yummy I will definitely be making these again! They were also very well appreciated by the Lukester's friends Mum and Dad, always a good sign.

While I was in a good cooking mood I also thought I'd try something new for dinner. A nice, winter warming Tomato and Roast Capsicum soup, and yay, another success. Mr two and a half even liked it - bonus points to me!! I'm a happy Mum today.

A wish I have.

Last night I was sitting at my computer having my usual look around and yet again discovered more blogs with some fantastic photography. It's got me all inspired to try and get going with our camera. It's a pretty good one, the Handsome Husband is so in love with it he calls it his "mistress"!!! The only thing is, I don't know how to use all of the different functions on it. I tried playing around with it last week and couldn't get anything exciting but I'm determined to keep trying, with new ideas popping into my head all the time. This is good, I'm enjoying getting the creative juices flowing, it's good for the soul!

The two pictures I've included here on this post were taken at Christmas time when we were visiting my parents. They live in a beautiful little seaside town in South Australia and we were down at the beach one day when I decided to have a little play with the camera. I managed to get a few shots I am happy with and these were two of them. Hopefully I'll be able to expand on these and get a lot more that I am totally in love with.

Wish me luck!

New York, New York

I long to return to New York. For as long as I can remember it has been my dream place, the place I want to go to live, to change my life. I think about it often, visit blogs dedicated to it, and frequently take a peek via the Times Square web camera.

I was fortunate enough to be able to go there with my Handsome Husband for the first leg of our honeymoon. Seven or eight days jam packed with visiting galleries, museums, major tourist spots and quite a few afternoon naps on the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on due to jet lag. We tried to cram so much in that it was almost overwhelming.

Next time I go (notice I say next time and not "IF"!!!!!) I will try to take it a bit easier, soak in the atmosphere a bit more, take things more as they come, and of course visit some yarn shops (he he). That's not to say we were completely touristy, we did hang out at a few good bookstores, cafes and resturants and by the end of the week we knew our way around the subway, almost like locals. But, I need more!

Quite often I get such a strong yearning that it's more of a consuming thought in my life, I watch more tv shows and movies and read more books that are set in New York, I look at the blogs a little more longingly, and wonder, how long it will be before I can get back there. Then I get sad...How LONG will it be before I can get back there?????? I'd better start buying those lottery tickets, that's how long.