¡Project Project!

And the winners are...

I am frantically trying to get Teo and myself out the door, but I couldn't leave without doing the draw for the shirts.  I have decided to give away three tops instead of two.  Teo helped me draw the names out of a basket, and they are PILAR, NIKKI, and FLOR!  YAY!  I love giveaways.  So you three just email me what size you want and your postal addresses and I will send these off to you as soon as possible.  Ok, really must run now.

Have a fun week!

Christmas Giveaway!

Alrighty, so I have not one, but TWO shirts to give away.  Just leave a comment and I will put your name into a draw for one of two blouses.  There is a choice of either a 10-12 (s/m) size or a 12-14 (m/l) size.  I have two of each so don't worry if both winners want the same size.  The blouse is pure cotton and has three white buttons on the placket (the front bit that closes for anyone who doesn't know what a placket is... I only learned that one last year).  I love this top, and yes I do own one myself.  In fact, I own 10 of these shirts in various fabrics and sleeve lengths.  It is a good all-year-round top.  I usually layer a merino thermal underneath in the winter.  The photos are of the tops to be given away.  Oh and I just realised I am wearing those jeans and belt today that are in the photo... only the jeans now have massive holes in the knees.  Still can't give them up.  At least rips and tears are in style at the moment.  I'm not ready to turn these bad boys into a denim skirt yet.

Ok, so I really must get back into the sewing room now.  I am feeling heaps better and am actually excited to get some last minute things sewn up for family and friends.  I will do the draw on the weekend this Sunday evening (which is Saturday in the norther hemisphere).  So get your comments in before then and I will let you know on Monday who will be receiving a blouse!

Have a nice rest of the week and enjoy the weekend. 

P.S. Nina you are a godsend and I wish we could visit a little easier.  I'm glad you are enjoying your hoodie ;) xx

time off and feeling off.

I have taken a long break away from life lately.  Finishing school wasn't at all as big a relief as I thought it would be.  It is great to be finished, and with some decent marks right the way through, but I didn't realise how crazy my life was until all the madness stopped the day after my last exam.  That was on November 3rd... and I am only starting to come right now.  Everything has been peachy, but I have just been feeling really down, which is not like me at all, so needless to say I have been annoyed at feeling so off. 

I have managed to read 6 novels in about a month.  That's fairly easy a task when one feels like doing nothing but lounging around in their pj's all day and attempting to stay put in bed as much as possible.  I should have gotten a part time job to fill the time, but I wasn't anticipating feeling so unmotivated to do anything and everything and I had intended to not get a job in order to get as much stuff done as I could while on my three and a half month break... I am coming to the conclusion that I just worked myself so hard this year (and really enjoyed myself too, I might add) that this last month has been a much needed chill-out time for me.

I have been feeling much better this past week and am looking forward to family visiting over the next month.  I am picking them up from the airport next week YAY!  So excited. Teo has been eager to see his grampa and nanny, as well as Santa.  The Christmas tree is going up within the next week or so (we have been waiting for my folks to arrive) and Teo has been waiting for that very patiently.  He and I made some tree ornaments out of a flour and salt dough, which get rolled, cut, shaped, baked and finally painted and decorated for the tree.  They have been a fun project.  I have also been sewing a few bits and pieces including two pairs of tight plaid pants for myself (EXCITING!) which are going to be downright AMAZING.  I have wanted a pair of plaid pants for ages. 

I am also going to do a giveaway in the next day or so in order to have the item sent before Christmas, I hope.  I must admit, I suck at the blog thing.  My ability to remember to do simple things, like post a few words and photos every once in a while, is positively useless.  But I still enjoy in nonetheless.  Oh well.  Can't be ok at all things I suppose.  Hope you all are having a great summer so far (or winter in the far north).  Will post soon... I promise. xx

Between emotional meltdowns

All is well for the moment, as I am currently between emotional meltdowns.  I had one two weeks ago, and I am sure there is one creeping up on me just around the bend.  This has proved to be a full-on year thus far, and it is not about to get any easier.  But for every challenge there has been a huge reward, and I am still loving (almost) every minute of it.  

I am starting hospital placement next week... I mean this week.  Where did the weekend go?  We had a great time making yummy food, gardening, baking bread and buying a new compost bin yay!  What has been going on in the past few... months you ask?  I will not draw too much attention to how long it has been since last post.  ye gads, it is shameful.  I do have plenty of photos this time though!!  I have to admit I have a hard time posting without photos.  I am not such an entertaining writer, and I love sharing photos, so I am excited to show you a few photos of what we have been up to.

We have been very busy lately, and somehow managed to find the time to put in a fairly extensive veggie garden.  About a quarter are still in seed trays, waiting to be planted.  But the garden includes:

• Kale (Palm tree cabbage)
• Ruby chard (red silverbeet) 
• Leeks 
• Multiplying leeks 
• Onions 
• Collard greens 
• Pak choi 
• Cabbage 
• Maori potatoes 
• Purple potatoes 
• Globe artichokes 
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Agria potatoes 
• Pumpkins 
• Strawberries 
• Arugula (rocket) 
• Miners lettuce 
• Ice king lettuce 
• Mesclun greens 
• Horseradish 
• Green eggplant 
• Classic eggplant 
• Watermelon (this won't grow, but one can always hope) 
• Zucchini  
• Green beans 
• Yellow beans 
• Peas 
• Basil 
• Cilantro (fresh coriander) 
• Tomatoes (a few varieties) 
• Pea sprouts 
• Daikon radish   
• Broccoli 

And wait until you see where it all is or is going to go.  I think I am crazy trying to grow all of this, but I had the seeds and wanted to try!  The kale, miners lettuce, and arugula are doing incredibly well and have been growing throughout winter.  We have already had several fresh salads from the greens.  I will show a photo of a purple potato salad we had last night for dinner.  The potatoes were grown by my girlfriend Alice.  She gave me most of the seeds for my garden.  She also showed me how to make homemade tomato sauce (ketchup for you northern hemisphere folk) and natural body creams and salves.  Very clever lass.  

I haven't been sewing at all.  School has been far more demanding than expected and I haven't had any spare time other than an hour here or there to plant a few things, bake bread, make pasta, etc.  We bought a pasta machine recently and now make all of our own pasta from scratch.  I have a few photos to show.  We have also been baking all of our own bread since February and have only bought 2 loaves since then.  I have attempted to make a sourdough starter this morning and shall see how that goes.  I make myself gluten-free bread and it is much cheaper and WAY yummier than store bought.  If anyone is interested in that recipe let me know.  It is very easy to make and really quick.  It is a Rice Soya bread and is fluffy, moist and tasty.  Matt will even eat it, and enjoy it.

Here are some photos:

This is what I look like every morning before I manage to get a coffee into me.  I'm digging the hair though. 

  

This is our homemade bread.  Sunday is our bread-making day.  My gluten free loaf is the dark one on the right.  Matt's are the other two.  I think they are buttermilk?

 

Sampling the bread.

These boys are making bread.  It is around 6 in the morning.  

 

Matt is making and hanging pasta.

 

Pasta all made and drying.

 

Pasta machine.  Love.

 

Purple potato salad with homegrown arugula and miners lettuce.  I made a pesto and balsamic dressing.  Yummy.  I ate leftovers for breaky this morn.

 

The main veggie patch.  It is nearly all planted up.  The potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, pumpkins and kale, cabbage and pak choi are all too small to see.

 

This is slowly filling with more tubs of veggies...

 

More tubs... my whole yard is full of tubs... fun!

 

The little cherub is growing too.

  

days long lost

I have been going through some old photos on the computer and thought I would stick a few of my faves up here.  Hope you southern hemisphere folk are surviving this weather.  It has been yucky out.  My chillblains are back on my fingers and persistent this time.  My index finger on my right hand looks like a sausage. 

Teo at 5 hours old.

Me 6 months pregnant on the ferry to Vancouver.

Holga camera shot of me by Matt not long after we met.

Matt not long after we met.  Fun day at the lake in summer.

I miss this haircut.

The only time Teo has ever had chubby anything.