real life

A no, a maybe, & a soft yes

Posted on August 1, 2014August 1, 2014 by bekswhoknits

When we moved out of the apartment I pressed a few flowers to remember it by.

Turns out I pressed a lot of lavender, which we have at the house, but I still want to make some sort of artwork out of the pressed flowers.

Things didn’t exactly go as planned.
Whatever way I arranged it, things didn’t look right.

I looked through my paper stash but nothing seemed right.

The plan was to modpodge the dried flowers and some pretty paper to a canvas and that would be that.

My original plan was to make a crayon artwork like McStabby’s nugget made for her. But that failed dismally.

I was however able to use the canvas to test how the paper and flowers would stick, so it wasn’t an entirely wasted exercise. Even if I don’t have anything to show for it.

So it wasn’t an entirely failed experiment.
Although I still don’t know what to do with the pressed flowers.

Little things that are making me happy

Posted on July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 by bekswhoknits

*electronic stitch counters that tell me exactly where I’m at in a pattern

*finding flowers pressed in a book that you forgot all about

*pretty knitwear in movies

*tea selections arriving in the mail

*yarn just waiting to be dyed- full of potential

*nail polish the exact same colour as my glasses with chipped paint

*glittery socks

*doctor who yarn club deliveries

*eyemasks with headphones in them

*being greeted by the giant ball of hair known as Cookie-Dog

Give me a home among the gum trees

Posted on July 17, 2014July 17, 2014 by bekswhoknits

I may not be much of a gardener or any of one, but I do appreciate our garden (and the hard work Hewhofishes puts into it). I particularly enjoy the edible parts of it.
We’ve eaten a few home grown radishes this year, but these two just keep on growing. We’re not sure if they’re going to be tasty so we’re just letting them keep growing. We want to see how big they get!

I cooked up some pasta the other night with sauce straight out of the jar, but I leant out of the window and added some fresh bok choy and parsley and it turned into something extra yummy.
The plan is for two more window boxes along that side of the house. I keep giving HWFs not so subtle hints that I want him to grow spinach. Spinach is on the gout list so he won’t be able to enjoy it, but I will. Isn’t that what love’s about? Growing vegies you shouldn’t eat for the lady that you love?

Ignoring the compost bin, this is an avocado tree. Another food that HWFs doesn’t like, but this one came with the house so no special effort required. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an avocado on a tree so I’m looking forward to that.

The oranges that I was looking forward to making marmalade didn’t quite work out as planned. We only got about 4 off the tree which were edible, the rest had squishy parts which turned scaley after a while. Still we learn when things go wrong so there will be more potash in the soil next year, and if that fails a call into the gardening show on talk back radio.

There may have also been a slight incident involving the brand new greenhouse. The day after planting seeds into those little tiny pot thingies, there was a bit of a storm and the wind knocked it over. Poor greenhouse.

The pea hay that mulched the tomatoes sprouted some peas. So they were rescued and planted into their own pot. Surprise peas!

Of course there are some pretty things too. What sort of garden doesn’t have flowers.

I’m not sure that I would be proud of a weed, but if you are going to be proud of a weed, it might as well be a big one. He insisted on showing off his handiwork.

So even though it is smack bang in the middle of winter and most trees have lost their leaves, there is still a little growth happening.
I just need a old rocking chair.

(and that’s your blooming lot for the week)

if you can clean an oven, you can clean me

Posted on July 7, 2014 by bekswhoknits

You know it’s been a while since you’ve blogged when wordpress has disappeared from chrome’s most used sites.

Yes, yes I have been missing in action.
I had a whole 6 days off work!
Not all that fun though because I t was on doctor’s orders so there was no crafting, but there was a lot of television. I then went back to work before becoming infected by the cold, so I spent almost 2 weeks curled up on the couch with my teapot and Netflix/WatchSeries and resting.

If anyone hasn’t watched Orphan Black yet, go and watch it immediately.
The acting performance by Tatiana Maslany is incredible, especially as she juggles many different parts.
I cannot recommend it highly enough. Such an interesting story which keeps you guessing, but hooks you in.

I also finished off Season 3 of The Killing, Season 2 of Bomb Girls and have now watched all 10 seasons of Greys Anatomy.

I wasn’t expecting to like Archer so much but I did. So I watched all 5 seasons of that.

I started watching Being Human and got through 3 seasons of that before getting bored. I may still watch season 4 just for completeness.

I actually used this site to see how much television I’ve watched, but I stopped when I got to 100 days. It got a bit alarming. Especially when you consider the amount of times I would have re-watched shows like Friends, MASH, How I Met Your Mother and 30 Rock, let alone the amount of times I’ve watched Black Books!!!

Unfortunately, all of this television watching has left me with a lack of new shows to watch. I watched 4 episodes of The Walking Dead before getting bored. I tried watching House of Cards but quickly gave up.

So if anyone has any television recommendations please share.
And cross your fingers that my second half of the year is healthier than the first.

Maybe I did sneak in some knitting.

#5KCBWDAY3 – Photography Challenge

Posted on May 14, 2014May 13, 2014 by bekswhoknits

This week I’m participating in Knitting and Crochet blog week hosted by Eskimimi makes. Every day there’s a different topic to prompt creative and inventive ways to enjoy writing fresh content for Knitting And Crochet Blogs.
To find others participating in Knitting & Crochet Blog Week – search the unique tag 5KCBWDAY3

Todays topic – Use photography in an interesting and unusual way.

Things I found in my bag whilst searching for a hair lacky that I didn’t know I carried around with me all the time

Posted on May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 by bekswhoknits

– emergency spare set of headphones
– enamel ring that I wear for five minutes before remembering how awkward it is to wear and put it in my bag
– pencil snapped in half specifically for sudoku book which is NOT in my bag
– thing that connects iphone to speakers
– socks that only have about 4 more rows of ribbing before they’re finished that I had completely forgotten about
– emergency vegemite packet
– cupcake sticker book
– dry shampoo
– tea bags, some split open and unuseable
– earring findings
– two stubby holders (The National & Bon Jovi for anyone that’s playing at home)
– 4 colour pen. Pink, purple, green, & light blue.
– granny square
– gig stick with Game of Thrones Season 4 which I was meant to watch last weekend but obviously forgot about
– glasses wiping cloth that I can never find when I’m actually looking for it

Note – I didn’t find a hair lacky but it’s good to know in an emergency I have a cupcake sticker book.

Note – Yes I’m a adult with a disney backpack. Deal with it.

30 before I turn 30

Posted on May 1, 2014May 1, 2014 by bekswhoknits

Before anyone asks, today is NOT my birthday, but it’s close enough for me to realise that I’m turning 30 next year.

I don’t like to celebrate my birthday as the idea of having more than 3 people’s attention on me solely because I’m getting older makes me want to lock myself in a room and never leave. I much prefer to treat it like any other day and save the attention for actual achievements.

So I thought I’d reflect and write down 30 achievements which I think are are and worth celebrating.
While I’ve never been on tv for more than 2 seconds, seen my writing in a magazine, travelled outside of Australia, or been able to complete a photo-a-day challenge I have done some pretty cool and worthwhile things with my life.

1) Bought a house
2) Crossed the Nullabor
3) Shaved my head for Cancer research
4) Jumped out of a plane
5) Learnt to knit
6) Graduated from University with a degree
7) Bought an apartment (& endured it flooding)
8) Travelled out of the state by myself
9) Sang in front of an audience
10) Ran 12km without stopping
11) Watched 6 consecutive Test Matches live
12) Can cook a lasagne from scratch
13) Been to a football game with 70,000 other people
14) Managed a team of 5 people
15) Assembled an IKEA wardrobe by myself
16) Went to 6 music festivals in a year (and 3 in 8 days)
17) Can/could play all of The Entertainer, not just the first bit that everyone knows.
18) Kept the same blog for 3 years
19) Made a sale on Etsy
20) Successfully negotiated a pay-rise
21) Read all 6 Jane Austen novels (cover to cover)
22) Taught someone how to play the drums
23) Held the banner for Port Adelaide to run through
24) Have seen 222 bands live (at last count & have been backstage at bonjovi & met several others)
25) Been thanked in the notes of someones Thesis

And there are 5 things I hope to achieve before I’m 30
26) Go to a test match at the MCG
27) Complete Post-Grad Studies
28) See Blood Red Shoes live
29) Have 20 etsy sales
30) Travel outside of Australia ($$ permitting)

I want to watch my football team win a premiership at the MCG – before I’m 30 would be nice, but before I’m 35 would also be acceptable.

stuff and things and nonsense

Posted on April 24, 2014April 24, 2014 by bekswhoknits

There hasn’t really been much going on in the world of Bek lately.

Shoulder is still preventing quality knitting time.
Most of my long weekend was spent watching Greys Anatomy (or ugly crying because that show makes you care about people and then terrible things happen to them.)
I went to watch a football game and we won. That was pretty awesome.
I’ve made a few pairs of earrings.
It’s finally cold enough in the mornings for me to wear scarves again.
I dyed my hair.
I ate an orange that was from our tree. It was a little tart though.
My best friend is becoming a real-life teacher and is moving to the country (and hopefully she will eat a lot of peaches).

Ok so maybe stuff has been happening I’ve just been too busy to notice it.

My weekend in numbers

Posted on March 31, 2014 by bekswhoknits

1 – the number of times I got to pretend it was cold enough to wear my unicorn jumper

2 – Buffy fans made happy with a ‘walk through the fire’ bracelet
10 – geeky bracelets I now have
1 – hour spent searching for lost items
4 – rings found
0 – metal stamping letter Rs found

1 – PlayStation 3 which decided to not read discs any more
9 – hours to transfer all our data off our old PS3 to the new one
1 – heart palpitation when Hewhofishes suggested I could ‘just start over’ in Skyrim
3 – the number of times Hewhofishes pointed a laser pointer from the tv couch to the kitchen couch to annoy me whilst waiting for the data transfer.
1.5 – books in the Grisha series read despite such laser pointer intrusions

55 – points my team beat hewhofishes’ team by
15 – minutes hewhofishes sulked for after his team lost
infinite number of times I thought about rubbing in the fact that my team is better than his team but decided to be the bigger person

12 – episodes of Bobs Burgers watched
4 – quotes I tweeted from the show
2 – confused comments I had back from followers who were unaware I was quoting Bobs Burgers

1 – old but new to me china cabinet was delivered
7 – years my 21st birthday china waited before being unpacked
4 – years my tea cup collection has been waiting for a home that wasn’t constantly under threat of being knocked over.

but by far the biggest and most important number of the weekend
100 – the age of my Great-Nan who celebrated her birthday on Saturday.
6 children, 19 grand-children, 26 great-grand children (me!), and 2 great-great-grandchildren

(Numbers are from my memory and are approximate. It may have been more than 12 episodes of Bobs Burger we watched.)

Answers to questions I’ve never been asked

Posted on March 19, 2014 by bekswhoknits

If I cosplayed who would I be?
Romana channelling the 4th Doctor

Why don’t I wash my hair more often?
My dad always told me that going to bed with wet hair would make me sick, which is probably true but with bleached hair I hate blow drying my hair so instead I just don’t wash it except when it’s during the day and has time to dry

Why don’t I own any cats?
As we’re dog sitting too cutie pies in July it would be unfair on my future cat to put up with Bob & Cookie.

What is my favourite episode of Friends
I don’t know but I like Joey teaching a dance class, Ross pivoting a couch up the stairs, Monica needing a tiny vacuum to vacuum her vacuum cleaner, and any Joey & Chandler montage set to sad music.

How many pairs of converse do I own?
Seriously do you want me to count? I’m asking the questions and I should know I’m never going to count them so let’s say between 10 & 20.
Counting them would involve them not being spread all around the house.

What piece of furniture is next on the to buy list?
The practical Bek says more chairs, the less practical Bek says a hat stand.

How many pain killers have I had tonight?
Who are you my mother? Because she cares about me and loves me which is totally awesome.

How many fingers do I have?

10 – last time I counted.

What are my feelings about men tucking their shirts into jeans.

So not cool.

If I had to throw a fruit at a foreign species to save the human race, what sort of fruit would it be?

Not a satsuma. Possibly a nectarine. Or maybe an apple. Apples have good throwing properties.

Would I do the squelchy with a man in socks
Absolutely not. That’s just weird.

Do I hog the blankets
Hells yes. If you want to sleep next to me and be warm, bring your own damn blanket to bed.

What music gets stuck in my head when I’m waiting for shit to happen?
The jeopardy theme, or The Girl From Ipanema

Would I embroider a “Bruce’s Bar & Grill sign for me little brothers non existent bar area.
Hells yes.
UK comedies that make Australian references are few and far between. Plus Sir Gregglesworth appreciates this shit.

Why didn’t I squeal like the squeamish person you are when you saw that cockroach running along your bedroom floor?
It’s crawling along the floor and it helps the compost.
If I ever wake up to it in my hair (like I did with the mice when I lived in
Kalamunda) I promise I will squeal. That’s awful and really icky.

Why do I sleep under a doona even in 40+ (100+F) weather?

Because it feels awesome. Everyone else is weird. Sleeping under a blanket is normal I tell you NORMAL!!!

Why is my brothers hat styling so amazeballs?
He gets it from his sister. His sister is pretty awesomesauce.

Why can’t I come up with a strong last question?

Because I lack imagination and it’s late and I need to sleep.

Zzzzzzzzz