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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Can I possibly stop at six?


Oooow! I just got poked by Alicia to do the 6 Weird Things meme. Only six?

1 – I have to put my left shoe on before my right shoe. If I don’t, then all manner of bad things may happen to me, so I just don’t take the risk.

2 – Often my dreams come true. However, it’s usually in an oddly mundane sort of way, like I’ll dream that I was standing talking to my friend Derek next to the stingray tank at the aquarium, and he will make a joke about being in a car crash, and then I’ll wake up and think: Odd. Haven’t seen Derek in ages, and why were we at the aquarium? Fast forward two years, and bang, there we are, chatting away in front of the rays, and he’ll make the joke. Sometimes, if the dream was really impressive, I can actually recite along with the person, although I try not to do that anymore because past experience has taught me that it really freaks people out.

If only it came in useful, like dreaming winning Tattslotto numbers, or predicting the future in an accurate way. Actually, now that I’ve just typed that, I think I prefer not to know. Except for the lotto numbers. That would be handy.

3 – I often talk to myself as I daydream. Terribly embarrassing when I get busted for it. If anybody ever mentions that they saw me on the street, my first terrible thought is “Oh god, was I talking to myself when they spotted me? No wonder they haven’t called in months!”

4 – My little toes are permanently swollen and very pink with chilblains, and look hideous. Thankfully they curl under my second-little toes, thus ensuring the world isn’t subject to the freakishness. Makes it damn hard to put nail polish on them, though. (Hee hee, if I ever want to gross out my husband, I just wave those scary toes in his general direction. Makes him jump every time!)

5 – If I’m having a dinner party, you can almost set your watch by the time it takes me to get stressed and then lose the plot, and become really cranky. My good, dear husband knows now to leave me alone to have my strop, and when he thinks the coast is clear, he’ll come back into the kitchen and pour me a nice big glass of something containing alcohol, and gently remind me that these people are our friends, so let’s all relax, hmmm? (He learned the hard way, poor thing, that saying “Nobody is going to enjoy food that wasn’t prepared with love!” is NOT the best thing to say to me whilst I'm in the midst of stropdom.)

6 – I adore baths. In fact, I’ve been known to take three baths in a day. Nothing like swishing around in all that hot water to beat all problems, I say! However, since we are in stage three water restrictions, I have had to curtail my baths severely. In fact, I haven’t had one since Christmas day (and only then because I had a whopping headache), and I’m in the midst of a bath-deprivation induced crisis! My joints feel stiff and achy, and my knees are cracking like it’s going out of fashion. Ahh, the things I suffer for the common good (swooning onto couch in act of noble selflessness).

Rightio. That’s done. I tag anybody who feels like doing it!


Wednesday, January 17, 2007

I'm melting, I'm melting!

If there's one thing this heat has taught me, it's that I really need to get cracking on sewing some more summer dresses. I've worn my spotty orange number three days in a row now (yes, stinky). However, it's far too hot to sew. It's even too hot to jump on the tram with toddler in tow to go fabric shopping (you know things are dire indeed when it's too hot to shop!)



Grumbles checking out the Butterfly house at the zoo on the weekend. Awwwww!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Exposing myself, and lettuce recipes, all in one post!


Study of Grumbles eating her lunch. Because, really, there's not that much going on around here. It's just too hot. Eew. I'm not a big fan of the heat, which is why when it gets really hot, Grumbles and I just hang out at home, as we've done all this week. Except for Monday, when we went shopping with Shannon and Joanne. Fun, enjoyable day, until Grumbles hit the tired wall, and turned into toddler from hell. I'm still not sure if the highlight was her spilling her milkshake all over (and I mean ALL OVER) Cookie, or pulling down the front of my top, therefore exposing me to the whole restaurant. (Did you guys see that? I really hope you didn't, although I would understand if you decided to refrain from being my friend. Waaaaaaah!). So. Note to self: Stop wearing lowish-cut tops. You don't have the bosom for it, anyway.

Right. I'm off to plan the menu for tomorrow night's dinner party. I think that for the salad course I'll do Bibb Lettuce with Butter Dressing. Not only does it sound darn refreshing, but the recipe is from the 1920s, which gives it a nifty value all of it's own. As the Gourmet cookbook says, "When all the elements come together in the right way, this salad is a revelation!". Geez. Who am I to argue with that? Bring the revelation on!

Friday, January 05, 2007

Hot in the city (the heat, that is, not me!)

Forgive the tired, glazed look. It's been rather warm here the last few days, and our house is an oven, which makes it a little bit hard to get a decent nights sleep. At least I'm feeling cool and funky in my brand new top!

Geez, everybody is making them! I highly recommend this pattern - it doesn't use too much fabric, takes only a few hours, and is just challenging enough to save me from being bored. I've already got another cut out and ready to go, and plans for about 6 others swirling around the old noggin.


Project specs
Pattern - Simplicity 4589, Style F in size 6

Thursday, January 04, 2007

There's a spot over here...

You would think, wouldn't you, that after completing a fashion design course, that I would have the sense to read the instructions of a cute little dress pattern properly, and remember to cut TWO on fold, rather than one.

You would also think that even if I did only cut one, I would look at the amount of fabric in the ruffles which were to be sewn onto the dress, and think "Hmmm, that sure doesn't look right!" and then do something about it.

And you would think that the something I would do about it would not consist of throwing my hands in the air and saying "What the heck, I'm sure it will fit!"

Alas, you would be wrong. But at least you're not incredibly STUPID like me, who had spent the better part of a few days sewing what eventually amounted to a sack. True, it was a sack in gorgeous fabric, with ruffles to boot, but a sack, nonetheless. The shame, the shame! However, the trusty ol' quick-un-pick came to the rescue, and I had fabric to spare, so Grumbles is now resplendant in a very airy summery frock. And I have learnt to always double check the cutting instructions. Till next time, at least.





Project specs:
Pattern: Underdress pattern from Ottobre magazine, 1/2005
Fabric: Lightweight cotton (Um, don't remember it's name, but it came from Patchwork on Central Park!)

PS The uniquely positioned headband was her idea, I swear.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Talking 'bout a resolution

How rude - giving myself a Christmas blogging break without notifying you all. Sheesh! So I'll make amends by telling you my resolutions for 2007. Feel free to whack me if I don't keep them:

- Eat better. Salads with every meal, if suitable.

- Eat breakfast. I must really get out of the habit of slurping down a coffee in front of the computer first thing in the morning, then rushing off to shower, get laundry on, wash dishes etc then find myself starving at 11 o'clock. So this morning it was Nutella on toast followed by bananas and passionfruit with yoghurt. Burp.

- Try not to waste food. It's a crime that every week I throw sad old vegies away because I wasn't organised enough to use them. Tch, tch.

- Get fit. More walks, more swims. I started off well yesterday - we all rode to Kew, stopped for a swim at Kew Rec Centre, then rode home via Pho Dzung on Victoria St. I love, love, love that rice noodle soup! Terribly sore bum, though. And I fell asleep on the bed despite telling Galumph that I was just resting my eyes for a moment or two. Bwahahah! Worn out!

I think that's quite enough to go on with. Bonne Année, everybody!