knitting

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New Years Resolutions 2018

The start of a new year always feels like a blank sheet of paper to me.  It’s clean and fresh, ready to be written upon.  Although I set goals and challenges throughout the year, new years resolutions always feel more charged and purposeful to me.  Today I wanted to take some time to review my 2017 goals as well as setting some new goals for the year ahead.

 

2017 goals in review

  1. Journal once per week

There was only one week this year that I missed journalling, and it was because I was ill with the flu and couldn’t even hold my head up.  I did a mixture of traditional day-to-day records, stream of consciousness work and journal prompts.  I really enjoyed taking that time for myself to put my thoughts down on paper.

 

2. Read all the books in my to-read pile

I didn’t even come close to achieving this goal.  Although I read a lot this year, I also got two bookstore giftcards, which inevitably led to the addition of about ten new books to the pile.  If I’m going to have any chance of working through my to-read pile, I need to concentrate on not acquiring new books just as much as reading the ones on the shelf.

Rocking my me-made cardigan to work. #outfit #workwear #cardigan #knits

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3. Knit a whole garment

I knitted not one, but three jumpers for myself this year (and made good progress on a fourth).

First time wearing my me-made jumper. #crafts #knits #TARDIS #blue #outfit

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4. Continue transitioning to a vegan-ish diet

I rocked this one and went full vegan this year.  I cooked loads of new recipes, tried foods I never expected to like and ate out at some fantastic vegan restaurants.

 

5. Declutter my flat

I got rid of approximately one quarter of all my possessions this year.  I was extremely ruthless and cleaned out every cupboard and drawer.  I was very honest about things that I was hanging onto out of guilt, or because it represented the kind of person I wished I were, rather than the person I am.  It was incredibly freeing.

 

6. Buy fewer things

I drastically reduced the number of “just because” purchases I made this year.  Although I did a fair amount of shopping still, I tried hard to be mindful of what I was spending money on and only bought things that were necessary or which brought me joy (and I went a bit nuts at Kinkfest and Sexpo….my bad!)

 

7. Write more sex positive posts

I’m really proud of the number of sex positive posts I published in 2017.  I completed my series on the ABC’s of BDsM, wrote about sex on Game of Thrones, reviewed some awesome toys including my glass tentacle wand, the Tantus Destiny and the Bootie plug and considered the performance of pleasure. I got a lot more comfortable writing about sex and talking about difficult topics.  I also attended Sexpo and Oz Kinkfest and met loads of incredible people at both events.

 

8. Build an aftercare kit

I had long wanted to build an aftercare kit for my BDsM needs.  I put together an awesome little bag filled with all the essentials I need to take care of myself after a scene.  It’s been super useful and it was truly therapeutic to consider closely the type of aftercare I need after a scene.

 

2018 resolutions

  • Close the gap on my long distance relationship

I’ve been dating my partner for almost two years now and we live three hours away from each other.  Long distance relationships are rewarding, but difficult.  By this time next year, I’d really like for my love and I to be living closer to one another.

 

  • Be able to do a forward split

My yoga practice has stalled a little this year, and I’ve noticed that my hips and hamstrings are especially tight.  I have still been practising but I’ve slacked off a bit.  So in 2018 I want to put more effort into regular yoga workouts and incorporating loads of flexibility training to allow myself to achieve a King Monkey Pose (or forward split) by the end of the year.

  • Learn colourwork knitting

It’s my dream to eventually learn how to make my own ugly Christmas sweaters.  But before I can do that, I need to learn how to do colourwork properly.  2018 will be the year of colourwork knitting for me.

  • 100 days of no spending

I’m trying hard to cut down my spending this year.  There are a lot of days when I will pop into the shops aimlessly during my lunch break or call into the supermarket on my way home without a clear idea of what I’m going to buy.  So this year I want to rack up 100 days where I don’t spend any money.  I think this goal will help me to cut down on those little “just because” purchases.

  • Publish one toy review per month

I have a stack of toys that are waiting to be reviewed.  I’d really like to get the ball rolling on more reviews and post one per month.

 

  • Catch up with one friend per month

I haven’t been terribly social this past year.  I realised towards Christmas that there are some people I adore that I didn’t see at all in 2017.  This year I want to make a huge effort to catch up with my friends more often, and arranging at least one friend-date per month will help with that.

 

So that’s my goals for 2018.  Cross your fingers and lend me your support as I work towards them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss any of my adventures and reviews.

 

What are your resolutions for 2018?

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Daily outfit: Blue and BB-8

One of my new years resolutions for 2017 was to make a knitted garment of some kind.  I saw a bunch of boxy knitted jumpers popping up on ASOS and I loved them.  I thought it would be a fairly easy thing to make for my first project.  I managed to whip up this TARDIS blue jumper with a minimum of fussing and I really like it.  It’s nice and warm and super comfortable for lazy days.

I am wearing:

  • TARDIS blue jumper (handknitted)
  • Blue pucci shirt (thrifted)
  • Bootleg jeans from K Mart
  • Dr Martens boots
  • BB-8 enamel pin from Hannah Hitchman Illustrations
  • Skull ring from ASOS
  • Moonstone ring from Lovisa
  • Fleur du Lis ring from Equip
  • Clog earrings (thrifted)

 

 

I topped off this outfit with my new BB-8 pin from Hannah Hitchman Illustrations.  

I have been obsessed with enamel pins lately and I bought a few as a little treat right before my birthday.  This dude is adorable, and I love that he’s doing the “thumbs-up” pose with his lighter.

I wore this outfit for a run to the shops, reading on the lawn and loads of decluttering.

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Things I Love Thursday 22/1/2015

Wow, it has been a massive week and I have so much to share with you.  I feel pretty blessed at the moment.  It’s just been one of those rare times when everything seems to be falling into place.  I just have this feeling that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be at this point in time, and that all the bad stuff that’s happened in the past has led me to be the person I am at the moment.  Now that I’m done with being corny, let’s leap into Things I Love Thursday!

 

This week I love:

– Settling into my new job.  I have my own desk in a quiet corner of the office with a window.  I answer the phones for one hour each day while the receptionist is at lunch, and other that that I barely have to talk to anyone.  I just do my work quietly and happily.  It’s an introvert’s dream.  Plus I get to use a dizzying array of stationary and I’m doing work that I actually enjoy.  It’s brilliant.

 

-Going to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and coming back to find this cheeky critter wrapped up  in my blanket!

 

-Also, Ringo’s new love of sleeping in my suitcase under my bed.

 

– Fresh salads eaten down by the lake.  Lunchtime picnics for the win!

 

– Re-watching The Office on DVD and discovering a bunch of episodes that I’ve never seen before.

 

– Finding three pairs of awesome and comfortable shoes in my size, for $5 each.

 

-Finishing these hand-knitted socks for my etsy store.  I’m making them in a bunch of different colours. Socks were always something that I felt too scared to learn how to make.  But now that I’m confident knitting on four needles, they’re a breeze!  I don’t even need a pattern anymore!

 

– Daily chats with awesome gentleman who share my love of British comedy, Game of Thrones and TMNT.

 

– Planning for Galentines Day.

 

– Getting a haircut.  It’s not a drastic change, but it felt like a big step.  I got some long layers put into my hair and I kinda love it.  To begin with I felt as though I’d lost half of my hair, but now that I’m used to it I love the movement that my hair has.  Although styling it is proving a bit challenging.

 

– The discovery that Disneyland holds a “coronation ceremony” for each new princess to welcome her into the royal court.  I watched a few on Youtube and I think that Princess Merida’s was my favourite.  I thought it was brilliant that she rode her own horse in the parade, rather than being pulled in a carriage like all the other princesses.

– This Jurassic Parks and Recreation trailer.  I wish this were a real thing.

 

What do you love this Thursday, nerds?  Let me know in the comments.

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Things I Love Thursday

Yeee-hah!  This week is just whipping on by, and it’s time once again to bang out my weekly love list.  Hooray!

This week I love:

– Getting word that my favourite comic book store, All Star Comics in Melbourne, has been voted Best Comic Book Store in the World at San Diego Comic Con.  How awesome is that?  There are few things that make me happier than seeing people follow their dreams, take a risk and be rewarded for it.  The store owners, Mitch and Troy have done an incredible job creating a stellar business and building a fabulous community.  I am so proud of them.

– Hogs Breath cafe.  My gentleman friend and I took a trip to Hogs Breath on Sunday and it was awesome.  I had a blackened steak and it was drool-worthy.

– Re-watching Tank Girl for the billionth time.

– Adding new items to my etsy store.

This slouchy Bad Hair Day beanie is perfect for hiding even the most hideous bed-hair.  It’s super comfortable and funky.  I’m also able to make this one in any other colour you might desire, so if you’d like to request a custom order, just shoot me an email!

I’ve also added this sweet Cupcake Beanie.  This one is an adult size, but I can also make these to fit children or even babies.  I can also customize the colours, so once again if you would like to request a custom order I’d be happy to help you out.

– Getting an email from one of my work clients telling me that I’m “too awesome”.  Naturally I sent it to my boss so that he’s have it when my performance review rolls around.

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-Finishing my first pair of knitted socks.  I feel so proud of myself.  Socks have always been one of those “too hard” items that I’d always been too scared to try knitting.  But these turned out brilliantly.  They fit perfectly and they’re so warm and comfortable.  I’m planning on making myself a whole drawer-full now!  These will also be available in my etsy store soon, so if you’d like a pair get in touch with me.  I can make them in any colour, and they are made to your measurements so they will fit like a dream.

–  Good hair days.

– Waking up from hilarious dreams feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

– Taking it easy when I’m feeling under the weather.

– Feeding the ducks at the lake.

– Watching the days slowly draw out.

What do you love this week?

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Things I Love Thursday 24/7/2014

After a slow start, winter has well and truly arrived in Benalla.  This past week has been flippin’ freezing!  Normally I don’t deal well with cold weather, but this year I feel as though I’m doing a pretty good job of keeping my chin up and powering on.

 

This week, I love:

– My grandmother.  She and I haven’t always had the closest relationship, but over the past year I’ve had a lot of opportunities to get to know her better.  I’ve grown to respect and appreciate her a lot more and I feel as though we have a much stronger bond.  I feel so grateful for the support she’s given me since I split from my ex last year and I’m so pleased to have her in my life.  It’s her birthday today, and I want to make an extra effort to tell her how much she means to me.

 

– Going to a Fawlty Towers dinner show with my gentleman friend and having an absolute blast.

 

– Two people and two cats in the one bed when it’s icy out.


-Finishing this knitted scarf for my Mum.  She took it on holidays with her to Philip Island last week and wore it every day.

 

– Taking my lunch to the lake and sitting in the sunshine to eat.  Yesterday I had lunch with three very friendly ducks.  They came right over to me and settled down to take a nap while I ate.  I shared my apple with them and they enjoyed the crunchiness.  It was a lovely way to unwind.

 

– My new workmate.  A new woman has started working at my office and I think she’s awesome.  We work really well together and I’m having a great time training her.  Plus she has the most gorgeous Irish accent.

 

– Knitting socks.  I’ve always felt intimidated by the idea of knitting my own socks, but on the weekend I decided to give it a try.  I knitted one sock successfully with no mistakes.  It’s so cozy and warm, and I can’t wait until the other one is done so I can wear them with my favourite boots.  I’ll be adding knitted socks to my etsy store in no time!

(Oh, for all you aspiring knitters out there, I used this knitting tutorial to learn how to make socks.  It’s incredibly detailed and I found it easy to follow.  I’d definitely recommend this tutorial if you want to learn how to knit your own cozy socks)

 

– Sunday driving.

 

– Awesome things happening to my friends.  People are having babies, getting married, moving house and getting promoted all around me.  It’s brilliant.

 

– Looking back over old outfit photos.

 

– Having the hairdresser who works next door to my office tell me that she looks forward to my daily mail run so that she can see what I’m wearing.  Bless!

 

What do you love this week, sweetheart?  Sing it loud and proud!

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Things I Love Thursday 6/3/2014

Welcome to another Things I Love Thursday.  This week a whole bunch of wonderful things have been putting a smile onto my dial.

This week I love:

– Manatees.  They’re such majestic creatures.

– Snapping these pictures of some cheeky cockatoos in my backyard on the weekend.  They love crunching the seed pods on this tree, and I’ll often walk outside to find a whole flock of them munching away and cackling to one another.

– Waking up to find that Ringo is using my fingers as a pillow, and the vibration of his purrs is rippling up my wrist.  So gorgeous.

-Finishing this crocheted baby blanket for one of my friends.   Her baby is due in July, so I’m hoping this will help to keep the little critter warm when the temperature drops.

– Chicken enchiladas.

– Yellow nail polish.  I was a bit unsure of it when I first painted my nails yellow, but it’s grown on me.

-Finding a bunch of Disney DVDs on sale and beefing up my collection considerably.  Most of these titles were only $9, so I figured that it was the perfect time to snap them up.  Needless to say, I’ve been watching  a lot of Disney lately.

– Doing yoga foot stretches after a long day on my feet at work.

-Finally finishing this drop-stitch scarf I started ages ago.  I really loved the way it turned out.  It will be up in my etsy store very soon.

– Planning to catch up with gorgeous friends.

– Going out for lunch with my mum.

– Everyday Feminism.  It’s my new favourite website.

– Beginning Lent.  I’ve decided to give up shopping for non-essential purchases.  This is going to be rough.

– Having incredibly weird dreams.  There was one night this week when I dreamed that I was in my Nana and Pa’s house and there was a door I’d never seen before.  I opened it and it let to an intricate series of rooms, each of which was filled with clothes, books, toys and trinkets from when myself and my cousins were children.  There was even a room that had a huge feather bed, and on that bed was the green eider down that my grandfather would always wrap me in when I was sick.  I could still smell the scent of that blanket: a mixture of my grandfather’s shaving foam, Pears soap and cigarette smoke when I woke up.

-Thunderstorms.

What do you love this week?