scheDUEL [handmade holidays]

I'm not really awake at 6am on a Sunday, but I'm trying my luck at Kootoyoo's latest blog game with a scheDUEL-ed post! Here are my answers...

Still feeling totally inspired by the handmade issue of mankind mag from my favourite design blog.
Q What is the blog author's first name? ANSWER: Erin
use the first letter - LETTER: E

We like to keep lunch casual, I've found some fabulous BBQ recipes for the big day.
Q What type of meat is pictured on the rotisserie? ANSWER: Lamb
use the first letter - LETTER: L

Getting some great ideas for upcycling (my favourite craft) & enjoying the revamp over at this fabulous craft website.
Q They list everyone's favourite Portland based author mama as one of their inspirational sites. Which Portland based author mama is she? ANSWER: Soule Mama
use the second letter of her last name - LETTER: O

Looking forward to being able to buy handmade at the shopping shindig with the craft book Queen.
Q What type of car is pictured? ANSWER: VW
use the first letter - LETTER: V

All these letters unscramble to reveal:
LOVE is all you need.

...and it most certainly is :)

Big jumps

I've been playing my guitar a lot more recently... hoping to become some sort of folky-songstress. In the meantime, I'll listen to girls like Emiliana Torrini, Jolie Holland and Leslie Feist, and sigh in awe. I know it's lazy to post a YouTube clip instead of a photo, but this is so cute!

Through the looking glass

1. purpledoor, 2. fishglass, 3. redandgold, 4. mishmashtexture, 5. brokengold, 6. texturedglass, 7. purpleorangeswirl, 8. brightchaos, 9. goldenripples

I took these photos today at Architectural Glassworks (which I have posted about before), there's a few more in my glass photos flickr set. Now I've discovered I need to pay for a flickr account if I want any new photo sets... hmm tempting!

>> Decided to add a tag for mosaic posts (ie. with images created on the mosaic maker). I have a thing about only putting up one photo per blog post, so it's a good way to condense all the photos into a mini set.

Just a minute... in November

Only 8 posts before this one in the month of November, so I thought it was a good time for August Street's "just a minute" round up.

Reading... all the blogs in my reader list, more than I used to (or at least I've added more without removing any). I like paying attention to what people share, and being inspired. By the way, there's a helpful post on Meet Me at Mikes about blog reading etc.

Watching... season two of Buffy, and almost up to the next one! I was never a "Buffy" person but I now understand what all the fuss was about.

Listening... to Perth band Tame Impala. They're just as good live as on their EP. Worth a spin.

Eating... mostly fresh market food, to go with my running, swimming, bike riding, dancing and yoga. Hoping this time it'll all stick and I'll become one of those fit & healthy people I never understood before. Or maybe not.

Sewing... plans are on hiatus. The first green cushion took me so long, it's put me off doing the other three! I really should get back to it, and embark on an easier first project next time.

Learning... to be more proactive, and doing the things that have been on my list foreverrr. Still a lot more I could/should be doing, but I'm proud of myself anyway.

I want these

I was in Palookaville (Brunswick Street, Fitzroy) and spotted these retro orange chairs with a matching table. I think they're pretty rad.

Avocado raita on toast

Yes, more food. This was my lunch today! I was going through some old theage(melbourne)magazine's and found a recipe I happened to already have ingredients for - avocado raita on toast. It's a slightly modified version but looked just like the photo in the magazine!

You'll need:
~ 1 large avocado, chopped
~ 1 large truss tomato, chopped
~ 2 heaped desertspoons of natural yoghurt
~ a handful of chopped coriander
~ juice of 1 lemon
~ few squirts of tabasco sauce
~ 4 slices of dark rye bread

Then to make it a meal:
1. Combine the avocado, tomato, coriander, tabasco and lemon juice in a small bowl.
2. Gently stir through the yoghurt.
3. Toast the bread, then drizzle with a little olive oil (if you like).
4. Top with heaped spoonfuls of raita and add cracked black pepper to serve. Mmm.

Poached apricots

Yikes a whole week has passed without a single post (again). Not much crafting but lots of eating has been going on! This is actually a before shot of my poached apricots because, let's be honest, they're not too pretty after the poaching is complete!

I used:
~ 8 fresh apricots, cut in halves
~ almost 1 cup sugar
~ 2 cups water

What to do:
1. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Once sugar has dissolved, add the apricots and reduce heat.
3. Let simmer for 15 minutes then leave to cool (don't strain them).
4. Can be kept in the fridge for at least a few days, although mine didn't last that long. Just use a slotted spoon to serve up what you need each time. Delicious on muesli or with ice-cream.

I was a kaleidoscope

It's been a nature (& fun) filled weekend... but it's not over yet ;)

Muffin makin'

I've been stumbling with this blog lately... a post here and there, but not really enough enthusiasm. Well, I'm back with a recipe - this one's full of chocolate chippey, over-ripe bananary goodness! (in a muffin)

What you need:
~ 2 cups self raising flour
~ 1 cup sugar
~ 90g butter
~1 cup milk
~ 1 egg lightly beaten
~ 1 cup chocolate chips
~ 1/4 mashed ripe banana

Then to turn it all into banana choc chip muffins:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Rub butter into flour until combined, then add sugar
3. Add all other ingredients and combine roughly (don't overmix)
4. Bake until golden!

>> Recipe found in a Vogue forum, of all places.

Golden Hands

1. Golden Hands (Part 16; 2nd ed), 2. Golden Hands (Part 12; 2nd ed), 3. Golden Hands (Part 11; 2nd ed), 4. Golden Hands (Part 8; 2nd ed), 5. Golden Hands (Part 7; 4th ed), 6. Golden Hands (Part 4), 7. Golden Hands (Part 4; 2nd ed), 8. Golden Hands (Part 14; 2nd ed), 9. Golden Hands (Part 9; 2nd ed)

My flickr set is growing - this time I've been photographing the Golden Hands magazines given to me by a friend a few weeks ago. They're brilliant - full of knitting, sewing, crochet and other crafty projects... Less photographing and more doing is in order very soon!

>> Nothing to report on my desk this week, and I won't try to make something up this time! Oh, and the link to make mosaic images is here.

Thing

I could post about Halloween for days... and probably will! This reminded me of Thing from the Addams Family. I'll take any excuse to make a list, so a few other spooky films I like are:
~ IT
~ The Craft
~ Scream
~ Dracula
~ Psycho
~ Death Proof

Most of those are partly for nostalgic value (I terrified myself with IT on my 13th birthday), but Death Proof was a great modern take on the genre.

Halloween head

I'm not getting any better at blogging on weekends, but on this occasion it's probably best as all I have are spooky photos and a sore head! I had a full weekend of Halloween festivities, and not much else got done...