Bread and Milk

Today I went to the shop for bread and milk.  I told myself I was just going to walk out with bread and milk.  Nothing extra.  Not a thing.

But then the bakery had run out of multigrain bread and I don't like supermarket bread so I grabbed crumpets.  And then as I walked to the milk I passed the fruit and saw a guava so grabbed that too.  On the way to the checkout I passed maltesers on sale and my chocolate stash has diminished a bit lately so I grabbed a pack of them as well.  

I walked out of the shop cursing myself for lack of will power.  Seriously, I do this every time I go shopping.  I know I am terrible at this so when I do a normal sized shop I tell myself, just one thing extra and 99% of the time I fail.  

Of course, as I write this post, I have just finished my guava and am enjoying a little bag of maltesers so they haven't gone to waste so that's good.  On the other hand, MR has won a trip to Europe for us because his business has well and truly met and surpassed their sales targets and reached the level needed to qualify for the trip.  It's all expenses paid (apart from shopping) from what I understand although I haven't really got any information yet so it all seems a bit surreal and unlikely.  But if MR is correct and we are going to Europe (health and doctors permitting in my case) then I need to save some spending money!! The trip is ten days and it falls during the school holidays which is perfect.  I will probably also try to get another week of leave without pay or something, providing we can add on to the trip and visit an adjacent country (so no extra flights) or stay in Germany or The Netherlands (the planned countries for the trip) and do more exploring, all of which will require extra money for accommodation, food and sight seeing (and more shopping!).

My budget is a little bit strapped for spontaneous European holidays however as we've just bought a car and it is using way more petrol than my previous one, something I didn't factor into the planning stage of car buying budget analysis.  But, I do have an extremely big shopping budget, $250 a fortnight for two people, one of which isn't there much.  I've been told this is a bit extravagant but I really like my fruit and pastries.  And I am a bit of a food waster as well.  So the challenge is on.  Stick to the shopping list (with one extra treat), use what I've got in the fridge and start using up stuff out of my overflowing pantry filled with things I might maybe one day need.  I'm going to put my $250 in a separate coin purse and whatever is left at the end of each fortnight goes to the holiday fund. 

Wish me luck! And please, send me any tips you have for cutting your food bill and any things-you have-in-the-pantry recipes.    I started it off last night with my favourite pumpkin soup recipe made with two small $1 roadside veggie stand butternut pumpkins plus a punnet of slightly squishy cherry tomatoes, half a red capsicum which I roasted first and three sticks of celery all thrown in so as not to waste them.  Yum! 6 serves for $2 for the pumpkins, another $2something for sour cream (which I also used in fajitas on Friday) homemade chicken stock which cost nothing and old veggies from the fridge.

Walking past those pastries at the bakery is going to be tough though...

 

New Frontiers

A friend of mine who is very fashionable buys almost all of her day to day clothes online.  And a lot of her going out clothes too.  She has labels she sticks with that she knows her sizing in and waits for the sales to hit the online store and then stocks up on mid range designer label items at not so high prices.

Even jeans.

I, on the other hand, have only once purchased an item of clothing online that I can remember.  It is a tshirt that I bought from etsy about 2 years ago with a cute tree print on it.  It is slightly too big, very thin and strangely (as usually I find the opposite to be the case) way too long.  I wear it over a singlet to pilates and this works fine. 

The thought of purchasing jeans online leaves me incredibly perplexed.  How is such a thing possible?? My friend is on the short side so does not have to worry, like I do, about the length of the leg being long enough.  But she also doesn't seem to worry about the online jeans purchase being bum flattening, or bum unflattering or for that matter, bum fattening.

And not only does she purchase jeans online, she also buys dresses.  Usually she likes to try the dress on instore first but on the occasion of the store not being located in WA, she is generally quite happy to just buy the dress anyhow.

As she explains this to me, and I look at her with an expression of dubious nature, my brain wonders if a) I am a particularly odd body shape that finds picking out clothes difficult; b) she is just the perfect body shape for most clothing brands; c) I am just incredibly fussy and picky or; d) she is just super self confident and happy in herself.

After pondering on this for a while momentarily I believe it is a hefty dose of c and a smaller combination of the rest. 

This phenomenon is not just isolated to my friend.  My sister is somewhat shoe obsessed and has taken to purchasing online brands of shoes unavailable in WA.  This is even more inconceivable to me than online jeans purchasing but I know this to most definitely be because I am incredibly fussy and have feet that blister up each season whether it be the change from havianas to my oldest most comfortable ballet flats or the reverse. 


So, I've decided to give this online shopping thing a try again. 

What I'd really like to buy but will not without trying it on

 
With another tshirt.  And one that is on sale!  I really don't think I will ever progress to jeans, dresses or shoes online unless I am purchasing an exact identical version of one I already have because I love it so much that I want it in a different colour or a spare one for when the first dies.  I suppose it helps that looser style tops are rather fashionable at the moment so it doesn't matter if the tee is too big. 

One cute tee coming to a letterbox outside my house soon

So here's my choice.  Stay tuned for a review of fit and liking of style once it arrives.


Do you buy clothes online?

  

This week...

we got a dishwasher. We haven't had one up til now and I am on cloud nine. Every time I put a dirty dish in it I get a big grin on my face and when I turn it on (twice so far) I have clapped my hands and bounced with glee.

I finished my Kindy reports a day early. This is big for me, usually I am the type that hands things in a day or two late. Being on time has never been my strong point. So to finish and hand them in a whole 24 hours before they are due was a super exciting and proud moment for me. It also meant a weekend ahead of no school work. *ahhhhhh*

I baked, twice. Sago and banana bread. Can you guess the reason why? (Hint: see point one) Baking and no dishes afterwards? My kind of bliss.

I caught up with my best friend for a movie (Monsters University) and waffles. We felt like we were in high school again as we both chose mint fudge choc chip ice cream, the flavour of choice from those years.

I bought a new pair of jeans and only paid $35 for them. Enough said.

I have managed to schedule in a don't-leave-the-house, pyjama-filled day of reading, blogging and relaxing.

I have indulged on naughty forbidden treats; blue brie and pate. Oh how I love them. I'm on antibiotics at the moment so I figure they will kill any bad things hiding in them. This is my justification anyhow.



And finally, this week marks the end of MR's break after finishing up on the mines after 6 years! Unfortunately he is not now living full time with me but instead we have swapped locations from when we were first going out. Now he will be in his country home town working at the family business and I am in Perth. We're back to (as many as we can possibly fit in) weekend visitations after two years of approximately one week of three visitations. I'm a bit sad about it but it also marks the start of the next chapter in our lives together and I'm sure I'll get used to it again. I'll be in Perth probably until the end of next year and then I'll be heading back to the country as well.


How has your week been?

  
  

Sunday snippets

uncovering old stuff

hanging new stuff

more new stuff (from here)

market visiting

Christmas tree-ing

pikelet cooking

More snippets at Tinniegirl's

Sunday snippets

It's been ages since I've played along with Tinniegirl's Sunday Snippets and seeing as I was a total instagram whore this week I might as well share some of my moments...

MR and I went down south for my best friend's wedding - note pinwheels
instead of flowers!

The groom is a cyclist so there was a bit of a bike theme, plus a special
thank you heart for me

Vanilla panna cotta for dessert, yum!

Retail therapy after unpleasant medical procedure

A sleepless night and a Meow ready for cuddles

Super wardrobe tidy out - look at all the empty coat hangers (that need filling!!)

Three bags of clothes waiting to be taken to the local op shop

Attempting a new Christmas decoration....

And some cross stitch chevrons which will hopefully also be a new Christmas
ornament providing the waste canvas comes out easily like it is supposed too...

A busy week for me!  Not so much scheduled for this week which is good because I need to clean the house ready to put up the Christmas tree and decorations.  Wheeeeee!

Wood Lovers Anonymous

Hello, my name is Megan and I really love wood stuff. 

Any wood stuff - be it in its natural state of tree or chopped down to make furniture or little bits of pretty.

I love it all!

I also really love clocks.  Cuckoo clocks to be precise and I have always wanted to get one - one day.  But then Amanda very kindly offered me one that used to belong to her father.  It was destined for the op shop pile unless I wanted it.  Did I ever!!!!! 

How gorgeous is this clock?! It was also really nice to go over to Amanda's place and meet her for the first time, she has an amazing home - the type that looks like it belongs in magazine pages it is so beautifully decorated.  You can check it out on her blog, Homely One.

I love the pendulum blur in this shot

In its new home next to the wooden bookshelf and the wooden bookends...

The best shot I could get of the cuckoo

I feel so lucky to have been offered such a gorgeous piece, I love listening to it cuckoo and counting what time it is.  MR is a big fan as well, so much so that he took over setting it up and hanging it when I wasn't even home to join in.  Thank you so much Amanda!


My other latest wooden piece I got down south on my birthday trip.  It is a hand turned mushroom made out of a banksia nut!  Isn't it gorgeous?  I love facing it this way because it looks like a little face and makes me think of May Gibb's Banksia Men (even though when I was little I thought they were scary)  I am quite in love with it.

It is also a little container, although goodness knows what I would put inside?  Some potpourri maybe?

With some of out other favourite bits of wooden stuff

 Unfortuntely, my love for wooden stuff does not make for very colourful display shelves.  I need to do something about that!

  

Sunday Snippets

 This week has been a busy one for me in the lead up to going back to work next week - tomorrow!!

old movi faves watching and embroidering...

gingerbread creature making...

zoo visiting...

cubby making...

appointment waiting... and knitting...

shopping...

play dough making...

Lots of fun too!

Playing along with Tinniegirl
 

Stitchery Giveaway

A little while ago I saw these awesome cross stitch iphone covers on Pip's blog.  Perfect!  So I bought myself one.  And one for someone else as well!

I stitched a pretty heart on mine to start off with, nothing particularly original but I do love me a love heart.  I did have a nice pattern for a little bambi deer but it was a bit too wide for the cover.  I'm sure something else will turn up, or maybe I'll just add some pretty patterns around the heart.  That's the best thing, I can change it as often as I want!

My phone is sitting on my newest of past times, my sashiko panel.  I bought a few of these at the Quilt and Craft Fair and I'm almost half way through the first one.  I'm going to turn them into cushions to sit on our bed.  I can only do these fine stitchery projects late at night when my medication tremors have worn off enough for me to manoeuvre the needle properly.  Hopefully the high dose of steroids I'm on at the moment will start to be weaned off soon so I can do my stitching whenever because I'm really enjoying it!

If you'd like to win yourself a cross stitch phone cover, just leave me a comment telling me what you would put on yours.  It's made for an iphone 4 or 4s and the one I have to giveaway is white as well.

Entries close midnight (WST) on the 12th June.  I'll post to anywhere, so long as you're a follower!
Grab an extra entry if you mention my giveaway on your blog too...

  

Back with my Mac

I feel like that needs a 'yo' on the end of the post title.  And some cool handsign.

I got my new macbook today, very exciting, except I am still learning how to drive it.  I have booked my sister (the it nerd of the family) to come and help me get the things I don't know how to do set up.  It's so nice being back online.  I have only just been coping with my iphone for the last few days and the withdrawal symptoms were creeping in!!

Of course, when you get pretty new toys you want to get pretty new accessories to go with them.  So I've just ordered my mac a pretty decal.  But mine will be white.  I have always wanted a tree swing.  Not going to happen at this house anytime soon as the biggest tree in our yard is the apricot tree which is currently only about 7 foot, rather spindly (as it is only a year old) and certainly not going to hold my weight.

from dinaamon

I'm looking forward to getting all my files, photos and music set up on here and then things can get back to normal around here with way too much time spent online and not doing other more productive things around the house.  Although, hopefully I may improve a bit of the procrastination side of things? 


Doubtful...

Retail Therapy on a Budget

  
Last year I didn't often get out and into the secondhand shops because I never seemed to be out of school before they closed and weekends tended towards quiet time at home (and I'm seeing the trend continue this year, at least regarding weekends).  This year, with the lack of money but much more time, I'm occasionally calling in to a couple on the way home from hospital appointments when I'm in need of retail therapy.  Not working for Term 4 last year and not going to be working Term 1 this year has seen my tighten the purse strings a bit when it comes to retail therapy but some days I am in desperate need to purchase something, sometimes anything, in the attempt for a bit of a mood boost.  So I'm more inclined to head to a secondhand shop than say the local shopping centre where I might be tempted into buying clothes (I very rarely find anything clotheswise I like at secondhand shops and admittedly I hardly ever look for them, being more inclined towards homewares and craft supplies)

Luckily I haven't resorted to buying any old junk yet (although we won't ask MR to comment here), at a pinch a chocolate eclair or a vanilla cannoli will go a long way - a purchase and comfort food all in one, my goodness, hello 10 minutes of happiness.

 This cute decorative glass is a bit like one I eye off in David Jones everytime I go there however it was $2 instead of $89 so it got to come home with me too.

Even though I haven't taught since September, I still can't help myself and $4 for over a metre of fabric in a cute number print was just too good to turn down.  Super Number Star capes for students to wear for the day if they work really hard at recognising their numbers or counting objects perhaps?  I've certainly got plenty of time to sew them!  And the buttons?  Well, I do have a bit of a weakness for pretty buttons.  Especially cheap, pretty buttons.

And this tin was just too cute to stay  behind.  It's not really my style but I'm thinking it might just feature in a destash of crafty supplies giveaway in the not too distant future.  And the doileys speak for themselves really don't they?

 

 

And that was me happy for another week.  Although, I have to admit I did also win an expensive leather bag from a shoe shop and on the way back to the car after picking it up I may have gotten confused gone in the completely wrong direction and stumbled accidentally into Kikki K to buy a diary and oops, Witchery was in my path just across the road on the real way back to the car and they had a sale so I also may have bought a cobalt blue tunic singlet for $20.  Small discrepancies. 



 
Joining in with Flea Market Finds

 

Go to Shekki

Because they are AWESOME!

Bathers shopping.  I've posted about it before here and how I was dreading it with the massive scar to cover.

I went to one well name bathers shop in Subiaco that has been there for donkeys, those of us in Perth will know the one I mean.  Absolutely shocking service.  So SO bad.  I was in the change room, by myself and without a friend to help assess how dreadful they looked or get different sizes for me, for about 20 minutes and even though the lady had said she would put her head in in a few minutes to see if needed any help, all I could hear them doing was gossiping about this and that.  No interest at all. So cross. And I told them off when I left.  Which I don't often do.

So a lovely friend on FB suggested this place called Shekki which I had actually never heard of.  It is in Kearns Cresent near Applecross Pizza for those Perthites in the know.  Such good service.  They have bells in the change room so you can be left alone but call for help when needed.  Honest opinions from sales assistants, not just recommending the more expensive one.  You can take 15 pairs in at a time if you so want.  SO So SOOOO good. 

And I got a pair.  They are even semi sexy like.  They are tryhard bikinis. Just want I needed.  Just a covering over the middle.  I got them in the black but you can see on the white ones they just look like a bikini from the back AND they have a ruffle over the bum.  Ruffle bum! I always love the baby bottoms you see everywhere with ruffle bums.  Now I have ruffle bum too!  My scar hangs out a bit on the right side where it extends further but that's okay, I can deal with that.  I am happy with them!  And even more I am happy with the fantastic service.  It really makes the experience.

 

left image             right image

The Anti Scrooge

This has been me lately, major retail therapy  has been happening since hospital exodus.  I ca just justify it so well and in so many ways...

- I just had major surgery and was stuck in hospital for 5 weeks
- Its the new summer season, clothes updating needed
- I've lost 9kg so nothing fits
- I need to buy myself a Christmas treat (or six, or fourteen)

To date I have bought a blend of bargain and splurge, which is a nice way to go about it I think.  Also a nice way to justify to MR.

I have bought seven tops from Kmart, two pairs of denim shorts (one which is now too big) from Just Jeans/Jeanswest, a Cotton On prettty floral dress which has annoyingly shrunk in the wash just that bit too much than is decent for a respectable young lady (or old lady, or any lady) and a dress from a little boutique in Subiaco which was on sale for $20.  Bargains.

But then I have bought three tops and a black and white spotty dress (now too big as well) from Myer, two pairs of shoes and a beautiful floaty white dress.  Splurge.

And an abundance of Christmas lights.  Because I came very close to not being here for this Christmas, or any other Christmas for that matter and so it has to be big and shiny and twinkly lightsy.  Ideally, if we owned a ladder (MR is intending to purchase one but it has to meet his highly selective criteria before purchase and therefore I cannot go out and buy a cheapy one from Bunnings) I would be wanting decorations on my roof as well.  So it is probably a doubly good thing we do not own a ladder because I'm sure every member of mine and MR's family and MR himself would totally bust my ass if I climbed a ladder onto the roof in my 'delicate' condition (cough-I'm-fine-cough) and also my poor credit card would be looking even more dismal. So instead I have satisfied myself with icicles out the back (hung by MR's dad), lanterns, a Christmas tree shaped (read triangle) array on my sliding door made from a stretchy tube lighting set and some of those very clever 3M removable plastic hooks, a star in the front window, windings of lights around our two pillars either side of the front door, and the Christmas tree itself.  Quite enough to be going on with I think.  Oh. And an arrangement of snowflake lights in our front entry way.  I do love Christmas.  And spending money!

Not only have I gone overboard on myself, I have also gone overboard in every department this Christmas.  Fancy ham from the Boatshed in Cottesloe, express posted cheeses from the Denmark Farmhouse Cheeses which have our very favourite - fromage, a soft ricotta like cheese with onion and garlic.  Oh Yum. (They don't stock anywhere in Perth so ultra decadent getting them posted up in cooler bags) The presents department hasd gone overboard too.  I will regret it when my credit card is over its limit, but right now I am having F U N.

I should take photos but that all seems too hard at the moment and the ones I have taken of my Christmas lights turned out poopy.  So you will have to use your clever and creative imaginations!

It has been my retail therapy today.  I missed my counsellor appointment which I was Very Annoyed about, all my own fault.  I slept through my three alarms.  Woops.  Woke up over an hour later than I was supposed to be there.  Good work Megan.  I've rebooked for next Thursday but needed a pick me up in the meantime.  Hello one new pair of shoes and floaty white dress of Splurgeville.  Ahh yes.  Lovely mood now!
  

Bras, cars and other associated miscellanea

 

New milestones for the week...

- First bra wearing! Of course, having lost about 8 kgs means I've decreased in bra sizes by about a cup and a half so I had to fossick in the back of the drawer for an old smaller one which hadn't been thrown out, thank goodness for lack of organisation!  I have never been a fan of bras so I was happily hanging free for the past few months but lets face it ladies, boobs look way better in bras.  There's just no argument.  (Unless you're a perky 16 year old)

- Today I drove my car for the first time after the all clear from the doctor, the physio and the pain management specialist.  Excellent.  I now feel like an adult again.  I did ruin the sedate adulthoodness of it all by boucning, waving and grinning madly like a loonie to MR who I was dropping off at the airport to go back to work ( :(  )  Independence is a precious thing. 

- Liver gym.  Who woulda thunk there was such a thing?  At the hospital there are gym classes run by the physios for people who have had or are awaiting a liver transplant.  Excellent opportunity to meet others who have experienced it and to get back into shape after the op.  And they want me to go twice a week for a few months.  And I don't have to pay anything.  Fabulous!  My first session was on Monday and I did just fine.  I'm only doing one session this week and next week I have my school's final assembly so I'll only make it to one session next week but after than I plan to make the most of free gym and build up those back muscles so I can get rid of the bloody awful back pain.


So exciting times abound my way.  However, the next thing on my list of things to achieve is not quite so exciting.


Bathers shopping.


Dreadful at the best of times, now it is downright shit.  Unless I want to flash a gimoungo red scar to the world (no thanks) its a bathers onesie for me.  Every pair I have tried on so far (two) has made me feel as though I should have three children under 5 hanging off my leg.  A bit mumsie.  Which is fine for mums, they are very nice bathers with lots of underwire and moulded cups and support.  But I don't really need that.  I still feel I have a few years of sexy svelte bathing attire left in me, especially after milestone number one shrinkage.  I need a size 12 for my hips and my boobs really only want a 10 or less.  And you can't mix and match a onesie.

So I've hit the internet for some inspiration and please, if you have seen any lovely onesies (or tankinis because let's face it, getting a onesie bathing suit on while dry is a bloody challenge so I can only imagine what it will be like when wet) please please send links and shop names my way.  Preferably available in WA!

 

top: 1&2. jets 3. 2chillies 

middle: 1. bond-eye 2. jets 3. seafolly

bottom 1. tigerlily 2. isola 3. seafolly

What bikini, takini, onesie are you rocking this year?  I saw some very pretty bikinis in my searches!
  

Flea Market Finds

I was up early on Saturday for a chiropractor appointment so I was out of my pyjamas - quite unheard of pre-pm (otherwise known as am) on a Saturday - so decided to make the most of the day and head out for a wander around the local shopping centre.  It's been ages since I've been to the shops on a Saturday and I forgot how busy it was. 

I was on the hunt for a full length mirror and a new pair of shoes, no luck there of course, I was having one of those all too common no-chance-of-ever-finding-something-you're-there-to-buy-at-the-shops day but did find a nice cushion on sale that was just perfect for our couch.

After the shops I thought I'd head to the local oppies to see if there was any knitting needles to be had. 


And I found lots more too...

 

a crochet book, a knitting mag and two pairs of needles

 

a vintage lotto game and some books to put in my theme boxes at school, we're starting transport in a couple of weeks - perfect!

 

and some children's books for me.  I love Rene Cloke's illustrations so I was pretty stoked to find these three Tales of Oaktree Wood series for $3 each.  The small chapter book, No Flying in the House was one of my favourites as a child, I still have it sitting on my bookshelf to this day but couldn't leave it sitting at the op shop, now I have a spare.  Has anyone read it?  I spent hours trying to kiss my elbow after I read that book (because that would mean I was a fairy of course).  And the Leo the Lop story was another I had as a child, beautiful illustrations by Stephen Cosgrove.  I found the first one at a second hand book shop a while ago and this one is the second story featuring Leo.

Have you been op shopping lately?  What have you found?

Head over to Her Library Adventures for more op shopped delights