Archive for ‘challenges’

December 31st, 2010

New Year’s Resolutions…

I’m not normally a fan of New Year’s Resolutions, as more of than than not they’re completely disregarded and when you reach the end of the year you find you’ve over committed yourself and feel disappointed you didn’t reach your ‘in the heat of the moment’ made goals.

Last year? Totally abandoned Daring Baker’s Challenges as they just got TOO expensive, and I can challenge myself to bake whatever I like whenever I like (and whenever health, the budget & special occasions allow it). Also abandoned was the 2010 Movie List – albeit not abandoned in the dozen text files that litter my desktop where I still kept a record of all the films we watched that we’d not seen before and my star ratings… We got to 64 movies that we’d not seen before + the dozens we (or at least I) HAD already seen. Perhaps I’ll post them all in one hit, we’ll see… Also abandoned was posting 904832094 recipes (especially for dinner meals) because it meant cooking dinner in the morning to photograph them in the afternoon – not really conducive to doing OTHER things, nor being able to eat dinner at the right time.. xD AND the 10 Shawls in 2010 project, for which I managed one shawl. That’s it. Okay so it was a shawl that took over 2km of yarn, countless months, and a LOT of money, but still ONE.

If I was to make any goals this year, I think it would be to not over-commit myself:

  • Don’t promise to do too many things – least of all promise MYSELF to do too many things.
  • Don’t sign up for a lot of things, especially with unrealistic deadlines that conflict with my health and other real world commitments.
  • And if I find myself not reaching a goal or something that ‘I said I would do,’ don’t burn myself into the ground attempting to do them anyway.

But who am I kidding? That doesn’t sound at ALL like me, and the list of things I have planned/’need’ to do for just January alone (hell, the next four days alone! xD) completely fly in the face of the don’t-over-commit mantra. So boo to you, sense! What’s a good year without challenge?* Especially challenges that result in making things?

So this year, instead of announcing that I’m going to do anything – because CLEARLY that’s the kiss of death for any and all resolutions – I’ll just say HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Hope you’re excited to out the old, and in the new, and that your year is blessed with MANY good things, rewarding challenges, and the satisfaction of accomplishing whatever challenges the year ahead will throw at you. **

* Yes I realize that accomplishing this goal would therefore be a challenge for me, but shh! ;)
** I really REALLY want to shout “Mazel Tov!” at the end of this post. There’s clearly not enough celebratory shouty things in the English language. No wonder The Doctor has to resort to such phrases as Allons-Y and Geronimo. Pick up the slack, ENGLISH!

December 3rd, 2010

Yarn of Pee Freedom: Advice?

The Yarn of Pee-freedom

Java, my rather headstrong Bombay-cross, decided to take out his anger and hatred of us leaving him for a week by peeing all through a basket of my stuff in the sewing room. Not only did two books get it (AUGH NUUU AMERICAN GODS!), but a myriad of half done corsets, traced paper patterns, loads of fabric, a near-finished granny-square baby blanket and 11. Balls. Of. Yarn.

Poor Mandy, she cleaned up after him as he did a few other heinous things while we were gone, but she drew the line at the pee. *hugs her*

Anyway, AUUUUGH! I’ve unwound all the balls and turned them into skeins (OH GOD SOME OF THEM SQUEEZED REAL PEE OUT ONTO MY HANDS AS I UNWOUND! *cry*), and have washed them all in a super crazy solution including vinegar, a mild shampoo, baking powder, wool wash, eucalyptus oil and a few other odds and ends. They’re drying in the bathroom right now, waiting for me to hand re-wind them in centre-pull balls.

I’ve read through many other related posts on Rav, BUT! The problem is: I REALLY want to hang them out outside though to get the added anti-cat-pee agent of sunlight. But from everything I’ve read that’s not a good idea. Do you think I could do it anyway and hang the consequences or are the consequences REALLY not worth it..?

*flails and thanks anyone with suggestions*

(x-posted to Adelaide K-Tog & Cat Knits groups on Ravelry)

edit: Ended up hanging everything in the sun. Bleaching the colour out is a lesser evil than throwing it all in the bin/being unable to use them because of the lingering smell of male cat xD

April 14th, 2010

2010 Movie List: Jan 05-09: Inkheart, Mamma Mia!, District 9, Get Smart & 2012

Inkheart

Inkheart

(2008)
☆ 3/5 Leather Bound Books
⇒ Its a solid kid’s movie. Competent, has everything there, magic, mystery, and a little mayhem. Got a MASSIVE squee out of Jennifer Connelly’s cameo considering her role vs Paul Bettany’s, even though it was decidedly lack lustre. Great cast, who do exactly what their roles require of them but not much more. Not a lot more to say about it other than ‘solid’ really. xD

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March 2nd, 2010

Three Days Late: Tiramisu!

Tiramisu: Daring Baker's Challenge, February 2010
I’m three days late on posting the Daring Baker’s Challenge for February – so its MARCH LAWLS! But I’m hoping its okay because a) this challenge was DELICIOUS and b) Uh, I can bat my eyelashes really impressively? :D :D

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February 24th, 2010

What have I done?

Bridal Shower Brooch Bonanza

As if The Daring Baker’s Challenge isn’t kicking my arse literally enough, I somehow managed to click “Join this group” on the “10 Shawls in 2010” crochet group on Ravelry.

In a year where I’m attempting to hopefully double my freelance work load, and I’m in more than one wedding. As the Maid of Honour in one of them, and helping plan for a wedding in 2011 where I’m also the Maid of Honour. And other weddings I’ll be in that year besides.

WHAT AM I DOING?! AM I A CRAZY PERSON?!

I was just certified as disabled by Centrelink, and I’m like OH YEAH I’LL TOTALLY OVER ACCOMPLISH, I CAN DO THAT! Um, you’re a disabled person, Nett. How does my brain work? Can anyone explain that to me? Limitations, what ARE they? xD

*searches for free shawl patterns*

*headdesk* xD

January 15th, 2010

2010 Movie List: Jan 01-04: Life as a House, And Soon the Darkness, Moon & Trilogia: To Livadi Pou Dakryzei

Rules & Guidelines:
1. Keep track of every film watched throughout the year.
2. First time movies only (for either myself or my partner).
3. Review each.
4. Attempt 12 movies per month minimum.

Last year in March a few friends and I attempted to start a 50 Movie Club in which we’d watch 50 movies and record them all to our journals. Unfortunately due to an EXPLOSION in life events I managed to post two films before that utterly died.

So this year, a reboot. 12 months, 12 movies per month (minimum), for 2010. That’s a lot of ones and twos. And I like it.

To try and not OVERWHELM myself or readers, I’m posting reviews four up. Cause its a tidy little number that fits into 12 nicely. That and I’m already sitting at 13 films… xD

RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WELCOME! Though we already have quite an impressive list, we’re always looking for more and I’m pretty much up for anything, though don’t kill me if I absolutely hate your favourite movie ^_^;;;

Life as a House

Life as a House

(2001)
☆ 3/5 Stapleguns
⇒ Much better and simultaneously much worse than I was expecting. The whole film reeks of “I am trying to get an Oscar, and I bet I will.” But that’s sometimes okay too. Hayden Christiansen’s niche role as ‘whiny confused emo kid’ is played out to the hilt, Kevin Kline pulls your heartstrings as you know he can. The rest of the cast is predictably endearing/mainstream quirky and as such are solid in their roles. One thing that irked me greatly though? WTF STAPLEGUNNING LIGHTS ONTO THE GORGEOUS TIMBER BEAMS?! AUUUUGH!! All that beautiful hardwood, ruined! ;_;

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