land ahoy

Just in case you couldn’t tell – E. is sitting in the boat that he made, sailing the rocky seas looking for land.

zucchini

At the beginning of summer I sowed some seeds…

… that are now starting to fruit.

I’ve never grown tondo di piacenza (round) zucchini before. Apparently the variety is very popular in Italy. Thriving despite my neglect and the scorching temperatures I can see we’re going to have a bumper crop.

I am so looking forward to eating them… I can’t imagine it will be much longer.

night swimming

Night swimming is one of my great summer loves.

This past week the temperatures have started to rise and the nights are hot. Before heading to bed I plunge naked into the unlit pool and float. Float surveying the night sky – star gazing.
Peace. Freedom. Beauty. Awe. Imperturbable.

I go to sleep most nights with REM’s song swimming around in my mind. I like it.

Image via

200

Wowa!
This is my 200th post and to thank you all for popping by I’m hosting a giveaway.

A primary goal of mine this year is to take better care of myself  and I envision that this will include a bit of pampering.

To share the pampering love I’m going to make and giveaway to one lucky reader a small pamper package. Not exactly sure what will be included yet but it will be all about rest and relaxation.

So if you want to be included in the draw leave a comment on this post before midnight Sunday 17 January. I’ll draw the winner on Monday 18 January. All my ‘followers’ automatically get an entry as a special thanks – so to get two entries be a follower and leave a comment.

K2 in 2010

I’m keen to see a bit of adventure in my life in 2010. The bubs are growing and it is time for us to scale great heights. A bit of mountaineering is in order me thinks. So I have planned for the family to take a tourist adventure to K2 – the second tallest mountain in the world – every month this year!!!

Image from here

… okay, okay – perhaps we won’t be undertaking literal mountaineering, and we probably won’t make it to China or Pakistan either and perhaps I should start committing to a thirty minute walk every day before I start heading up that big mountain with my two small children (one of whom has only been walking herself for a few months) but we are still heading to K2 every month in 2010.

Nope we didn’t win lotto.

Here’s the plan. Once a month the kids and I are going to take a tourist adventure to the grid reference K2 on one of the maps in our street directory. We’ll walk around and explore as if we’re in a foreign country, trying to observe the space as if we’ve never seen it before, see the things that in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives we take for granted …and of course, like all good tourists we’ll take lots and lots of photos and send you a postcard about our travels.

The idea is from The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel. Now I don’t go to church much, if at all, in fact I don’t think I’ve gone this millennium, but a long long time ago I did hear a local bishop deliver a sermon in which he talked to the idea of having tourist experiences in our every day life. Taking the time to see the beauty in the world – no matter how small. His words stuck with me and I have carried them with me ever since. As such, the idea of travelling in my own town as a tourist really appeals to me.

Our faithful guidebook for these adventures will be the UBD – 2006 Perth Street Directory.

Look out for a postcard soon!

beginnings…

So here we find ourselves at the beginning of a new year and a new decade to boot. Exciting times. Fresh hopes. Clean slates. Revised goals.

With the new year I have renamed my blog, Virtually Sally… almost me is no more. I have decided that I am as me as I’ll ever be. I was lost there for a bit, stumbling and fumbling around in the dark, dizzy and not really knowing where I was heading. Thankfully somewhere in the past six months I found the light switch. I still don’t exactly know where I’m heading but with the lights on I can see the options and at least enjoy the view as I progress on my journey.

Where to then for 2010?

Here are the creative goals that I have set for myself to achieve at some time over the next twelve months:

Crochet: make a basket, a blanket, a square dishcloth and a jug cover

Embroidery: become more proficient with stem stitch, shadow stitch and french knots

Gardening: start a native garden at the front of our house

Printing: keep having fun exploring, playing and discovering

Photography: do online photography course, be less shy taking photos and take a ‘tourist’ adventure to a K2 once a month.

Sewing: make at least one thing for myself (to wear!)

As for personal goals I want to take better care of myself. I too easily feel guilty when I spend time caring for myself which is the start of a vicious cycle. I don’t enjoy doing things to care for myself because I feel so darn guilty about it (because I feel like I am being selfish) and so I stop doing them which results in me getting run down and tired which eventually renders me less able to care for my precious family – which is what I want to do best of all.

Thanks so much for being there with me in 2009 – your comments, insightful, funny, encouraging have meant so much to me.

Now its time get back on the road and start sharing tales from my travels, the highs and the lows, with you in 2010… together to the achievement of great things.

♥

Image via

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy 2010.

the wrap up

As a newbie to blogging – both as a writer and reader – 2009 has been a rich and fruitful year for me. I have been inspired and encouraged, discovering myself on a wonderful journey.

I love to learn and this year has provided me with many opportunities – sewing, embroidery, crochet, screen printing, gardening, parenting, partnering – and through these learning experiences I learnt more about myself.

I have read so many inspirational and thought provoking posts, here are five of my favourites:

Woman of Cloth written by Gina @ Clutterpunk  - even though a short post it was the catalyst for a huge discussion and had me googling ‘diva cup’ amongst other things. It hasn’t inspired change in my behaviours yet but I think of this post monthly.

Blogutations and Blies by Kate @ Foxs Lane was another thought provoking post. Whilst something that I already understood it was great to have someone put it out there and provide some meta-language for the practices. The post was influential in that it put to the fore of my thinking what I choose to include and exclude from my posts and more importantly question why?

Soapbox by Tania @ Myrtle and Eunice was one of many posts that I read this year regarding the sexualisation of girls. A topic of great interest to me I have enjoyed reading the many different views relating to this issue.

Thursday I don’t care about you is a must read post detailing environmental issues surrounding the textile industry and inspiring change of habits and behaviours at even the smallest level – that is you and me.

I read a handful of really brave posts this year. Brave in that the writer spoke an honesty that can only come from the heart and as such bears themself vulnerable to the world. Feeling a bit on the blah side by Sophie @ her heart my hands was one such post, and whilst I am fortunate enough to have two healthy children, expressed feelings that I could easily relate to.

There are so many blogs that I have enjoyed reading throughout 2009… please keep the great stuff coming in 2010!

counting crochet

It would seem that one needs to know how to count in order to crochet a square shape.

I thought I would have a go at making a dishcloth - after all so many people are making them - how hard could they be? For me - harder than I thought. I'm not a big fan of counting but it would seem a necessary requirement for crocheting a square.

I think I'll go back to crocheting in the round.

lentil salad

Using the yummy carrots from our garden we made Lentil Salad for dinner tonight. It was very tasty indeed.

carrot harvest

The carrots have finally been harvested. It was a real thrill to pull them from the veggie patch and 'meet' them in all their wonky and oddly shaped glory. Must remember to thin them out more next time as it was a bit crowded but we're really pleased with our 'bumper' crop.

flip flap airport book

Both E. and M. received lots of lovely books for Christmas. This one is particularly great. Focusing on all the intricate working of a busy terminal Airport takes its reader from check-in to behind the scenes. A highly interactive text jammed packed with lots of great information and humour. Master E. and I have been having a wonderful time reading it together, and we're still discovering new things within its pages.

Ordinarily I cover flap books, like those in the Spot series, with clear contact and then cut the flaps out as a means of reinforcement against eager toddler hands. Airport has so many flaps and bits and pieces to turn and pull that the task of contacting is beyond me - undoubtedly the book will have a short life due to being so well loved.

out-sourcing handmade

As it became apparent that there weren't going to be enough hours in the days for a handmade Christmas I decided to out source. I purchased these brilliantly made pants from Cindy @ Bug and Pop.

I saw her red-headed young fella wearing the pants in a delightful photo and so when I saw the pants go on sale sometime later I just new my little red head would look great in a pair too... and he does. (I'll share a photo of my lad once he has them on for long enough... he's not wearing a lot these days!)

It was my first ever Etsy purchase.

festive food

Bagels with creamed cheese for my breakie - a favourite.

I made omlette for the rest of the crew.

Even though I am not a big fan of omlettes I make the best ones ever... as a festive treat I'll share my secret technique. Seperate the egg whites and whisk to soft peaks before adding the yolks and cream.

Cherries are a must have every Christmas. We snacked on them all day.

For lunch we ate apple, onion and gruyere tart with roast pumpkin, rocket and goat's cheese salad.

Homemade pesto, using basil from our garden, was for dinner...


... served with Syrian salad.

So where was the baked beetroot salad we had planned?

Well it turned out that what my partner had thought were beetroot growing in the garden were actually radish - which provided me with many many giggles on Chrissy day. It is not often that he has those kind of 'vague' moments so I relish them when they do occur. Hence the last minute menu change to syrian salad - which was delicious.

... since the mister can't tell the difference between a beetroot and a radish I think I'll be undertaking all future harvests!

a box filled with beauty

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway offered by Tammy @ Girls Wear Blue Too (don't you just love that blog title?). The parcel arrived in the days leading up to Christmas. My partner and I agreed to giving each other only one gift (of no greater than $20 value) for Christmas . The decision, essentially a budgeting one, meant that I would only have one pressie to open on festive Friday. So when this marvelous package arrived a few days before Christmas I put it aside and waited for Chrissy to open it. I am so glad that I did too... it is filled with goodies and has been a pure delight to sort through.