new leaf, and all that

I have been one grumpy girl of late. Life has been lame. Or at least, my perspective on life has been pretty crap.

So, no more Mr Grumpy Tash. Today is a new day, and even my horoscope says it is so:

You have a very passionate period in store for you, dear Sagittarius, and today is the first day of this kind of renewal in your life. The fire that is burning inside you will melt the ice you have on the outside. All that warmth will make you want to come out of your shell and to share those feelings with others that you are so used to hiding under your stern personality. But that's just a facade you tend to put on with other people. (thanks MSN)

Hmm, stern, yeah that sounds about right. Part of this ice melting stuff, is daily posts on here where I must note the following:

1. What has made me happy today
2. what I have created today
3. One thing I have done for someone else today
4. One thing I have done to treat myself today
5. One thing I stopped myself from getting grumpy about

Five is a good number I think … it is one of my favourites after all. I think I also need to stop putting so much pressure on myself to be ‘doing’ all the time. I need to stop and think more, and also let myself relax. I can’t remember the last time I allowed myself to spend a few hours reading. Knitting is all well and good because I feel like I am doing something, but it means I haven’t read a whole book in over a year. And I love reading.

As it is still early in the day I don’t think I quite have enough material to do my list just yet. But I feel better already. Black Seeds on the radio helps!

I really am getting quite appalling at this update stuff. Must try better.

Yesterday consisted of the longest stressiest afternoon, one that dictates a glass of wine is not enough...but a G&T hit the spot. So did having some girly friends round for dinner - much eating, drinking and gossiping by the fire ensued. 

Today I am off to spotlight ... and then have my first ever stall at the Mighty Mighty Market. Fingers crossed it goes ok...

Yeah so freaking boring post, but that's all i got right now! Plenty of other things to keep my mind occupied at the moment, including a couple of projects that I am getting quite excited about...

Why i love to knit

I fully pinched this idea from Nikki. Thanks Nikki!

How much do i love to knit? Let me count the ways...

1. Thinking time. When a million ideas, thoughts and confusions are whizzing through the brain cells, knitting makes me slow down and place my thoughts in a queue for careful consideration. I solve all the world's problems when I knit. Then promptly forget them.
2. Increased productivity. I drive myself nuts with the fact that I always must be doing something. So tv watching is no longer wasted time. Whew. 
3. Creation. Watching something grow through simply sitting and working at it is so fulfilling. I also love the idea that knitting is creating my own fabric - seeing as i am also fabric obsessed.
4. Touch. I love the feel of fabric...and knitting gives me an excuse to feel more things up.
5. Learning. I am amazed at just how much there is to know about knitting,  it is incredibly technical. Plus there is nothing better than passing that learning on and watching someone else fall heads over heels with their needles, too.
6. Subverting stereotypes. Not only does it give the old ducks a bit of a thrill, but knitting in public is my way of proving that knitting is not just for grannies. It is modern, interesting and timeless. 

Hmm. That's all i can think of for now. I'm a bit bummed as i've just found out my fave flatmate is going on her OE in a month, leaving me with two very un-favourite flatties. What to do? Lame-o. This calls for flannel pjs, a hot water bottle, cookies and knitting.

umm.. errr yesss...it has been about ten days since last posting. ummm...no excuse really. The dog ate my homework (i don't have a dog). I have been thinking about blogging plenty though, as loads of things are making me go 'hmmm' at the moment.

There are so many sad, depressing things going on at the moment that it would be quite easy to get all glum and think that the world is going down the toilet. The simple solution is to get angry and take it out on other people. But i think it's up to everyone to really go out of their way and pass positivity around...it's easy to get angry when someone bumps into you in the street. I say if more people made the effort to even just smile at someone at the supermarket check out, or let someone on the bus before you, not only does it make you feel good but it all gets passed on. Like a ripple in a pool.

Anyway, I think it's up to US to be the difference and not always blame it on THEM. It's about time people took responsibility for their own happiness and well being instead of expecting someone else to come along and be the quick fix by waving some perceived magic wand. And for those who can't help themselves we should be taking more assertive action (whatever that may be) to raise awareness so that they are helped and accepted where ever they go.

hmm right so that's my two cents for now...i've also got serious ants in my pants because in a few hours i will be heading up to the land of carrots (Ohakune) and spending some much anticipated time sliding around in the snow. And they have lots. It's been snowing ALL week and i'm taking monday off too as the sun is meant to shine on lots of light fluffy fresh pow pow. woop woop!

Where's the weekend gone?

It's been one of those crazy, mad weekends where you go from being so, so happy to the complete other end where one just doesn't know what to do or where to turn. 

World Wide Knit in Public day, despite my lacklustre attempts to organise it, turned out magnificently. The bucket fountain knitters turned out in the sunshine to sit, talk, and answer questions of the curious. It was fantastic, and i have finally been conned into making use of my Ravelry log on. I was worried that it would be just one more netty thing to consume my time, but isn't as bad as i thought. I'm not sure how far i will get stuck into tracking my projects, but i will be making use of a new found knitting community. (don't like those two very similar sentences right next to each other. ho hum). Yay for new (and not so new) friends!

From there was the fantastic launch do for the new Juniper shop. Having just read Mindy's latest post, i can't help but be inspired yet again by her. What she manages to pull off with a smile on her face, despite everything else going on in her life, is amazing. 

For the first time in quite a while i managed to get out and hang with a group of friends i refer to as 'my hutt boys'. My deep dark secret is that i'm from the dirty old Hutt. Mind you, when i was living there i had no idea it was dirty and old, to me it was just fine. I haven't hung out with these guys properly in about 4 years, and there is a great deal of history with us. I went out with one of them, was best mates with another, and i seemed to be the only girl for a long time who managed to stay connected with the group without being attached romantically to one of them. They're now all doing their thing, and the reason for last night was that two more are heading over the great sea to the UK to join two that are already there. 

It was the kind of night where you think, i am SO lucky to have these friends. I may not see them that often, but i know that no matter what they will always be around, and we will always be able to come back together, the same group of friends, and it will still feel like we are 17 again and having the time of our lives. 

The reason why the weekend went pear shaped i'm not going to mention. It has everything to do with seagulls. no, it has nothing to do with seagulls, i just needed to put a picture up. Pics from knitting in public i hope to get up in the next couple of days, in the meantime i am yet again having battery dramas. 

It's grey outside, my tummy is grumbling, and i've got nought left to do this working day. I haven't pulled on my running shoes yet this week (thanks for the advice louise! my body is longing for a run for sure) but I am starting to feel a bit better.

This has helped - I managed to visit Meet Me at Mikes when I lived in Melbourne, and it was still much more second handy than crafty then. I love how things evolve...and now i want a shop window to fill with red shiny things on newspaper!

For any local knitters...it's world knit in public day tomorrow. I'll be by the bucket fountain in Cuba Mall from 2pm with my needles, or at the Southern Cross if it's raining. Yay for knitting in public!
Oh yeah and then i'll probably head over to Juniper for the grand opening of the new shop...think i may have to wear my new shoes for the occasion. :)

advice, please

Work has become a series of brick walls that I keep smacking my head on, so by the time i get home all i want to do is collapse in a heap and shut the rest of the world out...only to do it all again the next day. I am the kind of person who wants to do the best possible job no matter what, but it's proven yet again that my personal life is what suffers. oh and my head. My body is now yelling STOP and i don't know what to do bar taking two weeks off, which is currently not an option. 

Anyone have any no fail ways to deal with such things? bar knitting (which is also currently stressing me out cos i don't really know what i'm doing at this stage of thermal) and spending loads of money that i don't have.

In the meantime I have hot shoes and just made the very last payment on my half of our car. woohoo!