I am NOT lost in space … anymore

Evening all, sorry for not writing, things got a bit over my head these past few weeks, and hiding seemed very appropriate at the time. I thought of you – my little bunch of readers – lots actually, but I just couldn’t face it. It did dawn on me whilst watching Julie & Julia that possibly me facing what I couldn’t was probably just what the doctor ordered, however, even then I couldn’t raise my sorry butt off the sofa to the ‘puter and write. Much has been going on in my head, and I have been knitting a little too. My KAL cardi is progressing – not finished as I had hoped, but progressing none the less. Litte Fire helped me with button choices before she flitted away to warmer climes for winter. I am looking forward to posting some pictures of all my latest projects and will do so forth with. In the mean time I just wanted to say hello. It feels good to be back, and even though the the book has not yet closed on this crappy chapter of my life, I have been telling myself that the world keeps turning and I can either turn with it or not – I choose with it in the knowledge that it [the earth] dosen’t really care … profound and quite nonsensical … but whatever works right?!? APPle

My first Knit-a-Long

Can’t wait for the KAL tomorrow, its going to be great fun. I haven’t knitted with Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette, but it feels beautiful, and it will be a nice change to knit with a finer yarn … I wish I was a bit more adventurous and had chosen a bright colour – but I really need a new classic black cardi … so Pebble it is. It’ll be a challenge to finish in 5 weeks – but I’m up for it. Anyone willing to wager??

A list of sorts …

I’ve posted about my love of lists before and I have to say that I truely heart a list – anything that makes me think that I have a handle on the chaos that permeates my life gives me MUCH pleasure. Kikki-K fuels my fire for list-making with list making devices for all types of things. My personal favourite: the yearly planner, followed by the monthly planner, followed by the weekly planner, followed by the daily planner. You have no idea – I actually pondered the logic of having the yearly, monthly and weekly planners hung up on my wall to break down my every move. The thing is that all this list making doesn’t leave much room for doing … my blog is a victim in all of this, my work is a definitely a victim and the winners are notebook makers & mr procrastination [a long time acquaintance, always lurking, skulking around the fringes of my mind, looking for any chance to “pop” over to the left hand brain lobe for a cup o tea and a “chat” about [normally] how to make that list just that little bit better … and here in lies my current problem: my work list of managing the PR/sales and marketing of a small business has gone from a simple idea of having a website, blog and maybe a twitter account to a freaking flourishing full time marketing/online media management job that has more cool ideas than I can schedule and action, and the continual “noooooooooooo” moment when in your search for “stuff” you find someone already doing what you thought would be a great idea … so you think of another idea, add it to the list and then search some more … IT HAS TO STOP!

My list is finished. I have decided. Time to let the cyber ether see the wonderful notes, scribbles, jottings, copycat ideas, and believe it or not actual good old quality information come to life. And the first of these is my idea of photographing colour [abstract or not]. This has been an idea of mine since starting AppleFluff. Now I am not ready to post the first colour wonder thingie … but gimmie a day. Just one day – not a few – just one! And the colour .. weeeeelll … I’m not sure, but it’ll be fun.

The rest of the list, I’m not sure I want to let you into my chaos, but it might be cathartic [alt. word: pyschotherapeutic] to some. I might just rewrite it first on a new clean page – all neat and stuff … heheh aPPLe

Twenty Ten … Welcome, we have been expecting you …

Happy New Year!!!!

Twenty ten … far out [insert alternative expletive here]. So how did your new year start?? Mine? Quiet. Just the way I like it … the experience of fireworks from the comfort of my sofa, bottle of champagne and vintage champagne glasses, AH [adorable husband or abomniable depending on the day] at my side watching on. And then? well two unfortunate things … the first Baby Monkey shuffled from his bed half asleep looking for mamma. Thaaaanks. AND even more heart breaking a total ground hog day moment – the movie “you can’t stop the music” kicked off to start the new year. Are you f’riggin’ mental? This is waht happened last year! Does this mean that 2010 will be a god damn repeat of 2009? If it is anything remotely similar about this year to the last I think I will find a lovely white padded cell and settle down for a few years of “rest”.

Let’s for the purpose of the argument say that 2010 is NOTHING [did you here that universe? – nothing] like 2009. So what is it going to be like?? Weeeellll, if we fast forward to this time next year here is my top 5 things that I think would have happened:

1. third cheeky monkey [sucker for punishment i know]
2. totally addicted to computer – not games tho’, but my cache of social networking tools under my control
3. lots of travelling [work demands it …]
4. PLENTY of domesticky goddessiness stuff … like today’s attempt @ vanilla cupcakes & choc chip cookies
AND …
5. I aPPleFluff pledge to be 15kg lighter than I am today for at least 6 months. That’s pretty much 600g per week.

I’m not sure how compatible 4 & 5 are – but we’ll give it a crack and modify domestic goddess behaviour toward things such as knitting, crocheting etc. which probably means I should add just one last little point of difference:

6. FINISH … yes finish, all my current projects [there’s a few: Jo Sharp Garter Stitch Jacket; Icarus Scarf; Log Cabin Blanket; Whirly Gig Blanket; Babbette Blanket Summer & Winter; Crochet Stars Bunting; Valentine’s Garland; BSA Armwarmers; Kim Hargreaves Crochet Mohair Beaded Scarf [can’t remember name of it]; Susan B Anderson itty bitty toys Hippo; oh I probably shouldn’t forget the Lingerie Lace Scarf that I have promised to finish for Little Fire;  or the Knitting under the Sun Madeira Lace Scarf too … Can you tell I get bored easily??

Upon reflection … I’d say that 1 & 2 are 99% a reality [and no I am not already pregnant] and the others are wishlist items. But I have plans … I do, I do … It’s exciting really as this is the first new year in a while where I feel like a change is in the wind for me. It’s feelin’ good my friends, in a crafty [that’s crafty like a fox] way, I believe this is the beginning of something wonderful. I’m off to start my Journal. aPPle

Smells like a new year …

As I try to relax on my bed, sending my musings into the cyber, window open to catch the breeze … it has started to rain [only the millionth time today] and I pause to enjoy two of my favourite things … that sudden coolness that happens as rain falls, and that somewhat indescribable smell that rain brings with it. That smell has always spritzed my spirit to forge through another moment of time and a surge of energy is unleashed upon the back of the cool breeze that now wafts my way.

This is of course being mildly disrupted by adorable child 1 & 2 – who by the sounds permeating the otherwise quiet night – are collecting as many toys as possible into their trolleys for a race around the dining circuit. And now has been completely disrupted by darling husband decided this was an opportune time to discuss serious adult issues. Um .. he was wrong and now all creative potential is now dead along with my moment of quiet spirit.

I guess that’s why it rained .. to send me that little spritz to calm me before reality came knocking at my door. Better luck tomorrow i guess. aPPLe

12 Days of Craftmas

Not much time … inlaws are present and computers have been banned! BUT u must check out Little Fires “12 days of Craftmas” … OMG inspirational, motivating and choc full of crafty delights to keep you busy over the Christmas break – not to mention that Apple fluff has been featured on day 3! aPPle

Salad Nirvana … day 1 [364 to go]

Day one - BBQ Coleslaw 101

Positive news .. I actually did it, tonight I had my first salad! I wasn’t going to, I didn’t give myself much time to organise a puruse of gourmet literacy to find the perfect innugural salad, nor did I factor in a brief but important stop en route home to the markets .. so tonight’s great vegetable caper was a little bit limp, possibly bland, definately not the finest hour in the kitchen … but a salad non the less – with the minimum three vegetables. Welcome, the traditional aussie bbq coleslaw [red cabbage, white cabbage, carrot dressed with mayonaise and a dash of honey]. Reference: aPPLe.FLUff [not my finest hour]. BUT very easily topped!! And the gauntlet is thrown! 

PS: I am very exicted about Little Fire’s pledge to join me in sustenance through salad. LF … if in a moment of enjoying food porn you find a good looking salad – please feel free to pay it forward – there are only so many salads gracing my library.

I have chosen tomorrow’s delectable dish [two actually, so I can have the minimum three vegetables] … Jaime Oliver’s evolution cucumber salad & evolution carrot salad ahh yes, I will be accepting herbs as a vegetable ingredient for this one] – should be perfect with the chicken tikka marsala Mmm Mmm Mmmm ref: Jaime’s Ministry of Food.

PPS: I’m not going to preview my salad future always, I just wanted you to see that I have at least done my homework for tomorrows feast …

365 Days of Salad

Part of the aPPLe “personal strategy for twenty ten” is most definately to eat for health, love and life. You see, I have a history of knowing about healthy eating, of knowing about how to cook beautiful food and of knowing that it will make me feel good in so many ways if I could just get it together. You just need to take a look at my library to see where my passions lie [cooking, knitting, colour, wine, interiors, & kids classics]. In my life, knowing and doing are two very disparate terms, one does not easily follow the other. But this coming year I am hoping that I can take the thinking about it, slice it, dice it, fry it, bake it and serve it up as a daily deleve into gourmet goodness. So I have come up with this idea … healthy guidelines suggest 5 serves of vegetables and 2 of fruit each day – upon reflection over the past week I’m lucky to reach those targets in a bloody week! So my idea is to indulge in a cool, funky, sometimes complicated, sometimes simple salad each and everyday for the next year. No handful of leaves with a splash of dressing here my friends, we are talking salads constructed with love. And I was thinking that I would post each day my inspiration for the daily salad – starting tomorrow. Why wait for 2010 when I have a perfect “clean page” start tomorrow – it’s Monday after all. aPPLe

[un]Happy Kingdom of Fluffville …

What a crapo day. Brain not functioning, the emotional balance mechanisms and the rational circuits are mis-firing today and it is not a happy kingdom here in Fluffville. You see, there is a hole of uncretainty .. and I am in it up to my eyeballs – not quite able to peek out. Here’s the thing … there’s this thing going on that is causing me all types of internal grief and is making my flip out … and I can’t tell anyone about it. It’s one of those things that is going to go one of two ways .. be nothing at all, just silly little ravings of a strange random fluffer OR it’s BIG … big big big. My insides are leaning to big, but I have to wait and ride out the turmoil. Easier said than done, just ask my husband who bares the brunt [great word] of my frustration as I am probably the least paitent person in say THE ENTIRE WORLD.

On a lighter note, I did some knitting today … lace knitting, not as difficult as people may think, just not something you can do whilst watching Nemo with one eye, responding to Nemo questions and counting … but I did get one row complete. Having some TV downtime now so hopefully will crack a couple more rows in between tea and chocolate and a good nights sleep. aPPLe

More on notebooks

Twelve hits on the blog today. And here I was thinking it was me, Little Fire and my husband when he remembered in an effort to understand me. But nay, there are more of you – it’s probably the reference to my optimistic notebook strategy to free myself from manic chaos just to fill it with a new structured chaos [is that even possible??] that has you all interested. Or maybe its just me and Little Fire re-reading such fine literature!

The real issue though is if its ok to ask “Santa” for organisational reference books for Christmas … “Nooo, don’t worry about that gorgeous sunshine yellow frock – just let me at those funky organising books! PLEASE!” Whoa .. hold on there, did someone say sunshine yellow dress??? Hmmmm colour me happy AND then let me read about organising mania. AND please can someone tell santa that a new notebook is probably one of the best ideas he has ever had.

And part from that, I’ve got nothing … sometimes I have lots and no time to write, today I have time and nothing going on in my head … except that tomorrow is another day, my marketing campaign continues to be tweaked by the minute, i wonder if my russian fudge set? and I wish I could find Little Fire’s blog … sorry babe do I have to log in?? Call me and talk me through it .. aPPLe x