Happenings

I have finished illustrating a new girl with a rather funky hair style if I do say so myself. I do wish I had straight hair sometimes...

It is possible that I've borrowed every knitting book from the local library yesterday in an attempt to understand knitting better, learn some tips and stitches. So far I have dabbled in knit, purl, rib and feel more comfortable with my needle grasp and tension (Thank you Melissa, you're very patient). To finish the practice strip above I sewed it into a tube (checking to see if it fit my head circ.) then knit the top up. Viola - an atrocious beanie! Despite its serious crappyness I was so impressed with that I wore it all evening. Next? Something which involves a simple pattern. eek

THEY'RE HERE!!! My favourite flower is beginning to bloom. Just one white one so far, a red one is on its way. I am enjoying the grow-flowers-from-bulbs experience so much more than I could ever have imagined.

x

My Creative Space

Oh my. As much as Bento making is yummy, right now I am so happy to be blogging about something non-Bento related. Over the weekend I found time to crochet and illustrate some new characters.

100 knitted squares have been crocheted together, wrapped and ready to be gifted back to the friend who knitted them, but was unable to crochet together. I have a whole 8 days till I see her next and feel anxious, excited and have that 'I've made something special for someone' feeling within. It's hard to explain that feeling, isn't it, 'good' just doesn't cut it.

Here are two of my newest drawings, Wavy Haired Girl and my first ever rosy-cheeked Mr. Fox.

  

Go and take a squiz at other Creative Spaces over here.

Bento Challenge Day 7

Salad with caesar dressing, last nights spicy pasta and fruit.... hmmmm. Nope, nothing cute going on here at all!

Bento Challenge Day 6

Hurrah for leftovers!

 Boo for not sticking to my 'cute' rule (thanks Vic on reminding me it was not essential - although fun). Cute may have gone out the door, but Yum stayed! And today's lunch was definitely yum.

Roast chicken, roast potatoes and carrots, wholegrain mustard and honey sauce, ice-burg lettuce salad and an apple.

And a sneak peak into what I practiced on the weekend for the coming week. Salami Cheese mushroom man. Kawaii!

Bento Challenge Days 3, 4 and 5

Day 3

Vegetarian pasties (with fish cutout on top, couldn't share The Boy's as he made a rude pastry picture on his ... you can imagine), crackers and yogurt.

Day 4
Baby potatoes, risoni pasta with caramelised onion and garlic, salad, sweet faced biscuits and yoghurt.

Day 5


Boring Vegemite sandwiches punched into cute shapes, totally random tin of tuna, biscuits and trusty yoghurt.

Hmmmm - by Friday my interest in creating cute bento lunches is minimal, almost non-existent. Getting up early. not fun.

Bento Challenge Day 2

Rosellas sang sweet tunes perched on our bare pear tree this morning while I made bento. I could get used to this no rush early morning thing.

Today we had last nights spinach and ricotta agnoloti with cheese cut from alphabet cookie cutter (the Boy's name is Mark), greek salad with car + fish shaped boiled eggs, crackers and cheese.

I ordered a few, *cough* necessities, things from JBox. They were reasonably cheap, decent shipping price and arrived within 7 days. I recommend them if you are looking for cute Bento goodies and shipping to Aust.

These egg molds are cute and fun. All you do is boil an egg, remove the shell, place the egg while hot into the mold and snap shut, drop the mold into cold water - 10 mins later - presto! adorable bunny, bear, fish or car boiled eggs!

Bento Challenge Day 1

I did it - 6:30am and I finally met again - it'd been a while.

Bento making Day 1 complete. Making both lunches took ~ 30 mins, thank goodness I made the onigiri rice balls the previous night (is that cheating?). I faffed about a bit and wasted precious time rolling up salami carefully - which will not be happening again. 

Above: The Boy's Bento boxes, manly indeed.


Baby spinach salad with olive oil and balsamic dressing, cold steak leftovers, onigiri penguins with soya sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, peanuts, salami, crackers, 3 types of cheese (absurd yes, but so good) and yogurt. 

I did get a bit fancy on day 1 - tomorrow is not as exciting i can assure you.

I'll post again tomorrow. School photo day - eeeuk!

Nesting

Last week mum and dad visited Oma in Melbourne and bought back Burda books from the 80's (hilarious) and yummy wool. Oma had discovered even more delicious wool for me. It's official she's got an unlimited supply of it, and now stricken with arthritis she cannot put it all to good use. It always feels special when I put the wool to good use that she bought and intended to make something for someone. For all those green thin balls I really want to stretch my crochet skills to do something lacy and scarfy.

My pile of fifty-six 10.5" vintage sheet squares are staring at me hopefully each day.  

Last night during a mega Gilmore Girl-a-thon (lasting till the 2am hour of the morn) I begun crocheting 100 knitted squares together, which I started planning ....oh, months ago! So far all horizontal squares are together. Next the vertical strips, then a simple border.

I drew this girl last week with beloved Indian ink and metal quill. I have ideas brewing for drawings of boys, foxes and some fabric designs. Time - where art thou'?

x

ps: my Bento Challenge begins tomorrow!!! :)

pss: 6:30am?!

growth

The most lovely things are happening in our garden these days. Take a peek...

Boy was I glad to see these sprouts! Last month I noticed the rose bushes were simply OUT OF CONTROL, which resulted in some rather excessive pruning on my behalf. Having never pruned a rose in my life I looked to the garden oracle for answers -my dad told me to basically "Go Bananas" .... and I think they liked it :)

Blossoms are emerging. I am quite sure that the flowers in 2009 were white?! Is it possible for blossom flowers to change colour?

Red Cup and Yellow Trumpet daffodils

I hope your garden is looking pretty too.

x

Bento update

Despite high hopes and excitement that my Bento Challenge would begin today, life happened... we're hoping to be sushi and onigiri experts starting next week on Monday instead. 

x Tracey

Bento ingredients

chili peanuts, rice seasoning, pickled ginger and face biscuits

assorted packages (many containing guessed food items. I do wish I could read Chinese and Japanese), sauces and 'Boc Rice' - according to the diagrams on the back I think I need to add the flakes to cooked rice and omelet ...?

I can't believe how Bento-Crazy I have become in the past 36 hours. Weeeee!!!