tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53449641340172011012024-03-05T17:31:50.850+08:00We Can Have Everything!We can have everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00867358975348848911noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-53841072825175818222013-06-07T21:40:00.000+08:002013-06-07T21:40:11.142+08:00Craft: Crochet Ice Cream Cones<div style="text-align: justify;">
I haven't had a lot of time for crafts and blogging lately as uni has been taking up some of my time in the evenings. My shawl (<a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/craft-work-in-progress-hilo-shawl.html">that I wrote about last week</a>) hasn't grown very much and I needed a small crochet project to get me motivated to keep working on it. That's how these crochet ice creams came to be! </div>
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This pattern is the perfect instant gratification project; just what I was looking for! The ice creams take about an hour each to make (and I think I'm probably a slow crocheter). </div>
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The pattern is from a blog called <a href="http://www.nini-ninique.com/crochet-ice-cream-pattern/">Nini-Ninique</a>. I love how cute and stubby the ice cream cones she's designed are. Mine didn't turn out quite the same but they are cute none-the-less. </div>
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I chose to make mine in less realistic pastel colours because pastel colours are my favourite. The blue one could be a blueberry ice cream right? Or bubblegum flavour?</div>
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I'm hoping to find more time for crafting and blogging this weekend... once I get my first assignment out of the way that is!</div>
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I'm joining in with Finished Object Fridays over at <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com.au/">Tami's Amis</a>. Stop by to see some other finished projects :-)</div>
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-14921648015512796972013-05-29T21:41:00.000+08:002013-05-29T21:45:45.244+08:00Craft: Work-in-Progress Hilo Shawl<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have a wedding to go to in mid July and it's presented a bit of challenge in terms of what to wear. The ceremony will be outside if all goes according to plan and it's likely to be cold (I'm in Australia so it will be the middle of winter). I've found it really difficult to find a nice dress with long enough sleeves to keep me warm. In the end I gave up and bought this cute dress from <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/when-the-night-comes-dress-in-smoke">ModCloth</a>. It has no sleeves at all, I'm going to be freezing!</div>
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I decided that I need something to put around my shoulders to stop myself shivering through ceremony. I found a suitable pattern while browsing crochet magazines in the newsagent. I think I was attracted to it because the picture in the magazine is almost the same colour as the dress. The pattern is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hilo-shawl">Hilo Shawl</a> by Joanne Scrace and it's available in the March 2013 issue of <i>Inside Crochet</i>. In fact, the pattern is one the front cover!</div>
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I'm making a cream shawl to go with my dress. I'm using <a href="http://blueskyalpacas.com/yarns/alpaca-silk/">Blue Sky Alpaca Silk</a> yarn which I bought some time ago (I used it to knit a cardigan for another wedding but it didn't fit very well and I thought I could make better use of the lovely yarn). </div>
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I've never crocheted lace before and I'm finding this pattern really exciting to make. My photos don't do justice to the intricate lace pattern. I've done two rounds of the pattern chart and I can start to see the shawl taking shape now... even though it still looks a bit wobbly! </div>
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It's going to need some serious blocking once the shawl is finished in order to show the pattern off in its full glory. I've stretched the lace in this photo to give an idea of how the pattern is coming together. It looks complicated but it's actually fairly straight forward. As the magazine suggests on the cover, this is a great introduction to lace! I'm really looking forward to finishing this... hopefully it will be enough to keep me warm!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOWTN8WYLjDK4XdfC6JsEOeW0OQnALWMOVddyqOpSv9Ac0jUB4sOdoe6kAHtq4kDwHYHDJrW4L5sQnLCae-5gBjTfWCQAd8aXieAjD9y5GXTBAA_yleqKHkpr8_N8PZUd2mTtX9DWF7_X/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOWTN8WYLjDK4XdfC6JsEOeW0OQnALWMOVddyqOpSv9Ac0jUB4sOdoe6kAHtq4kDwHYHDJrW4L5sQnLCae-5gBjTfWCQAd8aXieAjD9y5GXTBAA_yleqKHkpr8_N8PZUd2mTtX9DWF7_X/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm joining in with <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/work-in-progress-wednesday-146.html">Tami's Amis</a> WIP Wednesday link up. Have a look at her website to see other works in progress :-)</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-8714567430430888772013-05-24T23:46:00.003+08:002013-05-24T23:52:18.697+08:00Craft: Crochet Bunny and Invisible Decreases<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been crocheting amigurumi for several years now and it's taken me this long to learn that there is such a thing as an invisible single crochet decrease! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made with invisible decreases!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I'm really excited by this discovery, single crochet decreases done the traditional way are not the prettiest. They are good for finding your place in a pattern if you drop your stitch marker, but they ruin the face of a crocheted creature if they fall in the wrong place. Happily invisible decreases are really easy. There's a great tutorial over at </span><a href="http://allaboutami.tumblr.com/post/7843360896/invisibledecrease" style="text-align: justify;">All About Ami</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> that describes the process. I have to thank Rachel Chau for highlighting it in her post "</span><a href="http://rachchua.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/5-things-ive-learned-about-amigurumi/" style="text-align: justify;">5 Things I've Learned About Amigurumi</a><span style="text-align: justify;">". </span><br />
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The first project I made using invisible decreases was a <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/craft/craft_pattern_spring_bunny/">Spring Bunny</a> from All About Ami. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This is a pattern I've made a few times (it's one of my favourites - so quirky and adorable!). You can really see the difference that invisible decreases make in an amigurumi pattern, especially one like this were the decrease are between the eyes. Here is a picture of a bunny I made previously. The arrow is pointing to a diagonal line of decreases alongside his nose. Admittedly it is difficult to see in the picture (even with the arrow) but it is very noticeable in real life. I still love him though :-)</span></div>
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The stitch the decrease creates isn't 100% invisible. I can usually identify it while working on a row, although it is very difficult to see once the piece has been finished. I'll be using this technique wherever I can from now on.</div>
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I'm sure you've noticed that I'm still playing around with photo apps on my phone. The one I used for these photos is from the popular blog <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/">A Beautiful Mess</a>. This app costs 99 cents which seems well worth it to me. The hand draw borders and images are charming and it comes with a small selection of pretty filters. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYLfpgWE3LhVcfF12YlytcJVGd7t_dfYVdZeiZ4b3xPzi5ZenmHgRhn0Wy4ZqkPmoW-0-NKArihqupFMjzD3uJlm3MPwU7_CXLX6sJAqpmAxqBAJUR4cPMzJj0d8e42TVi3ti8bYeU0w7/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYLfpgWE3LhVcfF12YlytcJVGd7t_dfYVdZeiZ4b3xPzi5ZenmHgRhn0Wy4ZqkPmoW-0-NKArihqupFMjzD3uJlm3MPwU7_CXLX6sJAqpmAxqBAJUR4cPMzJj0d8e42TVi3ti8bYeU0w7/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've linked this post to <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/fo-friday-139.html">Tami's Amis</a> Finish Object Fridays link up. Please stop by and see everyone's projects :-)</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-28115293727283823202013-05-12T16:05:00.000+08:002013-05-12T16:05:58.797+08:00Craft: Mother's Day Granny Stitch Scarf<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! </div>
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My Mum has admired the <a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/craft-work-in-progress-granny-stripe.html">granny stitch scarf</a> I have been working on several times now and I thought a similar scarf would make a perfect Mother's Day present. I couldn't give Mum the one I was working on of course, which only left me with ten days to make another one. I have been crocheting it at every spare moment to get it done in time. Luckily granny stitch is relaxing and easy to do while reading or watching TV and I managed to get the scarf finished with one day to spare! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU29znIQgNJXUttOiX6vsTciILwNCkxOMj3Twf8Ze1NKs9X5Mj2wWar-yFcngiskMzKEKrHSVVxVLvOO3jmMugUTrT28bWUeF5tWf1I8-yoct_FynrzJKdyhQtXbf6KO19oOfKWwbW-KP_/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU29znIQgNJXUttOiX6vsTciILwNCkxOMj3Twf8Ze1NKs9X5Mj2wWar-yFcngiskMzKEKrHSVVxVLvOO3jmMugUTrT28bWUeF5tWf1I8-yoct_FynrzJKdyhQtXbf6KO19oOfKWwbW-KP_/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU29znIQgNJXUttOiX6vsTciILwNCkxOMj3Twf8Ze1NKs9X5Mj2wWar-yFcngiskMzKEKrHSVVxVLvOO3jmMugUTrT28bWUeF5tWf1I8-yoct_FynrzJKdyhQtXbf6KO19oOfKWwbW-KP_/s320/011.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The yarn is very pretty as it's filled with copper sequins and metallic thread. It's from an Australian brand exclusive to Spotlight stores I believe. It's called Lillium by Moda Vera Here's a close up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UTcOSJ0Uqi0KrWxbB9krKFiIC_WPKtrrD1zoi4D7qT6NsFc68ObsG9LMrpW1dVjbcDRScdy8D5rOWBkW-rvdgQl1XPu4WnMBzodfSldN6mnL5z___1jbUr4BkmJVAokXNJEzzPNlRBr8/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UTcOSJ0Uqi0KrWxbB9krKFiIC_WPKtrrD1zoi4D7qT6NsFc68ObsG9LMrpW1dVjbcDRScdy8D5rOWBkW-rvdgQl1XPu4WnMBzodfSldN6mnL5z___1jbUr4BkmJVAokXNJEzzPNlRBr8/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The finished scarf weighs very little even though I have made it fairly wide and over two metres long (I like my scarfs to be on the long side so that they look nice and bulky when wrapped around a few times). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQqRUczwrRkZg-qxygjSNK9yHfZgS2tcui1Ia_7LZp6a51yrw7Z0efeIOEjw9v9K_w69GS8FMDkXd3DGIDj39pwuSmI1C76euqgPAn2K3CsViNaAsMwUML270StW1FffJLAHibcYdX-o_/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQqRUczwrRkZg-qxygjSNK9yHfZgS2tcui1Ia_7LZp6a51yrw7Z0efeIOEjw9v9K_w69GS8FMDkXd3DGIDj39pwuSmI1C76euqgPAn2K3CsViNaAsMwUML270StW1FffJLAHibcYdX-o_/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can probably tell, I had some fun playing with photo apps on my iphone after taking pictures of the scarf. For these photos I used one called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/line-camera/id516561342?mt=8">LINE Camera</a>. It's a really great free photo app that has heaps of options. Camera filters are fun for something different, but my iphone camera still takes decent pictures on its own if I can get the lighting right!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02eBd5IjQx92ZVt_R8GUIGAptKKMTrC4Ov7zi1WvfDAHd8mc9Ium6XB-R5wHpD9TKFAZXErdzUlqr6xaXT41I11a_cUvZBShIyNEYwrRI4GsazAfjtqYXLAWCZUP6p3vm6UuP8HJZKzGL/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02eBd5IjQx92ZVt_R8GUIGAptKKMTrC4Ov7zi1WvfDAHd8mc9Ium6XB-R5wHpD9TKFAZXErdzUlqr6xaXT41I11a_cUvZBShIyNEYwrRI4GsazAfjtqYXLAWCZUP6p3vm6UuP8HJZKzGL/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I didn't use a specific pattern for this scarf, I simply chained the required number of stitches and off I went. If you'd like to make your own here's what I did:</div>
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<u>My Granny Stitch Scarf</u></div>
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Chain 27.</div>
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Double Crochet (DC) in the third chain from the hook twice. Chain one.</div>
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Skip three chains, DC three times in the forth chain. Chain one. Repeat until four chains remain.</div>
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Skip three chains, DC three times in final chain. Chain four.</div>
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DC three times into the first space between granny stitches. Chain one.</div>
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Continue making granny stitches in the spaces, remembering to chain one after each set of three DCs. Whenever you get to the end of a row chain four.</div>
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When the scarf has reached the desired length, bind off and add tassels between the granny stitches on the first and final row. </div>
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To celebrate the completion of your scarf take an arty photo using a camera app (see example below :-P)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83toF0R837fpU9T8LlBmJI9ruB5p6wsxS_tzFam7sTMmmTOfyGCWFyp_N_qVGuBSHQUnkMyR0gffFmfmQzHdNgtZeRPK1nEytecac5Zh1Tjq7Ow2HCQVixUpg65jhGcfOqUOdqcxXnF6d/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83toF0R837fpU9T8LlBmJI9ruB5p6wsxS_tzFam7sTMmmTOfyGCWFyp_N_qVGuBSHQUnkMyR0gffFmfmQzHdNgtZeRPK1nEytecac5Zh1Tjq7Ow2HCQVixUpg65jhGcfOqUOdqcxXnF6d/s320/020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-68702708733017546382013-05-03T10:00:00.000+08:002013-05-03T10:00:03.127+08:00Personal Finance: Breaking Up With My Insurance Provider<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve known
for a while now that my car insurance fees were some kind of rort. My small,
reliable, low cost car is worth somewhere between $10,000 and $12,000, and I
was paying $143 a month for comprehensive car insurance. $143 a month is $1,716
a year. That means I’ve been paying almost 20% of the car’s value every year to
insure it, despite my little household’s perfect driving histories, low annual
kilometres and a locked garage. I’m the proverbial little old lady who only
drives her car once a week to the supermarket, and instead I was being charged
like I’m the stereotype of an 18 year old p-plater who’s quite keen on street
racing and drink driving.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJqFAd15gXqCIjIAQDCCCaiKwJ1hm-IV6ItaqI7Uwqpz_L3MVrxDfq1dVEmqGIbCYc6KcK09HL1qYpJUS9Bc2NOqgHEekRRxeUNp_nxXbIJ14A0svpM12vVfkM0xMJVBQa-FDUgR48Uc-/s1600/beetle_red_variant_updated.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJqFAd15gXqCIjIAQDCCCaiKwJ1hm-IV6ItaqI7Uwqpz_L3MVrxDfq1dVEmqGIbCYc6KcK09HL1qYpJUS9Bc2NOqgHEekRRxeUNp_nxXbIJ14A0svpM12vVfkM0xMJVBQa-FDUgR48Uc-/s1600/beetle_red_variant_updated.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dream car! I will own one someday.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Luckily for
me, my crappy car insurance company gave me a push to change policies by
increasing my fees yet again. To $157 a month, which is $1,884 a year. I
repeat: $1884 a year to insure a car worth $12,000 at most. Take a moment to
consider how ridiculous that is. I would have to total my car every six years
to make that policy worthwhile!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’d already
created a “car replacement fund” able to well and truly cover the cost of
replacing the car if I was to total it, as it seems to me that any frugal girl
should be preparing for the future. So what was the obvious solution? To take
out a third party fire and theft policy so that I wouldn’t be screwed if I hit
a Ferrari, and cancel the comprehensive car insurance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When I called
the insurance provider I’d picked as a good bet for a new policy, the very
helpful customer service rep explained an amazing phenomenon to me: if your car
is worth over $10,000, you can’t get covered for anything less than
comprehensive car insurance because it would give you the right to sue the
insurance company for under-insuring you. I asked if this was standard across
the insurance industry and he told me that for some insurers the limit is only
$5,000. Basically, insurance agencies and our legal system assume that you are unable
to make decisions for yourself and that you don’t understand what the policy
you’re taking out actually means. Otherwise how can you have the ability to
successfully sue for your choice to buy a policy that doesn’t cover your car’s
value in its entirety?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I was not
impressed that my plan to only have a third party policy wouldn’t work. I don’t
want to go without insurance at all in case I hit that Ferrari. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, this
story has a happy ending. The customer service rep was able to sell me a policy
for $1,074 a year, or just under $90 a month. That’s cheaper than any of the
quotes I received from other insurance providers for comprehensive car
insurance. It’s not as cheap and cheerful as that third party policy would have
been, but it’s an annual saving of $810. It turned out to be very good timing
as I had to pay close to $800 for dental work this week. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk1URZ_zVRSunFSoljN564eC8gZHD0kitXRJZTC-17LQbSUUFqyTgCD8ufYZbP9-vvtYwUoXmz7TlPgrX3QlNg_wWOGt-t9XGocaXM_XcpDuU_rqG-ywGzAwOK3vcfCaWotImCLblZuXa/s1600/NISSAN~1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk1URZ_zVRSunFSoljN564eC8gZHD0kitXRJZTC-17LQbSUUFqyTgCD8ufYZbP9-vvtYwUoXmz7TlPgrX3QlNg_wWOGt-t9XGocaXM_XcpDuU_rqG-ywGzAwOK3vcfCaWotImCLblZuXa/s320/NISSAN~1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My actual car! Which is clearly a Beetle copycat. I love you, Micra.</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Just because a service provider was
the cheapest option when you last looked, doesn’t mean that’s still the case.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> When I first had to purchase car
insurance three years ago, the provider I picked was by far the cheapest for my
circumstances. Now they appear to be very overpriced compared to market
standards. My circumstances have changed in that time, and maybe the insurance
market has too. This doesn’t just apply for insurance: when was the last time
you shopped around for an internet provider, or ran a price comparison on
different mobile phone contracts?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Look at whether you really need
insurance.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I’m still
planning to drop down to a third party policy when my car’s value is lower. A
different policy may be a better fit than your current one, and if you have a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>very large savings fund and the value of your vehicle is
low, think about what you’re gaining from having insurance coverage. Some
people wouldn’t be comfortable with the thought of paying for a new car out of
pocket and would rather have insurance just for peace of mind, and that’s okay
too. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you’re friendly and you ask
questions, you will receive a wealth of information. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The customer service rep was willing
to chat to me about all kinds of insurance issues. For example, do you know
that if you live in a suburb with lots of car parks (e.g. close to the central
business district or a shopping centre) your insurance premiums will be higher?
That’s because people are causing accidents by reversing into each other’s cars
in car parks and your premium is partly based on the statistics for your
suburb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-45382422805873595682013-05-02T20:48:00.001+08:002013-05-02T20:49:54.088+08:00Bought versus Homemade: Falafel Wrap<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The café downstairs from my office sells super tasty falafel wraps. I love them! The falafel is spicy, the wrap is full of salad and tabouleh... I'm hungry just thinking about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But I'm really more of a "make it at home" kind of girl, so I decided to put together my own version and compare it to the café wrap. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why yes, my chopping board IS bright green.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used a shop bought wrap, baby spinach leaves, mayonnaise with minced garlic and herbs stirred through it, and <a href="http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2011/09/recipe-spicy-baked-falafel-sandwiches-with-homemade-tzatziki.html" target="_blank">the very awesome falafel recipe from Poor Girl Eats Well. </a>I drop out the fresh coriander because it's too much effort, and add minced garlic because that's what I do with all savoury cooking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Homemade falafel is not just tasty, it's nutritious (chickpeas are full of protein!) and it's also budget friendly. The recipe makes enough falafel for four lunches, and at $1 a can, that's four serves of falafel for $3 at the very most once you include the cost of the spices. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I estimate the total cost of these falafel and spinach wraps at about $2 - $2.50 each. I want to make my own <a href="http://120dollarsfoodchallenge.com/2013/03/06/breads-and-pastries-tortillas/#more-10951" target="_blank">tortillas Sandra Reynolds style</a>, which would a) reduce the cost quite a bit, b) make me feel like I'm the badass 1950s housewife I aspire to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Which is tastier? The honest answer is... both. They taste different, but they both taste great. So for me it comes down to not wanting to spend $7.50 on a café wrap when I can make one myself for $2.50 at the most, and the bragging rights of being able to casually say in the lunch room "yes, you really must make your own falafel if you want <em>authentic</em> flavour" in a snooty voice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Winner: homemade!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-28961201606482839242013-05-01T20:58:00.002+08:002013-05-01T20:58:58.194+08:00Craft: Work-in-Progress - Granny Stripe ScarfIt seems like I've been waiting all summer for the weather to cool down so that I can start wearing scarves again. Now that it finally has I've begun crocheting my first scarf!<br />
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I was inspired to make the scarf after finding the yarn. I don't normally like novelty yarn, but this one was hard to resist with its tiny sequins and rich colour. In certain lights the yarn looks deep red and in others its almost a bright pink.<br />
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I didn't have a specific pattern in mind for this and just started crocheting. I used the "granny" stitch (I'm not sure that's actually it's name!) - the group of three double crochets - because it is the only crochet stitch I know other than single crochet. I've called this a granny stripe scarf, but it doesn't truly follow the granny stripe pattern as each cluster of double crochets sits on top of each other instead of alternating.<br />
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So far I'm pleased with how light and lacy the scarf is. I've gone through two of the five balls I bought for this project and it's just over a metre long. I'm hoping it with be long enough to loop around twice once it's finished.<br />
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The scarf is great relaxing crochet while curled up on the sofa!<br />
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I've listed this post over at the blog <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com.au/">Tami's Amis</a> for Work in Progress Wednesday. Head over to her blog to see lots of other projects in progress :-)<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-26451966428575778302013-04-22T22:55:00.000+08:002013-04-25T11:03:55.107+08:00Craft: Experimenting with Craft Photography<div style="text-align: justify;">For a while now I've been wanting to improve the pictures of my craft projects. I really admire some of the craft photography on blogs like <a href="http://www.monsterstoybox.com/index.php/blog/">Monsters Toy Box</a> and <a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/category/blog/">Fresh Stitches</a>. I came across this post from <a href="http://www.caughtonawhim.com/2013/02/diy-crafty-photography-set-up.html">Caught on a Whim</a> which details Erica's process for taking pictures for her blog. She makes it look so simple and uses very basic equipment - a low table, two pieces of foam board and a camera (she also recommends a furry assistant!). I found some foam board in a craft shop last weekend and set up a trial photo shoot. Unfortunately it was too late for natural light but I gave it a go anyway.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For subjects I used these cute tiny chickens that I have been knitting up for the <a href="http://mochimochiland.com/2013/04/a-fine-feathered-photo-contest/">Mochi Mochi photo competition</a>. The pattern is from the Teeny Tiny Mochi Mochi book which I have <a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/book-review-teeny-tiny-mochi-mochi.html">previously raved about</a>.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I decided to try experimenting with some bigger toys....</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And then this happened... the background somehow disappeared...</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I almost managed to take a picture with no visible background, replicating the pictures I like from other craft blogs. I have no idea what caused this to happen, but it was easier to get the effect if I took the picture from an angle where the vertical board couldn't be seen at all. These photos may be far from perfect but they have definitely inspired me to keep trying :-)</div><br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-75809260844516753332013-04-15T22:23:00.000+08:002013-04-15T22:23:09.196+08:00Craft: More Card Making<div style="text-align: justify;">
A <a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/craft-card-making.html">few weeks ago</a> I posted about a <a href="http://www.stampinup.com/home/">Stampin' Up</a> card making class I went to and I liked it so much I went back for another class. In this class we made three cards which were slightly more involved than the cards and labels I made in the first class.</div>
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Here is a Mother's Day card that I made first. </div>
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I really love the bright colours in this one. It was the simplest of the three cards to make. The only techniques involved were stamping and gluing! </div>
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This next one is also a Mother's Day card. For this one I had to emboss the paper after it had been stamped using Stampin' Up's "Big Shot" machine. I actually got this completely wrong and got the embossed pattern on the wrong side of the card. I did the embossing on the right side and you can hardly tell... in the photo at least :-P</div>
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The third and final card is definitely my favourite. I think it's too somber for a Mother's Day card so I decided not to put a sentiment on it. The stamp in the middle is done with an interesting mirroring technique. Basically you stamp onto a piece of acetate or something similar that the ink isn't going to be absorbed by, and quickly transfer the mirror image from the acetate to the paper below. </div>
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Another cool effect used in the card is the "paper stretching" technique, which is a way to create a border with shapes that are the same size - like the main image in this card and the black outline behind it. This is a lot simpler than it sounds (I was disappointed that there wasn't any stretching involved). The black outline started out the same size as the white piece in front of it. To "stretch" it you cut the paper in half down the middle, from point to point, and position the two halves out the sides of the main piece. In this case the black pointy tips stuck up at the top of the white piece and had to be cut off. </div>
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Like the last class I didn't design any of these cards. I'm not sure if they were designed by Stampin' Up or the class instructor. Whoever designed them, they are pretty cute and I'm glad I'm now prepared with cards for Mother's Day!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-72114010242870304382013-04-08T21:04:00.000+08:002013-04-08T21:04:53.485+08:00Craft: Fresh Stitches Scrap Along<br />
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Do you have lots of balls of yarn that are too small to make anything with, but are too large to justify throwing away? If you do, the <a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/its-a-scrap-a-long-join-us/">FreshStitches</a> website has the answer! </div>
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<a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/its-a-scrap-a-long-join-us/"><img alt="Scrap-a-long" src="http://www.freshstitches.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/scrapalong-banner_small.jpg" /></a></div>
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This month <a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/its-a-scrap-a-long-join-us/">FreshStitches</a> is hosting a scrap-along; a crochet-along using all your leftover bits of yarn. The idea is to create a "magic ball" using yarn scraps to create a colourful skein. <a href="http://www.freshstitches.com/how-to-make-a-magic-ball-russian-join/">FreshStitches</a> has a post explaining how to join the different scraps together to create the magic ball. Here's the one I made. </div>
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(The paper clip is my stitch marker!) </div>
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It was fun crocheting with the "magic ball" and seeing all the different yarns come together in the finished piece. It was also nice crocheting with different types of yarn again. Lately I've been buying fairly cheap wool for making amigurumi, but some of my scrap yarn was from my days of knitting clothes for myself using fancy wool/cotton blends. </div>
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I chose to make <a href="http://www.knittingfever.com/c/leaflet/14805/">this</a> cute monster for my scrap-along project. The pattern is called Lark. It's a FreshStitches pattern that is published on the KnittingFever website (this might disqualify it from the FreshStitches competition...oops!). It was really fast to crochet and the pattern was nice and easy to follow. I like the funny oversized eyes! </div>
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If you're not familiar with FreshStitches patterns you'll notice the texture of her patterns are different to most amigurumi. This really confused me the first time I saw it - I actually wondered if I had been crocheting wrong all this time! Now that I've made one of FreshStitches patterns I realise it's because the whole piece has been crocheted in the back loops. It does give a nice texture.</div>
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Here are some more pics of my scrappy monster.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-48179219603363182502013-04-01T14:19:00.000+08:002013-04-01T14:22:03.934+08:00Baking: Easter TreatsThis year I decided not to buy Easter eggs for my family (with the exception of my twelve year old brother, I couldn't resist giving him some Angry Birds eggs). Instead I made my family this Easter banoffee pie!<br />
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I used the same recipe from my previous <a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/baking-mini-banoffee-pie.html">mini banoffee pie post</a>, but used chocolate biscuits for the base and grated dark chocolate on the top.<br />
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The family were impressed with it, although we all had very small slices because it was very rich and sweet.</div>
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I also made some fudge (<a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/hot-cross-buns-and-easter-fudge.html">which I blogged about last year</a>) and some chocolate hazelnut truffles. I neglected to take nice photos of either, but here's a shot of the pretty packaging I put them in. I found some cute icecream tubs in the shops as well as some Easter ribbon. I used <a href="http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22550/praline+truffles">this truffle recipe</a> which turned out really well. Next time I make them I will write a proper post about them!<br />
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Hope you had a happy Easter! :-)<br />
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P.S. "We Can Have Everything" is now on Bloglovin if you would like to follow us there!<br />
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<br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-65568015283812048102013-03-21T20:08:00.000+08:002013-03-21T20:08:57.814+08:00Baking: Mini Banoffee PieEvery year my office puts on a lunch to celebrate <a href="http://www.harmony.gov.au/">Harmony Day</a>. The idea is that everyone brings in a dish and we celebrate cultural diversity by eating way too much delicious and varied food. There was a huge range of dishes on offer including green curry, lamb biriyani, fried rice, pies and sausage rolls, pumpkin and fetta salad, roast lamb, and butter chicken curry. I brought mini banoffee pies for dessert. If you haven't heard of banoffee pie before the name come from banana and toffee. It's my mum's specialty so I've eaten a lot of really tasty banoffee pie. This was my first time making it however.<div>
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I used <a href="http://www.carnation.co.uk/recipes/8/Classic-Banoffee-Pie">this</a> recipe but I decided to make mini versions as it would be easier to share. I used a mini muffin tin to form the base of the pies. It ended up being very messy and time consuming but the end result was exactly like a large banoffee pie base only miniature. </div>
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I was very worried that they would be difficult to get out once they'd set so I put a strip of baking paper under each pie. It definitely helped a lot when it was time to get them out!</div>
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Here's the finished product. They tasted very similar to my mum's banoffee pie and they were just so cute. I'm quite proud of them! They seemed to go down well at the work lunch because there wasn't a single one left to take home (luckily I saved a couple!). </div>
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This is a very simple recipe and it's very hard to get it wrong. If you've never had it before it's definitely worth a try!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-22375234231864924842013-03-14T08:45:00.000+08:002013-03-14T08:45:21.992+08:00Craft: Crochet Crab + A Tiny Hat Pattern!Meet my latest crochet project, Mr Crochet Crab!<br />
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The pattern is from the blog <a href="http://awkwardsoul.wordpress.com/">Awkward Soul</a>, but if you look at her website you will see that I have made a few slight modifications... Namely the moustache and top hat! Also I turned his front claws into pincers because a crab's not a crab if he can't pinch :-P<br />
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The pattern is nice and easy to follow. The only word of advice I can offer is to be aware of how tight your stitches are. I tend to crochet very tight stitches and this did not work well with the body of the crab as it made the edges of the first round stick up awkwardly. The problem was remedied by making sure my stitches had some stretch. It took a few attempts, but thankfully the project is small and can be completed very quickly.<br />
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I don't have an explanation for why my crab is moustachioed and top hatted, yet I'm rather pleased that I decided to add them. I think he looks like the monopoly man... If the monopoly man was a crab. If you want to add a small top hat to one of your crochet projects, here's how I made it.<br />
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Round 1: Sc six stitches into a magic circle (6 stitches)<br />
Round 2: Sc twice in each stitch (12 stitches)<br />
Round 3-6: Sc in each stitch (12 stitches)<br />
Round 7: *Sc in the first stitch, Sc twice in the next stitch*, repeat until the round is complete (18 stitches)<br />
Round 8: Sc in each stitch (18 stitches)<br />
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Unfortunately these photos of Mr Crab are not the best as I only just remembered to take pictures before giving him away as a birthday present and took them in a rush. I didn't notice all the shadows until I uploaded the pictures. Hopefully you can still appreciate some of Mr Crab's cuteness :-)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-14017564246608553342013-03-09T23:49:00.001+08:002013-03-09T23:49:48.762+08:00Craft: Card Making<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Since starting this blog I've wanted to expand my crafting horizons and last week I had a chance to try card making. I was invited to a <a href="http://www.stampinup.com/home/">Stampin' Up</a> party by a friend and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I was expecting something like a Tupperware party where I'd be pressured into spending lots of money on pretty things I don't really need. Happily it was more of a craft workshop and I didn't feel obliged to buy anything (although I did of course :-P). </div>
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At the class the participants were given supplies and guidance to make five projects. Here's what we got to make:</div>
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A "celebrate" card using embossed card and stamps. </div>
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An Easter card. The stamp is coloured in with a water colour pen.</div>
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A butterfly tag using a butterfly hole punch and stamps.<br />
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And a cute dressed up Easter egg using stamps and a cut up flower punch for wings.</div>
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I also made a birthday tag but I gave it away before I had a chance to take photos!<br />
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I was really impressed with the class and all the pretty things that we got to make. None of the designs are my own, but I can see how it would be easy to make lots of lovely cards and tags with the right equipment. Unfortunately a lot of the equipment is fairly pricey; the machine used for embossing card costs over $100! Card making probably won't become the primary craft in my life, but it was nice to try something new. And who knows, I might give it a try once in a while now that I know how :-)<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-89238435036161021602013-03-06T20:33:00.001+08:002013-03-06T20:33:20.145+08:00Finance: Want To Stay Home With Your Babies? That'll be $300,000, Thanks!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just the other day I asked my sister "are you sure you want to go back to work? It might be cheaper to stay home given the cost of childcare..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Childcare is expensive, true. Most parents I know are paying $100 a day (no, I'm not joking) for junior to be looked after while they're at work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.news.com.au/money/superannuation/stay-at-home-mothers-lose-up-to-290000-in-superannuation/story-e6frfmdi-1226591076219" target="_blank">But it looks like staying home has some serious financial downsides other than the loss of your salary.</a> </span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; border: currentColor; color: black; height: 175px; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; width: 573px;">
<div class="story-intro" nodeindex="4">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MUMS taking time out from work to care for children until they start
school face losing $160,000 in superannuation. <!-- google_ad_section_end(name=story_introduction) --></span></strong></div>
<!-- // .story-intro --><!-- google_ad_section_start(name=story_body, weight=high) --><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The savings hole has prompted calls for teenagers to be taught
about the financial perils of being a stay-at-home mother.</span></div>
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</span><div nodeindex="6">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The superannuation sacrifice blows out to almost $290,000 when
women stay at home for a decade from the age of 30, calculations by financial
research firm Canstar reveal.</span></div>
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</span><div nodeindex="7">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One year out of the workforce costs $34,000, while three years
out amounts to a $95,000 loss, it says.</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew that being a stay at home mum for a year or two could impact on your super, but seeing the figures makes it real all of a sudden. $34,000 to take off a year?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, my retirement plans don't really take my super into account. I feel like super is too hard to predict - you can't control the investments made past picking what kind of account you want, you can't control changing laws around super, you can't withdraw any money until you're 60. I want to be retired well before 60, and given that I'm committed to living within my means and deliberately building wealth, my super should just be gravy. (Let's keep those fingers crossed).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there are a lot of parents out there who will be relying on their super in retirement, and it scares me that they could make decisions about whether to continue working or stay at home based on a less than complete understanding of the financial issues. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So is it worth it to stay home with your kids? Of course it is, if that's what you think is best for your family. But you need to know what that means for your financial situation, so that you can make an <em>informed</em> choice.</span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-55416967868222548612013-03-04T20:33:00.000+08:002013-03-04T20:33:07.698+08:00Baking: Dutch Spice Cookies<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mmm... these cookies are super spicy! Not for the faint hearted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">300g self raising flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">220g brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp cocoa (preferably Dutch style cocoa)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbsp ground ginger</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp ground nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp ground cardamom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">220g butter, softened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rub in butter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using a teaspoonful of dough at a time, roll into small balls and then flatten with a fork, on baking paper on good quality baking trays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alternatively, if you have a </span><a href="http://wecanhaveeverything.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/adventures-with-cookie-press.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cookie forcer</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, use this to create fun shapes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for about ten minutes, or until just starting to darken at the edges.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I often sandwich my dutch spice cookies with a little vanilla icing (icing sugar combined with a very small amount of butter, and a little milk). This helps to offset the spiciness of the cookies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've given these cookies as presents a few times and I've been told that they're great when warding off morning sickness - maybe it's all the ginger??</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-8706000280584635192013-02-28T20:45:00.002+08:002013-02-28T20:45:23.727+08:00Finance: Would More Expensive Petrol Change Your Driving Habits?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-27/petrol-excise-change-made-australia-less-fuel-efficient/4542256" target="_blank">This news article</a> caused me to stop and think this week:</span><br />
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<div class="first">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a hard sell, but economists from the Australian National University say Australians would be better off with a higher tax on petrol.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They have compared petrol prices around the world and say if consumers had to pay more at the pump here we would use less fuel and buy more efficient cars.</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've often thought, while reading personal finance blogs or news articles from America, <em>you think your petrol is expensive? We pay way more!</em> But apparently, we're not paying enough for people to switch to fuel efficient cars and drive less. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Australia (and particularly Perth) is extremely car dependent. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thing is, the excessive drivers of the world already have significant disincentives to drive. Getting stuck in traffic for hours, paying for petrol, paying for parking - which is $20 a day and up in the Perth central business district - and yet they still drive. I believe that petrol could cost $5 a litre and some people would still drive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And the people who don't drive excessively? I'm not sure we're in it for the savings. Personally, I don't enjoy driving as much as I enjoy walking or taking public transport. There are times when I am happy that I can drive and own a car - it was particularly hard to get home from parties at night before I drove. But I didn't get my license until I was almost 23, and I coped just fine. I worked and studied, I lived out of home (alone!) and I didn't need a car. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">These days, I live within a few kilometres of the city so I catch free central area transit buses, pay a very small amount to catch buses and trains further out into the 'burbs, and I walk a lot. I even walk home from work on a regular basis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My point? I bought the smallest, most fuel efficient car I could find. But I bought a tiny car because it's a reliable brand, it's easy to park smaller cars, and I didn't see the point of a bigger car. Not because it was cheaper to run. And my household uses so little petrol that <em>I sometimes forget that cars even need petrol</em>. That's not a joke, though I am blonde so you can blame it on that if you like. To me, walking and taking public transport is just a part of who I am. I do it because it's convenient, it's less stressful than driving, I get more exercise by walking, it's good for the environment... But never once have I based my transportation decisions on saving money. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And that's why I think the people paying $20 a day to park next to the train station in the city centre won't change their ways.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-11864485530442979952013-02-26T21:41:00.000+08:002013-02-26T21:41:24.183+08:00Craft: Crochet CatsIn my post last week I mentioned that I wanted to make my Mum a crocheted cat for her birthday. I only started it a week beforehand, but I'm happy to say that I finished it in time! It wasn't easy however. Last week was a busy one for me as I've been preparing for a housemate to move in. This didn't leave a lot of time for crocheting cats! In addition to that I decided that the first pattern I made wasn't really right for Mum....<br />
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I made the <a href="http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mite/diagram/crochetedCat.html">Amineko cat</a> pattern first. There's nothing wrong with the pattern. In fact it's a great pattern - I smile every time I see the kitty snoozing amongst the pillows on my sofa.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGtwKTOk5n0UZkg9qFxTL2OAeHpchdrlIcyte8g-Vwig7wcvCPPZflMOW0vCTPJZH_1U4S1fJmKkDqiWFo1BKmzxxRLbD4mFJkS4FVqi1PfNypBLKqlMOw99_NlUGnH_62so6CxAkUkdl/s640/blogger-image-1032479722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGtwKTOk5n0UZkg9qFxTL2OAeHpchdrlIcyte8g-Vwig7wcvCPPZflMOW0vCTPJZH_1U4S1fJmKkDqiWFo1BKmzxxRLbD4mFJkS4FVqi1PfNypBLKqlMOw99_NlUGnH_62so6CxAkUkdl/s320/blogger-image-1032479722.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Or on top of the sofa.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0MYL7wcubHQQbmyWWMnI_ArBs84vuVARAasWmdBU2IZc5wsWKkPdI7dXHo9yYoNDHlGDIagDie46WLeAttDG6ZKsjrzRyd_S1j9VQ3cOGQaC7snFh_01ucsYebvdZYjkfsOt-ntclS5M/s640/blogger-image-1311742993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0MYL7wcubHQQbmyWWMnI_ArBs84vuVARAasWmdBU2IZc5wsWKkPdI7dXHo9yYoNDHlGDIagDie46WLeAttDG6ZKsjrzRyd_S1j9VQ3cOGQaC7snFh_01ucsYebvdZYjkfsOt-ntclS5M/s320/blogger-image-1311742993.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or on the bookshelf.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bRpn3l1CwqkwF0thOa0DHqZHDyLoX1IWFQDR0Y1CSJeurcMY5MfCNIdApTqewn8ayJ5TvJunBJGMwUyObhamXT_yQxwA0oaFknACoIA274hMC43MzcEixMQIjmFrDLcTitkxK1LDzW4d/s640/blogger-image--1702047990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bRpn3l1CwqkwF0thOa0DHqZHDyLoX1IWFQDR0Y1CSJeurcMY5MfCNIdApTqewn8ayJ5TvJunBJGMwUyObhamXT_yQxwA0oaFknACoIA274hMC43MzcEixMQIjmFrDLcTitkxK1LDzW4d/s320/blogger-image--1702047990.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even up a tree! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ohCyl1JU8KbW7hblmaBRQHgNAeJrej9hT1Qul29F1rjmvPvZK9olGxp1XrAt2IJfapYEguQfjVsaYj5ceEfU9L2LvFdM0yia3tfE6eXq8klmVtVIye_FK3jjtFE3qM0WKMZppZ6OpBp5/s640/blogger-image-1044307471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ohCyl1JU8KbW7hblmaBRQHgNAeJrej9hT1Qul29F1rjmvPvZK9olGxp1XrAt2IJfapYEguQfjVsaYj5ceEfU9L2LvFdM0yia3tfE6eXq8klmVtVIye_FK3jjtFE3qM0WKMZppZ6OpBp5/s320/blogger-image-1044307471.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I thought he might be a bit too cartoonish for Mum. He's more cheeky than cute. Perhaps I just didn't want to let him go :-P<br />
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I decided to quickly crochet an alternative cat for Mum. I made this kitty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPkeD8UBdV1PUsB_w9J0wME8-zTz8oKpRTKplEzxMTdARvFewjjepA8eiXa_A11Yoqbfw8OOS0cbVktnWF-d_aq_F1U2w3jjELxzi2kMB4ai39NkmKJFpIswG2YUbSp06jZC4FKlzSUDo/s640/blogger-image--914906344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPkeD8UBdV1PUsB_w9J0wME8-zTz8oKpRTKplEzxMTdARvFewjjepA8eiXa_A11Yoqbfw8OOS0cbVktnWF-d_aq_F1U2w3jjELxzi2kMB4ai39NkmKJFpIswG2YUbSp06jZC4FKlzSUDo/s320/blogger-image--914906344.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pattern is my own modification of the <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/craft/craft_pattern_spring_bunny/">Spring Bunnies</a> pattern from <a href="http://allaboutami.tumblr.com/">All About Ami</a>. I'll post the modifications to the pattern soon. I'm glad I decided to make the second crochet kitty for Mum because not only do I get to keep the Amineko kitty for myself, the white kitty looks likes like my Mum's ragdoll William who has recently been shaved for the summer!<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-37520443574509918942013-02-21T17:39:00.001+08:002013-02-21T17:39:37.459+08:00Craft: a Sneak Peek of My Current Project...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KNc9y4wQfg_czGGXeNNsxKzZaWB6j8RZYyB8kQyA8POLaZgxwodKsd8DDX67m1RiJVmJ4L3wbg75cARFQNjnxosMnls9lNR-_g4QTAisDC04AAoDAQQDWaekvM4vP3ynSDnLBLiTyVrK/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KNc9y4wQfg_czGGXeNNsxKzZaWB6j8RZYyB8kQyA8POLaZgxwodKsd8DDX67m1RiJVmJ4L3wbg75cARFQNjnxosMnls9lNR-_g4QTAisDC04AAoDAQQDWaekvM4vP3ynSDnLBLiTyVrK/s400/016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmm, what could this be??</span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-12776249751532020772013-02-16T16:24:00.001+08:002013-02-16T16:24:30.500+08:00Craft: Ami Ami Dogs 2This week I have been busy making another Ami Ami Dog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWrYP2te_mqPadkWAL2sUMpdQpYDW1XxNyhxl9ueOlnaZomFJFT_fg4lV1Sl-zJhHz4q2ZhNAE1clTczlxzFGuwcV7b675PpvG19wbpAUb3xV08gsah8ODbP4MaXYhAYtNTZ_9F3r0CXm/s640/blogger-image--1163529789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWrYP2te_mqPadkWAL2sUMpdQpYDW1XxNyhxl9ueOlnaZomFJFT_fg4lV1Sl-zJhHz4q2ZhNAE1clTczlxzFGuwcV7b675PpvG19wbpAUb3xV08gsah8ODbP4MaXYhAYtNTZ_9F3r0CXm/s320/blogger-image--1163529789.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This one is a Jack Russell. He has such cute spindly legs - he's almost insect like :-P</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL-d4mMGDwilVsxh6ybQEe3Oxj3wDznszWxJ5zomLZpFoZo_YkKrkr_hRstXI8AnazPJ6F2FKBHm82_wQ7vewpYbF4AXoLS4BZxilv9MWmBHBq_lA49Vg8wEVzuAs2nvnjtuLBHuejT3I/s640/blogger-image--503116011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL-d4mMGDwilVsxh6ybQEe3Oxj3wDznszWxJ5zomLZpFoZo_YkKrkr_hRstXI8AnazPJ6F2FKBHm82_wQ7vewpYbF4AXoLS4BZxilv9MWmBHBq_lA49Vg8wEVzuAs2nvnjtuLBHuejT3I/s320/blogger-image--503116011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't have anything new to add about the construction of this puppy, so I thought I'd show you pictures of what I'm planning to make in the near future. </div>
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Firstly I have started this adorable <a href="http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mite/diagram/crochetedCat.html">sleeping cat pattern</a> (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amineko-crocheted-cat">Ravelry link</a>). I'm making this for my Mum's birthday next week - eeep so I had better get a move on! (It's a good thing none of my relatives read this blog :-P)</div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amineko-crocheted-cat"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1327/5098913997_c0ffd05c3e_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once that's done I'd like to make something for my almost sister-in-law. I'm not sure what to make yet, but I was thinking of a cute puppy pattern as she loves her dog Winnie. Perhaps something like this one from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62793589/wasabi-the-gregarious-pug-knitting?">Rebecca Danger</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62793589/wasabi-the-gregarious-pug-knitting?"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5329182/il_570xN.196141273.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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Finally I'd like to make a case for my ipad. I was inspired by <a href="http://www.themanzanitablog.com/manzanita/2013/01/a-crochet-ipad-mini-sleeve.html">this</a> post I found through <a href="http://craftgawker.com/post/category/crochet/">Craftgawker</a>. I like the cute pastel colours on the pictured example from Rebecca Caridad of <a href="http://www.themanzanitablog.com/">Manzanita</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.themanzanitablog.com/manzanita/2013/01/a-crochet-ipad-mini-sleeve.html"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8385078652_ce0621ae8e_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-25600827404953821532013-02-09T20:29:00.000+08:002013-02-09T20:29:00.699+08:00What's for dinner? Broccoli!It's funny that when you're told you can't eat something as often as you would like, you realise how much you like it. This happened to me with broccoli. It used to be an easy side to have with fish or meat until my boyfriend came along and, like some school boy stereotype, declared that it was "gross" and he wasn't going to eat it. I'm thankful that broccoli is pretty much the only vegetable that he won't eat, but I do miss it. (In the interest for fairness I should point out that my boyfriend will eat broccoli in Thai curries, in fact he introduced me to the concept of broccoli in curry and it's amazing!) <br />
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I cook for myself during the week and lately I've been making up for the lack of broccoli in my life. I never used to appreciate broccoli before it became a forbidden ingredient - it can be so much more than an over cooked side dish! I thought I'd share some of my favourite recipes with you. <br />
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<b>Garlic, Chilli and Broccoli Pasta</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZnNYW6M3Klm1sWiq-JVvb_SbLb5W4shxj6i6M_YzgDprgn7P6InZD48Ue2_bGODDd_IyEPFBipiiwAIGXO2ab2P9-b7phGTtKxFZy0PhpCsr3AdR9FTfqdLDasKDEWqBBFr7fhyphenhyphene544x/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZnNYW6M3Klm1sWiq-JVvb_SbLb5W4shxj6i6M_YzgDprgn7P6InZD48Ue2_bGODDd_IyEPFBipiiwAIGXO2ab2P9-b7phGTtKxFZy0PhpCsr3AdR9FTfqdLDasKDEWqBBFr7fhyphenhyphene544x/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I eavesdropped this recipes from a work colleague. It looks very plain and simple in the picture but it actually has a lot of flavour from the chilli, garlic and white wine that the broccoli is cooked in. To make it you fry two cloves of garlic in a little oil, add chilli flakes to taste (I use about a teaspoon). Cook the broccoli in the oil and slosh in about half a cup of white wine. Add cherry tomatoes or whatever else you fancy. When the broccoli is cooked, but still has some bite to it, toss through the cooked pasta until everything is nicely coated in the winey-garlicky juices. Serve with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan. <br />
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<b>Creamy Broccoli, Pea and Ham Pasta</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EFirT-ZsnRDn1uLSojmw2IkNRoWOoYSvGZkqAvm75oTsMJQlx6U5zJgWAk8FAYk1fs_-E0G00ntFHWoJF462aHTmSR5C7yEzl3_ntyjx9tdOUDf8fEJeVAHEaUAwwhmLgSXT71S0kdpi/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EFirT-ZsnRDn1uLSojmw2IkNRoWOoYSvGZkqAvm75oTsMJQlx6U5zJgWAk8FAYk1fs_-E0G00ntFHWoJF462aHTmSR5C7yEzl3_ntyjx9tdOUDf8fEJeVAHEaUAwwhmLgSXT71S0kdpi/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This recipe comes from the <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/recipes/Pages/EasyGnocchi.aspx?mt=All">Heath Foundation</a> website. It's actually supposed to be a gnocchi dish, but I make it with pasta because I find it freezes a lot better than gnocchi. This is a nice recipe for days when you feel like eating something creamy minus the actual cream. It uses evapourated milk for the sauce. Make sure you add lots of pesto and pepper! </div>
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<b>Brown Sugar and Lime-Glazed Salmon - with Broccoli!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi45CIlsQgz17d-STOqNtcBbIFw7kmV7i1yJFKRzv-Fl2U59VYrWE_o5wfu00VngMAr1XPhyphenhyphen1Ezzsydnw9jCv7cueRRK835hQVXX4aTvl8zZGG0a9DDO6nAeac5ZRFjNDvAz74MavzRRjK/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi45CIlsQgz17d-STOqNtcBbIFw7kmV7i1yJFKRzv-Fl2U59VYrWE_o5wfu00VngMAr1XPhyphenhyphen1Ezzsydnw9jCv7cueRRK835hQVXX4aTvl8zZGG0a9DDO6nAeac5ZRFjNDvAz74MavzRRjK/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I saw this recipe on <a href="http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/30295/brown+sugar+lime+glazed+salmon">Taste.com</a> recently and thought I'd give it a try as broccoli is my favourite side for steamed fish. I will definitely make this again because I love salmon, especially when coated in limey-sugary goodness. The broccoli and carrots cooked in garlicky-ginger soy sauce was also very good. A word of warming for those who don't like the idea of sugar and meat - this is a very sweet dish. I find it works with the soy sauce and the salts in the fish, but I can see that this wouldn't be for everyone! I have used regular broccoli in this recipe because I tend to buy a few bunches, cut it all up and then add it to my dishes throughout the week for a quick boost of green. One of my favourite uses for extra broccoli is baked eggs with broccoli and mushrooms from <a href="http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2012/11/recipe-baked-eggs-with-broccoli-mushrooms-cheese.html">Poor Girl Eats Well</a>. This recipe really should be on my list as I make it so often, but I have neglected to take a photo of it (probably because I'm always in a hurry to eat it :-P). </div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-87949875802277747382013-02-08T08:00:00.000+08:002013-02-08T08:00:05.524+08:00My 2013 Budget Part Two – My allocation of funds
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In terms of
big scale categories, I use two for my budget: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spending</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wealth building</i>.
One of these means your money has gone away and you’ll never see it again (I
sure hope you kissed it goodbye as it flew out your fingers!) and the other
means it’s busy making new friends in the form of more dollars, who’ll be your
close companions for many years to come. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why don’t I
use the needs, wants, savings categories? Well to me it doesn’t matter all that
much whether you’re spending on groceries (a need) or a new dress (a want) –
that money is gone, baby, gone. Likewise, the difference between planting money
in a dedicated savings account, investing it in an index fund or using it to
pay down the mortgage faster isn’t a big deal to me – those are all <em>wealth
building</em> activities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I use these
two categories as a way to get an accurate snapshot of how my money is
travelling. So in a nutshell, my budget for 2013 is simply:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Spending –
34%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wealth
building – 66%.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But surely I
develop my budget in more detail than that, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Yep. My
categories are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Wealth</span></b></st1:placename><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Building</st1:placetype></span></b></st1:place><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mortgage</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – technically this is the “rent” I
pay Perfect Boyfriend for living in our apartment, the Bakelair, which he
bought long before he met me. Why do I pay him rent? We’ll combine finances one
day, but for now we’ve got separate finances with shared financial plans and
very similar attitudes to money. For as long as our finances remain separate,
the apartment continues to be his asset/liability, and if we were to break up,
we both understand that I would have no claim to it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, he
uses my “rent” payment as additional payment towards the principal of the
mortgage. So it’s growing his equity, and some day that equity will represent
part of the deposit for the family home we buy. As such, paying my “rent” is definitely
a wealth building activity for me. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Savings</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – I’m still building up my savings
for the future, though I know the day will come that I have to invest instead
of holding my money in a savings account. For now, I’m getting 5% interest and
I know the money will be there when I need it. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Spending:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Groceries</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – food, toiletries, laundry
detergent, etc. Pretty self-explanatory, right?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bills</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – some of these bills are for needs
(electricity) and some are for wants (my mobile phone). But they’re all bills.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Discretionary</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – the category that allows me to have
a social life <em>and</em> look so darn pretty! This covers clothes (technically a need, but I spend a lot more
than I could so to me that’s discretionary), entertainment, eating out, dates,
presents… <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Buffer</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> – I’m in two minds about this
category. My plan is to build up this money in my regular bank account, then
use it for odd things. Like the holiday I take every year with Perfect
Boyfriend – I don’t see the point of having a separate account / tracking my
savings for one small holiday. Last year I used the money that built up in my
account as extra savings, transferring it whenever the amount got over a
certain point. That’s part of my plan for this year, too (and I won’t reach my
goal of saving 45% of my income without a little bit of help from the buffer!).
The buffer money is also there to take advantage of opportunities without
having to transfer money out of my savings account. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/002_zps1c413be2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/002_zps1c413be2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another one of my 'begonia babies' - plants are one of the many things I spend my discretionary budget on.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The breakdown
of where my money will go:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mortgage 22%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">avings 44%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Groceries 9%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bills 9%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Discretionary
13%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Buffer 3%<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I had to check this twice to make sure
it adds up to 100%!<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There are
improvements to be made in some categories (I’m determined to get the
“groceries” budget at or below 7%) but overall I’m happy with this budget. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Can you see any areas for improvement? Do you think the "buffer" category is a bad idea?</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-35640089267407538442013-02-06T20:03:00.000+08:002013-02-10T10:56:54.142+08:00Craft: Ami Ami DogsHave you heard of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ami-Dogs-Seriously-Cute-Crochet/dp/0062025708">Ami Ami Dogs</a>? It's some of the cutest crochet I've ever seen! I have both of Mitsuki Hoshi's Ami Ami Dogs books and it makes me happy every time I flip through the pages and admire her adorable creations.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately Ami Ami Dogs are not so easy to replicate. The first obstacle is the way the patterns are written; in charts. If like me you've never tried crocheting from a chart it might take some getting used to. I find it easy to miss an increase on decrease in the charts and would much prefer a written pattern. I will endure the charts for the cute Ami Ami dogs however.<br />
<br />
The second obstacle is in the making up. It's easy enough to make the component pieces of an Ami Ami dog - it's very basic crochet. Putting the pieces together is another story however... I wanted to make the Shih Tzu pattern from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ami-Dogs-More-Seriously-Crochet/dp/0062067249/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360151670&sr=1-2&keywords=ami+ami+dogs">Ami Ami Dogs 2</a> for a friend. Here's how it looks in the book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCGo9kCmTHsDYEiHBPd3hWD_bh4C40C5dvZx37k35w_y2bZizqprpDL801YKBpySG6lovLs6TPrNm2zw9EfwCz3vhU7at5GcVHKVZgD1MApUrFQhjJi0e9oJ3I0N2yRoK0H5as3ILvgJU/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCGo9kCmTHsDYEiHBPd3hWD_bh4C40C5dvZx37k35w_y2bZizqprpDL801YKBpySG6lovLs6TPrNm2zw9EfwCz3vhU7at5GcVHKVZgD1MApUrFQhjJi0e9oJ3I0N2yRoK0H5as3ILvgJU/s320/001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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See, completely adorable!<br />
<br />
And here's my attempt....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB8gFiPjTbRe_ZJUHW63LI_MRyFgjjxJrtMgfYyxHG5-a7bGIB01IsP4DSs-PytEEztn0TXz88IMtU0a0FkMqHqVYroETcsmVsU_5_mG023ye9JqlTvzXjSLJeWE_xpSIUKHZ9zK2GCid/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB8gFiPjTbRe_ZJUHW63LI_MRyFgjjxJrtMgfYyxHG5-a7bGIB01IsP4DSs-PytEEztn0TXz88IMtU0a0FkMqHqVYroETcsmVsU_5_mG023ye9JqlTvzXjSLJeWE_xpSIUKHZ9zK2GCid/s320/016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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A lot less adorable :-P He's still cute, but there's something not quite right about the way he's put together. I think Mitsuki Hoshi must put a lot of care and attention into putting her puppies together. I have made mine in a much larger size than what's recommended in the book and maybe that has something to do with it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzj-WcCddmEPFOAxvjmUYOS3F6L9CZUkujFu7kewt-G7rlUL4pfOnr1T3rLYRSOjNTBvzrF47ld5dYrWNWsYH0ATT95p7FEeRn9Q8En1buB2lG8qDr-Gs06B0SXwNx8BECiCh_m2UiFuWa/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzj-WcCddmEPFOAxvjmUYOS3F6L9CZUkujFu7kewt-G7rlUL4pfOnr1T3rLYRSOjNTBvzrF47ld5dYrWNWsYH0ATT95p7FEeRn9Q8En1buB2lG8qDr-Gs06B0SXwNx8BECiCh_m2UiFuWa/s320/020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g3SOAx604m2kWR5yudGvFTi2RtaB3CWGoYuU9nmQu_dvuTaMgusAcC9afBwAqYr0z4x9Rt5EqzNyu8G61tKY8vomSIDU0e1i_WJyi0-NAcWHweB8U0M0aA3x8bBJbMZirAdTu2LZIncV/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g3SOAx604m2kWR5yudGvFTi2RtaB3CWGoYuU9nmQu_dvuTaMgusAcC9afBwAqYr0z4x9Rt5EqzNyu8G61tKY8vomSIDU0e1i_WJyi0-NAcWHweB8U0M0aA3x8bBJbMZirAdTu2LZIncV/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1tv4wrZ-aEiwXfmYCnUiKV0avbw49_frolJ-ImCOIwZ24l03wcgj78LcW3id1qxOY7MCySAWhTLaSmlmRs9rQkESSUCIB1xjNuhJjv2lx73gQUbULMtMQ3iadBEMnEMUDJ_isNTmQ2kX/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1tv4wrZ-aEiwXfmYCnUiKV0avbw49_frolJ-ImCOIwZ24l03wcgj78LcW3id1qxOY7MCySAWhTLaSmlmRs9rQkESSUCIB1xjNuhJjv2lx73gQUbULMtMQ3iadBEMnEMUDJ_isNTmQ2kX/s320/021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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He does have a certain charm! And he was well liked by his new owner. </div>
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The yellow dog is my first attempt at an Ami Ami Dog. I will be trying at least one more pattern from the book (the jack russell next time). It's worth having a look at the Ami Ami Dogs books - even if you don't crochet! - they are so full of cuteness and charm it's almost ridiculous!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914990900510329391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-41366759187408643222013-02-04T20:00:00.001+08:002013-02-04T20:00:10.737+08:00What's for Dinner? Homemade hamburger patties, no egg!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think my ideal world would be one in which burgers and chips miraculously provided all the nutrition a person needs, so I could eat them every night. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But as it is, burgers are not particularly healthy. How can you make them healthier? Make your own patties and make sure that burger contains plenty of salad! For extra credit, bake your own bread rolls and leave out the chips. I tend to give in to temptation and make chips with paprika seasoning, which are extremely tasty and (I hope) less damaging than takeaway chips. The only recipes for burger patties I could find online contained egg to bind the mince - but a little experimentation taught me that you really don't need it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/489_zps8900e0e4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/489_zps8900e0e4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mixing the mince with the seasoning.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Hamburger patties</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">500g beef mince</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tablespoon tomato paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3 cloves of garlic, crushed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 tablespoons dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 tablespoons dried basil (or a small handful of fresh basil, chopped)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 tablespoons dried parsley (or a small handful of fresh parsley, chopped)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is a seriously simple recipe, and an easy one to master if you're just starting to learn basic cooking skills:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Combine all ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Shape into four patties.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/491_zpsb533426d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/491_zpsb533426d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why can't my patties ever turn out perfectly round?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are best if cooked immediately - either in a frying pan with a little olive oil, or baked in the oven at 150 celsius for about twenty minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, they also freeze well. I layer mine between baking paper, slip them into ziploc or freezer bags and pop them in the freezer for a night when I'm late home from work, I'm hungry and an easy meal sounds like a good idea.</span> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/492_zps1e01a7c7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/492_zps1e01a7c7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ready for the freezer.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mastering basic recipes like this was one of the best things I ever did for my budget. Knowing how to cook yourself tasty, simple food at home removes the temptation to get takeaway and helps to cut your food costs considerably.</span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344964134017201101.post-80710236850598861822013-02-01T08:00:00.000+08:002013-02-01T08:00:07.891+08:00My 2013 Budget Part One – Why it won’t be 50-30-20
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One of the
first posts I wrote was about the 50-30-20 budget, which I now know comes from
All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia
Warren Tyagi. I think that this model is fantastic as a starting point for
first time budgeters, and it’s what I will probably be teaching my future
children when they start earning a paycheck. When I was first learning how to manage my money (i.e. not just spend it all and then wonder why I was broke), this was the easiest budget to get my head around and follow. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The 50-30-20
budget is simple:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">50% of your
post-tax income is spent on needs. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">30% is spent
on wants. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">20% is
saved/invested. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So if I love
it that much, why don’t I use it anymore? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I earn a high
income (by my standards – realistically it’s about average in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>), and
while there are plenty of things I want, I try to resist lifestyle inflation.
To spend 30% of my income on wants would be completely ridiculous for me. What
am I going to do, hit up the shops every single weekend for new dresses and
books? I’m much happier spending strategically on my wants – carefully
assessing which wants will actually make me happy and which only seem as though
they will. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/004_zps8c8279b9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/WeCanHaveEverything/004_zps8c8279b9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing that always makes me happy: tending to my begonias.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So if I’m not
going to spend 30% on wants, surely it should go into savings instead? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">That’s the
other category for which I won’t follow the 50-30-20 budget. I love saving. It
makes me happy. I like knowing that when it’s finally time to replace Perfect
Boyfriend’s car, we can pay for it in cash. I like knowing that I can get
married without going into debt. I like knowing that if something terrible
happens and I lose my job, I’ll have an emergency fund. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What’s more,
while I enjoy my job and can’t imagine quitting anytime soon, I know I don’t
want to work until 70. I look forward to the first day of official retirement,
when I can wake up at a natural time for my body, take as long as I want to eat
breakfast and go for a three hour walk before lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There are
plenty of blogs out there about early retirement, and from what I can gather, a
savings rate of 50-75% is essential. So if I settled for a savings rate of 20%,
what would happen to me if I got to 40 and wanted to retire? I’d have to keep
working! That’s no fun. I like knowing that I have enough money saved to give
me options for what I do with my life. This is why I believe your savings rate
should be much, much higher than 20%. I’ve set myself a goal of saving 45% of
my income in 2013, and I can’t wait to tell you on December 31st that I’ve
achieved it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Coming next Friday: My 2013 Budget Part Two</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2