Elizabeth is an Australian blogger and photographer, living in Melbourne after a lifetime in Queensland. She is undertaking a challenge to complete 101 Things in 1001 Days, and documents her progress here.
Scarlet Words is also home to stories about life in her newly adopted city, and news about all the cool stuff she discovers on the web.
She is owned by a small dog named Harry, and has an embarrassing habit of introducing herself in the third person. If you like, you can read even more about her here.
How cute are these? I love that we’re still making discoveries like this.
A marine biologist has discovered a startling new crab species that resembles a large strawberry.
The unusual crustacean was found off the coast of southern Taiwan. It has a dramatic bright red shell covered with small white bumps.
Professor Ho Ping-ho from the National Taiwan Ocean University said the crab resembles a species called Neoliomera Pubescens, that lives in the areas around Hawaii, Polynesia and Mauritius.
However it has a clam-shaped shell about 1 inch wide, which makes it distinct.
Crabs are omnivores feeding primarily on algae. There are more than 5,000 known species in the world.
Professor Ho said his team found two female crabs of the new species last June off the coast of Kenting National Park, known for its rich marine life.
The crabs died shortly afterwards, possibly because the water in the area was polluted by a cargo ship that ran aground.
Taiwanese crab specialist Wang Chia-hsiang confirmed Professor Ho’s finding.
Here we go: a blog post in which I go right ahead and BLOW YOUR MIND.
I suppose I shouldn’t take all the credit for this recipe, considering that I stole it straight from the pages of Married/Single Parent. You’d better go say hi to Michelle and thank her for the inspiration.
But first…
PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
(including rough Australian conversions)
- 1.5 cups plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 125g butter, softened
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups
HERE’S WHAT TO DO:
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius, and unwrap all those little miniature peanut butter cups. The recipe calls for 40, but you’re going to need an extra 5 or so to allow for “accidents”. KnowwhatImean? And never fear – Aussies can buy these online in packs of about 120 at USA Foods (or from their storefront in Melbourne).
STEP 2: Cream the butter, sugar (both types) and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the beaten egg, vanilla extract and milk and mix well.
STEP 3: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Throw it into the sugar/butter bowl and mix it all together.
STEP 4: Consider, briefly, a world in which peanut butter does not exist. Give George Washington Carver a mental high-five, and line a tray with baking paper.
Form the dough into 40 round balls, and bake for 8 minutes (I did this in a couple of batches, but feel free to show off and cook all 40 at once).
STEP 5: Remind your dog that chocolate is a toxic substance, and that it is your duty as his owner to expose yourself to this poison on his behalf. Give him a pat, and silently congratulate yourself for booking him into the dog groomer tomorrow. He’s starting to look like he might be homeless.
STEP 6: Remove the tray from the oven, and immediately push a peanut butter cup into the centre of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool completely before transferring them to a wire rack. Don’t freak out, they’re supposed to be that soft.
STEP 7:
These cookies take a long time to cool, and disaster will strike if you try to shift them too early. While you’re waiting, why not familiarise yourself with Diabetes Australia or find a dentist in your local area?
The first official Smiley Sunday comes from Laura Kane, author of Rainbow Tatt and co-author of the brilliant That’s Noice! Enjoy.
SMILEY SUNDAY WITH LAURA
Seven things that make me smile;
1. Cupcakes, especially my plain patty cakes and Oreo cupcakes 2. Buttercream icing – straight from the bowl 3. Getting my payslip each fortnight 4. My cats. Especially Bear. Not that I play favourites, of course 5. Dan, the fiancé, as well as the engagement ring he had made for me
6. Random cute kids when we’re at the supermarket or walking down the street 7. Getting “poll position” parking on our street a.k.a. the closest parking spot to our house – a rare treat!
A memory I keep on file;
This was taken 5 January 2008 in London.
There’s V, me, Jo, Kat, Maz, Genna, Charlie, Shirley, Dawn, Jenno, Harriet and Becca.
I’ve known these girls for 5+ years and had only met 2 of them face-to-face before my first big overseas trip. I love how the internet brought me such awesome friends and how the internet allows me to keep in better contact with them than a lot of my local friends! We planned this big weekend for everyone to get together for the first time (honorary mention to Flora who was finishing her Uni degree and Anna who was stuck in Melbourne) and there are just so many memories from that weekend and that whole trip in general.
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
Thanks for playing, Laura!
If you would like to be featured in the next installment of Smiley Sunday, send me an email (elizabeth@this domain) with your name, URL and the answers to the questions above. Each Sunday I’ll post a new set of answers.
Scarlet Words will be a busy little place in 2010! Aside from my regular updates I’m working on some new ideas to keep me blogging more regularly during the coming months.
One of my main goals for this year, at least where this blog is concerned, is to connect more with the people who read Scarlet Words. I’d also like to meet more of my fellow bloggers and share them with everyone here!
Smiley Sunday is a new weekly feature to seek out a little happiness, and to learn more about somebody new.
So, for the first time of many, welcome to Smiley Sunday!
(A big thank you to Tim for agreeing to let me use this picture, a cartoon of us that he drew 4 years ago!)
(I’ll answer the questions this week – then it’s over to you guys!)
Seven things that make me smile;
1. curling up on the couch with a blanket on a cold Winter night 2. watching a child learn to do something for the first time 3. the sound of heavy rain on a tin roof 4. falling asleep with my boy, between clean sheets. 5. the thermos of coffee Tim makes for me each morning
6. watching my dog dream (his little legs run and run!), and his little snores
7. favourite smells: fresh laundry, baking bread, onion sizzling in butter
A memory I keep on file;
I remember sneaking into my brother’s room and trying on his Scout uniform over my pajamas when I was five years old. I expected to get into trouble, but apparently I was too adorable!
“Whether you think that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right.” (Henry Ford)
That’s it – now it’s your turn!
If you would like to be featured in the next installment of Smiley Sunday, send me an email (elizabeth@this domain) with your name, URL and the answers to the questions above. Each Sunday I’ll post a new set of answers.
To get the ball rolling, the first three volunteers can choose a print from my photography portfolio at Scarlet Arts – just a small thank you for sharing the love!
Friday 5 was a meme I used to love a few years ago, and I forget why I stopped doing it. Maybe the questions got a bit crappy?
I haven’t read the archives to see what the questions are like these days, but I thought this latest set was pretty good. Link me to your blog if you’re doing this too!
1. What’s something that’s better when the newness has worn off?
Shoes – at least from the inside!
2. What’s something you already own that could stand to be replaced by the newer version? It would be nice to replace our couches. They look great, but they’re not designed for long reading sessions or snuggling up. Why would somebody design a sofa with armrests that can’t double as a pillow?
3. What’s something that was better before someone made it “new and improved?”
VEGEMITE.
4. Of geographic locations whose names begin with the word “new,” which seems like the most interesting place to visit?
I can’t wait to see more of New England and New York, but New Orleans also fascinates me.
5. On what date will 2010 no longer feel like the new year? I work in a school, so most of Term 1 will probably feel like the start of the new year.
Before we get any further into this 2010 thing, I thought I’d wrap up last year with this quiz that’s been going around. Feel free to answer it yourself in the comments!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t think I made any resolutions last year, except to plug away at my 101 List. I’ve done pretty well at my list (reaching 59/101) but I had planned to be a lot further ahead at this point!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
There have been lots of babies born to coworkers this year, and a few old schoolfriends. 2009 was the year of cute bubs, that’s for sure!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.
5. What countries did you visit?
I haven’t been overseas at all this year, but I’ve done more than my usual quota of interstate travel.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A cute butt.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Tim’s birthday on 9 August was pretty memorable, as were the few days leading up to it. It’s not every year that you attempt 30 presents for somebody’s birthday!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably completing Couch to 5K, after a lifetime of believing that I couldn’t run.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Abandoning my paper journal for this entire year. I’m going to sit down with it tonight.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was pretty healthy this year. I even managed to avoid swine flu, despite living in the Swine Flu capital!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our little car is probably the best thing we bought this year. We’re a bit in love with it, and the freedom it’s given us.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My friend Sally, for being my “101 Things” cheer squad, and lining up a couple of opportunities to cross things off my list.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Not worth writing about here, it’s all a distant memory.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, groceries and vet bills for my broken-down dog.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I had a long time to get excited about Tim’s birthday, since it all took so long to plan!
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
“Dream” by Priscilla Ahn.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
a) much happier! b) about the same (but skinnier than I was 6 months ago) c) about the same (but with a new, improved plan)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I’d done more reading and writing. More long walks with my ipod. More “clean as I go”, rather than cleaning sprees. More long talks and snuggles with Tim.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Less procrastination, and associated worrying.
20. How will you spend Christmas?
Christmas Day was just the three of us this year, but we held another one on 27 December with our friends.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Only several times a day
22. What was your favourite TV program? The Office and 30 Rock
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is overrated. I’m too lazy for that kind of commitment.
24. What was the best book you read?
“The Book of Emmett” by Deborah Forster
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
It was either Barcelona or Angus & Julia Stone
26. What did you want and get? A new set of wheels, and a puppy with four working legs.
27. What did you want and not get? Nothing really – at least nothing realistic!
28. What was your favourite film of this year? 2009 wasn’t a big movie-watching year for me, but “Up” was pretty special.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I celebrated my 29th birthday by going to work! It was a great day though, and I was pretty spoiled. I had three bouquets delivered to my desk (one of them chocolate!), and received some really thoughtful gifts.
30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
2009 was a year of fewer friendships, which were energizing rather than draining.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
A little bit more feminine. More dresses, frills and pretty accessories.
32. What kept you sane?
Tim, single-handedly! Somebody give that boy a raise.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I made it all the way through 2009 without a celebrity crush… until 30 December when we watched Benjamin Button. Maybe it was a reaction to Brad Pitt getting hotter as the movie went on?
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
US Healthcare. It’s a hot topic in this household.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
April & Joe are our favourite people of 2009!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
It’s okay to look out for #1 sometimes, especially when you find yourself at the bottom of someone’s list.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
and it’s the saddest song you’ll ever hear
the most pain you will ever feel
but you grit your teeth because it don’t
get better than this (know this)
and you’ll try to explain as the blood leaves all your veins
and you can’t think of anything that you would change
I’m in so much denial about this 2010 thing that everybody is talking about. I mean, can’t we all just calm down about 2010 and wait until Christmas has passed?
Hang on a minute…
Is that why people kept giving me presents last week?
I think I’d better accept that this year will be over in about six hours and say my goodbyes!
2009 was pretty good to Tim and I. Our little house was full of friends and family, but there was also plenty of space for the two of us to just be together. Both of us have had periods of stress in our jobs because of downsizing, but for the most part our work lives have been pretty fulfilling. We’ve lived well, loved well, and we seem to have achieved some wisdom about what matters most. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
Many of my friends, coworkers and fellow bloggers seem to want this year to be done. So, for their sake, I’m okay with the clean slate that a new year will bring!
Here are my resolutions for 2010 (and beyond):
1. Continue to plug away at my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge. With 42 items on my list still remaining, and a finish date of 28 September 2010, I have a lot of work to do! There are a lot of “works in progress” in that total, so it’s still an achievable goal. And hey, if I fall short by a few it’s still a monumental achievement.
2. Write a grown-up budget. Not that there’s anything wrong with spending all my pay each month, and then living out the final 10 days on instant noodles… but I would like to buy a house someday…
3. Move house. We absolutely adore our enormous 3-bedroom, inner-Melbourne house and our huge backyard… but it’s time to start putting our money to better use. We have no regrets about the time we’ve spent here, but it’s time to move on.
4. Continue to improve my health. I’m an idiot for not writing about this already, but I finished Couch to 5K almost a month ago and lost a buttload of weight in the process! I’ve been given a glimpse into a life where I feel fit and healthy, and I want more. In the short term this will mean:
- Making running a few times per week a part of my routine
- Heading back to the gym and swimming lots of laps
- Fresh food that focuses on vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, fish, lean meat and tons of water. No fads!
5. Reconnect with that which is most important. I plan to set aside time each day to clear my brain of work, TV and Internet… and just focus on getting back to “me”. My plan is to rediscover my passion for my paper journal, and playing music again. I’m just not me without them.
Five resolutions is plenty for somebody who doesn’t normally make NY resolutions!
It’s exciting to have some clear goals in mind, and to imagine life at the end of next year if I have been able to improve each of these areas of my life.
Something tells me that 2010 is going to be great for me, and hope it’s great for you too.
Are you setting any resolutions for yourself this year?
My Mum and Dad gave us a little trip to the Sunshine Coast for an early Christmas present this year, up near Noosa. We stayed in a beautiful resort for 4 nights, slept in late each morning and had long, luxurious breakfasts beside the pool. It was nice to live the life of the rich & famous for a little while!
There was a tour desk in the foyer of the resort, and on our second day I had a browse through the racks of brochures on the walls. For some reason I was really looking forward to seeing the Sunny Coast through the eyes of a tourist rather than going to my usual haunts. I picked up a bunch of great brochures, including two for horseriding.
One of the two offered beach rides, and I was hooked! We were off to the Noosa North Shore that same afternoon, which involved taking our car across the river by ferry.
We were lucky enough to be riding with only one other couple, plus the two riding instructors, and it meant that we were all able to chat during our two-hour ride. The company was great and the views spectacular – particularly as a storm was beginning to brew in the distance.
My little fella was called “Chappy”, and he was the most docile horse I’ve ever ridden. In fact, that was my only real disappointment – I could have let go of the reins for most of those two hours and he’d have just followed his pals. Monkey see, monkey do… one foot in front of the other.
It was clear right from the start that I wouldn’t be able to go ahead of the group and have a little trot or canter. The other girl in the group had done lots of riding as a kid, but the guys didn’t have any experience. It was very obvious that if one horse was to pick up speed, the others would have bolted too.
It’s only a small disappointment really, as the whole experience was still wonderful. It was beautiful to watch the waves crashing against the sand, and wade through the shallows with Chappy. The wetlands that grew beside the beach was home to lots of black cockatoos, and we saw a couple of wedge-tail eagles hovering overhead as well.
From the far end of the beach we could see Hastings St clearly, and when we caught the ferry back to the mainland we decided to head there for dinner. There was just enough light when we arrived that we could see the beach we’d ridden along just an hour earlier.
Noosa was lit up beautifully for Christmas, including this fairy-light tree in the main roundabout on Hastings St. We found a great seafood restaurant to sit and eat, while complaining about our sore saddle bums!
I managed to cross a few items off my list during my QLD vacation, but this was one of my favourites!
This was an impromptu snowball fight in Times Square around 1AM in the midst of the blizzard Saturday night. The real danger wasn’t the snow and subsequent moisture destroying my gear. No, the real danger was shooting the mayhem with a wide lens which meant that I was a prime target. I had to put the gear down several times for some payback.
Doug Kim was there to photograph this impromptu snowball fight in Times Square last week, at about 1am. These are a few of my favourite shots, but check out his blog to see the rest.
His work is beautiful, and what an incredible thing to witness!
Doug Kim is a documentary and fine art photographer. His camera has enabled him to travel to foreign locales and to shoot for magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and non-profit organizations.
His work has appeared in the Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, HOW magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, among others and he has shot for numerous organizations, including Harvard University Press, Space X, and New Line Cinema. His corporate work includes clients such as Pfizer, Honda, and SafeCo.
His first book Born Yogis hit the stores in 2005. He currently has two other book projects in the works with tentative release dates in late 2010.
I feel as though I have a stack of catching up to do on my blog right now. I guess with Christmas and my little trip away I’ve just been too consumed in other stuff to have kept this thing updated!
I have a bunch of 101 list updates to write, but before time gets away from me any further I wanted to write about those two little kids in the photo up there – cousin Trisha and I.
(I guess I always knew that one day I would end up posting topless pictures of myself on my blog, sorry for dragging you down with me T!)
I have no idea what’s going on in this picture…
My little cuz became a Mrs two weeks ago, and tonight I went through the photos for the first time. Here are a few cute shots of us getting ready, and her final few hours as a single lady!
Corinne, my co-bridesmaid, and her awesome lion mane!
Trisha was too busy laughing at us to strike a pose
During our vacation earlier this month I took Tim to Shelly Beach. It’s a little spot in Caloundra, QLD, where I spent many happy hours as a kid. My grandparents lived two streets away from this beach for 30 years and our extended family usually congregated there a few times each year, for Christmas and other occasions.
My grandparents sold their beautiful little house 6 or 7 years ago and moved to Brisbane. The person who bought it rented it out to bogans who pulled out Grandpa’s roses and put a BBQ on the front porch. Driving past the house 10 days ago was really sad, and I’m not sure I’ll ever do that again.
Today is Boxing Day, and one year since we lost Grandpa to cancer.
I don’t know how to write about my Grandpa without writing you a novel. In his own quiet way, he taught me so much about the sort of person I want to be, and to be around. He will forever be the standard by which I compare all other people in my life, and the loss that I feel today doesn’t feel any less than it did one year ago.
You’d have loved my Grandpa.
Ten days ago I took the time to sit on the volcanic rocks at Shelly Beach and remember him. I looked around and pictured me and my cousins as kids, picking up hermit crabs and building sandcastles together. I thought about how lucky we were to have such an amazing playground in which to make these memories together.
Music is “Silent Sea” by KT Tunstall. Forgive my shaky iphone video…
It felt good to show this place to Tim.
The world lost one of its treasures 12 months ago, and I miss him more than I can say.
Christmas was lovely at The Orphanage this year. The three of us spent the day together watching old Christmas movies, eating our body weight in seafood, and snuggling up on the couch. The shortest member of our family discovered a variety of delicious treats in his stocking, and spent the day working through them one by one.
Our extended families were greatly missed, but it was good to catch up with everyone by phone during the day. I wonder if we’ll ever have everybody together in the same hemisphere again, as we did for Christmas last year?
I hope your day was lovely, and that Santa delivered the goods!
We’re home again, after one of my favourite holidays of all time!
Last week was filled with simple pleasures that truly recharged me after a huge year at work. It was a special chance for Tim and I to spend some time together, and we had so much fun exploring the Sunshine Coast at our own speed. It was especially great to share my childhood playground with him, and to rediscover it myself as an adult.
My Mum & Dad gave us this little trip away as an early Christmas present, following ma petite cousine’s wedding in Brisbane two Saturdays ago. We feel very lucky!
It would have been great to spend Christmas itself in Brisbane with my family, but with the puppy in Melbourne it was hard to be away any longer than a week. It feels strange that Christmas is only a few days away – such a contrast to our last one! This time last year we had Tim’s parents out from the USA, and my family were almost due to arrive. We hosted an enormous Christmas dinner at our place, our families met for the first time, and the house felt Christmasy through-and-through.
This year feels very different, perhaps because we haven’t had to plan it so far ahead of time. I’m sure I will be in Christmas-mode by the 25th, but today I’m blasting carols from my office in the hope that it puts me in the mood ahead of time!
Spare a thought for my coworkers today. I hope they are enjoying the Bob Dylan Christmas album!
I don’t know the date, or the day of the week, or who our Prime Minister is. I only just barely remember my own name, but that’s mostly because Tim uses it to get my attention.
It’s wonderful. The stress of my working year is slowly melting, and I feel like a million bucks. This little trip is only a week long, but it already feels like a fortnight has passed!
