Look what I haaave!

My mailbox made me a happy girl yesterday!



It's not *exactly* the colours I was expecting, but it's still nice and soft and pretty. Though I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with yarn the colour of a bruise.

Also, see my nice new wooden knitting needles? I'm phasing out my poor old metal ones.

Just a moment...

Reading That Sweet Enemy: Britain and France: The History of a Love-Hate Relationship. I'm writing a little thesis on the Napoleonic War this semester. You wouldn't believe all the limbs that got cut off for that.

Cooking I mean to try my hand at gnocchi soon! Tom made some and his turned out pretty well, and now I am inspired to try something new, though I did make up a recipe for scampi scallops last night. My apartment still smells like garlic.

Wanting I am expecting a new skein of yarn in the mail soon. Don't look at me like that, Tom. Pictures when it arrives!

Making An endless parade of scarves, of course, winter's coming!

Loving My dear Taller Half who promises to come visit me soon. :)

Promising To lose all the weight I gained in England and over the summer! Seriously. I ate far too well last semester, and it's showing. Pout.

Drinking Water, water, water. And a little pineapple rum that I had at my friends' place. I am usually not impressed with rum. It does not make me feel pirate-y at all.

This charming survey came from over at Reality Escapes Her, a sweet little blog filled with its author's dreamy photography.

Opals for October.

Via Different Seasons Jewelry.

October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.

It bothers me that a lot of times, while other months get to keep their natural stones, October's is replaced by man-made rose zircon (and December's turquoise is replaced by blue zircon) -- snoozefest! Opal is so much more beautiful. It's bizarrely underappreciated.

Opal trivia:

• Ancient Greeks believed that wearing opals granted the abilities of foresight and prophecy. Medieval Europeans thought that opals gave the wearer powers of invisibility. Some people today still believe in the magical properties of opals -- that they promote good eyesight, inner healing, and other mystical benefits.
  
• Black opals are the rarest kind. They are not actually black -- they just have a dark background, with blue, green, purple, or orange fire.
• Queen Victoria favoured opals in her jewellery.
• Opals were once believed to be bad luck, especially if one who was not born in October wore them.
• The Olympic Australis is the largest opal in the world. Although it remains uncut, it is valued at about $2 million.

Opals have always been my favourite stone (with emeralds a close second -- can't get enough of green!). I have an opal pendant that I love to wear, even though it is a man-made, and I used to have a pretty ring, until last year when my apartment was burgled and it was most maliciously pilfered from my jewellery box. I mean to expand my collection of these little lovelies soon -- as an October girl, it would be a shame not to!

Eavesdropping on girls who may or may not be drunk.

Girl 1: You're cute! You're sexy! But she's intelligent!
Girl 2: You're gorgeous!
Girl 1: I know! You're so fun!
Girl 2: I know, right? You're a bitch!
Girl 1: No, she's a bitch!

(I couldn't work out whether this was a fight or not. Nearly drunk girls reading my blog, help?)

What are these dainty little gems?

Via Anthropologie.

These little treasures are actually bookmarks, go figure! Too bad the two pearly ones aren't in a set together, those are my favourites. I think I would have to be reading a very beautiful old book to use them, though.

Via Lin Pernille Photography.