Dear 2014 and 2015...

DIY || Crochet Collar

Hello you beautiful humans, I hope you're all getting excited for 2015, I know I am!

Anyway, I am always on the lookout for new and different ways to alter my clothes, so when I came across a pattern to make a crochet collar I knew I had to give it a go! If you dare climb into the attic of my blog and brush aside the cobwebs you'll find this post that I made way back in July 2013 when I first got this dress, I altered it a bit then and I've done a bit more now, it's just the dress that keeps on changing!

Making the collar is actually surprisingly simple! The only crochet stitches you need to know are chain, half double crochet (hdc) and double crochet (dc). There's plenty of tutorials online that'll help you out if you need it! I actually used cooking twine for my collar, you can use wool of course but I'm not too sure how well that would hold up to constant washing!

What to do:

1. Create a chain as long as you want one side of your collar to be (you make two separate pieces to create the whole collar). Mine was 40 chain on a 3.5mm hook and it reaches from the middle of my dress to just over my shoulder. Once you've got the right length do 2 extra chain stitches so you have space to turn.

2. Create a half double crochet stitch in the third chain from your hook and then continue to do hdc stitches in each chain stitch until you reach the end.

3. When you get to the end chain 3 and turn, then skip the first stitch.

4. Dc, chain 2, dc in the next stitch along (this creates the "V" shape that you see in the top middle photo down below)

5. Double crochet in the next stitch.

6. Repeat this pattern all the way to the end of your work (dc,chain2,dc in one stitch and then dc in the next one)

6. Chain 3 once you get to the end and turn

7. Instead of one dc for each side of the V shape this time you are going to do two, so dc 2, chain 2, dc 2 in one stitch and dc in the next (the dc that you do on its own should sit directly on top of the single dc from the previous row)

8. Once again continue this pattern down your work (dc 2, chain 2, dc 2 in one stitch and dc in the next one)

9. Chain 3 once you get to the end and turn

10. We're now going to do the exact same thing as step 7&8, except now doing 3 double crochets to make each V shape (the single double crochet in the stitch after it stays the same)

11. Chain 3 when you get to the end and turn

12. Now for the last row we are going to do 6dc in each V shape from the previous row, and a single dc once again in the stitch after it. So the pattern for the final row is 6dc in one stitch, dc in the next

13. Continue this all the way to the end of your row and you're finished, now repeat the steps again to make the other side!

This collar is actually surprisingly quick to make, yet it looks so intricate! I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes peeled for more dresses and shirts to put collars on now! When both sides were finished I hand-sewed them to the front of my dress and added a bow to fill the space in between them. I thought it was relevant that the ribbon says "Bon Voyage" because it matches the hot air balloon/travelling theme.

What do you think? Are you a collar kind of person? I know I am!

x Erin

2015 Resolutions

Christmas is tomorrow, but I don't get half as excited for it as I do for the new year. It's as though my mind likes to put all its excitement into one thing and new year's is it. There's few things better than the feeling of a clean slate; 365 brand new days free of anything bad with room for you to change and grow. I know that technically we should be able to feel like this every morning but there's just something so motivating about a fresh new year.

If you're interested you can find my resolutions for 2014 here, but since the year is so close to being over I figured it was time to start focussing on resolutions for the year to come!

1. Use technology productively.

No surprises there. I really want to focus on using technology when it's beneficial not just when it's productive. I can already tell that if I can stick to this it'll help me out with my creativity a lot. It's my main resolution.

2. Be more mindful.

I swear every single month I comment on how quickly it flew by while I was just sitting there watching it go. I want to take more time to be in moments instead of just waiting for the next one to arrive.

3. Put my whole self into everything.

I recently realised that the only things that are a waste of time are the things you do half-heartedly. If you put yourself into everything, even if it doesn't work out you've still achieved something by doing it.

4. Give starting an Etsy a shot.

This is the one that scares me the most. I almost took it off the list but remembered that if you don't aim for something that scares you then you're setting your sights too low. At the moment everything overwhelms me about Etsy/creating products but I really do want to give it an honest shot. If it doesn't work then that's okay, at least I tried right? (PS. If anyone has any helpful hints I would love to hear them)

5. Be bothered.

There's a post in my drafts folder with this title that will never see the light of day. Ironic really, considering what this mantra stands for. Carly said something that reminded me of it the other day, about simply being bothered to do things. Don't just think of something and then file it in the back of your mind to do at some mythical later date, get up and do it. Get inspired by it. The only way to create things is just that, stop sitting around and CREATE them.

So that's my main resolutions for 2015, have you come up with any for yourself yet or do you prefer to enter a new year without any? I'd love to know!

x Erin

Of Interest || December

As I was writing the title of this post I accidentally wrote November instead of December and it's just now hit me how few days are left in 2014.

I've found quite a few wonderful websites since my last "of interest" post so I figured it was time for another. Do you want to get dropped anywhere in the world, go on a book treasure hunt or listen to the sound that knowledge makes? Read on.

1 // GeoGuessr

 I think I could spend the entire day on this thing. Basically what it is is a website that uses google maps to pretty much "drop" you in some random location in the world. You then have to search around your location to see if you can find any clues (signs, buildings etc.) that might help you work out where you are. When you think you know you take a guess and get a certain number of points depending on how close your guess was to where you actually are. My favourite thing about it is just getting to explore these random locations that are seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

2 // Book Crossing

Have you ever wondered how far something could travel around the world in the hands of strangers? Wonder no more. On this wonderful website you can label a book with a sticker which prompts the next person to receive it to put the unique code into the database. Each time this happens the book is tracked so you can follow its movements anywhere in the world. It's pretty simple, you can download a sticker from the website or even have a look to see if there's any books that have been left near you just waiting to be found!

3 // Listen to Wikipedia

There's something so soothing about this. Click on the link (in the heading) and have a listen. Each time you hear a bell noise it is a piece of knowledge being added to a wiki page, each time you hear a string pluck it is knowledge being removed. The more information has been added or removed, the deeper the pitch of the note. I love it.

Have you discovered any wonderful things over the past few months?

x Erin

DIY || 2015 Planner (Template Download)

Oh it's been far too long since I've done a craft/DIY post, but I'm so excited about this one! As I'm sure we're all well aware, 2015 is approaching us at the speed of light, so I've been starting to draw up my monthly calendars to at least try and start the year organised.

Every year I get myself a planner that I can organise myself in, but if you've ever gone on a planner hunt you'll know that it's almost impossible to find one that has everything you want in it. Do I want a planner with a monthly view or one with a weekly view? Why is there no space to write in this one? Why does this one have 100 extra pages of nonsense? WHY CAN'T I DECORATE IT MYSELF? So this year I decided to stop moaning and challenge myself to make my own, filled only with the things that I want in there, and so my 2015 planner was born!

I'm not even exaggerating when I say that this took me an entire day to make. For the whole day I did nothing else but type up each individual page and order them in a way that would print correctly with two pages to a piece of paper and double sided. What did I get myself into! But I actually strangely enjoyed the challenge...

Here's the things I put in my planner:

- Year view calendar

- 2 spaces to write New Year's resolutions (2015 at the front and 2016 at the back)

- "Seasonal Goals" pages: One page at the beginning of each season with a quote relating to that season and a space to write goals

- Monthly view calendar at the beginning of each month (feat. my own handwriting!)

- To Do List at the top of each week

- 4 pages for notes (2 in the middle and 2 at the back)

- Moon phases as well as a reminder on the days when there will be an eclipse

I kept it very minimalistic so there's plenty of room for stickers and random drawings around the edges.

Although it took a long time to make I am so so happy with how it turned out, there's something 10x more special about owning something when you made it yourself! I can't wait until next year to start using it! I thought maybe some of you would like to give making your own planner a go too, so I've uploaded a template for a planner for you to download and use. There's even two files: one for people who live in the Northern Hemisphere and one for the people who live in the Southern Hemisphere, just so the seasons are correct! Plus, the hard work of creating the pages has been done for you, so you have no excuse!

Northern Hemisphere Template

Southern Hemisphere Template

If you download the templates you might notice that it looks like the pages are all out of order, I promise they're not! This is because the planner is split into 5 sections: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring & Summer 2016 (Or the other way around if you live up in the North). Once they're printed, everything should make sense! Each lot of 4 pages relates to one piece of paper, so when you print them they'll sit correctly. You should set your printer to print 2 pages on each side of the paper and double sided (It'll be 20 pieces of paper in total).

Once they're all printed fold your pages in half and use the page numbers to make sure they all sit in the correct order. You should be left with 5 sections that look like the ones in the bottom right photo.

To stick everything together I used this technique that I blogged about in January (here's a video if you need more guidance) But you could also staple your sections or anything else that will keep your planner together! Personally I think it'd be such an awesome gift idea to give someone a planner you made on your own, if only there was a gift-giving celebration coming up...

I've got doubts that anyone will try to make this, but if you do please let me know and I'd love to see photos! (tag @thehalfwaypoint on instagram)

Are you as excited for 2015 as I am?

x Erin

Recipe || Pumpkin Pie

Alright, let's all just take a minute to prepare ourselves for the thing of beauty that is about to follow. I'll admit, I've never had pumpkin pie before and I had no idea what to expect with this one but OH MY GOODNESS was it delicious. Plus it didn't require baking and it's vegan (unless you decide to add a scoop of ice-cream like my dad did ;).  Basically all you need to know is that I've been parading round like I've become an instant top chef because of how much of a hit it was. It does take a little time but it is so worth it!

I forgot to mention that you should add in the vanilla essence after you take the filling off the stove!

The pie was absolutely scrumptious and definitely something I'll be making again in the future, the family's already hinted at wanting it for Christmas Day!

Is pumpkin pie a common thing in any of your lives? Or were you just as freaked out as I was wondering how pumpkin could possibly make a sweet dessert?

x Erin

Find the original recipe here.

Welcome Stella

I thought I'd use today's post to introduce you to my newest family member. Stella's part tortiseshell part tabby with a penchant for chasing anything that moves. She's also impossible to photograph unless she's falling asleep, she'd much rather be giving the lense nose kisses than having photos taken.

Outfit || December

Before I begin I just wanted to say a massive thankyou to everyone who left feedback on this post. It meant a lot that so many of you took time to write such thoughtful comments.

A few weeks ago now I got a package containing this gorgeous dress from Carly. I'd originally planned to take outfit photos for it a while ago but that didn't turn out and somehow morphed into this post, but I'm glad it did because it gave me time to work out what I wanted to do with it. Now don't get me wrong, I loved the dress on its own (you can see what it looked like originally in the middle picture of the collage just up there ^^) but to me it felt like a blank canvas, like I'd been given this gift so it could call out to me to make it my own. I'd considered doing embroidery on it, but I wasn't sure what I wanted, and then a few days ago I realised what it was I was wanting to do.

Armed with a pair of scissors I snipped straight through the middle of the thing, momentarily mourning the loss of what it used to be before sucking it up and getting on with it. I turned the bottom half of the dress into a maxi skirt (which may be my new favourite or a close tie with this one) and the top into a little crop top with a white floral trim on the bottom of it. Now I am completely and utterly head-over-heels in love with it! My first two piece set and I feel like I've stepped out of the 60's when I've got it on.

But that's not even the best bit, the best bit is that there's an endless number of outfits I can create with just these two pieces. Almost all of my other skirts go wonderfully with the top and I can pair the skirt with a number of other shirts/singlets too! What's not to love?? (It also passed the twirl test)

I can't wait to wear this outfit in more and see how many other combinations I can create with it!

x Erin

Soul || Getting Connected & Disconnected

Let me begin this post by saying that I think technology is great. Especially the internet. How else would I be able to share my work with such a wide audience or make great friends who live on the opposite side of the world? How could I have learnt about so many important things that aren't talked about elsewhere? The answer is I couldn't have, and because of that, I think technology/the internet is great.

But I also think there's a line between using the internet for educating and communicating and using it just because you can, because you no longer know how to live your life without it in your fingertips at every opportunity.

I fear I am crossing that line.

Whenever December rolls around I immediately start thinking about New Year's Resolutions, about the steps I can take towards being the person who currently only exists in my imagination. The person I one day want to become. This year my thoughts are based a lot on the way I spend my time and whether or not it's productive. I have to be honest with myself and admit that most of the time it's not.

My thoughts were first triggered by this quote:

“We live in an age where we feel guilt whenever we have to cut someone off but the reality is that some relationships do need to die, some people do need to be unfollowed and defriended. We aren’t meant to be this tethered to the people in our past. The Internet mandates that we don’t burn bridges and keep everyone around like relics but those expectations are unrealistic and unhealthy. Simply put, we don’t need to know what everyone else is up to. We’re allowed to be choosy about who we surround ourselves with online and in real life, even if it might hurt people’s feelings.”

It struck a chord in me quite literally and I spent the next 10 minutes unfollowing people who were never really friends to begin with, people I only followed in the first place because we went to school together etc. I no longer had any connection to them and only kept them (or more accurately their profiles) around to keep tabs on their life. Were they happier than me? Were they having more adventures than me? Were they succeeding where I had failed? I realised I just needed to stop caring. So what if that girl I had English with 2 years ago is travelling the world? It has absolutely no affect on my ability to live life, so why was I spending my time living vicariously through the lives of others?

Once I did all this it felt like a weight I didn't know I was carrying had been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer needed to spend a chunk of my day worrying over the life of someone else. By disconnecting I was becoming more connected. To me, to the things I wanted to do, and it was exciting!

I started looking for other places to start disconnecting. I turned my phone off during the day, I stopped checking instagram over breakfast and started reading books instead. I started to become more conscious of my life rather than scrolling through every day only to watch it end and wonder where the time went. So when I spent a weekend with a friend who spent more time texting and "snap-chatting" others than talking to the people in front of her, I realised what a big step I had taken away from technology.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm still pretty sucky at it. I often find myself aimlessly scrolling through tumblr, or waiting to see if any new notifications pop up on my phone that I had missed while I was sleeping, but I'm hoping that a fresh year gives me the push I need to stop using technology as a distraction from real life. Eventually I have to accept that you cannot download a worthwhile life from the internet, you have to get out and create it yourself.

This isn't supposed to be some "oh look at me I'm so inspirational" post. Not at all. It's simply me trying to untangle my thoughts and hoping maybe it will help untangle some of yours. 

I'm not giving up on technology, after all I absolutely love blogging and all the other wonderful things the internet has to offer. I just want to be more mindful of how I use it, and whether or not by connecting to it I am disconnecting from myself.

If you took the time to read all this, thankyou so much. I know it isn't my usual kind of post but it did take me a long time to put together so I hope you liked it! There's so much more I could waffle on about but I think I'll just leave it at this.

I would really love to hear your thoughts
x Erin

Dear November...

Read October's letter here

Sleeping Under Stars

A couple of weeks ago, after being inspired but yet another of Carly's many sheet fort posts, I decided it had been far too long since I had made one of my own. Because it's very nearly summer here it's also getting way too hot, so what better way to make the most of warmer nights than sleeping outside under the stars?

My bed was made of a futon on top of our old trampoline so it was insanely comfortable even before I filled it with cushions and pillows, but the best part was probably the fairy lights strung up above it. Last December we had hung them up for my sister's 21st and then just never taken them down again, which was lucky for me!

The whole night was wonderful, from having the light from the newly full moon shining down on me to waking up in the middle of the night to what seemed like all the animals in the garden chattering away, it's definitely something I'll be doing again and again!

x Erin

The Glow Run

About a week ago I ran in my first 5km event! It started just as the sun began to set so we were running in the dark covered in glowsticks and glowing paint. I'll admit I was nervous beforehand but it turned out to be for nothing because I ended up getting a new PB time, 29:08! It made me wonder how much more I and everyone else could achieve if we stopped doubting our abilities so much. I'm not talking about running here, but just everyday life. How much do we prevent ourselves from doing things we want out of fear that we're going to fall short? How much might we surprise ourselves if we actually plucked up the courage to give it a shot?

If we all stopped doubting ourselves who knows what we might achieve.

x Erin

Music of the Moment || November

I love the way that music can connect to a memory in your mind, so when you hear a song back months or years later you're reverted back to wherever you were and however you were feeling when you were first listening to it.

Here are some of the songs I've been listening to recently. You can play the songs here on 8tracks (plus a bonus favourite since I was a genius and tried to make a playlist with seven tracks on eight tracks.)

What songs have you been listening to on repeat recently?

x Erin

Recipe || Overnight Baked Oats

Good morning! (or evening, or afternoon). I thought today I'd show you a completely scrumdiddlyumptious breakfast recipe that I've fallen in love with. I originally found it on Ella's blog and knew I had to try it right away. I have oats for breakfast pretty much every morning so I was excited to find a way to mix things up a little!

You will need:

- A banana

- Blueberries

- 2 cups of rolled oats (I used about 1.5 cups and it served 3 of us)

- 1.5 cups of milk (I used almond milk but you can use whichever you like)

- 1 tbs of honey

- 2 tsps of baking powder

What to do:

The night before...

1. Cut up your banana and put a handful of blueberries into your baking dish

2. In a mixing bowl, mix your oats and baking powder

3. Add in your milk and stir through until the oats have been covered

4. Add in your tablespoon of honey and stir it through

5. Transfer your oat mixture into your baking dish

5. Top with more berries or any other berries of your choice

6. Put it in the fridge to sit overnight while the oats soak up all the flavours!

The next morning...

1. Preheat your oven to 190˚C/375˚F

2. Optional: Sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the top of your oats

3. Pop the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes (until the top gets nice and crispy)

4. Dish it up and enjoy! (It's delicious both hot or cold)

I shared mine with my Mum and sister and the recipe probably could've served 4 people!

Let me know if you try it or if you have any breakfast recipes that I should try out!

x Erin

Let's Go Visit The World

I'm a collector. Always have been and always will be. Stamps, jars, coins, books, you name it and I probably collect it. But I also collect memories no matter how unextraordinary, of the places I go and the people I meet. I may not have seen more than just a speck of the world so far, but I plan to, and when I do I'll have somewhere to remind me of my adventures. My very own wearable journal.

Patches on the front of my shirt were made by the talented Carly

"Chain Free Elephants" patch made by Pebbles for Nepal to support their wonderful work.

x Erin

PS. Everyone keep their fingers crossed, because in the next week or two I'll be finding out whether I can add the flag of the USA to my jacket for next year.

Body || Yoga Basics

Hello lovelies! I hope your week is going wonderfully, and if it isn't there's still time to turn it around! Perhaps a few minutes of yoga will help you clear your mind and gain the energy you need to power on through whatever the day brings, and isn't it a happy coincidence that that's what this post is dedicated to today!

At the end of September I made it my goal to do a little bit of yoga every morning before breakfast throughout October. Nothing major, just some light stretching for 20-30mins to kick start the day. Now let me tell you that if something starts to feel like a chore to me I'm going to stop doing it, but this never happened and I stuck to my goal for the entire month. There was something about slowly letting my mind and body wake up together which was refreshing, instead of just shocking my system by jumping headfirst into the day.

Yoga seems to have this stigma attached to it where it's either done by little old ladies or really fit young people, but I promise that isn't the case! It's for anyone and everyone and you do not need to be flexible to begin.

If you've ever wanted to give yoga a try then this might be a sign to begin! Here's a couple of beginner poses and a sequence which will ease you into practice in no time. So what are you waiting for, let's begin!

Sun Salutation:

Sun salutation is probably the most well known sequence of poses (with many variations) and it's a great way to warm up your muscles. Even just repeating it a couple of times will leave you feeling calmer, since it's all about focussing and moving with your breath.

1. Starting with the pose that you see at the top of the diagram: Mountain Pose. Inhale through your nose and lift your arms over your head. You can push your pelvis forward and lean back a bit if it's comfortable.

2. As you exhale through your mouth, dive your body forward into a forward bend. You don't need to be able to touch the floor, just go as far as you want into it.

3.  Inhale though your nose and place your hands next to your feet on the floor (you can bend your knees) then step one foot back so you're in a lunge shape.

4. Bring your other foot back so you're in a plank position (holding your breath).

5. Exhale through your mouth and lower yourself down to the floor. Inhale and push up into a cobra position.

6. Exhale through your mouth and lift your tailbone so you're in a downward dog position. Try and press your heels into the mat.

7. As you inhale either walk your hands back to meet your feet or your feet forward to meet your hands.

8. Exhale and slowly stand up until you're back where you started. Inhale and lift your arms above your head, then exhale and bring them back to your side.

You're done! Now repeat as many times as you'd like. That wasn't too hard now was it!? Even just a couple of these sequences before you start the day are really beneficial.

Here's a couple of other poses you might like to try inserting into your practice too. Yoga is very much about doing your own thing, so why not play around with different shapes and see what works for you!

Have you ever tried yoga? If so do you love it? Hate it? Let me know!

x Erin

Outfit || November

Oh hey there!

So October is officially gone, and it's seemed to have dragged all the Spring weather with it, leaving November to now be classified as Summer. Seriously, was one more month of perfect temperature too much to ask for before the sweltering Australian summer? Apparently.

Anyway, if you've been around for a while you might remember me making this pinafore a little over a year ago. How has it been so long!? (Also, you can see how much my blog and I have changed since then. Hopefully for the better though.) It's still one of my favourite things I've made because you can mix it and match it to go with a variety of things.

I hope you all have a wonderful November, there's still plenty of times to achieve things in the 2 months that are left of 2014!

x Erin

Dear October...

"Dear _" is a new monthly series I'm starting on the blog inspired by Carrie Fletcher's "Letters to Autumn" videos. I hope you enjoy it! x Erin