Saturday 31 December 2011

December 31st

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Mum rang this morning to say that the last ATC for our December swap had arrived.  It was STILL pouring with rain so Nina and I decided that we’d go over to Tauranga and collect them.  What a gorgeous set of artwork!

Then it was time for lunch and a bit of scrapbooking retail therapy!  Mr Toby waited very patiently in the car… ok, he was sound asleep!

I came home with some fab Jenni Bowlin cardstock and a new sanding block plus some ‘CANDI’ that I know I’ll be using in my Project Life album.  I couldn’t resist getting some Tim Holtz tissue either… I know which project that’s going on!

What a great way to end the year!

It wasn’t all sitting in the car for Toby… when we had finished our lunch we got him an ice cream from McDonalds which he absolutely LOVED!

The rain also stopped for about 15 minutes while we were at the Mount so he was able to have a bit of a run around which he thought was fabulous!

So… plans for New Years Eve… hmm well I’m not going out in this rain so I’m thinking it might be the perfect time to do the back covers of my December Daily album so that it’s completely finished before the beginning of 2012!

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To everyone that has been following my blog and leaving me comments… plus all of the people lurking in the background LOL … I hope you have a wonderful 2012 filled with love, joy and happiness!

Happy New Year xx

December 30th

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This afternoon Toby and I ventured out in terrible rain to visit Grandma!

Mum had been saying for ages that she wanted a ‘top loading’ printer and when I saw one in Harvey Normans marked down from $129.99 to $39.99 it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up!

We loaded the car with the printer and quite a few projects and set off.  The rain was awful and there were lots of little floods but we got there safely.

Richard cooked us a yummy dinner… and he even did some mashed veges and gravy for Toby!  Toby thought it was Christmas again!

After dinner we set up the printer… meanwhile a bored wee puppy got hold of Grandma’s garden shoes and chewed them into lots of pieces!  Oops!!!

To be fair to Toby, Grandma DID see him with them earlier on and said that it was fine for him to chew them… I just don’t think she realised how MUCH he would demolish them!

Having said that she did remove a doll ornament as well as the welcome mat from his tender loving care.  Unfortunately he was quicker than her when it came to her stack of collected business cards which he managed to ‘borrow’ when she wasn’t looking!!

Maybe next time he will have to bring his toy basket with him to keep him entertained!

Happy scrapping xx

Friday 30 December 2011

December 29th

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We’d planned on going to the Taupo Rodeo today and catching up with Fearnley… but it RAINED!  This has got to be the worst summer weather.

Instead we went to town and did some jobs.  Mikayla needed to go to the bank and get some new walking shoes and we both needed to go to the library.

By this stage I was thinking ‘comfort food’ so we picked up some supplies and headed home.

Thanks to Krystal I pulled out my Nigella DVD’s and found the recipe for lamb tagine.  By 6pm the tagine was ready so I ‘whipped up’ some cous cous, made an onion, capsicum and pomegranate salsa and we were good to go!

I’ve actually never had a pomegranate before… but I’ll definitely be having them again!  I love how Nigella describes them as little ‘jewels’ and that’s pretty much what they look like.  They certainly brightened up not just the colour but also the flavour of the tagine.

Happy cooking xx

Thursday 29 December 2011

December 28th

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I got a call from Mum on her cell phone today… that NEVER happens! She usually texts me and then I call her.

Mum was SUPER excited. She’d bought a copy of NZ Paper Chase on her way to work but hadn’t had a chance to look at it until 4.30 pm.

At afternoon tea time she opened it up and started reading the ‘Letters to the Editor’ and that’s when she realised it was HER letter!

Months ago she’d scrap lifted an idea from a layout Gwen Kirman had done. Mum did hers using fabric for an album cover. It looked really good so bossy thing that I am I told her to send it into the magazine.

Not only did they publish Mum’s letter… they put her album cover in too!

Here’s a better shot of ‘The Letter’:

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Mum has been a crafter all her life… she made just about all our clothes when we were little. She sewed, knitted, did crochet, covered boxes with fabric, embroidery, cross stitched, folk art painting… and now she does scrapbooking as well.

She quite often blends several of her hobbies into one project like she did for this album:

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Congratulations Mum!!! I know it was a huge thrill to see your name in print!

Happy scrapping everyone xx

Wednesday 28 December 2011

December 27th and a sneak peek!

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I’ve been really enjoying this December Daily project.  It’s made me realise how rich and full my life is.

Over the past few days I’ve been looking around online and seen the ‘One Little Word’ as well as the ‘Project Life’ things.

I’ve mulled it over and decided that I’d really like to do them both.

My page protectors are on their way and I’m almost finished my intro page.  I’m going to be using both digital and traditional styles so it will be my first real hybrid project.

I’ve chosen my word for 2012… and it is really sitting well with me.  It’s going to make a real difference to how I approach the coming year.

Plus I’ve done a layout!  My mojo is in fine form!!!

When Mum reads this I know she’ll be thinking… “Oh Lord she’s taken on another project!!”  Yes Mum I know I have lots of things going on but this is going to be really cool!!

I can’t actually show you my full layout yet because it’s for the January challenge over at Scrapbook Dreams so I’ll have to keep it under wraps until the 1st… but I can show you the sneak peek!

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And NO Mum…. I’m not going to email it to you!!

Happy scrapping xxx

Tuesday 27 December 2011

December 26th

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If I had to describe today in just one word it would be… TIRED!

Toby and I stayed home today… he didn’t want to go for a W.A.L.K. and I didn’t feel like taking him.  Instead we lazed about in the lounge and then Toby played with some of his new toys.

In the afternoon I decided to go and read my new book… Sue Grafton is such a good writer!  Mr Toby joined me and was snoring in seconds.

We both dozed off and I woke up to the familiar ‘click’ of the camera.  Miss Mikayla decided we looked so ‘cute’ she had to get a photo!

We did make it back out to the lounge… but it was only to watch T.V.  Hopefully all this rest today will help me get my mojo kick started… I’ve got projects to do!

I was really surprised that Toby didn’t want to go for a W.A.L.K. (and YES I do spell out that word when I’m talking LOL).  He usually loves going for walks… I guess all the excitement of Santa, presents, wrapping paper and treats must have worn him out!

He’s such a Mumma’s boy… everywhere I go he wants to go too.  It’s actually really lovely although I know he’s going to be very upset when I have to go back to school after the summer holidays… and just quietly I think I’ll be missing him terribly as well!

Happy Holidays xx

Monday 26 December 2011

December 25th

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Today was absolutely awesome!  We had great weather, fab food and family all together… with the exception of Krystal who we all really missed!  But we did get to talk to her on the phone.

We had such a relaxing day.  Tracey had decorated her home with balloons and streamers and there was a really festive mood in the air.

The kids played happily… Katey and Simon were like big kids… everyone was happy!

Every year Mum tries to get a ‘sister’ shot… and this year it’s not too bad.

Toby loved his first Christmas!

It’s really neat when all the family gets together for something fun… and Christmas day was a LOT of fun!

Auntie and Uncle kept spoiling Toby with little treats from the table… he now LOVES chicken and ham!  Plus Auntie made him his own ice cream in a cone for pudding :)

Katey and Simon were acting like big kids all day… they had us all laughing!

Mum was super ‘snap happy’ and managed to take a grand 199 photos!  There’s lots of great shots so I’ll be scrapbooking some of them soon :)

All in all it was a pretty fabulous day!

Merry Christmas everyone xx

Sunday 25 December 2011

December 24th

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Today has been all about baking!  Last night I made another set of gingerbread house pieces and they came out beautifully.

It smells like a lollie shop here… between the cookie dough, icing, sprinkles, and lollies there’s a fog of sugar!

I made all the kids their own set of cookies as a present from Toby.  Motorbikes for Aidan, Watering cans for Leila, Cars for Reece, Ice cream cones for Sammy, Handprints for Jessy and Houses for Kody.

Then it was onto the house!  Lollies galore and plenty of icing.  I even used one of my new icing tips to make grass for a more ‘kiwi’ house!

Toby has discovered that he REALLY likes uncooked gingerbread dough!  The other day Krystal accidently dropped some dough on the floor and old ‘gannet guts’ grabbed it and devoured it in seconds!

While I was making my gingerbread house Toby was constantly at my feet hoping for a wee treat!

Happy Holidays xxx

Saturday 24 December 2011

December 23rd

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In late November I asked both the girls if we could all put the tree up together this year.  I’d already bought a few new ‘vintage’ ornaments for the tree and I had grand visions of us threading popcorn and singing carols together.

But now the weeks have flown by.  Krystal won’t be home until New Years Eve and Mikayla is working until 11pm most nights.  So now there won’t be a tree for 2011.

Never mind, I made an ‘ornament tree’ on the coffee table this morning.  Maybe next year Toby and I can do the tree together!

I love vintage things… my coffee table was originally a dining room table so it’s really BIG and solid wood.  Over the years I’ve slowly bought vintage bits and pieces and now it’s time for the Christmas tree to get the vintage makeover… except that it’s going to have to wait until 2012.

Toby isn’t sure what’s going on… but he has picked up on the excitement of Christmas.  He knows that Mumma is home everyday… and he LOVES that! 

Happy scrapping xx

December 22nd

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Today we went to Hamilton to help Krystal find a unit for her and Chris to live in next year.  We travelled all over the place looking at one unit after another… and it’s amazing how much rent people want for a dingy, damp little place!

Finally after much looking we came across one place that Krystal liked… and it was really nice.

Meanwhile Toby had been very patiently putting up with us getting in and out all day so we went to the dog park.

He LOVED it!  All the new smells, doggy friends, and space to run around.  He played for ages and even went in the water on his own for the first time!  He wore himself out!  He’s one happy boy!

Toby really likes going in the car… and he’d actually prefer being ‘stuck’ in the car for a long time than being left at home by himself.

We’ve been to the Hamilton dog park a couple of times and each time he’s loved it.  We’ve seen up to 25 unleashed dogs there at a time and there’s never been any fights or problems.  It’s like going to a school where all the kids play nicely :)

Happy scrapping xx

Friday 23 December 2011

December 21st

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After buying all the sweets for our gingerbread houses we decided that today was the day.

Krystal baked her house pieces early and then headed off to see Chris.  I noticed that all her pieces stayed soft so I tried a different recipe.

Yippee!  Mine worked!  Nice crisp pieces of gingerbread and the house smelt divine.

When Krystal got home she tried again and this time hers all burnt!  She was in a panic because she’s off to Auckland tomorrow.

In the end I ‘gave’ her my house which she decorated beautifully!  She was so pleased with it and it looked great.  The only thing is that now I have to start from scratch again!

I hope my generosity got me lots of “good mother” points!

Today just wasn’t Krystal’s day for baking!  Her first house set stayed soft… the second house set burnt… and then she tried making her Dad some chocolate and chilli truffles.  She measured everything out and said she followed the recipe but…. they just didn’t set!

We left the mixture in the fridge overnight and nope… they’re still runny!  The mix tastes good though so maybe we could use it for ice cream sundae sauce?

Happy baking xx

Thursday 22 December 2011

December 20th

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After days and days of rain we finally got to see the sun today.

Krystal and I went into town to get all our goodies for making gingerbread houses and then by the time we got home we didn’t feel in the mood to bake.

Meanwhile I managed to get some washing done and hung out on the line.  Thank goodness for the sunshine!

Toby was enjoying the sunshine too!  He wanted to play in the back yard but all this rain has made the grass grow.  After going to get petrol for the mower I got started on the lawns.  My goodness… they were really long!

With lots of washing done and most of the lawns cut it’s been a pretty good day.

It was so nice to be outside in the sunshine after all the rain we’ve been having here.  Hopefully we’ll have a lot more sunshine from now on!

Happy scrapping xx

Wednesday 21 December 2011

19th December

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Today it’s been raining… AGAIN!

I decided to try and get a head start on a project I’m doing in 2012.  The project is from “Log Your Memory” and it’s a time capsule project with weekly challenges and prompts.

I’ve decided to do the project using digital scrapbooking.  I really want to learn how to do something new and since I’ve already got Photoshop it makes sense.

The hardest part of every project for me is decided how to put the project together.  There is nobody local who can print 12 x 12 digital layouts so I’ve decided to print the layouts 8 x 8 size.

After a few trial and errors I finally came up with a layout that I really liked.  It’s going to be a steep learning curve but I’m really looking forward to it!

I think I’m going to really like doing this project.  I’ve had a bit of a look through the layout ideas already and I can see some of them being done twice… digitally for this project and traditionally as a full layout.

It’s really different doing things digitally… and there’s heaps to learn… but for me nothing beats cutting out and sticking down the traditional way :)

Happy scrapping xx

Tuesday 20 December 2011

December 18th

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Today Toby and I drove to Tauranga because ‘Animates’ had a Santa set up especially for fur babies!

I’m so pleased that Toby likes going in the car because it means he can come with me out of town!

Toby loved seeing Santa and he was so good in the shop.  The little dogs got to sit on Santa’s knee but at 22kg Toby was a bit big for that!  He sat up so proudly for his photo and then Santa gave him a treat!

We also visited Uncle Keith, Auntie Loreen, Onyx and Indie.  Then we went to see Grandma and Poppa.  Toby was one happy boy.

The last time we visited Uncle Keith and Auntie Loreen a couple of ago Toby  was just a little guy.  He was really interested in Onyx and Indie but didn’t really know what they were:

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This time Toby was almost as big as them and he had a GREAT time playing with Onyx.  We put the two boys outside because they were being really boisterous and they played happily together… jumping up at each other… doing the butt sniffing thing… and running around.  Meanwhile Indie stayed inside with me and Loreen.  At one stage she looked at the boys outside and then looked at me as if to say… “Boys!” 

Happy scrapping xxx

Sunday 18 December 2011

December 17 plus extras!

Hi everyone :)

I’ve been having a great time in my craft room so I’ve got a couple of projects as well as my December Daily!

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Today feels more like winter than summer!  It’s been cold and it’s been raining all day!

The perfect thing to do today was be inside with some Christmas scrapping!

I decided to make the Christmas banner I’ve been planning… and I’m so pleased I did!  There was HEAPS of cutting… lots of adhering… and a TONNE of bling!

Once I had all the pieces made I had heaps of fun decorating… stickles, flowers, ribbons and bells!

I’m totally thrilled with how it turned out!  The mantle looks so pretty now and it’s feeling more like Christmas!

I really did have a great time making my Christmas banner so I thought I’d share a bit more of it with you :)

I purchased a FANTASTIC digital graphics package from Moonlight Journey.  Lynne sells the most amazing graphics… the hardest part is choosing which ones you want!  I took them down to my local photo place and printed them out and then the fun began!

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I adhered all the trimmed images to white cardstock (leaving a border all around)… then onto chipboard… and finally onto dark green cardstock for the backing.

I got the idea for the bling around the edges from this post on Linda Duke’s blog… she has some amazing projects on her blog!

Then I added large eyelets and some flowers.  When it came to putting it all together I made bows using tartan ribbon… added some thin satin ribbon with the bells and some gorgeous red berry stems to embellish.

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I love how much it sparkles… especially with the candles all lit up!  Here’s a couple of close up photos:

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Thanks so much Lynne and Linda… love both of your work and the inspiration to create my project!

My final project for the day is the cover page for my December Daily.  It’s taken quite a while to come together but I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

On the inside cover I’ve put a December calendar which I’m using to jot down the theme for the day… hopefully it will help me find what I’m looking for:

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The final inspiration for the actual front cover came to me while I was working on the Christmas banner… I love it when that happens!

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I’ve used one of the Santa images from the digital graphic set along with some of the tartan ribbon and bling from making the banner.  The title and reindeer are all cut using Tim Holtz dies.   Since this is a ‘journal’ … I added a pen nib that Esther gave me… thanks HEAPS Esther!

I took a couple of close up shots to show the various elements of the cover:

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Thanks so much for visiting my blog today… I’d love to hear what you think of my projects!

Happy scrapping xxx

Saturday 17 December 2011

December 16th

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Today was a ‘big’ day for Toby!  For weeks we’ve been whispering about him having his ‘little op’ on the 16th.

This morning he wasn’t allowed any breakfast… he kept trying to remind me about his biscuits!

By 8.30am we were on our way to the vets.  He got weighed (22.1 kg) and then had to go into a CAGE!  You would have thought it was the end of the world.

When I filled out his form it had CASTRATION written in big letters.  I mentioned that this word didn’t sound very nice and she (the vet nurse) jokingly asked if “nuts removal” was better!

Poor Toby had to wear a cone but he hated it so much that by dinner time it was OFF!

I’m happy to say that Toby is much happier now!  He was quite wound up and couldn’t seem to get comfortable although he was happy to jump up onto the sofa like usual.  He’s an even bigger ‘Mummas Boy’ than normal but I’m sure he’ll be fine :)

Happy scrapping everyone xx

December 15th

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School is DONE!  After all the stress of the past few weeks, school is actually finished for the year!  Now I’ll be able to get into some projects… spend more time with Mr Toby… and just generally relax.

Today I got busy making my Christmas cards and I’m pretty thrilled with them!  For me they’re not just cards… they’re an example of my latest learning on Photoshop as well.

I’m also having  fun writing messages because all the cards are being sent from Toby :)  It’s a bit like sending a card from your kids really!

There’s still lots of festive things to do around here, but for the first time today it really started to feel like Christmas is coming!

I’m so looking forward to these holidays now… we’ve got a BIG event tomorrow and then hopefully I’ll start making my way through my ‘festive list’ of things I’d like to do before Christmas :)

Happy scrapping xx

Thursday 15 December 2011

December 14th

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Today was our last WHOLE day at school.  We’ve still got a half day tomorrow… but we thought we’d celebrate early.

Krystal took me to a Turkish Kebab place and she did all the ordering… then the food arrived!

She’d ordered lamb for me… VERY tasty… and chicken for herself.  Then 10 minutes later another plate of food arrived!  It was a HUGE ‘tasting platter’ to share.

Although I did my best there was just no way I was even going to make a dent in it so we got a MASSIVE doggie bag to take home.

It was so nice to have a quiet meal together and share our ideas, thoughts and opinions.  Thanks Krystal for a GREAT time out.

Ever since Krystal started working she’s enjoyed taking me out for little treats… and I love it too!  We often go shares when we go out but every now and then one of us decides to treat the other.

She’s got some MAJOR things happening in her life at the moment (and early next year)… good things… but still quite a lot to take in.  It was really nice to be able to sit and talk about her hopes for next year and get a feel for how she’s doing.

Happy scrapping xx

Wednesday 14 December 2011

December 13th

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As much as I’ve been looking forward to the end of the school year I haven’t been looking forward to packing up my classroom!

Once all the kids artwork came down off the walls it started to feel bare and “unloved”.

Now the kids have taken all their books home, their desks have been scrubbed and cleaned and their portfolios of work have all gone home.

The desks and chairs are all stacked and we’re “living” on the mat area!

Of course all the routines have flown out the window and the kids are a bit ‘loose’.

On the flip side… it’s the first time for a few years when I’m not moving classrooms as well!

For the past few years I’ve had to move classrooms so on top of all the ‘regular’ stuff I’ve also had to physically move all my stuff as well.  This year it all feels so much easier somehow :)

Happy scrapping xx

Tuesday 13 December 2011

December 12th

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Last week Ashley gave me an UGLY table that he didn’t want in his classroom.

On the weekend I got to thinking about how to make it ‘pretty’ but nothing really came to mind.

Today I had three boys with too much energy so I gave them all sanding blocks and set them to work.

When they were busy I found a large set of chess pieces and that’s when inspiration struck/

We planned and measured out a chess board and got painting!  The boys attention to detail wasn’t that great so Matua Norm and I carried on with it.  Now we’ve got a pretty table that’s functional as well!

Photo page:  Take one UGLY table… add some paint and creativity and it’s better than new!

Ashley has been watching what we’ve been doing with the table and I pretty much knew what was coming next… he thinks the table would look GREAT back in his classroom!  Unfortunately for Ashley that just isn’t going to happen :)

p.s. Matua is a bit like ‘uncle’… Matua Norm is the teacher aide in my classroom and a large reason why I’m still relatively sane at the end of the school year!

p.p.s. It was Pirate Day at school… hence the hat, long hair and earring LOL

Wishing you lots of creativity xxx

Monday 12 December 2011

December 11th

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After all the excitement of yesterday Toby and I were both worn out today.

We had a really quiet day at home and I decided that it was about time I learned how to use Photoshop a bit more.

After watching and reading some online tutorials I was ready to start!

I had two good photos of Toby and his Santa hat that Grandma took yesterday… so I followed the steps, took out the colour… put the colour back into Toby’s hat… added a digital stamp… added a quote… and voila!

Then I practised making another photo strip… I think I might just have created my 2011 Christmas Card!

Today’s scan isn’t so great because the Santa hat embellishment was a bit too 3D… but it was too good to leave off the page… although there is a wee message for Grandma about it!

Dear Grandma… Mummy said that I wasn’t allowed to keep the Santa hat embellishment because it was perfect for HER album… but I did try to nick it off her!  Next time you should just give it to me and NOT TELL Mummy about it!!!  Love from “Tobles” xxx

Sunday 11 December 2011

December 10th

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Today was great!

We had our Rotorua Scrapbook Crop and it was a day filled with friends, creativity, food, chatter and plenty of laughs.

I took a couple of things to work on and as usual got very little done… but I came home feeling really good about my day!

We made sure we got a group photo with Toby!  He was so excited to see all his “Aunties” again… and he was REALLY excited to see Grandma!

Donna and Deborah asked if they could borrow a trolley to bring their stuff in… I thought they were joking!  These two had their whole room with them!!!  By comparison Mum was travelling REALLY light!

We really did have a great day!  I got Day 9 finished in my December Daily… which is the ONLY thing I completed!  But I did get quite a lot done on my big canvas I’m working on… there was paint and ink all over the place :)

Happy scrapping xxx

December 9th

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After a busy and eventful week it was really lovely to go and get my hair done.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day so I decided to get my hair washed, blow waved and straightened.

Jazz is lovely!  She always does such a great job with my hair… she also does the most AMAZING head massages!  I’m sure I’ve caught myself just in time to stop snoring a few times.

After my wash Jazz brought me a wonderful cup of hot chocolate… creamy, “chocolatey” and divine.

By the time Jazz had finished I was ready to face the world again!

Dear Santa, Can I please have more “pretty hair” days?

It always feels like such a treat to get my hair done.  I’ve been going every six weeks for my trims… and until recently I hadn’t even thought of just going as a treat for myself… but now I love doing that!  It’s an instant pick-me-up after a busy week!

Happy scrapping xx

Friday 9 December 2011

December 8th

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Today we had the Year 6 Leavers Ceremony.  The kids were well practised and ready for the event, the music was all in place and the microphones had been checked several times.  The work paid off because it all ran smoothly.

Most of my Year 6’s are really ready for Intermediate and I know they will all be fine.

After having most of these kids in my class for two years it’s going to be bittersweet to see them actually leave next week.

I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry this year… in fact I promised the kids I’d make cupcakes if I DID cry!

I was fine until Tangiroimata started to cry during her speech… all of a sudden my eyes were LEAKING!!!

Now I have to make cupcakes!

I managed to get most of the kids together after the ceremony and get a photo… of course they all wanted a ‘silly’ one as well! 

We’ve only got 3 1/2 more days of school this year and we’re definitely in ‘wind down’ mode.  There work sample books and reports went home today and the kids took all their personal stuff home as well. 

Next week we’ll be cleaning up… de-cluttering… sorting and packing stuff away for the summer holidays.

I’m looking forward to it!!

Happy scrapping xxx

Thursday 8 December 2011

December 7th

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Tonight was Tony’s special farewell with our school community.  There had been loads of preparation for this event and everything ran really smoothly.

There were lots of “old” faces at the gathering and I was really happy to see Renee had travelled down for the event!  It was so good to see her again!  We laughed and talked just like old times!

Tony’s speech was fantastic and so funny that I had tears running down my face.

He’s going to be hard to replace!  We’ve all known he was leaving next week but tonight it actually felt real.

Tony has been at our school for 24 years and for the past 21 years he’s been the Principal.  It was Tony who gave me a chance to be a full-time teacher again after a serious illness 11 years ago.  I wasn’t sure if I could handle full-time work but Tony took a chance on me and it paid off.

Selwyn won’t be the same without his leadership but I’m sure there will still be many exciting things ahead for both him and us.

I was really pleased with Tony’s reaction to his ‘This is Your Life’ album… it certainly made all the hard work worthwhile!

Happy scrapping xxx

Wednesday 7 December 2011

December 6th

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Last night when Krystal arrived home from Auckland she said she had a gift for me.  Not a Christmas gift… more of a thank you gift.  She had me intrigued but it NEVER occurred to me that it would be a complete set of Nigella DVD’s!

I LOVE to cook… I just don’t like the “every day” cooking.  Dinner parties, treats, gifts etc are all fine… it’s the HAVING to put “a meal on the table” type of cooking that I don’t like.

Nigella is one cook that I admire!  Her food is amazing… she makes no apologies for her likes and dislikes… she’s just herself.

I love snuggling up on the sofa in winter… especially on a rainy day… and watching Nigella cook while eating yummy snack food.  With 7 DVD’s I’m set for a LONG time.

Thank you Krystal xxx

Now just in case you are wondering… I don’t just WATCH the videos… I actually DO use some of Nigella’s recipes.  Earlier this year I found a fantastic tagine on sale and I made one for dinner that night… spiced lamb with couscous… and thanks to Nigella’s tips it was pretty darn good!

Actually it was from watching one of Nigella’s DVD’s (I’d hired it) that I developed a love for making cupcakes.  I’m sure that I’ll get lots of pleasure out of this very thoughtful gift!

Happy scrapping xxx

December 5th

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Last week Krystal saw a really good deal for a new laptop which she really wanted so while we were buying it I got myself a new ‘everyday’ camera!

I’ve had lots of moments that I’d have liked to capture but my BIG camera was  at home.  All I really wanted was a small camera so that I wouldn’t miss out on those moments.

This wee Fuji Film camera really is perfect!  It’s small, takes a great photo and has everything I need.

With no ‘significant other’ it felt totally cool to shout myself an early Christmas present!  PLUS I know that it’s going to be really handy.

I’m sure it’s going to get loads of use this summer… and especially while I’m doing my December Daily project!

Today in my classroom we were making Christmas Rocky Road and I wanted to take some photos.  I grabbed my classroom camera and after taking the first one the batteries DIED!!!  NO PROBLEM!  I simply grabbed my new little camera out of my bag and now I’ve got the photos I wanted :)

Happy ‘snapping’ everyone Smile

Monday 5 December 2011

December 4th

4

“Poor” Toby spent most of today sitting in my craft room waiting for me to take him out but I just HAD to get the album finished!

By 2.30pm we’d both had enough so we jumped in the car and headed out to the Redwoods.  What BLISS!

Toby was in 7th heaven!  He ran up and down the paths smelling EVERYTHING.

Then we got a snow cone and headed to Hannah’s Bay.  He was one very happy boy.

We need to do this again SOON!

I often get asked what breed Toby is… and the answer is that he’s a real mixture.  His mother is a Shar Pei -Labrador cross and his father is a Border Collie.

Toby (who’s full name is Toblerone – just like the chocolate) is a very gentle puppy who thinks he’s a ‘people’!  He’s a real “mumma’s boy” and loves following me around everywhere… and the welcome I get each day when I get home from work is worth more than gold!

Happy scrapping xx

Sunday 4 December 2011

December 3rd

3

Today was all about working on the “This is Your Life” album for Tony.

It’s taken ages to gather the photos, work out the format and get it going but today I made HUGE progress.

Nina came over and helped me to tape the back on all the photos.  By the time she’d spent two HOURS sticking tape to photos she was over it!

Mr Toby wasn’t impressed to have me in the craft room all day but his snoring did keep me company!

Tomorrow he might NEED an ice cream!

Tony is the Principal of the school where I teach and he’s taking early retirement this year.  We’re having a bit presentation evening for him on Wednesday so this album HAS to be finished this weekend!!

And for those of you who don’t know… Mr Toby is my very handsome puppy (he’s 5 months old now and growing so fast!! Last weekend he weighed 20.5 kilograms!!!)

Happy scrapping xxx

Saturday 3 December 2011

December 2nd

2

On Wednesday I realised that my supply of contact lenses was REALLY low – in other words I had 4 left!

The only problem was that Wednesday came and went and I forgot to ring the suppliers!  I finally remembered about 4pm on Thursday!

Thankfully they were awesome and they got my order on the courier straight away!  I got home to find my order waiting for me.

While I don’t MIND wearing my glasses at home I NEVER leave the house wearing them.  For me it’s not a vanity thing… it’s all about CONFIDENCE!  I always feel an instant lift as soon as I put in my contacts.

I’m really pleased about keeping up with it… I know it’s only just started but I did wonder if I’d keep up to date… so far so good :)

Happy scrapping xx

December Daily Project

After watching Ali Edwards’ December Daily project for the past few years and always thinking “I’d like to do that!” I decided that this year I would actually join in.  I’ve made all the pages for the project but still have the covers to do… I know what I want to do I just need to make some time to do it!!

For this project I decided to use the Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas collection… and I totally LOVE it!

simple_stories_25_days_of_c

Here’s my introduction page:

Intro

The journaling reads:

November 2011

For the past few years I’ve been watching Ali Edwards’ December Daily project online and looking at what everyone else has done… and every year I promise myself that ‘next’ year I’ll join in.

I’ve decided that this year I WILL do the December Daily… I WILL make time for journaling the day’s events… I WILL take my camera with me… and I WILL take more notice of what goes on each day.

But mostly, I WILL take the time to spend with the people – including those with ‘four legs’ – who really matter to me… and I WILL spend time doing things that I enjoy.

Shell Honig

December 1st

1st

December began with the usual chorus of “a pinch and a punch for the first of the month” at school… followed closely by “Whaea Shelley that punch was a thump!”

This week it’s “Technology Week” at school and my whole class is making paper bag albums.  It’s CRAZY in the classroom with everyone wanting my attention but thanks to Norm and Sue we’re making good progress!

Tonight we had our annual Night Class dinner and this time we decided on Thai food.  Pork and prawn toasts, shrimp green curry and then deep fried bananas.  YUM!

For those not in New Zealand “Whaea” is a bit like “Auntie” so instead of the kids calling me Ms Honig they call me Whaea Shelley.

Happy scrapping xx