Sunday 29 July 2012

Project Life: Week 30

Hi everyone :)

Yep I’m a bit late tonight!  I sat down around 3pm to read a ‘couple of chapters’ of my book and somehow I lost 4 hours!!!  It’s a good book though… Your’s Faithfully by Sheila O’Flanagan

Anyway on with Project Life.  Here’s a look at this week:Full_1

It was raining again on Monday so Mr Toby (aka The Big Marshmallow) came to school with me again.  Just after morning tea they announced that the hall carpark was flooding but there was nothing I could do about it because I was teaching my class.  By lunchtime though it was getting pretty deep!  Toby was probably getting a bit worried about the water but he was quite safe (and dry) in the car.

On Monday and Tuesday afternoon this week we started the preparations for our Selwyn School Olympics which will be held this coming Wednesday.  I’ve got two groups of kids ranging from new entrants right through to Year 6 which was a mission on it’s own… I’m definitely not cut out to be a new entrant teacher!

The kids have all been put into ‘countries’ for our school event and my two groups are representing Wales and Australia so we got busy making our flags and banners.

Left_1

Our class won the Tidy Kiwi award this week too!  It was awarded for our great classroom wall displays which made all of us feel pretty pleased with ourselves :)

I also had five kids involved in the first major kapahaka performance for the year.  They went down to the Rotorua Library as part of Maori Language week and they looked awesome all dressed up in their finery.  I didn’t manage to get a photo of that… but I did manage to get one of their faces all painted up!

On Thursday I was on a course for work and I wore my boots I usually wear to school.  They’ve been getting a bit worn out and I couldn’t wear them on rainy days anymore but on Thursday one of the heels pretty much gave up on me so some urgent shoe shopping was in order!

Right_1

Along with everything else going on this week it was time for another rates bill… and my first one with NO OVERDUE FINES on it!  Long story but I’ve finally made it!

While I was out shoe shopping I also did a little phone shopping and now have a lovely new phone that works much better than the old one :)

On Friday, Loreen came over to stay for the night and we got lots of things done… packaged ATC’s, tidied up the dining and coffee tables and then set about organising all the accommodation and duties for the October retreat!

Then on Saturday we spent almost the whole day sorting out the ‘bombsite’ I lovingly call my craft room.  We sorted, organised and de-cluttered for several hours before we went out for lunch (top right photo) and then we came back and finished it off. 

Here’s another ‘before’ and ‘after’ shot… don’t look Mum cause you’ll be horrified at the before photo!

before_1

After_1

Thank you so much Loreen for helping me get myself organised… I really couldn’t have managed it without you!

And here’s my little bit of creativity… or in this case it’s more of a memento:

Creativity_1

My little boy is growing up and he’s just gotten his new registration tag so I’m including his old tag in this weeks pages.

So that’s my week… busy with lots of little things and some time spent with a good friend.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed your weekend… I’m off now to see the ‘kiwis’ have a go on My Kitchen Rules!

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Log your Memory: Week 30

Hi everyone :)

This weeks prompt for Log your Memory is all about cookbooks.  I knew instantly that this was an opportunity to do a layout about a ‘NZ institution’… the Edmonds Cookbook.

I remember learning to bake using this cookbook along with Mum’s high school recipe book which had some yummy recipes in it as well.

I’ve grown up eating butterfly cakes, Anzac biscuits and Mum’s, all too often, banana cake every time we didn’t eat the bananas before they went brown!

My own girls learnt to bake using the Edmonds Cookbook and it’s been REALLY well loved!  Today it’s covered with spills and splatters… the front cover is completely missing… and some of the writing has been almost obliterated.  There’s hand written notes in our cookbook and it holds so many memories of rainy afternoons and fudge making sessions in the winter evenings.

Here’s my page for this week:Week 30

One of the things I remember clearly about this cookbook was all the times Krystal wanted to bake.  I’d shown her how to follow a recipe and measure everything and she insisted she could do it by herself (she was about 9 at the time).  I decided to let her have a go with disastrous results!  Her biscuits were horrible… but we ate them all just to prove how much we loved her.

Over the next few months we either ate, flushed or made excuses not to eat her offerings.  One time a girlfriend of mine had called around and Krystal presented us with lovely warm biscuits… but after one bite we both looked at each other in horror… they were REVOLTING!  We threw them out the window and even the birds wouldn’t touch them! 

Then I watched her baking one day and realised that she was interchanging liquid and dry measurements.  250g of flour is NOT the same as 250ml of flour!  As soon as I realised what she was doing I showed her the weights and measurements section and away she went… yummy baking ever since!

I’ll never part with my Edmonds Cookbook now… it holds too many memories of good times (and bad)!

Do you have a cookbook that tells a story? 

I hope you’re all having a great week and wish you ‘happy baking’ xxx

Sunday 22 July 2012

Project Life: Week 29

Hi everyone :)

Well it’s been a hell of a week!  Without going into any details (due to confidentiality) there has been some MAJOR negative stuff going on at school and it’s had a big impact.  This weekend I decided to be kind to myself and I’m now feeling a bit more like a Domestic Goddess than a frazzled teacher so all’s well that ends well.

Here’s an overview of the week:Full_1

You might find that the photos this week aren’t quite as good as normal… the place where I usually print them got backed up with lots of other photos so I couldn’t get mine printed.  I went to two other places who also said I’d have to wait for tomorrow so in the end I printed my own on glossy photo paper – I usually do matte prints – and the printer cropped everything just a bit.

On Monday it was pouring with rain and poor Toby wasn’t looking forward to going outside – nope he still won’t use his Toby house!  In the end he came with me and stayed in the car until lunchtime and then I brought him home, put him in the bedroom end of the house and gave him a rolled up newspaper to rip apart.  The best part was that it was super easy to clean up and he was so busy with the newspaper that he didn’t have time to get into any mischief!!

Here’s a look at the first part of the week:Left_1

Toby and Brandy have been learning about ‘sharing’ this week.  Brandy has been ‘stealing’ Toby’s biscuits for a while now but on Tuesday I ran out of puppy meat for Toby so I used a cat casserole instead… the gravy went down all over his biscuits and he devoured the whole lot!  They’ve also been learning to share the space in front of the fireplace.  So long as they don’t actually touch each other they’re both fine LOL

The boiler broke down at school early in the week too… and my classroom was really, really cold!  Luckily it got fixed the following day!  I also went on a Professional Development course focussing on maths assessment and moderation.  It was actually really interesting and I learnt quite a lot.

Here’s a look at the second part of my week:Right_1

While there’s been some ‘challenges’ at school I’ve also had some ‘challenges’ at home… mostly in the form of a nearly 18-year-old daughter.  A few months ago we agreed that she’d do the cooking and I’d do all the dishes… but it’s not working out.  She often cooks dinner at 8.30 – 9.30 at night by which time I’m actually not hungry anymore… plus she also makes a HUGE mess in the kitchen and doesn’t believe in rinsing anything so I’ve taken my kitchen back!

I love those photos of Toby and Mikayla in the top right pocket!  Here’s a better view of them:The toby talk

I found the ‘before you speak’ quote on Pinterest yesterday and decided that it was exactly what was needed in my album.  After ‘titivating’ it up a bit I quite liked how it turned out.  The wee puppy chewing on the camera is also a Pinterest find!

‘Mr Nobody’ broke my drier a few months ago and I’ve been struggling to get enough fine days lately to get my washing done so today I went down to the new launderette near my house and used theirs.  It was so GOOD!!!  I got all my washing dried in 32 minutes (for a cost of $10)… if I’d done it all in my own drier it would have taken about 8 hours (and probably cost me more than $10 in power!)

I’ve also been baking… yummy carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing and some vanilla ones that I’m going to ice tonight once I decide on what colour to do them.

For my creative piece this week I’ve dusted off one of my Magnolia stamps:Creativity_1

I coloured her in using my Distress markers and a water brush and love how she turned out.

So that’s my week… I’m glad it’s over and that I’m now feeling much more like myself.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead xx

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Log your Memory: Week 29

Hi everyone :)

Although July is the month of food at Log your Memory, this weeks prompt is more about the ‘outside’ in terms of product packaging, cupboard doors and fridge magnets.

I tend to ‘re-package’ a lot of my food items into their click-clack containers so packaging was out for me… and my cupboard doors are bare… I hate having things on my cupboard doors!  Fridge magnets are another thing entirely LOL

My fridge has several magnets on it like this one for the vet… you never know when Toby might need them in a hurry!

I also have these cute little guys that I collected a long time ago… they just make me happy :)

magnet

But mostly I have those ‘funny’ ones that brighten up my day when I take 5 seconds to read them.  Here’s my layout for this week:Week 29

When I did this weeks prompt I realised how faded my magnets have become… I stopped collecting them a few years ago. I’m thinking it might be time to revamp them!

Maybe I should make myself some ‘Toby magnets’ to put on the fridge!  Mum will probably laugh and say that he’s ‘weazled’ his way into something else… and Krystal and Mikayla will probably moan that I never made magnets of them LOL

I’ll let you know what I decide to do… and in the meantime I hope you have a wonderful week xxx

Sunday 15 July 2012

Project Life: Week 28 and SENZ!

Hi everyone :)

Yes it’s a later than usual post tonight because I’ve been at SENZ all weekend… and it was FANTASTIC!!  Before I tell you all about it here’s a look at my week:Full_1

On Monday Krystal came home for an overnight visit and we decided that it was definitely time to clean out her old room!  Toby was super happy to see his big sister and she got lots of cuddles and licks!!

While Krystal has been away her old room has become a ‘dumping ground’ for all manner of things… mostly my stuff unfortunately!  We de-cluttered, chucked out and cleaned all afternoon and by dinner time we could see some real progress.  We also bought some lovely new sheets, duvet and an electric blanket for the bed and Krystal had somewhere nice and warm to sleep for the night :)

Here’s a better look at the start of my week:Left_1

On Tuesday we took a huge load of rubbish to the dump and then we called into the local habitat store where we spotted a great sofa set for just $85!  The three seater has a fold out double bed inside it and the two seater has a slighter narrower bed as well so now I’ve got heaps of space for visitors… it will definitely be great for when  family comes to stay.

I carried on cleaning and de-cluttering for another day and it was amazing how much stuff I was able to get sorted out!  Then I caught up with all the school work I needed to do… went to school and did the photocopying and had a lovely day with my boy!

Here’s a look at the second half of my week:Right_1

On Thursday night I got packed and ready for SENZ and then the next morning Nina and I were off to Hamilton!

Before we even got a chance to go into SENZ we caught up with Brenda and Elaine and had a great chat!  It was so good to see them in ‘real life’ again instead of just via the internet!

I’d wanted to see the Project Life stall at SENZ and would you believe it was right by the entrance… obviously meant to be!  As soon as I arrived I got to catch up with Shiree and Loreen which was fab!

Before I show you the rest of the SENZ photos I’d better show you my ‘creativity’ for this weeks pages.  I decided to use my SENZ ticket and just add the dates… super easy!Creativity_1

I’ve done a new style of insert for this weeks pages using one of the cool page protectors I bought at SENZ… this one is ‘Design G’.

The front of the layout is all about our accommodation and some of the people I was able to catch up with… as well as a few little pieces of inspiration:SENZ FRONT copy_1

I’ve kept the back of the insert for my classes… and my shopping goodies:SENZ BACK copy_1

I haven’t actually printed these photos off yet but at least you can see what it will look like :)

I’d have to say that this has been my favourite SENZ to date.  I’ve caught up with some lovely ladies that I haven’t seen in a long time… met some new scrapbooking friends… and come home extremely tired but also really inspired to get back into the scrap room!

It’s back to school for me tomorrow so I’ve decided to pull out the bed from the sofa and curl up with my boy (who was VERY HAPPY to have Mumma home again!), watch some TV and just blob for the night in front of the fire.

Wishing you all a fabulous week xx

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Log your Memory: Week 28

Hi everyone :)

The next food prompt for Log your Memory is all about the groceries you buy.  There were some really interesting questions this week so I thought I’d do a bit of a Q&A just for fun.

Q: Do you buy more“real” natural foods or packaged/processed foods?  I’m not really into the whole ‘packaged’ food thing.  I like taking simple ingredients and adding spices and condiments to make them more interesting.  I do buy sachet gravy though because I’ve never been able to get my gravy the way I like it!

Q: Do you check the pantry before deciding on a menu or grocery list?  I usually take a quick glance in the pantry and fridge as I head out the door to get the groceries.  Since I tend to cook ‘from scratch’ I buy the basics and make up the menu as I go through the week.

Q:  What kinds of things show up regularly on your shopping list or receipt?  There’s always milk, eggs, butter, cheese, sour cream, and condiments… the rest of it will depend on what we’ve eaten from the week before.

Q:  Are the contents of your fridge or cupboards organized in a specific way?  I tend to put ‘like with like’ in the pantry… all the rice is together and all the canned stuff goes in one area.  I also like using ‘click-clack’ containers for keeping things in… and of course they’re all labelled!

Here’s my layout for this week:Week 28

Over the past few months I’ve noticed that I eat more red meat and less chicken… I’m not sure why.   I’ve also noticed that cous cous is appearing more on the menu too!

So what’s in your pantry?  Are you a ‘from scratch’ cook?  I’m actually quite nosey about stuff like that LOL

I hope you’re all having a great week xx

Sunday 8 July 2012

Project Life: Beginnings, Endings and Week 27

Hi everyone :)

Beginnings and endings sounds very profound and exciting doesn’t it??  I’d love to tell you that something interesting has happened… but in reality it hasn’t.  It’s just that my Project Life album has gotten really full over the past 6 months so I decided to get a second album for the rest of the year.

Those that know me will know that I don’t like ‘blank spaces’ very much so I decided to do something fun with the last page in the album I’ve just finished and this is what I came up with:Endings_1

My page is dedicated to a variety of artwork… mostly sculpture.  I’m always amazed by the talented artists and craftspeople around so I thought I’d like to have some of those wonderful artworks in my album… and it seemed like a nice way to finish off the first six months of 2012.

Of course as one album ends another one begins and I wanted something interesting and meaningful for my first page.  So far 2012 has been a year with lots of changes… some specifically because of Project Life:Beginnings_1

Project Life really has changed my life!  I’ve found since I started doing this weekly project that I’m more positive.  I’m constantly looking at the small details that fill my days and weeks.  One thing I’ve noticed is that it’s the small things that make my life happy. 

I’ve discovered that I quite like routines… something that I’ve always been adverse to!  I’m more thankful for what I have… I’m less stressed… and my One Little Word for 2012 (Priorities) is part of my life in a very real way.

So now onto this week… of course it’s school holidays which means that I can work from home… but it also means that I can do some things that I normally couldn’t.  Here’s a look at this weeks pages:Full_1

At the beginning of the week I headed over to see my sister and her family.  I’d promised my nephews and niece that I’d take them to the ‘pancake place’ for lunch. 

On the day I left my sister rang me to ask if I could be to her place by 3pm because Mr 4-years-old wanted Auntie to pick him up from day care.  I made sure to get there on time and when I walked through the door he rushed to greet me… I really did feel the love!

Here’s a closer look at the start of my week:Left_1

I was outside looking at my sister’s lemon tree and noticed that quite a few of them had been de-skinned.  Apparently she’s been making up stories for the kids about giants coming and stealing the skins… which the kids love!  In actual fact it’s birds that are responsible!  I’ve never seen anything like that before. 

Getting back to the ‘pancake’ thing… it bucketed down the night that I arrived at my sisters and her garage flooded.  There was torrential rain everywhere!  When we went to the pancake place it was closed and their entire front lawn was completely under water.  We of course had to go somewhere else for lunch and when Reece’s hot dogs and chips arrived he looked at me with a VERY serious face and said: “This is NOT a pancake Auntie”.  I had to capture the memory but I’m sure hoping their back in business for my next trip to see him!!!

I’ve been doing some reading these holidays too… and visiting shops that I normally don’t have time to visit because they’re always closed when I go past.

As for all the Toby paw prints on the window… all I can say is… OOPS!

The second half of my week has been just as eventful:Right_1

On Friday I went over to Hamilton to the Dunkley’s craft show.  It’s been ages since I’ve been to one of their shows but I had a purpose!!  I had to get two possum puppet kits… one for me and one for my good buddy Brenda! 

You might remember when Auntie Daphne came to visit and brought her possum puppet with her… well he was so gorgeous I decided I ‘needed’ one for me… then I got a call from Brenda and she said that she really wanted one too!  It was perfect timing actually because I’ll be catching up with her at SENZ next weekend :)

After going to the craft show I went around to Krystal’s and waited for Mum and Richard to arrive.  Several months ago Mum invited me and Krystal to go and see the production of Oliver and Friday night was the show.

We all went out for dinner thanks to a ‘Treat Me’ voucher Krystal found for me online.  Yummy wood-fired pizzas along with some chips and aioli.  Super yummy!!

It was the final night of Oliver last night and I’m sure it was as good as Friday’s show.  The acting was fantastic!!  The singing was brilliant and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.  We all had such a good time.  I’m so pleased Mum invited us to go because it was a really wonderful night out.

I managed to keep my ticket from the show and include it in this weeks piece of creativity too:Creativity_1

So that’s been my week… some Auntie time… family time… a craft show and Oliver!  It’s been a great week!

Thank you for visiting and I hope you all have a wonderful week xxx

Thursday 5 July 2012

Log your Memory: Weeks 26 and 27

Hi everyone :)

Well it’s school holiday time which means I have a few extra hours in the day to get things done… although I don’t know where they’ve disappeared to this week!

Week 26

The final prompt for the transportation section with Log your Memory is all about travel.  One of the prompts asked “When you travel with others, do you prefer being the passenger or in the driver’s seat?”

For me it’s a no-brainer… I always do the driving!  It’s not just because I don’t have a significant ‘other’ to do the driving… or because my girls haven’t got their licences yet… it’s because I get motion sickness! 

Here’s my layout:Week 26

I can remember being a child and getting ready for a trip… there was the excitement about where we were going and what we were going to do once we got there… but there was always the ‘ghastly’ medicine that Mum made us have… liquid Marzine!  Sometimes I think it was worse than actually being sick!

My motion sickness is not limited to cars though… planes, buses and boats also get the same deal!  When we were planning our trip to Waiouru for school last year I actually spent several weeks living with the dread of getting sick on the bus… thankfully I was able to sit right up the front by the driver and sleep most of the way!

I can honestly say that I’ll probably never get on a boat again after the last lot… and quite frankly my life is quite ok without boat trips LOL

Week 27

The theme for July is… FOOD!  Excellent… I love this topic so it should be a good month for this project.

The first prompt is all about eating out… perfect for me!  I really, really like eating out!  I don’t mind if it’s eating out at a cafe… a restaurant or a friends house… I just enjoy the whole experience of not having to plan the meal, do the cooking or wash up afterwards! Thankfully most of my friends have dishwashers!

Here’s my layout:Week 27

One of the reasons I enjoy eating out is spending time with friends and family.  It’s the not being at home surrounded with your own routines that makes it so much better. 

There’s something really nice about sitting down together, talking, catching up and enjoying good food that makes memories so much more vivid. 

I admit that I’m a bit of a ‘foodie’… I like trying new things… different flavours… ingredients I haven’t had before… but the most important thing for me is sharing a meal with someone else.  It’s part of what makes life good! 

On that note… Bon Appetit xxx

Sunday 1 July 2012

Project Life: Week 26 and another insert

Hi everyone :)

This week has been absolutely full on… it’s been the last week of the school term as well as my birthday so there’s HEAPS of photos to share!

Here’s a look at the full week:Full_1

My Year 6’s were still swimming every afternoon during this last week of term so I did some neat art projects with the Year 5’s including making zentangle type patterns which they added to a feather outline and will next term be dyed and made into a cloak as part of our Matariki celebrations.

I also did another observation of Veronica’s teaching as part of my Tutor Teacher position and the changes are amazing… she’s really developing her confidence now!

Here’s a closer look at the beginning of the week:Left_1

A birthday card from Toby arrived on Tuesday and although I recognised Mum’s sticker on the back of the envelope I didn’t recognise the handwriting.  It turns out that she wrote the card AND the envelope with her left hand!!!  Would have taken her ages!  Toby is such a good son xxx

We had a mini birthday celebration with one of my night class groups as well and Toby loved having a ‘party’ at our house!

The bottom right photo is of one of my groups trying to follow instructions for making a 5-pointed origami star.  Although the kids hit a few snags (mostly from not reading the instructions correctly) we now have quite a few stars to go towards our display.

Here’s the second half of my week:Right_1

I’m not sure if it was because it was the last week or not but we had two visiting groups this week.  The first was a school band all the way from Australia and they were really good.  We also had Te Ururoa Flavell visiting as part of our Duffy Books in Homes project.  He had some wonderful facial expressions and the kids enjoyed his visit.

The top right photo is of my Year 5’s with their Matariki night sky paintings.  They absolutely loved doing them and the finished art is going to look amazing once I’ve got them on the wall later this week.

I had to include some special presents in this weeks pages.  Mum brought me back a fabulous candle from Australia that is very Art Deco!  Loreen and Keith sent me an amazing clock pendant which is all engraved and actually pops open to reveal a working clock inside… love it!!!  Esther sent me some body lotions from Rarotonga along with a wonderfully warm knitted scarf and a butterfly necklace!  Thank you all so much for spoiling me xxx

Creativity_1This weeks creativity is my piece about turning 42.  The background is actually a photo of one of my indoor planter pots and then I collected a few different ‘42’ images to embellish… love how it turned out :)

As promised I also have an insert for this week… but it’s the tale of two halves LOL  On the front I wrote all about what happened on my actual birthday… including getting a surprise when Krystal arrived home unexpectedly!

my birthday copy_1

On the reverse side is a fabulous event I went to last night… a mid winter Christmas at Keith and Loreen’s:Mid winter christmas copy_1

Thank you both for inviting me!  I had an absolutely wonderful evening and thoroughly enjoyed myself!!!  Now I just need to start thinking about a costume for your Halloween night!

So that’s been my week…. lots of celebrating!  I hope you all have a wonderful week xxx