New look

Oooh look at my new look! I rather like it. Only problem is that most of it is "missing" and I dont know how to fix it.

A month later .....

I did 25 l/os on our holiday and I read four books so I had a wonderful time! Not so sure about the boys though. It was very quiet there with very few campers so no one to play with our swim with. We got home safely and then it was into a long busy term. This photo is from our last day when there were lots of these non-stinging jellyfish in the baby. Funny things because they had a pink interior. This photo is taken looking across to Anikiwa where Outward Bound is

Today was Mother's Day so Happy Mother's Day to all mothers. Colin cooked a wonderful lunch - stir fried vegetables, a lovely chicken dish and baked potatoes. Ross made banoffi pie for dessertMy Mom and I on Mother's Day

Holiday

Coming to you from Momorangi Bay on Queen Charlotte Drive. We have had two days of hot clear weather but today is a bit overcast. No matter, I've had lots to do as has Adrian. The older boy has been bored (no PS3 lol) but the younger has had a wonderful time "catching" fish - he's lost a few big ones (of course). I have done ten l/os, some of them doubled sided and also read two books. These l/osare from our holiday in January both in the Coromandel

I thought I was so clever and planned all our meals so that I would not have to go to the shops at all - I forgot all the fresh veges at home :-( Avos for salad and sushi; brinjals to bbq; the fresh carrots for sushi and the potatoes and onions. I managed to find a garage that sold a packet of frozen veges to me and that will do for quiches, and some onions that I can use but that is all they had so we are making do! There is a campshop that I was relying on for extar milk and maybe a loaf of bread; however, that is closed for the winter! Luckyly I brought the bread maker and I'll go back to the expensive garage for milk when I need it!

Off to put the bread in the oven and give the boys the bbq meat!

Easter

We had a lovely day - our godchildren found Easter Eggs and Easter Chicks and Easter puzzles in the garden and then my Mom and Dad came for lunch. Lunch was corned beef, potato bake, roast pumpkin and grilled brinjals with slices of haloumi on top - very yummy. Dessert was Colin's fruit cake - the base is a cross between a pastry and a sponge with fresh fruit on top then glazed with a sugar or honey glaze - served with cream and is delicious

Finding eggs and putting them in the basket

Isn't she just gorgeous?

Happy Mail

First of all this - a package of lovely little bits amd pieces from my SIL in South Africa. If some of it looks familiar, that's because it is - I used some flowers on my Quilt l/o and the pearls on my cards.

Then, some of you will know of my search for Henzo Glue - I found it online at Kodak express and these boxes arrived.

And lastly, the loooong awaited Kit-of-the-Month from BasicGrey: here's March and April's. Can't wait to get into them and use them up!

And an update on the house painting - the eaves are almost complete and the first coat on the wall is also almost complete. Yes, it's only half the house but the other half of the house has bigger windows so hopefully will go faster and the painting will be done before the winter rains come. It's looking really good so far - the "white" on the walls is supposed to have a touch of green it but we can't see it. Hopefully, it won't look like stark white.

Then tomorrow is the end of daylight saving and we'll put the clocks back one hour :-( at least it will be lighter in the mornings for a short while.

And then on Sunday we'll have an Easter Egg hunt - will post photos then!

Fun!

Oh I've just been involved in the best fun! Over at Scrappin' Patch, many of them went away to a Retreat. Nicki decided we should have an online retreat for those of us who couldn't go. Mandy and I jumped in to help. Poor Nicki ended up having to work all weekend but there was lots of fun anyway. I had a Treasure Hunt - twenty questions whose answers could be found all through the SP website. By 7pm tonight, some of the ladies were nagging me incessantly for question #20 - and I was trying to eat my dinner! I haven't laughed like that in such a long time - my family thought I was mad.

Anyway, here's what I did:

Challenge #2:Use one piece of patterned paper, as much c/s and embellishments as you like but no flowers

Nicki's challenge: Use old punches

I didn't do Mandy's but I did a few other l/os:

The Kanuka tree that we planted at Cape Reinga

Colin's first boat fishing trip

My god-daughter's quilt (but it needs a title)

It's the last week of term - Yay! And next weekend is Easter. And in two weeks time the pin will come out my foot - I'm over it as it hard to shower, hard to sleep and hard to walk!

I also got a wonderful little parcel of things from my SIL and wanted to take a photo, but I started using it all!

Foot, scrapping, end-of-term

I went to the surgeon today and I was really hoping that I would loose the pin, and the "boot" and be able to have a wonderful shower tonight! I lost the bandages but the pin is still there. My toe is lovely and straight and he's pleased with the healing. The stitches will dissolve but my foot looks dreadful! I still have to keep my toes dry but I think showering will be a bit easier. I can't wear shoes so will have to keep the "boot" still until 9th April when the pin will come out.

It was scrapping on Saturday and I had a lovely day! I got eleven l/os done and two of them were doubles. Of course it's my plain and simple style and packing page kits that helps. I even finished all the journalling and titles on Sunday and the l/os went straight into my album without me taking any photos of them. I'll try to take some photos over the coming weekend.

It's end of term so it's very busy. Last night I got home at 7.30pm after leaving home before 8am as it was parent-teacher meeting night. I have no more than one packet of stewing steak and some frozen fish the freezer and can't get to the butcher until Saturday. It will be creative meals this week. Working full time is really hard when you're trying to be a good parent and supervise homework etc as well!

Last night's storm

A storm from the south came in just before 5pm. The sky went black and the temperature dropped from 20°C to 10°C in about ten minutes. The was lots of wind and hailstones. Other parts of Wellington had lots of damage - trees down, surface flooding and roofs blown off. This is what it looked like coming in over the Harbour (not my photo)

It's really cold here this morning - 8°C. I have to take and fetch Ross to a party and I will get take away curry for dinner; then spend the rest of the day scrapping or packing page kits

Operation

I had a foot operation yesterday to correct a hammer toe which was causing a constant fungal infecting in the toenail. Th op was fine but I really don't do anaesthetic very well. I came out of theatre with an oxygen mask on and then they took me back to the ward after about 15minutes. I was fine, but started to feel really sick so back came the oxygen and an anti nausea IV for nearly two hours. Around 8.30pm they asked if I was staying the night, but I knew I would be better at home in my own bed and with some decent food in my stomach. I'm not sure that they were happy though. I left in a wheelchair, with a crutch and a boot for my foot! I got home to two boys who were very pleased to see me! I'm home today (been in bed most of the day) and tomorrow and Thursday I have Wellington Secondary Bowls Championships although the weather forecast is not too flash so I'll just spend another day at home. Here's my foot - the bit sticking out the top is a pin with a bead on which will come out in about two - to four weeks time. The bead was catching on everything so hubby put some tape over it. Showering's going to be fun!!

Flowers my two boys bought me!

And then I have three very clever boys here: we had arranged for our house to be painted but over two months later we haven't seen the painters. Adrian put up some scaffolding frames and bought another four from TradeMe. Then we bought ten planks from Bunnings (driving them home on the Odyssey was another story!) and then they put them up. First job to water blast is done and now they can slowly paint.

I also managed to get my Project 12 February l/o done

Then this morning when I logged I had a wonderful request from the lovely Shell at Scrapbook Dreams: she wanted to use my Parrot Place l/o in her newsletter and when I find out how to link it, I'll add that link here. In the meantime, just go along to Scrapbook Dreams and signup for the newsletter! Update: I can't link it here, but I can email it to you if you want it

Oh and on Sunday we went to buy some shirts for Adrian and I also found some bargains. So I bought three winter tops - not one, but two sizes less than what I currently am wearing!

6th March - such an original title!

Yesterday was my Mom's 80th birthday - that's just amazing! We went out to dinner at Cafe Vella in Plimmerton - very nice.


This morning, Hubby and I woke up really early so we decided to head over the hill to the Martinborough Fair. We stopped at McD's in Johnsonville on the way for breakfast. Did you know that a BLT Bagel is only four WW points? That did me for breakfast. We got there and sat in the car and waited for the rain to stop which didn't take long. We first bought some coffee which was so good and then walked around the Fair. We have been looking at wall art for awhile and found some pieces that we liked, but none that really struck us. We have had an idea in our heads of what we want so we're going to make a "test" piece - a small canvas and if it works we'll buy a bigger canvas and make our own.


I found a bag I liked even though I am still searching for the "perfect" one. This is reversible but I like the cats on the outside. Then we bought some great hot cross buns. I was looking for the berries and ice cream stall and although I saw people eating them, I never found it so a raspberry fruit ice cream sufficed. Of course, as I finished my ice cream, I found the "right" place. I didn't buy another one. I was looking for something for my two boys but the was just nothing for teenage boys unless they were into caps. Lots of jewellery and other trinkets though.

I also got a bit of scrapping done for some competitions:

Purple Cottage for Scrappin Patch Patch it Up

More Birds, also for Scrappin Patch

And The Parrot Place for Scrapbook Dreams more than four (or eight on a double) photos

On Monday I am having a small foot operation to correct a hammer toe. I am quite stressed about that, but even more worried about making sure that I've left enough work at school for all my classes. The operation is Monday afternoon, so I'll go to school in the morning then have Tuesday and Wednesday as sick leave. On Thursday it it the Wellington Secondary Schools Bowls Championships and both boys are taking part so I'm off school for that day too. I was hoping to use some time on Friday to get organised as I had two delightful policemen in my classroom. They have been at the Police College for two weeks learning how to present the DARE programme. However, I had to spend quite a bit of time helping them (it was fun) so didn't get anything else done. I have some photos but I don't want to show any faces and rather than "colouring" the faces in Paint, is there any other easy way of blurring faces? I have Paint and PSE4.

Catch up

Last Saturday was my monthly scrapping day and I got a few of our holiday photos done

Coromandel Town

Waiau Water Park - colour is not that great though

A kauri grove near Coromandel Town - we all stood around it and our fingers barely touched each others

Waitangi
Kawa Kawa Train - it goes down the middle of SH1!


I didn't do my P12 l/o for February because I didn't have any photos but I got some today so will have to do February one, one weekend or next month.

I have a group of 12 ladies and we have bought into the BasicGrey page kit classes for the year. Each month we will get a class pack with sufficient (and more) and then at the end of the year we each get an exclusive BG 3-Ring album. I have seen the completed l/os for March and April and I am really looking forward to seeing them IRL. However, I think the May and June ones will be fantastic because they are designed by Kelly Goree and Nic Howard. I hope the packs arrive late this week because I have a small foor operation on 8th March and I have two days sick leave.

And a few of you may know that I have started with WW again (at home though). I got on the scale when we came home from aour holiday and along with seeing some of the photos of myself I was jolted into realising that I had to do something. So six weeks and 7.1kgs down :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, I know I'm 24 hours late! Anyway, we don't do Valentine's Day because I'd rather not have flowers that have gone up in price by 500% for one day. Nicer to be nice to each other on other days during the year. However, we did decide to invite our "god-family" (is that what you call your god-children and their parents?) to a yummy afternoon tea. I found a red table cloth and Ross cut out some red and pink hearts. We all wore red or pink and the food was all heart shaped.

The table set for afternoon tea

Tuna Puffs

A delicious Black Forest cake

Nigella's chocolate biscuits

Sparkling Savignon Blanc with edible hibiscus flowers in them

We had a lovely afternoon!

It's school

...... not a prison sentence! And they do actually like school

Scrapping yesterday

As I drove away from home, I felt a real lift in my spirits. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys and my home, but I just need a break once a month!

So yesterday I finished hubby's Greek Islands holiday album (apart from a few titles this morning on my WishBlade). It represents about 30 hours effort and I am so pleased with it - so is he! I kept it plain and just used co-ordinating c/s and theme pattern paper (LYB Traveller).

I also completed my January Project 12 l/o:

It was very hot yesterday and even though the fans blew paper around, we still had them going. Today however, is different - wet and quite a lot cooler. I quite like it actually.

Tomorrow the kids come in at staggered times to find out the form class and get their timetables. Teaching starts on Tuesday. This year is important for Ross (NCEA Level 1) and Colin (Yr 10) as he has to come to grips with working hard all the time

Happy 30th Aniversary to a wonderful couple

Jenny and Alan

They've had their ups (lots), downs (a few) and they have been married for 30 years today. In a society where it's very easy to walk out when it gets tough, these two have stuck together. Congratulations and lots of love from us. Feel free to go here and add your best wishes :-)

Project Greece

I have again been working on hubby's Greek holiday photos but realised I would need more patterned paper. I have using the LYB Fresh Traveller series and the co-ordinating Bazzill c/s. This is a really good place to find the co-ordinating c/s So once I had all my supplies, and I'm keeping it simple, I got started in early January and did some more on Saturday when the summer weather here was 14°C and raining.Here are just two of the l/os that I've done.

This one is a 12x12 and a 6x12

I was so happy to find paper with these bicycles on it as it picked up the theme of the bicycle that hubby hired on holiday

He is really pleased with it so far!

Employment

Some of you have been aware of some of the ongoing sagas of my employment at my current school and that I have been part-time for the last six years with extra fixed term contracts thrown in ad hoc each year. I am very pleased to tell you that today I received a letter giving me full time permanent employment!!!

Colin's Fishing Trip

Colin has taken a liking to fishing and neither of us can be of any help at all. Late last year he went on a surf fishing trio with Pete Lamb Fishing and today he went on an all day boat fishing trip (cjristmas present from his grandparents.). He and I were up at 6am to be out at the marina before 7am. Off they set - about 14 people. They headed out and spent the whole day fishing. Just after 10am I got a phone call from a very excited Colin - he had caught a big enough fish so we could all eat some! At lunchtime they were given a nice bbq (just meat and bread) but lots of it. Some of them elected to just share their catch which was cleaned and filleted on board for them. Colin brought home around 2kgs of terakihi, sea pearch, groper, warehou and red cod. He actually caught two terakihi and two sea perch.

The boat heading out

Colin holding one of his terakihi

Holding a shark someone else caught.

Back home with his share in a bag

It was really delicious and we have lots of leftovers

Summer is here!

And it is hot, hot, hot!

I have been at school in the mornings mainly tutoring a friend of mine's son who didn't do too well last year, but also doing a bit of preparation for this year.

I have also had lots of photos printed from our lovely holiday and have even used some of them to complete most of my my Senz l/os. I have also finished a few more UFOs that have been lurking round here!

Colin at around 12 months old

Adrian's mother Ivy

1945 (the original photos were hand coloured)

Wedding Day
From our trip to SA in 2001 (the day we had to find the emergency dentist)

Senz l/os with 2010 photos

Photo at Cape Reinga

Photos at Bay of Islands and Hauraki Gulf (Auckland)

Photos at a couple of bird parks

I was reading Lara's blog where she talks about being a "flat scrapper" and I think I am too. Basically, Lara doesn't like having to trim her 12x12 pages is order to fit them into a page protector - I agree and I also don't like squashed embellishments. So I'll stick to "flat scrapping"!

And now I'd better cook some dinner!