Creating My Life

Week 37: Frustration

2009-10-18T07:18:00.003+13:00

I almost called this prompt 'Temper Tantrums'... in fact, I even had the title ready to go... but in light of the fact that Mum just brought me back some lovely scrapbooking goodies from Perth... and it is almost Christmas (Yup I'm hoping for a present!!) I changed it to 'Frustration' LOL

Before I share my layout I want to give you the story... I arrived at Mum's late afternoon and heard a 'not very happy' voice from her craft room saying "I'm in here"... I probably should have turned around and gone home... but I braved it and went in! Here's how the conversation went:

Me: What's wrong?
Mum: I keep breaking needles. I've broken six in the last hour!
Me: What's wrong with it (the sewing machine).
Mum: Well it keeps breaking needles doesn't it!
Me: What were you doing when the first needle broke?
Mum: Well I was sewing wasn't I!

Hmmm... you can see how this is going can't you!

Me: Have you 'fiddled' with anything inside it?
Mum: Well of course I haven't!
Me: Can I have a look?
Mum: You won't be able to do anything... it's going to have to go to Wellington on Monday and now I can't get my sewing done for Perth!!
Me: Yes but can I just have a look?
Mum: All right (and there was a little foot stamping happening at this point too!!)

Me: How do you take the plate off?
Mum: You're not allowed to take the plate off... only a technician can do that!
Me: Well maybe there's a bit of needle still stuck inside.
Mum: There's NOT I cleaned it all out!
Me: I thought you said you weren't allowed to take the plate off.
Mum: Well I had to clean it didn't I!!

End result: I took the plate off and it turns out that when MOTHER cleaned it out (even though only a technician can do that!) she didn't quite have the bobbin shuttle in right. I turned it a tiny fraction and it dropped back into place... and voila! Machine sewing again... needles not breaking... and Mum no longer stamping her foot! :)

Here's my layout:
The journaling reads: Let's face it... we ALL get frustrated at times! Sometimes things don't go right... sometimes other people annoy us... and sometimes we get incredibly frustrated with ourselves!!

I went to visit Mum a few weeks ago and she was ready to explode! She was in her craft room... and going on the sounds coming from inside, it might have been wiser to leave!

It turned out that she'd broken SIX sewing needles in the past hour!

Logic would tell you that something was wrong with the machine... but logic wasn't high on Mum's agenda at the time!

In the end it turned out that the bobbin shuttle wasn't quite in right!

We got it all sorted out before I left... but it made me think about my own actions when I get frustrated. I have since made very concentrated efforts to keep calm and even the girls have noticed. Thanks for the life lesson Mum xx

After leaving Mum's place I went and visited one of my sisters and her little girls. We'd done the bathing thing and Kody (2 years old) was meant to be packing up her toys and she threw one of them... so I said "Your just like Grandma... she throws her toys too!"

Kody: Grandma not do that!
Me: Grandma DID do that (Katey - my sister - pricked up her ears and I said I'd explain later)
Kody: That's naughty... your not allowed to throw toys.
Me: I know... but Grandma was throwing all her toys out of the sandpit.
Kody: Kody NOT do that... Grandma naughty!

I'm not sure if that particular conversation got back to Mum... but it really was funny!

I hope you all have a good week... and try not to let frustration get the better of you :)

Weeks 34 - 36

2009-10-05T09:53:00.007+13:00

I seem to be on a bit of a roll with these prompts so here's three more!

Week 34: Reach your goal

I've always been one to set goals... and usually they're pretty realistic! I haven't reached my goal of winning Lotto yet though LOL This time it's about my BIL and his goal:

The journaling reads: I think it's really important to set goals for myself. Some of my goals are really easy: things like "by the end of this week I want to _ _ _"

Some of my goals are a little more challenging or take a bit more time like: "By the end of this year I want to _ _ _"

Mostly I think goals need to be achievable because if they're not I just end up feeling like a failure.

My brother in law set himself a goal last year to complete the Tough Guy Challenge... and he did it!

This year he 'upped the anti' and set a goal to beat his previous time.

Then he set to work training! He ran daily... sometimes twice a day!

The day of the challenge arrived and he was ready! We all went to support him and he reached his goal! It goes to prove that working towards your goals really pays off!

We were all so proud of him and what he had accomplished! He had a big grin on his face when he finished and it was really good to see my nephews and niece watching their Daddy reach his goal too!

Week 35: Full House!

I've always enjoyed peace and quiet... even when I was younger. I like being sociable and being around other people... but I also like having 'time out' by myself. This week my peace and quiet was shattered by a group of roudy teenagers!The journaling reads: I have a fairly quiet life. After working at school with over 500 people around me all day I need somewhere to come home to and relax!

The girls are generally quiet people too... Mikayla especially!

Recently Krystal asked if she could have a couple of friends over... and I was ok with that.

What I hadn't realised is how BIG teenagers are!

They arrived to watch videos so the first thing they did was close all the curtains! Then they all squeezed onto one sofa!

Out came the food ... and it disappeared pretty quickly too!

When I went into the lounge it was NOISY! They all were talking at the same time! The video was on loud! It felt like they were sucking all the oxygen out of the room!

But... they all had a great time! And today it's quiet.

I must admit that they've come over several more times recently... and it's the same every time... LOUD! But they really do seem to enjoy spending time together... and I think I'm kind of getting used to it now LOL

Week 36: Finishing Touch

This week it's all about those finishing touches that make a project feel really done! The journaling reads: How often do you do a layout or project and feel like it needs that one more thing to be really finished?

When we did the BIG patio project I'd always felt that it needed something! I knew it wasn't pot plants because I'd already tried that.

I decided to wait until the right thing came along... and 18 months later it did!

I was in a pot and cane shop with one of my girlfriends just looking. Then I turned around and there it was!

A fantastic piece of garden wall art!

He was the right size and the perfect colours for my patio area!

I knew I had to buy him!

Mr Pig has now found a new home on the patio fence and everyone that sees him comments on how cool he is! Sometimes it really is worth waiting for the perfect final touch!

Now my patio is 'almost' done because Mr Pig made my old pots look a bit shabby so I've starting re-vamping some old ones... they'll be coming up in another Creating My Life prompt soon!

Weeks 31 - 33

2009-10-04T16:11:00.016+13:00

As promised I have another update :) I have to admit that it feels pretty good to be catching up again!

Week 31: Explore

This week it's all about looking at things in a new way... whether it means literally exploring is up to you :)

The journaling reads: It's not often in our busy lives that we get a chance to explore things.

When my sister and I went to SENZ in Auckland we took my wee nephew with us and it gave me a chance to explore the world in a different way.

Obviously we went to see new products, get ideas and inspire our creativity. But for my nephew it was simply a day out with Mummy and Auntie!

After the first hour of being stuck in his buggy he was bored... so Auntie decided to take him exploring!

What a laugh! He loved it!!! He wanted to see everything! And best of all... EVERYONE thought he was SUPER cute!

Looking at life from his eyes gave me a different perspective! Everything became more interesting, people more friendly and the event was a lot more fun!

Wide aisles are also great for a wee boy to dance in!

We had a really great time at SENZ... and my wee nephew slept the whole way home!

It was definitely a great day spent in each others' company!

Week 32: Time Limits

Some people hate being late... and for some it's not an issue. This week I learnt a bit about setting time limits!!

The journaling reads: I'm a bit of an eleventh hour girl. I almost always leave things to the very last minute to do!

I've always been that way! But I didn't realise how much it was rubbing off on my girls until recently.

Krystal's senior ball was approaching and she had made up her mind that she didn't want to go. Then on the last day of ticket sales she changed her mind!

We went looking for dresses but didn't find anything she liked... not a major problem because we still had several weeks to prepare.

However, 8 days before the ball we still had nothing!

Finally she found the perfect fabric and pattern and all of a sudden I was on a very tight time frame!!!

In the end she did wear her new dress. But I was still hemming it 30 minutes before she left!

Next year it will NOT be happening like that!!!

The part that struck me was that it wasn't the time frame that bothered me so much... it was the time frame 'imposed' on me! When I leave things to the last minute I've almost got it planned out in my head... I've walked myself through the steps I need to take etc. But with Krystal's time frame I hadn't had a chance to do all that. I think it might be time to set some NEW time limits :)

Week 33: Copy Cat

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

The journaling reads: What happens when you see a really great idea?

If you're anything like me you give it a go yourself. That's one reason that we have trends! Someone does something new and we all want to give it a go!

There's been lots of times when I've needed a little creative inspiration and I've done a Google search to kick-start an idea.

Last weekend we had a wee example of this exact thing happen in our house!

Miss Kody came to visit while Krystal was getting ready for the ball.

She was all eyes watching her big cousin getting her hair and make-up done with constant cries of "Kody too!"

After Krystal had gone, Miss Kody had full use of the make up! It was all very serious as she put on her blusher!!!

Thankfully make-up comes off in the bath!

The girls used to think it wasn't very fair having no cousins their age... but they both seem to like having the little ones copy them now :)

Weeks 28 - 30

2009-10-04T13:16:00.008+13:00

Well it's about time isn't it!! To be honest... the prompts have been in my head... I've been putting aside the photos... I just haven't been getting them done! This week I'm aiming to catch up completely again :)

Week 28: Take care of YOU!

As a lot of other mothers' do... I generally take care of everyone else and forget to take care of me but I learnt the hard way that sometimes you actually NEED to take care of you so that you're ok too!

The journaling reads: How often do you take care of everyone else and then end up sick yourself?

With all the 'sniffles' and 'snuffles' going around school it was no wonder that I caught a few bugs! What amazed me has how sick I got!

On a scale of 1 to 10 this bug was right up there! I wasn't much good to anyone! I certainly couldn't teach... and I was fairly useless at home as well!

In the end it became a matter of taking care of myself!

Instead of just soldiering on I had to actually stop and rest!

I learnt that sometimes your body actually gets the last say! Even though we sometimes think we know best!

So it's been early nights around here! The funny thing is that it made the girls more responsible for helping out around the place... and that's got to be a really good thing!

I'm still learning to take time out to relax... it's something I actually seem to fight (no idea why??) But I'm definitely getting better at listening to what my body needs... and if it NEEDS sleep or relaxation then who am I to argue??

Week 29: The funny side

This week it's all about trying your best to see the 'funny' side in a situation that doesn't actually 'feel' that funny!

The journaling reads: We've all had those days when it doesn't matter what you do... it's WRONG!

Yesterday was one of those days! My friend and I were in town... we were extremely tired and things just weren't going right.

In an effort to make things easier I offered to cook dinner... BAD idea! We should have just got takeaways!

Anyway... one of my speciality dishes is fettucine with chicken and a lovely creamy mustard sauce. Esther said she had a past machine so decision made!

The dough came together perfectly, then we set up the machine... and disaster struck!

The machine kept clumping the dough! It was all looking pretty BAD!!!

In the end I cooked up the pasta... the fettucine as well as the clumps! It looked like gnocchi so we decided to call it Gnoccho-cine! It's probably more Italian than Dominoes!

We actually ended up laughing ourselves silly... and repeating "Gnoccho-cine... it's more Italian than Dominoes"... which was terribly funny to US! But it actually tasted pretty good :)

Week 30: Space

This week it's all about clutter & space!

The journaling reads: Let's face it... sometimes we get so used to our own space that we don't actually see it anymore!

How often have you looked around your home or work place without actually noticing what's there?

I get so used to my own clutter that I just stop noticing it!

I came home from work one day... leaving behind a very cluttered desk!... and walked into my bedroom and realised just how cluttered it had become!

So... I decided to give my room a makeover. Nothing extreme... no painting or wallpapering.

All I did was move things around, throw things out and re-organise.

Then I bought a new duvet set, some nice sheets (chocolate coloured :) ) and a couple of candles. I also opened a box of special things I had been saving and hung them on the walls.

The end result felt like a million dollars! I love my new space!!!

A couple of months on and I STILL love my space! It feels calming, relaxing and a little bit 'grown up' which I like :)

Weeks 26 & 27

2009-06-30T17:05:00.007+12:00

June has definitely brought some highs and lows in our family. My grandmother (Dad's mother) passed away recently... just prior to her 107th birthday!! It's amazing to think of all the things that have happened during her lifetime and how much it has all changed since she was a little girl. Which brings me to this weeks prompt:

Week 26: Heirlooms

This weeks prompt is all about heirlooms and history! The journaling reads: Just before her 107th birthday my Gran passed away. She led a very full life and had lots of interesting stories to tell.

A week later my Dad gave me a very special heirloom!

The brooch is a Scottish Thistle made from solid silver with paua inserts! The detail on the leaves is incredible! Apparently this brooch originally belonged to Gran's mother!

It's really stunning and I'm thrilled that Dad gave it to me.

It also made me realise that I have been given quite a few heirlooms over the years. Some are big... my dressing table... and some are small... like Nana's wedding ring... and yet they each hold memories, and history of times gone by.

I'm wondering what items my girls will want in the future and what memories they will associate with them. It really is the little things in life that count.

Of course, as a scrapbooker I'm hoping that my albums will be treasured and that journals like 'Creating My Life' will be read with interest. These days though, we live in such a 'throw away' era that my girls (and their future children) are not going to want to keep my laptop etc... so what heirlooms will I be leaving behind??

Week 27: A good sort of tired

I often go to bed feeling tired... which is a good thing... but it's often more a mental tiredness than a physical one. On Sunday I definitely felt physically tired!

The journaling reads: On Sunday I went down to Taupo to get some firewood from my cousin. Krystal came with me and it was nice to get a change to really talk to her.

Instead of just getting firewood from the shed we headed out the back of the farm to get some really good wood!

First though, we had to feed all the horses! Fearnley's got 40 horses so it took us quite a while! He's driving the ute while I'm holding on and feeding out the hay. Next minute I hear: "Hold on Cuz!" and the ute starts sliding sideways! Nothing like a bit of adrenaline to get the heart racing!

Then it was time to gather pinecones and cut wood... in the rain!

We ended up heading home several hours later with a huge load of wood and pinecones... and very dirty, wet and tired!

It was a great sort of tired though. The sort of tired that lets you know you've worked hard! The sort of tired that gives you a great nights sleep!!!

Unfortunately I've turned into a bit of a 'townie' and my poor body didn't really cope with all the physical work in the rain and I've ended up with a cold... although the headache has finally worn off!

The best part about getting the firewood was working with my cousin... we worked hard, talked lots and just generally felt happy in each others company. It really was a great day :) And of course we are now enjoying lovely warm fires at home!

I hope you're all having a great week and I'll do my best to have the next prompt ready on time :)

Weeks 23, 24 & 25

2009-06-14T15:30:00.004+12:00

Can you believe we're almost half way through the year??? Time seems to be rushing by in a hurry... but I do have some more prompts to keep you busy :)

Week 23: Quirks

I've been thinking about the things that make us who we are lately. It seems that we all have quirks... those little things we do that are just a part of us. I was talking recently to a good friend of mine and happened to mentioned one of my quirks and then next thing she's laughing her head off... it seems that I'm a little more 'quirky' than I thought. So here's me prompt page:

The journaling reads: Let's face it... we all have our own little 'quirks'... little things we do that make us who we are.

I have a special fork! After years of stabbing the roof of my mouth every time I had a meal I finally found the perfect fork for ME! I'm not sure where it came from... but I do use it every night! The prongs are shorter than normal and now I can eat my dinner without worrying about hurting myself!

I know that it's a bit unusual... but no more so than stirring coffee a certain way... or putting milk in your milo before adding the hot water.

I have just discovered that something I do throughout winter is considered a bit 'strange'!

Like most people (I think) I don't like getting into a cold bed... but I also don't like electric blankets! But I have the perfect solution for that!!! I use my hair dryer!

I simply warm up the bottom sheet... hop into bed and make a 'tent' out of the blankets and warm the bed up. I works great! Is that quirky???

I'm not holding out a lot of hope that you all do the 'tent' thing with your hair dryers... but if you do then PLEASE leave me a comment so that I don't feel like I'm the ONLY one who does this! LOL

Week 24: When you're ready

Have you ever just known that you weren't ready for something??? I've had that feeling lots of times... maybe it's about making a change in your life that you actually want to make but you're just not actually 'ready' for. That leads me into my page:

The journaling reads: You know how sometimes you know you're not ready for something... and then one day, all of a sudden, you're kind of ready?

After the break up of my last relationship I got really badly hurt and I buried myself in work and projects for a LONG time. I knew that I really needed time to heal.

Around Christmas time a good friend of mine asked how my 'love life' was... my answer? Non-existent! And I was very happy about that! I knew inside that I wasn't ready to take a step in that direction.

Just recently things in that area have started to change.

I'm still VERY happy on my own and I have a great life... but I've met someone who makes me smile again.

Basically I feel like I've got a crush! LOL What I like the most is that it makes me feel really good. I feel like the healing time has really worked and I'm making progress. I feel like I'm in LIKE with someone. It's a nice feeling and well worth enjoying. I'm still not ready but I'm getting there. :)

The part I really like is that nothing actually has to happen! When I see him I get those little butterflies that we all experienced as teenagers... I'm smiling a lot more... and I even blushed when we talked on the phone today. Whatever happens I know that it's a sign that I'm well on the mend :)

Week 25: Just say Yes!

Are you a homebody who never wants to go out of your comfort zone? Have you been 'stuck in a rut' for a while? Sometimes it's nice to just have a change of routine... that happened for me on Friday and I wanted to document it just to remind myself. Here's my page:

The journaling reads: How often do you actually say 'Yes' when friends invite you out?

I have become a bit 'stuck at home' in the last few years! I used to go out with my friends on quite a regular basis... but these days it's a different story!

A good night (including Friday's and Saturday's) was scrapping in my craft room or an early night with a good book... and I still love doing those things!

But on Friday after work a couple of the teachers invited me out. I was going to say 'No thanks' out of habit but at the last minute I said 'Yes'... and I'm so pleased I did!

We all met up at the R.S.A. for a few drinks together and had a really great night!

We talked, laughed, caught up on the gossip and relaxed!

It reminded me of how much fun it is to simply go out... to get out of the house for a change. I'm definitely going to say 'Yes!' again :)

I really did enjoy myself on Friday night... and it was pretty good value too! Plus I was home just before midnight and had a great nights sleep because I was so relaxed (and the brandy probably didn't hurt either!) I've also achieved so much more this weekend by simply having a break so it was well worth it!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll try my best to keep up to date next weekend :)

I know... it's about time!!!

2009-05-24T17:55:00.004+12:00

I've had a few emails lately about Creating My Life... mostly along the lines of "when are we getting some more?" I have no excuses, reasons or anything else... but I do have 4 more weeks of prompts ready for you!

Week 19: Spoil Yourself

If you're anything like me you don't spoil yourself that often... and when you do you tend to feel guilty about it because there are bills to be paid or kids that need something etc

Back in February I visited my cousin in Taupo. He's a really busy single dad, has his own business, looks after his parents and generally takes care of everyone around him. He wanted to show me his new 'toy' which turned out to be a really cool motorbike... looks like a Harley, sounds like a Harley... and costs a fraction of a Harley! He was super happy with it... except that he felt guilty for buying it! As I said to him: "You work far too hard, have far little time off so why shouldn't you have something that makes you happy?" After that he felt better... and he's enjoying his bike!

The journaling reads: How often do you spoil yourself? Mother's Day reminded me that I don't spoil myself very much as all! And when I do I often feel guilty!

Krystal and Mikayla went 'all out' this year! A gorgeous breakfast of crab & pasta in a creamy sauce, a huge bowl of shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, marscapone and croissants... all washed down with sparkling grape juice! It was wonderful!

Once we sat down to breakfast there was another surprise... a box of presents!

Sleepless in Seattle DVD
Haircare products
Fancy chocolates
3 fantastic canvses that Krystal made!

I started to think about how lucky I am to have great kids... and then realised that they spoilt me because I was worth spoiling!

I often treat them to little things... hot chocolates, stationery, paying for something unexpectedly... and then I realised that I don't actually spoil myself!

So I've made a list of simple treats: a lovely bubble bath, special soap, perfume, candles etc and I'm going to spoil ME!

So here's a wee challenge from me to you... do one little thing to spoil yourself this week... even if it's shouting yourself a nice coffee... because YOU are worth it!

Week 20: Teamwork

It's amazing how much can be achieved through teamwork. Sometimes you are required to work as part of a team for sports, employment etc My sister and her husband work as a team with their family and raising their children. So this weeks prompt is all about team work!

The journaling reads: Working as a team is becoming a real theme for me this year!

At school, I'm team teaching with the teacher next door and loving it! It's so great to have someone to bounce ideas off, share the workload and help with on the 'bad' days. I'm still not completely used to it yet... but it's a lot better than I expected it to be!

At home, we've always been a team. We work together really well most of the time. And last weekend was a perfect example!

Our truckload of firewood arrived and they dumped it on the driveway. There was a lot of wood and I thought it would take ages to put away... but within half an hour we were done!

We've got a good system now! Mikayla brings up the firewood... I chop it and light the fire... and then Krystal cooks tea. By the time tea is ready the fire is going well and we can all eat dinner in a nice warm house!

I'm even letting the girls be a bigger part of the 'scrapbooking team'... with awesome results!

Each team is unique and serves a different purpose... so what sort of teams are you on??

Week 21: Things kids say!

I've had several little things said to me lately by nieces and nephews so this weeks prompt is dedicated to those little funny things kids say!

When Krystal was little she had a fox soft toy which she called 'Sockie' instead of 'Foxie' :) She also used to sing: God of Nations at MY feet!

Mikayla used to call her sister "Tistal" and she once said to her Grandma... "You're not a TROLL are you Grandma?" While I wanted to die, Mum calmly said "of course not". Mikayla replied: "Dave says you're a troll but I said you're not a troll you're nice". Mikayla was only 3 at the time and had no idea what a can of worms she was opening!!! It's all funny now 10 years later though :)

The journaling reads: Kids really do say some funny things sometimes!

Yesterday, while I was at my sisters place, my feet were really cold so I put on my new hot pink socks and my niece came rushing over and said, "Auntie, you've got pluppy socks".

I couldn't work out how she got 'pluppy' from hot pink... until my sister said "She can't say her F's properly". She's saying you've got fluffy socks!

The next thing I know she's looking at me with big puppy eyes and saying "I haven't got ANY pluppy socks Auntie Shelley"... doesn't it just make you want to buy her some??? I couldn't resist... so I now have a pair of 'pluppy' socks for her!

I also had on a top with rhinestones that she tried to pick off. I said "Don't pick of Auntie's bling honey"... the next thing I know she's giggling away about Auntie's "Blingee Boobies"... what next???

The following day at kindy she told everyone about Auntie "Charlie's" blingee boobies and pluppy socks!

I'm just starting to make a book for each of my girls that I'll give them on their 21st birthdays and now I'm trying to remember all their cute little sayings... so if you've got little ones make sure you write them down because later on it's really HARD to remember them all!!! :)

Week 22: Tools of the Trade

I've been thinking lately about the different 'tools' we have in our everyday life. Mostly it's come into my mind because at school we're doing a big study on Third World countries. The kids are amazed that people can live without TV! So we started to think about the things we take for granted... having a tooth brush to brush your teeth, being able to use a toilet, pens and paper at school, being able to eat several times a day etc

The children are certainly learning more about empathy and appreciation! We've had some amazing discussions and lots of learning!

The journaling reads: No matter what sort of job you do... or how you live your life... everyone has 'tools' to help them.

I remember when the girls were little and I carried the 'nappy bag' with me wherever I went full of nappy wipes, nappies, pins etc

When I started teaching my tools changed to my teaching planner, pens, stickers and 'post-it' notes. My 'tools' for teaching have changed over the years too! Now I have my headset, laptop and digital camera along with the 'Smart' board.

Just recently I found the perfect container for my scrapping tools!

It's a lot like an old fashioned milk crate - but a little bit fancy!

It's got 6 great mini areas that fit my Pringles containers so now I have all my everyday tools in one handy... and very portable... container!

I admit that just looking at my tool box makes me happy!

So what are your daily 'Tools of the Trade'? What things do you carry with you wherever you go? What are the tools that make it possible for doing your job or interests?

Thanks to everyone for their emails... I really do appreciate it! I hope you have a happy week :)

Week 18: Communication

2009-04-26T11:41:00.003+12:00

Yippee!!! I'm actually on time this week LOL

In these days of technology people can pretty much get hold of us wherever we are... sometimes that's a really good thing... and sometimes it's not! Mostly we don't really think about it unless we're somewhere with no cell phone coverage!

I can still remember growing up on the farm and having a 'party line'. You certainly learnt fairly quickly to say NOTHING on the phone that you didn't want the rest of the community knowing about! Then came dial phones... Granny used to 'dial' with a pen so that her finger nails didn't get caught LOL

These days the phones are getting smaller and smaller... but what if you phone stops working??? That happened to me this week and it wasn't a lot of fun!!!

The journaling reads: On Wednesday my phone went on the blink! I could receive calls but couldn't dial out... I could get on the net... but couldn't send a text! After several hours it all came right again... but in the meantime it was a BIG problem!

I hadn't actually realised how much communication I depended on each day. I DO talk on the phone a lot! I like to keep in touch with friends and family. I like to share what's going on, what we're up to and how things are going!

In some ways it was NICE to not have the phone interuptions... I definitely got more done!

But overall... I'd rather be able to communicate... especially with ALL of my family and MOST of my friends live out of town!

I always find that I prefer to catch up via PHONE than via text too! Texting seems too impersonal for me... but it's great for getting funny jokes :)

Thank goodness I have a GREAT phone plan!!!

Having a good phone plan has certainly made life easier too! I know that my phone bill would be HUGE without it!!!

So now it's your turn... do you like 'communicating' regularly?? Are you a 'chatterer'?? Do you prefer texts or talking??

Have a great week everyone :) And if you feel like communicating by leaving me a comment on here I'd love to hear from you!

Weeks 16 & 17 :)

2009-04-19T14:57:00.003+12:00

Time to catch up again :)

Week 16: Time to Play

How often to do 'play' without actually worrying about the results?? How many really cool things have you seen on the net and thought: "I want to try that" but you don't actually get around to it?? If you're anything like me you've probably got a file (or files!) on your computer filled with all those really cool things but you haven't actually done any of them! So now it's time to play!!!

The journaling reads: I've just been re-discovering how important it is to 'play'. Sometimes when I'm browsing on the net or reading scrapping mags I see really cool techniques and ideas... but I don't actually get around to having a go myself.

Last weekend Tricia came over and we set about having a play with paint! It was so neat to actually get messy and just see what effects we could achieve.

Best of all was Tricia's smile after playing with paint and getting the background of her canvas done!

It reminded me that 'playing' is actually an important part of scrapping for me!

It's not really about whether or not it works... it's about trying something new and experimenting.

Sometimes I'll like something so much it becomes the new technique I use on everything! I've just been going through a beeswax phase!! Very cool!

Sometimes it's really nice just to try! So... I'm going to put more play into my scrapping time!

Today I found some watercolour crayons!! I've been looking for some for ages... and today I got some :) So this afternoon I'm going to play without worrying about what I'm creating... just because I'm playing!

Week 17: Relaxation

Let's face it... we live in a fast paced world where we never seem to have time to just sit and relax... or if we do we often feel guilty about it because there's so many 'other' things that we could/should be doing! I think that's part of the problem... we're so busy doing that we aren't really enjoying just being! So that's the focus of this weeks prompt: Relaxation!

The journaling reads: I got myself into a really sorry state a few months back... I had forgotten how to relax!

Plonking yourself down on the sofa at the end of the day feeling exhausted is NOT relaxing! That's what I was doing! I was so tired from doing all the time... but my mind was still running.

Then I was looking at something on the net and it said: "The art of relaxation is in the easing up from effort and attention."

So I began to think back on what I found relaxing. It wasn't relaxation music that's for sure! I've tried that and I always end up simply feeling bored!

I used to be right into aromatherapy. And while I find lavender scented oil very relaxing, most of the time I either don't want a bath or just can't be bothered lighting the oil burner. so what else??

Then it hit me... reading! I love to read but I was reading text books, business guides and technique books!

Now I'm reading other books. Books to relax! Best of all... it helps to get me off to sleep!

If you're looking for a good book then I highly recommend Diana Gabaldon! If you're going to read her books then definitely start with 'Cross Stitch' because it's the first book in the series :) There's a bit of everything in her books... war, family values, Scottish history, humour... and a few of the scenes give Mills & Boon a real run for their money too!!!

Have a good week everyone and make sure you get some 'play' and 'relaxation' into your week :)

Weeks 14 & 15

2009-04-05T22:11:00.007+12:00

I'm playing the catch up game again tonight! But it's all in a good cause because I've been busy scrapping all weekend :)

Week 14: R.A.K.'s (Random Acts of Kindness)

We've all seen the movies based on R.A.K.'s... some of us have even won or offered R.A.K.'s on scrapping blogs etc... so what does it mean for you? I've been wanting to do this topic for a while now because it kind of goes with the 'attitude of gratitude' that I've been reading about. Basically it says that if you feel and acknowledge how grateful you are for what you have in your life then more good things will keep happening to you... which leads me into what happened to me recently!

The journaling reads: A couple of weeks ago, one of the teachers at school came to offer me some FREE tickets to go to Circus Aoteoroa. I was blown away because I'd actually thought about taking the girls to see it but decided against it due to the cost!

She also offered tickets to one of my friends, so we thought we'd both go and take our kids.

The next night we all met up... 2 adults and 4 teenagers! The kids were surprisingly excited about the whole thing!

While we were talking we found we had a spare two tickets. We saw a couple waiting to buy their tickets and offered them our spares. They were thrilled because it saved them $60!!!

Later on while we were waiting for the show to start, the couple came up to us with 6 bags of POPCORN! What a nice thing for them to do!

It certainly made me realise that good things DO come to those who do GOOD for others!!!

Sometimes life surprises us with little (and not so little) good things. Things that make us smile and feel good inside. And sometimes we get to do something good for someone else 'just because'. Why not try and make someone else's day this week... you will definitely feel good about yourself :)

Week 15: Mojo

I've been suffering from lack of 'mojo' lately! In fact, I hadn't done a layout since I prepared my layout class for Scrapfest!!! That's not to say that I haven't been 'thinking' about it... just hadn't actually 'done' any!!! The tide was OUT!!! And I was wondering if it was ever coming back... but it HAS and it feels GREAT!!! So here's my layout:The journaling reads: What do you do when the MOJO just isn't flowing? What about when you're just OUT of ideas?

I haven't done a layout since JANUARY! I was getting WORRIED!!! Then I was having a look at one of my paper kits... and I felt an excitement I haven't felt for a long time!

I gathered my supplies together and actually started to SCRAP! Within 24 hours I had one 12 x 12 layout, two 8 x 8 layouts and a completed mini album!

Now the ideas are coming thick and fast!!! I don't really know why... all I know is that it feels FANTASTIC to scrap again!

I don't really know what the mojo actually IS... all I know is that sometimes it's FLOWING and sometimes... there is nothing!!!

One thing I do know is that it ALWAYS comes back! Otherwise I'd never get any scrapping done!

So after a full weekend of scrapping I'm feeling GREAT! Really creative and inspired! It's a happy place to be!

So how's the mojo going for you??? If you're feeling inspired and creative... Great!!! And if not... just remember that it WILL come back!!!

If you'd like to take a look at what I've been scrapping then have a look at my other BLOG... there's lots of eye candy to look at :)

Have a great week :) Shell xx

Weeks 12 & 13

2009-03-22T17:10:00.006+13:00

Well after being so organised on the last prompt I'm running behind again... but all will be revealed why in just a moment!!!

Week 12: Suprise!

I had a really good prompt in mind for Week 12... and I was actually working on it when I got a text at 7.59am from my sister that said: Hi all, just to let you know bubs arrived at 8.52pm yesterday 5lb 13oz. All doing well after great delivery. Name yet to be confirmed :)

Talk about a SURPRISE!!! 'Bubs' wasn't due for another 3 weeks!!

The journaling reads: Last Sunday I was busy in my craft room when I got a text from my sister. Luckily I checked it straight away because it contained a BIG surprise!

My new niece was born 3 weeks early!!!

The girls and I did a quick trip over to see everyone and meet the latest addition to our family :)

When we arrived at Mum's we got another SUPRISE because my other sister and her family were already there! I got to have LOTS of cuddles with my nephew and play with the 'bigger' kids too!

Usually I don't like surprises... but these ones were definitely welcome!

After a couple of days my wee niece got a new name. Welcome to the family:

Jessica (Jessy) Mackenzie

Miss Kody is a very proud big sister who just loves 'her' new baby :)

Jessy is now settling into family life at home with her Mum, Dad and big sister. Kody dotes on her and wants to touch her constantly. She's very proud of her little sister and is quite taken with her. I'm sure there's going to be lots of layouts to come of this pair of girls!!!

Week 13: Reunite

Over the past 6 months or so the girls and I have felt a bit fractured from each other and the signs have been there but we've been plodding along... and this week it all came to a head!

Krystal had a 'mini meltdown' last Sunday just before we left to come home and we've all been feeling the strain of not connecting with each other. The journaling reads: The girls and I have been a TEAM for a really long time. Over the years it's always been 'The Three of Us'.

When Dave moved in the dynamics of our family changed... some positives and some negatives formed. But after Dave left we just seemed to COAST. And like a ship with no sails we landed on the rocks!

On Friday I didn't get home from school until 8.30pm and I got a shock!!! The house was a MESS but it wasn't so much that... it was more that Krystal and Mikayla were in their pj's plaing on their computer and playstation and NOTHING was getting done!

So in true 'Shell style' I lost the plot! I was so angry about it all... not just the girls... but my part in ALLOWING it to get this bad!!!

So we sat... I talked... the girls listened... REALLY listened! And we made some plans and goals for ourselves.

24 hours later... our house is a HOME again! It's clean and tidy, we're all smiling and feeling happy :) Our team is REUNITED and our ship is in 'full sail' once again. The best part is that we're WORKING TOGETHER to get things done!

Now almost 48 hours later... our home is a really nice place to be! It's not just clean and tidy... it's calm! We all feel more relaxed and 'together'. Friday night wasn't nice... but I think we needed to experience that to get to where we are today.

Last night we got some take out Pizza and chilled out together. We all slept in beds with freshly laundered sheets... no mess anywhere... and today has gone so much smoother than it has for a long time!

Now it's time for me to go because I promised the girls I'd cook them a home cooked chicken roast with roast potatoes, kumara, gravy and my own special recipe stuffing!!! YUM :)

So now you've all got two prompts to work on... looking forward to seeing what you all do with them!

Have a great week... Shell xx

Week 11: Try Something New

2009-03-08T09:09:00.004+13:00

Hi everyone :) I'm a bit more organised this week and have the prompt already to go!

I've been doing a lot of learning lately... and it made me think about trying new things. There are some things in my life that I really like to stay the same... and some things that I don't mind changing or trying out.

Here's my layout:

The journaling reads: I tend to be a 'creature of habit'. For instance, I'll ALWAYS get Butter Chicken when I get Indian Takeaways. My wardrobe ALWAYS has denium and black in it. And I'll ALWAYS prefer eathing chocolate to exercising!!!

But lately I've been learning a lot of NEW things. I've just gotten a SMART BOARD in my classroom... and now I'm learning how to use it! It's a bit mind blowing at times but it's a lot of fun too!

This week I also went to my first night class in a LONG time! I'm learning how to make hand stitched books - something I've been wanting to do for AGES!

The one we're making in class is a cool hardcover notebook. I've learnt more about paper grain, stitching and glue techniques - VERY useful.

I decided to use my book to write all my kit ideas into - instead of having them all on random bits of paper which I lose!

I've found tht trying new things is a LOT of fun... but I'm not giving up on Butter Chicken just yet!

In this weeks class we're learning how to attach all our 'signature' pages into our covers and lining the inside. So by Wednesday night I'll have a finished book. I've really enjoyed making my book and I've already got another two on the go because they really are a lot of fun to make.

So now it's you're turn... are you a creature of habit??? or do you like trying new things???

Have a great week!

Week 10: Know... when to fold!

2009-03-01T21:17:00.005+13:00

I had something completely different in mind for this week... until a particular situation came up and I knew I wanted to share it because I'm sure lots of you have had similar situations.

I grew up with Mum playing Country music (and I still listen to it) and sometimes one of the 'old' songs will pop into my head. Today it was Kenny Rogers song 'The Gambler'. It's been going around in my head all afternoon!!!

You know how sometimes you're working on a project... and try as you might it just WON'T come together???? And then other times everything just FLOWS! I've had that happen a lot since I've been scrapbooking... and today I realised that I have it in other areas of my life as well.

My layout is all ready to go (except for the photo) but I can't get a good photo so I'll have to upload it tomorrow. In the mean time, here is the journaling:

Have you ever tried REALLY hard to make something work but it's just NOT a happening thing? I'm all for perseverance... but sometimes you just have to KNOW it's time to fold!

This situation happened in our family today. Krystal has had her Learners Licence since October 2007. She got her 'Learners' because she thought the age limit was going up and she didn't want to miss out... but she didn't really WANT to learn to drive.

Since then she's only had 4 or 5 lessons with me... and a few with her Auntie Katey. So today we had another go. She talked her way through everything she had to do... and STALLED. "No biggie" I said. So she tried again... and again... and AGAIN!

Meanwhile she is getting VERY frustrated! And she's NOT listening to me! I managed to stay CALM (just) and tried to help... but it just made things WORSE!

So... I'm FOLDING!!!

Miss Krystal can have professional lessons! I think we'll both be much happier now :)

Here's a bit more of the same sort of situation... It's been a strange experience because I always thought Krystal listened really well and then I realised... we had the same thing when she was learning to ride a bike! When she was about 6 she got given a bike by her Dad and she asked me to teach her how to ride it. Luckily we had a park nearby so EVERY afternoon we would walk the bike down to the park and I'd spend an hour pushing the bike and telling her to pedal... after 6 WEEKS we were still doing it and I was running out of patience.

A little while later I'm coming home from work and I see Krystal's bike going down the road... and I thought she'd finally gotten it... but it was Mikayla!!! She'd watched what we'd been doing and figured out that she could do it all by herself!

p.s. Krystal still can't ride a bike!

So now it's your turn... how do you know when it's time to fold???

Have a great week :)
Shell xx

Hi again :) As promised... here is my layout. Notice that it doesn't have the photo of the drivers licence??? Yes I'm still getting the silent treatment!!! But this too will change :)

Week 8 & 9 :)

2009-02-22T20:05:00.005+13:00

It's been a busy fortnight in our household with so signs of slowing down for a while... and I'm sure a lot of you with children back at school are finding the same thing!! I've finally finished Week 8 & Week 9 but unfortunately when I went to print my photos the machines had just been turned off so I'm going to put the photos under the layouts so you can still see them :)

Week 8: Make Time

Like everyone these days, my life seems to get busy without too much trouble... and when we get busy we often put things aside thinking that we'll catch up later. But sometimes we need to put in a little effort and actually 'make time' for the people in our lives.

I've got a cousin in Taupo (a mere hour away) that I hadn't seen for almost 2 YEARS!!! So when I was in Taupo last weekend I made some time to catch up with him... in fact to illustrate the point of how long it's been I text him to say I was in town and he sent back a text saying 'Shell who??' We've both decided to keep in better touch from now on :)

The journaling reads: Last weekend while I was in Taupo I FINALLY made time to visit Fearnley. We had so much to catch up on!!!

It was great to see him again... and Luke has grown up a LOT! He's in Year 7 now and is definitely a young MAN rather than a BOY!

We chatted for ages and then stayed for dinner and chatting until MIDNIGHT! It made me realise that although I get caught up in my own life and my girls, I need to MAKE time for the other important people in my life... because their lives are full and busy too!

A positive outcome of catching up again was realising that family bonds can be very STRONG!

We had a great night with lots of laughs, a few tears and plenty of catching up!

Making time for the people and things that really MATTER is a bit of an effort at times... but the benefits are awesome!!!

And here's the photo that's going on my page... it was taken in 2004! Our kids have grown up so quickly!!!

Week 9: Change of Heart

Have you ever decided you really did or didn't like something or someone and then changed your mind later? I have definitely done that!!! Yesterday I got to be on the receiving end of someone changing their minds... and it was GREAT!

The journaling reads: A few short weeks ago 'Mr Smiley' wasn't smiling at all! EVERY time I even LOOKED at him he cried! It was a horrible experience that I didn't want to repeat... and with his 1st birthday looming I was feeling a bit worried!

But it seems that my wee nephew as had a change of heart... and Auntie isn't so bad after all!

After a tentative beginning there were a few smiles coming my way and I was feeling quite happy.

After him mid-day nap Reece decided that Auntie was alright after all... he even let me pick him up!

Once the ice was broken we had a great time... he's really ticklish and has the cutest giggle! After a while he came and sat on my lap and THEN we had some lovely LONG cuddles!

I was a very happy Auntie! Sometimes having a change of heart/mind can bring about really positive results! Love ya babe!!! xx

I still haven't decided which photo I'm going to use on my layout yet... but here's my favourites :)

Yep I'm a bit shocked!! LOL

Yesterday was a really awesome day... and I'm one very, very happy Auntie :)

Thanks for visiting everyone and I hope you're still enjoying the prompts... looking forward to seeing what you all come up with :) Have a great week!

Week 7: Happy

2009-02-08T08:43:00.006+13:00

Hi everyone :)

Two years ago I went to see the movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness' with one of my girlfriends and I found it to be a really powerful movie. I was totally amazed at how he (Chris Gardner) kept going in spite of everything that happened... and at the end of the movie there wasn't a dry eye in the theatre. It also gave me a new impression of Will Smith... totally LOVE his acting now!

If you haven't seen the movie then I highly recommend it... and it's suitable for everyone (only ONE swear word in the whole movie and it was totally in context!!!) I got the girls to watch it and they totally loved it as well... which brings me to this weeks prompt... HAPPY!

Last year wasn't an overly happy one in our household... everything seemed to be REALLY HARD WORK! We started the year off fine but it kind of just spiraled down out of control... this year feels completely different and I wanted to capture the feeling so here's my layout:

The journaling reads:

A couple of days ago I realised how HAPPY I am! I've had happy DAYS during the past year but right now I'm feeling really HAPPY... ALL THE TIME!

It's almost as if I needed to go through some rough times to fully appreciate what happiness FEELS like!

I'm having the BEST time at work! I find myself smiling a LOT! All the hard work Ash and I have put in is really paying off. It's such a GREAT feeling to be loving teaching again!

I'm happy at home too! The girls are happy, settled and enjoying being back at school. They are growing into independent young women with dreams and goals of their own.

I'm finally able to say that I'm happy being SINGLE! I feel like I can just be myself again.

It feels like my life is really getting on track... things are WORKING out fine. Right now anything feels POSSIBLE and I'm enjoying my life in a whole new way.

True happiness is a FANTASTIC feeling!!!

School really is going well... we've just had the best week! This year is a bit different too because Ash and I are team teaching.

We've got 54 kids between us and we're teaching them together. It's going really well because we're similar enough to have consistency but different enough that the kids are getting a really varied and interesting learning programme.

Ash is really good at maths, science and P.E. so he's taking the lead with those things while I'm taking the lead with reading, writing and art :) It's working out great... and the kids are really enjoying having both a male and female teacher... we've managed to get a great balance this year!

So now it's your turn... what makes you happy?

Weeks 5 & 6

2009-02-01T19:13:00.013+13:00

Hi everyone :)

Yes it's a 'double whammy' this week since I didn't get last weeks prompt up in time! Let's get straight into it!!!

Week 5: Too Long!

If you're a proscrastinator (like me) then you are probably used to putting things off in the hope that you might not even need to do them anymore... but sometimes we also put off the things we actually want to do! And sometimes that can lead to unhappy times :(

This is exactly what happened to me last weekend and it was a really good reminder to myself of what really is important to me.

The journaling reads: Sometimes I 'put off' things that I REALLY want to do because life gets busy! Most of the time I can 'catch up'... but last weekend I found out that it's possible to leave things for TOO LONG!

I decided to spend the long weekend with my sister and her family and on the way there we worked out that we hadn't seen each other for 5 MONTHS!

I was SO looking forward to some 'Auntie' time! When we arrived, Aidan and Leila came rushing up to see me and we had huge cuddles.

When Reece woke up has was a bit 'grizzly' so I just waited... BUT he didn't KNOW who I was! Last time I saw him I gave him of cuddles but now I was a STRANGER!

My beautiful nephew smiles and laughs all the time but he spent the whole weekend CRYING whenever I even looked at him!

From now on I'm going to 'make time' to see him so that he will SMILE for 'Auntie'.

It really was a shock to realise that Reece had no idea who I was... and I felt horrible that he was so unhappy because we were there. I've never been in this situation before because I've always been around the kids while they've been babies but this past year has been different.

Are you 'putting off' things you really want to do as well???

Week 6: Hats

Tomorrow it's back to school for me! We had our teacher-only days on Thursday and Friday and it was a bit of a reality check after so much time away from 'work'. A few of us in the staff room where discussing the various 'hats' we wear during a school day and it made me think about the different hats we wear in our everyday lives.

Terri Hatcher talks about 'hat wearing' in her book too... it seems to be a universal thing!

The journaling reads: Tomorrow another school year will begin and it made me realise how many 'hats' I wear.

On any given day we all wear different hats... and I think women tend to wear more than anyone! Counting up all the hats can be quite daunting!!!

Let's see:

Mother
Teacher
Business Owner
Sister
Daughter
Friend
Chef
Homeowner
Ms 'Fix it'
Accountant

The list goes ON and ON!

It's no wonder that we spend so much time every day running from one activity to another!

It's all a big balancing act!

One thing I'm sure about this year is that I want to wear my SHELL hat more often! The benefits are huge!!! Not just for me but for everyone around me too!

I think a lot of my problems start when I try wearing too many hats at the same time. There is definitely a difference between multi-tasking and taking on too much! How is your hat wearing going???

I'll be back next Sunday with another update so until then have a great week! And if you're a mum with kids heading back to school... ENJOY!!!

Week 4: Friends

2009-01-21T07:57:00.004+13:00

Sorry for the very late post! It's been a full-on and FANTASTIC weekend here so I'm a bit late :)

There is a lovely quote I saw recently saying: A friend is one of the nicest things you can have... and one of the best things you can be. So very true!

2009 seems to be steering me towards spending more time with friends... and it's incredibly rewarding! How often have you been invited to do something with friends... bbq's, movies, trips etc and said... "I'd love to but I'm too busy"???? I know that I did it a LOT in 2008 but I've decided that this year I'm going to put 'busyness' aside and actually do some things with my friends because the housework/groceries/lawns etc can still be done tomorrow (maybe lol) but spending time with friends is precious!

This week I really wanted to capture how important my time with friends is to me... so here's my layout:

The journaling reads: I've just had the BEST weekend! After months of planning and organising Scrapfest finally arrived!!! For me, the best part of all was sharing the weekend with friends!

To be able to actually sit and talk... laugh... giggle over silly things... tease... and simply share an experience was FANTASTIC!

Friends make EVERYTHING better! I had more fun this weekend than I've had in a LONG time!... and much LESS sleep!

Friends make the great things feel AWESOME and they make the hard times easier to handle. Sometimes just by talking over a problem with a friend you just don't feel like you're on your own anymore.

So... I've decided to spend more time with friends this year. A lot of the time I let my 'busyness' stop me from sharing time with friends so it's time to put my friendships higher up on my priority list.

And I know I will have a lot more FUN!!!

I hope you get to spend some time with friends this week... either in person, by phone, or email :)

Have a great week and I'll be back on Sunday!

Week 3: Know your limits!

2009-01-11T09:31:00.009+13:00

This week I've been learning a lesson in LIMITS!! More specifically, I've been learning a lesson in PUSHING the limits! Something mother's of toddlers and teenagers (kids general for that matter!) know all about!

The other day I looked at my 'to do' list... and it was LONG! And I realised that short of getting an extra couple of hours in a day (I wish!), going without sleep (not a good idea!) or living on 'party pills' (never tried them and never will!!) there was just NO WAY that I was ever going to get everything done... and I hit a brick wall (metaphorically speaking).

Teri Hatcher talked about the whole 'limits' thing in her book too... somehow I think it's a universal problem... especially for women (sexist? YES! true? YES!) Teri Hatcher wrote: You try to survive as best you can, and sometimes you're proud just to make it back to bed. But you can't let every day be about what you have to get done that day. Even if you manage to check everything off the list, does that make it a good day? Really? Or is it just a step forward on the treadmill that is constantly trying to carry you backward? Isn't it hard to feel like you're living your life when you're just doing what it takes to get by? ..... You're so focused on what needs to get done that you lose track of who you are. Forget not seeing the forest for the trees. You're not seeing the forest because who has time for a friggin' hike?

And that got me!!! I haven't been 'hiking' lately!!! I've been working, designing, organising, sorting, putting classes together... and I've forgotten to 'hike'! So this week I did something that I don't normally do (you'll see that on my page in just a sec) and then yesterday I spent the WHOLE day in my craft room... and it felt GREAT! I did something that I really wanted to do... something I've been putting off for ages... and last night I finished it... and I LOVE IT!!!

And today I feel great! I feel like I can get everything done! This morning I got up and put my page together and it feels good to document the lesson I've learned!

The journaling reads: I push my limits constantly!!! I didn't always do that!!! It's a habit I've LEARNED. Years ago I read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and this piece really grabbed me:

"I just want to know what I can do in the air and what I can't, that's all. I just want to know."

And I'm like that too!! So I push my limits... I know where my limits are... but I'm constantly trying to push PAST them... and sometimes they push BACK! Sometimes instead of having 'just one more piece' to fit into the jigsaw you end up dropping the whole thing!

So... I asked for HELP! That's a scary thing for me! What if they said NO? What if they thought I was WEAK? What if they LAUGHED at me?

But I asked anyway... I HAD to because otherwise nothing was going to get done! And you know what... they DIDN'T laugh at me... they DIDN'T think I was weak... they actually said YES!! AND they felt HONOURED that I'd asked them!

So... did I get everything done?? Not quite.. BUT now everything is MANAGEABLE! I'm making progress AND I have friends that I can depend on!!!

It's been a big lesson! It WAS scary! But I did it anyway! And the world didn't end because I admitted that I couldn't do everything by myself. That's BIG!! I don't think it will ever get EASY to ask for help.. but I do know that next time I'm in a situation like this I won't find it quite as scary!

I'm feeling pretty lucky to have such wonderful friends! I feel quite humbled that they would be so generous with their time and energy to help me! So a big THANK YOU goes out to you!!!

While on the subject of friends... I have a lovely friend called Esther (Hi Petal!) who just LOVES jigsaw puzzle pieces.... they're her 'signature' on all her creations so I thought I'd better show you a close up of the jigsaw piece I put on my page this week:

The puzzle piece is made from MDF and I inked it with some distress ink... stamped a 'crackle' background onto it and then stamped a wee owl on top. Next I stamped lots of leaves and twigs around him to remind myself about 'not seeing the forest for the trees'.

So now it's YOUR turn! Do you push your limits??? If you're following along and you have a blog I'd love to see what you're doing with the prompts so please leave me a comment so I can visit you... and if you'd like to see what some of the girls on the forum are doing with them then please check out the gallery HERE.

Have a great week... and remember to do a bit of 'hiking'!

Shell xx

Week 2: Organisation

2009-01-04T14:34:00.005+13:00

Everywhere I turn at the moment people are talking about getting themselves organised. For some it means starting a new 2009 diary and for others it's having a big clean out!

Last year I bought myself a diary and by the middle of January I'd lost it!!! As a result, I missed several birthdays... including Dad's for about the 4th year is a row!!! I also 'remembered' events after they'd happened.

So this year I am determined to keep track of things! We've got a family diary so that I know what the girls are doing... and they know what I'm doing... and I've got a diary of my own as well. I also got a gorgeous calendar from one of my nieces for Christmas with her handprints on it so hopefully we'll know what we're supposed to be doing this year!

I'm also determined to get my craft room organised! I really get frustrated when I can't find things when I need them. How can I own 5 steel rulers and not be able to find even 1 of them???

The worst part about being so disorganised is that I can't even create properly!! I've been doing all of my Scrapfest stuff on the coffee table so that I don't have to be in my craft room!!!

But, sometimes the answers to life's 'problems' come when you least expect them... and the answers to my 'organisational woes' came in the form of a quote on this card:

It was made by Suzy (click HERE to check out her blog). So I'm going to 'create' a new and improved 'Shell'... an organised person who can find her own craft supplies when she needs them... and doesn't forget her fathers' birthday for a 5th year!!The journaling reads: Today while I was on the internet I came across a card that really grabbed me! It wasn't so mch the design... it was the quote... and it's been floating around in my head ever since!

Life isn't about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself.

That quote is powerful for me! It gives me the freedom to be who I want to be!

One of the things that I am going to achieve this year is being organised! I've bought myself a diary... one I like... one I will actually USE!

And tomorrow I'm tidying up my craft room! I'm going to really tidy! Not just the "I'd better tidy up because someone is coming" tidy... the "I want to be organised" tidying up!

Someone said to me "you'll change when the pain of not changing gets too much... and you've got a high pain threshold". And he was right!

The pain isn't physical... it's emotional.. and I've reached my threshold! So tomorrow I'm going to tidy!!! Yay me :) This is progress!!!

I actually wrote this last night... and YES I have started tidying up my craft room! It's going to take a while because I want it to be really, really organised... but already it's worth it just to know that I'm doing what I need to do for me to feel good again!

I also decided that I was definitely going to use the very last piece of my 'special' flax paper to decorate the inside front cover of my album... and I'm super happy with it :)

I've decided to add a few quotes to inspire me as well! The one at the bottom of the page is from this weeks prompt... and the one at the top was in the signature line of one of the girls in the forum... thanks Kirstin! It reads:

"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what is going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity..." Gilda Radner

And on that note I'm off to continue organising!! I hope you all have a wonderful week :)

Love Shell xx

Week 1: Just use it!

2009-01-01T08:46:00.007+13:00

Happy New Year everyone! Does anyone else have the feeling that 2009 is going to be a GREAT year??? I actually woke up 'feeling' different this morning... almost like the weight of last year is lifting... I think we're going to have an exciting year ahead! I've created my cover for this album and I'll share it with you very soon... but first let's jump straight into the first prompt!

Week 1: Just use it!

Are you a hoarder? Do you save things for 'something special'? Do you buy things because you 'might' use them? If so then this prompt is going to be ideal for you!

My grandmother would have to have been one of the world's biggest hoarders! She kept EVERYTHING!!! She lived in a fairly big house but every single space had stuff in it... some of it was definitely treasure... but a lot of it was junk!

When I was little we always went to Granny's house for Christmas and all the grown ups would sit at the table drinking their wine from regular glasses because they weren't allowed to use the crystal glasses because they 'might' break them. She was saving them for 'something special'.

I remember looking in her china cabinets... yes she had more than one! She had so many glasses... and they were all gorgeous! But guess what... she NEVER used them!!! When she moved out of her house to go into the rest home, my mum and her brothers packed up the glasses and divided them up between them because Granny had no where to put them. So the glasses that were given to her never actually gave her any pleasure at all which seems really sad to me. And then I realised that the 'apple didn't fall too far from the tree' as the saying goes!Here's the journaling:

Do you buy lovely things (like paper) and save it for 'something special' only to find that you are still saving it years later?

I was sorting some things out in my craft room yesterday and I 'found' some gorgeous flax paper that I bought a long time ago! In fact the shop I bought it from has been closed for 3 years! So... I cut it! I used it! AND I loved it! I decided that 'something special' would be my cover for this album. And you know what?? That paper is special because I used it!

A few years ago my sister and I went to a craft fair and bought some 'special treats'... pesto, curry sauce etc. Within a couple of weeks she'd eaten hers and mine was still unopened! And... it's still in my cupboard! The BEST BEFORE DECEMBER 06 sticker mocks me! So now I have to throw it out! At least my sister got to enjoy hers!!!

So... I've come up with somthing that will work for me. Instead of asking myself if I want/need.... I'm going to ask "Will I USE it? Because curry sauce doesn't taste good if you're pouring it down the sink... and paper isn't 'special' until you've done something with it!

My new 'Will I USE it' has already worked for me too! I was in a friends shop yesterday and I saw some gorgeous Tim Holtz products... I LOVED them straight away and I wanted them... I even thought I needed them and then I asked myself... 'Will I USE them'? The answer was 'maybe one day'... so I left them there! It was a very empowering moment for me!!!

Now for the cover... I'm dying to show it to you because I really LOVE it!!!

It's made from thick chipboard which I covered with my 'saved' flax paper... (I've got one piece left which I think I'm going to use for the inside front cover)... The letters are from the 'Thickers' range. I stamped onto the letters with a crackle stamp and embossing ink and then I embossed them with gold.

The 'OPEN' door knob is from 7 gypsies... I bought a wee kit about 5 years ago and it had the door knob in it.... waiting for 'something special'... and the heart and wings are made from Grungeboard... I've had that for a year and hardly used it because I didn't want to 'waste' it!

I inked the wings with white versa mark and then embossed them with polysparkle... very pretty effect! The heart I inked with some Distress Ink and the swirl is actually a pattern on the grungeboard.

Down the bottom of the cover I put a photo of me 'wearing' a crown which Miss Krystal thought was a bit weird... but it's actually to remind myself that this is MY life... and I need to do what's right for ME! The crown is also Grungeboard and I embossed it with gold but it looked to 'perfect' so I added some more gold and then over heated it a bit so that it's got a tarnished look to it... that's to remind myself that I'm not perfect... I'm allowed to make mistakes!

And finally the charms on the side... I had a huge stash of bits and pieces that I've been 'saving' so I got them out and started working with them... the metal discs came from the same kit as the door knob.. I stamped words (inspire, dream, think, hope, love & create) onto them with Staz On ink... added some jump rings and then the chain which I bought ages ago in another kit. Then I added the beads and the key (from other kits) and finally the little Chinese good luck coins. I love how they 'tinkle' when I pick up my book.

I've taken this weeks prompt quite literally... I've actually USED lots of bits and pieces from my stash for my album cover and now I have 'something special' to show for it!

So the challenge is out there... what have you got that you're not using? Is it something that you need?... or is it something that is really just cluttering up your life? I've still got lots of things I need to use... but I've made a start!

I'll be back on Sunday with the next prompt so until then have a wonderful start to the New Year :)

Something new for 2009!

2008-12-29T19:53:00.010+13:00

Well I didn't get the Paper Adventure finished... in fact I haven't done anything on it since April 08. It just seems like 'life' has been really busy (and challenging) this year. I'm looking forward to the start of 2009... there is a feeling deep inside me that this is going to be a GREAT year for me... does anyone else feel that way?

I've got a project that I REALLY want to do so I'm going to put it out to everyone else as well... feel free to join in or just have a read (and hopefully comment) when I do a new post :)

I've just finished reading a really good book... you know the ones that touch your life in a way that makes a difference for you??? The movie 'In Pursuit of Happyness' did the same thing for me :) Getting back to the book... it's called 'Burnt Toast' and was written by Teri Hatcher of Lois & Clark and Desperate Housewives fame.It's definitely not a book about being famous, celebrity parties, Hollywood lifestyle etc... it's more of a story about one woman's struggle (Teri's) juggling work, parenting and everyday life.

When I finished it a couple of days ago I thought... I really need to put some of the things from this book into place in my own life... and the idea has been forming in my head ever since. So I've decided to create myself a scrapbook of my journey to the life I want :)

I haven't made my album yet but I do know that I'm going to do my pages in an A4 size (8 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches). I think I'll make an album on rings so that it can 'grow' throughout the year. I've also decided that I'm going to journal by hand in this album... somehow it just seems 'right' for me.

So far I've done my introduction page because I want to remember why I'm doing this album:
If you can't read the journaling here's what it says:

You know how sometimes a book just 'grabs' you? When you pick it up and just know you have to read it? That's just happened to me!

I was in a little secondhand book shop last week and this book leapt off the shelf at me. It's written by Teri Hatcher and definitely not a book I would usually pick up. I've never even watched Desperate Housewives so why me??? But this book is FANTASTIC!

It's not about Hollywood lifestyles, flashy parties or 'problems' being famous. It's simply the story of a woman juggling work and motherhood and dealing with her own doubts, fears, insecurities and issues... someone not that different from me on the inside!

Every night I looked forward to reading more of her book and in many ways it was like having a chat with a close girlfriend after the kids have gone to bed. I laughed and cried. Felt angry and surprised. But most of all it made me really THINK!

It's made me really think about the way I've been living my life. It's made me question WHY I'm doing things I do and why some things aren't working the way I want them to. So... I'm going to make some changes.... some BIG and some SMALL! Now on with the journey :)

I've decided to call me album: Creating My Life... really love that title (and feel free to use it if you want as well)

I'm committing myself to doing a-page-a-week documenting my journey and using a prompt so like I said earlier... if you want to join in that would be great :)

I'll be back on the 1st of January with the first prompt and then every Sunday after that :)

Happy New Year

Shell xx

Operation 17

2008-04-29T10:47:00.007+12:00

It's been a busy week here but I have managed to keep up :)

Operation 17: Something new - Tell me, what is something new in your life?
You may have actually bought something new. Or maybe you rediscovered something and it feels new to you again. Maybe you made something new that you are enjoying. Think about it. Write about it.

We've had a lot of new things happening around here... Miss Krystal has just started her first part time job - stocktaking for a craft store! She's loving it! She's working full time at the moment while she is on school holidays and everyday she comes home and tells me about all the new products I need to see LOL

I've been playing with some new techniques and styles... and of course I've bought a few new scrapbooking items (as you do) but the major new thing in my life is our new retaining wall!

At the beginning of the year we built a brand new patio area... and it's FANTASTIC! But during the building process the old retaining wall fell down so had to build a new one and last week we finally got it all done. It's a big relief... especially since it's rained almost every day since we did it!!! I took lots of photos so that I can make a mini album but my favourite photo of the project was a random shot of the wall with the shovels in front of it LOL

Click HERE if you want to check out the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) project. Have a great week :)

Operations 15 & 16

2008-04-24T13:31:00.003+12:00

Yes I'm playing catch up again LOL... but it's school holidays here in New Zealand so hopefully I'll catch up on all my projects and be able to stay that way... dreams are still free right??

Operation 15: What's for dinner? PIZZA!!! I LOVE pizza... all different kinds... I'll admit that wood-fired pizzas are still my ultimate favourites but I'm not fussy... home made, bought, takeaways etc so my page for this operation is dedicated to Pizza :)

Operation 16: Inspired - I'm inspired by lots of things...sometimes songs, or a layout in a magazine, colours, themes, texture, fabric. I love reading blogs (in fact I spend far too much time blog hopping). I love working with challenges, swaps, sketches and projects. Recently I made my Mum a birthday present (click HERE to have a look) and she loves vintage style. Now that is one style that I love looking at but something I thought I could never do... but luckily I was wrong... and right now I'm finding myself really enjoying this style so I hope you like my page for this operation :)Now I'm off to help build a retaining wall... our D.I.Y. is still going strong here... and hopefully I'll get the next operation done in a few days time :)

Operation 14

2008-04-08T07:38:00.003+12:00

Operation 14: Looking Forward

Originally I was going to do this Operation about Mum's birthday present I'm making and she even said 'You can blog it.. I won't look'... Yeah right!!!

But on the weekend Dave saw an advertisement for a 'Beatlemania On Tour' concert! Normally Dave will say something like: "The gypsy fair is in town" and he'll point out the advertisement but this time he tore it out of the newspaper (and he was careful not to rip it because he knew I'd want to scrapbook it LOL) and asked me about going.

So yesterday after work I went down and bought us two tickets!!! We've got GREAT seats - Row F - which is only 5 rows back from the stage! I'm really looking forward to April 26th now!!!
I think I was meant to scrapbook this instead too because the whole thing came together in about 15 minutes... definitely one of my fastest layouts!!

Operations 12 & 13

2008-04-03T16:53:00.004+13:00

I'm back... from school camp that is! We've just been away for a few days at camp and we've had a great time :) I went go-karting... went down a HUGE flying fox and even swung out of a tree on the Tarzan rope and landed in the lake! Lots of fun but EXTREMELY tiring!!!

Now I'm home and have totally enjoyed having a bit of time in my scraproom! So here's the next couple of Operations!

Operation 12: Luck - I'm a big believer that we make our own luck - the choices we make and the way we face challenges determine how much 'luck' we have in our lives. Something that I believe is pure luck though is Lotto! Would I like to win the lottery... of course!!! I buy a ticket most weeks and probably one of the things I really enjoy is daydreaming on a Saturday about what I would do if I actually did win! I never check my ticket until Sunday morning... that way I get a whole night to imagine winning! I've had a little bit of luck... around the $30 mark... but you never know... one day I might just win LOL

Operation 13: Spring - I love spring! I love the days getting lighter earlier... not having to light the fire at night... the beautiful blossoms and the sounds of birds in the trees. I think I must have always loved spring because Mum found a letter that I'd written to Nana (my great-grandmother) when I was about 5 and in the letter I'm telling her all about spring:

Dear Nana

How are you? I am well. In spring the blossoms are being pink and white. The Sinton's are having new baby lambs and daddy is getting cows in with our baby calves. Our house is nearly finished. It is being painted and when we went to the zoo.

Love from Shelley

I have no idea about that last sentence... obviously we must have been to the zoo LOL I really love the little sentence about the 'blossoms are being pink and white'... sounds so cute! It's a real treasure having these letters... thanks Mum for keeping them for me!

Operations 10 & 11

2008-03-24T13:18:00.004+13:00

I've been so busy with other projects that I haven't had a chance to do any Operations lately but with the long Easter weekend I've finally managed to get two more done :)

Operation 10: Got Talent? This week, write about your talent. Yours. Not your dog's, or your friend's or your kid's. Allow yourself to be impressed with what you can do. I found it a bit difficult to journal this one without sounding like I had a huge ego!!! I've never thought about myself as talented... creative yes... but not talented! I've always loved being creative: sewing, knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching & making things... that's one of the things I love about scrapbooking... it seems to bring all the things I like doing together!

Operation 11: Habit - Tell me: What habits to you have? What routines to you follow? Are these habits ones you would like to break, or are they a part of you that you enjoy? I decided to journal about a habit I'd like to break... one that I'm working hard on!!! I'm fairly disorganised! I often put things down - or worse still, put them in a 'safe' place... the problem is remembering where I've put them!!! I even found my wallet in the freezer once! So I've started organising my scraproom. I built myself a big cabinet last year and then I've just put up some shelves and peg board to store stuff and my room is starting to get more organised. There's still heaps more to do but I'm really getting somewhere with it all now :)I'm definitely enjoying these Operations and always look forward to seeing what Elise has for us each week :)

Operations 6, 7, 8 & 9

2008-03-04T07:04:00.003+13:00

Yes I've been busy!!! Dave has been away for a few days at his brother's wedding so.... while the cat's away the mouse scrapbooks!!! LOL

Operation 6: Colour - I LOVE colour!! Colour is a really big thing for me. I definitely go through phases with colour. At one stage everything in my house seemed to be blue... I had blue carpet, curtains and wallpaper (it was a rented house) so I went and bought myself a blue sofa! Most of my clothes are black or denim... and the bits of colour that I do have in my wardrobe seem to be browns or neutrals. My craft room has quite strong colours... and I love it! I was in a bit of a 'girly mood' when I did this operation so I've gone for pink, purple and turquoise! So here's my page for this operation:

Operation 7: Make a bold statement! I really enjoyed this operation... thinking bold has never been a problem for me (yes I did know that Mum!!!) The only thing that I've never really thought boldly about is ME! But I'm learning to... Over the past couple of years I've made a lot of changes to myself (most of them for the better) and now I'm very comfortable being me so here's my statement: I am ME!Operation 8: Something Old - I've done quite a bit along this line... I've journaled about my doll I've had since I was 2 and I've journaled about inheriting my great-grandmothers dressing table but I've never journaled about the fabulous print I inherited from my grandmother! This print was hanging up in my grandmother's house for years... it came out of a newspaper from 1906! When I was a little girl I used to lie on the floor and look up at it and it always made me feel good. It was on the wall about a tall archway and I'm pretty sure that not many people even really saw it there but I always loved it. My Dad's family have Romany Gypsy ancestry and this print came from my Mum's Mum so it has double meaning for me:Operation 9: Take it or Leave it - advice that is! I had to laugh at this one... there have been times when I've taken others advice and ended up in a real mess and times when I didn't listen to others and ended up in a big mess... but overall it's when I haven't listened to that little voice inside myself that I've ended up in the worst trouble! So now I make a point of listening to my heart and believing in myself and things usually turn out reasonably ok most of the time! I'm trying to instill this advice into my girls as well because I think if you're true to yourself then at least you can say you tried!So now I'm all caught up and ready for the next operation! I'm having a great time with these operations and my journal is filling up pretty quickly :) Thanks for all your comments because they do mean a lot to me!! Have a great week :)

Operations 4 & 5

2008-02-26T19:12:00.003+13:00

I've finally done another couple of Operations... thanks Marjolein I needed the hurry up!!! :)

Our school year in New Zealand started four weeks ago so for the past couple of weeks I've been really busy setting up my classroom, doing planning and getting to know my new students... as well as teaching! Hopefully things will settle down soon and I'll have a bit more time to scrap!

Operation 4: Freeze Time - I'm not sure if you'll be able to read the journaling but part of it says: "Sometimes I feel a bit like Meg Ryan in the movie 'You've got mail'. She says she lead a 'small but valuable life'. My life feels a lot like that too. I don't really think my life is very 'exciting' but a lot of what I do impacts on others... particularly my roles as Mum and school teacher. I chose to 'Freeze Time' for Saturday and keep a note of what I did in the day... and it surprised me!!! I had no idea how many activities I do in a day... it's just my life. Saturday was really cool though because I'm the team captain for our school Walk for Life team. We're raising money for the Cancer Society in our area and each time needs to raise as much as they can... so on Saturday we had a sausage sizzle and we raised $583!!! Go us!!!

Operation 5: The Little Picture - This operation involved picking a 'small part' of our lives and journaling about it. I chose going to the gym for mine so of course had to photograph my gym bag, waterbottle and trainers... I should have made sure my MP3 player was in the photo too but it was charging at the time LOL :) I've been going to the gym for 2 months now and most of the time I really like it. It accounts for only 3 hours of my week but the benefits are huge!!! I'm losing a bit of weight, feeling positive, definitely feeling a bit firmer and more toned and it's helping me to stay focussed through the day. Plus I'm going with Miss 15 so it's a bit of mother/daughter time for us as well :)So that's me for now... I'm going to try and get some more done before I need reminding LOL

Operations 1, 2 & 3

2008-02-06T20:36:00.000+13:00

I've made a start to the operations now and I'm loving it! I'm so happy with my journal size... it's A5 size and it gives me just enough room to journal my ideas and add a photo :)

After doing the cover I made an intro page so that at the end of the project I can see what I 'thought' the project would be like... kind of cool to reflect back at the end of projects! So here's my intro page:
Operation 1: Balance - This word has been hovering around in my brain for months... I have a real issue with balance in my life! I often get caught up in one area of my life and neglect other areas so this year I've decided to really USE my diary... and I'm going to plan in some fun times!!! Today was a bit of a fun day... NZ had a national holiday today for Waitangi Day which is a celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the Maori and Europeans... Dave and I spent the afternoon out at Kerosene Creek which is a geothermal creek running through the bush... there's a big pool and a hot water waterfall and we lazed and relaxed in the hot water for ages :)Operation 2: Your Souvenir - this was a really challenging one but in the end I decided that my love of learning (and teaching) was something I'd like to be remembered for. I've been teaching for the past 10 years - mostly in primary schools but also teaching adults in computer studies plus I've done some scrapbook tutoring. I absolutely love learning new things and coming up with new ideas and techniques to try so here's my page:Operation 3: What's Next? - For the past 5 weeks we've been doing some D.I.Y. building a new patio area and it's been lots of hard work!!! You can check out the project here! Now that we've almost finished (hopefully by the weekend!) Krystal keeps asking me: 'What are we going to do next Mum?' so that's the theme of my page:You can probably tell by now that I'm loving 'bling' LOL I've only just started using little rhinestones and I'm loving them!!! Marjolein asked about the flowers I'm using in the last post (about the title page) they're rub-ons... not sure who makes them because a friend sent them to me but they're so cool to use :)

Paper Adventure 08

2008-02-04T16:37:00.000+13:00

Well I've finally made a start on Elise Blaha's Paper Adventure!

I really loved the Deck of Me project last year and was hoping 'someone' would come up with a great idea for this year and Elise came to my rescue LOL

I've been watching to see how I'd like it and so far it's looking good so yesterday I sat down and came up with my front cover which I LOVE! it's a really different style for me and I'm liking the idea of it being a little 'journal' to add to over the year... so here it is:

Once I'd made my cover I got thinking about a couple of the prompts and have almost finished journaling what I want so hopefully by the weekend I'll have some more to show you :)

My cards are finished!!!

2008-01-03T11:45:00.000+13:00

I'm feeling really proud of myself... I've actually stuck with this challenge and completed all of the prompts!!! I've always been a great one for starting projects but never actually following through on them to completion but I've actually done it this time and it's a great feeling :)

Week 49: Time flies! It definitely does... and it seems like the older I get the quicker the years are passing by. I've noticed it more this year than others and I think it's because my girls are really growing up. This year has marked some real milestones... they're both now in their teens, Krystal has her learners licence, Mikayla has finished intermediate and I know that my time with them living at home is getting less. So, I've made a concious decision to spend one-on-one time with both of my girls regularly. I love it!!! And more importantly, they seem to love it too :) I feel like I'm really getting to know them in a whole new way... not so much as my daughters but as individuals. I'm learning about their goals, dreams and ambitions... the things that make them angry and sad... what they see as important and I'm discovering that I really, really like spending time with them!

Week 50: the greatest gift. I've had a lot of gifts over the years... some you can put a price on but most of the really important ones have no monetary value... my girls and family are right up there! For this card I chose one of my oldest possessions... a beautiful doll that my Nana (great-grandmother) gave me when I was only 2. I loved her straight away and called her Susan and she went everywhere with me. Looking back on it now she's even more precious to me than she was back then. Nana had very little money and she had terrible arthritis in her hands and knees but she scrimped and saved until she had enough and then she WALKED all the way up to the shops to buy her for me! These days Susan sits on my dressing table (that used to be Nana's) and she wears the christening gown and bonnet I made for my girls. Week 51: made me think of you. Often when I listen to songs I am reminded about different people and times in my life. Some songs bring tears to my eyes and some have me smiling. There were so many to choose from this week so I've highlighted just a few. 'Amazing Grace' always reminds me of Nana because we played it at her funeral and I remember crying my eyes out... even now when I hear it I often end up with tears in my eyes. God of Nations (New Zealand's national anthem) reminds me of Krystal when she was about 5. She'd been learning the song at school and then she proudly sang it to me at home while I did my best not to laugh... here's the first line of the real version followed by Krystal's version:

God of Nations, at thy feet, in the bonds of love we meet.

God of Nations, at my feet, in the ponds of love we meet.

The song that always reminds me of Mikayla when she was little was called Country Bumpkin by Cal Smith and every time we went in the car she wanted the 'Punkin' song!

Week 52: Art! What a great way to end the prompts!!! I really would like to meet up with my 4th form art teacher now so that she could see how 'arty' my life has become. I remember the day she told me not to choose art for a subject the following year because I 'wasn't good enough'. I LOVE being creative... I love playing with paint, ink and paper and creating something unique. I love getting messy but feeling good about what I've made. I really enjoyed making this art card and I've decided to do more 'art for no reason' in the future.So that brings the prompts to an end. I'm looking forward to seeing what Emily comes up with next for everyone! In the mean time I've decided to create just one more card to finish off and then put the whole thing together... I've finally come up with an idea that I HOPE is going to work. Thank you for visiting (and hopefully leaving a comment) and all the best for the new year!!!

Lots to share :)

2007-12-26T15:45:00.000+13:00

I seem to have been inspired to get on with my cards over the last few days :) It's hard to believe that we've almost come to the end of this challenge... (and if you read this Emily) thank you so much for all the inspiration, ideas and creativity!!! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Week 43: Scary! Over the past few years I've worked really hard to eliminate things that scare me... and being a Mum eliminates and creates lots of scary things in itself... I don't squeal about cockroaches and spiders anymore... unless the kids aren't around! But teenage boys certainly scare me!!! So far we haven't had any 'boyfriends' dropping by... it's the idea of that starting that scares me!!

Week 44: Home. Those that know me know that I LOVE being at home! It's one of my most favourite places in the world. I love being able to do what I want to do around my home and I love that I feel safe and secure :) I love having my things around me and I love that my home is filled with things that mean a lot to me. I also really love that my home reflects my family - especially my relationships with my girls. I also love that my home really does inspire me to be creative!Week 45: Self realisation! Oh my goodness... that is a biggie!! I've realised a lot about myself over the past couple of years like: even though I've resented having to have routines they actually help me feel in control of my life... If I write myself a 'to do' list I really do accomplish what I set out to do... I'm pretty good at home improvements... and I'm learning to be really ok with who I am! The biggest realisation lately is that I have a really great life! I have two amazing daughters, a loving family, a great home, a career I enjoy and life really is pretty fantastic!Week 46: rejuvenation. I love feeling rejuvenated... It makes me feel like I'm full of energy, inspired to create and completely at one with myself :) What I'm learning is that lots of different things create that feeling for me... sometimes it's taking a walk on the beach and being surrounded by nature... sometimes it's chilling out with my girls or playing with my nephew and nieces... sometimes it's reading an inspiring book or watching a really great movie like The Pursuit of Happiness... that movie always makes me feel incredibly grateful for what I have as well as totally moves me to tears! If you haven't seen it I would highly recommend it!!!I'm going to break with the norm a bit here and share a layout with you... and it fits perfectly between Weeks 46 & 47 because it's about the place where I feel happiest and how it helps me to restore myself. Hope you like it!Week 47: my happy place! Of course that has to be the beach! I love walking along the beach and collecting all sorts of different 'treasures'. I'm forever looking down at my feet while I'm on the beach in case something beautiful has been washed up by the waves. I love writing words in the sand and I love that it makes me feel calm, centred, and whole!Week 48: ideas!!! I really enjoyed this prompt... mostly because I love having ideas. I've stopped worrying about whether or not my ideas make sense to other people... and I've stopped being so concerned with whether or not they actually work... these days I'm simply happy to have an idea and see where it leads me. I've learnt the hard way that I get lots of ideas while I'm asleep so now I keep a notebook beside my bed because however much I try I just can't seem to remember those 'unforgetable' ideas in the morning! So that's my update... thanks for visiting and I'd love to hear your comments :) Until next time, happy creating :)

Finally another update!

2007-12-05T15:21:00.001+13:00

I've been so busy lately that I have really neglected my Deck of Me cards completely. The other day I got a quick note from Marjolein just asking if everything was alright and it gave me the prompt I needed to get going again so thanks Marjolein... I REALLY did need it!

Week 36: Life is beautiful! I've been so busy over the past couple of months with work, kids and various projects that I haven't really taken the time to appreciate just how beautiful life really is. Sometimes it's easy to forget that life has so much to offer so today I took a 'Mental Health' day. A day just for me... no work, no kids, no nothing... just me in my scrap room and I LOVED it! I feel much more balanced now and more ready to take on the challenges leading up to Christmas. I even tried out a new technique (new for me that is!)... I embossed the pattered paper with the cuttlebug scroll folder... totally loving that new toy! Then I used white StazOn to stamp onto some transparency. Really love the effect and thinking it might look good on greeting cards as well.Week 37: draw something. I've always loved 'creating' stuff. At school the best part of doing projects for me was doing the title pages and borders. I learnt to colour in quickly and I've always been a 'doodler' while on the phone BUT I've never been a drawer! It wasn't until I was at teachers college that I finally found the ability to draw something that mildly looked the way it was supposed to. Over the last few months I've been loving butterflies so I thought I'd give it a go and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I used watercolour pencils a zig pen and finished it off with a little bit of bling for the body :)Week 38: I wonder. I think/wonder about a lot of things... what my life will be like in 5 years time... what if I won LOTTO (I like wondering about that one LOL)... what life would be like without kids (mostly think that one on a bad day!)... what if I'd never gotten divorced (can't imagine still being married to the ex!)... but mostly I think what the girls will do career wise once they leave school... will they be able to look after themselves out in the 'real world'?... have I done a good enough job raising them for them to be able to stand on their own two feet?... will they be happy?? I definitely hope so!Week 39: someone special. I've been really lucky in my life to have a lot of people that have been very special to me. My great grandmother (Nana) was the first person I thought the sun shone out of :) I'm related to a few wonderful people... I'm related to a few nutcases as well!! And I've had some really special friends over the years! This time I thought I'd dedicate a card to my relationship with Dave. We've known each other our whole lives (I'm only a few weeks older than him), we've loved each other, tried living together, gone our separate ways for 10 years, gotten back together and tried living together again but it just never seems to work out the way we hope it will. In some ways we're really alike and at our best we are best friends... we sit up and talk to each other until sunrise regularly and we enjoy lots of the same things. At our worst we can't stand each other... nobody else can make me as annoyed as Dave! He really knows how to push my buttons!!! But in spite of all that there is an invisible link between us that has lasted for 37 years. I don't know what the future holds but I do know that he will always be important to me.Week 40: Not anymore. Not anymore will I wear glasses in public... not anymore will I be pregnant... not anymore will I eat food I don't like just to be polite! But more than anything... not anymore will I live my life based on what others think!!! This has been a hard one for me and something I've been working on a lot over the past 18 months. I'm learning to stand up for what I want and need. I'm learning that I don't have to be liked by everyone. I'm learning to follow my dreams and I'm learning to live my life based on MY beliefs. I'm getting there... I'm making progress... I'm learning a lot about myself and I'm really beginning to understand WHO I really am. It's a journey... it's hard work at times but it's really, really worth it!Week 41: Magic carpet. If I had a magic carpet where would I go??? ITALY!! I've never had the desire to travel... I was quite happy to get married at 19 and settle down. Lately though when I think of the girls leaving home (luckily it's still a few years off yet!) I think about what I would like to do... and I'm thinking that I'd live to explore some places that interest me. I'd like to go to Europe and see some of the amazing things I've only seen via TV and the internet. Mostly I'd love to go to Italy! I'd like to eat fresh pasta made the traditional Italian way... I'd like to visit the wineries and drink some of the local wines... I'd like to explore the art world and visit local markets. Maybe I should go and learn to speak Italian!Week 42: a grateful week! I've made it a routine now that when I go to bed I think of at least 3 things that I feel grateful for. Some days I barely get me 3 and other days I get to 30 in the blink of an eye... it all seems to depend on what's happened that day and how I'm feeling. Having an 'attitude of gratitude' really does work for me! So that's my update... I'm feeling really good again now :) It's amazing how just a few hours to yourself can make such a big difference! Thanks again Marjolein!!

I love long weekends!!!

2007-10-22T14:14:00.000+13:00

Here in New Zealand it's Labour Weekend and it's great to get an extra day of creativity into my weekend :) We've had a busy weekend and Miss 15 had her first driving lesson today! My heart beat has finally settled back to normal... I didn't realise how not.in.control. I would feel with her in the driving seat. I think we've got a lot more driving lessons to do yet LOL

Week 32: quiet. This prompt gave me a complete creative block. Our house is hardly ever quiet!!! With two teenage girls there always seems to be noise... it's not so much them talking it's all the stuff that goes with being a teenager... hair dryers, music (with lyrics I can't figure out!), the beep of the cell phone, playstation, videos playing etc. But then I realised that we do have a rule in our house... NOBODY is allowed out of their bedrooms until 6.30 because the early morning is 'My Time'. Thanks to the lovely Nie for the little owl she sent me in a 'Happy Mail' parcel... it was just perfect for this card!Week 33: 10 minutes! Talk about challenging!!! I think I'm a relatively quick scrapbooker but I've never timed myself... I just work on a layout and when it's finished I'm quite happy... I just didn't realise how quickly time flies when I'm being creative. I stuck to the 10 minutes fairly well... 40 seconds over time... but it was a lot of fun to create a little bit of art simply for the sake of creating. I think I might set myself more 'play time' to just give things a go and see what I end up with.Week 34: funny ha ha! I love to laugh! Sometimes it's just a quiet little laugh, sometimes a giggle and sometimes it's a full.on.tears.running.down.my.face kind of laugh! Had one of those moments today. My sister sent me a photo of my niece... Miss 18 months has just discovered tomato sauce and OMG she had it everywhere!!! Trac even had to wipe it off her eyebrows!!! How the heck do you get tomato sauce in your eye brows??? I'll definitely be scrapping those photos very soon!Week 35: Strength. Over the past couple of years I've noticed how much stronger I feel as a person. Sometimes when life is really tough you wonder how you're ever going to get through it but you do. I remember watching 'Castaway' and Tom Hanks' character said... "you just get up every morning and you breathe... and you keep on breathing and you do it all again tomorrow". And sometimes life is like that... I had a brain aneurysm in January 2000 and it didn’t look good at the time but I survived. I got stronger and I went on with my life. Sometimes people say “that’s amazing, I’d never have known”. To me that’s the whole point! I survived, I got strong and I’m not going to let circumstances define who I am!So that's my update. As always, thank you for your comments!!! Have a happy week :)

Time to update

2007-10-17T09:48:00.000+13:00

Well it's been a busy couple of weeks here!! I flew down to Christchurch on Thursday night for SENZ and it was fabulous! I've discovered that I really love flying and definitely want to travel more in the future!

I had a great 4 days away but I've been really, really tired since I got back so I only have three cards to share this time. Hopefully my energy will return over the weekend and I can get some more creating done... got HEAPS of ideas just need the time and energy to get them done LOL

Week 29: define perfection! I often tell my girls that nothing is perfect but actually some things are! Things seem perfect in those moments when your heart just wants to burst with happiness and you can't imagine that life can get any better than it is right at that moment! I often get that feeling when I'm playing with my nieces and nephew or hanging out with my girls. It's hearing 'I love you Mum/Auntie' just because! It's appreciating the end of a fantastic day or sitting by the fire in winter knowing that it's really cold and wet outside but you're snuggled up cozy and warm with the people you care about. And it's the feeling I get when I've finished a scrapbooking project and I'm really pleased with the end result :)
Week 30: count them! (blessings that is). I've been thinking a lot lately about my life and how 'blessed' I am to lead the life I'm living. I remember hearing about having an 'attitude of gratitude' and I think it's one of the most powerful things I do in my day to day life. I have a family who are important to me, creative talents that let me express myself, the ability to achieve my goals and the dream of what could be.Week 31: no regrets. Are there things I wish I hadn't done in my life? Definitely!!! Do I regret them? A few. But mostly I think that the things I've done (good and bad) have helped me to be the person I am today. I'm stronger than I was at 20... I think I'm wiser!... and I'm definitely happier!!! I remember reading Johnathan Livingstone Seagull a few years ago and it was a really powerful book for me at that time. My favourite quote from the book is: "I just want to know what I can do in the air and what I can't, that's all. I just want to know!" I feel like that in my life too... I just want to know what I can do and what I can't... and I love discovering the answers!!!Well that's my update! Just so you know.... I kept my Week 29 prompt (goal of the week) on my desk last week while I was getting ready for SENZ and it really did help me to get myself organised! Have a great week everyone :)

The mojo is flowing!

2007-10-04T12:03:00.000+13:00

Getting away for a few days camping has really refreshed the creative spirit in me. I'm bursting with ideas and everything seems to be flowing really well at the moment! I know I only updated my blogs yesterday but I've been busy making cards for these prompts and just had to share :)

Week 23: right now. Well apart from the mojo flowing (long may it last!) I'm feeling really grateful for a lot of simple things at the moment. When Miss 12 and I got back from camping we desperately wanted hot showers... and we could have them at the turn of a knob! Light was no problem... just flick the switch! Flushable toilets... heaven!... there is just no way to squat elegantly over a long drop!!! I honestly do love camping... getting away from civilisation, exploring, and collecting little 'treasures' but there really is no place like home... with all its little creature comforts!Week 24: remember when... Lots of things popped into my head for this one: Remember when I didn't have kids? Remember when I was a teenager? Remember when I was learning to drive? (Miss 15 has just got her Learners Licence!) In the end I chose... Remember when we lived on the farm. We had a pretty good lifestyle growing up... lots of fresh air, space to play and huge amounts of imagination! We used to make huts in the hay barn and build tunnels which never failed to annoy our father! We had a huge amount of freedom and it was a completely different life to what my own girls have had. One funny story (at least for me and Trac!) was when we had our horse Laddie... he wasn't a big horse but he was a lot of fun. This particular day we were out in the paddock annoying him and he had enough and chased us. It wasn't so bad for me and Trac... we took off and got through the fence... BUT Kate was only little and her legs couldn't move as far as ours... she got her top half through the fence and then Laddie bit her on the bum! She howled and cried and we made sure she didn't tell Mum cause we knew we'd be in trouble but that night she just couldn't sit down so Mum checked it out and one butt cheek was completely bruised!!! It's funny now but it sure wasn't at the time!Week 25: a photo that means something to you. It's true that most of the photos I have tell a story. When I look at them I can remember how I felt, or what was going on... a million memories come to mind with most of my photos. Then I came across the photos of my graduation from Teachers College. I remember feeling really proud for finally finishing something and sticking with it even though it was hard at times. I'm pretty sure I was talking to Trac (my sister) on the phone and telling her how it had all gone because she couldn't be there to see it... and I wasn't letting that Diploma out of my hands!Week 26: Celebrating daughters. Loved this prompt!!! The first photo was taken when they were 5 & 3 and they were being flower girls for their Grandma's wedding... the second photo was taken when they were 12 & 10 and they were junior bridesmaids for their Auntie's wedding. I can't believe how quickly they've grown up! A few years ago I wrote a poem for a layout I did about my girls and thought I'd share it with you:

Two little girls sent down from above

For me to watch over and cherish and love

Both of them beautiful and clever and kind

Both of them have a very strong mind

One of them dark the other one blonde

And we have between us a very strong bond

A decade has passed since we've been on our own

In less than the next one they both will have flown.

Week 27: junk mail. My kids love it!!! They like seeing what specials Dominoes, Pizza Hut, McDonalds etc are having... and they casually remark on 'what good deals they are'... meanwhile knowing that they don't really have a snowballs chance of getting it LOL. Most of the time the junk mail goes in the bin but every now and then something unsolicited arrives that catches my eye... Telecom have been doing some great junk mail with lots of doodling on it lately!
Week 28: goal of the week. This was a very easy prompt... my goal for the next week is to get everything organised because I'm off to SENZ!!! For those of you who are overseas, SENZ is a scrapbooking event (similar to CHA I think?) They held one in Auckland in May but I couldn't go because Miss 15 was having her birthday so I booked tickets to go to the Christchurch event. That meant I had to book flights too... yippee!! I haven't been on a plane for 20 years!!! So exciting! I'm flying down next Thursday night with a stop over in Wellington. Friday morning SENZ begins and I'm booked into a class at 9am... it goes all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday... it will be like scrapbook heaven for me! Then I'm flying home again on Monday. So looking forward to it but there's heaps to do before I go so I've made my list and I'm going to keep this weeks card visible so that I'll remember to do everything!Hope you are all enjoying the prompts as much as me! I'm finding them really awesome for journaling about things I wouldn't normally write about and I'm sure when I look back at them in the future they will give a real insight into what was going on in my life right now... actually it's almost like a time capsule! Happy crafting everyone :)

More Creativity!

2007-10-03T09:10:00.000+13:00

I've just had the most brilliant 4 days away camping... actually the weather was shocking (torrential rain, hail and 100km winds!) but it was brilliant for getting away from civilisation for a few days and restoring the batteries so to speak! Here's a few more cards that I've done... hope you like them :)

Week 19: surprise! This was absolutely perfect timing for me. My sister is pregnant with her third baby and I was lucky enough to go to her scan and 'surprise' it's a boy! She's got a son (5) and a daughter (18 months) so it will be lovely to have another little boy in the family... especially since we're a family of three girls and I have two girls and our other sister has a baby girl as well. We need some more boys to balance things out a bit! I also took the opportunity to journal about being an Auntie which is one of my favourite roles in life. I adore being an Auntie!!!

Week 20: change. So many things in life change and over the years I think I've adapted really well to the different stages I've had to go through. One of the biggest changes in my life at the moment is the changing of dreams! For the past 10 years I've been teaching primary students (mostly 8 - 11 year olds) and I used to really love it but for the last couple of years I have felt like I'm simply 'going through the motions' and it's time to make some big changes... as the stamp on the card says: it's the journey not the destination!Week 21: your redeeming qualities/qualities you aspire towards. This prompt really got me thinking! I asked Miss 15 what she saw as my strengths and was quite blown away with her response (have to say it was a real boost to my self esteem!)... and then I thought about what qualities I would like to have... that was a bit easier... my step-dad used to say: Most people show you what not to do and only a few show you what you want to be like. He's quite right too! My sister (Trac) is a really good role model of what I want to be like and I think I've become more like her in the last few years... with some mixed reactions from other people! But I'm definitely becoming more the person that I want to be!Week 22: what would you like to learn? Another thought provoking prompt... there are so many things I'd like to try... just to see if I like them but more than anything I want to learn to take one day at a time... to relax and enjoy the special moments that happen every day and to fully appreciate how wonderful life really is!So that's my update... I've still got a little way to go before I catch up but I'm happy with how it's all going and I'm really enjoying hearing what you all think of my cards. Thank you for your comments because they really do mean a lot to me :)

Loving the school holidays!

2007-09-27T09:26:00.000+12:00

It's true that I enjoy teaching but it's equally true that I love having school holidays! I seem to get so much more done... and I have heaps of time for scrapping :) I'm still loving the challenges... and I seem to be catching up quite quickly now so here's the next installment!

Week 14: birds. It's just turning into spring here and we've got tui's outside every morning. They're singing is so beautiful and the blossoms are stunning. It made me think about all the little baby chicks being born... and then I thought about my own 'chicks'. They're growing up so quickly and they're really beginning to think about what they want out of life. I remember being that age myself and it really doesn't seem that long ago!

Week 15: your parents. Hmm this was actually a hard one! It made me really think about what we inherit from our parents and the whole 'nature vs nuture' thing... especially with having a step dad who definitely has had an influence on my life as well! My sisters and I have inherited several different 'cultures' (Scottish, Irish, Romany Gypsy, Maori, American the list goes on!) all wrapped up in the 'kiwi culture' so I focussed on the two cultures I most identify with.Week 16: get someone else to contribute. My daughter Krystal (15) is becoming a very talented scrapbooker! The other day she made an album about her school friends and she did this amazing cover that was stamped, embossed and then stitched. It was absolutely gorgeous so I got her to do the artwork for my card. Thank you Krystal! I'm so proud of your talents :)Week 17: your bedroom. We rented a house about 4 years ago that I absolutely loved. It was an old state house that had been renovated so it had big bedrooms and lots of polished wood. The house had a great feel and awesome french doors that led into the front garden. While we lived there I took heaps of photos of the house because I knew that one day I would like to have a house like that and I'm so pleased I did because I used them for this weeks card. It was also a good time to journal about some of my most precious possessions: I was really close to my Great-Grandmother and when I was 2 she gave me a beautiful walkie-talkie doll that I've still got. When she died she left me her dressing table and it's lovely... one day I'm going to get it restored. Then a few years ago my Grandmother gave me a huge print of the 'Gypsy Queen' which I have always loved. Week 18: nature. Darn it! I did a card about that in Week 13 (what's on your mind?). This time I focussed on being in nature and how it makes you realise how much 'bigger' the universe is compared with your part in it. Nature has always been really important to me... probably a throw-back to growing up on a farm! When I'm really upset, or angry, or sad I usually turn to nature to help me through. So that's my update. Hope you all enjoy the cards and thanks again for all the wonderful comments... I love hearing what you think of my work :)

More Creativity :)

2007-09-24T09:01:00.000+12:00

This challenge is definitely making me think about my life. I'm really enjoying the prompts although at times it's hard to decide what I want to focus on! I'm loving hearing what you all think of the cards too... thank you so much for the positive feedback!!! I've managed to do another four cards this week so here's the update:

Week 10: note to self. At first I was going to journal all those little things that if you could go back in time you would tell yourself... but that might have been a journal in itself! Instead I decided to use it as a reminder of the important things to me... and when I thought about it most of those were the really simple things in life.

Week 11: your initial. What a cool prompt! I've always liked the letter S. I think it's the curvy line and it's kind of scripty... and as a kid I always like the different ways you could make it look fancy :) Plus it looks great in a signature!

Week 12: I believe... There were quite a few options for this prompt... I believe that good manners are important... I believe that children often show us how to be happy... I believe that family can be one of our greatest gifts (or the greatest bug bears!) but in the end I chose believing in my dreams! I honestly think that when you do something passionately and with your whole heart then you really can't fail!

Week 13: What's on your mind? Lately I've had so many ideas running around in my head... ideas for layouts, projects I want to do, things I have to do and at times it's felt like my mind is going to explode... so with that in mind I chose thinking about the quiet times... rejuvenating by walking along the beach or through the forests and taking time to clear my thoughts so that I can focus clearly on the next thing.

Thanks again for all your wonderful comments :) I'm off to get some more creating done!

Loving this challenge

2007-09-15T08:34:00.000+12:00

First of all... THANK YOU to all the people who commented on my first post. I've been so inspired and creating that I haven't had a chance to leave you all comments on your blogs but I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all the great feedback!

Here is the next installment on my cards - I'm up to Week 9 now so hopefully I'll catch up relatively quickly.

Week 5: use some ephemera from your week. At first I was going to use stamps and journal about how much I love getting 'happy mail'... things like circle journals, ATC's etc and then the other morning I was putting in my contact lenses and realised that the seal on the pack was the perfect size for my card! Wearing glasses at 9 was so not cool back in the late 70's - Harry Potter hadn't come and waved his wand yet and I can still hear the kids teasing and my teacher (Mr Brown) explain to me why I had to wear them. These days I wear contact lenses which I love!

Week 6: Love, Love, Love! I thought about creating this card about the people I love... but there wasn't the room for that so I did it about what I'm looking for. I'll let the journaling on the card speak for itself.

Week 7: Shoes - there is always a story to tell. I do remember those patent leather black shoes I had when I was a kid. I thought I was so flash in them... and yes, both my girls had them when they were little too! These days I seem to wear either boots in the winter or sandals in the summer... I only ever seem to own a maximum of three pairs of shoes at a time. The shoes I remember coveting the most were 'Treks' back in high school. I SO wanted a pair!!!

Week 8: Who (or what) do you miss? This one was an easy choice... I miss Nana... sometimes a lot! She was my Great-Grandmother and we loved each other to bits! Her hands were quite misshapen from arthritis but I remember thinking she had the most beautiful hands in the world because they were kind hands. She was a very gentle person and she often kept her thoughts to herself but there was a special magic about her. Pink and pale green were her favourite colours :)

Week 9: Inspiration found! Everywhere I look I get inspiration... sometimes it's listening to a song on the radio, other times it might be a conversation. Sometimes it's a photo or piece of paper. Sometimes it's from looking at scrapping magazines or blogs. The other day I noticed the neighbours net curtains and thought they would make a fantastic background paper LOL. This card was a lot of fun and really enjoyed playing with a few of my favourite colours, items and techniques.I hope you enjoy the cards and you can be sure I'll be back later in the week with another installment. Please leave a comment because I do read them all and I really appreciate your thoughts! Happy creating :)

I've made a start!

2007-09-11T18:31:00.000+12:00

At the beginning of 2007 Emily Falconbridge designed an art journal journey she nicknamed a 'Deck of Me'. Each week she posts new challenge on her blog and she's currently up to Week 36 BUT I only found the blog a couple of weeks ago so I'm starting out at the beginning and at some point I'm bound to catch up! So far I've completed Weeks 1 - 4 so that's not bad going!

Emily's challenges are quite thought provoking at times and I'm having quite a bit of fun using up all sort of scraps that are left over from making layouts. It's also a great way to try out new techniques that I'm not too sure about without worrying about messing up my 12 x 12's.

I've decided to make mine into some sort of book at the end... probably with a hole punched in a top corner and threaded onto a ring but if you have any other ideas please leave me a comment!

Here's my front cover:

Then I made an index page just to remind myself of where the idea for this came from: Week 1: something you are proud of. It was hard to choose just one thing... being a mum? completing teachers college? overcoming a brain aneurysm? in the end I chose being proud of taking chances and following my dreams.

I found a great little quote by Mark Twain that I wanted to include but it wouldn't fit so I made a tiny card to go under the butterfly and it worked pretty well:Week 2: what is powerful to you? Lots of things came to mind for this one too... like I said, some of the challenges are really thought provoking! In the end I chose learning to live from my heart which is becoming more and more important to me as I get older.

Week 3: I am... Yep it happened again... I am 36? I am a mum? I am a teacher? I am creative? Nope... my biggest challenge these days is finding balance so... I am constantly trying to find balance in my life!

Week 4: A symbol you love. This one was much easier to choose. I just love the koru and what it represents! I also love paua shell so putting the two together gave me an awesome result.
So that's the first four prompts completed. I'd love to hear your comments so please don't be shy!