The hols...

were fun and quiet and peaceful. We didn't do a whole lot but what we did do was a lota fun! The first week saw Oli loose his second front tooth and be Mr gappy. It took us quite a while to get use to his new look but it marks another stage of maturity and reminds me that my little boy just keeps growing up! Slow down Oli I cannot keep up.

We went on a shopping trip which actually was quite fun! The boys were spoilt and got to choose a Lego set each. Oli was very decisive and bought the sea plane he has been after for some while but Keiran picked up a new box every isle and they got bigger each time! Finally we persuaded him to get a toy story set which he now loves! We also bought a plant to add to Toffees grave. The boys enjoyed planting and watering it and saying goodbye to our good old friend. Even Harry came to help.

One of our favourite days was at Mission bay with my good friend Bev and her children. We played and played until we all fell asleep in the car on the way home. Would you believe that the kids even went for a splash in the sea... not just a paddle as we suggested, but a full on run into the sea. Sadly my camera had packed up and I didn't get too many good pictures. Bev did though and I cannot wait to see them.

Rock pooling with Colleen, Jarrod and Reuben was also a big hit and an event I think will happen again! We could not get over how many star fish we saw. Keiran was quite amazing at climbing rocks and the Pohutakawa tree. Maraitai has become one of our fav spots to be. My boys were so taken with their new friends they couldn't wait to meet up with them again so we arranged a swimming date later in the week. I even braved it into togs and hit the water. I have to say it was well worth it. The smiles and laughter from Keiran put such big smiles in my heart!

The rest of the days were quiet ones but we baked and enjoyed just being a family. Check out these doughnuts and cupcakes. YUUUMMMEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Good bye old friend

Many a time have we joked about our fat, grumpy old cat. He was a bad tempered boy but very loving with it! He was our 1st baby and I didn't really realise how much he meant to Justin and I.

We will miss his funny ways. It is quite strange with out him tonight. No meowing constantly even though food has been put out. No heavy plop onto our lap to watch a bit of TV. No friendly nips when he has had enough of the stroking.

Oli told me this morning that Toffee was the king of our cats and now Bozo will have to take over the job! How cute.

So... fair well our big boy. I am sure the other boys miss and I know we do. Rest in peace my number 1 son.
xxxxxxx

At the moment

I am:

Mimicking: an owl....it is rather late and tends to be most nights

Listening: some rubbish on the tv; which I had intended on turning off ready to hit my bed but here I am....otherwise I am loving my Colbie cd's and jason mraz

Eating: well I have eaten home made pizza and popcorn ( it is movie or should I say was movie night!) I am over eating and need to start working it!!!

Drinking: anything and everything...I am enjoying an open bottle of Pino Gris but I have just had a glass of water....mmm water must drink more of that!

Wearing: layers lots of layers and my new glasses!

Reading: nothing but looking forward to being lent a new book

Feeling: Anxious, nervous, excited, tired, sick, creative...... I'm a bag of mixed emotion right now

Wanting: to be completely happy and to be confident

Needing: confidence and to loose weight

Thinking: how am I going to keep my boys entertained this holiday

Enjoying: not crying every 5 mins

Wondering: when I will really feel like the old me again

Scrapping: again!!!! Yay. Enjoying being challenged by only using Stampin' Up


Here are some sneaks of a class I am planning! Lots of techniques in this one! head over to my Stampin Up blog or Facebook page for dates and details. Happy Scrapping....

Hat on head and slippers on feet!

I am cold! Not just a winter cold but a shivery don't want to do anything cold! I have made the family hot cuppas topped with throthy milk and shaved white chocy it has warmed my insides but I still feel too cold to find any inspiration!

I have been creating mind you and I am quite pleased to have finished the 1st of a few SU exclusive layouts. I have been wanting to play with the circle cuttter to get this fluffy circle look. I saw my buddy Louise create a gorgeous page with fluffy circles and it reminded me that I was going to do something similar with the SU circle cutter.

The photo of me n Oli was taken in London... we were mucking around and just being silly. We took the pic of ourselves and whilst the title is not mind blowing i know that in time it will remind us of the silly fun we can have together.

I really enjoyed creating the birdhouse. It is made from bits of the On board chipboard from SU. I cut and inked and stamped and I am happy. It doesn't really show but the background is one of the gorgeous Urban Oasis papers with subtle but elegant white flowers.

A week has gone by so very quickly; this time last week we were well on the way to party mode. The girls were starting to arrive, even though I hadn't washed my floors and hair! Oh well I decided... they love me regardless. party we did and at 4 something I pushed Tracy to her mattress and switched off singstar. Bev beat us hands down at the singout but I have to say Tracy won the most effort medal! We had so much fun that the camera stayed warm in its cover and so I have no evidence to show. Actually I think the no hair wash had something to do with the lack of camera.


Tonight is movie night a sorta new family event. We are really enjoying being snuggled on the couch together with PJ's blankets and popcorn! Tonight is Monsters Inc. So I had best go prepare the pizzas and dip and garlic bread.

back with a bang and thanks to those online

It has been an awful long time since I blogged last!!!! But today I decided to once again, join the world of cyberspace.
This little post on a blog I have enjoyed reading spurred me on!

You know when you feel all alone and unsure- well as a mother I have experienced that feeling so many times. Talking with friends made all the difference. This last week my son Justin injured his ankle hiking down a mountain, a very big mountain. He rarely gets hurt enough to stop and this injury stopped him. As a worried mom I took him in to be checked out the following day and was relieved to hear that no break was seen on the x-rays.

Why share this you wonder, because I tweeted about it and even though I didn't know who was reading the tweets, it just felt better because I knew that whoever did read them would send good vibes my way. Strange as it sounds, I think connecting online keeps us from that all alone feeling.

So thanks to you I coped and did just fine. Speaking of fine, Justin reluctantly agreed to go on our annual Sand Dunes trip and obviously he is glad he went after all. Love that boy almost man.

Well it was the "when you feel all alone and unsure that got me!" As most of you know ( those who have been facebooking know) that 3 weeks ago I was feeling the most alone and unsure that a Mum could feel and S%*&# hit the fan and I started my downward journey. When I was feeling the lowest I wrote something quite silly and out of the blue on facebook. Before I knew it I had people at my side in person and online 24/7. It was then I realised that although I feel alone I am most def not!!!!!

Being online and in blog land connects you with others and sometimes...with others who you really did not know cared.

So after all this.... I just wanted to say thank you to all those who have been around either in person or via this mad cyberspace world!!! Thanks to you I, just like Wendy Smedley have done just fine!!!!!

I am now mending, seeing some positive light and not so lonely! Our new path with ASD will be an informative, soul searching and mostly a strengthening journey. Oli will throw us some awkward detours but I am certain that he will give us joy and smiles with every step he makes. His quirky little nature and unique being make him the gorgeous boy he is and I will never forget that! Even if he does drive me up the wall at times.LOL

Being at home with the boys has slowed down my world and I no longer feel like I am on a merry go round that has had the fast foward button pushed! I now feel more in control and able to dictate how much I can achieve. I no longer have to prove myself, I no longer have to succeed, I no longer have to do it to my best ability. I just have to be MUM!! And a bloody good Mum I will try to be.

As for scrapping well... I no longer have commitments, but I have many friends and I will once again start scrapping just because! I want to say a huuuuuuge big thank you to Pauline and Adrienne for allowing me to be a design team member. It has been a wonderful journey and I have no regrets. It has taught me to love my style because I have a style, that I can do it, and that there are so many loving ladies in the scrapping world! I am now a SP lurker and will continue lurking for a long while. This is a sneak of my last( well for a while anyway) Take out Kits from Scrapping Patch.

It should be on sale very soon.

So I will see ya all around a little more. Keep your eyes open because I might just create something soon.

Calf club and A big Dilema!!!!

Life has been busy with school and normal family routines. Oli did so well at calf club and his calf Rainbow was very well behaved. He tried so hard at the leading and he received 2 ribbons for effort and care. I was proud of his efforts and I felt that rainbow was the cutest calf; even if I was a little bias.


I have not long to decide my future with scrapping and Stampin Up!! I have only a week or so to sign the new agreement for Stampin' Up which does not allow me to blog and reference to other craft outlets. This will mean I either have to leave Scrappin' Patch DT or leave Stampin"Up! I want to do neither! I rreally have no idea what to do but it looks like I am going to have to say goodbye to my SU demo role. My new team member is going to be very sad and I know my customers will be too. ARRRGGGHHH this is such a hard and unwanted decision I have to make. It sucks!!!!!

So, anyway; I have been creating this last week although not as much as I would like. My life back as a full-time teacher is really full on! I am working long hours during the week and I am going to go into work today to plan my week. Friday night and last night I fella sleep on the couch at 9pm and so no scrapping occurred. A big bummer coz I was quite looking forward to being creative and doing something purely for me.

Here are some of my latest creations. Enjoy and see ya soon xxLOL

Oh this is a sneak peak of my new page... keep an eye out for the new challenge coming soon over at Scrappin' Patch

This page was made for the Man challenge by Heidi using blue and yellow and I have finally scrapped the photos of my star in your eyes competition layouts. This page was an inspiration page for the multi photo challenge.

Happy Birthday Scrappin' Patch

It is Scrappin' Patch's 2nd birthday and they are celebrating! Ther eare a few cool challenges to be involved including a card challenge and scrap your scrapping challenge. So head over there and join in the fun.

I created a card for the card challenge which i am quite pleased with. The Prima journal cards are just perfect for whipping up a quick card.

My fellow scrapper and friend Bev features on my scrapping page. She was sucha sweetie atthe sketch book retreat and made a delicious Baileys Cheesecake. I had requested it some time before but I thought she would not remember but hey she did. So I crowned her Queen of the crop for not only completing the most pages over the weekend but for providing a really special supper. I used the fabulous Karen Foster papers.

I have also managed to finish some other layouts this week including ones I started at the Sketch book retreat. I put them away and got busy with other things but last night I decided to do a bit of clearering up and out! I haven't photo'd them yet and the day is so dreary so you will have to wait for those.

Onto some non scrapping news; on Friday night J and I managed to sneak out for dinner by ourselves which was so nice. I even dressed up for the occasion. Saturday morning was so incredibly quiet but I have to say quite enjoyable. I am not sure Granny and Grandad had a quiet morning and night though!!!

Saturday was our big day out to Mamma Mia and it was fantastic!!!! I haven't been to a musical for some time and it was a great treat. The performers were excellent and company just as good. We found Elloitt Stables and had a yummy lunch although Justin might have wished he could read a little French. He was not impressed when his Brochetta arrived with blue cheese on it!

So I am now off to make more classroom resoures; for those of you who do not know I am going back to the classroom full time. I have been out of mainstream education for a little while and although I am quite nervous I am excited to be teaching new entrants again! I now remember how much work it is but the bank account will be very thankful. We are going to work hard this next year so that we can move on and up to a bigger home.

Anyway I leave you with another layout that I created for the latest shabby chic challenge over at the patch. It is addorned with quite a few Prima products!!!!!