I forgot !!!

I was at Dress Mart in Onehunga on the weekend, and saw this advertisement that totally cracked me up- How anyone comes up with these ideas totally impresses me!!!

Those are little guppie type fish swimming around in the "tank" classic indeed, even funnier was hearing the parents trying to explain just what it was.... the younger kids were enthralled, the older kids were more horrified!

And this is my tin! aren't you all totally impressed that I actually DID an altered art thingie, this is a Basic Grey Lunch Pail - available now from Spotlight, this tin was made with my neice in mind, so very girly, the title will be put on at some stage but not now, the mini album stuff inside is a total mix up, photos of anything and everythign and I'll do some recipe cards too. If you want to see it up close and personal, it will be on display at Spotlight Manukau from this weekend (and yes as all things look, this is much better in real life!)

Thanks to Zeetra for the encouragement particulary regarding the ribbons- yes, it seems I really can do it!

Happy mail day for meeeee

Actually its the second happy mail day this week... and its only Tuesday! I bought a knock off MP3 player from trademe the other day - and its arrived and I love it, of course it is pink again, but this time, i have 4GB (that means lots and lots of space) and i can store things in folders so I dont get random type music all the time.


But then today I got my stampin up stamps- I ADORE these!!! of course ive tried out nearly all of them and had to take a pic.. can anyone guess what sort of stamps i like by this photo?
If you guessed flourishes- you would be correct!
So far Ive only stamped in silver brilliance on black cardstock and they are just lovely to use - well worth the price, and in retrospect they werent that expensive really - no more than stamps in the shops!
Must go... have lots of ink colours and plenty of paper to play with!

Im here!

I didnt get much else done Friday night, Saturday I spent trying to find going out clothes- i got a new vest which *i* like however derek is under the impression I look completely stupid. Luckily I realise those that wear shorts, long sock and ripped tshirts every day of the year probably arent going to be the most up to date on fashion.

I went out Sat night- thanks to both my companions whom I promised i wouldnt blog about... well that was only ONE companion - so Sharon is fair game :) but to make it fair, I'll post a pic of me too - and in MY defence it was late, I'd had a few.... no such excuses for Sharon tho!

And NOOOOO we didnt mean to be colour co-ordinated, that just happened!

Right, so onto Sunday, I slept and cleaned my desk (its lovely and tidy) even tho I cant find anything now. I managed to get some birthday cards done for ANZ Fiskars.

then today! I found this bloggie: http://www.kitcardshop.com/blog/ it has some great stuff at reasonable prices! I just need to find out if they do International... and I think I shall tell Beth off for not advising us sooner!!

Tonights efforts (so far)

I went to NZ Scrapbooks BG preview tonight, lovely new papers and fun things to do!


after the layout make session (Which I actually DID! and finished when I got home - see further down for the pic as proof cos I know you will think I'm telling porkies) I was shopping downstairs, and Sharon took this pic of me- I look totally confusseled prolly cos I'm wondering just WHAT to buy! however I restrained myself, and only purchased a black glaze pen (YAY!!!! theyre in stock again!) and also some velvet paper in a rich cerise colour, I have plans for that extremely expensive but oh so yummy piece of paper.
SEE!!! I actually finished a layout - that looks close to the original as seen here.

my lil Maori doll tags

I made a few of these for some choc packs going to some USA Fiskateers- its important to spread the love of pineapple lumps and moro bars and crunchies and pinkies!!!

Im alive!

not much good to anyone but I'm still here, i have been ill since Friday but the Dr is fixing me up so I'll be as good as new again... any day now I'm sure. I'm limping my chubby butt into work as often as I can, but can't stay around long enough to be useful - only long enough to get myself into trouble so I've decided that seeing as I want to keep my job, I'm staying home till I'm better.
My scrap room is horrendous i made a bunch of card thingies with lil Maori dolls which I forgot to take photos off (oops) but I still have a couple to make so I will take a pic then.
Found a new donut shop in Manukau shopping mall, and they are delicous- sick I might be but I'm also totally ravenous for bad food, and the "Raspberry Dream" filled with raspberry jam and covered in white chocolate is really very good. I did consider getting a picture of that too but I ate it too quick.
I'm sure there were things to post but I've forgotten and quite frankly I don't umm care.
I'll remember when I'm ready and then Ill do another post, for now, I can tell I've been walking and sitting too long and my kidneys are protesting, so it's time for Nic's super duper wheatie bag without wheat and into bed!

i dont like humane traps

I thought it would be nice, but one of the gel traps that I "lost" in the last mouse epidosde and fully couldnt find it... well I found it today - with the 2nd mouse in it!!!!! and biggups to my dog Jessie who sniffed it out and wouldnt move, this is the dog that doesnt do anythign when a mouse walks in front of her, but the problem was that the mouse in the trap was still alive.
Derek "disposed" of it for me so all good!

ive left the other trap set... just in case

Is everyone checking out the fiskateer board this weekend?
Its the online version of CHA so keep checking cos it has some great challenges and RAKs!

I have a WINNER!

And congratulations to TracyP , thank you for helping Rachel out and I hope you have all saved Rachel's blog so we can keep up with her scrapbooking journey! and this weeks Scrap N Crop challenge is a goodie! so check it out, and hope that the NZ Dares don't get any ideas!!
Final of Project Runway is on tonight and I have been good- I haven't even googled the winner!! of course I did google America's Next Top Model :D but I wont tell who wins - you can google it yourself!
I'm slowly getting through the reorganising - doing ok too!
Not much else to report at this stage, maybe later!

Great news for Rachel~!

She has won immunity in the next challenge! so thanks to all that helped and a RAK will be randomly drawn tomorrow to say thanks to those who helped out!
Im currently in "reorganising" mode, I am having to contain my spreadioutyness into some sort of practical order.
Im getting a new desk in my room, but also all the work books etc, Derek has downsized his company from a 4000sq ft workshop with 2 offices to a workshop half the size with no office... so currently my lounge is looking well, horrendous, it has extra couches, fishing rods, wakeboards etc etc with no place to put them all! the guns are about the only thing safe and sound in the gun safe, but as for everything else.. I have NO idea where any of it is going to go, derek has taken one couch away for a bonfire - i felt bad cos i couldnt even give him any marshmellows to cook.
I am trying to very quickly get a good idea of what space i really do NEED for scrapbooking, and I think im gonna be ok, i have another massive shelf he is going to put up on the other wall that I dont utilise (except for my Fiskars demonstrator poster)
I am definately wary about going through the wardrobe - i havent looked in there for a very long time and its full of boxes, hopefully empty! and now we have the new wheelie recycling bin i can throw all the cardboard out... and then i can fill up the wardrobe with ancient old invoice books that unfortunately we need to keep for another year *sigh* does the IRD not realise this "keep for 7 years" thing is going to affect my scrap room!?
So back to work for me and Ill be back tomorrow with a name for the Fiskars stamps.

and again!

we did so well with the aussie/NZ Fiskars blog - well over 300 comments~! so go us kiwis! and to prove it wasnt a one off, we have a NEW bloggy challenge. It IS a little complicated so to ease the way I happened to pick up a little something that you might just want! can anyone say Fiskars clear stamps??? hmm???

so here it is:
Rachel is a kiwi scrapper living in Kuala Lumpar since October 2007 with her DH (shall we call him scrubby) and her two adorable children A and M. For the last seven weeks Rachel has been taking part in a scrapping competition by Scrap-n-Crop’s Project Scrap Away. Each week someone is eliminated. Rachel has created some beautiful layouts during the last seven weeks. Rachel is the only kiwi in this international competition. So why does she need your help? She has the opportunity to blog her way to immunity and this is how you can help.
Leave a comment on Rachel’s blog at this link and you earn her a point.
If you mention her name and Project Scrap Away (PSA) on your blog she gets an extra point.Then go to PSA blog and leave a comment on this post here and type Rachel’s friend with a link to your blog.
Let’s go and help a fellow kiwi out! Go Rachel!

so leave your name if you commented and your name and blog addy for me to CHECK cos i will you know i will read every single comment.... and then by Friday ill pick a winner - bribery as always is acceptable.

ALSO thank to Christine i have some Cloud 9 vellum flowers - these are definately interesting and if I saw them in the shop i would hesitate - it just so happens Im midway thru a layout... of my dad and the flowers are perfect! thanks Christine :D

Valdosta, Georgia

Is not an ugly armpit looking place- certainly cleaner looking than Otara.... and the Valdosta State University - Auckland University looks like a tent compared to that place! It does kinda look a bit like Kingseat in a more upmarket kinda way - that particular photo doesnt do it justice but you get the idea.



Valdosta is in the South, and Nic and I reckon Beth must have the BIGGEST Southern drawl, I beleive the quote was "y'all come back now for some grits ya hear!"



But that reminds me of the Southern boys, and if you don't know me very well, You won't know what a soft spot I have for the accent.... ooh yeah "yes ma'am" "naw ma'am" I would love to return to Mississippi just to hear that!!! being called Miss New Zealand was highly amusing too - it was said out of respect (particulary by the little kids) but of course it made me crack up every time I heard it because I think I have quite a different image of what Miss New Zealand looks like - and its not me!



Now I have two questions. Is it wrong for me to scrapbook like an ex-boyfriend? I have some photos (very discreetly tucked away on my harddrive) and I even have the rose petals and leaves from my last visit (actually they are sellotaped onto my monitor) The photos I have of this person are a little umm not normal, but this period of my life was really important to me, important enough for me to spend 10 weeks in New Orleans the first time, home again for 2 weeks and then back again to Bay St Louis for another 6 weeks. And it was also that 2 week period of being home that I met Derek. I have alot to remember around this time and I do want to scrap it - but HOW!? i think it will have to be hidden photos, and prolly hidden journalling too, but I've been stuck for months wondering if its the "right" thing to do! any advice would be appreciated!



the second thing is I took a photo of my new haircut! you can all oohhh and ahhhh thats ok, hehe Ive really started coming out as older looking in my photos - im SURE I dont look like that in real life (sigh) I really must stop smoking!

Dont panic!!!

to the left i have a new gadget widgety thingie it shows where people get to my blog from, so it amuses me!!!

now im still trawling for the scrappers that havent posted in the comments section for the Fiskars Aussie/NZ blog please go HERE and leave your name and location and say that danice from nz referred you - you never know! you might just win some cool stuff!!

Get ya fingers ready girls,

and NO, i did not mean in that way - yes I'm looking at you Nic and prolly Beth too.....

but for those that havent already go check out THIS blog, and :
'go leave a comment with your name and country plus my name and country'.
If I win anything good (as you likely will too!) I will share!!!

and that mouse, well he does exist - must be a girl cos shes mighty smart - nibbled at the tombo glued choc and didnt set the trap off, but its only early days hehehehehe !!!

PS i got my hair cut today its kinda short but i like it! no pics yet cos im lazy ill do it on the weekend

oh dear lord - here we go again

Relaxing and basking in my glorious "Queen Rodent Ridder" status,
Flatmate calls out from his bedroom "Hey guess what I just saw"
A mouse ha ha ha
I've not seen any signs of a new mouse in my scrap room, (this mouse seems ominously more intelligent already)
but it was running towards my bedroom, that is just not cool
So two traps set again - this time one with peanut butter (thanks Beth for that tip) inthe hall way
and the other trap in my scraproom with my very very last peice of fruit and nut chocolate glued with Tombo, see now, mices like tombo green glue too - cos it SMELLLLLLLLS nice :D
And other than that riveting snippet of news, I have some pipe cleaners now, ready for the NZ Dares challenge, of course I have no clue what the hell I'm meant to do with pipe cleaners - but it will be fun to play :D



But OOOH I nearly forgot! thanks to Sandra this is what I have in my hot little hands (well to be honest my hands are kinda fat and pudgy and all flubby looking) but beside that- woohoo!!

How shocking was BONES!!!

I adore crime tv stuff, was totally hooked on CSI (the original the others dont grab me so much) but I love Bones now - most likely cos Seeley Booth is the only actor that I actually think is totally hot - in character of course. Now of course i knew who the Gorgomon apprentice was, Ive known for a while - in fact I especially watched the final tonight cos I knew the hot guy was gonna be in the bath... bit disappointed in the tameness of that scene.
BUT! how shocking is that!!! i wont name names yet in case someone tapes it and watches it, but still its a shocker,
and a little tidbit for next season - once "he who cant be named" is gone, we get to meet Angela's Ex husband, who by all accounts comes across as the "perfect man"
I will be watching!!
but now I have to go change the channel back to Crime TV.

I WIN.

Is it immature to go nah nah naaaaaa na to the mouse? I won! hes no longer an issue.
he did get the better of me once more and nicked the salami of one trap, but i used good old tombo to glue the cracker to the other trap. i wont post the picture cos im sure you all get the idea.

Anyone notice ive changed my header picture? got sick of seeing a tidy desk when it really isnt tidy, so i took a photo of it as it is, I'm much happier now.

Im going to try and do another layout before his majesty wakes up and grumps about looking for bacon and eggs so ill no doubt post a bit later on.

Well such fun things to report today,

First off - whats up with this weather! one minute sunny and the next we have storms and this:

Next on the list is this: This is my lil mouseys favourite food - and i KNOW i should leave food out, but at 2am the shapes were my snack food, the reeces were for sandra (sorry mate- at least you can see *i* didnt eat it!! and the salami sticks were in my crop pile (for snacking on)

SO now i gave up on the "humane" trap because the lil sh*t figured that one out - its a really ultra sticky gel trap, so when mouse stands on it hes stuck..... well i loaded it up with a chocolate foiled choc, and he wanted that so he took that a week or so ago. So i got clever and put the lil lollies in the middle of the trap. and umm well it worked... but i forgot to check it yesterday and this morning i found the trap miles away with all this STUFF on it, he obviously got stuck, dragged the whole trap under my trollies, and then ripped all the paper closest to him and got of the trap! so ha ha ha i get the last laugh after popping to the supermarket (lettuce is 2.50 now for those that care) and Voil'a! traps have been set in the kitchen and in my room (because he seems to like my room, likely because its warm and obviously i inadvertantly feed him.

Today he really really annoyed me, he was eating a shape which he had taken out of the packet, climbed down 3 layers of 'stuff" and squirreled himself away into a small box and proceeded to crunch on it, i carefully unlayered everything and got a clear bin thing and put the box into the container.... woo hoo! i had him!!! for 3 seconds until he JUMPED out and ran away.

So I am quite looking forward to tomorrow, and i will be eager to check my traps and whos going to be laughing then!?? hmm??

and i am still considering my Rak never fear- i havent forgotten!!!

Im thinking up a rak..

not sure when i will announce or What it will be, except it will be fun!!!!
I did another layout last night but im holding on to it until im sick of looking at it.

The 2nd to last challenge is up on so you think you can scrap and i *could* theoretically enter the layout i did last night,
but nahhhh more fun to make a new one!
so check back soon to see if ive thought of something good

oohh and a big congrats to Jessie!

Good effort - not been scrapping long and shes won this weeks NZ Dares - the awesome stampin' up! pack!!! im very jealous, way to go!

noooooo dont rush anywhere!

Cos then you will see masses of awesome stuff and mine might pale in comparison! But seeing as its up on the Gallery at Scrapbook studio (aka scrapbookingbydesign.co.nz) I can post it here :
The beads are Ann's idea, I think ive used the idea on like the last 4 layouts ive done - i do think its clever!

Aren't I mean??

Three whole days without posting, but on the upside I HAVE finished a layout for the 5th week challenge, using fabric and stuff, Ill be able to post it here on Thursday. Meanwhile I am stressed so I am enjoying a few hours of scrapping (hehehehe to make a change from normal of course)
I find the wedding photos of Tess to be quite relaxing, Possibly because the black and white and odd colour is calming or possibly because it's totally different than doing photos of the kids, either way I'm sure she wont mind :D So that is my update for the moment. Hoping to finish this layout tonight so I can stick down and copy tomorrow. Will do my best to keep you all informed and if I have breakfast tomorrow - ill be sure to add that to the next blog post!