Saturday, March 29, 2014

Scrapbooking weekend

The Scrap Addicts recently got together for our quarterly Scrapathon weekend - 2 whole days of scrapbooking.  It's still never enough time for us and we always wish that we had more time together to scrapbook.
 
Leonie was due to celebrate her birthday, so Lynn and I
spoilt her with some great gifts


each Scrap Addict designed a page kit for the weekend, this is Lynn's lovely page

 Linda designed this double page

Leonie's page has a lovely flag banner at the top - made using a new punch by Martha Stewart
 
Lynette's page has a nautical theme

and this is the page that I designed for everyone; we design and share the page kits every quarter

miss Ruby is scrap cat, and was rather upset that Lynn left her big box of paper at home (she loves to lie in Lynn's paper box)



these are 3 of my pages from the weekend 

Linda and Lynn helped me pack everything away on Sunday afternoon,
and then headed home; thanks ladies for another
awesome scrapbooking weekend together!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Just the way I like it

*  waking up without the alarm clock on Sunday morning, making coffee, and enjoying 'book club in bed' with my furry child
 
*  crocheting in bed while catching up on taped programs on my PVR
 
*  deep tissue massages every 2 to 3 weeks
 
*  having Ruby on my lap, playing with her, feeling her fur, and hearing her purr
 
 
*  washing laundry and towels
 
*  putting seed in the bird feeder and watching who comes to visit
 
*  a hot bubble bath before bed, and then reading a few pages before lights out
 
*  online shopping - Scrap-a-Doodles, Loot and Yuppiechef are my favourites
 
*  buying odds and ends that I know my baby nieces need or will enjoy - like candy necklaces, shoes (miss Katy loooves shoes!) and warm jackets
 
 
*  being diligent about taking a wide range of vitamins and supplements recommended by my homeopath.  Every day
 
*  reading...blogs, books, magazines
 
*  crumbed baked chicken breasts on fresh spaghetti with basil pesto, rocket and grated parmesan cheese
 
*  the colour pink
 
*  recycling - it's a hassle in South Africa, but I just do it
 
*  cupcakes
 
 
*  MAC eye shadow, Woolies Mascara, Hannon foundation and blush, and Clarins Fix Make-up spray
 

*  using harvested water from my rain water tank to water the pot plants
 

 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Scrapbook Layout

Here is a layout that I created last weekend.  I like the idea of documenting things about myself that I want my nieces to know about me, but that I wouldn't necessarily think to tell them, especially now when they are still so young.  One day when I am old and gray, they can read this in the scrapbooks which they will inherit.
 

  

We really battle to find great paper trimmers in South Africa, especially the small trimmers.  And finding new blades for the trimmers is almost impossible.  I've bought a large CutterPillar Pro trimmer, and it is phenomenal for scrapbooking.  I just wish that they made them in a smaller size for travel, and scrapbooking in small spaces at crops!

 
 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Brave things


Brave things for me right now...

*  I'm acknowledging that I'm different to the way I've seen myself for many years, my body is different and changing into its middle-aged self, and I want different things for myself as I head towards my 50th birthday in January 2015
 
*  resting when I feel that I need to, instead of pushing myself to do more and more and more
 
*  saying no to things that I really don't want to do, both personal and professional stuff (sometimes this works out, and sometimes it doesn't)

*  working hard and having faith that everything will be ok
 
*  delegating some of my monster workload, and bravely giving up control
 
*  having courageous conversations with my boss

 *  facing the reality that I am no longer professionally ambitious.  I just don't want to be the next big boss of the big boss.  I want a more gentle, satisfying and creative life that is filled with deep peace.  I don't want to work so damn hard anymore

*  acknowledging that I procrastinate, especially when I'm overwhelmed with too much to do.  So I do nothing.  For a while.  And then my Capricorn self gets up and carries on again

*  realizing that while I love my home, I don't like the area where it's situated (it's just too noisy) and that the townhouse complex is badly managed and maintained; no rush, but I may think of moving on in a year or two
 
*  dealing with the reality that people will let me down, that they get busy and have their own stuff going on
 
*  acknowledging that I cannot save the world, and sometimes have to look away from the huge need out there - the many beggars that I see at every traffic light when I drive to work and back each day, the mountain of initiatives to save the rhino / lions / elephants / unwanted pets / old people or orphans...

*  facing the scale every week

*  acknowledging that I just don't like most vegetables.  So I won't force myself to eat them anymore
 
*  reading up and learning more about dementia and caring for ageing parents

*  it's ok to be sad and scared and melancholy sometimes
 
*  thinking of attending the next bereavement course at my Church, to deal with some hurt and regrets from my sister's passing in 2011