Christmas 2014

This was our family Christmas ... crazy hot weather, light tasty meals, silly Christmas hats, swimming, hoop throwing, swing ball, and lots of toys.

Hope your Christmas was happy and blessed.

She has her own thing going on

My beloved Princess Ruby has loved having me work from home during the second half of December. 

 

She has her own life going on, and is a busy little girl. 

 

checking out the daddy long legs spider under the vanity in my bathroom

 

 

No matter what I'm up to, her routine is to have a long afternoon snooze at around 1pm.  I want her near me so I put her basket on my desk while I work (and I watch her sleep!!)

 

 

 

 

Love you baby girl!!

 

A Savior has been born to you

Luke 2:11.   Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord

Melting moments

Lynn and I are battling to cope with fierce hot flushes.  They are just horrible.  

 

Tina Turner says that it's 'common' for women to fan themselves with a menu or anything other than a gorgeous fan.  Of course we don't want to be common so I bought a beautiful fan for each of us which helps a bit with the dreaded melting moments.

 

 

I found it

My sister Caron, Lynn, Connor and I intended to go for a walk at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens on Tuesday 16 December - the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa.  I wanted to actually see the summer cuckoos that I hear calling all day in my suburb. 

 

But it was raining when we woke up so instead, we had breakfast at Lifestyle Garden Centre. 

 

Caron and I - LOVE this  lady!

Lynn and her son Connor 

We pottered around the shops.  And then I found it!  The walls of my bedroom have been bare since I moved in 2 and a half years ago.  I've been looking for a picture of a King Protea for my bedroom for ages.  I found this gorgeous painting in one of the shops at Lifestyle.  And it was on sale.  It looks fabulous in my bedroom!  The navy background of the painting has inspired me to add some navy blue to the colour scheme of my cream and pink bedroom next year.  I'm still on the lookout for another painting or two of proteas

 

 

Double page scrapbook layouts

Here are some of the layouts which I completed at our Christmas scrapbooking retreat...

 

I'm working on layouts about my 2013 holiday to Cape Town

Scrapbook retreat - Scrap Kits

As always, the Scrap Addicts design scrap kits for each other every quarter.  I am proud to be part of this group of talented scrapbookers!  Here are our December designs...

 

The Scrap Addicts 

 

Lynn 

Leonie 

Linda  

 

Lynette 

the paparazzi were also there

and someone with silly pixie ears

Christmas Scrapbooking weekend

The Scrap Addicts spent last weekend at a Randburg guest house to enjoy our annual Christmas Scrapbooking retreat.  We save a set amount each month for the year, so that everything is paid for by December.   

 

Everyone arrived by around 4pm, and we filled the little conference room with our scrapping supplies for the weekend.  On Friday evening, we shared Christmas gifts, and then the lights went off.  Load shedding is big at the moment in South Africa - it is sooo frustrating!  Fortunately, our host had a generator, so we were able to power up a few desk lamps and carry on scrapping. 

 

 

Lynn

Lynette

Linda

Leonie

Linda had these cute T-shirts printed for us

cute mini father Christmas candles - this

could freak small children out because his head is on fire!

scrapbooking during loadshedding - we cannot be stopped!

 

I headed to bed by 11pm, and was back at my scrap table by 7am the next morning.  Breakfast was included in the price of the B&B, and we had our evening meals delivered by Bev, a caterer from Bryanston.  Lynn ordered a delicious Greek Coconut cake for us from The Tart.

 

 

 

Moving on

After 5 years in my office, we're moving to a new office location in the heart of Sandton, Johannesburg.  Moving is chaotic, especially when I have a ton of deadlines and deliverables to finish up before 31 December. 

 

I will miss my office overlooking a  green garden with birds and flowers, and with windows which open.  Our new office is very fancy but no garden, no windows that open.  For a greenie like me, that will be hard. 

 

my team, Annah (Training Co-ordinator), Marlene (Payroll & Benefits Manager) and I 

 

I'll be working from home during the next few weeks while the transition to the new office is completed.  Looking forward to no traffic for a few weeks, being able to walk more frequently because I'm not stuck in traffic, and having the time to cook dinner while I work.