Week-end in review

A lovely busy weekend...

Had brunch with the Fitness Warriors at Lifestyle on Saturday morning.  We have been training together for a year - go us!!  Miss Boo, Natasha (our kick-boxing trainer), Alison, Bridget and Gisela.

Bridget and her daughter Bothlale (Miss Boo)

After visiting my sister in hospital on Saturday afternoon, I had an early dinner with my friend Cathy and her two 10-week old sons, Oliver and Valentino.  They are sooo cute!

I walked at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens on Sunday morning with Richard, Lynn and Connor

The beautiful fever tree

this flower looks like a bug with a little face and wings - too gorgeous

... and then we had brunch at Harrie's in Pretoria East

Lynn and Richard

I had a pancake filled with chicken livers and a delicious pepper sauce, and then Lynn and I shared a caramel and banana pancake.  I don't want to know how many calories I consumed on Sunday morning!

Scrapbooking retreat

The Scrap Addicts save money every month throughout the year, and then we retreat to the beautiful Maison Bordeaux in Randburg for a few days of scrapping and pampering.  This past weekend was a glorious time of great friendship, good food, and a whole lot of scrapbooking.  I LOVED it!

The Scrap Addicts Group, established 1998

Christmas hats were compulsory.  This is the page challenge that I set for the group

about a month ago - a page "all about me".  We each made 5 pages to share

Leonie still owes us her completed page challenge

Lynn's page

Lynette's page

Linda's page

Joyce was our hostess for the weekend, and spoilt us with tons of hot coffee and cake

This orange cake was outstanding

...and then things just got crazy and hilarious

yep - more crazies

hmmmm...

A great time was had by all.  We are already saving for our 2012 retreat.

Reasons to be cheerful

• the Scrap Addicts leave on a 3 day Christmas scrapbooking retreat today to the beautiful Maison Bordeaux
• the summer rains have settled in for a while - I don't have to water my garden and the cooler weather is perfect for scrapbooking and drinking gallons of hot delicious coffee
• the schools are closed for the year so the traffic will be less crazy-hectic until early January
• I'm having a good hair day

Princess lillies in my garden - total works of art

Layout to share

Just a few layouts to share...

Lynn and I did a Stephanie Ackerman class when she visited South Africa a while back.

I love her doodle art.  Even her 'to do' lists look gorgeous!

and of course, I love Melody Ross' work, especially Brave Girls Club

The Scrap Addicts are heading off for our annual Christmas Retreat this coming weekend.

A whole weekend of scrapbooking, friends, good food and some rest - my idea of heaven.

This is a layout of one of our previous retreats.

Weekend in review

Yep, I know.  Wednesday is a bit late for the weekend in review, but I've been having some technical challenges with uploading photo's.  Sooo... it was a Christmassy weekend for me, with some Christmas shopping, wrapping prezzies and attending Carols by Candlelight at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens.  As you may recall, I love Christmas music, so a few of my favourite CD's were blaring on the CD player this weekend (love you Michael Buble!)

My sweet baby sister, Caron.  Love spending time with her

Lynn and Richard.  We love hanging out at the Botanical Gardens

art journalling

I don't love the artwork but the words are important to me.

Hello December

Hello December.  Come on in with your promise of festive cheer and good food and presents.  I'm looking forward to half of Joburg going away on holiday on 15 December.  That will leave the city empty and me to enjoy less traffic, a slightly slower pace, maybe a few lunches with friends, and hopefully a slightly less crazy workload as I am working through December.

Life is very real for me now.  I am working very long hours.  I go to the hospital every day to see my sister who is battling cancer.  I see my kitties for only a few hours each day.  I don't have time to exercise.  Dinner is a cup of coffee and a hot bath.  I miss my friends.  I miss scrapbooking.

Here are some friends layouts to share.

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within”   
                                    ** Elisabeth Kübler-Ross **