It's been one of those days...

Wednesday wind-down

Who else under-estimated the sun over this past long weekend?  October certainly isn't a time I generally worry about sunblock, but 2 days later I'm writing a note in next year's diary.  If one suspects the sun is biting, it is - summer sometimes visits early.

Speaking of early, this post isn't.  In fact it's late.  Which is why we have a Wednesday Wind-down...

I'm hearing a playlist on the iPod called "Abby's HipHop Music" currently playing Taylor Swift, which I suspect wouldn't agree with being included in that genre, but there you go.

I'm seeing Abby dance.  Again, taylor Swift and hiphop aren't mixing.  I suspect I may soon be listening to FloRider and Chris Brown.

I'm feeling anxious for Friday to hurry up.  Friday I jump on a plane with four of the most special people in the world and take off to a tropical island.  It's a reward from me, to the kids, for putting up with me being away so much this year.  PLUS one of our employees is getting married.  Nothing like a beach wedding on a tropical island in 30 degrees.

I'm thankful that I have no more medical appointments before I go.  I'm done for now.  I have more tests coming up to find some answers but for now, I'm done.  Thursday's camera into the lungs was not pleasant.  Note to self, do not ask for minimal sedation.  Sedation scares me.  The unsedated effects of the camera going into my lungs was worse. 

I'm happy that my work is winding down for the summer.  True Scrap is done (unless you want to view via the recordings) and it was a success.  My bloopers video (seen here) surpassed all viewing expectations - ye husband of little faith, you owe me a bag of pineapple lumps for getting past the 23 views you said I'd never reach.  Double Take on Big Picture Classes is done and over.  It was a fabulous success, I'm hoping to re-run it next year. Next mission?  Paint the deck.  Not entirely scapbooking related but that is next on the list. That and conquer the 5km road run that has slipped since I've been sick. 

I'm wondering how that last bullet point got so long.

I'm feeling inspired.  Work is slowing down, I have more time, I just watched 17 classes on True Scrap and my photos are calling.  Well, Rarotonga calls me first.  Rarotonga, then scrapbook when I return.  I'm inspired to tell stories, I'm inspired to play with products, I'm inspired to share more on my blog. 

I'm cleaning all the good food out of the pantry for the house-sitter's arrival on Friday and packing my bags.  For those that joined me for True Scrap - 350 of you, thank you SO much.  For those that were in Double Take with May & I, thank you so much!  It's time for a well deserved break. 

Laters (speaking of weddings, here is a layout I did for Double Take - it included all the special moments of my brother's wedding in February... gets me all emotional... love summer weddings!)

 

I scrapbook.. a page, school holidays and a whole lot of yummy stuff

Yesterday I tidied 'My Documents' somewhat.  I found files and files of photos dating back to 2007.  Thousands of random unedited photos.  I swear this is the reason I don't take photos anymore, because I have so many stored randomly in my computer, unedited and unloved.  It's not a good place to be, right?  So I organised.  I sorted.  I deleted.  Cathy Z said my children will still love me, despite my deleting 800 of their photos.  I have 8000 more, right?

So yesterday I tidied.  I sorted, I created a new filing system and I swore to start taking photos of my kids again. 

And then today I printed photos.  And tonight?  Tonight I might scrap.  For no reason other than scrapbooking.  That hasn't happened since Adam was a boy.  It's been a long time.  I'm off to pickup my photos shortly.

The very cool news is that I have a page to share.  This photo was taken in 2009, but that's the way things go for me lately - see, really, I don't edit or print photos anymore.  I am stuck in a time-warp of piling up digital images with no love.  I promise this will change.

This page was created for the Aussie Scrap Source blog with BasicGrey's Picadilly range.  I created this page in an extremely difficult, busy time.  I was sick and the mojo was holidaying somewhere very far away.  I spent hours on this layout and just about gave up, when I took all my scraps, threw them on the page and started sticking them down.  I stood up, said to my hubby "See, just like that, coloured paper on coloured paper!" And then I took a double-take at it and thought I kinda like that.  I created some blue circles, added paint, ink, title and journaling and THAT, my friends, is the creative process behind this page.  Don't think I'll be teaching that process in a class anytime soon but I'm happy all the same.  I know I'm not the only one that struggles like that sometimes.

Talking of struggling, it's school holidays.  Which I love, not because I'm a supermum, but because it takes the pressure off me.  No running around getting children to school.  I can ease into the day.  I can get 3 days work done before 11am while they sleep.  It's a fabulous time.

AND I get to see magic like this happen.  It started with a "why don't we have a cooking competition" comment from one of the neighbourhood kids.  It turned into a massive cook-off with judges, trips to the supermarket, planning sessions and a tick-tocking of the clock as various cooking ingredients flew around the kitchens of two of the houses in our neighbourhood.

And this was the result.  Boys against girls.  'Crazy Chicz" against...well, against "Team team" Can you tell the boys really weren't into the naming of teams process?  They were too busy being concerned with baking a culinary masterpiece good enough to blow the girls out of the water.

And the best bit?  I got to be judge.

Oh yes.  I carefully placed all nutritional plans aside and took on the role of cook-off judge very seriously, eating every.single.crumb so that I could adequately judge whose would be best. 

And like every good mother should, I judged them both equally as perfect.  Both winners in my books.  Such a PC decision.  It's a pity that the two little girls that were also judging the competition didn't have the same life experience as me and marked the Crazy Chicz higher because they liked their name.  The girls won by a smidgen, competition over, girls won.

The cool thing is that the boys didn't like that.  The competition will happen again in order for the boys to try and win the title of the Sunset Drive best cooks.  I guess those little girls weren't so silly, huh?

Laters.

 

4Experts 2012 - this is BIG

Giveaway closed - the winner is KerryG!  Congrats!

Straight from the Big Picture Scrapbooking blog - this is my BIG project for next year. 

Dimensional Details - The Expanded Version.  Who joined me in 2010?  Did this class absolutely rock or what?  Are a lot of us still friends after that last class?  Yes and yes and you bet.  I'm icecream-for-breakfast-over-the-moon-happy that I'm being the chance to do this all over again.  This absolutely rocked in 2010, and I'll be updating, refreshing, expanding this class for 2012.  Read on...

We are beyond excited to announce our 2012 4Experts. Two of our experts are back and we've added two more to the mix. We hope you'll join us for one or more of these process-based classes that invariably grow into active and exciting communities of sharing. Click here to watch videos explaining the upcoming classes!

Yea, see, I can't help thinking I'm the little kid playing in the big kids sandpit, but hey, bring it on.  The standard Big Picture sets for these classes is super high and I'm more than willing to make sure I provide the best I can.  Well, you know how it is.  Little person syndrome.  I got something to prove, right?

So these are the classes, and note that registration for each class starts 8 weeks before the start date, so registration for my class won't open til May sometime:

• January to March: Twelve taught by Stacy Julian
  
  
• April to June: The Art of Observation taught by Heidi Swapp
  
  
• July to September: Dimensional Details taught by Nic Howard
  
  
• October to December: Project Real Life taught by Becky Higgins

And to celebrate the announcement of Big Picture's 4Expert series?  A giveaway.  A box of goodies including some of the 4Experts favourite things, including a $50 BPC certificate.  

And what's in the box?

Colorful Sharpies make Stacy happy!

Heidi loves Mint Milanos as a treat anytime of the year

Nic loves lip gloss, every girl loves to feel pretty, right?

Seeing the Everyday magazine is a favorite of Becky’s because it inspires us to appreciate the little things.

 I actually said Matt Damon was my favourite thing but for some reason they didn't include him in the giveaway.

So what do you have to do to be part of this giveaway?  Firstly, go look at my info on my class here.  Well, you don't have to but I know you'll do the right thing.    About the video - you can tell I'm sick.  Where is the pretend-she-isn't-sick filter on the video camera? 

Anyway, visit the info, write in your diary that you totally have to register for 2012 and THEN you need to leave me a comment telling me YOUR favourite thing.  Extra points if it's Matt Damon.  I'm kidding.  Extra points if your favourite thing is being told that Dimensional Details is being updated and bought back for 2012.  Can I hear a HECK YEA?      Alright, no extra points or favouritism, just tell me something that makes you happy and you are in the draw.

Giveaway closes in Monday, October 17th at 9:00 am Pacific Time.

And if you are in the giving kinda mood, link me up.  On facebook, on your blog, wherever.  This is a big thing for this little ol' girl from NZ.  Spread the love for me, ok?

Laters!
 

The three most frquently asked questions

Ahh it's been a long month and things have been crazy.   I think the third most frequently asked question I'm asked recently (behind how is your heart and lung issues and will you really have to feed your kids two minute noodles and toasted sandwiches for dinner if you don't get enough people joining your true scrap class?) is do you still scrapbook?

 

Why yes.  Yes I do.  I still scrapbook.  I still collect pretty pieces of paper.  I stash them alongside a collection of embellishments so big that they overflow on to the floor and jump out in the path of anyone that dares set foot in the office.  I occasionally get them out, shuffle them around the desk for hours, settle on a nearly acceptable arrangement, consider gluing them down with cute photos and a bit of a story too.  Yep.  I still scrapbook!

 

I'm just not able to share as many projects anymore.  It'sa  bit of a dilemma really.  It's like gathering a favourite group of friends around to watch a TV show and only being able to show them the ads.  I love having a blog, I love telling stories, I love having company but I don't have layouts to share, like, every day.  *sigh*

But inbetween the sporadic sharing of layouts and random hospital stories I also love that I can use my blog to tell you about where I'm teaching next.  ( Which reminds me I have an announcement tomorrow about my next BIG venture.  I know there are lots of you out there that will looooooove, best singing voice, that announcement.)  

 I will be able to share more and more projects in the coming weeks but for now, for today, it's another sneak peek.  Because I do have another Big Picture Workshop opening up for registration TODAY!!!

This one?  Twelve Days of Christmas with Big Picture Classes.  (Click the 12days link on the right there under new classes...)    I'm one of TWELVE Big Picture instructors to be in one this one! 

Here is the shizzizle:

12 Days of Christmas
Capturing Christmas as it Happens

Do you want to document your family's Christmas in a fresh new way this year? Join 12 Big Picture teachers in celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, and then remember each of those days with a fun, fast layout. 

How it works:
For the 12 days leading up to Christmas, you will receive an email from a BPC teacher with a photo prompt and a list of supplies to gather. Preparing specific holiday pictures and products as Christmas approaches will help you focus on the present moments and the joyful anticipation in a more thoughtful way—without feeling any pressure to scrapbook right away! Then, starting on December 25th, you'll get to "open" a new handout each day, designed to guide and inspire you in pulling together pictures and products to complete a dozen different layouts.

Can I hear a whoop whoop?  That's organising 12 layouts for Christmas, before Christmas even happens, then it's getting 12 handouts to instruct you through each and every one.  Total genius and I'm thrilled to be involved alongside teachers such as Stacy Julian, Amy Tan, Wendy Smedley, you know, all the cool teachers.

Anyway, that's the sneak, here's the link, (remember to click through to the 12 days of Christmas graphic) I hope you'll click to find out more.  And join up.  Because the more the merrier and the less we have to think about at Christmas the better.  Yes.  I still scrapbook.  See?

Laters.

From the bottom of my heart...

From the bottom of my heart, so quick with the puns today, thank you so very much for all the facebook and blog comments, emails and texts while I was in hospital.  I am home now. 

How time can drag so incredibly during such a whirlwind trip is beyond me.  I was determined not to have visitors ,the hospital is full of sick people, please don't bring my kids in, and I had told Paul to keep working.  Thank goodness for technology.   I'm incredibly grateful for the company I recieved from everyone online,  for a public health system, especially the cute doctors, and for the drugs they say they will feed me in the tests I am still to have taken.  It could be next week, or it could be the week after. 

I'm thrilled to be home to my family, my computer, my sports assignmenst, cardiovasular system, remember?  my students at Double Take and I'm happy to be home in time for the online crop at True Scrap.  I didn't think I was going to make that one, and I've been planning to be there for 6 months.

I've just had an email from a good friend "Helluva way to get some attention, don't ya think?"  Very true - didn't mean to, but so grateful for the company while I was there.

laters

 

 

Cute doctors and skipping heartbeats

The public health system is a curious thing, and never in a billion years did I think when I first said to my hubby last thursday "oh honey, you just made my heart skip a beat" that it would end up with a hospital stay.

I'm in a respiratory ward which, curiously, is the place you end up when your heart forgets how to beat right. Respiratory wards are full of confused people ( the majority of the people here truly are struggling for those last breaths) and you could probably add me to the confused list too, because sometimes I wonder why I'm here.

Then my heart races (hot doctor, cute male nurse perhaps?) no. I moved. That's all. That's what does it.

Apparently xrays are showing random stuff in my lungs, in fact yesterday while I was alone they told me I had a series of calcified lymph nodes through the centre of my lungs. Possible cause? Unknown but did I ever live on a farm? Did I ever spend a lot of time with cows? At this stage I told them I had the TB injection when I was young. They still decided to question tuberculosis. Whispered of course. We don't want anyone to hear.

I ring my hubby and mum in tears. The lady next to me asks if I want to talk. I sob and say no, (don't come too close im thinking).

An hour later the cutest of the three males doctors comes back to tell me whoops, ya know, we were wrong. We don't think there are any calcified lumps, nodes or nodules at all. He says it almost laughing, we mis-read the xray, new imaging software, bit of a blip, hope you'll forgive me.

And they wonder why my heart is dodgey.

Xrays do show something though. Infection most likely, ( I could have diagnosed that myself cute doctor, without all the freakin drama).

All of this for a patient that was admitted to hospital with possible lung clots due to travel. Blood tests had set off alarm bells. Seems they aren't worried about it now, although they haven't taken any more bloods etc to discount it. Clots? Did we admit you for clots? But you know your heart isn't beating properly, right?

No crap. That's why I had the blood tests in the first place.

So where does the skipping heart fit in? Who knows. Could be that it just forgot what it is doing ( healthy, fit 30-something year old, of course it will forget how to beat!!) could be that it's complaining about the food around here ( I'm on the middlemore diet) or it could be that it is a little inflamed and grumpy at a month if coughing and it is crying ENOUGH!

So here I sit, the healthy happy person in a ward of the dying. The elderly cry out in the night and relatives walk the corridors during the day, talking on phones sadly telling loved ones that grandpa is taking his last breathe. I have a bronchoscopy booked for sometime today. Camera in the lungs and then flush them out with water, all done under local - to be awake will be such joy, I'm sure.

I'm remaining upbeat though ( excuse the pun). Good news us that the cute doctor had no idea what he was looking at when he looked at my xrays yesterday. The bad news is that the cute doctor had no clue what he was doing when he looked at my xrays yesterday.

So I wait. Nil by mouth because the nurse has told me I might have a proceedure sometime today. I hope so. My 10 yr old wants his pajamas back.

Laters

The post that was dedicated to... True Scrap. (Again?) Yes! I have a video now...

And here it is.  The post entirely dedicated to True Scrap.  Now if you thought you were correct in thinking I have mentioned or promoted True Scrap 8000 times in the last 2 months, you'd be right.  BUT I have never dedicated a post entirely to my class at True Scrap.  This makes it difficult when I want to link someone to the information all in one place when the info is spread through many typepad posts, some of them titles things like "The Elephant Incident" or "The egg conspiracy".  I mean really.  Who writes about that stuff?

So here it is, summarised in one place.  You need to watch this video first though.  Even if you ignore the whole rest of this post, humour me by watching my efforts on youtube.  This was released on facebook about 2 days ago and I immedicately had a member of the NZ drug detection agency contact me and ask if I was spending too much time with myself.  Little did she know there were more bloopers than shown in the video.  There was the one where I hadn't stopped laughing at my squeaky chair again and then there was the one where the courier rang my door bell, I screamed "noooo!" as it ruined my video and then "Yesssss!" and went running from the room when my mind caught up with the fact that it was infact, a package being left at my door. 

So anyway.  Super promo blooper video found below.

And the link for where you can find the schedule, the info on all 17 classes, the make n takes, the class descriptions, the cost and whether or not you are allowed out of your PJs on the 20th-22nd of October?  That is here. 

So my part in this huge-stay-at-home-but-participate-all-you-like-and-get-the-recordings-so-you-can-look-back-anytime event?  My latest class, Ready Set Distress.  More info coming up!

Ready, Set, Distress!
Technique and Layout class by Nic Howard.

 

 

Class Description:
Beautifully detailed vintage pages are the focus of many scrapbooks these days.  Inking and curling, sanding and painting,  Nic has built the perfect how-to class to set you on your way to distressing perfection.  Learn how to create a vintage distressed layout from start to finish, using a techniques you can apply to any project.  Nic is known for her ability to create visually stimulating textures and dimensions on a scrapbook page, and now she's going to share her favourite techniques with you!

What I will be doing during class: 

Quick demo of some distressing techniques using the crackle inks, distress stains etc.  Bringing the techniques together on a small tag.  Then on to a layout from start to finish (tag is included as the main embellishment).  It’s going to ROCK!!

 

 
 

So there it is, all in one place... easily linked to and a bonus laugh-at-nic video included.  Don't forget to visit the True Scrap Website to find out more, basically because the less people in my class, the less I get paid.  That's being honest, right?  It's just the kids are sick of 2-minute noodles and cheese on toast.

Oh - do me a favour and share the youtube video around.  Link it on facebook and any other social media you have.  I bet my hubby a packet of Pineapple lumps that I could get more than 23 views. Where is his faith?

Laters!

South Africa - Part 3 -

We were at Kichaka for three days.  I think.  I slept a lot.  We fitted in four game drives.  I was going on those game drives come hell or high water.  Paul & I were both ill, and on looking back at some of the videos, I sound terrible.  It's all part of the memories, right? 

Despite the extensive close up elephant pics on the previous Sth Africa posts, we saw many animals and thanks to Ashley, we learnt a whole lot of stuff that is sure to be useful.  At some point. 

Like - did you know that a group of zebra is called a 'dazzle' of zebra?  Or that giraffes are a 'journey' of giraffes?  And there are two other options for that one but clearly I wasn't listening close enough at the time.  And did you know that Cheetah hiss and spit when they are grumpy?  Just like this one did before it did a scary little run towards the other jeep?  Oh yes,  it's funny when it's the other jeep!

 

We also came across these two lions, which was really cool.  When I was at Kichaka in 2010 with my hubby and son, these two cubs were missing.  The large adult male lion had killed their two siblings (there were orignally four) because they weren't his.  It's a nasty wilderness sometimes, huh?  And these two were missing.  They were a little afraid that the large adult male had killed these two as well.  It was lovely to arrive at Kichaka just last month and see these two hanging out in the sun together, brother and sister, happy and thriving. The male is just starting to grow his mane - how cool is that?

 

I was sad to go on the last game drive.  I remember sitting in the jeep while Ashley was driving and taking a deep breath, looking around at the African sunset and thinking "This could be the last time I see this".  It's a really humbling thing to be in such a big place, seeing so many majestic things and realising it's just one day and I'm just one person that is only on the earth for such a small amount of time, in the big scale of things.

Among all these deep and meaningful thoughts there was plenty of time for fun too.  There was the time Ashely went carefully around this big rugged hole in the track, we all complained loudly that we would have enjoyed the ride, so he backed up and went through it at speed.  Poor tracker on the front there, holding on for dear life!  We also had times where we had to save the other crew -  despite the way it looks, we are towing them out backwards.  See Werner, Ashley would never have attempted that track!

We always stopped for sundowner drinks, meeting up with the other jeep for Amarula as the sun went down.  We added Brandy to mine too, since I was sick.  Medicinal purposes only, honest.  It was a fun time to catch up with the other crew and compare funny, and often made up, animal stories. 

 
So that was Kichaka.  It has to be one of the most magical places on earth.  For the animals, the game drives, the company, the surroundings but also the staff.  We left Kichaka on the Thursday morning, but before we left I had to go to the bar one. more. time.  Jason was there handing out cough medicene as usual - I swear next time I want actual proper, like, alcoholic drinks served, ok Jason? - and I had to get my last dose.

Thanks Kichaka.  Thanks Ashley.  Next stop Capetown.