catch up

and this is a bit of what we have being doing

I made these for the teachers at school...........survival cans!

and before I forget the wee tree on the side "4 you" I got that idea from Ngaire Bartlams gallery off Tarisota.

ringing santa!

singing xmas carols

celebrating that school is out! (love this pic)

finally decorating the tree............only a little tree this year!

visiting santa!

leaving a note for santa on xmas eve (thx Ruby)

opening pressies on xmas morn

and finally a day at the beach on boxing day!

and what you don't see is the vomitting bug that 4 of us have had.

the xmas deco's we made.

my head cold.

the missing of mum.

and spending half of xmas day in hospital with Finn.

well its very late + I have completed my carmel slice for my wee trip away tomorrow.

I hope you all had a fab xmas (even with all that illness we still had a lovely time away) + no doubt I will be back in Jan sometime.

rach

speak up................

well I would if I could but I have got laryngitis!!
I speak in a whisper to the kids + they reply in a whisper - this is good!!
Kev likes it too!!

Ok so its Sat night + I'm doing a solo as kev seems to have this amazing social life atm..........while I stay home.........lol...........well half true but while he goes + watches ppl show of their body building skills tonight (eck so don't get that sport/hobby)..............I get to stay home + rent Kung Fu Panda for the kids + for me a bottle of wine, a box of scorched almonds + the movie Juno!!
yeah I know slow to watch these movies but atm I like being slow............everyone is always in a rush to do everything yesterday!!

so xmas is slow coming to my house this year. It makes me sad as I made a huge effort last year. So far I have put out one decoration on the sideboard. We brought our xmas tree on Wednesday night + it's still out on the deck!!!! I know why I feel like this + I'm trying to get it together for the kids.....................so tomorrow we are having a craft day - well it will start with all 4 of us + then Finn will get sick of it + then Taidhg will leave + then my girl will hang with me a bit + then I'll be on my own. I popped into Spotlight today + got some goodies to make some button trees I saw on this blog - too easy but look fantastic www.frecklednest.blogspot.com .
Man to buy simple crafts bits + bobs is expensive in NZ.
The kids also made a boxed xmas tree out of the computer boxes. We painted that a week ago + that needs some lovin with some lovely homemade deco's.
Oh yeah then there is the teachers pressies..............got that idea sorted just need to make it!

and yeah sorry no pics as my battery needed charging from my camera.
but hey check out the lastest dare . It might leave you feeling all warm + fuzzy!! And such a cool prize from a very cool cute site from NZ too, run by a talented scrapper Neilla + Bee.
check them out www.randomkitsandpieces.blogspot.com

ok juno awaits.

rach

When your busy what's the first thing to go...................blogging time!!
Nov was filled with parties, family visiting from afar, a baptism, a show + xmas shopping.
And today my baby turned 4!!

back soon with something to look at. (just got got a new comp............i'm fast + smooth now)!!

rach

No.........I haven't been on holiday but how I wish!!

Just busy with the everydays + my blog just got forgotten for a wee bit....................but WOW where did that month of October go!!??

We have had pets/mission day at school + lots of tray displaying, windchimes made out of spoons + forks, strange containers to hold a floral arrangement, card making, buzzy bee hangers + plate windows. A crazy week + 2 very tired school kids, along with 1 tired mumma that week!!

Got a last visit in with Sue the T-Rex before she goes off to the big smoke in Auckland.

Ruby is getting ready for her end of year dance show + Finn joined the chess club at school.

Taidhg started morning kindy..................so I'm childless till 12.30 everyday!! Strange feeling!!

We have planted out our vege garden - enough to feed the neighbourhood + also Ruby + I planted some Swan plants (or as Ruby calls them Swamp plants) + we hope that it will bring some Monarch butterflies to our garden.

Kev had his annual windsurfing comp at Labour Weekend................Labour Weekend when was that again??

Time is flying people!!

But we did something very FUN last Friday, which was our annual "Trick or Treat" around the neighbourhood farms. I so LOVE Halloween + really enjoy it as much as the kids do.

So after school we made ghost cookies as wee thanks for the treats + made some felt + pipe cleaner spiders. I wish everyday could be like this after school.........getting crafty!!

Our ghost cookies made by Ruby + Taidhg.

Spider making .............check out that frustrated look on Ruby's face!!



so love this one of Mr T + his friendly spider.



The Trick or Treaters.....................Finn was Tony Hawk a professional skateboarder, Ruby a friendly devil + Taidhg a dog.
And Finn was happy but just decided that he didn't need to smile..............a boy thing I guess!!

and I just LOVE this one of Ruby + Rosie. Rosie sometimes babysits the kids + sadly next year she is moving to Wgtn to study but I just love how she made a effort to dressup for the kids.

Doesn't she do creepy well!!

And I still scrap. YES I do people!!

I made this 4oth card for a friend using some of Elles number tags a few weeks back.

A LO about the windwand in New Plymouth. We have such a fantastic walkway here in New Plymouth + along the way you come across this gaint windwand, designed by Len Lye. Those 2 tiny ppl in the photo you can just see are Finn + Taidhg.

and I'll leave you with this close up on my lastest LO I did for Ruby of her + my mum back in March. I need to get a better pic of the LO - the ones I took are awful + don't do the LO or photo any justice.

and for once I'm looking forward to the elections. Have been sitting up for once + watching + listening to what's been said.

I've also followed the US elections a bit too and its great to be part of history + seeing the first black american president voted in.

wow when did I get so grown up!!

oh also if you haven't checked out the lastest dare.................do!! Totally one for the birds!! Working on mine + such a fantastic prize donated by Tarisota.

Its nice to be back people :)

A new week!!

You know sometimes you have a bad day + just look forward to the end of it because of the way it makes you feel?? Well mine lasted a week!!..............so here's to a new week!!

why so bad?

1. Taidhg started vomiting after Finn's BD

2. Worker was nearly killed in a car accident............or maybe he just wanted to see how many times his car can flip (think 8 is enough?) + then with a act of flying through the windscreen!!

Oh btw he was only drink driving + wasn't wearing a seatbelt...............on the young + dumb!!

3. Prepared myself for bad news re worker!!

4. Worker walks away with minor injuries.

5. Should advise worker to buy a power ball this weekend!!

6. Taidhg gets worse + lost lots of weight.

7. Taidhg nearly gets admitted to hospital

8. Taidhg improves

9. Test results come back saying he had contracted campylobacter - probably from feeding the calves!

10. Ruby drving me mad as her chicken pox are only itchy but her attitude is bad!!

11. Since worker can't work we have employed his brother to relief milk (oh that was a good thing).....................but read #12.

12. Workers brother rolls car on the same road as big brother driving 120km on Sat arvo. Can't milk that night or morning. Hmm history repeating itself!!

13. Sends a friend to help who must be related to dumber + dumb!!

12. our life is turning into a circus

14. at least we can laugh!!

15. new week - school hols................having fun with the kids. Finn + Taidhg are brewing the pox!!

16. spending some time in my room!!

And the LO of Finn doing his 'peace out' pose.

LOVE that Dream St orange pp.........YUM!!

and for the lastest Dare . I had printed out a lot of index pics for a project I had planned to do last year.............never happened so when Trina suggested her dare + I knew these pics would be used.

This LO makes me happy!!

Both LO's are created from Label Tulip kits.

here's to that good week!!

rach

Once upon a time.............

a chicken

came to visit Ruby on a Saturday morning + brought her friends "spots" too!!

they liked hanging around + causing her to itch + itch.............now they want to know if they can play with Finn + Taidhg!!

oh what FUN we will have!!

rach

Birthday Kissses

for Finn!

One happy 8yr old skater boy!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!

we love ya!

PEACE OUT!

Rach

keeping it fresh!

so I took a risk + changed the blog!

I call it a risk as I'm such a techno dork + KNOW nothing about being flash on the comp - I use basic editing for my pics...............photoshop scares me + changing my blog did too!!

The only thing I lost was my counter...............but does that really matter eh!! So I think I did alright!!............lol

But WOW how much has blogger improved with lots of easy new features...............(didn't go there yet........just looked). :)

So I also want to share with you this amazing new kit site.............filled amazing goodness...........some new + some *sigh* .........(be still heart) vintage goodness. Stuff that is so hard to find here!! Yeah ppl its a cool kit from the US!!! Its being put together by this amazing BIG hearted woman Kerry Lynn. She is just oozing with creative ideas + as well she has a awesome team behind her.............one springs to mind esp Gigi. Now she is another beautiful soul. She was/is a amazing friend when mum was sick + died + blew me away with another beauitful gal from the good old US, along with a super kind hearted + cute Aussie!! OK I'm digressing badly!!

So if you have a spare 5 mins on your hands GO + check out KL's fab new site + I just LOVE the name Kenner Road. It was the Road she grew up on. So on KL's blog she is giving away a RAK - something from her new site + all you have to do is tell the story behind the street, road or avenue you grew up on.

My story

I grew up on Mission St, Lower Hutt, Wellington for 23 yrs until my parents sold it.

I loved that house with all my heart........not because of what it looked like but the memories I made there. The friends I made in the street..............all the ball games we played on the road, tag, hide + seek, all the bush walks (treks) up in the hills, bike rides, eeling at night in the creeks + games at the local park down the road.

My house was always filled with home baking as my Grandma lived with us. And it was only in my early adult years I really appreciated how lucky I was to have a Grandparent live with us.

Sunday roast were always a have for my Pop (dad's dad)...............(so disliked this on a hot stinkin summers day)!!

I also grew up with having lots of my cousins around me - lots of fun sunday potluck dinners + games played into the dark of the summer nights. Also having lots of friends around to play.

You would never know that there was trouble behind closed doors. My parents did a wonderful job at keeping my childhood filled with happy + wonderful times while they struggled with a teenage son who developed a drinking problem at a early age + broke the law. But my other brother Tim + I were best of friends. I miss him dearly.

OK its time I stopped as the tears are flowing!!

I so need to scrap this now!!

Oh when my parents sold the house I was gutted...........it broke my heart to leave there............see I LOVED that house, that street, that neighbourhood!!

Thanks KL for this!!

And all the best on new creative adventure!

And look a new LO of my water baby Ruby when she was 18mths, back in 2003. Its funny to look at these pics + see how much our property has changed. The clothes line has moved + there is a garage there now + the grass is gone + in its place is concrete. And I used purple!!!.........but it was perfect for these pics!!

in Finn's word

Peace Out!!

watch out for the Peace Out LO!! :)
and it was 8 years today that Finn was due - the opening of the Sydney Olympics. I waited all day + nothing happened!! And the next day.......instead I got my bundle 4 days later. So Friday we will celebrate a 8th birthday + how we wish Poppins could be here to sing Happy Birthday with us + bring her delish home baking!!

1st + 3rd

thats how we placed in the cross country today!

Finn 1st

Ruby 3rd

Proud Mamma here! Ruby huge improvement from last years last to 3rd + Finn from 4th to 1st. I know I shouldn't expect a lot from the kids but as Kev is a talented runner + I was once at primary + high school level I expect my kids to naturally be good runners!!

So the lastest dare on No.8 wired is mine - scrap the weird + strange!

The photo in my LO is what inspired this dare.

I got a few mths back a few packs of Fancy Pants + I'm finally having a chance to have a play.

I just LOVE these pics of Taidhg. He makes a rather cute frog!!

and *sigh* how I am loving the spring weather.............esp when that sun shines!! It just makes my heart sing after all that depressing rain over winter!!

I decided a few weeks back to start my own random sunday shots.............here's some from our recent sunday - fathers day!

Kev + his new toy..............yes a windsurfer on wheels!! He is busting his gut to get on the sea but the wind has being crap!! So a land job will have to do!!

Mr T!! Love this pic!!

chillin!!

hey the trip to see Sue was awesome!! I believe its heading to AKL after it leaves the Naki in nov.

as Finn always says "peace out"

rach

off to meet Sue tomorrow........

the T-Rex!!!

she's come all the way from The Field Museum in Chicago to the Naki!!

we are lucky enough to have in New Plymouth a mini Te Papa but ours is called Puke Ariki. Its fantastic to think that the smaller provinces don't miss out + our kids get to experience shows like Sue the T-Rex. So I'm taking a car load of kids from Finn's class. Really looking forward to it myself! OK I will be honest she's NOT the real Sue but they made up a model (to scale) of her so she could travel the world!! Still cool, huh!

Well those that know me well know I'm knee deep in calves + milk atm!! I really enjoy feeding the calves + taking time out from my normal routine to be pushed around by hungry calves twice a day..........lol!! I have my helper most days by my side or running around the calf shed - Mr T!! So here you go Mrs Chez esp for you!!

on the way to the calf shed. Look at my merry workers!!

and look at that pure joy as the calf sucks on his hand!!.........lol

calves feeding!!

and *gasp* she's scraps!!

this LO is for the recent dare. We had to scrap something related to sports or just being physical + include 5 circles in honour of the olympics!

I was in a Fancy Pants mood. Not to sure about this LO but hey its some history recorded for the Scooby!!

and i also made this card about 5 weeks ago for a online comp that is still running but I pulled out as I'm having a hard time creating + to be honest wasn't just my thing.

You had to make a card + use green, a empty product pack + make a envie out of newspaper.

oh btw NZ dares now has a flickr group. Plz come + join us! We still have the blog but we thought it would be a great way to share your work! And a new dare will be going up on Friday - from me!! http://http://www.flickr.com/groups/840213@N20/

also this Friday we are having a cyber crop at SBO. There's going to be a challenge between the old DT + the new DT. Should be FUN! Also watch out for the next ezine - coming to your inboxes soon!!

and i just want to say thanks to all your kind thoughts about my first visit from my dad. It was very sad but I was so happy to have him here + I know that even though his heart was hurting like hell he enjoyed our company + having someone around to put a smile on his beautiful face.

now just a HUGE high 5 for our gal Steph!!! - Kev's sister!! She won a HUGE Wella hairdressing comp at the weekend in AKL + the prize was a trip to London!! WTG Steph love ya!!

over + out

rach

Guest.........

I have a household of guest at the moment.

One is pretty special.............my dad!

a few things too share.

my dare for the 50th dare!

I love my winter Friday nights with my kids...............just hanging out in front of the fire doing FUN things together!

and this LO is Finn + Taidhg's fav atm!!..................hmm wonder why??

and man am I OVER rain!!

buckets + buckets of flippen rain!!

no calves yet!!

hey Tracy thx for your wee card - I LOVED it!! :)

rach

out of hair like a bald man!!

we are off for a week!!
hot pools, a bit of scrapping with friends, catching up with sil, lots of eating + drinking out!!
can't wait!

just a few pages I did at a crop last week.
got some older pics printed of Ruby + Finn back in 2003.
first one looks flat due to the scan.




and one of Finn.

birthday!

yep it was my birthday yesterday!! 37!

it was a bitter sweet day for me.

it was a nice day but I missed my mum so much + my dad forgot about it.

but he is such a bad space atm that I just have to let that disappointment slid.

kev + the kids were super sweet to me + we just had a fun day of hanging out together - one of my most favourite things to do! :)

And Ruby, my ever thoughtful sweet girl (how did I deserve such a special person) wanted me to buy a gift for myself, she said + we could just pretend it was from Poppins. She must of known I was a bit sad! So we brought 3 small gifts so her + the boys could give me one each .

And this from Kev...................I have wanted one of these forever + look the last of my YUMMY carrot birthday cake - made for me esp by my wonderful mil! :)

The lastest NZ dare. Go over + check it out. There is the most AMAZING prize!!

And I used the June kit from SOML . This is such a FUN kit + also Sara (the owner) is just such a sweetie.

have a great week ahead!!

only one more week till holidays!! YAY!!

rach

having some FUN!

I did this LO recently for a challenge that Michelle Tan set for us.

It had to be about you + why you are fabulous. Well I thought bugger it + went over board + had lots of fun creating this little number + 'yes' I was generous why I'm fab!! With a little help from Kev on a certain word that he felt should be added in there why I'm fab!!

And you know what it felt good doing this as I hardly ever do LO's about me - its always about the kids.

Lots + lots of goodies from Sweet Spuds kits . I just love those rubons from Hambly - so FUN!

The dance concert went well. But Ruby had a crampy tummy before she went + I asked her if she was nervous. She said no at the time. Then when the show started I noticed that Ruby was not on stage + next minute she was standing next to us!! Her tummy was still sore + she said her dance teacher said it was OK to find us but she just had to do her dance as her partner would of being partnerless!! By the time it came to her dance her tummy was feeling much better. I put it down to nervous + on reflection I don't think she even knew what being nervous was like.

Great show! But I'm glad there is no more running back + forward for extra practise!! Just swimming + hockey practises for the next few weeks.

challenging myself.......

to try out some different challenges as there are so many FAB challenge blogs out there.

one I've being checking out for a while now is the design experiment blog.

They have some great challenges + last week I started working on their challenge #13 ............. I missed the deadline as I was fiddling too much with the LO + also I made a booboo on it...........not that you would notice now!!

Challenge #13 was about words..........what is your fav word/s + why? Do you say it a thousand times a day?

my word/s was "you're joking". I know i say this often as for one I have a husband that plays lots of jokes on me, its how I react when the kids come to tell me one of the others has done something wrong or how I might react to something serious or sad!!

no reason or rhyme why i say it really............I just do!!

using some goodies from a sweet spud kit. this kit was full of yumminess - the colours were so electric!! loved it!!

well the inlaws came back from China yesterday + now they are winging their way to CHCH for the rugby this weekend. Ruby has her dance concert this Saturday.............so we are busy driving back + forth to extra practises but tonight we didn't go as I had a very sad little who came crying off the bus.

She was a missing Poppins (my kids called my mum poppins - her name was Mary) she told me. She said she was sitting on the bus + was thinking of her, she just got really sad + it hurt her heart. So we had big cuddles + talked about the things that we loved + missed about her. Then i remembered in the lastest CK mag i brought yesterday - May's issue there was a section about 'remembering' loved ones. There was a LO done done by a woman called - Lisa Swift about her daughter missing her Noona. I really loved this approach as i feel its so important to recognize their feelings too. So I asked Ruby to list what she loved about Poppins. So in the weekend we will work on a LO together. I will share once we have completed it.

oh yay hump day!!

and only 2 more sleeps till FGIF!

9 more sleeps till my brother comes to stay!

10 more sleeps till my birthday!

and on BTW.............go figure this..............we ran out of water!! In June!!!!.............thats just plain madness!! We have had little rain + we do really need it!!

also the driveway is laid + its great....................no more mud + dust!!

rach

playing the rules!

yesterday I played the rules again on SIS with Miss Lee - my little aussie friend!!

Rules given to me were

1. use a red embellie

2. stamp something

3. use 3 brads

OK I cheated + used 4 brads but I had too to get the look right!! :)

I wanted to create a LO for the kids + hope that they would remember those small simple things we do with them + that make up the memories of your childhood.

We spent a lot of time this summer at the pool down the road. Its nothing flash - just your typical 50's or 60's concrete school pool. But we have lots of fun in it!! So often after those swims we would come home + sit on the deck + we would have some afternoon tea together!! Even though I didn't journal I asked the kids if you they remembered what was happening in the photos + they said what I wrote above. And then they asked if they could go swimming tomorrow + have afternoon tea on the deck!!................lol

And checkout that new ChatterBox pp - the striped blue pp + pink pp!! Their new pps have the most gorgeous colours.

All these goodies are from the May kit from Label Tulip

Last weekend we went out on a little day trip. We use to do this a lot + I love discovering whats basically in your backyard so to speak! So off we drove for about an hour South from here + then turned inland + drove along some very high + narrow roads (which I don't really like as I hate heights)...........but I coped!! The views were amazing as we could see the bottom of the North Island + the top of the South Island. So we finally arrived at Lake Rotorangi - the Patea Dam.
We had a wonderful time exploring, throwing rocks into the lake + explaining to the kids that the Dam was not a hydro slide!!!............eekk I was having awful visions..............once again to do with heights!! ............lol.

It was a great day out + it was ended with a ice cream brought on the way home!! As you do!! :)

kids + me

and as we left there were some stock horses just on the side of the road + we just had to stop + have a pat................esp for my horse loving girl!! :) And this pic is for Aunty Steph too!! :)

They were super friendly + they all wanted to be patted.

Also if you wondering why Ruby is in a blanket + Finn + Taidhg's faces look all painted out we were having a super hero morning before we left. Ruby is UnderDog, Finn Spiderman + well um Mr T I was still working that one out as he drew his own face!!............but hey the little dude was happy + thats the main thing, eh!!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
I'm planning to scrap as I've got lots of challenges I want to do + got some new photos developed!

rach

YAY for long weekends!!

that allow you to blob out all weekend!!
just what we all needed!!
we are over driving long distants with our kids for a wee while. Done every month until now since Jan. but on a positve Finn has a great knowledge of what towns are inbetween the Naki + Wellington now!

so some scrappingness finally!!
I did the old Kill 2 birds with 1 stone for this LO + used it for 2 challenges.
SBO are running some challenges till the end of the week in honour of the Queen's BD + I knew I wanted do a challenge where you had to add some shape to your LO........esp since we have all these gorgeous products from the likes of MM + Jenni Bowlin - just to name a few.
Had planned to do it up on Friday night but there are too many great shows on Friday night + my line up is - Top Model (which I missed due to kev watching a movie), Million Pound Property + then my fav Project Runway!! And how fantastic was PR!!
then on Sat morn (as Finn was the only 1 playing sport + Ruby was off to play with a friend, so then I only had 1 child) I hopped on to SIS + played 'the Rules' - where you are sent 3 rules + you have to do it in an hour! So I made the LO work for both challenges + I have being wanting to use this collection from SIS forever............like it only came out June last year!!

My 3 rules sent to me were 1. ink 2. use tape (under photo) 3. use a butterfly

and a close up of the butterflies I made out of hambly. Stamped the image onto hambly using stax on, cut out image + made sure the stamp side of the butterfly was placed down on paper. Easy + fun!



I made this 'Get Well' card for Andrea a few weeks back using some goodies from Sweet Spuds March kit





the inside





and since I've being blobbling I've had a good session on the computer + rediscovered the Cosmo blog. Those girls like a good laugh + do a spy a 'maybe' DT call pencilled in!!??
Also just to share these are some of the places I like to visit (i'm sure some of you have got them in your favourites already - never hurts to be reminded, eh!)
Christine Middlecamp. I first discovered her work on SIS last year + then linked myself up to her blog. I love visiting this woman for one her talent is amazing but she inspires me with her bavery + I love how she loves to share her ideas with us. And she is now doing bi-weekly tutorials. Her first one is awesome. If you haven't seen her work before go + check her out. Amazing!! You won't be disappointed!!

Another talented woman I discoverd last year - once again via SIS is Sarah Bowen. I may not scrap like her but I really really admire her style. Her blog is filled with interesting bits + bods + she has the BEST BEST playlist I've come across. Quite often I will have her blog open for a few hrs so I can enjoy this womans wonderful taste in music!!

And lastly a well known gal from 2peas Jennifer Pebbles. I just love how she loves life, her love for junk (be still beating heart), her photos (she takes such fun doggy shots + of her hubby) + finally the fun in her LO's. She looks like she would be so much fun to hang out with!! Also have you checked out her etsy shop!! Such a cool idea!!

Also just to let you know that Elle has a new super site + she has got some awesome deals going down for the whole month of June!! Love her stuff!

and YAY to concrete!!
and why am I so excited about concrete you ask??
well we built this house 8 yrs ago + we have never had a concrete driveway - its either being a grass one or lately a grravel one + with that comes dirt + dust!! Muddy + dirty in the winter + really really dusty in the summer!!
So this morning Mr Concrete layer (not Chris's hubby..........lol) comes in + starts boxing up the driveway. This makes me happy!! Its a big driveway too + the kids are going to LOVE having concrete to ride their bikes, skateboards + shoot some hoops!! But I also have some visions of yukky crashes!!


I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day blobbing!!