It's so hard to think of a catchy title...

Another weekend has passed. This means we no longer have twelve weeks of term left, just eleven. I’ll stop counting now – until a couple of weeks out from the next holidays lol.

I’ve been busy creating. I’ve finished a layout. I have another two on the go. I’m pulling out new papers, and I’m using up scraps. I’m trying to make sure that I’m using my cuttlebug – it shouldn’t be just an ornament…I’ve asked Adrienne at Scrappin Patch if she can get me in a couple of Tim Holtz dies – I think I need new dies for inspiration. Well it’s a good enough reason isn’t it???

I’ve done my hometown list. Here it is…any of these anybody wants to join me on? Anything you don’t thinks worth doing?

Barnett Park Cave Walk
Christchurch City Council pools - QE2
Ghost Walk at the Arts Centre
Ferrymead Heritage Park
Taylor's Mistake
Godley Head
Travis Wetlands
Punting on the Avon
Antigua Boatsheds
Sign of the Kiwi
Boat trip on Lyttelton Harbour
Quail Island
Westburn Bike Park
South Island beer festival (Feb)
Festival of Flowers (Feb)
Visit Crafty Mummas Waitangi Day market (Feb)
Canterbury rare breeds auction (March)
Visit the shabby chic market day

I know that there’s heaps more to see and do. But I have to be realistic. Months fly past quickly and I’m away for most of May. I also would need to win Lotto for some of the things that I’d really like to do. I’m also thinking that I might do another list, of dog walking places. That will ensure we kill two birds with one stone then – see something new, and exercise us and the dogs. Keeps their brains active too going to different places.

Speaking of dogs. We had number four doggie here for a while this weekend. We found a wee chap who had wandered away from home yesterday. Donna wants to keep him (he is a bit gorgeous) but alas we have sent him off to the local pound in the hope that someone is missing him. I’m sure someone must be, he had a collar on, he is microchipped. He looked to be well fed and well cared for. However she can ring and check during the week, they will keep him for three weeks…so you never know lol. Either way at least he is off the road and safe. I couldn’t believe how many people tooted at him and just drove around him.

As I type this I’m waiting for my hubby to return home. He came home from work on Thursday and told me he has to work all day Saturday…in Auckland. They sent him up there to do a job (collate stuff to stick in a container and send back to Christchurch). I assume he got the job because he knows his way round, the people and they wouldn’t need to pay for his accommodation (oh and he’s probably not bad at his job too LOL). I told him not to come home without smoked snapper. Guess what we’re having for tea!! Smoked snapper, in white sauce and a bit of parsley on fresh crusty bread. Wish he were here right now…lol. Shame it would be to early for dinner.

Well I guess me being on here means I’m not getting those layouts finished, so back I head to the scraproom. Have a fantastic week.

Gone quackers!

The ducks gone quackers lol! So for the last month or so the duck has been able to come and go as she pleases. This week she has realised there are sheep in the paddock next door. She has decided to join the sheep. The sheep wander up and down the paddock grazing, she wanders up and down the paddock grazing. The sheep lie down for a nap, she lies down for a nap. I hope she doesn’t start ‘baaing’ instead of quacking…Poor duckie though, ‘cos the sheep walk much faster than she can waddle and it does take a lot of effort for her to keep up with them. However she’s not that silly as she heads back home to our house late in the evening for a feed and sleeps the night in the open pen – she must feel safer there at night I’m thinking. Lucky we have a great neighbour, who knew that Gracie existed anyway, but now she’s half living at her house wanted to know what to feed her, how nice is that?!

On Friday we had our conference for work, before we start back with the kids on Monday. We arrived at University and were having the usual pep talk/waiata/karakia, when the CEO said we needed to listen very carefully to the day’s instructions as it was going to differ from previous years. Long story short we were taken on buses out to Mona Vale (which is this beautiful old homestead, often used as a wedding venue etc), where we were treated to a beautiful lunch in a marquee, very flash etc, along with awards given out for long service etc. This was to kick the celebrations off for the 100th year centenary for this association. It was lovely that the teacher’s were recognised in this way and was a really enjoyable day out.

Now the new dog has a name – it’s Archie. Katie, our friends little four year old named him, and he really does suit Archie. He has settled in beautifully and the three dogs and cat are all great mates. He is finding life terribly exciting as he jumps and freaks out at the funniest things. He’d never seen things like pine needles and pine cones before, or a feather…All very scary in his little world. Lucky he has the other two, to lead the way and help his confidence.

Right the ironing board is out waiting for me, as is a half done layout that needs finishing. Have a great week people…and especially that Mandy girl as she also heads back to kindergarten life.

Yes, it's official we are mad. Mad like 'the mad cat woman' or the 'mad duck woman.' Just in this case it's 'the mad dog woman.' Though that should probably read family. You read it here first (or maybe second if you're Vicki!). We have adopted another dog. He's a five month old sydney silkie. We couldn't help ourselves, which is really sad lol. But he looked so down and depressed. On the upside he's fitted in brilliantly and on his first night here slept on the our bed with our other dog and our cat. And because that wouldn't make us insane enough we are also babysitting a rottie for the week. However she's a frequent visitor so is well used to life in our household.

In other news, it was worth spending my birthday at Bunnings - I now have a greatly organised scraproom. When I've slowed down taking dog, duck and cat photos I might even manage to get some scrap room ones done lol. Actually I have done some, but they are hidden away in PL. But it looks really good, and I'm really pleased with it. Lucky I have a clever hubby me thinks. Now just to actually get in there and create lol.

It's been a round and about town day or two. Sarah, Donna's God daughter is down visiting, so they've been out and about, but I've also gone along for the ride on a day or two. We've visited the art gallery and museum, and even headed out to the beach...just in case Sarah doesn't see enough beaches living in Auckland.

Have a great week.

Another year older...

As most of you know it was my birthday yesterday – many thanks to all the birthday wishes via Facebook. My hubby bless is soul decided a trip to Bunnings for my birthday would be a good idea lol. Yes I had been suggesting a new shelf or two for my scrapbooking room, but I was thinking that maybe he could have brought them without my help and have made them up in his garage ready for me on my birthday. Now I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for this trip, but a trip to Bunnings for him is like a trip to a scrapping shop for me…you never leave with just what you came for…while your there you must look at….which would be fine if I liked spending my birthday looking at power tools, colours of stain for the fence…the types of nails that ‘one day’ we might need LOL. Oh well we did get the new shelves and so that’s all good. We also went to Wendy’s for lunch (the burger chain – for you Aucklander’s this is the first Wendy’s in the South Island and opened just before Christmas. Twice we’ve tried to get in there, once was on Boxing Day and it was shut because of the aftershock that hit and the other time the line was out the door…) Wendy’s is Lyall’s favourite junk food fix and he announced that he no longer needed to visit Auckland as we now have it here lol. Again, not sure how it fitted into MY birthday lol... The evening saw us at the Topp Twins Country Hoedown, which was great, and we ate homemade pizza and cupcakes washed down with sparkling peach juice, as it was an outside concert in Hagley Park, with everyone sitting having picnics. We even got a little shake, rattle and roll thanks to Mother Nature. And lets face it, any birthday is a good day if you don't have to cook or clean!

This morning we’ve had a lovely run at the dog park with our two little monsters. Darcy’s favourite thing at the moment is pine cones. Whenever we walk up or down our street she must collect one and carry it home and then ‘look’ after it for the next couple of days lol.

Right short and sweet blog post this week – I’ve got a scraproom to sort out, my sister’s god daughter arriving tomorrow for a week and a library that needs visiting. Have a great week everyone.

Watch out...photo heavy post!

Yep, it’s a photo heavy post this week…that’s what happens when you go on holiday to a most picturesque part of the country with a new camera lol.

As most of you know, we’ve been down to Queenstown for a few days with my BIL and SIL. The weather was stunning as we headed down through the Mackenzie country before hitting Otago. The lupins are out if full force and the summer brown permeates the landscape. In true West Coast style it rained all the way back as headed home through the home of the glaciers and wild food festivals (Hokitika). Still all that rain makes for some amazing waterfalls, very full rivers and lots of dripping greenery.

We did it hard, having to eat fresh cherries, apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines, brought straight from the orchard or farm where they were grown…and of course they taste so much better when eaten lakeside or halfway up the Crown Range, overlooking Queenstown and Arrowtown. This was supplemented with locally produced cheese and washed down with one or three drinks (mine being coke or water lol). Yep, a tough life…

Now we are home and the washing is nearly all done but that means the ironing pile is growing by the hour. Another layout is finished and I shall get stuck into my scraproom and create more over the coming couple of weeks, before work becomes part of my consciousness again. Project Life for 2010 is full up and finished and I’ve started on 2011’s.

Enjoy your week.

Happy New Year.

Christmas Eve saw us catching up with friends at a local pub, before Donna and I headed into town to join in with Carol singing and mass at the iconic Christchurch Cathedral. The carols were great with the Dean of the cathedral sharing a great sense of humour. It was a packed out night and hugely multi cultural. At one point he had any German speakers (and there were quite a few) standing up, singing Silent Night in their native tongue. That was beautiful. He had women sing one verse of a carol and then the men, another...and then 'well, the women won that one!" LOL.

Santa Lyall got me some body shop stuff, my Project Life kit, and a cook book. Santa Donna got us all tickets to The Topp Twins, in January. Santa Dad gave us money, which has promptly been put towards a new camera. We did hit the shops today to do a bit more camera shopping (I've been researching for a while), but with the rocking and rolling, that soon came to an end. And Santa Dad, the glass you got Lyall, you know, the one with the bell to ring when he want's a drink refill. Yeah, thanks for that LOL.

Darcy and Danny enjoyed the Christmas festivities, with Darcy grabbing any present she could fit in her mouth and running off with the most mischievious look on her face. Dan preferred to chase her for a while and then curl up under the tree.

I've spent this afternoon putting together next year's project life, but haven't got it finished yet. The carpets have been visited by the Rug Doctor, the skirting boards and walls have been cleaned in half the house - am planning on finishing that tomorrow. Hoping Lyall will be here to help, but he might get called into work if they need diggers and stuff in town for the clean up, as that is what his company hire out. I'm sure he'd be sad about missing out on cleaning lol.

I won't be around the computer for New Year's so, have a great night, whether you will be snuggled up in your bed at home or out celebrating. All the best for the coming year, may it bring all that you wish for.

Christmas bells, those Christmas bells...

We’ve had a busy day out today. We had the company of two children and so we hit Riccarton Market and then visited the Spreydon Baptist Church, who each year put together a Christmas Grotto. The kids of course got caught up in the magic of Christmas visiting this. This was followed by a visit to Chipmunks (we offered them that or swimming and they chose Chipmunks…much easier for us, we could sit there with a drink and some magazines lol.) Before heading back to their house for a dinner of fish and chips (we had babysat so Mum and Dad could get all their Christmas shopping done), we took the dogs to the river for a swim.

My twinnie sent me a text earlier in the week to let me know The Stamping Ground, which is a scrapbooking shop in Christchurch, is shutting down this week, so on Saturday I headed out there to pick up a few bargains. Papers were forty percent off and embellishments and other bits and bobs were all half price. So, yes, I did pick up a few things lol.

Duckie continues to grow like a weed and is starting to moult and get adult feathers. Like all growing babies she is eating us out of house and home. Talk about spoilt rotten – I’ve been buying this duck bags of watercress and lettuce mix lol. But that’s only because we have finished all the lettuce in our vege garden’s and the next lot aren’t yet ready to pick. She spends a good chunk of the day and evening wandering round the lawn or looking forlornly at us through the French doors.

I have once again succumbed to Project Life and my kit is sitting on the floor unopened and will remain so until Christmas day. I haven’t made a single Christmas card this year, so my apologies for not sending any out. Talk about slack eh lol.

My hometown list is going good, and yep Janine, of course I will put on there High Tea lol. Are you coming to join me???

Right I’d better get off the computer, have a shower and hit the sack. Have a great week everyone.