glad you found me

Ive had a URL change as the bears are on the back burner but we are here only once, don't be a miserable  gitt.

Valentines Day Swap makes you feel good inside

Goodness I knew I was bad but this bad is rediculous! I really thought i had posted all the pictures from my Christmas Swap with Sandra but turns out I just posted them all on Facebook (DUH!)
Now I have another swap and which do I post pictures of first..........

Might as well be as unorganised as always I say. So

Thanks to Tracy over at The Scrap Heap I got a lovely lot of Valentines day gifts delivered right on Valentines Day, caused me a dilemma what should I do first admire my darling hubbies gift or TEAR into the parcel from the courier.  Of course I was the good wife and admired the lovely miniature rose he brought and then saved the excitement for after tea.

I was so excited to open and find all lovely pink wraped gifts and it smelt delicious!

Im not sure how you knew Orange Blossom is im favourite soap smell but Im in Heaven right now.  little gingerbread hearts chocolates, stunning heart fabric and fabric ribbon and the cutest handsewn heart,  times like this make me warm and fuzzy and glad I became a crafty person. So a big thank you goes to Elaina at a little bit country nz,  you should really check out her blog.  I love what you sent me so thank you, thank you, thank you.  xx

and if you would like to see the Blog of the very lovely Lisa who I sent too (had to even plan ahead to get it sent on time as Lisa lives over the ocean) this is her blog Sprouting creative wings.

Its beginning to feel like Christmas

So the advent swap has started and I feel like a kid again getting to open a gift each day,  lots of fun. 

oh so exciting.

and just quickly on the Branch Christmas Party, wow what a day 700 people turned up, we only had about 7 families gifts not sorted for one reason or another (like they didn't fill in the RSVP lol) but it went of amazingly well.  Kerri did a fantastic job with her planning.

today starts the Secret Advent Swap

not so secret anymore as I think most of us have worked out who our swapper is or there was a nice little card in with the goodies.  I'm hoping that my swappie likes what I put in the box for her sometimes we need a little sunshine and kindness in our lives. 
I took a photo of my lovely pile when it arrived,

very, very excited I can tell you

and today is the 1st of December so I can open number 1, which I did with great gusto and here is my first lovely gift,

perfect to go on our Christmas tree.  and if you want to read how my bloggie swapper is doing here is the link http://masonmumblings.blogspot.co.nz/.

Other news today is our Auckland Branch Christmas Party and we have 700 adults and children coming along, 349 are children under 12 so they all get a gift.  Yesterday was spent sorting and bagging these, it is such an operation that I wont go into but believe me when I tell you it takes hours and we have a lovely team of helpers who come along (including my delightful children) and help us.  This year I delegated a whole lot of the work as last year I think I almost had a nervous break down doing it and then Geo and I just spent a week in Arrowtown (will post pictures later)  where my phone went of non stop!!

anyway almost time to head of to get the party rolling but here is a photo of the Boys gifts

watch out for tomorrows photo!

I wanted to lead you to my Pintrest page just encase you are my secret advent person but for some reason Blogger tells me the link is broken so I'm going to try like this.    oh and ps I love washi xx

http://www.pinterest.com/chrisste/boards/

something you can be thankful for...........

So a few Blogs' Im following are starting with the sentence below,  at first I thought I'm just going to ignore that as in this November month especially the beginning there is not a lot that I'm loving.  But as I thought about it a bit more I decided that this sad old heart is going to try my dandiest to find some LOVE.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something you can be thankful for no matter how simple it is. 

I am thankful that I can celebrate Josh's 21st birthday without too many people thinking Ive lost the plot and I am very thankful that some of my friends/family are celebrating with me,

Tyra always has to join in!

I am thankful that Im going to Queenstown this month (admittedly at the end of the month but hey) and will be meeting for the first time in REAL life the lovely Nik who lives in Cromwell

I am thankful for my friends who make my heart a bit warmer just by being in it

and who are going to KILL me for including this photo I took the other day when we met for coffee.

I might have to work a bit harder at thinking of things, maybe tomorrow xx

OMG really its been two years!!

So I'm slightly ashamed of the time that has passed since I was last here BUT I've had the push to start Blogging again thanks to a swap I'm taking part in......super excited but it does mean I've got some updating to do.  If you have stumbled across my blog and live in New Zealand (BEST place in the World) here is the link to the Christmas swap

http://catalinanz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/10/secret-advent-swap-2013.html


so Last two years well my children now look like this

doesn't Geo look beautiful and here is one of Scott and Mel from our dinner last night,

 

and here is Scott and I, we are all rocking our Pirate Hat

 

 

I guess I should explain,  Josh would have been 21 on the 6th of November so we thought we had better do a night of drink rum and wearing pirate hats and saying a lot of ARRRRGGGG me hearties,  we may look silly but we did have a lot of fun (just saying lol).

So maybe tomorrow I might load a few photo's of art stuff Ive been doing, not a lot of scrapbooking but heaps of ATC's, altered puzzles oh and Kelly and I have been working hard on doing a very messy art Journal (that faze started thanks to a lady named Ruth but that's a whole different story)
Ciao

why did the chicken cross the road??

Question ... Why did the chicken cross the road?


PLATO: For the greater good.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.
KARL MARX: It was a historical inevitability.
CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.
HIPPOCRATES: Because of an excess of phlegm in its pancreas.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.
MOSES: And God came down from the Heavens, and He said unto the chicken, ``Thou shalt cross the road.'' And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.
FOX MULDER: You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?
RICHARD M. NIXON: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.
MACHIAVELLI: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.
JERRY SEINFELD: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?
FREUD: The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
BILL GATES: Our soon-to-be-released Chicken '98 will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook.
OLIVER STONE: The question is not, ``Why did the chicken cross the road?'' Rather, it is, ``Who was crossing the road at the sametime, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?''
DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.
EINSTEIN: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.
BUDDHA: Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON: The chicken did not cross the road... it transcended it.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: It was an instinctive maneuver, the chicken obviously didn't see the road until he had already started to cross.
COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?
PHYSICIST: Because the chicken's momentum had a positive component towards the other side of the road.
QUANTUM PHYSICIST: Because you measured its momentum too precisely.
MATHEMATICIAN: Because of the intermediate values theorem.
ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRIST: Well, consider a faithfully flat etale coherent sheaf...
C PROGRAMMER: cross_road() was called from get_other_side()
C++ PROGRAMMER: chicken->CrossRoad() was called from chicken->GetOtherSide()
OMAR KHAYYÁM:
MARKETING DIVISION OF MICROSOFT CORPORATION: Where does your chicken want to go today?
MARVIN: The other side is just as dull as this one. Don't talk to me about chickens.
ARTHUR DENT: Why did the chicken cross the road? 42? No, that doesn't make sense.

HAMLET:

To cross, or not to cross, that is the question: -
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind, to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous side;
Or to take arms against a road of troubles,
And by crossing end them?

july newsletter

just a quick blog to let you know the july news letter is out for Better Scrapbooking. read it here!

and the

Craft Out West

16th and 17th July

Te Pai Centre

Craft Show Entrance

(Indoor Netball Facility)

Adults: $5.00

Senior Citizens: $3.00

Children under 12yrs: Free

Proceeds to Hopice West Auckland

is happening soon.  looking forward to it.

one photo, three ideas

today at scrappn was at my house,  Kerry had the great idea that Debbie, herself and i should scrapbook the same photo of the three of us, worrisome as us three girls can be quite competitive (mostly Debbie!). 

Anyhow here are our three layouts

Debbies

Kerrys

and mine

they all turned out so very different.  catch ya xx

Happy Mothers Day xx

Happy Mothers Day to all my lovely blog readers and big hugs to those who mothers day isnt quite as happy as it can be.  I remember my first mothers day with out Josh, he had died three day before and it sucked BIG time But I have two WONDERFUL kids who make me feel like the best mum ever!

Yesterday was National Scrapbooking day, which is odd because really it is International Scrapbooking day and did I scrap?  oh yes I did  Megan over at Better Scrapbooking ran a online challenge and I uploaded my photos this morning but here they are so you can see first hand. 

This first layout Megan gave us a sketch to copy and this is what I did,  I used a lace cardstock I brought from the warehouse as my stencil and sprayed it with Glimmer Mist, I am sooo happy with how it turned out
of course these photos are quite old and before Josh got sick, what cute boys I have x

lol more sibling pictures but so up to date, take at Easter, at you guessed it Hine's wedding. Anyway Megan gave us another sketch and this is what I did....

Last challenge I entered was one that used stitching,  I hand stitched up the side of this layout, I really wanted Geo to stand out so used alot of red to zoom your eye in.... hope it worked

And this last layout I didn't enter online but I worked on it for a couple of days,  This is my Father In Law who passed away many years ago.  I do love this photo, we don't have many so every one is special (and I did more spraying with glimmer mist can you see what my latest addiction is)

I hope you all have a wonderful day I know Im going too, one of my presents today was from my darling son and his oh so clever girlfriend (who knew what to buy me) was a dymo label maker,  I have been looking at layouts for MONTHS now that have labels used for journaling and thinking I wish I had one of those but have not got around to getting one yay now I have one, thanks Scott and Mel you rock xx chris

wow where did that week go?

goodness did anyone else notice that first week back at school went really fast??  so what did I do this week... Monday with Eilish making Mothers Day cards (and did you know I made my mum an awesome card popped it in the post so it would make it on time and pooh forgot to take a photo).  Tuesday was spent with my dear friend Kerry cleaning out her shop (well not anymore hurrah!!).  Wednesday mmmmm ok Thursday ooh thats easy I went into ccf (child cancer foundation) to drop off 18 sweet adorable trays of chocolate ready for our mothers day mini pamper day on monday.  If you want to see this is the link to kerrys trade me listings too sweet too she has some yum stuff and some delish tins just right for scrapbooking stuff!  Layouts well here is yet another from the wedding :)



luff ya all
xx

better do some scrappn

look better scrapbooking's April news letter is out click and have a read.  http://www.betterscrapbooking.co.nz/ some of my fellow design team have some great ideas.  I had to do the OTP item and made some awesome covered boxes for Miss Geo.

cute I know.  this month I also attended my beautiful eldest nieces wedding, Miss Geo was the junior bridesmaid and guess who I took the most photos of?? yup Miss Geo, did get a couple of family snaps and some lovely ones of Master Scott and his lovely lady Mel.  Here is the layout I did

Mel has a crown on just because I like to tease her that she is the future Queen.  And just because I love to share with you all here is my two kids together (awwwww I hear you say)

ten years between them ....sigh, they grow so fast, And just to add here is the little monkey that is between them, those wonderful nieces gave me the big flowers from the church to take up to Josh's grave sweet I know

They where so big they covered up his whole headstone,  Nice though as on the 2nd May it will be 13 whole years since josh died,  Im not sure where time has gone, until I look at my kids and think....thats where it went!

to finish on a happy note I just sent some time away in Whangamata with my bestie Kerry and our two girls, lots of scrappn and laughing and drinking, last happy snap of Miss Geo and I

catch ya later xx

birthday week

I have a few photos this week so I will just get stuck in

First, my $1000 winning scratchie, yes some people do win!!

Next my delightful son and his girlfriends giving me their best couple look (NOT)

Miss Geo is 12 years old today and here is her mouse cake

and lastly my eldest niece is getting married on Saturday to her lovely man and I wanted to make her a special card, so I did xx

So its a bit of a long one

busy busy thats me.  first up better scrapbooking newsletter has a couple of my layouts in it. 

And here are Aprils challenges for Better Scrapbooking

April Layout Challenge - Create a layout using chalks.  You make like to use chalks for your title, on a border or on the edges of your photo mates.  Lets see how many different techniques with chalks you can use on one layout.  Have fun, and get messy.
April Photo Challenge - Perspective, perspective, perspective.  This has been inspired by the winning photo of March's photo challenge.  Take a photo using an unusual perspective.  Who knows you may even inspire next months challenge (LOL)
April Project Challenge - Create a fun Easter Basket - with some lovely decorated eggs inside (these eggs could be bought chocolate eggs if you like).
April Card Challenge - Create a fun pop-up card of your choice.  You may like to create an interesting way for a pop-up to pop-up.

All entries to the online gallery challenges need to be uploaded to the online gallery before the 30th April.  If you are unable to upload your photo feel free to email it to http://nz.mc961.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=megan@betterscrapbooking.co.nz and she will upload it for you.
All entries go into the draw for a fun scrapbooking prize from Better Scrapbooking Ltd. 

And then wow I have had a fun weekend.  well Friday night really, remember how I said I won an Auction for a crop night with Trina McClune and Louise Williams well we have had it and what a awesome night,  Trina made us all feel so welcome and even her Hubby had done baking YUM, the table looked fab and she had made us STUNNING bags with goodies in them, Louise brought DELICIOUS ginger slice (how did she know that was my favourite??)  anyway see photos

 Lovely Ladies having fun!

 Delish bag with my intials on it and yum yum goodies that where inside

So Thank you very much lovely ladies for the wonderful night!

another day scrapping

today is the day I meet with my friends to scrap away the hours, I'm working on my mum and dads cycle holiday album.  My folks cycle all the time, mum even has cyclist calve muscles (cute i know) anyway they keep going down to Otago to cycle the rail trail.  next week will be their third trip so I though I should do an 8x8 album for them, stole their camera and took all their photos.

scrapnn people cycling isn't that easy

oohhhhhh so cute look at my mum and dad I love them to bits!!!

mum loves to take photos and is quite good at the self portrait thing.

catch ya later xx

brrr snow

yes you read that correct brrr snow, and indoors even lol yes Geo and I went to snow planet today with a charity called Ride For Life.  Awesome group of people hope all goes well for them!

 they even gave the kids cool as beanies to keep, of course Geo had a flower in her hair that she removed to put on her hat!

had a blast xx

and just before its next month

here is my layouts I did for this months better scrapbooking.  Lucky me to have so much yum stuff to play with.

Ive finally finished the secret album Ive been working on but the lucky lass isnt getting it till next month so I will have to wait to post pictures,  I did take a quick snap before I sent the album off.  (lucky)

Ive been sewing my little fingers off, just sent away 4 little bears to their new home and then in the mail arrived teeny weeny new born clothes from a mum who would like 7 bears, some peoples stories are heart breaking really.

oh a happy note today is my darling hubby and I anniversary 17 years wehave been co-habiting 13 of them as a awesome married couple. LOVE ya Darlin xox

giving a plug

Hi guys just a wee plug for Louise Williams over on face book auctions for christchurch go have a look she has some amazing stuff that the scrapbook community has donated.
Here is what Louise said

"On the 22nd of February 2011, Christchurch, NZ was hit by ANOTHER massive quake. This time there are many fatalaties and extensive damage to the city that was already struggling to recover from the first quake that struck in September last year. In a bid to do SOMETHING to help, I'm organising auctions to raise money to send to them to help with the immediate needs and future rebuilding of the city. We have a lot of amazing items being donated by artists and scrappers who are giving supplies to be auctioned, with 100% of the money raised going to the funds to help. This is the facebook group that you need to join so you can register to bid, auctions will be running from Saturday, 5th March. To register you need to email me at info@eidou.com with your name, address and email and I'll be in contact to give you a paddle number. All bidding is done silently, so when you want to bid on an item you email me the figure you'd like to bid. I'll update the auctions as bids are received. When the auction closes the winner will be contacted for payment (I've set up a separate bank account for these auctions, and all transactions are totally transparent for anyone who wants to see it but 100% of the funds will be donated). The winners details will then be forwarded on to the contributor so they can send the item out directly. Ok... any questions sing out to either me or Debbie Blincoe and thank you all for your support. Make sure you register, bid high and let's help those people recover from the rubble down there. L xx"

seriously go look there is some great stuff and not to rub your noses in it but I picked up a cricut gypsy for $105!!  but before you think Im not giving enough so far I have won three auctions and spent $285 will tell you more when all the auction are done and dusted
xx

ok so I have been so slack

It started out Innocent enough, the kids managed to use up all 50 megabits whatchamacallits in 10 days so for the the other 20 days of the month we had slower than dial up speed no uploading no downloading...face book wouldn't even work :(
and then another couple of weeks slipped by, camp with miss Geo and getting better scrapbooking design team stuff done and then the EARTHQUAKE and before you know it Ive not blogged for two months.

here though is a photo from my daughters class on Thursday, they had their RED AND BLACK day early as they have a teacher only day on Friday (today)

Miss Geo is second from right front row!

any how Ive been doing heaps of scrappn but cant show you, its a surprise for someone 21st and you never know who is looking and I would Hate to ruin the surprise maybe later though I can give you a sneak peek.

Better Scrapbooking has their latest newsletter out betterscrapbooking.co.nz check it out!!! some of those design team ladies are smart cookies.

right I PROMISE that I will blog better

xx
Chris