some random thoughts before i sign off for a few days

school holidays start friday, but we're hitching the wagon a day early: the hubs officially finishes up at work tomorrow, i don't work fridays, the last day of term doesn't really involve too much in the way of critical learning - so we're off.

heading down to christchurch for 3 days to catch up with family. misses 11 and 12 will stay on an extra couple of nights with my folks which means i can work a full day on monday...

...which i NEED, given that this conference i'm organising is taking up every minute of the 20 hours i work every week! i'm getting quite excited about it, but also keen to have it done, so i don't have 'pressing' things to finish every day at work.

tara's moved house and her new place is very cool.

my scrap room is taking shape. the hubs found me some speakers for the laptop, the laptop now has 1 GIG of memory on it, and the curtains are back.

...so why haven't i been scrapping you ask?

"so i said to her, why would you want to scrap here when you there's space for TWO laptops?"

i'm so sick of winter. still. i can't remember the last time the sun came out, and i'm travelling SOUTH on friday. i'm an idiot. ok, so south means COLDER here...

can't wait to go see ice age 3 with the familiars in the holidays.

our bunnies escaped from the FORT KNOX of rabbit hutches. still a total mystery how they got out. oscar was found the next day behind the BBQ (his fave place to 'run' when we let them out) and RJ went on what turned out to be a 5-day bunny road trip. i found him yesterday in the middle of the lawn eating a carrot we'd left out.

very much looking forward to my 'cupcakes, cosmos and sex and the city dvd night' with my scrapmates. oh yes, you want to read the post on THAT fun night (next friday!)

it's barely 9.30 and in total nana fashion, i will very soon make my cup of tea and shuffle off to bed.

i am woman. i'm tired.

wordful wednesday - some assembly required

other than take me now...

"some assembly required"

would have to be man's three favourite words

these photos are rather ancient, but when the hubs bought the girls a new rabbit hutch - i had the idea for this blog post.
trouble was - he assembled it while i was at work, but i still really wanted to do the post!
then i remembered i had these pics. i just love the way he's scratching his head.
he was perplexed i remember, but did he once ask for help?
noooooooooooooooo
why would a man ask for help WITH directions, when they can't even ask FOR directions!!!!!


for more wordful, visit angie@ seven clown circus

photostory friday - good mail!

the courier delivered a happy box of love from my blog friend elizabeth on wednesday.

wanna hear the lame part? that happy box SAT unopened on my counter for an entire 24 hours.

WHY? well for ONE, when i got home, there was no-one around to take pictures of me opening it, and TWO, when someone FINANLLY came home, the light was really bad.

how sad is that!!!
but then husbands, good cameras, good light and the planets came together and here i am opening up my box of goodies. i was spoiled!

a note from elizabeth telling me that the journals are hand-made from wallpaper and scratch paper. i don't know what that is, but they're gorgeous. thank you!

what-a-lotta-loot!!!

this has to be my favourite piece. elizabeth ran a giveaway for her blogoversary and i won! elizabeth had me sent photos of my loved ones and she then turned them into this AMAZING bracelet. i wore it straight away and got so many comments!

i'm not really jaundiced, but these photos have a rather 'warm glow' to them, don't they?

elizabeth also has a t-shirt business, katie kay tees and she made me this VERY cool t-shirt. i can't wait for some warmer weather so i can wear it!
can you read it? it says 'scrappy'!!!
and a lovely frame

and a wooden plaque that i can decorate to my heart's content! i'm thinking paint first, then we'll see what happens after that...

elizabeth also made me a cd of her favourite tunes, and there's some lovely bath gel in there too! oh! and a coffee thermos that i can personalise with photos - cool huh?

thank you SO much elizabeth! i really appreciate the effort and the gesture. i hope we meet one day soon.

go see elizabeth and read all about her second honeymoon in jamaica - amazing sunset pictures, and the 'not clothing optional' beach!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

wordful wednesday - our family friendly pin up girl

at the risk of making my blog all about one child, i just had to toot the family horn one more time...

it's not every day your child makes page 3 of the national daily paper

so so proud...



for more wordful wednesday, visit angie over @ seven clown circus

my page 3 girl (in the wholesome non-tabloidee kinda way!)

the buzz continues around here after cross eyed mary's win at rockquest on friday night.

yesterday (sunday) there was a photo shoot in civic square for our morning paper 'the dominion post' - wellington's equivalent of the washington post (well, sorta).

me being the total cheapskate that i am, photographed the photographer!

my girl sure can strike a pose

even when no-one else is...

i think this is my favourite, and not because i'd unwittingly captured the photographer's 'builders' crack!!!'

the feedback's been amazing! i think every second person reads the paper in this town

only 182 days until the longest day

or the shortest; depending on which hemisphere you live in

happy winter solstice

my daughter the rockstar

remember last year when she won the female musicianship award in the wellington regional finals of rockquest? that was with her college band 'flamingo pink'.

this year cross eyed mary entered the hutt valley competition. the heats were held yesterday afternoon, and the finals last night.

i just love how she's so happy to pose for me in the middle of a hall full of strangers.

side thought: if i pulled a face like that, i'd look like a 3-week old prune.

this face makes me want to hug the body attached to it, but there's a limit to how much the rockstar will indulge the mother... this is my favourite action shot of the night

party tricks (twirling drum sticks)
oh to have the confidence to twirl, NOT drop and keep playing
i'm in AWE

leader singer oli doing her thing

awards won by cross eyed mary at the end of the night included:

the APRA award for best lyrics
"the song i wrote won! MY song!"

they also won the award for best song (which isn't the same song they won the lyrics award for). which made every song they sung a winner!

then they announced the places
3rd got called
2nd got called


are we gonna win???

only one band member per group was allowed on stage

[i really want to win, but i'm stealing myself against NOT winning]

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!!!!

and then the local paparazzi swarmed

sure we have paparazzi.....just look

see? there they are still!

the radio station sponsoring the event and C4 (our local equivalent of MTV)
they're gonna be on TV!!!

the guy my daughter is looking all 'gaga' at is the lead singer of this band. they're a kiwi group who's made it big! listen to the song if you have time, it's very cool.

doing a 'wave'

the lead singer's big sis stepped in as bassist (2nd from R).

under the rules, you have to be in school 15 hours a week to participate, and CEM's regular bassist is not. it must have been hard for her to watch, but rules are rules!

winners are grinners! (name that movie). as i write this, I still have a ridiculous grin on my face. of course, miss 17 has been learning to ride her motor bike (in class) all day and has ANOTHER gig tonight.

all in a weekend for her...