Author: Nic Howard

I don't think I've been this busy in a while.  The kids went to the beach with Nannie & Grumpr on Tuesday, and I've been holed up in this room ever since.  Apart from the small matter of an italian dinner out last night – it's the first time we've been out for dinner without the kids in a year. 

Last time was in Canada at a place called Moxie's in Vancouver.  The food at Moxies was amazing, the waiter was the hotter than a hot thing that is really really hot, he sang beautifully while he wiped the bar down.  Paul & I sat in Moxies for around 4 hours in the middle of the day, we were about the only ones there.  It was fantastic.  It was good to get away last night as well, but I'm ready for the kids to come home.
But anyway, I've been working on pages for the Aussie Scrap Source blog and for Tarisota.  And I'm adding more pages to Abby's 'All about me' album.  Which I finished, but really it could have done with more pages done in it.  So I've been finishing some of those.

Mission this weekend?  Final touches on my SENZ classes.  I'm gathering things for the Card Buffet.  The pile of stuff for that class is the most impressive thing I've seen for a while.  I'm looking forward to it!  I meant to take a photo before it was all boxed up.  I'll try and do that before the next blog update.

Update on me – Those of you that were in Christchurch with me saw my enthusiasm for Glimmermist.  Apparently my enthusiasm was felt around at the Tattered Angels homebase, because I was invited on to the Tattered Angels design team.  What does this mean?  It means I am involved with a group of ladies that really know their stuff, and I'll be able to bring more Glimmermist (and other Tattered Angels product) knowledge down to this part of the world.  Which has to be a good thing.

Right.  The radio is on – fairly loudly.  Paul is at work – but due back to do some work outside soon.  The cat is playing with a toy mouse on the floor – embarrasingly, it's not one we bought them which means Molly stole the mouse.  I have stuff spread out all over this scraproom.  Best I get to it before thsoe gorgeous wee kiddos come home.

oh – btw – I LOVED the Glad Wrap comments.  Personally the slider scares me.  I am sliderly challenged.  Give me the good old fashioned box once every 3 years with regular refills inbetween and I'm a happy camper. 

Here's a sneak of a layout I have coming up on the Aussie SCrap Source blog soon.

Laters

School holidays are going good, I love having the kids around the house.  Even the part where they decided that the spider in the window frame was a whitetail and obsessed with showing me the squashed remains so as to identify it.  NO thanks.

I took Jacob shopping with me the other day.  I picked up a box of Glad Wrap, looked at it, said to myself "THAT is SO COOL" and put it in the trolley.  The sideways glance he gave me said it all but I still had to ask him "What?  what's wrong with that?"   "Mum". he says. "It's a box of Glad wrap".
"I know" I said "but I only ever buy the refills and it's kinda cool to be able to buy myself a new box." Eyebrows raised at me he said nothing more, but I did realise at that point that things are getting a little sad when the fact that one gets to buy the box of gladwrap instead of the refill makes ones day.  Or are they – it's been 3 years or so since I bought the last one :o)

Registrations for the Autumn Escape retreat are going well – way busier than we anticipated actually which is GREAT- it's good to see that it's not just me that wants total relaxation in a scrapbooking weekend – and actually there is a popular golf course on the resort so we've had some very clever bargaining from some ladies – and as a result they are bringing hubbies!  Well.  Not to the scrapbooking thingie but they are staying at the resort together! Clever, clever!  I see Kim Archer has blogged about it – she's excited and we are excited to have her there!

If you really have no clue as to what I'm talking about, check out the Autumn Escape blog.

Sharing an old page here, probably a few years old.  It did feature on the Aussie Scrap Source blog a week or so back so I thought I could show you again. 

Oh!  SENZ – a few things I'm being asked about. 
Paintables – the photo/s are better if they are feminine.  We can swing it if they are boys, we can use a lot of blue and paint ;o) but girls/friends type pics are probably best.
As usual when you are in any of my classes, if you have a crop-o-dile, bring it and glue dots are a neccessity!! 
CraftHouse added another paintables class after all my classes sold out, and there may be space in that I think. 
Judging by the amount of product spread around my lounge at the moment, these classes are going to be seriously dangerously fun.  Ask my poor neighbour who got dragged in to sort flowers the other day. lol

Right. Off to use my NEW glad wrap on the kids lunches.  They are home today (schoolholidays) but I think I'll pack their lunches anyway ;o)

laters

First things first – the winner of the October stuff is Yvette – Sept 25, 4.27pm a number picked randomly by our neighbour currently watching the warriors.  Email me, Yvette!

Next.  The book I've been working on isn't mine.  I will neither confirm nor deny another book ;o)

Lastly – I have something to show you.  It's taken a lot of late nights and hard work over the past few weeks.

But finally. 

The Wairakei Luxury Resort in Taupo.  (We are talking amazing stuff here… check that resort out!  hot pools, bars, nightclub, cafe… did I mention the bar?)
Conference room cropping
Pampering
Classes with Kim Archer and myself
Go here to read about the Autumn Escape, Luxury Scrapbooking Retreat.

We want this to be a truly national get together – something relaxing and fun with the option for classes.  (And a reward for the first 20 fully paid registrations!)

bring. it. on

laters

Comments now closed – see our winner in the next post!

Apparently it's been a while since I blogged.  Clearly my mind is taken up with thoughts of assignments and SENZ, classes and OH WAIT – The Warriors!!!!  I'm a wreck and it's only Wednesday.  Go the mighty Warriors!!!!  So proud of our boys. 

So assignments – I've been working on some pages for a book that is coming out early next year.  I was sent some October Afternoon goodies to play with for these assignments.  I hadn't previously seen the October Afternoon stuff and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I was sent a heap of stuff and have kept some of what I didn't use but here are some leftovers… A pile of papers, some alphas and a set of acrylic stamps.  I'm going to send it to one lucky reader – Leave me a comment and I'll draw a winner at the weekend!

New for the Queen & Co blog – we've kicked the blog up at Queen & Co.  You'll see some new and exciting stuff going on over there, from now on.  One of the very cool things is the "Queen's pick".  Basically it means that the DT will be watching blogs and galleries looking for cool Queen & Co stuff.  And we'll post what we can.  Here are the details.

Short post today.  I'm busy today creating some stuff for the Aussie Scrap Source blog.  I'm also fine tuning some details for a massive project that I'll post about closer to the weekend, so check back for that, there will be benefits for the first to know ;o)

I'm also spending time keeping little miss Abby calm – she has her kindy disco tonight and is counting down minutes.    There's nothing like a bunch of 4 year olds shaking their booties on the dancefloor to the sound of the Chicken Dance to calm the nerves.   

Leave me a comment for the October Moon stuff!

Laters.

Today was good.  I jumped on the scales first thing this morning (as I do every single morning) and all it said was "LO".  Perfect.  I'll take that.  The voice of reason inside tells me that it says that when the battery is low.  I like my reasoning better.

The PAYE is done and in the mail.

Assignments for a book in the USA are done and in the mail.

Jacob finished the school project he has been working on and it looks flippin fantastic.  His schoolwork isn't always the neatest in his books but the boy rocks the projects when they are made with clay and bits of paper.  He did it all himself too, except for the generous help of the next door neighbour who spared his time to get messy to create a clay Koura. 

And I have finalised some of the stuff that has been nagging me about my SENZ classes.  LIke where to get some of the product.  It's done.  It's just about here.  And there is only one more thing to finalise. 
Hands up who would like to be a teacher help in my classes?  I'm after 1 or 2 fabulous amazing and fit people to help me out in my classes.  Helpers must be reliable.  They must be able to walk at high speeds for 2 hours straight.  They must be assertive and confident but have a painted on smile.  They must be able to be there 15 minutes (at least) ahead of time and stay afterwards as well.  Teacher help must be able to tame scrapbeasts and detect avocado or seafood sandwiches if they come within 50 metres of the room.  Email me if you fit the bill, class times are as follows:
Friday 2.30 – 4.30pm
Saturday 9.30-11.30am
Saturday 2.30 – 4.30pm
Sunday 9am – 11am

Alrighty, I'll leave you with another mini album I did for Tarisota this month. 

I used these pics for Jacob's little album too.  This one is for me and has all the kids and lots of (shock, horror, Bronwyn!) handwritten pages.  I basically rambled about stuff that happened on that afternoon when the kids came home from school.  You know.  random useless info that will someday be fascinating.

laters

Last Friday was busy.  I was getting stuff ready for Christchurch, but it was also hubby's birthday.  He was dying of man-flu, which is much worse than the almost equivalent woman-flu, and I had a list a mile long to do.  Despite the fact that said husband was apparently dying of man flu, he still decided he wanted to go out to dinner for his birthday.  So we did.  On the way to dinner we stopped and got gas.  Paul throws a phone at me from outside the car "what do we do with this?" he asks.  He had found it on the ground.

The phone was pretty flash.  Camera and all.  It had a few missed calls on it, probably the owner looking for it.  I looked in the contacts menu and saw the top of the list was "mum".  So I rang her.

"Um yep, I found this phone and yours was a name I thought would be sensible to ring".  Waiting for the confused questions to come from the other end of the phone.  To the contrary though – the lady on the other end was so relieved – it was her hubbies phone (crack me up that she is in the contacts under 'Mum') and he had lost it somewhere during the day. 

I asked if she was local and she said she was, I told her which restaurant we were going to and perhaps should call in and get it if she was still out and about.  She replied that they had just gone to work for the night.  I asked where she lived and told her I'd drop it in her mailbox after dinner.  So we went on to dinner and afterwards we went across the other side of town and left it in her mailbox.  I left my card with a note on the back saying where we'd found it.  Because in all seriousness it'd kill me if I got my phone back like that and didn't know where I'd lost it in the first place.

And then I forgot about it.

When I got home from Christchurch there was a huge box of chocolates on my desk.  "What's this?" I asked Paul – "Oh that guy with the phone called in, he wanted to let you know that he thought it was pretty cool that there is still some honest people in the world, and that he was really grateful". 

So totally unneccessary of him but so cool to think I made someones day like that.  And in return he made my day.  How nice was it of him to take time out to make sure I knew he appreciated it? 

Anyways.  Scrapbooking.  Prima – Prima is a great company to work for, and the PrimaDonnas are a very cool bunch of girls to hang out with.  Nathalie Kalbach is one of the ladies based in Germany but she is doing an online class for Blue Bazaar in just a few days.  The class is called "Make it Flatter" Here are the details, it's a class about altering your photos with alsorts of cool stuff, it does include a class pack so you need to sign up ASAP.   It's great to see some of the Prima classes down this way, so I thought I'd give Nat a shout out and let you know about her class :o)

Ok – work to do, I'll leave you with some more images of the gallery from the last Tarisota Gallery.This was a tiny little acrylic album – I threw some photos in it and played with a few papers and gave it to Jacob when he came home from school that afternoon.  He was thrilled!

Laters

What goes 700km/hr hour yet sleeps the whole way?

Me.  On my way home from a day in Christchurch yesterday.  I waited til the air hostess gave out the complimentry bag of pineapple lumps and jet planes, curled up and went to sleep until Auckland.  It was a long day.  Fabulous though.  I can't say I've travelled so far in one day in a long time, and that was just the running around the classroom. 

Sad it's over, enjoyed myself immensely, Scrapbook Art is an amazing store (Allanah tells me she sells a lot of stuff on trademe too) and the group of ladies were just awesome.  I even learnt a little geography. 

Here is a better pic of the Prima Project we did yesterday.  (And I forgot to mention, for those of you that were at the Summer Album class yesterday, I'd love it if you let Donna at Prima donna@primamarketinginc.com know how the class went!  Drop her a line! )

SO!  Next lot of travelling will be SENZ, where all 3 of my main classes sold out, but there is a Paintables class they added later that still has just a few spots left, I think.  that is October 10-12.

In November I'm teaching at the Sketchbook retreat in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.  It is a layout class and so far I have to say it looks pretty freakin fabulous in my head. Hard for you all to see, but trust me on that one.

Back to yesterday – I came home to some gorgeous kids – they were twice as gorgeous as when I tucked them in the night before although the charm wore off fairly quickly.  The feeling was mutual, they were all over me when I walked in but it took 3 minutes to start whining.  It's the usual thing.

There has been some classics come out of those kids mouths in the last few days though, Abby especially.  My favourite was when we were listening to the Rock radio station count down their top 1000 songs and an old one came on – hands up those with Black Jerseys stashed in the far reaches of the cupboards – those that will remember Iron maiden and "Can I play with Madness".  You know the one.  It was on the radio as we drove back from Kindy the other day.  Abby, in all her gorgeousness, was sitting eating her lunch shortly after and singing to herself" Can I play with magnets". (You've got to sing it to yourself to really get the charm of it).  Playing with madness perhaps didn't make sense?

And Braden, his gem, and I think I've heard of kids thinking this before, "Mum, in the olden days, did everything have no colour?"  CLASSIC!  I guess I can see why they think that way!

I've been a little slack with my journaling lately, the draw of the cute face staring at me from in the photo, sometimes it's easier to write short journaling with not much meaning.  I miss telling a good story though.  I need to get back to the grass roots stuff again, a layout about playing with magnets calls my name.

laters

Bloglines.  Did you all know about this already?  I know you all did, it just takes me a while to get these things organised.  I try and maintain that I don't surf many blogs, but I guess I do, and if I don't surf the blogs, I feel regret that I might be missing something.  I have a bloglines browser open all day now whilst working and if I happen to find a new blog I love, I add it right then.  I catch up on updated blogs during breakfast and lunch.  I love it.  Favourite Blogs added recently.  Pink Paislee blog.  Memory Makers Masters blog with the new masters.  and this one Pieces of me – Louise Williams.

Tarisota gallery is out – here is my fav layout this month.  I like doing these 'right now' type layouts.  At the time they seem repetitive but I've looked back on old ones and thought how cool it is to be able to look back and see what i was doing and where I was at.   One of my favs is a mini album I did of Sept 22nd last year and what we did as a family that day, I took snapshot type pics along the way as we went shopping for seedlings for the spring garden etc, it was very cool, I even had a pocket in the back of the album for receipts etc.  I must do another one soon. Anyhoooo… here is the Sept 4th layout, the journaling is below…

yes apparently I did a fabulously large typo in there, just pretend it's not there.  It can be part of the whole charm of the layout.  "On Sept 4th 2008 I was sick so I wasn't concentrating too well when I typed the journaling and so you'll find a nasty typo".

Anyone want to see the new Christmas papers from BasicGrey released yesterday?  Wassail.  Look here for the full images.    I had to google what Wassail is – it's a Christmassy type drink.  Waddya know. lol

Ok Christchurch!  Final details!!!   If you are sitting in on the Summer Build A Book class, please bring a crop-o-dile or 1/4" punch and a corner rounder - only if you have one! Don't buy one especially, but if you have one, bring it along please! 

Also if you have any favourite swirl stamps and Stazon black, bring that… again, they will be personal touches that you don't have to add but if you have them, bring 'em along! 

Remember the Summer BAB class will need a tape runner type adhesive (I used the Stampin' Up! Snail adhesive – something similar) and both classes could use glue-dots!

(Please spread the word if you know someone coming!)

Lookin forward to it!

Laters

I woke this morning feeling the worst I had felt in weeks.  I couldn't help feeling incredibly ripped off since I hadn't had a drop to drink the previous night.   I had a little whinge to Paul and he pretty much told me to get myself to the doctor.  So I did.  I told the doc I'd been sick for close on 5 weeks and she didn't take long to let me know I have sinusitis and prescribe me antibiotics big enough to kill a horse and a disgusting nasal spray that I'm sure the doctors prescribe just to have a wee giggle to themselves as we walk out the door at the mental picture of it all.  Cross fingers.  I'm hoping I'm on the mend. 

IN the meantime the blog has suffered, I have so much to say, so little energy to say it!  For a start…Here is a competition from Tarisota

Talking of Tarisota, I think the gallery is going up as we speak *read* which means I can start sharing stuff from the collection in the next few days.

Ok, it's going to be short and sweet from me, my bed is calling me, I've got a big weekend coming up, gotta rest up big :o)

laters

I'm down and out.  The 2nd rounds  of the cold that hit the Howard home snuck up and smacked me over the back of the head and flattened me.  I feel like the bag of biscuits that I put under the wheel of the car when I need biscuit crumbs.    It's just a cold, I know there are peope out there waaaay worse off, but can I scream ENOUGH ALREADY!  I've had my fair share this winter. 

So.

Today I rediscovered the Pub Calls blog.  When i got the Pagemaps newsletter yesterday, I remembered there is a pagemaps blog too.  And then today when Braden bought home his homework and some of it was matchstick puzzles, I secretly-without-his-knowledge-and-then-he-wondered-how-I-got-so-clever-so-quick found this page. I know.  I'm a genius.

Alrighty.  I'm making myself Lemon and Honey drink, praying to the God of Chest infections that he release me from the wrath of mucus, and dragging my feet off to bed. 

I apologise if I owe you emails.  Or any kind of corrospondence really. 

I'll leave you with this layout I did for the Aussie Scrap Source Blog. I used Quickutz diecuts and Heidi Swapp papers, a little Cherryrte and the layout was done, really.

laters