Category: Uncategorized

So today was another busy one. Mum stuff. Taxi type stuff. Running the kiddos all over the place. Just like most other Mums. And I washed my car. Seriously, no really, I did. Santa gave us a box of car cleaning equipment for Christmas in the hopes that the car , which lives outside and grows moss and other green living things, would get a little love. Here we were, near on 6 months later and still the car had no love. Santa had such good intentions.
So I cleaned. My car is actually a nice shade of blue. Abby drew on the footpath with chalk while I scrubbed that car. The next door neighbour drove past on her way home from getting her groceries and just about drove off the road at the sight of me cleaning the car. ONce she got home she came over to my house with a camera to capture the moment.
I’m glad she did. It may not happen again.

I have added a new link in my sidebar – it’s so good to have the NZ stores supporting the sale of my book. So I have added Kiwiscraps to my sidebar, they are taking pre-orders and have had such a good response that they have managed to get a price reduction with the distributors – so thankyou Kiwiscraps! That link will take you straight to the book on their site, with editorial reviews etc. If you see my book for sale on any other NZ sites (or anywhere else, for that matter!) please link me and I’ll link in my sidebar. Nothing like supporting those that support you :o)

And yes. I have now taken the book into the big bad world and the smile is slowly creeping across my face. Braden’s teacher loved it. LOL. She didn’t give it back! My baby is having it’s first night away. lol you should have seen me when Braden came home from school, I was holding my hand out for it. “Um she kept it over night”. Holy Moly. Stress a mother out.

Anyhoooo
Emily cards – These are the pics I tried to upload the other day.
This is my ‘note to self’. yep I’m doing them out of order and yep this one survived the NZ post test. All delivered back home safely date stamped. Cool.

Did anyone else enter the Scrapbook Creations Colour comp? I think it closes tomorrow. I did an entry. I saw Viv Bonder talking about it at some point and decided to put it in my list of ‘assignments to do’ – if I do that, it actually gets done, lol. I enjoyed the challenge. I did green and black.

For those of you with teenagers there is a new blog for ideas etc Scrap the Teenz Lianne Gray, Jo Kneller Lee Thoreson and Kim Archer are behind this blog.

Don’t forget the tarisota Designer competition – details in the post below.

Oh – one last thing – naomi – Dunedin – anyone know her email address? Email me! nic.paul (at) xtra.co.nz I’ll be extremely grateful!

Laters.

I didn’t think a few years ago that I’d call myself a writer. And actually as I stood at SENZ this weekend and talked to someone about my book and she wrote my name down and wrote “author of..” I nearly stopped her. No. Um. You got that wrong. I’m a Mum. I have to be back home by about 2pm because my kidlets would have lost the plot by then. I have dinner to cook and it looks like it’s raining over my way so I need to get in the washing. But I didn’t. She wrote it, I noticed it, and it hasn’t left my mind since.

Which leads me to my next thing – I have a copy of my book in my hands – or actually sitting on the desk beside me – and I’ve had it for days. I hadn’t told anybody really. Cos it’s freakin me out. It’s been years since the writing, there’s that word, starting forming itself in my mind and it was so much work creating this book and now it is here. And there is a lot of me in this book. Actually literally. lol. Who’d of thought I had that many pics of myself, but seriously there is a lot of me in this book. And I guess that bears repeating. I’m freakin out.

Anyhow – I have a point. Last week I wrote a proposal for an article for a U.S. magazine. Just tonight I wrote an article for Scrapbooking Memories. I just finished up what I was doing as Paul finished up his assignment, and he says to me “have you finishd your writing?”. Yep. I said. Writing. That is that word again. Actually I’ve only just started ;o)

Emily challenge – I was going to show you my latest but clearly I’m not because photobucket aren’t hosting too well tonight. ;O) tomorrow maybe.

For those of you asking about my classes (as per comments left) I know there are plans for them to be available to buy online in NZ soon and I will most certainly keep you updated!

So – long blog post tonight sorry – cos apparantly I like talking.

So… Taristoa. The Tarisota Designer Discovery comp – I hope that link works. Here is the small print . You only have til June 3rd. Hurry up.

laters.

We want to showcase new talent from Australia or New Zealand – This
competition is for those scrapbookers who have been published once,
twice three times at a push or not at all – and who have never been
part of a design team.
If you have held back from entering competitions in the past, if you
have never experienced the publishing /design team side of
scrapping… and you are FABULOUSLY talented…WE WANT YOU!!!!!!
Not only will you have all the fun of designing with a Tarisota Collection
that you don’t have to pay for – you will also receive some fab prizes
and join the growing Tarisota Guest Designer Gallery!
What do you need to do?
Send by email to tarisota@optusnet.com.au by 3rd June at 9.00am
Your work …
Clear images of:
• a current layout ( single or double)
• a beyond the page or mini album
• an accent or a card
Please include a textured or up close shot as well as a complete shot –
maximum of 6 images in total of work only. Images need to be no
bigger than 600 x 600 jpgs
About You ..
Biography of yourself and details of how long you have been
scrapping for, what style you have and why you think you’d be the
perfect Discovery for Tarisota?- maximum 400 words.
A photo of yourself – headshot please ALL Emails MUST be labelled:
TDD – your name ie. TDD – Tamar Bostock I ask that you do this so your
emails don’t get lost in the inbox

Tonight I’m watching T.V. Not something I do alot, I’ve even given up trying to keep up with Grey’s anatomy as the batcave seemed to call my name more and more at this time of night.
However, this is the 3 hour finale of survivor. And although I have a tonne of stuff calling me from that scraproom, *guilt* I also have computer work to do (I always write with the TV on). And watching Survivor is always a bit of a lame thrill. It’s 2/3 the way through and I’m thinking I am sooo glad I am sitting here watching the 38th – it is , isn’t it? feels like it – season of Survivor (not).
Winter arrived today, did anyone notice? (Linda, that jar of summer in my cupboard seems to run out or something…) Our fireplace is broken. We have no heating. JAcob just came through and asked if he was allowed to wear socks to bed. lol. Theoretically winter doesn’t start for another 7 days, but I think it arrived today.

Scrapping – I have been busy. 3 days ago I got Paul to use a drop-saw and a drill on something that I will share in the near future. Who’d have thought when they bought their first diecuts and stickers that they’d need a dropsaw and drill sometime in their scrapping future? you did so buy diecuts. No denying that one. lol

Thanks for the comment on the headshot pics. Braden really has a talent. He composes such a good pic for a 6 yr old – I admit, I cropped them etc but compared to a lot of 6 yr olds, he does darn well. (And it was so cool to see the comments and who is out there reading!)

Which leads me to asking if anyone has a cheap digital camera to sell. Not for Braden, but for Jacob. We managed to get him enrolled into the Auckland Zoo to be assigned with a zookeeper for a day and they advise bringing a camera. Understandable. So I thought I might buy him one of the disposable cameras. But they are expensive, and then you have to develop the terrible 24 photos, and you can’t even manipulate them. Well if you scan and print them you can, but that is spending even more money. It’s starting to get expensive. And he is limited to 24. So if someone knows of somewhere to get a digital camera cheap, let me know.

Ok time to share. This time a layout that has gone up on the Aussie SS blog. Please check this blog out if you haven’t already, the amount of inspirational projects posted on here is amazing, and it is updated a LOT. It is a constant source of stuff to look at.
This is hambly, and of course BasicGrey. And I know I am doing a lot of this colour scheme lately, but that’s what it is all about. I love these colours, I’m going to play with them some more :o)

laters

Inspiration. Whichever form it may take, we all have our own inspiration…I have several CDs in my drawer that not many people know about. My biggest crime is probably owning both an Aqua CD and a Ace of Base CD – both played far too loud on a regular basis with a certain 3 year old singing to every single word. So there are CDs that have that -oh-my-goodness-I-should-have thrown-those-out-with-my-canvas-army-bag-covered-in-random-scribblings-about-whom-I-loved-at-the-time factor. Then there are those that are precious. Like my Cyndi Lauper CD. Love that CD to pieces and quite frankly I’m a little perturbed – had to look up how to spell that one I’m a little perturbed that Dove have taken one of my fav songs of all time and turned it into an advertisment. however. I need to gather my toys from where I threw them out the hypothetical sandpit and gather myself. It seems. Because just yesterday I saw this post on Ngai’s blog. and I decided to go along for the ride.

So if you read Ngai’s post it talks about getting a pic taken. I didn’t even get a new headshot taken for my book. Ahhhh just use the old one my 4 year old took a year or so back. Danielle Q took some good pics in Aussie when I was there (one in my blog header) but they are more candid. I kinda thought I might kill 2 birds with one stone and get myself a new headshot too. Too late for the book so I dunno what I’ll use it for…

Anyhow. So I hand the camera to my son who is now 6 years old. Fantastic photographer. And this is what he comes up with.

OK that look I am giving you is the wow-that-glare-off-the-roof-behind-you-is-killing-me-take-the-pic-already look. And yea that’s my ranchslider door behind me, I pulled the curtain behind me (so you could see the white side of it) and sat outside. Braden wasn’t meant to get the door handle, lol. Bad 6 year old photographer. lol.

And this one. I used the anti-crows-feet-tool in photoshop for this one. CAn you tell? lol Just pretend you can’t.

And then Paul walks past and yells OH MY GOD look at those wrinkles! For God’s sake, don’t SMILE already, check out those crows feet!!
And Braden gets this one.

I’m kinda liking this last option…

laters.

I am safely tucked up at home with a successful day at the zoo behind me. Behind us, I should say, it was a team effort. Plenty of patience, telling Jacob of what we are doing and warning of things that might differ from the plan, a great picnic lunch and off we go.

Highlights of the trip.
*For Abby – standing at the window and seeing the sea-lions zoom past over and over.
*For Jacob – the discovery of coy carp and dreaming of how easy it would be to catch those suckers.
*For Braden – the purchase of an otter soft toy on the way out
*For Paul – the fact that the Warriors were at the zoo to feed the tigers. (And perhaps that they bought their cheerleaders, but with the fact that those poor girls are half his age (not exaggerating) that is bordering on sicko.). Anyhow. He was impressed.
For me – getting a pic or two of the boys together. All 3 kids? um. no. Not acheivable. That’s ok.. well I got one or two, but the light was bad etc, but they were HAPPY so I’ll keep ’em! The pics too. lol.

Oh wait – one more funny thing – the tortoise feeding time. 35 yr old man tortoise and 38 year old lady tortoise eating celery and carrots – WOW they guts those things down, anyway, the food musta given Mr tortoise a little energy because he rambled over to Mrs tortoise took a while, they dont move fast and decided it was time to “What are they doing Daddy?” play a little leap-frog. “Them big ol’ shells kept getting in the way I guess son, he aint going far”… Good Save, Daddy.

And just quietly, the real highlight of the day was that the courier dropped off the new Tarisota box this morning at 7.45am and that I love this collection – I know I go on about Tarisota but it is the one commitment I am truly looooving right now.

I’ll leave you with some pics – humanity and peace has been restored in the Howard home. For now. It seems when there is attitude lurking that the mojo runs for cover. Hopefully tomorrow I might scrap something now.

All 3 kiddos – bad light – poor Abby squashed in there, she really is bigger IRL, Braden is just using her for a leaning post.

This pic says it all about my family. Braden is the quirky funny guy, Jacob being the responsible driver of the stroller, while Abby demands where she wants to go. The hot guy dis-owning us up the front is my hubby :o)

yea. A pic of the boys. Haven’t got one for ages.

“All second grade and injured Warriors to the Zoo please”.. ok so that was a low blow .. ok but there were 4 of them, 3 of them were 2nd grade and one was injured. lol. hey. but the cheerleaders were all first grade so paul says.

laters

My home is a mess right now. No more P on the floor. no. not that. Jacob decided that he would get rid of that. Because it didn’t belong where it was. One of the handy things about kids on the spectrum. Gotta be something handy. Lookin on that bright side. Because seriously. My house is a mess.

I mean the attitude in my house right now. It’s been one of those weeks where I have screamed and yelled and nothing works. I just can’t be bothered making allowances for all jacob’s ‘things’ he needs so darn perfect and rigidly routine. Long story short .. noone likes each other this week. I miss my hugs and cuddles and loving kids. If you have them, please return them.

So anyhow, just now a special song came on the radio and it’s one that Braden and I sing together. And I missed him. And realised I AM the adult. God how’d that happen, i AM the adult and I need to break the cycle.

So I declare this weekend shower-the-kids-with-love-and-hugs-and-just-have-fun weekend. The Warriors are at the Auckland Zoo tomorrow. So we might go. Outings are a disaster, Paul and I always spend the drive home wondering why the heck we bothered as the kids fight and cry and wail in the back. Often Paul and I have to actually yell at each other to be heard as we are having the “Why did we bother” conversation. not this weekend. This weekend it will be perfect. Who am I kidding. But I will scrape up the last ounce of patience I must have left somewhere – again if you have my patience, please return it and please stop stealing all the good stuff from my hosue. and it’ll be AWESOME! And if it is raining we will take out multiple DVDs, buy lots of bad food and drag all the blankies into the middle of the lounge floor and fight over where we will sit and whether we have all had the same share of said bad food. lol. Sigh.

And inbetween all this greatness, I shall scrap. All those lovely memories. You know the ones. lol.

laters.

I woke early this morning – up by 6am and ready to go. PAYE tax return to get in the mail by the time Paul left at 7am. So I get through to the dining room, sit down and I have my head in the PAYE crap by 6.15am. (Downfalls of owning a small business, ugh).
Anyway… so I’m sitting there trying to get my head around the figures at such an early hour and paul walks through from down the hallway and we have this conversation.:

Paul: You peed on the floor right in front of the t0ilet.
Me: HUH? I did what?
Paul: There is pee on the floor right in front of the t0ilet.
Me: You are joking, right?
Paul: Nope – it’t still there – I didn’t clean it up, cos I knew you wouldn’t believe me.
Me *getting out of my chair, quite irritated with the whole conversation and walking down to the en suite where the t0ilet is*

And what do I find?

LOL Ok so he was right. There was P in front of the t0ilet. And how funny that it was there.
For me to accidently have a sticker on me someplace and for that sticker to drop right in front of the t0ilet, and for it to be a P? WHAT were the chances? lol.

The P is still there actually, because it makes me laugh. Noone has cleaned up the P from in front of the t0ilet.

Anyhoooooo – the taxes got done. Just in time for the 20th cut-off. The P was sorted. The day started okay. (and now I have the GSt to do – did you know they changed the date so that you have to get it in a little earlier? Like the 28th now?).

So anyway – scrapping stuff – I’m Guest designer with The Crafter’s Workshop this month. I’ve always loved their products. I’ve always been a fan of their papers, esp the enchanted papers (scroll down) and the paper preserves. Recently (as outlined in an earlier post I discovered their templates. You all know me and circles. Big old DUH moment when I wondered why I didnt think of the circle template. I have to do more pages for them, I’ve been a busy cookie and haven’t done nearly as much as I wanted.

OK. I’m off to update the Queen blog – I’m behind in everything, if you sent me an email and I haven’t returned it, that is because I’ve been busy with alsorts of stuff (not neccessarily scrapping!) and basically I’ve been slack at email. Actually one of the things that has been taking my time is that I’m reading a book that my beautiful friend Barb from Canada sent me. Barb and I share something in common in our sons – not something I talk about much, recording stuff like this on the web for Jacob to find in years to come scares me a little but they both have Aspergers syndrome, a diagnosis on the Autistic spectrum. Anyway. Autistic kids and kids on the spectrum all act so differently so it is hard to find someone to talk to that truly understands my own situation. But somehow Barb’s son, and Jacob have the exact same symptoms and actions/activities/anxieties etc. YIPPPEEEE for finding a kindred spirit. So I have been reading. And reflecting.

Ok so Queen blog next… then inbox… then scrapping… THEn maybe I’ll consider cleaning the P off the floor…

laters

Braden is off sick today. Poor kid was sick for the last 2 nights, middle of the night temps and croup, sore throat and the other gross bits that go with it. So I suggested that he stay home today. He is currently dancing around the lounge to Justin Timberlake showing Abby how to dance ‘the shag’ Oh the innocence of children – a dance where you hold your arms like wings and flap around the lounge. The kid’s got moves. The kid should also be at school. Bad call Mum. Although come this afternoon I know he’ll crash. So I keep telling myself. ;o)

Had a great time at the crop. I had an assignment to do using some papers that really weren’t me. All credit for getting that assignment done really goes to those ladies at the crop. Especially Lianne.
I’ll post it here once it has gone up on the blog it was designd for. I’ll credit you properly then, Lianne. lol.

Blogs I have read while procrastinating over the past few days…(ok so this is jsut a FEW of them) .. Sharon Topliss who is digital. Digital is a scary thing to me, so it was nice to browse and hear about little bits of the digital world.
Courtney Walsh who I kept in close contact with when I was writing my book. Courtney’s book is out and for sale already. We have kept in contact during the whole process. But I didnt know she had a blog. lol. I just found it.
Watching this one closely –
Christina is about to become a Mum.
This one too – all the best, Shell!
Congrats to Trina, becoming one of the newest Dt members of SBO.

I see June classes are up at Aussie Scrap Source.. I have 2 single layout projecs this month in the classes available.. (for those of you unable to log in, go to the site, click on products, scroll down to Aussie Scrap Source, and then June layouts).

First class : Beautiful Beads.(int-adv)(yea, yea, I know, I will not settle until I have converted those of you that aren;t already addicted to beads).
Walk away from this class with a simply stunning 12 x 12 layout and card set. We R Memory Keepers papers set the rich tones for these projects, with gorgeous detail provided in the way of Queen & Co Beadifuls. Discover the simple and easy technique to create these and many more beautiful beaded masterpieces. This layout will suit any theme suitable to the floral tones. A full set of alphabets is provided for a range of title themes. One 5×7 portrait orientation photo required.

Second class is called “Patchwork paper”(beg-int)
Finally! A class that will show you how to create beautiful projects from your leftover pieces of patterned paper. Walk away from this class with a fabulous 12 x 12 layout and card set, easily created with the stunning Scenic Route papers. This layout will suit any theme as a full alphabet set is provided to create a range of titles. One 5×7 landscape orientation photo required, although instructions are included to adapt this to suit two 6×4 photos.

Ok. I am crawling into the scraproom, Abby is making Braden a cup of tea while he lies on her bed with dolls and soft toys planted all around him. I think he is in hospital.

laters.

Ahhh see that bit of excitment in the title. That is because I’m out with the girls cropping tommorrow. My little happy place. The weight watchers hall in town. The hall smells really bad, it has weight watchers posters all over the wall but the company is great. Besides. It is about the only place I scrap purely for the fun of it. Every single piece is by assignment and going someplace these days, so to take a few supplies and camp down with the ladies for a day and talk about anything and everything and just relax, really is a little piece of paradise. AS I am sure it is for all of the ladies there.
(Don’t get me wrong, I love my commitments, but sometimes, just sometimes I wonder whether the grass is really greener on the other side).

Tommorrow I am going to take a class pack from Crafting Connection, Freestyle, and complete that. At a crop. So so cool.

I try not to refer to the Queen blog too much, but you have to check out the latest creation. Seriously. Really. Click the link. IS that not the cutest thing you have ever seen?

Stealing some links off Ngai’s blog, but only because she is in my head thinking what i was thinking! We are so alike. lol. *NOT* Jen hall. I was thinking about Jen today when I was vacuuming. As ya do. LOL. Anyway, I met her on the first night at Kiwiscraps Freestyle and she had the coolest little book. Then again I saw her work at the crop. I didnt get a good look, I was just kinda spying as someone else flicked through her album across the table. The woman is AMAZING. I was thinking about her because I wish I’d been able to have a closer look at that album.

Another Tarisota layout. (Yes I talk about tarisota a lot, but hey, it’s gallery time, people!)

Anyone know how Shell Cryns is? One lady that has been on my mind.

Vaughan. Dude. It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. (Just incase it aint the same in Canada, bro).

I think that is it. Abby has been getting up at around 5am so I’m off to bed dreaming of eating chocoalte in a smelly weight watchers hall while talking to some of the most fab ladies there is.

Laters.

Wednesday afternoon and I am counting down the minutes til I have to walk. yes walk. To get my car from the garage. As in the fix-it place. It’s a long way – not something this normally-sitting-at-my-desk-scrapping-or-on-the-computer girl likes to do, but hey. Gotta be done. And besides, I just found Stacy Julian’s blog for the first time ever, and she has a post about exercising. And I’m sure she was talking directly to me, lol.

So anyway – still on the subject of the Sydney weekend that I attended – Evana sent me the most awesome bag before I went. She had previously sent me the coolest handmade messenger bag which she knew I loved. Then she sent me one to take to Sydney with me.

I loved it and wore it constantly. Along with the coolio jewellery she made me.
So I see on her blog that she is making more and selling them. So I thought I’d do a shout-out on my blog to E, cos she is so kind and makes this stuff for me. I’m extremely lucky.

A reminder to check out Tarisota Teckni Colour because if this sucker doesn’t sell out I won’t get my next pizza box ;o)

Here is a layout from the current Tarisota gallery.

(Ain’t she cute? That is lucy’s little girl, Jessie – Abby’s best friend).
Talking of which – Linda Albrecht was the guest designer – holy cow. The woman is a genius. Click on her 2peas gallery there, and then check out her work in the Taristoa gallery.

Ok procrastinating.
Laters