Craaaaazy

Resolutions !!!!!!!

We all make them.

We all break them.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em; Know when to walk away, know when to run.. WHAT?? get outta here Kenny.. wrong song.. and I don't even like country music.   Anyway... as I was saying.   This year I have lots of things I want to do/change/be/start/end etc.    So instead of standing there at midnight making rash promises - I have spent the last couple of days making a board.

So I present - My 2011 Resolution Board

I took a large piece of tin (left over from an old project) and punched a couple of holes (good ole cropadile) and hung it by wire.   Because the edges of the tin were a tad sharp, I wrapped the edges with 7gypsies tape.   Over each hole where the wire came through I put two buttons as added stability to stop the wire pulling back - and as luck would have it I had two buttons with the #1 on them so it is for Year 11!     Then I grabbed some el cheapo wooden pegs and glued magnet strips on to the back of each one (which came with a message board and will never be used).   Then I painted the pegs in different colours.

Peridot - Daily

Periwinkle - Weekly

Aquamarine - Monthly

Red - Year

Then I set to, and made the actual resolutions for each peg.   Some are just visuals, some are words, some are a combination.   Scrappy items came in handy here!   The whole time I was making it - I was thinking about all the things that I wanted - and even before it was finished - I had/have already started to implement some of them.    This is hanging in my little office area so everytime I walk in and out I see it.  

So here is a close up of the different areas.

DAILY

These are things I want to change on a daily basis. 

I found some fun images in a recent magazine and some I had on my computer.

No that is not moisturiser on the moisturise label but liquid pearls - looks realistic though!!   

My personal fave - Stop letting it - with the visual of  time slipping through my fingers

In making the actual board - I already started on the save money part by using items I already had.   You might laugh at the "dressed before 9am" - but let me tell you - working for yourself from home, it is so easy some days to get up and start working - and suddenly it is nearly lunchtime and you are still in your jimjams!!   Enough I say!

 

WEEKLY

The 2lbs down goal - that is my minimum - I think I can do better - but that is my weekly aim.  

Some of the exercise goals will change to daily. 

The SWIM is swimming don't you think?

Fix Something refers to the house.   We all have little jobs that need a bit of DIY - that always seem to get put off - no more!!

 

MONTHLY

My poor old Vespa has not been ridden in yonks.  With the way petrol is flying up - I need to get back in the saddle! 

1 layout a month might seem paltry - but as I have done NONE layouts a month over the past year, well!!   It seems as though since I started *working* in the scrap industry my own scrapping has become a thing of the past!

Something for me - a little AB FAB dahling - or a little putting me first.  Might be as a simple as a pedicure, or lunch with friends, or as involved as a weekend away.

I am changing my albums up - pulled the layouts all out over a year ago - they still sit... sadly waiting for a new home.

DATES!!   I want some!!   Not just a night at the movies either!

 

YEAR

These are goals I want reached in 2011.

The bath - that actual bath (and tap) is sitting in our garage - in a box - waiting to be installed. 

We bought it last year along with a new basin unit.  

We want to totally redo the main bathroom which is 70's kitsch small YUK horrible nasty.  

It is going to be a big job - everything ripped out - along with an adjoining wall (cupboard) to make the room bigger, and a skylight pushed through - as it is an interior room and dark as a coalmine with the lights off.   But this year it is HAPPENING!

I love the font for learning something new - and I know what it is I want to learn - and no I am not fessing up.      The other image is very self explanatory and I won't be commenting!

 

So there you have it - the Board.   I am thinking this should be the topic for the layout I do for this month!    I have a few other items to go on the board - need more pegs - and over the year some of the items will change their status to daily, weekly, monthly.    Some will be bumped up (exercise) and some will be bumped down (dig photos) as situations change or get completed.

**Wednesday Winners** HO HO HO I am jolly and JOVIAL!!

and if truth be told, I resemble Santa at the moment...

According to my WiiFit yesterday it was the 700th day I had jumped on to it - course it was not the 700th day I had exercised on it - just the 700th time I had weighed in.   I will definitely be on the naughty list if I don't get a handle on the exercise soon

 

But we are on the countdown to Christmas now WOOO HOOO I love CHRISTMAS!!  It is my favourite time of year... of course I am still not used to this whole winter Christmas thing... not sure I will ever get used to it, Christmas is in the summer!!  

Does not help either that my evil friends in NZ sent an email invite to us yesterday for their annual Christmas BBQ *sob* - which we won't be attending *sobbing a little more*.    This time last year I was in NZ and actually made the party - and had a blast - so that makes the invite all the harder...evil evil friends!!

But on to the first of December's **WW** giveaways and of course they are all going to be christmassy themed but not so Christmassy that if you celebrate other holidays that you won't be able to use them!

This week's giveaway is from Basic Grey.

 

The winner will get everything they need to make this wonderful mini album.   All the goodies including full colour instructions!   There is enough paper in it too - that you could extend the pages - and turn it into a December Daily album if you wanted!    If you make the album as instructed, you wind up with extra stickers and letters as well so plenty to embellish with.

Worth playing for???   I think SO SO SO!!

So get commenting... and who knows this may be in your stocking!!

**Wednesday Winners** yes you can call me a Whoo-ligan

for being so late today posting this.... and there is a clanger of a hint in the title if ever there was one!!   

Suffice to say it is now 5.35pm here and I am only just getting back to the PC - after a very long day.

I also have to say I made an error in my earlier posting - that was not a plank - but a bridge I was showing you - and that is what I meant - when I said it was the exercise I hate the most.  

However today we did do the plank as well... as shown in this photo *groan* ... as if planks are bad enough, now add the fact the bit your feet are on can slide away - and you get the picture.   Can I add - I am so not pretty when I am doing all of this ... I think I remind myself of the elephant seals when they are out of the water!!

But on to the giveaway for today!!    As 31 October is racing towards us - I thought this week and next, the giveaways should be Halloween themed!   So this week it is.....

   WHOO-LIGANS by Bo Bunny!   You are getting all the delicious papers shown here so you can make fantastic layouts about your monsters - at Halloween time or not!

 

So are you scared enough to comment???   

Get to it then!

I am still waiting to hear from last weeks Basics winner - just one more week for her to claim her prize!!   Oh yes... and a little bird told me you might want to check in again on Friday because shhhhhh there is another giveaway

One minor change this week - I am going away on Friday and won't be back until Sunday - so the winner will be posted Sunday night.   So even though the post went up late today - you get a bit of extra time - so it all works out in the end!!

 

Zee SPOOKY RulZ

Every Wednesday for eternity (or until I retire, run away from home, go broke or kick the bouquet) there will be a contest on the blog with prizes for you.   

Each week you have to comment on the *Wednesday Winners* blogpost to be in the draw, the winner will be drawn on Saturdays.

You have 2 weeks to claim your prize. 

The winner has to send me a photo of something they create with their WINNINGS so I can post it on the blog for all to see and be INSPIRED by.

Ok are we all clear ???

ugh.. where does the time go!!

I have not even posted about the weekend and here it is Wednesday already...

and now I am running late for my 9am Pilates torture hour  wondering what I was thinking making it for 9am   so I will do the post for the *WW* giveaway when I get back...once I have stopped sweating that is!!

This is my personal hate exercise - the plank on the reformer...

then I have to slide in and out...

then she makes me do it using only one leg... ooooh it kills!

I've been reformed!!

on this instrument of torture that is!!

 

I have always wanted to try out the Pilates Reformer machine - and a while back Groupon (what, you have never heard of Groupon??.. check out the link to see if they are near you for some great deals on all sorts of fun stuff) had a special where you got 3 private lessons for pennies... well not pennies but a damn site cheaper than normal.   So I was in.   I finally got some time to book my 3 lessons - and I have the last one today.

I was also looking for something different to do exercise wise to get me out of my rut AKA - not exercising at all.

Well...I LOVE IT!  

Over the years, and especially since the 2 back operations my flexibility has steadily worsened and my hamstrings are about as flexibile as an iron bar!   I love the stuff we do on this - I can feel I am getting a workout - and the next day know I have done one - but not so bad that I am walking around like a cripple.

Some of the movements are just downright fun - does not even feel like exercising!   Some of them scare the crap out of me... standing up on it and letting the mat slide out... being the main one.   OOH baby feel the stretch!

But let me tell you - it works you out!   I cannot believe how much I sweat doing this.   More than anything else I have ever done.   I am a little dripfest by the end of 55 minutes.   It also gives my legs the collywobbles... it is a bit of a challenge driving back home - especially if I have to hold the brake for a while - my knee is shaking and jiving all over the place like it has a mind of it's own.    Thank god I don't still live in Wellington and drive a manual *LOL*

I will definitely be signing up for more classes.   They say it makes you leaner, longer, stronger and seriously I already feel so much better.   I will do a couple more one-on-one lessons then will join in the group classes (slightly cheaper way to go).

The place I am going to is just around the corner which is great and the instructors are fun and fantastic.

Thanks Equilibrio!!

Today was going to be a clever crafty post

which will now have to wait until Thursday ... or maybe later today... if I am better ... because I woke this morning and I think I have conjunctivitis... or maybe allergic conjunctivitis (the internet is a wonderful doctor!).   Suffice to say trying to see the screen through a swollen running eye is not fun!  

I have been suffering for a couple of weeks now with an eye that just keeps running.... every morning.. along with a headache from Lucifer!    This morning however it seems to have escalated somewhat to a swollen yukky crusty I can't really see out of it diagnosis.

Yes over the counter meds were helping with the runny eye/headache deal  - however they play havoc with my thyroid meds - to the point where I think I will flash implode I get so overhot, and dry!!... OMG dry - I have to keep peeling my tongue off the roof of my mouth - it is not worth it!

More projects - STAR album and a class

yes I am still alive over here!   It has been a very busy week and I cannot believe I have not posted at all... next week should be better.... fingers, toes and eyes crossed it is anyway!!

I have been trying to get this project I made at CHA up all week - and here we are at Friday already - but better late than never.

It is a cool star album.  I am sure some of you have made these before - and I have too - but even so - have not done it for a long time - and they do look cool when you are finished.   This class was sponsored by Clearsnap, American Tag, Pioneer, Hero Arts and a whole bunch of other companies some of whom I had never even heard of before.    But ALL of them were super generous.    We walked away with a bucketload of goodies that we did not even use - from the class - and then if we went to each sponsors booth afterwards - we got a whole lot more!!  It was **SCHWAG**

There were lots of techniques and products throughout the album which was great and made each page pop.

The really cute thing about it too was we even got dessert recipes for each page - and little bags of *stuff* for some of them giving a nod to the recipe - eg a small bag o' nuts for the Almond Roca recipe.

While the pink/purple combo would not have been my first choice it is cute - and I adore the lady on the cover - that was cut out from a set of designer tags from American Tag.   They also supplied the silver corners, some glitzy rhinestone brads and a cool setting tool that set all sorts of things - who knew they had all that stuff!

I was showing this album to our scrapping Meetup Group and they asked me to teach them. 

So tonight I am teaching 7 of them to  make their own star album. 

They are also getting a goodie bag - and there is a door prize.   It should be a lot of fun. Tomorrow I will post a pic of the one they made - don't want to ruin their surprise - in case any of them read my blog!   It is different colours   - and no I did not choose green - although I was tempted, and in a different theme - not Dessert Diva this time!

I am also going to do this as a class at the May scrapbook retreat - so I need to come up with yet another idea for the star album theme!   I think I already have one simmering away!

Update!!

Day 6 completed last Friday, went well - then Day 7 on Monday also went well.   Although I have not lost any weight *bugger* - I can feel a difference in fitness levels, and see a difference in some toning starting to happen.

Unfortunately I missed Day 8 (Wednesday) as it was really hissing down with rain and I did not go as although I could care less about getting wet - I did not want to get a cold/sick with the retreat coming up next weekend.   Turns out it only sprinkled the hour it was on - although here it was still hosing at 9am!    Will try and make up the day I missed next week.  Day 9 is today so I am off in 2 hours.  

Holy Crapload of Goodies Batman!!!

you might remember me commenting a while back about winning a prize of PLAID crafty goodness in the silent auction at CHA.   

Well yesterday it arrived - and fan me with a feather - it was HUGE!!  

30 lbs worth huge!

I struggled to even carry it inside after Fed-Ex dropped it off!    I think the photos tell the story!

It was also about now as I was pulling this hefty bugger out of the large brown box - that my two daughters arrived at the scene - much like flies around bad meat!!!    I don't know who was the most excited ... me or them!!   

Before I had even opened it up - they were guessing what could be in there - and asking what might be in there - and if #$#$%#@$% was in there could they have it!!

This canvas bag had inside it - this plastic bag STUFFED and I MEAN STUFFED with paints!!

OOOH  I can have a go at Glass painting!!

 

Did I ever mention my youngest is at Art College and when she saw this turnstyle  - well....  I want ... I want.... I want....  oh please Mum

I have never seen this stuff before - not even sure what you do with it !!

Well of course I know what to do with this! 

That huge bottle should last me a while - thinking the pack of different styles of MP might me going into that little contest at the end of this post!!

Ok I am not artsy fartsy when it comes to making jewellery ... it confuses me like a chameleon in a box of skittles!!.... but this stuff looks like fun.

Oldest daughter who is the earring QueeN - has her eyes on some of this stuff - and it looks eeeezee FO SHO!!

Remember that cool t-shirt I made at CHA - with the rock guitar on it.   Well I had already decided I was a gonna GET ME SOME O THAT - well now I don't need to - PLAID has come to the rescue - and I have Simply Screen up the wazoo along with BUNCHES O COLOUR!  

 

 

There is also foil and glitter you can use with the screens too  *** oooh sparkley ***

 

As we got deeper into the box - there was another canvas bag - filled with yet more painty goodies!!

 

Finally.... we got to the bottom - it was beginning to feel like the never-ending basket.. not that we were complaining!!

There were oohs and aahhs and click click click of the camera!

Down at the bottom were these cool frames and then the 2 wooden ones that actually have outlines of animals on them - not really sure what I am meant to do with those!!

and of course you know me and green!!!  They must have known I was going to win - why else would they have picked *this* wonderful canvas tote to put it all in!!

Final count of all those bottles and bottles and bottles of painty things that were in the canvas tote and bag....

10 bottles of dimensional fabric paint
7 bottles of metallic fabric paints
4 bottles of enamel paints
6 bottles of outdoor paints (for terracotta and metal etc)
3 bottles of Pigment
13 bottles of Acrylic Paint
33 bottles of Fabric paint

76 bottles of paint !!!

now sing along with me.....

76 bottles of paint on the wall
76 bottles of paint
If one of them bottles should accidentally fall
INTO YOUR HOT LITTLE CRAFTY HANDS!!

Yep - time for another bloggy giveaway!!  

I can't possibly keep all this to myself - I was always clipped around the ear taught to share

- so get those comments flowing

- and you will receive a wonderful package of goodies from this BASKET-O-GOODNESS along with some other goodies stuffed in for good measure.

Day 4 completed yesterday (was meant to be Monday but my doofus darling husband forgot to set the alarm).    Went well - except it was PeeYOSSING with rain - we were soaked through by the end of it!  

Off today again.. sing along.. *ain't no rest for the wicked, money don't grow on trees*

I should be here right now!

tip toeing through the tulips!!

Today was the day Mike and I were meant to be flying to Amsterdam for 10 days.   However - his conference date was changed - so now we are going in late April!

In some ways it works out better - because I have been watching the temps over there and all I can say is *BRRR*.   I was thinking I would have to buy clothes just for the trip - because nothing I have in my California winter wardrobe would cut the mustard.

Plus Mike kept telling me I would have to wear *real* shoes - oh the horror ;-)

Also in April spring should have well and truly sprung - and I am hoping to see some fantastic displays of tulips everywhere.   My fitness should be better - and I am hoping to do some biking around! 

Later today or tomorrow morning, I will post some more pics of my CHA projects - I have taken the pics - just have not had a chance to actually get them up!

Update - Day 3 completed

- and dare I say it

- I almost felt a little fitter and like I could do things a little easier than I could on Monday morning!

I survived Day 1 of Boot Camp!! - plus CHA projects!

of Boot Camp - but only just!  

Sadly - I seem to be the worst person in the class - but hoping to be not so sad by the end of the 4 weeks.

It is so sad when you realise just how quickly yo have lost all your fitness and muscle tone by doing nothing - whether through injury or by just doing nothing.   I am guilty of both!

I started 2009 with lots of fitness going on - then injured my knee in April last year.  Once that was fixed, and it took a while believe me - the rest of the year I was really busy and just did not get back into it -  but it is no excuse!   I started lap swimming again late in the year, but not often enough.    But I am now back on the horse - and I am not stopping this time!!  

I certainly have sore bits today - so I need to keep moving around and doing some stretching so I do not stiffen up too much.   I think I will spend some time on Wii Plus - doing the yoga moves to stretch out my stiff old self!

Of course, I had a whole lot of orders from CHA arrive yesterday so I need to spend some time just sitting at the PC getting it all up on to the store website!

As promised yesterday I finally got around to taking some pics of my CHA projects.  However I have not taken pics of them all - but here are the first lot - more tomorrow!

Ok this first pic is of a t-shirt I screen printed at the Plaid booth.   It is from their Simply Screen line.    So so easy.   A stencil that you lay down (and can reuse) - splodge on your paint, drag down the squeegee and voila!   Done!   The paints come in metallics as well as normal and neon colours.  Total cost of a stencil and a paint around $13.00 plus whatever you are screening - who needs Yudu when you can have this for an INTH of the cost.

I will be investing in some of these as there are lots of stencils - loads of colours (which last!) - and you can also paint in with a brush for more detailed looks, or changes in colour.  

OK you might be wondering what the mask is all about.  It was actually a make and take at the Glue Arts booth - showing how their different adhesives work.   I was already sold on their Glue Gliders - but I am now enamoured with their ribbon adhesive too - that is how I put down the strip of glitter - best thing I have used for glitter ever!

Next on the block is the necklace I made at the Making Memories booth.

This is the new line of Vintage jewellery from Jill Schwartz.

I could have happily stayed there all day - playing and making jewellery - even though I seemed to be all thumbs trying to use two jewelery pliers at the same time!

 

Finally I did not make this - but included it to show you the new line of flower & specialty plain white embellishments from Petaloo called Color Me Crazy.   You can stamp them, ink them, paint them ,Smooch them, Spritz them, glitter them - the possibilities are endless!