Today I actually feel HALF human.....

...which makes a huge change from the way I have felt since Sunday night! Got home from camp (which was fantastic by the way), and just crashed. Really crashed. On Monday morning I felt like a big bag of nasty stuff, but being the trooper that I am, I toddled off to work anyway. By 11am I was coughing uncontrollably, and absolutely exhausted, so off home I went. In fact, the practice manager told me to 'piss off home' !!!

I am not usually one to moan about feeling like shite, but I have to say that this bug that's doing the rounds at the moment is NASTY. Even I considered the male "I'm dying" whinge! Oh dear. Sad but true.

After getting some antibiotics from the doc on Tuesday for a chest infection, and being put off work until Thursday (today), I pretty much spent this week in bed, either sleeping or coughing. Or coughing some more. And maybe coughing! Ha ha ha.

Back to work for moi today, and I have to confess it was a bit of a struggle draggin my butt there tbh. But off I went, lemonade, nurofen, antibiotics and cough suppressant in hand. Gotta admit it's not the best look. However, I have decided you can't win whatever you do - some people told me I looked and sounded like crap and should have stayed at home, and others hardly said boo because I had been away, and less staff means more work for the rest of them. Typical workplace attitude. Anyone else have that problem? I mean, if the doc sends you home, and you really do feel like rubbish, there's no point going to work is there? Seriously. Some people just have nothing better to complain about. Seriously. How 'Grey's Anatomy' do I sound? SERIOUSLY!

Anyhoo, camp was a hoot - our table had a few laughs. There was me, Nic (who I met at my first ever Raincliff), Nic's sister Fiona, and another newbie, Amanda. I supplied halo's for us all to wear, and the name 'Scrap Angels' kinda stuck. We ended up wearing them ALL weekend (except to bed of course!), even on a trip to the Opihi Vineyard, which actually ended up being a trip to the Point pub, for a drink with a rude name (oops). I got Rach to take some pics of us Angels together, and I scrapped a layout on the Sunday at camp, although it's not quite finished - I need to add some more bling!!!




And of course there was the obligatory camp photo as well....



The only other thing that I got done was my wedding book, which doesn't sound like much, but was in fact about 12 hours work in the making, covering and decorating seven chipboard pages and the chipboard folder they sat in.

Oh and I'm pleased to announce that Rach completed her challenge, earning her prize for doing some original work rather than scrap-lifting! Fantastic! I gave her a mini tote with a couple of small canvases in it and a heap of mini chocolate bars, which I don't think lasted long :) Bo on the other hand... No prizes for her, shame shame shame!

And speaking of scrapbooking (what else?!) I have registered for the morning class that Nic Howard is teaching at Scrapbook Art in Chch next month, and am really looking forward to that. D and I are going to stay up there for the night, J will spend the weekend with Granny Rose and Grandad Jim. We haven't been away for a night for AGES.....

Anyway, back to the task at hand.... The rest of my week has just gone in a flash, and tomorrow it's Friday again. Incredible. Ma and Pa will be driving down from Christchurch at the moment, having just flown back from holidaying with Kay and Clarke in Bli Bli. Hope they don't find it too cold back here! They're coming for tea tomorrow so we can catch up, which will be cool.

D has the boys here tonight playing poker, and from the yahoo-ing that is going on, I suspect he hasn't gone 'out' yet, so that's a good thing!

So while they have been doing the 'guy' thing, I have been doing my nails, and they look FAB. Not something I do very often, but man they look cool. Check this out...

Newsflash, newsflash - important announcement to follow.... D won the poker! Yeah!

So, that's about it from me, it's now after 11pm, and this kiwi needs to GET TO BED! Hope you've enjoyed this little catch-up.

Let me know what YOU'VE been up to yeah?

Toodles peeps, B x

Cards Galore!

Yep, I've been making heaps and heaps of cards - last Sunday I made a few tri-fold cards that hold shut with magnetic clasps, cute little bunny ones....

...and yesterday (Saturday) Nic came up mid-morning to finish the Christmas layout she started last weekend, and I started making some way cool acetate cards. Although I didn't get many made for a start, cos I was getting a lot of 'help' from J, you know "mum, can I do this?", "mum, can you do that?", "mum, can i have something to eat?", "mum, can I watch tv?", "mum, muuuum, MUUUMM" Arrrggghh!!!!! Now Nic can see why I don't get a lot of scrapping done in between crop days! Anyhoo, I shot out just before tea and grabbed some more acetate from Rach, and made a whole lot more in front of the telly last night. Now I have a whole stock pile of them for future use! Awesome :) They look sweet, huh?.....

Have to say that I'm loving the watercolour pencils that I bought about ten years ago and hardly ever used, now that I have some cute stamps to colour in! The Stampin Up! blender pen is mighty handy - find it better to used than my cheap water-pen - a little less watery if ya know what I mean!

AND I'm pretty excited about going to Chch next month - Scrapbook Art is holding two Nic Howard classes in their new store, and I'm itching to go to at least one of them. Bring it on! I'm off to go and phone in a booking now :)

Well, that's about it from me, I'm going to go away and think about Raincliff layout ideas.... Raincliff in FIVE MORE SLEEPS! Yeah!

Toodles peeps, B x

Ahhh, Sunday :)

Yep, gotta love Sundays. To be fair, Saturday is my day to have a lie in, but J usually sleeps later on a Sunday than on a Saturday, so it's not a bad deal! It wasn't always that way, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles at the moment. I didn't have to get up until 8.15am this morning, so I'm happy with that.

Last night we got to have a good catch up with Darran and Heath, which was awesome. It seems like AGES since we have had a bit of chillout time with them. Oliver slept happily in the portacot in our bedroom, and we talked and watched "The Heartbreak Kid" on DVD. Funny movie man. Very funny. Ben Stiller is hilarious!

At the moment J is watching a terrible Thai copy of Kung Fu Panda that they brought him back from their holiday, and although it's one of those crap ones filmed in the movie theatre on a handycam, he doesn't give two hoots - he's glued to it!

I am about to have a dabble in some cardmaking me thinks, found some really cool ideas at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ that I printed out. AND I found the folded flowers I have been making - apparently called 'Dahlia Fold' flowers. Cool. You guys should totally check out this site, esp. the resources section with step by step instructions on how to make some damned amazing cards. I plan to dazzle you all with my brilliance shortly, (when in fact they will be card-lifted, if there is such a thing) ha ha ha!

Okey dokes, time to go do something anyways. Might go make a fresh cuppa first. What are you lot all up to today? Let me know.....

Toodles, B x

RAINCLIFF CHALLENGE FOR BO AND RACH

Yep, you read it right - this is a challenge, I am laying down the gauntlet here! Although I am nice enough to give you fair warning first so you aren't 'sprung' with it out at camp....

OK, the challenge is (from me to you two).....

Design and complete an original two page layout, no kits, no copying, no Nic-lifting! I want others to see that you CAN do what I do, all on your own, because I KNOW you can do it!

I promise (and this shall be witnessed by your fellow stalkers) that IF you rise to the challenge and complete your assigned task, I will make it worth your while - there will be (small) pressies to be had!

So..... are you up to it?

Toodles, B x