WWW, Cookies and Lego...

Yes, I know, what a combination huh?!  All will soon be revealed...

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in

Well, it went really well this week (how's that for a whole lot of w's!!!!) - another 800gm loss, even after eating some of the birthday cake that I made my MIL at the weekend.  Today I reached (well passed actually) a milestone... to date, I have lost just over 5% of my original weight.  Wahoo!  Next week I am going to try and get past that 1kg barrier, maybe amp the exercise up to 3 or 4 times a week, rather than the usual twice a week of late.  Stay tuned...

Cookies

I have had a real 'thing' about cookies lately - there are some fabulous blogs out there showcasing the talents of some very clever ladies.  Take a look at Bakerella here, and Bake at 350 here, and Mel's Sweet Treats here. They got me all inspired, and I had to have a go... After sifting through the millions of possible recipes available for your average rolled sugar cookie, I decided to give a recipe a go that Mel from Mel's Sweet Treats recommended....  

The first batch I made were for a Keas afternoon tea, with an orange theme (fundraising for Arthritis New Zealand).  Bear in mind that this is my first proper attempt at piping my own handmade royal icing.  Not the best, but I did get better as the day wore on!

Some of them were packaged up for each of the Kea leaders as an end of term present, and also for J's teacher, Miss F.

The second batch I made (the next day) were turned into cupcakes and butterflies.  Very pretty.  Although I need to remember to go a bit easier on the gel colouring, as the colour intensifies as the icing sets.  Oh well, we all wanted coloured teeth anyway, right?!  Ha ha ha.

I tried out a new technique called 'spotted icing' where you drop dots of an alternate coloured icing into your freshly poured icing, and it settles as a flat coloured 'spot' as it dries.  It worked really well.... until someone decided to poke it before it was set.  Hmmmm..... (not me, I might add)

'Oops' said he... closely followed by 'I didn't meeeean to'...!!! Grrrr.  Oh well, at least I know that the theory works, I'll just have to try it again another time.  Without a helper, maybe.  Perhaps some FORD cookies are in order for Bathurst next weekend?  Yeah!

Lego

J is still hugely into his Lego at the moment, making all sorts of weird and wonderful machines and monsters, that seem to make all sorts of weird and wonderful noises too, I might add!  Anyhoo, I was surfing blogs the other night (as you do) and came across this:

Sometimes Rich would stop by 6th Street on the way home to bust a move.

and these:

There’s a what behind me?

Sir Irwin marched off to battle while Roger stayed behind to charm the ladies.

The kitchen field trip was going splendidly when suddenly tragedy struck at the cheese grater.

These are CLASSIC!  Sadly I have to say that they really appeal to my sick sense of humour... Although I can't take any of the credit.  Click here to see more.  Funny guy - some truly hilarious shots :)

And on that note, I'm done.  Have a good rest of your week, peeps.  Might catch some of you at the Embellish It crop on Saturday...

Toodles!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in...

Well, Wednesday has been and gone again, already.  I swear that the weeks are just flying by, faster and faster as the year draws to a close.  This week was another good result - lost 600gms.  Slow and steady wins the race, I reckon :)

By now, those of you that are local and know Rach, know that she has sold her business.  It is with a tinge of sadness that Embellish It changes hands, as that was what brought us together as friends in the first place.  You see, back in February 2007 I rocked on up to the first ever Raincliff Retreat, on my own, and had a BALL of a time.  I was seated at a table with Nic and Brenda, two other lovely ladies I now call friends.  I have been to every other camp since, bar one (we were in Australia at the time).  Scrap Camp is now an institution all of it's own that I, for one, look forward to immensely every 6 months.  Here's hoping that they continue, and that Rach can be one of the gals that sits up until 4am, scrapping and talking crap with the rest of us!

I spent last night baking cookies and icing them for the Keas end-of-term shared afternoon tea this afternoon.  They also doubled as the end of term gift for his teacher and Kea leaders.  I'll be back with another post about them (and photos to share) later.  For now, it's time to get my butt out the door...

Toodles,

Weekly Weigh-in, Art & Craft Festival, and Scouts Job Week...

Well, hi-de-hi campers!  I never did get back to you after the LAST weigh-in, did I?  Well, it's cos it wasn't fantastic... At weigh-in on 8th September, I put on 100gms, which isn't a lot, but it's in the wrong direction, you know?  However, in the week since (ie at last night's weigh-in on 15th September) I lost 800gms.  Awesome!  Gotta love that!  Onwards and downwards next week please....

So, what are YOU up to for the weekend?  I will be busy Friday/Saturday...

I have been invited to participate in the Bluestone School Art & Craft Festival, displaying some scrapbooking/papercraft work, and being an 'artist in residence' so that the students can see how scrapbooking works/what I do, etc.  The Festival is being held in their school hall, and is open to the public from 2.45pm to 4pm Friday, and 10am to 3pm Saturday.  There should be lots of other arts and crafts on display too - photography, costume making, and much much more.  Come along and take a look.  Better yet, come along and say 'Hi!'

Otherwise, not much planned for the weekend... I think we will have another 'Movie Night' on Saturday... we hire DVDs and start watching them straight after tea, with the lights down low, the fire roaring, and us huddled on the furniture with blankets and pillows and yummy things to munch on (when I say 'us' in relation to the yummy food, I mean 'them', ie NOT ME.... I'm being good, remember!)  J just LOVES movie night :)  Possibly because he gets to stay up late, and eat crap.  I'd like to say that it's just because he loves our company so much, but I totally doubt that!

AND... speaking of J... next week marks the start of Scouts Job Week 2010.  It runs from 20 September to 2 October, and his Kea pack is taking part (Highfield-Mountainview).  

We sent away for his Scouts Job Week pack a while back, and he is now the proud owner of a Scouts pen, drink bottle, hacky sack, T-Shirt (which is HUGE by the way!), bag, job record card, and Job Week Badge.  The general idea is that he does little jobs to help out others, which he writes down on his record card, and he receives a (small) donation for his HMV pack.  All money raised by local kids stays with the local pack, which is awesome.  (You don't want to bust a gut fundraising to find that all the money goes to South Auckland or something, huh?). SO.... anyone that has any little jobs that J might be able to help out with (bearing in mind that he is only 6 years old), let me know, ok?  Thanks! 

Well, that's about it from me, time to go back to work, then home later to pack up my gear for the Festival.  As always, it will be a case of 'decisions decisions, what will I take with me?!'  Ha ha ha!

Might catch you over the weekend peeps...  Toodles,

Our place? Definite NFZ!

I am seriously considering getting some of these signs made, and hanging them up at home...

What does NFZ stand for?  No Farting Zone!!!! 

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Sometimes, I just crack myself up!

Mufti Day, and Sports Confusion for J...

Yesterday was Mufti Day at school.  The kids were asked (if they could) to dress up as a sports-person.  I suggested that J wear his Craig Lowndes shirt, racing cap and lanyard.  Sadly, he thought that a 'sports-person' had to be either a rugby player or a soccer player.  We then had an in-depth conversation about what the term 'sports' meant.  And the fact that there were literally hundreds of different sports out there, a lot of them way more obscure than car racing.  What is it about our Kiwi culture that says we have to breed the next great All Black?  Not everyone is a diehard rugby fan, you know?  Give me boys in V8s anyday ;)  Yee-haaaa!  Oops, mind wandering again...

ANYWAY, this is how he looked as we left the house yesterday...

And I think he looks AWESOME!

Toodles,

'Thanks' Card...

Rach was good enough to take photos of the 'Thanks' card that I made on the Friday night at Camp and email them to me, and also of the flowers that we campers all chipped in for, seeing as this was her last Camp as Charles in Charge... mmm, anyone else imagining Scott Baio right about now?!  Teehee.  I really must stop my mind from wandering like that!

Anyhoo, here's the pics:

I paper pieced the quilted effect on some plain canvas with assorted Prima papers, and stictched them on.  (It should be noted that all the while I had Rachel asking 'What are you doing?  What are you making?  Are you making an album? etc etc etc...'  Grrrr!)  Once I'd sewn the front and back together and turned it back in the right way, I popped some batting inbetween, and also some chipboard for reinforcing.  Then I glued the seam shut!  Ah the beauty of scrapbook sewing - it doesn't hae to be perfect, and if all else fails, glue it!  Then I decorated the front with Prima flowers, some lace, mini roses and leaves.  Ta-daaaa:

Sooo pretty.  And here's a shot of some of the siggys inside.  (There are a heap more on the back cover too)

...and last but not least, the flowers....  Very funky.  I highly recommend using Bloomers Florist on Sarah Street if you are a local.

Cute huh?  Gotta love that pink ;)  Right, lunch break is over, I'd best get my nose back to the grindstone...

Toodles,

Evil Knievel, Mark I and Mark II ??

Evil Knievel Mark I... 

...D, at a recent TT event held near Pleasant Point.  Lots of mud-splattering fun.

(D is the one on the right)

(even got a leetle bit of air-time!)

Evil Knievel Mark II... 

...J, having a play on the peewee track in the next-door paddock, a week later. 

Awww, how cute is it when he puts his foot out, like the grown-ups do?!

(he even got into a bit of mud-slinging of his own!)

So there are my boys.... in all their dirt-flicking, mud-splattering, helmet-wearing glory.  To see the smiles on their faces when those helmets come off, I wouldn't have it any other way!  Besides, a girl's gotta have somethin else to take photos of other than just layouts and cards, yeah?

Righto, break's over... back to work for me...  Toodles,

Wednesday Weigh-in... on Friday!

Well, not so bad this week, considering....  Esp. after scrap camp and the 2 bowls of punch that I and those-who-shall-remain-nameless worked our way through over the two night stay...

I lost 200gms!

Next week, onwards and DOWNWARDS on those scales. 

I went to Zumba this week, and ended up staying for BOTH classes.  Yup, two whole hours of shakin my groove thang.  To be honest, I think that I'm still in recovery mode today!  Yesterday I had trouble getting up and down the stairs at work.  I must've looked like I was 86 rather than 36 :)  The things we do, huh?  Oh well, whatever doesn't kill us...!

And of all the people to see me when I was trudging along the country roads in the middle of nowhere last weekend.... Dom, the Zumba instructor (and my former personal trainer at the Gym).  She came up to me before class and said 'What were you doing WAY OUT THERE woman?'  I secretly patted myself on the back when she said that I was fair striding it out, working hard, 'in the zone'.  It's always nice when someone else notices.