Living my dream

A Sunday pictorial

Today we

Played on the tramp.

Played with the chickens (that's Sunshine).

And played with the cousins.

It was a good day.

Sunday Shake Up

As I drove along the road this week I found I was listening to a new radio station. Andy must've changed the station when he had my car and I didn't realise.

So I left it on the 'new' station and listened to what Andy might be listening to. I liked it. Not for always, but for that moment.

And it got me thinking that music is a great way to shake up our weeks. There are so many different varieties of music and we often tend to stick to our favourites.

This week I brought a new album. I saw it advertised on tv and a friend really likes them. Until a month or so ago I'd never heard of the band. Now I love them.

So my challenge to you this week is to listen to some new music. Borrow a friends playlist, or buy a new album. Change radio stations. Or borrow some from your parents/siblings.

Shake up your week with something new and different to listen to.

Dare ya.

I am so incredibly proud of Sarah

Last night Sarah went out to dinner with her netball team. It was the end of year celebration and all the girls were sooooo looking forward to it.

They all got dressed up and met had a lovely dinner and were given certificates and goody bags from the coach and manager.

It was an incredibly thoughtful thing for their coach and manager to do and I'm very grateful they were part of the team this year.

Sarah took along a cupcake with a fondant animal on top for her coach and manager. I was proud of that!

But then I got a text from a Mum. And I was blown away by what it said and by Sarah's courage shown in the text.

You see there is a girl at her school who has caused a lot of trouble within the girls at school for years (yes, not just this year, but year after year!). As usual with these situations, this girl chooses who is and isn't popular. Who can and can't play. Who is going to be her friend and who isn't etc etc. It has been an incredibly hard time for Sarah (and all the girls involved) and I've been incredibly proud of Sarah and how she deals with it each time something new happens. She is a strong girl and 'most' of the time stands up for herself and her friends. I love her for that! We often have talks about how to handle things and she has learnt a lot and I believe is a great friend.

Well last night she spoke to one of the parents of one of the girls close to the (for want of a better word) 'mean' girl and told her what was going on and how it was hurting the girls in the class.

My Sarah. Did that. Off her own bat. I was astounded that she had done this. That she would be so brave. And thankful to the Mum for being so open about it. I wonder if because it came from a child, not another Mum that it was easier to hear??? I don't know!

The text I got to tell me about this was lovely, explaining what Sarah had done and that she had no idea this was going on and she would talk to both girls involved.

What more can you ask?

But again, I come back to what Sarah did. I am soooo proud of her that she was able to talk to someone like this to try and right a wrong.

My girl constantly astonishes and amazes me and I really shouldn't feel surprised. She is a wonderful child. Kind and considerate. Careful with her words and clever too. She has a funny sense of humour, like me. It surprises you when she uses it. She looks out for people, her brothers, cousins or friends. And she isn't afraid of trying new things or standing up for what is right.

Now I just need to focus on what and how she can react in case she doesn't get such a great response from someone. Wish me luck.

T

 

 

 

Cakes for 'Because you are special'.

Today I delivered my first two cakes to a new organisation I'm working with.

I will be doing approx 28-38 cakes for them in a year. And chatting to them, I feel really priviledged to be little part of something that they are doing.

The children involved are about the same age as Sarah so I had a lot of help and input from Sarah. She even helped me with the little fondant animals.

Here's a look at the first one...

I have to say it's my first time playing with fondant, but Sarah is so confident with it, she made it look easy.

We always buy white fondant and then colour it ourselves. It takes longer and is a little trickier, but it means we get the exact colour we want at the time we want it.

In saying that, I think we'll definitely be buying some black fondant next time I'm at the cake shop. It's so hard to get a true black colour when mixing any type of icing!

I LOVE my Wilton grass nozzle. I've used it a ton of times now and it's amazing.

It's my favourite chocolate cake receipe in a huge big tin. I had to lower the temp of the oven by 20 degrees and leave it in longer, but it meant that it cooked evenly throughout. Was another new trick for me.

The second cake was more along the 'princess' theme. All pink with sparkles. Sarah gave it the big thumbs up.

I'm still learning to get those sides right! I think in this case the icing was too thick. It needed to be slightly thinner.

I have done this style of cake before but it is so easy and effective, I just had to do another!

It felt really good to drop these off today and come home to a clean kitchen knowing what had been happening in it just a few hours earlier.

Fun times!

 

Easy goody bags using Spellbinders

I loved creating the wee gift bags that I created for my Spellbinders post today.

So cute and simple! Admittedly these ones are made in 'Halloween' colours to suit the Halloween theme that's coming up in USA, but they could easily be made in a variety of different colours to be used for different themes.....at Xmas time, for a birthday, Easter, or 'just because'.

Here's a sneak peek

For full individual photos and a step by step on the witches broom, pop on over to my post here.

Tuesday Tutorials on Prima's Facebook page

Did you know that Prima are having tutorials on Tuesdays now?

Yep!

Check it out. Different members of the Educator team and DT are showing you all sorts of things. It's like a mini class every Tues.

You can see the full set of tutorials from my one last week right here. But in the meantime you can see the layout itself below.

Keep an eye on Prima's FB page for more each week.

A new chicken story.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that I love my chickens. Hey, what can I say I'm a city girl with a country heart.

Well, two of our 'ugly' Chinese Silky frizzles went broody a couple of weeks ago. Vicky and I had been planning another hatch and as you saw from a prior post, we met up and collected some fertile eggs to give our girls.

(Sarah and Adah)

On Sunday I noticed that Adah (our stunningly beautiful Silver Laced Wyandotte) was climbing into Blondies nest and disturbing both her and her eggs to lay her own egg. WHAT THE?!

I knew we might have a few issues as we have a bit of a funny set up. Hmmmm, maybe I need to explain that before I go on...

When we first got chickens we got an OTT chicken house. We had no idea what we were doing and brought something that looked and is a lot better than what we needed (although I still LOVE it). It was also perfect for 6 chooks which is what we were aiming to have.

But then our wee flock grew. We decided to hatch some babies and we brought a $30 beauty off Trade Me (a NZ version of Ebay) which was just perfect for a broody hen and her chicks.

As the chicks grew and we talked to the council about how many chooks we could have, we realised we could have more than our 6 without needing a permit (we have a double site) so we decided to buy another chook house. Then the new chicks could have one house and the oldies could have the original.

(I'm sure the chooks and kids would like the chickens to live inside with us! Dan has Blah, Sarah has Velma and Matt has Tiny)

Unfortunately it didn't quite work like that. They all decided over a period of weeks to crowd in together. It was so funny. The 'new' house became a very expensive nesting box. But they all knew exactly where to lay their gorgeous new eggs and we would see them lining up when there were too many in a box at a time. It was not unusual to see one in each nesting box. One on the 'landing' to the nesting box, one at the door, and then two or more waiting on the ground below. I loved it.

So we'd been debating what to do with the whole set up this time around (we have TWO broody's). We had put Tiny in the small broody box but it wasn't working with Blondie where everyone else lays. So we blocked off the 'new' house allowing Blondie and her (soon to be) chicks.

Ahhh, but now we had a problem. Sunshine, Mullet and Adah wanted to lay and they couldn't get into their traditional box to lay.

They ran up and down the side of the fence where they normally go for hours. Sunshine got really annoyed with the whole process and started having a go at the other two. I was wandering around watching, then walking away, then being drawn back in. I was sooooo stressed. Andy kept telling me to act like a farmer. Hmmm, that didn't help!

We were going out, so decided to chuck the two 'nice' chooks into the old house and see what happened (trying to show them, that this is the new nesting box!). Came back after 1.5 hours and Adah had laid an egg. Only just! Still it was better than nothing. I put it into the actual nesting box, not the floor and left them to it for a little longer. But now they had access back outside.

Going back a little while later, and Adah's egg had been chucked out of the nesting box onto the ground. But at least Mullet had laid her beautiful blue egg. Also on the ground.

I decided I couldn't stress anymore and just left them to it. Final check was that Sunshine had laid her HUGE egg in the house, in the nesting box. What a star!

Yesterday, a day on, we had eggs all laid in the correct place. My chickens are genius! And I've stopped stressing (and really why was I stressing? They can lay anywhere. We'd just have to go hunting!).

Ok, bit of a long story, but it's been a big deal around here. Thanks for staying with me if you're still reading! Grin.

Now to wait patiently (yeah right!) until the 30th when we can candle eggs to find out how many little babies are growing. Then birth date is the 11th October. Yipppeeeeee!

What are you grateful for today?

Andy took off his headphones the other day and said "T, you should really listen to this TED talk. It's all about happiness and is really interesting". I murmured something like Uh huh.

And then as an afterthought Andy added, you know you already do all the things it says.

Now I was interested. What did I do that the TED talk says you should do to be happy? Is this just a part of my personality? Is that why I'm often seen as the optimist?

Turns out there are five things that you can do to help make yourself happier.

1. Exercise

2. Writing down 3 things you are grateful for every day

3. Journaling

4. Random acts of kindness

5. Meditation

The theory goes that the more you make your brain focus on the good things in life, the more it will see the good things that you previously didn't. And that makes you happier. And so it goes.

If you try and be successful, then once you've hit your goal you just change it, so you're constantly looking for happiness but the goals are always changing.

It was a really interesting talk.

Anyway, I started writing this because I'm happy today. Really happy. I did something that was unusual for me last week and it's leading me somewhere very cool. I've got some cakes I'm making for one of my charities to be delivered on Wed/Thurs. I've finished what I 'have' to for now and I can get on with some other deadlines and maybe even get them finished before time is due.

And it's really good to feel on top of things.

And as always I started thinking about why and how and all those 'deep questions' and thought Mmmmmm, that Ted Talk sounds a little bit like what's going on for me. If these things help me, then perhaps they might help someone else.

You're welcome. Grin.

Sneak peeks and bring list for my class at Scotties

I've been working hard over the weekend to get through a few deadlines. They are finally done. I LOVE the new post I've prepared for Spellbinders (coming up 26th September) and I've got the Scotties class done and dusted. Yay! I think you're going to love it. Let's check out some details:

I've used the gorgeous new Zephyr range from Prima and just adore the bright colours in the line!

I've used a 'boy' photo for this LO, but anything can be used. My only request is that you bring a photo from THIS year!

Let's have a look at what else you need to bring along

I know both classes have sold out, but there is a waiting list in case.

I can't wait!

Sunday Shake up

Well after my post from earlier in the week, I thought a little change of pace for all us city folk might be nice.

So my challenge to you is to get out into the country. It's spring, watch the new lambs and calves. Enjoy the sun. Smell the 'country' smell and know it's real and not polluted!

If you can't quite get to the country, then go to a place in the city that is 'countrified'. Try somewhere like Cornwall park in Auckland. You should see it right now. There are daffodils and other spring flowers in a huge abundance, there are tons of sheep and lambs.

Or even head out to Ambury Farm. It's out Manukau way??? I think its free and is a working farm with lots and lots of places to go for a wander.

If you're reading this and already live in the country, can I challenge you to take 5 mins to sit in the sun somewhere quiet on your farm and just observe. Realise how lucky you are to have this wonderful opportunity to enjoy every single day. Be still and enjoy nature at it's best.

Dare ya.

A day in the country - picking up our next lot of eggs to hatch.

As I left home this morning to go to the country, I sat in my car next to a man on the motorway onramp in his Maserati (woah!) with dice hanging on his front window screen and I just giggled to myself. It was the start of a great journey.

I drove through the countryside on the most amazing of roads. Pretty straight and not too many cars, plus often you got to see the way the road rolled along. It looked so pretty. Plus it was sunny and there were lots of new spring lambs and calves. Awwwww.

I popped on my new Ed Sheeran album and really enjoyed the car ride.

I was meeting Vicky and two of her boys at Poultry Valley to pick up our eggs. We had a rather long list of all the ones we wanted to buy, and you're never quite sure what you will get as the chooks can't be told to lay just when you want them to.

I think Vicky was missing a couple she wanted, but I was lucky this time around and got all the ones I was after (plus I had 4 at home waiting to go under the chooks with these ones).

If you want somewhere to buy good quality heritage breed fertile chicken eggs, I highly recommend Poultry Valley.

So I have:

4 x Golden Campines

3 x blue/black leghorns

3 x Araucanas

3 x Buff Sussex

3 x Rhode Island Reds

2 x Buff Laced Wyandottes

Hopefully from this hatch we'll end up with one girl from each.

And hatch day? 11th October. Perfect timing as we'll be in the school holidays. We've already blocked out the 11/12th for watching chicks hatch!

In 10 days we'll candle to see if they're fertile and then we'll have a better idea of what we're hatching. I can't wait!

Oh, and because I saw this coooooool biscuit tin and it was Vicky's birthday, I just had to buy it, fill it with baking and give it to her. Happy birthday Vicky! Grin.

A wonderful if not a little tiring day.

Chicks

Today we received 4 Golden Campine fertile eggs.

Tomorrow I'm off to pick up another few eggs to put under our wonderful broody hens.

In just 22 days (or around) we'll have a ton of little chicks running around our property again.

I can't wait!

Here's what we're aiming to get:

Golden Campine

Blue leghorn

Rhode Island Red

Araucana (she will lay beautiful blue eggs!)

We're getting 3 eggs of each so hopefully we'll get at least one girl of each breed.

And I'd really like some of these....buff laced wyandottes....

But we'd need to swap out for something. So I might have to double check wih the kids before I head off in the morning.

Exciting times!!!

 

A barge at the bottom of our property

What an exciting morning we had this morning! Seriously cool. The kids were besides themselves with excitment (and just quietly so was I!).

The pine trees had been cut down and the blokes had decided to bring a barge in to take away all the 'small' bits. Apparently they'd tried a couple of times, but needed the tide to be just right. Today it was right!

The kids LOVED it.

Check out the pile of wood (and that's not even half of it!) We need to get a log splitter in to cut it all up and bring to the top of the section. Eeeek. That is going to take a while!!!

And then they were off....

You can see the Bayswater marina to the left and Westhaven marina to the right.

Our neighbour and fellow chook lover was even out in his kayak with his cute cat that likes to walk along the top of the kayak as he paddles along. He confessed to being a boat lover and thanked us for the entertainment. Grin.

It was a great way to start the morning!

paperHaus - an online magazine and community

Recently a new magazine (paperHaus) was released online. I was thrilled to see some of my scrapping buddies involved.

Then I saw they had a DT call, and thought it would be something I would be very interested in being part of. So I applied.

And the good news is that I was lucky enough to be accepted as part of their inaugural design team. Eeeeeeee!

I can't wait to begin this new journey and I hope you will join me in it too.

Click on over to this link to see the paperHaus blog and click on the 'current issue' link to see the magazine itself.

And while you're there, say a big hello to the other DTers....

                                                            Katarina Damm-Blomberg

Sara Zenger

Trina McClune

Lisa Duke

Lynn Adams

Jelissa Mei

Shamu Nidyanandan

Vivian Keh

Marilyn Rivera

Julianne McKenna-DeLumen

Emilia van den Heuvel

Candice Elliott

Linda Brun

 

Teaching at Artfull Crafts

What a brilliant weekend Liz and the team at Artfull Crafts put on in Timaru. I got to meet a wonderful group of ladies who are both cardmakers and scrapbookers. I also got to meet Lowri McNabb (who is one of the amazing tutors we'll be seeing at Scrapfest by the sea) and I got to teach some new classes! Love it.

Would you like to see some pics? Of course you would! Grin.

Here's a pic of the group in the middle of our card workshop. Not a class, but more than a demo. We used a ton of Spellbinders dies (oh how I love Spellbinders!) and the leftover bits and bobs from the kits. Was a lot of fun...

And here's a group shot of the ladies after the texture throughout class....

Here's a look at the LO's we created....

Texture throughout. As always this class is based on texture and dimension. Adding in layers to create a wonderfully tactile layout.

The photos I used on this layout were taken by my good friend Vicky Gibson. I adore them.

This layout used lots of different techniques....handcutting, stamping, misting, ripping, punching. FUN! And used gorgeous new Prima papers and product (with a few older ones thrown in too).

Next we did my "3in1" class. A new class was made up and we used more of Prima's gorgeous new product lines....

I adore Prima's new velvet vintage trinkets. Soooo cute!

And finally (maybe even my favourite from this class)...

Another photo taken by Vicky.

We used a stunning napkin to decoupage the base of the layout, whitened the napkin so it was more whimsical, then once it was dry, we used a lucky 8 punch from We r memory keepers to create the gorgeous shape of the layout.

And finally here are the cards I made for the workshop. All of them were made from the leftover pieces in the 3in1 kit (and I could have made more too!).

and finally a very cool card with a pop up in the middle.

It was a huge day, but we got lots done. And lots of laughs.

Which reminds me. Must tell you a story which Dallas told us about on Saturday morning as we were all getting ready to start classes.

She was staying in a motel and sound asleep when there was a loud knocking on the door at about 4am. She wasn't too sure who it could be and thought she would leave it, but then thought what if there is an emergency and someone needs to get hold of me, so got up to see what the banging was all about.

She opened the door and a man walked straight into her room. She asked him what he was doing and he said something like 'going to bed', but this isn't your room she said. Yes it is, he replies getting INTO her bed. She's standing there a bit shocked by it all and he pipes up from the bed 'turn out the light will you love?'.

So she grabbed her phone and went outside, not really knowing what to do. Luckily a few minutes later another man came around the corner and she asked him if he was missing anyone? No don't think so he replies.... are you sure she asked? There's someone in my bed. Oh, who is it he replies? I don't know!!! So the man walks into her room and says oh Des! and left to get some help from their other mates. Finally getting 'Des' out of Dallas' bed and into his own room.

The next morning as Dallas chatted to them, she finds out this is not the first time 'Des' has done this!!!

Too funny. I keep giggling about it every time I think about poor Dallas! I don't know if I would've handled the situation quite as well as she did!

Tomorrow I have more to share. But for now, I'm off to bed. I'm a tired wee chick. Have a good one!