my life right now

The things you find ......

I found this when looking at all the old photos I am using for Ali's class, I had a good laugh, feels like a million years ago! I also found these unfinished layouts, I gave myself a stern talking to & vow to finish them.

Now to my December Daily album, the album is quite plain & so are the pages, I hope to jazz them up a bit when I add the photos.

It finally rained today to cool things down, I'm sure the farmers harvesting don't want the rain but I am pleased it is 10 degrees cooler!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

MIA ....

I haven't felt the best this week, can't shake my cough & sore throat, not sleeping, Tinitus playing up, stressed, overwhelmed - you name it, I've got it so I didn't go to work today. I had a few tests, don't worry nothing serious, hoping to feel more like myself soon.

My linen cupboard has been bothering me for some time. How can one person have so much linen? I have 4 beach towels, I don't have a pool & live 600 klms from the beach! So today I tried to organise it. The problem, is that it is quite small so I had to purge.

 I went from this -

to this, much better

I also finished off these, they were from the June & August double up pack from Pip - Just a tad behind!

I am also going to do Ali Edwards December daily album this year, you can check hers out here. I have wanted to do it for a few years, you get an album all ready now so in December you add photos & journalling from 1st Dec till Christmas day on the 25th. Cool idea, Pip inspired me to give it a go. Stay tuned, I will show you the pages when they are done.

I will leave you with this, love them!

I only have 4 days left of our USA trip to show you, will get on that soon, Bye.
  
 
 
  
 
 

The weekend that was ....

Was just perfect, I really needed a quiet weekend, to relax & re-group, I feel better, calmer when I am organised so that is what I did this weekend. Friday night we had the business awards, Tommy Dean was very funny & quite a good night. Saturday I met Kim down the street for a spot of shopping, finally got some groceries & cleaned my house, top to bottom, inside & out so on Sunday I could .....

I enrolled in an on-line Ali Edward class that goes for 13 weeks, 1st Oct till 31st Dec. I hadn't done anything but now am all caught up & I'm loving my album. She is all about capturing the stories, the everyday - simply photos & words with not too much emphasis on embellishments and the newest trendiest products ( a great way to use up your stash). It is called yesterday & today, I am completing the album on myself. I've realised working with older photos doesn't have to be more complicated than it is, if you don't have photos tell the story or memory anyway. Ali works with different sizes, which I am loving & she gives you digital elements to download/print each week. She works with digital & traditional paper scrapbooking beautifully, I can't wait to have a completed album of all different stories from my childhood up until the present, stay tuned for more.

 

 

I also finished these

The 2009 album is slowly catching up

In my cleaning frenzy I washed a pair of shoes! I know,  but they are so comfortable, I wear them to work & they stunk so I thought I would give it a go, I am happy to say they survived and will now have a longer life. I also washed the squashy pillow, I even cooked, twice!

 
 
 
The hats are from America & are yet to find a home? I also need more coat hangers, I don;t know what happens to them.

Lastly the business awards, black tie so time to frock up, for once I didn't wear black.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The Wedding ......

First the details, Pam & Tom had put a lot of work into making their day special & a reflection of them, it was lovely.

What makes a wedding special is the people, in this case Family

I had been planning this trip & looking forward to this wedding for a long time. Pam & I used to say to each other we would make sure we came to each others weddings & I was really touched when she asked me to be a bridesmaid, knowing she has a lot of close friends. The day/night was wonderful, I was so pleased Mum, Dad & Nerida were there to celebrate too.

The Day before ....

I am almost up to the Wedding!

We had a lovely girls lunch at Moosewood Cafe, they have organic, healthy, yummy food

We also had the rehearsal, complete with fire alarm & evacuation, the rehearsal dinner cookout where I finally got to see what pulled pork was & who in fact pulled the pork & lastly the cocktail welcome!

 
We also reunited with Mum & Dad & got to see Ken. My Mum made Pam & Tom a photo quilt for their wedding present, almost made me cry when she gave it to her, Ken said a lovely speech at the dinner, which did make me cry & there was an apple harvest festival in Ithaca over the weekend ( incase you were wondering about the apples in crates ). Jess & Neri are trying the deep fried oreos - I know sounds disgusting but really good!

So today I had a visit from my boss Sam, I got an awesome chicken & chickpea salad from 2400 for lunch & sorted out my hair - no more lighter roots!

Not much else to report, didn't make bookclub ( I really need to get back into reading) & the scrapbook girls were all busy so I'm thinking I will have an early night - somewhat of a change for a Thursday night or this week for that matter, last night I was reading my totally awesome photography book & switched off the light at 12.30am, no wonder I'm tired!

 
 
 
 
 

Cornell & The Spa ....

This was a great day in Ithaca! Neri & I explored the Cornell Campus, so beautiful & then went into town. The girls then went to the Spa at La Tourelle, we had champagne & strawberries & laughed & relaxed. Pam & I have been writing to each other for over 20 years! We started as pen pals then went onto e-mails, now blogs & facebook. I have managed to keep most of the letters & read some of them out - very funny. That night we had a great dinner with Toms family & Pams Mum & then met two very cool chicks for drinks. Lets just say I was tutoring them in the " hair flick" & they were trying to explain pulled pork!

Off to work, bye.

Would you like some more ?

I'm not getting many comments (poor Mazza) but thought I would show some more of A & C's wedding

This wedding had so many beautiful details, they got married under the pine trees that Charlie's grandfather had planted outside his holiday home many years ago, the hall right on the beach was transformed with silk lining, fairy lights & shells & they all loved walking on the beach & climbing up the cliff to get some great shots ( o.k maybe the boys didn't!) I hadn't ever been to a beach wedding so I loved it.!

On my America photos I am up to leaving Boston to drive to Ithaca for the wedding! Yes Gemini the crazy cat wanted to come.

 
We left Boston & checked into our amazing suite at La Tourelle ( the bed was so huge, rather funny when we started out in NYC with bunks!). We also had a very good Indian dinner with Mary Pam's Mum who I hadn't seen for over 10 years.

Now just for something totally crazy, have a look at -

My medicine cupboard, some have a cabinet I have a cupboard above my microwave. The funniest thing are some Greek sea sick tablets for 2 years ago, at least thats what I think they are!

Rather busy day at work, preparing & getting the stuff done I normally procrastinate about. Tonights meeting went for 2 1/2 hrs then I came home & talked to my little sister for an hour, I have been missing her company after we spent 3 whole weeks together in America. It also rained really hard this afternoon, living out here in a drought you forget what that is like.

So now off to bed, I can't get into my bookclub book, yep I am going to be the one who yet again hasn't read the book come Thursday night!

So leave me a comment - you know you want to, I get sad when I don't get any comments to my awesome photos and witty stories! Bye.
 

Mondayitis ....

Big time today after my little beach break.

I realised while I have been updating my America photos I haven't been taking many everyday random photos, so here we go -

It has been a long time since I received any sort of trophy so was pretty pleased when my branch won this

Hanging out at the Mecure Port Macquarie in my new top - yep managed to shop with 10 mins free time, lucky we were very close to Port Central!

Awesome dinner on the roof top

The whole mid-north coast / North west team

 

Today I had a little visitor at work who wanted to do some drawing & computer work with Aunty Mary, so I said O.K -

& of course our next day in Boston ( will I ever finish showing photos of this trip ? )

 

Pam took us to look around Harvard ( very impressive ) while she taught her class, we went up to the top of the Prudential building ( awesome view ) & Nerida tried Bostons famous Clam chowder, way too fishy for me. We even went past the cheers bar, where everybody knows your name ....

So today we had a black out, had to close the branch & sit around, in the dark for an hour or so. This afternoon I went for a walk with Kimmy, it had rained on and off so was nice & cool & good to get some fresh air.

This week is rather busy with a Rugby meeting tomorrow night, combined Bookclub with another group for girls night in Thursday, I'm hoping to get my hair done, a visit from my boss & Moree Business awards ( NAB is a sponsor ) Friday night. I am happy to report a quite weekend planned, can't wait - I really need it. Bye.
 
 
 
 
 

1175 .....

klms, I'm back from my whirlwind trip. Our work conference at Port macquarie was fun & the wedding was lovely.

Once again my computer doesn't like me dowloading my 1000+ photos so just a few to share.

 

 

 
 
 
 

B B Boston .......

Nerida & I loved Boston - meeting Tom, seeing where Pam & Tom live & walking ( or falling down ) around the city. Even Gemini Pams crazy cat. We went to the beautiful park, Pam showed us the ducks - where Tom proposed & had a very yummy dinner in the North end Italian.

So what happened today, the main item on the agenda is working out our NAB Christmas party - yes we even have a committee & meetings to discuss it! I went to Beauty Matters & just for Pam got my eyebrows & eyelashes tinted (it is illegal in most states of the US ?) I have been so busy I forgot to make a hair appointment so did a home dye job and the roots are lighter than the rest - not a good look, might have to get a darker one in Port. I talked to Mel on the phone & Robbie was telling me his chin hurt when he ate - his back chin - what the?

An early start tomorrow, have to leave at 6am - I am packed up with all my photography gear - 3 possible outfits for the wedding (can't decide) & my swimmers. It was so hot here today, hope it is a nice weekend as I am staying right on the beach. See you Sunday with more wedding photos, hope the computer can cope with another 1500 to download! Bye.