Come follow me....

down this hallway into the......

new scrapping room!!!!!

As you can see it is moving along nicely. It will be all ready in time for when workshops resume.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

I am surprised that I can type today, my wrists are so sore from the painting - I did all the cutting in! But who cares right!!!!!! It is happening, uh huh, uh huh!

Do you think I am a bit excited???? Too right I am! And you will be too when you have room to move, more stock & more regular opening hours!!

Back to painting!!! See you all soon.

Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone had a fantastic Christmas!!

Here at our place it was non-stop ... as usual, just a tad busier ;-)

Christmas eve tradition saw Jennifer sprinkling Reindeer food on the lawn (rolled oats mixed with glitter), then a walk down our neighbourhood streets to see all the houses lit up ... yes - like Christmas trees!!!! Pelham street, just a few houses down from us is renown in South Australia as 90% of the houses are all decorated. It is so lovely. Every Christmas for the 17 years I have lived in SA, I have walked down the street & admired the time, effort & wonderful Christmas spirit fo this small suburban street.

Jennifer always leaves a note & drawing for Father Christmas, this year drawn on her whiteboard, that she loves so very much (thank's Kim!!)

Kids woke up really, really early & so excited! (Can't imagine whay??) So, we were dragged out to the family room to open presents before friends arrived for breakfast under the Gazebo.

Here is Sebastian & me - he really wanted to go back to bed!!! But don't those little ears look sooooo cute on him...

My theme for this Christmas was Black, Gold & Cream. The table looked stunning - I thought so anyway - plus being 32 degrees, it was warm enough to have it out on the deck. So once everyone had left from out breakfast of ham & tomato on toast, I raced to set the tables - the table runner I only finished making the night before ... nothing like leaving things to the last minute! I was still folding the serviettes into elves shoes when Dad & Mary arrived!

This year we had not only family, but great friends too. Kim & her girls, Lisa, Steve, Sarah & Thomas with Lisa's mum & dad, were "Christmas orphans" this year, so I insisted they all come and have lunch with us - I am so glad they all came, we had such a wonderful day. I always think that Christmas is such a lovely time to share with friends & family and a huge Christmas is so much fun, I can't leave people home alone. It took a bit of talking into with Lisa's mum & dad, but when they left, Barbara came up to me, gave me a big hug & said how glad she was that they had come & not just stayed at home - that is what Christmas is about - sharing not only with those in need, but also within your own circle of friends & family.

Lovely May came too, I knew it would be a hard Christmas for Gavin, Gary & her as this was the first Christmas without Gwen, but I insisted she was to come. She enjoyed herself & with Gary as her chaparone, she didn't have to worry about anything. What a lovely lady and for 94 she is just amazing!

It was so lovely having everyone here and with all the children - they had a ball either playing in the pool or all six of them playing their DS's against each other!

Jennifer received Singstar from Gavin & I and it was the hit of the day - everyone singing away! Steve was given earplugs early in the piece!!!!

Got to skype Peter, Sarah, Mila & new little Poppy over in Vietnam. Dad & I had a great talk to them - got to love that you can ring & see your family across the globe for nothing!

Well, we all ate too much - as usual, had loads of fun & laughter - as usual and will do it all again next year - as usual!!!

Merry Christmas & a happy 2009!

New Scrapping Transport!

When Pam needed to go home early from last night's Scrap'n'Roast she rang her hubby who informed her he had had a few drinks and couldn't come.
Not too worry!!! My darling hubby took her home on his Harley. This is what she emailed me this morning -

"Had to tell you that Dave wishes he had a photo of me on the harley because no will believe him !

What a shame.......I'm thinking my blog should read.....You've had a few drinks and can't pick me up? Thats ok honey i'll find my own way home!

Mwuhahahahaaa"

WELL DAVE - HERE'S THE PROOF!!!!

Christmas Cards at Semaphore Library

Here's a sneak peek of the Christmas Cards that Lisa & I will be teaching at the Semaphore Library on the 23 November from 2-4.30pm. Bookings are essential through the library on 8405 6570 or online.
So book now because seats are limited and the workshop fills quickly! Hope to see you there.

First of the reviews!

Two reviews have been published for the show, still waiting for another from the Messenger.

First from Adelaide Theatre Guide -
http://www.theatreguide.com.au/current_site/reviews/pdfs/2008_whitechristmas.pdf

Second from the Adelaide Advertiser - a nicer review!
White Christmas
From: The Advertiser
October 14, 2008
Until Saturday & Arts Theatre
THE Metropolitan Musical Theatre Co. is 50 years old. It has established a solid reputation as the producer of reliably high-quality productions.
The choice of Irving Berlin's White Christmas as a birthday event is an odd one. Despite the old movie's success, the seasonal suggestion of the title makes for a tough box office in October.
Nonetheless, it is an uplifting song-and-dance show full of classic favourites - I Love a Piano, Blue Skies and How Deep is the Ocean - telling the tale of successful entertainers with so much affection for their old World War II general that they put on a show to save his failing Vermont inn while also falling in love with two showbiz sisters.
Click here to read the full article on the website

News from the Pit

Well I am about to start the second week of the show - and having an absolute ball!!! Can't get the music out of my dreams - guess when you are playing the songs over and over that will happen! Keeping the sandman away whilst in the pit - all of us are on a sugar high... you should see the size of the lolly box that gets passed around in between numbers!

the members of the cast are great - wish I could watch the show, but I will just have to suffice listening to the dialogue and bopping along when we play & the cast sing.

Nice to see familiar faces coming to the edge of the pit to say hello - & a special thank you to my great friend Lisa who dropped over a humongous bag of lollies!! (At work I put on the notice board to only throw lollies & chocolates into the pit!!!)

Once I have had a really long sleep this weekend - back to the scrapping grindstone & begin working on the next lot of workshops.

See you all soon,

Mandy ;-)

Oh Yeah!! The Rumpus Room is happening!!!!...

Woohoo!!!! Gavin started demolition & renovations yesterday to the rumpus room!!! Need I say more?
Here he is taking out the window of the property divide, the kids holding up the stud wall - waiting for me to help lift it in place...after photos, please!
Then the stud wall in place, all being carefully watched over by the really, really cute site supervisor!!!
Keep watching this space for more photos of the progress!
Okay, I must go breath into a brown paper bag now - hee hee!!!! ;-)

Got Sketch 102

Been having fun doing an on-line class with Valerie Salmon & Janna Wilson from Got Sketch. Well worth joining up for the next one - it will make you scrap & use up lots of 4x6 photos!!

Being sick & now the kids are on holidays, I have a bit of catching up to do, but all the sketches & instructions are downloaded, saved & printed so I am ready to go this Saturday for my next Scrap'n'Roast! (Still a few spots left - if anyone needs to escape their kids for the evening!!)

A few weeks back, Pam & I took Lisa & Cathy done to another Fiskars workshop with Michelle. We had a great day - of course!!! Thanks Michelle! Can you believe I didn't take any photos....but Michelle's hubby was running around with her camera, so I will get some next time.

Exciting news - I am cleaning out THE RUMPUS ROOM and I m going to turn it into my scrap room/shop!!! Oh yeah, uh huh! Am I excited??? Just a fraction....so much space....so much space....hopefully it will be all ready to go in the new year. I will keep you posted about how it's going! I will try to remember to take photos as I go...

Talk to you all soon!!

Happy Scrapping!

Mandy

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hope you enjoy this slideshow of a fraction of the 1364 photos I took while on holiday in Bali!!

Back to the serious world now & I am working on uploading the new newsletter, finishing Jennifer's mermaid costumes (x 7 for the class) & the general day to day stuff of washing, etc... No one to wash my laundry here - one load washed, ironed & folded for $2.64, so I have to do it myself - bugger!!

Catch you all soon,

Mandy ;-)

Back from the land of never never....

I know, I know - I have been slack!!

No excuses - except for these beauties here!! Yes, 7 weeks ago I had my gall bladder removed along with these boulders (they are far to humongous to be stones!!!) I have been absolutely bored - why haven't I updated by blog I hear you say - well, I couldn't sit at the computer, arghhhh! I have watched dvds, bad daytime midday movies, read books & magazines all whilst lying on the couch. Fun to begin with, but the novelty soon wore off ;-)

Well, just before the big op I had the best time playing in the SA Met's production of SHOUT! It was an absolute blast, I enjoyed every performance and even the late nights didn't worry me! The show was a huge success with write-ups in the paper saying that Greg (starring as Johnny O'Keefe) was better than David Campbell in the original stage show! That gives you an idea of the talent we have here in South Australia. Well after having so much fun - how could I say no to the next show - Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Rehearsals start soon & the show is in October...can't wait!

Greg, Rosa & me at the after show party!

Gordie (Musical Director) having fun with wigs & props!

Whole cast with FULL HOUSE sign - we had quite a few of these nights!

Me mucking around with the props!

School holidays happening here - the kids have been really good (most of the time!) We haven't been doing much as we are off to Bali soon & trying to save as much as possible.

Jennifer made play dough in the last week of school as part of her homework & both she & Daniel have been making all manner of things - but isn't this, ummmm, whatever it is - cute? Daniel made the animal thingy and Jennifer supplied the plate of food!!

Pam & I got to go scrapbooking all day last Saturday with Michelle from Fiskars. It was lovely to be the 'student' and just follow along instead of being out the front for a change. Came home with a lovely decorated coffee tin & 6 Christmas cards. A lovely fun day - thanks Michelle & Fiskars.

Just had to put in this photo - it is a dog's life!!! And doesn't he match the blanket well - even looks like the photo is taken in sepia!

During the last week of school, I accompanied Jennifer & her class to the SA Maritime Museum & a dolphin river cruise. We lunched at the lighthouse before heading off up river and were lucky enough not only to spot the Port River dolphins, but also to hear them 'talking' via the underwater microphone. The children have sponsored a dolphin named 'Wave' and have been doing lots of research about water pollution, environmental impact on the dolphins and what we can do to change the situation. Pretty good things to know - if we don't teach the children how can the world change?

Well, that's about all for now - I am busily scrapping getting ready for the next newsletter! Hope you are all keeping warm and out of that chilling wind here in Adelaide!

Keep tuned, stay warm, scrap heaps!!!

Rest in Peace Gwen

Hard to know what to say... my dear mother-in-law & neighbour of 15 years peacefully passed away on the 7th March. I was by her side with Gavin & other family members when she took her final breath.
This photo was taken only 3 weeks before she passed away - she looked so radiant and releaved that she no longer had to endure dialysis and the feeding tube. Gwen had bone cancer which had caused her kidneys to fail.
Thank you to all my friends who jumped right in and helped looking after the kids so I could go and spend time with her during her last weeks. As well as being right there to help Gavin & I with the funeral & wake arrangements.
One of the hardest things I have ever done emotionally was to play my sax for her funeral service... I played "All I Have to do is Dream" with organ accompaniment.
We had a wonderful wake in her honour. Everyone had baked all the things Gwen used to bake for parties & get-togethers. It was a lovely tribute - as well as very yummy!!
Gone but never forgotten.