Thought for Thursday

I am pretty excited about my One Little Word and have been taking a look online to find some quotes relating to health.

I found one that I thought I would share with you.

To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

Buddha

I could not agree more. When I fail to take care of myself my mind gets filled with guilt and worry at the way I am behaving. If I take the healthier path I might actually allow some creative thoughts some room to move.

 

You would think this munchkin would provide enough motivation to be healthy all by herself!

Who knew?

One of the hardest things about my recent trip home was being away from Tet for our wedding anniversary. We got married on the 19th of December 2004 so this year was our seventh wedding anniversary. It was also the first one we spent in different hemispheres.

We had grand plans of having a meal out in Christchurch together once Tet arrived but nothing came of that. The quakes have closed a lot of restaurants, so those that remain open have reservations needed weeks ahead. 

I did manage to talk to Tet on the day but he was very busy with a project. I just assumed it was something around the house or maybe work related. He then sent me an email with a couple of attachments the following morning.

The first was this: 

I have been complaining for a while that our house looks like no one lives here as we have not put any art on the walls at all. Apparently someone was listening and framed some photos of Scarlett's photo shoot from late 2010. I love these photos and I am excited to be able to put them up as the start of our portrait wall.

The second attachment was this:

Yes, my husband who has a passing interest in my scrapbooking but no more, decided to make his first scrapbook layout. He raided my stash ( and very thoughtfully used lots of things I was never likely to use myself) and got stuck in and completed this layout. I was so touched. 

The photo is from our babymoon to the States in 2009. We had just spent a few hours in Yosemite National Park and were driving out heading to Mammoth Lakes when we saw a beautiful lake glistening by the side of the road. We got out and took a few photos. It was such a happy day and I am thrilled to have it recorded. Lots of the embellies on the layout have special significance for us and our past.

Tet said it was the hardest art project he has ever done - it took him the best part of five hours. I have been told it is highly unlikely there will be a repeat performance but he does have a greater appreciation of what I do in my spare time. I guess this just confirms to me that I am totally married to the right guy!

Happy Wednesday!

Jumping on too many band wagons

I am not sure if anyone else has this issue but I find this time of the year makes me really enthusiastic to get involved and try new things. Sadly the enthusiasm wanes and time gets scarce and slowly one by one these great ideas get abandoned. I know all this about myself and yet, once again, I have decided to try a lot of new things this year.

 Like every other scrapbooker in the universe I am starting Project Life this year. Unlike all those January 1st keen beans I am waiting until Chinese New Year as we were overseas at the start of 2012. I still liked the idea of starting at the beginning of the year though... I just chose the Year of the Dragon. I am planning on getting my title page underway tonight and hopefully finished by the weekend. Normally it would not take me too long but jetlag is a real issue with out daughter at present and sleep is a very scarce commodity. The latest I have gone to bed since we returned from New Zealand is 8.30. Oh the shame!

I have also decided to attempt One Little Word this year. This project really speaks to me and my word came to me very easily - health. I have really not made looking after myself a priority over the last twelve months and that really needs to change. I am working to change one small thing each month and build up to a healthier me. We would really like to expand our family this year and for that to happen I need to weigh less, eat better, move more and generally make myself a priority. January's focus is to move more. This is not too hard as much of the last year involved no movement at all. Weather permitting I am going to try and get out and walk everyday or swim as the monsoon comes to an end and the condo pool warms up a little. 

I am super excited about the January prompts Ali has posted. I cannot wait to get stuck in and make a start on the album. I need to get to my LSS and see if I can get any of the correct page protectors. I struggled online to find some of the supply list so my album may have to be a bit less "just so" and a bit more about making do with what is available in Singapore locally.

Finally I have also signed up for Cathy Zielske's Move More Eat Well 2012. I think this ties in so nicely with my general aims for the year that I would be foolish not to take the class. Again the initial info looks really great. Again I am on the hunt for supplies... there seems to be a theme! I have bever scrapbooked 8 x 11 before and both Ali and Cathy's classes are in this format...

Did I mention I have also signed up for Amy Tan's class at Studio Calico starting in February for making the most of your main kit? I cannot wait! I have many untouched main kits and I really want to get some of them well and truly dealt to this year. Ditto my lovely hubby who did point out just how much money I have been spending on supplies. No new purchases until I get rid of a good portion of stash, main kit aside at any rate.

I fully intend to bore you all with a selection of holiday snaps from our recent trip home to New Zealand but they need to be transferred onto this computer first!

I would love to hear what classes and projects you are all embarking on in 2012. I am hoping you will keep me somewhat accountable!

Technology is a wonderful thing!

I am so sorry for the huge gap in posting! My iPad could not link into my Dad's wireless so I was without easy Internet access for a fortnight! Yes I did feel like someone had cut off my right arm.

We are having a great time in New Zealand even if Scarlett and I got to experience some pretty intense earthquakes on the 23rd of December. We are off on a road trip today heading south... List of great photo opportunities I hope.

We had a lively Christmas. Scarlett was thoroughly spoilt and even with a combined luggage allowance of seventy kgs I still think we will be paying excess baggage!

No photos to add yet as I am posting from the iPad. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I will try and post from the lovely husband's laptop this week with some photos of our trip.

The relief of Christmas Shopping being complete!

I am really pleased that we have got all our presents purchased for family back home in plenty of time. I am going to take some with me and Tet will bring the rest when he arrives on Christmas Eve. I would like to say they are all wrapped and ready but that is a bit too organised. We will hopefully get that done tonight without the helpful  nearly two year old.

I have taken a picture of the finished printers tray Tet and I made for  my Dad for his present. I used an Elle's Studio kit but in the end we barely used the supplies included and relied more on the photos to tell the story. Scarlett is my Dad's only grandchild and they have a really close and special relationship. I am really pleased to have created something that will remind them of this time together. Tet was my right hand measure and cut man. He is way better at getting a straight line from my trimmer than I am. I think I might have to take lessons!

We have been doing some last minute catching up before we go away. We all had dinner with one of the twins (Scarlett's best buddies in the whole world) and their Mum, Lisa. We have hardly seen Lisa as she has recently started her residency to complete her medical training to become a paediatrician. 80 hour weeks and weekly 30 hour shifts which always involve no sleep and often no meal breaks make catching up hard. It was great to eat some sushi and catch up. Lisa is working Christmas so it will be a new experience for her little family having Mummy away on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Please excuse the less than great photo but even at very high ISO these two are just in constant motion! They really do love each other!

I am feeling a little guilty as we got our first Christmas Card today and we have not sent any this year ... I think we got three last year though so I figure it might not be worth the effort - or the stress of going to the post office at this time of year!

I had better get moving and finish packing Scarlett's suitcase and start packing my own - I only get whatever is left of the weight allowance once all her gear is packed. At this rate I will be buying a lot of clothes on holiday!

Happy Friday!

The countdown is well and truly on

It is only four more sleeps until Scarlett and I head back home to New Zealand for the first time in 18 months. I have only just realised how many things I have to get done between now and Saturday afternoon. It is a little bit daunting to be honest.

We made a real effort to do some fun things as a family over the weekend. Saturday's visit to Little India was a great success and one of the malls along the road had a great outdoor playground. Scarlett had a wonderful time scaling the climbing wall and wooshing down the slide. On Sunday we split up - Tet and Scarlett did the grocery shopping while I had a pedicure. I think I got the better deal! In the afternoon we headed down to one of the local malls as they had a live Sesame Street performance. Scarlett loves Ernie with a passion and she really enjoyed watching the characters dancing on stage. We had hoped to have a trip on the Singapore Flyer which has all been decorated for Christmas but sadly Scarlett had reached the end of her tether and we headed home.

I have got a bit behind with completing pages of my December Daily and I have realised they do not photograph well at all. This is in no small part due to my using silver pen! I have plenty of ideas for each day but no photos printed! I am off to the mall this afternoon to get some photo paper and we will attempt to print some photos on our Pixma at home. I will let you know how that goes.

I have finally taken a photograph of the layout I completed last week. I am really happy with how it turned out. I used an idea from Shimelle's PPP again - combining spots and stripes although I think it is clear which way my heart lies. 

I am hoping to complete three days of entries in my DD today and to make my Dad's printer's tray from Elle's Studio. The sad thing is my photos are all landscape and it is designed for more portrait so most of the cute notes and labels will not fit! Hopefully I will work out a way to make something good.

And still it rains

I know it is the monsoon in Singapore at present. I love the cooler temperatures - 28 as opposed to 34 is a very pleasant improvement. I do not even mind the rain but please let the all day rain stop!

I know I should not grumble. Today was lovely until about three. Currently the lightning and thunder are arriving at the same time and it is happening out both sides of the apartment. I do believe we are in the middle of a storm! Foolishly I left taking photos of my DD and my most recent layout until after we got home from Christmas shopping. The light is nowhere near good enough so I guess I am going to try again tomorrow.

Last night we hit Orchard Road to make some inroads into our Christmas shopping. We managed to buy Scarlett a couple more presents and her best buddies in the whole world had their presents sorted too. We oohed and ahhed at all the lights and monster Christmas trees and had a delicious dinner. We totally wore Scarlett out and she was carried home sleeping in Tet's arms for the first time in a long time.

After gym today we headed to Little India as my sister has specifically asked for some Indian bangles for Christmas. We found those after a lot of hot walking! Good when someone is really specific about what they would like though. We also bought Scarlett's Christmas day dress. I just love it!

Scarlett has slept on both car journeys to and from Little India so Tet is sitting in the car with her till she wakes up. He is playing Angry Birds so they are both happy. Our daughter has never transferred well from the car so we always are prepared with Ipad or magazines for these inevitable breaks. It has given me a chance to blog and to complete Day 2 of my DD. I am very grateful!

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful weekend. My last full one in Singapore before we head home to NZ. I am getting really excited!