Been a while....

Gosh I can hardly believe it has been two weeks that I last posted... phew, what can I say but busy busy busy. With deadlines, stall at a school fair, school outing, school functions and just life as a mother and wife.. enough said really. And as if that is not enough, I cannot stop wasting time on everything else that is not that important and get on with WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING... seems everything is more important than what I should be doing (insert a rolleyes here).

Today is wet and chilly in Africa but you would NEVER have said that the last few days.... just been gorgeous here in South Africa. Infact I said to my hubby on days like these - WOW why would you want to live anywhere else. Yes it is Winter here and look what us little Matthews' got upto this weekend. Oh it was a long weekend here so no school on Monday and Luke had an extra day on Friday due to an outbreak of Scarlet Fever in his class.... hope all those little ones are better and back to school soon.

So if this is Winter then......

Also did two story boards of Hannah and Luke... boy these two love the beach, especially the water. And I adore photos from behind... well this is my view of them while they play.

It is the annual Sardine Run here on the east coast of South Africa.... I am hoping to catch it better soon... I desperately want to see when the millions of sardines (yes fish sardines that is) "beach" and you can literally run into the sea and scoop away. Mostly want photos and of course the pure excitement that the kids will show to see this, feel this and scoop up some fish. Well, we did catch some action albeit the fish being netted a little deeper in and brought to the shore. People filled their crates, packets, handbags... you name it. Well my kiddies managed to get a few and well, they were thrilled to bits. Not so thrilled to hear their dad say that their little fishies was going to be their dinner (not sure what the intention of now frozen fishies is but.... they are in the deep freeze). Luke and Ty were insisting that they are taking their fish to school today. How do you explain that dead fish is not something we generally "show and tell" about... the teachers will be thanking me that I did manage to convince them that photos of them will be even better... Luke's afternoon of beach pleasure got even better when the man alongside us managed to catch a small shark fishing... boy that made his day.

Here are the sardines creating happiness for the little Matthews clan...

Sunday saw the annual Comrades Marathon here in South Africa. I have watched this race from the comfiness of my sofa for years and years now. I tend to stay in my pj's till the winners finish their race... one of those "just keep watching, watching watching watching" events. The race is 86.9km long and our local roads are closed for some hours for the race to take place. The runners never cease to amaze me and year after year I think... mmm I could do that. YEAH RIGHT, I don't even run to my car and back... wishful thinking right.

Fathers Day was spent lazing around hence the marathon but it was also my anniversary. Craig and I have been married for 12 years on Sunday... crazy stuff. I actually cannot remember life without him. We met at school when we were 15 years old, so although married for 12 have been together for 18 years. Phew time flies for sure.

Can't share what I am working on right now, but to inspire some crafting happiness I will share projects I did for the latest issue of ScrapBook Inspirations Magazine ... all glittered up projects (not very clear here), some yummy glitter projects. Talking of which - have you seen the glitter thickers by American Crafts.... sooo yum----meeee , look look look (and MUCH better in real life - lucky me :) )

This is such duvet weather... oh and a mug of hot chocolate and marshmellow...yum....meeee. Going to Luke's parents evening at school just now, so have to brave the wet...

Thanks for visiting... hope the sunny WINTER beach photos have made all my English buddies drool :)

Photo contest...

This is sooooo cool,
just wanted to post about the photo contest that American Crafts is holding... pretty cool, you could have your photo on the main website for American Crafts and win $ 150 of AC goodness, HOW COOL is that....

It's time to change up the photos on the main page of our website and what better way to do that, than to include you! Enter your photos anytime between June 1st and June 30th, 2008 and you might be one of five winners that will be chosen. Not only will your photo be used, you'll also win an American Crafts prize pack worth over $150!

Check out the official rules to enter!

Go on, enter.........

Scrapping days...

The weekend has come and gone, and with that another scrapping event too. The little event hosted by Fantasia in Hillcrest went off so well. Laurie Glenny and I loved the girls that attended and I must say I have been touched by these woman. I have learnt how incredibly blessed I am to have a healthy family, and just what we as women have to face each day. Four particular ladies had me fighting back tears and I hope that somehow I too touched their hearts with the powers of scrapbooking.

I realise more and more how healing this hobby is and the power we have to help others. I know scrapbooking has changed my entire outlook on life. I would love to have the time someday to setup a healing program and after Saturday, realise just how much I would love this.

One particular lady, Denise really plucked at my heart strings and amongst many other things in her life, her sweet three year old's plight for cochlea implants. I hope to make the time and setup something to help them fundraise, even if I can only add a tiny bit to her Trust Fund. Would love to have some ideas if anyone has any, let's help Jaime-Lea to hear her first sounds. Scrapping for a cause.... a really wonderful one. In South Africa, we have to have our own medical aid facilities, just like the States. And so at a cost of R 225 000 per ear (that is exchanged as £ 15000 / $ 29220), you will understand their helplessness.

Thanks to Laurie for being the nicest person I have ever worked with (love this girl) and Jenny from Pick 'n Pay for all she did to make the event a success. And not to mention the lovely prizes donated ... ooh and the flowers by Flora Flowers, wow, Penny did a sterling job and we all got a bit of that too. Ina at Fantasia for all her work - thanks...

And the good news... well there are kits for the classes available for sale. More than just a product kit, but a class in a bag really, as they come with full instructions. Laurie and I will be teaching our classes in groups of 8 in store if the demand is there. So to get hold of a very limited number of kits, call Ina at Fantasia or email her..... The kits are available at R 200 each per class or R 225 per class to attend one of the limited seats classes (dates to be announced)...

Got to get cracking on some deadlines, amongst two photo jobs I need to complete for clients. Never a dull moment here... and just because it is getting cold down here in southern africa, thought I would celebrate with an old layout that celebrates fun Summer times. My boy having a ball spraying his best friend Nicholas with the hose. Have a good Summer all my English and American buddies (I love hot weather)...