What a yummy weekend!!!

It all started off in a mission to save the ripe bananas in the fruit bowl.  We got a big bag of bananas very cheaply at the start of the week....and by thursday....they were looking very ripe....so I decided to bake.  First off I made Banana Yoghurt muffins.....Mich's recommendation....soooo easy to make and sooo delicious!!   The kids absolutely loved them.  Then right after that....a Hummingbird cake.....fav cake...which I lost the recipe to...thanks Mich for coming to my rescue again.  Didn't get a photo of that one as the camera's battery died. hehehe

Then on Friday......our dinner plans to Hunchbax theatre restaurant fell apart....no lovely 3 course dinner while watching 'Humping in the Caribbean'....lol...not sure exactly what I missed out on.  But in the afternoon, I rang DH and said....what about home made pizzas for dinner....I had found a really great easy pizza dough recipe and was keen to give our little pizza oven a whirl.

Picked up the two youngest from school, took them for haircuts and bought some ingredients for pizzas.  This is my first time making homemade pizzas from scratch.  I usually buy premade pizza bases...but I was adventurous this time.  Here's Jordan.....making a half and half...half hawaiian and half meat lovers.

 

On saturday, we were still reeling from all the yumminess...so I made date scones which oh soooooo good and then garlic & cheese pizzas for lunch and a batch of olive bread.  Both were absolutely delish..and the olive bread was a winner.

So today.....it was two big loaves of olive bread and a mixture of antipasto kinda dishes for lunch.  We had:

• crispy salami slices
  
• pan fried spanish chorizo
• fresh baby spinach leaves
• pan fried slices of butternut pumpkin with mushrooms and some olives - this was out of this world

hehehe...so lots of food pics to show for this weekend.  I've watched season finales of Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.  I've put a whole heap of stuff for sale on ebay.  I've scrapped one layout and had a really great family weekend bonding over fooooooooood!!!

Am I unreasonable?????

This has not been a happy week for me....

our internet is at dial up speed....somehow...I think thanks to a trojan, we have chewed through our 20G ....so the one thing that keeps me sane....the internet is painfully slow.  No cable speed gratification for me.....I have to be patient for everything and patience and Ruey just does not sit well together.  

I have lots which I am meant to be researching (helping DH) and I can't stand how slow it is.  And when DH gets home and wants to do his bit of researching...he has micrograms of patience and he gets angry and we're all getting on each others nerves.  It's a bit of a important time for something that he has in the pipeline and we can't get work done.

I figured that we have outgrown Optus and need to go with another company....someone who will give us speed for a cheaper price....but all the companies that I have contacted will not deal with someone who is on an optus phone line.  What kind of conspiracy is this????  Ok...after the 10th company told me that....I ring Telstra and explain that we used to be with them but switched over to Optus about 10 years ago.  Our address should be in their system...but it's not...and if it's not...then I am a new customer and need to pay $299 for a new line.  FARK!!!  He did say that if I knew my old Telstra number then it will help.    Sigh...that meant having to go into the store room and going through archive boxes to find these things.  I hate going into our storeroom...it's creepy, there are cob webs, dusty, musty...I hate it.  For those who have been to my house...you're probably wondering where my store room is.  hehehe....through my garage, I have a big long storeroom...and if you walk to the other end of the storeroom, there is a coolroom/cellar.  hehehe

Anyways...found the old phone number...so now Telstra will come and put us back on their system....this will take about 3 weeks...as someone will have to come out and connect it all back up.  The good thing is we get to keep our number.  After that is done....we will be looking for a new ISP.

My birthday is coming up!!!   In exactly 2 weeks!!  People have been asking me what I want for my birthday.....family, friends, hubby, kids, etc etc.  And they keep asking if I'm going to have a party.  This may come as a surprise....I don't like having birthday parties....just don't like it.  Can't think of anything worse to do!!  The whole cake and candles and singing....it's not for me.  Not sure if this is a Gemini thing......Jane????  Confirm?  Deny?  hehehe...maybe it's just a Ruey thing.  So no...there will be no party...  I like quiet celebrations.....lunch, dinner, coffee.  So this year, like last year, I will be lunching with my birthday sister Jane at Chelsea heights pub.  Everyone is welcome to join us for lunch....we know it's hard for people to come on a weekday...but hey....the two birthday girls need to eat lunch that day.  LOL  Please let me know if you can come for lunch that day and I'll send on more details.

As for what I want.....I want things for my kitchen/house.  I know that half of you will scoff and say that these are not real pressies...they're not personal pressies....but to me they are.  These are the kinds of things that I don't often get money to spend on.  In between bills, food, clothing for kids, scrapping supplies, eating out, bills, grocery bills, butcher bills, scrapping supplies etc....hehe....I don't have a budget for housewares.    People who have been to my house will know what I mean.  I don't have anything 'nice'.  So yes...for my birthday.....a $10-$20 Myer voucher will be nice.  Then i can save up the vouchers and get some nice things.    If you want to make me something.....I'll be happy too.  I'm not fussed at all....but since people have been asking....I've given it some thought....and that's what I came up with.

ok....lastly....not sure if anyone wants an update about my Urban Lily journal.  Thanks to everyone who emailed and left comments urging me to contact Urban Lily to let them know....I did...I sent them an email and I got a phone call ...which shocked me as I didn't leave my phone number.  2 hours later, my green urban lily was picked up and swapped for a black urban lily journal.  I could have cried.  I know....I'm an ungrateful sod.    I know....I know that I am...but this is my blog....and I can complain and be as unreasonable as I want....I'm allowed to be....because my birthday is in 2 weeks and because my name is Ruey...I can complain because I'm entitled to.  I don't like black....black is boring....I wanted an apple green one.  And no...I wasn't given a choice....Mr Urban Lily showed up at my door to pick up the defective journal and handed me a black one.  So yes....I'm ungrateful and still disappointed.  I'm not going to go into details as to what kind of conversation transpired between Urban Lily and me to get this replaced...but it wasn't a very good experience.      And, you know what....I don't want this black journal....and I don't want a green one....I don't want their pink one.  I just don't want that journal anymore...because each time I see that journal....this memory will spark in my brain.  And it's a memory that I would like to file in the dark archive box....deep in the storeroom of my mind.

Ungrateful sod signing off!!

Buzz and Bloom !!

A few weeks ago, I went to Buzz and Bloom for a sunday crop.  It was supposed to be a DT & friends crop.....but things happened...things like Coby breaking his wrist.  Hehehe...i blogged about it...so I'm back to show you what I did...

Here are my layouts....I did 2 layouts and 2 cards on the Sunday and did everything else over the following 3 days and brought everything to Devorah and Helene on a Thursday morning.  Mojo was in full swing then and it was sooo much fun working with such yummy new things.

A couple of quick cards....totally love how they turned out.  

And as a little thank you....i did the Lollipop trees as a pressie for Helene and Devorah...so that's why they're Buzz and Bloom trees.  I think they make quite nice display items for them.  You can use these trees as family trees..just add some pics and embellishments, you can use them as earring trees!!  I think that a ribbon tree would be awesome.  Thread your ribbon through it.  

Ungrateful & Anal????

Postie has been busy this week!!!  Noteworthy prize from Scrapbook Creations/ Bumblebee crafts arrived on Monday.  Gave most of it to Kylie for her birthday with some other non scrap stuff as well.  Vita also got a few bits and pieces when she came on Thursday.

And then on friday..the big one came.  $500 worth of Urban Lily.It doesn't look like much coz you can only see some of the paper.  You just don't know how much paper there is.  84 sheets!!!  Yes...I got 7 different collections....each collection has 6 sheets.  And I got 2 of each collection.  You do the maths....it equals 84 sheets of Urban Lily paper.  I totally love the board books and the secret keeper cards and there were also a couple of sugar cubes...some rub ons ...but the most prized part that I have been waiting for is the Urban Lily Journal.      Ok....I'm totally chuffed that I won the title of Scrapbooking Memories People's choice award.    I was nominated by SM and the people voted and I won and for that I'm blessed that people took the time out to vote for me.  So I didn't do this for the prize...the prize is just a bonus...a very welcomed bonus.  So I hope I don't sound ungrateful when I say this....but the one thing I was really looking forward to was the journal....and I got a reject.  The front cover has like a big vinyl 'melt' mark on it...big dinted mark and the inside of the back cover has like big black dirty marks all over the vinyl.   If I had purchased this journal and received it like this.....I would be writing to complain.  But Urban Lily donated this prize....and I won it....so I guess I shouldn't complain huh?  But my name is Ruey....I'm anal about some things.  LOL

I've had a great scrapping week.  Been doing some layouts for me...for fun.....they're busy....they're funky.  I'll be sharing them soon.

Oh...and check back coz I'll be giving away Urban Lily raks soon!!  

Spoilt!!

Jeromel and I have been making notebooks for quite a while now.  These little notebooks were made for the Mother's day stall.  It was his idea....he wanted to make some for the stall.  In the past few months....we've made similar notebooks for classmates, for teachers...they're sooo easy to make....scraps, cuttlebugged stuff....flowers, bling...and they're done.  Pack of 5 marbig notebooks for $1.99...so cheap as chips too!  We did 10 in an hour.  I cover them while Jeromel cuttlebugs....then he does the designs, puts foam tape behind the cuttlebug 'stamps', chooses flowers etc...then I glue them down.  I'm spoilt....soo very very spoilt!Mother's day started off with me waking early....not really sure why I didn't want to sleep in....my eyes opened.....so I got up....it was nice....just Jeromel playing quietly and watching tv and I got to have some quiet time on the computer.Then around mid morning...there was a knock at the door and yay....10 long stemmed dark red roses for me!!!  Jordan had organised and paid for this with his own money and signed it from not only himself but his brothers too....to me....that's pretty sweet!!!  

And then I got the thing I really really wanted for mother's day.  I had 4 more spaces left on my pandora bracelet.  So I got DH to take the boys to the Trewarne's and they each picked out a bead to complete my bracelet.  It was soooooo beautifully wrapped up.....and I love what they picked out.  A silver heart from Joseph, pink glass bead from Jeromel, silver teddy bear from Jarryd and a swirly silver bead from Jordan.  

I also got a stash of things from Jeromel.....from the $4 I gave him to spend at the mother's day stall....he got me a red soft microfleece scarf (perfect to embellish...hehehe), a little pink notebook, a pink pen and a lip gloss.  pretty good for $4!!  He also made me a card...and I got a rice stress ball and a couple of pet rocks.  hehehe...very cute.

We had planned on going out....but I wasn't feeling too crash hot....so I snoozed, watched a movie....just lazed around and we got some chinese takeaway for dinner.  It was a fabulous day.

This week has been great....spending lots of time with DH....we have been watching movies everynight!!!  Yesterday I went out to lunch with Kylie for her 30th birthday.....we went to TGIFridays at Doncaster........utterly yummy food and we had a great time chatting and catching up while Emma ate Heinz Ketchup like it was soup.  Kylie, next time you won't have to order her a meal at all...just give her the little bowl of ketchup and one chip.  LOL

Ok...I've been tagged....6 unimportant facts about me.....

1.  I love my pillow....dentons.....I missed my pillow when I went on holidays....I took my pillow to a scrap retreat.

2.  I love pjs.....but only pj bottoms.  Prefer a tshirt as a top....just a non matching tshirt...and then flanny pants.....I don't like them to match.  Don't ask me why!

3.  I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to Korean food.  I don't know what to order ...someone needs to take me to a korean restaurant.

4.  After many years of being totally ignorant when it comes with ipods and mp3 players.....I'm now in the 'know'....I've joined the ranks of the gadget lovers....I have an iphone!

5.  My fav tvshows are Greys Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Lost, Criminal Minds and Cashmere Mafia.

6. I'm 39 again this year!!!!

hehehe....I don't know who else to tag....this tag has done it's round many times....so I'm going to tag......the scrappers who live far far away....inspirational girls......Liza, Wati, Naddie, Emily, Pandachu & Jasmin.

Happy NSD!!!

I had a little crop at my place....coincidently, I had arranged it for the 2nd of May...not realising that it was National Scrapbooking Day until a week before...so it was great timing!

Mich was the first to arrive at around 10am and Lyndal was the last to leave around 1.45am!  And in between, Christie, Vita and Jorja came to join us too!  It was such a fabulous day!  I set out to start and finish a 20 page 8x8 album for Tyrelle's Baptism (yes with those photos that I had resurrected) and I got it done!  It was great having friends around to keep me motivated.  I think if left to my own devices, it would have taken me oh...a few days at least!  We had lots to chit chat and laugh about, lots to eat & drink...and we had fabulous entertainment.  I lined up Michael  Buble, Beyonce, Kylie etc for entertainment...hehehe...it was just music dvds...but for the whole day...we did concert dvds which was great.  Lyndal brought some concert dvds tooo which was fab!  Jeromel was really good that day...he stuck to our agreement and did not once ask to watch anything on tv...and he was our cuttlebug assistant...he just played, crafted and played on the computer.  And asides from having to pick Jordan up from work around 10pm, the older boys were really good and Jarryd cleared up the kitchen after we had dinner....so all in all....I had the day I wanted to have....a day I needed to have...a day hanging out with friends...a girly crafty day.  So a great big thank you to my boys for letting me have this day and for my friends who came that day to play with me.  

I kept the album really simple......no journalling, because it's not really my memories of the day....and also because you don't really need words for this...it's a themed album...pretty self explanatory.  And I stuck to using the MM Animal Crackers range of papers and Vita lent me her Stampin Up stamps which were perfect!

Asides from that fabulous weekend, the previous weekend, I also did something pretty special....I went to the Buzz n Bloom crop....was supposed to go with Christie, but unfortunately poor Coby broke his wrist ...and the other DT girls had something on....so poor Dev and Helene got me........yah...just me....only one who turned up!  Dev and Helene were absolutely lovely and so welcoming and let me play with sooo many of their new products.  I did a couple of layouts and a couple of cards that day but I got to take home more yummy new stuff to work with...so all in all.....they got 6 layouts, one OTP and 2 cards from me.  Can't wait to get them back so that I can share them.

DH is back now!!  He got back Friday morning...so my family is complete again and normal life continues!!  I'm soo happy...missed him heaps!!

I also got a phone call from Kristy Evans - Editor of Scrapbooking Memories.....the news she told me....I had to sit down for....it took my breath away and rendered me speechless....then I recovered and became a babbling idiot for a bit.   She told me that I am one of two winners for Scrapbooking Memories People's choice awards for 2007!    Hetty Hall is the other winner!!  Congrats Hetty!!!  So, a $500 Urban Lily prize is on it's way to me.

Then today, I found a post on the Arty Pants forum where Andrea posted that I won the Scrapbook Creations Try this Technique comp!!!  Won a $200 prize pack from Bumble Bee Crafts......which I think is MM Noteworthy stuff according to the mag!