Stampin Up!

I'm slow...yes..very very slow.  Not mentally slow....just physically slow.

I've been decluttering....

lots of things been put on ebay = lots of packing and trips to the post office.

Also decluttering my scrap space...it's finally done....and there was a huge big box of stuff to be rakked away.

Only about a quarter of raks have been sent out.

It's not easy.....

to pack 40 raks......

So I have to do it slowly.....

but now that it's school holidays......I should have more time at home and less time to run around dashing here and there....

technically I should have more time.  LOL

So look out for yumminess in your mailboxes soon!!!

Ok.....what else have I been up to?

Um......no scrapping.  Haven't had the time or the space to scrap with ebay, rak and post office piles all over the house.

I've also been shopping at Peters of kensington.  Got myself some serving platters and some new cooking pots.  Couple of weeks ago...I was very very tempted to buy ebay tickets to the Michael Buble concert...but in the end.....I couldn't afford decent tickets.....decent tickets = floor tickets close the stage so Michael Buble wouldn't be the size of an ant.  So instead....I got myself one of these.....it's a consolation purchase.....with DH's blessing....this has been aptly named.....the Michael Buble pot.  

hehehe...sorry Michael....I chose a pot over you.

I've also caught up with Vita & Jane when they came over to visit last week....Jane brought those TDF donuts.  TDF???  To die for.....yes....there are donuts that can be called TDF donuts.  Soooo yummy!!  Bless Jane for bringing two bags....one for our morning tea...and one bag just for the family.  The family loves love loves them too!!  Yes...TDF!!!  And no...not telling you where from ...and Jane....don't tell anyone either.  

Yesterday I went to the KitiQ scrap n chat.  I love how they call it a scrap n chat instead of a crop.  It takes the pressure off creating layouts...it takes the pressure off scrapping.  You have an option...scrap or chat.  I did the latter....very very well yesterday.  Mich came to pick me up and we grabbed an early lunch at Maccas (my first burger since Feb/March) then headed to Belgrave.  

oh oh oh.....for those who don't know....I've also joined up with Stampin Up.  Tooo many of their products that I just absolutely love.  So if you want some Stampin Up......let me know!!!  Get a special deal for your first order with me!

and ok...this is the biggest news of the week...of the month.....of the year.....

I GOT A SPOT ON THE SCRAPTACULAR RETREAT!!!!!

Yes!!!  I'm sooo excited.  Tina couldn't go on the retreat because her DH has to go away for work...and none of the 16 people on the wait list could go...so I got the spot.  I'm very very happy.  It was an awful 2 day wait before I knew if I had the spot or not and DH said I could buy another pot if I didn't get the spot.  heheheh  So I'll be away at a retreat on the 18th - 20th July!!!  Can't wait!!!

Congrats Congrats Congrats!!!!

Firstly....

Congrats to Shirley, Colin & Abby on the new addition to their family!!!  Breanna Chai joined their family in the wee hours of this morning.  Can't wait to meet this new little bubs!!

Ok...RAK winners....hehehe

Suzanne

Pandachu

Cass

Jorja

Kim  Arnold

Hetty

Felicity

Mich Vass

Michelle Tan

Jazzscraps - Jasmin

Devorah

AngeC

Kylie Grant

Ellen

Maxandmimasmummy - Phoebe

Jo Wong

Amanda

Whozz Me?

Vivs

Silvercat - Donna - you're soooo lucky!!!

Leenie - Pauline

Angela Byrnes

Natasha

Judee d

Kayzee

Mattsmum

Sarah

Dannii B

Dizzy

Karen

J Family

Ros

Susan

Laura

Nicnac

Robyn W

sinfullydeliciousmummy

Laura

Jesse

Renoa

Poinz

Ok....now...there are little instructions.

1.  I have Urban Lily to give away...lots of papers, embellishments plus the famous Black Urban Lily life journal - I know that Urban Lily is not everyone's cup of tea.....if you like Urban Lily then please do tell me in your email.

2.  If you would like some cuttlebugged goodies please also let me know - Cuttlebugged goodies would be roughly 4x6 embossed cardstocks with some diecuts.  Good for cardmaking.

3.  If you're a cardmaker and would like cardmaking goodies....let me know

4.  I'll endeavour to have a big big big clean up and send out raks over the next couple of weeks.  Most of the raks will be small raks....embellishments mostly.    If there is anything specific that you would like....or have seen me use in my layouts and you'd like....please please please be shameless and ask....there is no harm in asking at all.....if I have it in my stash and there is more than 1.....you'll get it.

5.  Lastly....email me at ruey68@gmail.com and give me your address & preferences.  Tell me if you have no kids, no babies, only do girls layouts, only do boys layouts, no pastels pls etc etc  Tell me if you're a beginner scrapbooker too.  

Ok.....I'm going back on the couch to nurse my extremely extremely sore throat & fever.  Jeromel is sick too....he has asthma and a cold.  He's watching Jurassic park 2 now and we're at the baby trex bit....so it's all getting very very exciting!!!!

Sharing a layout I did recently on my iphone!!!

drumroll..........

I'm 40!!!

Before I talk about that.....I forgot to say that last week...I went to a crop...yes...my wheeled tote got taken on an outing!!!  My wheeled tote doesn't get to go out very often.....I think this is the 2nd time this year I've been out scrapping.  I went to Mich's place for an all day crop last saturday.  A 12 hour crop....that is pretty amazing for me ok.....to go out for that long.  I had so much fun!!!  I got to catch up with Jorja, Suzanne, Jess, Anne Marie  & Trish and as usual...Mich spoilt me...very very much!  I had two wishes.....peanut butter on toast....got to have that twice...once with nutella and the other with banana.  I can't even remember the last time I got to indulge in peanut butter.  For those who don't know...I live in a peanut free house...and if I have peanuts....I have to leave a 2 hour window before I see my little anaphylactic son.  And my other wish was galaktobouriko.  That wish was a very dangerous wish.  Mich wanted to get me a cake for my birthday....I said....nah..just make galaktobouriko.  The galaktobouriko was absolutely delish...but the making part.....oh....I wanted to run and hide and wished that I didn't ask 'them' to make galaktobouriko....I thought 'they' were going to divorce!!!  Luckily it turned out fabulous and 'they' are still happily married...please Mr&Mrs Vass.....I beg you.....never ever ever cook a sponge cake together!!!  LOL

hehehehe...my birthday was great!!!  Happy Birthday too to my birthday sister Jane!!  We lunched together and Mich, Felicity, Vita, Linda and Helen came too.  At the beginning, it was only Vita, Mich and myself there...and then Jane arrived and when she introduced us to her friend Linda...she called us her asian mafia friends.  hehehe....I've never been called that before...I think it's cool.....if anyone knows all 3 of us...then you probably didn't know that you too have 'Asian Mafia friends'....hahaha

I had the best time chatting with these beautiful beautiful friends of mine on Thursday....they make me laugh and reflect on life.  They help me see the 'bigger picture', they inspire me and they make me feel loved.  One of the main topics of our conversation that day was the new magazine Creative Paper (old FK).....we had lots to say about that!!!

And I also got very very spoilt.....I got a gorgeous Crafty matters hand painted plate and lots of little bits of crafty matters and some $ from Miss Jane.  Jane has just relaunched her gorgeous range of celebration plates...so go and check them out!!! A gorgeous cushion from Vita....I think I need to get another one off you Vita....it's getting fought over in this house come tv time!  And I got Myer vouchers from Mich and Felicity....and from Jorja too who gave it to me last week at Mich's place.  I hope to go out shopping this afternoon ....so I'll take pics of everything all together.

The food was ummm.......hmmm....I ordered a chicken caesar salad.  The caesar salad part was absolutely delish....the chicken part...they stuffed up on that...the chicken breast was all dried out and hardened and disgusting...I sent it back....it came better but still disgusting...it looked as if they had a frozen chicken breast fillet which they sliced so it would defrost faster...and either microwaved or boiled....it was grey and horrid.  How hard is it to do a decent breast fillet?  Mich was livid...she said 'would you like me to go into the kitchen and show them how to cook a breast fillet?'.....hehehehe....now that would have been something.  Anyways....I didn't eat the chicken and when I was leaving I complained and got a voucher.  So yes Jane...next year a change of venue for our birthday for sure...we're heading across the road...hehehe....but we can do lunch again within the next few weeks...I have a voucher!  lol

After a very long leisurely lunch....raced back just in time to pick Jeromel up from school, got him to hop in the shower and get ready.  Made afternoon snacks for the boys and then we headed off in peak hour traffic to get to the Jam Factory to meet DH as he had bought movie tickets to watch Prince Caspian at 6.15pm.  Fabulous fabulous movie ...it was long!!!  By the time we got out of the cinema it was 9.15pm!!  Grabbed something to eat there and by the time we got home it was late.....very late....but a fab day.

And I think I forgot to announce that I'm now a contributor for Aussie Scrapbooking !  It's a brand spanking new website....it's an informative website....nothing to buy...you can chat, you can read product reviews, it's like a scrapbooking newspaper.....short little articles on all aspects of scrapbooking.  And because it's just launched...there are lots of prizes to be won.  In particular...go and check out the article that I wrote on Scrapware's new journalling bits and if you leave me a comment there, I'll pick out a winner by tuesday!!!    I also popped in to see Ange this week and it's incredible how fast time flies when we're chatting!!!  That woman is absolutely gorgeous and incredibly generous as I left with a few more new goodies to play with and got to see some sneaks on new new new stuff too!!!

My oh my....I got a lot of birthday wishes!!  I'll be picking out the rak winners in the next few days...thank you sooo much for all the lovely comments and the love.  So stay tuned for rak winner announcements!!!  

Here are some layouts which I haven't shared on the blog yet....hehehe...done about a month ago I think.....hope you like them!!!

Oh and for those who asked about the pizza dough recipe:

2 cups plain flour

1 sachet dried yeast (8g)

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix together until it's a pliable dough (takes about a min...seriously minimal effort)...then cover and leave to rise in a warm place for half an hour.  Then punch the dough down once to remove the excess air...then take out of the bowl and knead on a floured board for a min.  Then ...

1.  For pizza....for a thick crust pizza...just use the whole lot on a pizza pan (get a proper pizza pan with holes in it...they're about $10).   Just use your hands to pull the dough into a flattened round (don't use a rolling pin).  Then spread some pizza sauce and your ingredients n bake.  The crust is yummy  and not oily at all.

2.  For olive bread....I flatted the dough and then just sprinkled on a big handful of chopped up mixed marinated olives.  Then just rolled it up so that all the olives is in the middle and then just baked it.  So I guess it's more like a foccacia?  So yummy to dip the freshly baked olive bread into some warmed olive oil.

Enjoy!!!

The last day......of my 30's

yes....today is the last day of my 30's.....in a few short hours....I'll be officially 40!!!  For months...I've joked about being 39 again.  Saying that 39....great age...so great I thought I'd do it again...so instead of turning 40....I'll do 39 again!!  I also said that there were a few things that I wanted to do before I turned 40 and I didn't get around to doing them....so I'll give myself another year ....hence 39 again.  heheheh

Cheeky cheeky me....it's undeniable....my drivers licence is going to say that I'm 40.  I'll have to tick the next box down when I am doing those tick box surveys.  Even the wrinkles in the mirror look like they belong to a 40 year old. hehehe

Ok....help me celebrate my birthday......I want to see how many birthday wishes I get in the next few days....leave me a comment, sing me a song, tell me how great being a 40 year old will be....anything....and I'll be giving away up to 40 little raks.  I have a pile of things here to give away...including my Urban Lily goodies....there is the Urban Lily black life journal....there is urban lily paper, chipboard goodies, rub ons etc etc....there is Making Memories Noteworthy, there are little embellishment packs.....and it is open to scrappers overseas as well. 

If I only get 10 birthday wishes....then I will split the pile into 10 raks...and send them off.  If I get 50 wishes.....I'll draw 40 names.  So there will be up to 40 raks.    I'm off to dinner tonight with DH and another couple with whom we've been friends with for the past 22 years!!!

And I have a fun day planned tomorrow....lunch with my birthday sister Jane and some of our friends at Chelsea Heights Pub.  Then it's out to watch The Prince Caspian & dinner with DH and the kids.  No cooking...no cleaning!!  hehehe