I'm starting!

I've spent the last few days thinking on and getting my Project 365 folder together. Here's the cover - the graphic is straight from Becky Higgins' downloadable kit and to add a bit of kiwiana, a plastic tiki I've had for years. On the back of the tiki is really old Air NZ font which surprised me. I have no idea yet where it came from but hopefully it'll come to me. Either that or Si will remember!

The album is a standard Pioneer 12x12, and this first group of divided page protectors is the Bazzill Lickety Splits. The stockist I got these from hasn't got back to me about getting more, so I think I will either create my own by stitching the 12x12 refills that I have (which means I need to get that machine fixed in the next 10 weeks!) or craftytart's website lists the WR Memory Keepers ones. We'll see - depends on energy and finances, I guess.

The first page should be complete tomorrow so I'll post then, and hopefully once a week from then on. Good intentions and all that!

Well! And Good Intentions...

Had a "catch up" meeting today and walked away feeling very unsure. The HR person was from AU I think, and didn't even know the laws relating to my situation and redundancy. Hmm.

Thank goodness for the Department of Labour.

My good intention is to spend time tomorrow with Z (off school, another eye infection) and get this project 365 album up and running. I think I have figured out how to create my own pocket protectors and have asked Megan (Sugar Spice blog as listed in my "following") to confirm. Of course this does mean that I will need to get my Nana's bernina record 730 serviced...which it hasn't been for 13 years, but hey. The struggle there will be keeping it in my hands and not MOTAT's!

Simon would probably like to point out that I should be completing the curtains with the machine. Or mowing the lawns if they have dried out some more - which is something I like doing, as the chamomile smells soooo nice...

Feeling Blah - so looking on the bright side...

Today we had a big meeting at work - well, some of us got carted off to a lawyer's conference room for the big reveal. Talk about scary - and my co-worker was freaking, which I admit now I have a VERY SMALL tolerance for, and that didn't help.
Upshot is our positions are disenfranchised. What a stooopid word. There are positions that we can apply for, but in full on cynical mode I don't see me getting considered. Who would hire someone 30 weeks pregnant? Would you?
So now I am waiting on my interview tomorrow. My entire paid parental leave hangs in the balance too so pretty sick to the stomach (altho that might be the two pieces of fudge).
BUT - having just got my daily fix of Ali Edwards, here's a list of what I'm currently grateful for:

• Si has a job, and is loving it (long may it last!)
• I do have bubs to look forward to (if I could sleep thru labour, that would be the icing on the cake)
• my kids are all healthy, good and adorable
• my antenatal bloods came back and they were fantastic
• I adore my totally supportive midwife
• I've had phone calls of support from suppliers already. Word got out there so fast. Wow.
• We currently have a roof over our heads and while I may have to go talk to the bank manager, let's leave that until we know something concrete, rather than all these maybes
• I might finally learn how to use Photoshop.
• This might be a new door opening.

ARG!

Those of you who are close family members - please hold that smirk to yourself.
I just found a grey hair. Promptly, of course, yanked it out. Then remembered the old wives tale about this making them replicate even faster...

Had a good weekend with excellent effort on the field and lots of help from Louise (who got to watch Twilight in peace and quiet last night, with no little brothers around to comment! Sorry about your Dad, honey, but I can't control him) and conscripted help from Bran (hopefully that will be the last time he tries to get me up at 4am!); Zac enjoyed his playdate with Cole (they both refused to change or shower out of their playing uniforms!). So a clean and tidy garage - anyone else would park a car in there! - and lots of baby stuff to sort thru and wash. Lots of surplus stuff to list too.

No progress crafting wise but as the other half flies out on Sunday next for three weeks min I hold some hope there...

a wet & wild weekend

I must be the first to admit - I was really hoping for league to be rained out this weekend. And it was! I just had so much to do, and not enough time as it was...
* clean out study (Si did the first of his filing cabinet drawers, yay, and I think found stuff going back to 1986!)
* list the books/items I no longer want (got about 1/4 way thru, so at least some progress!)
* make up the cot (nope, not done)
* help Si plumb in the bath taps and handbasin upstairs (done! just waiting on the sealant to cure and I won't have to share my bathroom with the boys anymore!)
* exchange the library books & Cds (done, small fine, oops)
* feed the ducks at Western Springs (done, and there were heaps of eels too. Even crawling over the rocks under the double arch bridge - gross)

* take the boys into work for a photo with Ben 10 (done, they thought it very cool and wanted to bring him home. Ah, no!)
* clean up the garage (frankly, was never going to happen)
* scrap a digital layout (nope, but found my photoshop guide so some small progress)
* eat breakfast in bed (sadly, not one of my elder three made me any food or cups of tea this weekend! MIL made roast lamb on Friday as a belated birthday dinner and it was yummy)
* cleaned out and organised about half my stash (listed quite a bit)
* thought out the weeks meals in advance. Takes care of that 5pm panic!

So all in all, pretty sucessful. Plus had finished going thru all my years worth of Creating Keepsakes, ripped out the bits I use/want and filed these in clear slips. The rest are going to my midwife next week for her and her daughter to take what they want, then I guess to a kindy. Lots and lots of colour and use for a kindy collage!

Down to 9 weeks of work left as of today. Starting to get a bit scary! At least Si is enjoying his new job...we are a lot luckier than some other families. I just need to work on not being so grumpy. The family would be nodding their heads right about now...LOL

catching up

It seems lately that all I seem to be doing is playing catch-up. At work, home, league - it's really hard to get ahead. This coming weekend is going to have to be disciplined work - I have the lounge, kitchen, study & part of the garage to sort through, ad the cot to assemble and get used to (we brought a new-to-us one, as we'd given away the other years ago).

But I am looking forward to:
* looking at my baby's new bed
* knowing where my stash is at (all over the place is not conducive to scrapbooking or even journalling!)
* selling some or as much as I can of the overload. Si would be shocked, but I can actually say "goodbye" to a huge volume of my books
* planning things, like meals, in advance. I've been sort-of doing this as I look thru the supermarket brochures each week, and there is a fantastic download on Becky Higgin's blog on the 5/5 which I shall adopt
* having a place for the baby's things - need to get the other set of drawers from the MIL's garage

What are you looking forward to?

Oh, and by the way - it's a boy. "Dangly bits" and all.