Whangarei Road Trip with Simon

Me and Simon have been having a few little hiccups in our Relationship - there is a BIG reason for this but that is something I will talk about at a later date just not right now. I think we rushed into things a bit, and were really thrown in the deep in over Xmas when Simon's parents moved house and had a 3-4wk period between when they moved out of their old house and into their new house...and during that time they went off camping with his sister down to the South Island and he moved in with me and my mum. We suddenly were in each others face 24/7 - we had no privacy and no ME TIME...I found it hard not being able to go to my room, shut the door and turn my radio and blast it up really loud to cool out and calm down...no if I was in a grump or what ever and went to my room he would be there...the house seemed very very small then. My santurary and personal space was compromised majorly it had been to the point Simon had cleared my desk off in my bedroom and had installed his TV and PS3 there - I have never had a TV in my room and probably never will I dont really see the point in it...in the past I have managed to watch DVDs on my Laptop at night, that was before all the over heating issues and stuff...and other nights I would just read a book to go to sleep with...I wasnt able to do that with Simon. Ok the watching movies on his laptop and PS3 yes..but reading no..he hated me doing it...infact its taken me since NOVEMBER when i went to Christchurch until now to FINALLY finish a book I got out of the library, and its only since he moved out and back home to his parents that Ive infact read two more additional books in the past week or so.

To try and save out relationship he has been taking me out on dates, the other day it was to a Restaurant for dinner which I wasnt expecting, we had a nice little chat about things, we spoke about the BIG thing that is trialling us - had a nice meal and stuff....so he decided as an early valentines present since he is working to take me up north to Whangarei - Ive been through there and stopped at a motel for a toilet break on a trip to Northland and the Bay of Island in 2004 in High school with my tourism class but ive never been to the actual village. My nana is from there, it is where her side of the family landed after the came over from Australia I believe the story goes (the family roots from there go back to N. Ireland and Germany) and its also where Abby was original born on a farm up there somewhere before someone rescuse her and her little siblings.

Simon spent New Years there in 2008/2009 I think it was, at a little cafe/restaurant thing and he wanted to take me there but I just wasnt really drawn in by the menu for starters the special board had all pork dishes...I like a bit of pork but yea...we walked around a bit to see what else was there and we settled on a little pub....the meal expereince was NOT good at all I tell you - and Ive said many times before how I struggle going out to places to eat working in the industry...this place was just terrible..I ended up putting in a MASSIVE complaint when I got back to Auckland. I had put in a couple of complaints there at the time...but yea...didnt want to make a big show and dance at the time.

I dont know how things are going to be between us...we are trying - with these date things...we had never ever been on one at all in the time we met each other - we got together as soon as we met each other in person, which was only a couple of days after talking online, then i was off down to Christchurch then we spent more less everyday in each others face staying over at one anothers house...

Valentines Day Goodie Bags

I loved the Xmas Goodie Bags I made for my niece and nephews last year I decided to make them some for Valentines Day, infact Im going to try and do these little things for most of the holidays this year...

I wanted to make two different cookies, gingerbread and shortbread. And I sadly no matter how hard I tried to look for some, couldnt find ANY cookie cutters in Valentines day theme, I had a little heart, but I wanted like a cupid for example...but none of the cheap dollar stores had any, the Warehouse didnt, KMart, Spotlight....no one....Simon got me a set of Heart Shape Cookie cutter with different sizes in them....I felt really stink about him getting them for me....and paying for them..they werent cheap. But they would have to do - I can bet I will find what im looking for after Valentines....!!

I wanted to dunk my short bread into chocolate, and for the gingerbread I wanted to do some fondant icing on them like with my onesie cookies from last year at the comps....Meggan came over to make cookies with me, and I couldnt find a gingerbread recipie, and my gingerbread cookie cutters - I have some like these ABC Gingerbread - well they are in one of my boxes with all my stuff for when I eventually move out of home and I wasnt going through them all to find them, I know there is a recipie on the back of the packet. So I ended up with just Shortbread. I coated some of them with chocolate and iced the other half with pink fondant icing.

I managed to get some heart shape marshmallows, and I hunted down to find chocolates in hearts but I only managed to find ONE little bag at the warehouse they were all sold out (they had been on special 2 for $4) - i was feeling really low now, I couldnt find lollipops either i ended up getting chupa chups, and I had no other real heart shape candy, mum went up to the dairy and fruit and vege store and managed to get some gummi lollies in hearts...I was depleted...

I put my goodie bags together however, one for my niece, and one each for my nephews - I also made an addition bag each for Meggan and Michael to give to their school teacher (what a grease up aye??) and for baby Emma I got her a little teddy with bow on it with hearts and a little onesie with hearts on it for her Valentines Present.

Its the thought that counts..! Easter I will be better prepared!! Given they already have Eggs out now!!

Goodie Bags

Detail - the paper is from my minds eye, the stamp was one sent to me Heidi Swapp I believe, I painted my silver heart brads from Kerri, and used my Fiskars Apron Lace border punch on the Toppers.

House Mouse ATC

I signed up to a ATC Swap over on the Fiskateers Board last year for House Mouse ATCs - and Im fortunate to own ONE stamp from this series, I was sent it with a whole pile of goodies one day from fellow fiskateer Merlene. I havent done any crafting for a while and I thought since Uni has finally finished I might as well use it as an insentive right?

I was stumped on what to do for it - And Simon gladly helped me out with it, we sort of went for a Willy Wonka slash Candyland sort of theme.We had so much fun with it, we went for a chocolate river, and Simon wanted a waterfall coming down like the one you see in Wonka's factory....so we went for a trip to Subway and got some fat clear straws from there, I think Simon liked this project purely because he got to use the hot glue gun...he is addicted to that thing, doesnt matter what I do when Im out in my room he is in there wasting away the glue in the guns on something..!

We had a few things like liqorice made from foam and some glitter and matchsticks put together to make lollie pops...and cotton wool inked to make candy floss clouds.I coloured the mouse in with water colour pencils.

I only made one set as I only had one stamp.

Baby Clothes Bouquet + Baby Cards

So my friend Tracy down in Christchurch is due with a baby at the end of the month and I know from when I was staying with her the things she still needed to get more of for her daughter. So I decided to give a crack at making a clothing bouquet after seeing one on Martha Stewarts Website - there is a video on youtube somewhere that shows how to make them and other similar items.

 

I had a big stash of florist tape both in green and white from a random bag of things we brought on clearance some years ago from Spotlight (they use to just bag up stuff they wanted to get rid of for a few dollars - I think we got them around the time of my sister's wedding in 2004).

 

To make your flowers you need the following basic items: 

• Florist Tape - the type that you pull and it stretchs out and becomes takky/sticky
• Florist Wire - I recommend a nice sturdy wire, you want one that will hold the weight of the clothes
• Fake Flowers/Leaves - for a bit of a finishing touch, and to add depth to the bouquet
• Clothes - all in ones, socks, teeshirts, bibs, hats, mittens, wash clothes etc.

 

It takes a bit of getting the hang of with folding the items and rolling them up, then wrapping the tape around - dont be shy with the tape especially around where the bottom of the "bud" meets the "steam" as it can sometimes pull apart. The tape IS safe for on baby clothes and regardless of if your using white or green it will not stain it.

I had a variety of socks, bibs, booties, hats, mittens, onesies, tee shirts, petal skirts, wash cloths making up my flowers for this - with a couple of pacifiers added in, I hung two wine charms off the bucket (both were from my table setting I did last year for the culinary comps). I also put in the bottom of the bucket a fleece blanket and a couple of flanette wraps. (I knew that tracy was in need of blankets, bibs and socks.

Must add that Simon did help me with the final "floral arrangement" I just couldnt get it to go how I liked without it having lots of gaps in it...but he somehow brought out some logical mathematical thing on how to do it...(I blame having a mother who teachers maths for that part..) - Im pretty happy with my first ever attempt.

I also made a couple of baby cards, one for Tracy and one for her neighbour who had twins the same time as her - I added in a little gift for her girls to be sent down with Tracy's gift.

Tracy's Card

Kayleigh's Card

Happy New Year!!! 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Here is to an amazing new year..!!

My mate Toni invited me over to see the new year in she did, we spent the night playing random games with her and a few of her mates and one of my co workers Matilide and her partner Ben who Toni also knows (actually it was at Toni's birthday I met them - little did we know at the time we worked together in different departments!!). This was Simon's second time meeting them as he had met them at my work's xmas party. Simon and Ben spent a long time playing with swords they did...(both Tili and Ben are in a circle together - that was where they met and formed a relationship).

We watched as the fireworks went off over by the Skytower - Toni has a slight view from her deck at her house to the Skytower. We finished the evening off with a movie...which I fell asleep in before waking up sometime in the early hours of the morning deciding  I wanted to go home to my bed. Usually I stay over at Toni's and crash on her couch when I have been at her house but I just wasnt overly feeling well. I wanted my nice bed that and I had to be at my Dad's for a family BBQ on New Year's Day....bless Simon for driving home....he shouldnt have technically speaking, but I was no good being pretty much asleep.

The family BBQ was good - got to met my step nephews whom I missed out on meeting in November due to me collapsing and going into hospital - leaving me with just one of my step nieces that I havent met now. I hardly see my step siblings, and I dont have an overly close bond or relationship with them all - my sister on the other hand seems to have more of a bond than me. She has the slight advantage that her husband's family lived when the moved here from the UK when he was little with my Step Sister's partner's family after they came from the UK also. My Brother in Law and his siblings are also close friends with one of my Step Brothers (this all happened before my dad split with my mum and got with my step mum of course...but you can see how there was already that relationship/bond before out families came together through common law I guess). I have always felt left out, I am and still am the youngest - and my relationship with my Dad sadly has slipped away as much as I have tried to keep it going (we use to be really close growing up before he left).

After everyone left me and Simon stayed behind for a little bit to give my dad and step mum their xmas presents. We had a little talk about our plans and stuff for this new year and other things....I tried to get Simon and Dad talking...by mentioning things like radios and electronics, Simon is into similar things as dad is....we talked about Simon possibly getting a job in NZ - we are waiting for a company to call him back for a second interview as a follow up to one he had in December or so.

While it was a good day....I really felt left out and even more down when I heard my dad make a comment about not wanting anymore grandkids....I dont know how serious he is about that comment but that pretty much makes me feel stink....because my sister has 4kids and my step siblings having kids...its like if I even was able to get pregnant which I highly doubt...by some miracle it happening again....it wont be accepted...? My dad wasnt overly impressed or remotely interested with my first baby that I lost....so I can feel that I will just get the same reception from him. We have only really just started talking about now after my miscarraige in 2007....

Sigh...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Ho Ho Ho HO!!!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...!!

My sweetie brought me a teddy from the Teddy Factory he did (we had a major issuse trying to get presents for each other - i mean for starters we havent known each other that long...and Simon always threw tanties when I wanted time to myself to go shopping...doesnt help sharing my car, and him living with me temporary while his parents are away on holiday and waiting to move into their new house in the new year!) - But we had looked at these teddy's the other day....and had a day with mum while I let him go out shopping with my car to get presents. He had it gift wrapped at the Mall so that I didnt see it or anything.

I got him a teeshirt - which he knew about and some board shorts...and a matchbox car - a Transam Firebird (since he owns one and is meant to be restoring it - it has travelled with him from the UK). Simon also got me undies (which i had picked out). And mum got me a couple of teeshirts that I had picked out. I also got presents from Simon's family which I wasnt expecting at all - a large photo frame, some scrapbooking paper and chocolate....Simon also had a stash of present from his family as well as from his family back home in the UK.

We spoilt mum rotten slightly with a teeshirt she had shown us she liked (I know the style of tops she likes..) and a massage pillow and a new memory card for her camera and a memory card reader and lastly a framed photo of us together outside my work from my work's xmas party. I really want to get a new food process but we will have a look at the boxing day sales..!

My nephews got matchbox cars too - and my nieces got clothes, I got meggan a DIY art kit. And for Michael's Birthday we got him a Magic set (he had a magician at his kindy on his last day and he LOVED it). Even Abby got presents - she got a rawhide xmas cracker from Aunty Sue next door..! We gave her a calander which I hunted down all over for - it has siamese cats on it. Which is the breed of cats she breeds.  

We had Lunch at my aunty's house where I got a few more bits and pieces...smellies and stuff like that. My step mum and dad had given me a fondant set as just spoilt me over with fudge and candy like always..! It was a lovely day all in all.



Happy 5th Birthday Michael!!!

Happy 5th Birthday to my Nephew Michael...!!!

I cant believe your now going to be at school next year..!! You have grown up so much, and you blow me away everyday with your learning and the things you say and do...!

Also....

Happy Birthday Dave Hibberd...!!! Simon's dad also has his birthday on Xmas Day too along with my nephew. Hope you have a great day, and so sorry we cant be there to celebrate with you, no doubt we will get there when you all come back to Auckland and move into your new house..!!