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Wednesday 26 September 2012

SCRAP HAPPY LOAD BLOG HOP - 1012!

Hey! Thankyou for popping by on the  Scrap Happy only Pre LOAD blog hop welcome, Welcome WELCOME!!! This is the first time I have ever taken part in a blog hop and I am thrilled and excited to be taking part in both this, and LOAD! Scrap Happy is a great online community of scrappers, and you are seriously missing out, if you are not taking part in the private Layout a Day class, led by some very talented members of the ScrapHappy family, which we start on October 1st! If you want to know more about Scrap Happy and all the other great stuff that goes on there - here is the link you need for more information about how to join us!  http://www.scraphappy.org.

Layout a Day  (LOAD) is a class run several times a year and is perfect for scrapbookers like me - you know the ones who talk a good page, but often spend more time buying stash, admiring embellishments, moving 'stuff' around the page - in a totally adhesive free environment, and getting absolutely nada done, in the way of getting our memories into our scrapbooks - we have memorabilia, memories, unprinted photos and good intentions cluttering up our lives, until we forget how wonderful the memory was, and we loose the memorabilia, and in time we forget about the photograph and where it was taken and the story behind it, that meant so much to us or said so much about us at the time - worst still in the future nobody will know how great our lives were! How sad would that be?

So, to save us from ourselves, Lain invented LOAD its a simple concept, and for me its a bit like my exercise routine - I power walk with friends three times a week - 5km a time round our beautiful Botanical Gardens - I commit to do it - people do it with me and the fact that Im not doing it alone keeps me on track - and I need that! You can see how beautiful the gardens are here!
http://scrappinginsingapore.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/my-monday-morning-routine.html

As soon as I typed that a thunderstorm started, the heavens opened and our organiser emailled to confirm this morning's walk is cancelled! Proof were it needed that even the best laid plans can go wrong - but we'll pick up and carry on again on Friday morning......... right?

But lets get back to LOAD shall we? For me the best part of LOAD is I'll be doing it with some of the friendliest scrappers from all over the world, they too keep me on track, encourage me and inspire me - and I need that too! We commit to doing one LO every day for a whole month - sound unachievable - I thought so too the first time I joined in for LOAD 512 but I did it and believe me, if I can do it - you can too!  Every day we post our LO's in the private Flickr group gallery - this you need to do by midnight PST every day! We leave love and encouragement for each other, chat and share ideas - and it doesnt matter if its your first or thousandth (is that a word?) LO - you are going to find people encouraging you on every step of the way and meet a very talented bunch of ladies too - how fab is that??????

We get a daily email prompt with a video and further inspiation from our very own Scrapper on the Street - who shares her inspiration with us and is the best possible start to the day - every day! I really missed her cheeful and inspirational videos, every morning, when LOAD ended last time - love you Dani!

There are even prizes!!!! LOAD is going to be soooo much fun and I am as excited as any kid at Christmas (OMG thats just around the corner too) - but for this month all things snowy and white are very defnitately not on the radar - in fact living only 1'15 degrees north of the equator its fair to say that most people here have never even SEEN snow - but I digress!

For some weeks now, members of the Scrap Happy community have been making lists and checking them more than twice to prepare for LOAD. Everybody has a different way of doing this, but I thought I would share my top ten tips for actually achieving my goal of completing a LO every day of October 2012! Theres some links to some of my favourite resources here - to save you time and whet your scrapping appetite too! I hope you enjoy them!

1 Stock up on adhesive and cardstock - and if you are not like me, patterned paper and anything else you need. I have more than enough stuff already and wont run out of anything for at least the next 20 years - so I use LOAD as a reason to make some inroads into my stash mountain - I could do to do LOAD every month really! Although we do have a challenge every month to to 20 LO's and 20 cards to keep us motivated between LOADS -  because some of us really need that! If proof were needed just how much 'stuff' I have you can have a peek into my craft room here!

http://scrappinginsingapore.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/organised-space-at-last.html

2 I use old 12 x 12 bags from kits I subscribe to and find and bag up photos, memorabilia, paper, cardstock and embellishments that go together! This speeds up the scrapping later, because everything is to hand. As I come across things I drop them into the right bag - these are also good to take to crops, if I dont use them all in LOAD, or to make the best use of a short amount of scrapping time!

3 I try and use up my scraps and things that have been lying around for far too long - like the million packs of Creative Memories Alphas in every colour of the rainbow I bought when I first started scrapbooking! These go in the bags too, so I have a starting point - especially useful if I have a day when time is tight! So I spend my time actually scrapping - not sorting through the stash mountain!

4 I use sketches for inspiration - if I need to - I made these using trading card holders from the dollar store and a couple of book rings - easy and portable!



Each one has a little image of a sketch that I printed off and cut and numbered - I have friends who say the fact that I did this, proves I have too much time on my hands!!!! If you dont - a simple google search for Scrapbooking sketches will give you a ton of sketches to play with!


5 I have a lot of photos I need to scrap - I  store my pages chronologically, but dont scrap that way, so I look at the gaps in my album and add photos and bits into a page protector in an an incomplete album instead of a 12 x 12 bag sometimes. My top tip here is if you have a scrap of something left over from a preceeding or following page drop it in there, to improve the flow of the album and join it together - this is a tip I got when doing Shimelle Lain's Cover to Cover class and it helps bring an album together with ease! If you havent done this class its awesome and you can find details of it here http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1466/cover-to-cover-a-new-online-scrapbooking-class/

6 Done is better than perfect - now I do twitch a bit still, even typing that - but deep down I know its true! I will never scrapbook everything I could scrapbook, but Im going to get a whole lot more done if I just get on with it! And if a layout is not perfect because my brad is the wrong shape size or colour - I need to get over it or leave it off the LO!

7 My favourite place for colour palette inspiration is http://www.design-seeds.com/.  I use this site to find unusual colour combinations and add bits of scraps to use up the stuff in my colour coded scraps bags or page protectors of memorabilia and photos - just looking at the amazing photos there could take up several weeks!!

I realise this makes me sound like a bit of a bag lady - with my kit bags and colour coded scraps bags - but it works for me - I can find things, and more importantly Im getting pages completed AND preserving our memories - I can live with it - I grant you its not fancy or pretty but it works!!!! I know there will be some fancy accessory for doing it in a more aesthetically beautiful way somewhere - but Im not even looking!!!!

Habits Ive changed to make me a more productive scrapper

8 Im a hybrid scrapper - which means I can spend days looking on the net at lovely digital supplies and vintage images - and do nothing but! This one has been really hard for me, but now I only let myself do this when I have time I cant use for anything else, like waiting for a connecting flight as travel is a big part of my world! I save the images in dropbox when Im on the go, so I can access them anywhere and I organise them into my scrapping filing system about once a month! This step alone has saved me days!

But if you are a hybrid girl too and havent found these sites - check them out from my Pinterest board here http://pinterest.com/alisonscraps/scrapbooking/ there are a ton of  links to free downloadables here and masses of fab inspiration! You still have five days before LOAD starts that you could easily loose in there!!!

 And if you need something to nibble on as you scrap - these might fit the bill too http://pinterest.com/alisonscraps/for-the-home/ Im trying not to make them because we are on a healthy eating quest at the moment and I wouldnt be able to leave them alone! Oh and if you do make them and get chocolate on your LO - I suggest you stick a flower over it - just saying!!!

9 Keep a notebook - I always keep a notebook in my bag and when I take a scrapworthy photo or have a moment of journalling inspiration - I jot it down - again making the most of the time I have, when I cant be scrapping! Listening to the kids, the smells or sounds of a new place or any memorable event can be noted and referred back to at a later date!  Lain recommended doing this too in her Scrap Happy September 12 'Scrap like the Wind' scrapinar - another great source of advice for just making the most of your scrapping time!

I find this step helps with the flow of my albums as I note in the book when the info is used to make sure I dont journal using the same story about a dozen times without realising it, or leave something out I meant to include! Shimelle's cover to cover and true Stories classes are both great for improving the flow of your albums and your journalling skills too!
http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1466/cover-to-cover-a-new-online-scrapbooking-class/
http://www.shimelle.com/classes/836/online-scrapbooking-class-true-stories-journaling-for-scrapbookers-and-bloggers/

10 Dont stress and enjoy it - I know this sounds a bit obvious - but this is meant to be fun! Sure a Layout a Day sounds a bit scary at first - but the beauty of a simple LO is not diminished because it didnt take ages to do! A simple completed page is preferable to a lavish one that sits in your craftspace never finished - so get your story told - forget perfection - have fun - join in - what are you waiting for??????

I hope you found some great ideas and look forward to seeing what you do! I expect some of my top tips appear as a common thread throughout the blog hop - so I hope you found some new inspiration here - just in case you get lost - here is the blog hop list,  where you are now and where you're going next!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Please come back often or make my day even better by subscribing - I would just love have you visit anytime at all!!!!

Lynnette http://sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com (http://sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com/)
Leslie http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com (http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/)
Katrina http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com (http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com/)
Kelli P.  www.scrapbookgirl71.com (http://www.scrapbookgirl71.com/)
Alison D.  http://adayinthelifeor5.blogspot.ca (http://adayinthelifeor5.blogspot.ca/)
Cathy H.  http://pikespeakscrapper.blogspot.com (http://pikespeakscrapper.blogspot.com/)
Dani  www.acoffeeaddict.com (http://www.acoffeeaddict.com/)
Heather H.  http://heathazscrapz.blogspot.com (http://heathazscrapz.blogspot.com/)
JUST IN CASE YOU ARE LOST ........ YOU ARE HERE NOW
Alison C.  http://scrappinginsingapore.blogspot.com (http://scrappinginsingapore.blogspot.com/)
AND YOU ARE GOING HERE NEXT!
Heather D.  http://heathersdragonsden.blogspot.com (http://heathersdragonsden.blogspot.com/)
Danielle H.  http://ecoscrapbook.blogspot.com (http://ecoscrapbook.blogspot.com/)



 

LSNED - Day 25 - Matching Luggage

When I first started travelling a lot I invested in some matching Samsonite luggage - yes it cost a fortune, but I thought it would be strong and would last - and everybody else did the same!!! On three seperate occasions I had to chase other people through the airport, because they had mistakenly taken my case! It seemed the whole world had the same bags as me! I tried ribbons in bright colours, labels - you name it my bags were still being taken from the luggage belt by other travel wearly passengers before I could get to them!!!! Or, I couldnt find them because the other passengers had had the same thought about getting strong durable high quality cases too!!! Not a good place to be!!!

So a little over a year or so ago I invested in matching luggage again - this time in designer black and cream vintage lace patterned ones - by Isabella Fiore! I love them! I can see them from the other end of the airport because they stand out, Ive had a ton of compliments about them because they are gorgeous and not once has anybody tried to run off with them! And my point is????

Well on my way back from Houston, the largest one (isnt it always) marked FRAGILE with no less than FOUR airline tags and stickers - was trashed somehow on its way to Singapore - the wheel came off and the corner was broken beyond repair - they must have dropped it from the aircraft on approach or something - just what you need after a 32 hour flight!

I couldnt face the drama when we arrived, and I needed to see if the contents of my case were complete and in tact, which they were, and knew that I had 7 days to get the problem sorted on my return. So yesterday we went back to the airport, and took the case, and they compensated me - half the price of the case!!! And I had to do the reverse of going through customs - let me tell you getting back into the luggage hall when you are not travelling, is much harder than getting out of there when you have just landed and much more time consuming. But its what I had to do to get to the lost and damaged luggage counter, to file a report and get my cash!!!

So its back to not having matching luggage again, and Im very sad! Its back to chasing my large Samsonite as it disappears with some other passenger - hopefully being fast enough to catch them before they are away with it, or buying a new Isabella Fiore!!!! Which I cheerfully would if I can get my hands on one! So if you have one you dont love as much as I did, and if its the largest one in the set and you're feeling sorry for me - please let me know and I'll pop round and pick it up! Ive enclosed a photo of its baby sister - just so you know what Im looking for!!!

Needless to say my page for today is about this very sad and sorry tale!!!


 

Tuesday 25 September 2012

LSNED - Day 24

Oh how lovely to be able to feel like I have caught up with things - Ive blogged the last three days, posted all my LSNED LO's,  although I realised that I had posted some of them in the wrong place in the class forum on Shimelle.com - so Im hoping Shimelle will let me off, and that I havent totally confused the rest of the class!

Today I reflected on how travel broadens the mind and about how pleased I am that we have been to so many lovely places, and have been able to take our kids with us too! Although I have to admit I am still massively jet lagged and suspect that I will still be jet lagged from my last trip, before I go on my next one on Sunday - proving that long haul travel is not always as glamorous as I used to imagine it was!




I have almost caught up with the laundry,And as LSNED is finishing a new daily class starts for me next Monday - so Im now preparing for LOAD - Tomorrow Im taking part in my first ever blog hop, so please pop by and have a look, Ive got my post ready and Ive included some links to some great scrapbooking resources and my top ten tips to get more scrapping done!!!!

Monday 24 September 2012

LSNED - Catch up!

 
Catching up with blog posting is something I havent been able to do whilst we have been away! So here is a glimpse of what has been going on in my world over the last fortnight! I have added photos of pages 9 and 10 on the post they relate to below, and here is the rest of what I have done!
 
 
I have been trying to improve my photo taking this year and feel I have made some progress -I usually do LSNED as a journalling project - so you'll not see photos on these pages - but Im looking forward to sharing some during LOAD 1012 which Im going to be posting more about for the bloghop this Wednesday - please pop by and find out what I have been doing to prepare for it! I will be posting my LOAD pages throughout October - so please come back and see them then too, in fact why not subscribe to my blog - Ive even added a new button to make it easy for you.......... 
 
 

 



Sort of staying with yesterday's theme today I talked about how many people think you are more than slightly loopy, if you feel compelled to photograph a delicious and beautifully presented meal before you tuck in, or photograph a random sign in the street - because its important when telling a story later! Im guessing if you're here its because you're a scrapbooker and this will make perfect sense to you, just as it does to me! However I am aware that there are people out there who DO think its strange, and that Im slightly loopy - I can live with that - it causes me no pain whatsoever!



Sometimes life gives you the opportunity to take a chance - whether you take it or not - is up to you! Im grateful to the lovely Kelli from Scrap Happy, who on learning I was visiting the place she has made her home, got in touch and invited me to meet up with her! She took me to Archivers where we met the lovely Gretchen and bought stash - talk about the perfect day! It made a strange place feel more friendly and we found we had more in common than our interest in scrapbooking - what a lovely time I would have missed if both of us hadnt been prepated to take that chance!




The changing of the seasons is very different in Houston, Singapore and the UK - Houston has lovely fresh mornings and cooler evenings at the moment with baking hot mid days!

Singapore is always hot and humid, sometimes its hot, humid and not very rainy, other times its hot humid and rains an awful lot - During the dry season, it rains cats and dogs for about half an hour every couple of days, and then during the rainy season it rains more often and for longer - although its still nice some of the day, most days!

In the UK my family and friends are digging out their winter woolies, turning on the centrral heating and seeing frosty mornings already!


My page today deals with the challenges of driving in a foreign country! For anybody who is not used to driving on the right hand side of the road, imagine driving looking in a mirror , so everything is the wrong way around, the traffic is coming from the opposite direction to what you expect it should be, and you are not entirely sure about where you are going - apart from that its a doddle!


At this point I always do a half way day page to reflect on progress so far! I realised that I always seem to be travelling long haul in September, which is amazing to me, since I had never flown at all until I was 31! Now it feels almost ordinary - how different my life has turned out to how I might have imagined a few years ago!



Spending time with my husband and family is always my favourite way of spending the weekend, although if you come to ours on a weekend you will find theres a lot of talk about football (the English game) and my husband and our boys seem to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of every fixture and position of every team in the league and their relationship to their team, and where they are going to be in the league table - depending on who beats who! Its a mathmatical miracle really, that they perform each week, working out required goal difference, points and so on - I find its best to just keep feeding them and let them get on with it!



Looking back at where we are now its the first time we have visited America together, the second time we have looked at moving to a new continent - wherever we are and wherever we go, it'll be good as long as we are together!


For the second time during my trip I met up with my friend Lousie from Singapore, who has just moved to Houston! We braved the Interstate today - the things a girl needs to do to go shopping! We went on the very big, very wide, very high scary roads and got to and back from the Premium outlet village just fine - although getting in the right lane on the right road had me sweating like a weightwatcher in a cake shop!!!!!! It was like driving on a roller coaster with everybody else on the same roller coaster going in different directions at the same time!!!!!!



Maybe its time for us to move to pastures new - as long as we are together - we'll be fine! Cant help feeling a bit apprehensive - but that's normal right?


If you asked anybody in Singapore about me, they would call me the Mahjong Girl Im sure! I didnt play until I moved here and now I run two mahjong groups and have taught numerous people to play! Watch out Houston - if we do end up moving over there Im on a mission to teach you all too!


The shortest day - it didnt feel like the shortest day it felt never ending - but since it had 13 hours missing - I didnt even notice it come and go! The bit I did have of the day was spent in Dubai Airport in the lounge awaiting my connection - so it wasnt too unpleasant - although Im not looking forward to the jetlag I know is coming to me!

Snooze Saturday - all I learnt today is that when you are travel weary the only place you want to be, is in your own nice clean bed after a nice warm shower!



I have raised my hand in life and have pledged to make the most of every opportunity and whatever life sends our way - but as the F1 raced around this fair City - I have to say I will miss this amazing and wonderful place very much!
 

My Monday Morning Routine!

Ive found Im pretty productive when I have jetlag!  I have downloaded and organised my photos and my husbands photos (and backed them all up), fixed a problem my browser was causing me, put away all the stash I bought in Houston, done two loads of washing, been for a 5km walk round the Botanical Gardens, had coffee with my walking friends at Casa Verde, had two showers, breakfast and its not quite 11:00!

Just because I go on about my walking so much I thought I would share a few photos of the gardens where I go  - three times a week! Im not really as much into keep fit as I feel I should be, but somehow, getting up early, meeting good friends and walking round these gardens, is much more of a pleasure than a pain! I could never tire of their beauty!








 

Sunday 23 September 2012

No Place Like Home!

I have been LSNED - ing but blogging just got left by the wayside during our trip to Houston! We got back to Singapore yesterday afternoon and now Jetlag is my middle name! I have many LO's to post I took over 500 photos in Houston - Im not sure how that happened! So once I have managed to download everything - I will be posting!


I found driving was a big challenge and even went on the big wide scary roads, with the very big elevated intersections, where traffic was coming at me from all directions OMG it was like driving on a roller coaster, with everybody else being on the same roller coaster, driving in different directions all at the same time - but I did it - without injury to any other road user (miraculously), or myself - for that I am grateful and proud! It is also fair to say that walking places in Houston is really not an option - and does not appear to be the done thing - which is strange to me having only ever lived in Singapore and the UK! The distances between places alone make it a no no - quite apart from the personal safety side of things!


I was lucky enough to meet up with friends in Houston - a couple of fellow scrapbookers I knew from Scrap Happy and had a fab time with - thanks to the lovely Kelli and Gretchen - we had a lovely time visiting Archivers - you can take a virtual peek here http://www.archiversonline.com/ - I could have spent a week in there for starters!


I also visited Michaels check here for online coupons if you are going http://www.michaels.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Michaels-Site/default/Default-Start where I splashed out on Martha Stewarts Border punches and a couple of EK Success ones too that were all on special - it would have been rude not to!


I met with an English friend from Singapore - Lou, who has just moved to Houston and somehow we managed not to get lost twice - and go shopping! I even did some Christmas shopping!!! I cant believe I have started it so early!!!


I did enjoy my time over there - and everybody was very helpful and kind! BUT it is nice to be home again - especially since we managed to get back in time for the Grand Prix later today!!!! How beautifully the F1 showcases this amazing place!

GETTY IMAGES                                         
    

Tuesday 11 September 2012

LSNED Day 9 and 10

I cant post photos because Im away from home and only have my ipad! There probably is a way, I just dont know how to do it!!!!!!! I will add photos when I work out how, or when I get back home to Singapore! Honest - I have done my pages!

Here's my thinking......... about learning and listening from those who have gone before me, on a day I had been moaning about for quite a while - just be thankful if you didnt have to listen - if you did hear me I am truly sorry!  Sunday 9th was a 37 hour day in my world! 32 of those hours spent in the air! Its a long way from Singapore to Houston!

I was thinking about two of my great great grand aunts - Kate who went to the USA and Emily who went to Australia around 1900,  they didnt ever return to England, they never saw each other again but they wrote to each other often, through their words I learnt about their lives and realised how similar they were  to ours as expats - although they were immigrants I realised we shared many similarities - anxiety about those who were elsewhere, sadness when people passed away and a sense of helplessness when they couldnt change things they were not particularly happy about. They loved, they explored new countries, they made new lives and learnt new things in their adopted homes, but they also brought with them things from England that were dear to them, and they shared their stories and memories!  

Emily would have made a great Scrapbooker - her letters are beautifully written - full of detail about her life, loves and losses! I owe her a lot, she taught me to write in my own hand and from the heart, because seeing her writing made me realise the power of the hand written word. I never met them, they died even before my mother and Aunt were born but by 'listening' to her words I feel I know her in a strange kind of way! 
 




For me it kinda cemented what Shimelle says in two of the classes I took - you can find them at Shimelle.com the 'Worth a thousand words' and 'True Stories' classes in particular helped me to work on the journalling side of Scrapbooking, and although I have an obsessive love of all things sparkly, and stash related- I hope when my descendants look at my pages, they feel pleased to meet me, in the way that I feel pleased to have met Kate and Emily!!!!


LSNED Day 10 was a list assignment mine is about our potential move to Houston, and this is what I learnt about Texas on day 1 of oir trip!

1 Jet lag is easier travelling east to west
2.Coffee and bacon sandwiches taste good anywhere - it was starbucks just in case you are wondering :D
3 I can fix American Cable TV faults even when the man on the helpline cut me off and didnt call back....... on my own! I am particularly proud of this one! :D
4 Its good to meet my husband for lunch!
5 Early morning in Houston was lovely
6 My English accent amuses people
7 People dont walk anywhere here!
8 Mc Donalds here sell milk - I cant function without proper English tea!
9 Portions here are HUGE
10 I wish I could speak a bit of Spanish - because here a lot of people do!


And here is the page I created!


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Saturday 8 September 2012

Days 7 and 8

Well I am keeping up, but at the same time I seem to be blogging every other day at the moment!!!
Yesterdays prompt was about daily routine and where the time goes! My routine seems to be more weekly these days - Monday, Wednesday and Friday is walking, Tuesday is Mahjong with friends, Thursday I run two Mahjong sessions and weekends I spend with my husband! I always seem to be busy, but nowhere near as busy as most other people doing the class, or in fairness as most people I know! For years my life was absolutely non stop and now it has slowed down a bit - Im loving it!!!!

Anyway here is my Day 7 page!

So Day 8 is Shimelle's first new skill Saturday - for me its revise a skill Saturday because its going to make my life a whole lot easier! Last year I decided to start to learn to speak Mandarin - and I love it! BUT it is sooooo difficult - like really really really difficult!!! Although I did get through the class and never missed a lesson - I darent - I might never have caught up! I passed the exam and I have a certificate - recognised in China to prove it no less! However, soon the next set of classes start and I will need to concentrate even harder because next time we start on Chinese Characters - So I have packed my Chinese books and whilst in the USA (why couldnt it have been China - I could have practiced!) I plan to revise - IF I can keep myself out of the craft stores and stores where they have clothes to fit me!

If you come to Asia to live and have feet larger than size 39, or are larger than a size 4 - buying clothes is a struggle - they are either too short (Singaporeans are not generally tall), so skirts, dresses and trousers can be tricky to find! Add to this that they are generally beautifully and elegantly slim ............. and beautiful ..................... its enough to send an English girl to the cake shop!!!!!

Anyway here is my Day 8 page!!!! Have a great Saturday!



 

Friday 7 September 2012

LSNED - Day 6 - Grateful


 
I have much in my life to be grateful for, but also know that the things that are important - arent things! My husband and our children, my family, my friends, living in a lovely place, being lucky enough to be able to travel and see the world! Having the time spend doing the things I enjoy and for my lovely helper Mariah - without whom I would spend a lot more time ironing!


Im feeling pretty pleased that almost a week in I have managed to complete my page every day! I know probably Sunday will be a challenge, as we are travelling so my journal will be in my hold luggage and will have to wait until Monday to be completed - but you'll let me off right?

Wednesday 5 September 2012

LSNED Days 4 and 5

I did get my page done yesterday, but we went out for dinner - to Chinatown and by the time we got home it was too late to post it on here! Today I headed off to Malaysia for the day with four friends and had the most amazing time! It started with a champagne breakfast and ended with cake - it really was the best! Yesterday's page was talking about home - I love being at home (well except today when I was out with my lovely friends - Lindy - her mum Jackie, Gill and Norma) By the way, if Lindy invites you over for breakfast - drop everything and head over there it was fabulous!!!!

As we head to a new city in a new country on Saturday to have a look at what might be a new life on the other side of the world, I cant help feeling that there is a lot about living in Asia I would miss very much! At the same time I do still feel excited at the prospect of a new adventure!



Today's page is about time - and for me there is a lot of counting days in my life - 3 days until our trip to the USA, 25 days until I head back to the UK to see family (just think of the airmiles not the 37 hour day Sunday will be) As I realise our time in Asia may be drawing to an end I feel the need to plan trips to the many places we want to visit - but havent done yet - like Myanmar, Laos, Sri Lanka, Langkawi, Tioman Island, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and just so I can practice the small amount of Mandarin I learnt to speak and all the Mandarin lessons and the exam I passed - I really feel I ought to go to China!!!



 

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Project Runway!

 
 
Kelli posted a challenge on the Scrap Happy Boards inspired by project runway, the first one was to do a layout inspired by a LO you have already done, or to make a complimentary page to a page you already had! This page was my inspiration - its the story about how I wanted to get fitter and is a photo of me and some of my walking friends (the ones I blogged about yesterday) in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore. Whenever possible, I walk Monday's Wednesdays and Fridays they are a lovely bunch and its fun to get fitter together - I would never find the motivation or energy to do it without them - thanks girls!!!
 
 


This was the LO I came up with, it too has three circles, a swirly embellishment, two mats of Patterned Paper, Washi Tape and a SMASH journalling tag - and this LO is about how entrepreneurial the Vietnamese seemed to be - all you appear to need to start up in business there is a bike, and something you can sell along quickly - like street food or chilled drinks! Dont you just love the coolie hats?



I then decided, to do the challenge justice and use the rest of my bike business photos, I did a simple  companion page - and here it is!


Kelli's next challenge is to take inspiration from a Candy Store - does eating chocolate count? Erm Probably not!!!!

Monday 3 September 2012

LSNED - Day Three - Feet!

 
I was pleased to do a post about feet on a day I had walked in the Botanical Gardens - My lesson was the gratitude I feel for having comfy trainers! Lets face it when you're walking fast and its hot the last thing you need are trainers that are not comfy! Mine are the ones that are supposed to tone your legs as you walk - I dont know if they do - but I do feel my muscles more after I have walked in them, rather than my old trainers - so you never know!!!!  Or could it just be me believing the marketing hype?
 
If you ever come to Singapore please visit the gardens and my tip is to come early in the morning! The place is full from about 0600 - there are people doing Tai Chi - some with swords and others with fans, People Line Dancing to Chinese Music, Choirs practicing, A man who has a huge crowd doing Luk Tung - you're welcome to just join in! This involves stretching and breathing exercises! By the time I get round there Im about 4 km into my walk and am just grateful to be still breathing at all!!!! There are people and their personal trainers, runners, walkers power walkers like us and tourists!!!
 
The Orchid Garden is not to be missed but doesnt open until 0930! The coffee, fresh fruit juice, fresh fruit (if you're being good and pastries if you're not) are deelish - you'll find them at the little cafe near the visitor centre I think its called Casa Verde! - if you come on Mondays Wednesday's or Fridays though - please make way for us - there are about 20 of us usually - and if you see the girl with the comfy pink and white trainers who is never at the front of the walking group .................................. that'll be me!!!!
 
So here is my page 3 - its simple - but done and in the album!!!

Sunday 2 September 2012

LSNED - Days 1 and 2

Well so far so good I say! I have done my September 1 page and I have done my numbers for the days today and all things considered - Im feeling pretty good about my progress! No my page isnt the fanciest - but its done! My motto for this class - the simplest page done is better than the most eleborate page that never gets finished - and Ive got a few of those knocking about let me tell you!


So yesterday's prompt (done today because I usually work a day behind) as the Scrapgoddess herself says - You have to live the day before you can learn the lesson - right? Add to this the fact that my day starts and finishes 7 hours earlier than Shimelle's and it gives me chance to sleep on the prompt and be raring to go in the morning - actually that's probably putting it a bit too strongly!



However, tomorrow is Monday, and Mondays are a walking day - that means power walking 5km around the Botanical Gardens in 40 minutes, about 90 degrees and at least 80% humidity - and thats at 0800 in the morning! On that basis and because this wasnt a prompt I needed to give a great deal of thought to, I did it today!!  Just excuse me whilst I go and pat myself on the back!!!!!

Saturday 1 September 2012

Introduction Page LSNED


Please give me a moment to bask in a little bit of glory!!!!! Not only have I managed to do my introduction page, I have managed to post same on here - for some people that would not register as an achievement, but for me - well, it means progress and the achievement of a small goal and that's a good thing right?

LSNED and Good Intentions!


OK the best of intentions - very poor follow through - I want to blog more often - and more interestingly and they say it takes three weeks to form a habit - so I have had a thought!

Today is the start of Learn Something New Every Day - an online class that runs throughout September every year!  I have completed it the last three years, its run by the wonderful Shimelle, if you havent signed up - you still can - the link is here http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1543/online-scrapbooking-class-learn-something-new-starts-tomorrow/ Im thinking that by blogging about something I have seen through and completed and have committed to again this year - I might do better with my blogging going forward!

This is my album and the pages are all there waiting to be filled - Im going to post as many photos as I can (this isnt a get out by the way) - Im travelling some of September this year and Im not sure what access Im going to have to the internet, but if its not great - I will post what I miss when I get back - OK? I'll be back later with my first proper page - hold me to it - right?