Victory!

Victory! So I totally managed to get my own way this weekend. I stuck to my guns and was completely unavailable to have my life organised for me. Turns out the Society Dinner wasn't too bad, if a little boring though. I didn't get any flak from members of 'the family' either. (HAH! Take THAT you life organisers...)Plus I got huge thanks from the President of the Society for having designed and produced the menu's that were placed on the tables for the dinner. Which got me to thinking about an extention of my scrapbooking business idea....wedding stationery...but I digress... I may have managed to turn a new member (to the Society) into a scrapbooking convert. It's quite scary, I feel a bit like a scrapbooking evangelical. e.g. "Come into the light, save your memories for the future to enjoy!" Ha ha! If I enjoy it this much, it HAS to be a sign that I should at least be doing something part time with it. Plus I also chatted to a good friend of my sister in law, and she is keen to start coming to our crops, so I guess that makes 2! It is nice to chat to her and get to know her better, since the sister in law leaves this Friday for England, for good, so it's nice to know that her friend and I will keep in touch. This friend and her husband were both at the dinner, and greatly contributed to my not having a totally boring evening, since they are also about our age. It was quite funny though, as the SIL's friends' husband is this Irish bloke, so everytime I spoke to him, I kept getting visuals of Colin Farrell (looks a bit like him too), and I was hard pressed to keep the smile off my face. (Ok so I have a bit of a thing for Colin Farrell). But before you all think I was coveting somebody's husband, I certainly was NOT! It was just the vague Colin Farrell resemblance and voice that threw me somewhat! I have a perfectly handsome husband of my own. So there.

Bored...and Confused

How sad is this, I am sitting at home this Saturday morning, and decide to come into the office to blog, and generally surf the web and finish up what I was doing yesterday as well. I am also really pissed off about something and I guess I needed an outlet to vent my feelings into. Yet again, somebody is organising my life for me, without even remembering to consult me. This I find somewhat annoying. The hubby and I, his sister, and my in-laws are supposed to be going to this stupid formal dinner this evening. I have been dreading it for a week or so, because I have nothing nice to wear, and no money to go and buy something nice anyway either. ( I spend it all on scrapbooking you see...duh). Anyway, so last night the in laws are round having a barbeque at our place, and they're on the committee of this stupid society for which this dinner is being held. I am innocently making merry in the kitchen, checking on vegetables, glass of wine in one hand. I hear, " Oh "Valkyrie" is going to help "sister-in -law" tommorrow to set up the venue" coming out of the mouth of the mother in law....After I'd cleaned up the wine that had just spurted 3 feet out of my nostrils, I was like, "Um what? Nobody's asked me to do anything? What are you talking about?" Everybody in the freaking room looked at me like I was mad and they say, "Oh yes we were going to tell you, that 'sister-in -law' needs help with setting up." So at what point does "going to tell you" become "just tell you and expect you to not have other plans and just drop everything to come and help us, even though we've not even bothered to ask you." ???? I am starting to get really sick of this 'just expect V to do everything' pattern that seems to be cropping up. It's not as though I am reacting selfishly here, if somebody had come to me a week ago, and said "we're going to be setting up the venue on Saturday at 12, and would you be able to come and help us, because there is a lot to do? " etc, I would have been MORE than willing to step up and help out. But NO. They TELL me less than 24 hrs in advance that IM GOING to be helping, and then look at me like I am acting strangely when I say "Actually sorry, I have other plans." The fact that I don't have other plans at all, has nothing to do with it. NOBODY organises my life for me, but ME. I am actually going to stand firm on this one. No more Mrs Pushover.

I will probably be starting a new job in January for which the hours are 08h30 until 14h00, leaving me with my afternoons free...and I am so seriously thinking about doing something scrapbooking related. I mean really, doing something. It just ocurred to me that I almost blog about it daily.

Everybody that I know, has a camera, or takes photo's regularly, and can benefit from even the most basic scrapbooking, they don't have to have all the bells and whistles that some people are overloading their pages with. Of course bells and whistles are fine for some, and I enjoy the occasional 'overkill' on a page or two. But I digress, back to my potential second job...

perhaps some of you US & Canadian folk can tell me what you've heard about Creative Memories? They are set to launch here in April 2005, and I'd be interested to get on board as soon as possible, but could use some advice from people who have either seen their products, used their equipment, or attended any of their workshops, classes or parties. Anybody out there got any advice for me? 

Cauldron Bubble

Trouble and toil and all that malarky. Isn't it fun when you work in a family business (your hubby's family) and there is a day, when everyone is just at each others throats like they are on a deserted island and there's only one roll of loo paper left? My god, the tension is unbelieveable. Thank god I'm getting out of here early, like in the next 5 minutes. That other job offer is looking more attractive all the time...

Omarosa Nervosa

I fear that my blog entries have been a tad boring of late - and I can only confess that this is because aside from scrapping and working, I've done little else to inspire literary brilliance. Other than watch TV that is. Last night I got sucked into watching 'The Apprentice' and it was the show were Omarosa was fired, and all I can say is 'ABOUT FRIGGIN TIME!!!!!!' What an absolute stuck up cow! She totally thought that she was 'the poo' and that everyone else was beneath her! She has the audacity to say other people have no 'class', and that they're racist, and yet she is the biggest biggot of them all by being such a condescending snob !! She totally thought that she was 'all that', but her art knowledge was pathetic and she was too dumb to realise that everyone was laughing at her behind her back! A piece of plaster barely brushes her head, and she turns into this moaning myrtle, with claims of 'concussion', GIMME A BREAK you freak - you actually wouldn't know what a concussion was if it came up and hit you in the face! Ha ha!

Took this out on DVD from the video store last night, and although it saw it when first released in the cinema, I had forgotten just exactly how scary it was! I mean from childrens book to childrens nightmare inducing movie. This didn't stop me from really enjoying the second time around though. I still got totally drawn into the story, and now I can't wait for books 4 & 5 to be turned into movies, and for JK Rowling to complete books 6 & 7 so that we can find out more about this guys life and how it turns out! I don't remember enjoying books this much, since I was a kid reading about this type of fantasy stuff. Man, a little escapism is good for the soul! 

I just wanted to share, with everyone out there, the amount of bliss that I am getting from the 'Bliss' Bar of chocolate that I am eating right now. It's quite substantial. Ok, so go and get yourself a chocolate already, you know you deserve it! 

I just have a feeling that today, is going to be a great fun day. Don't ask me why - especially because it's Monday. I am really in the mood to believe in the power of positive thought. So there you go.

To think that I feel this way, AFTER having been stuffed around so badly in terms of service by a bank to whom I applied for an account due to my very cool online bank being shut down. Anyway, I guess I'm feeling so perky is because I just left a stinking complaint on www.hellopeter.com and opened a new account elsewhere and received FANTASTIC service from my new very cool bank. TAKE THAT all ye fiends who dare to provide me with anything less than decent service!! I'm not even that fussy - all you needed to do was return my calls!! Gaah! 

New Link for Scrapaholics

Hello all my fellow scrapaholic sufferers, I have added another link which I think may come in for both the international and local market. www.eyeletoutlet.com These folks will ship to international (yes that includes little old us here in South Africa) destinations from as little as $2.50 (U.S). Well worth it if you need speciality eyelets that our local stores don't carry, or if you want basic ones and don't like the prices at our local stores. By all means support local stores if they provide you with service and you are happy with their costings. Buy online if you can afford to wait, and the cost outweighs the aforementioned issues.

I'm Ba-ack!

Hey there! Sorry for the unannounced departure - but I whizzed out to see my mom on Tuesday afternoon - did some scrap shopping, nothing too strenuous, and then spent the rest of the week at a course, finishing up with an exam today - which (tuu tu tuu- sound of own trumpet) I aced with a score of 98%. Then I turned into one of those obnoxious geeks that I hated in high school and proceeded to moan about the 2% that I didn't get. Managed to pull myself together and went scrapbook shopping (as a reward to myself of course) at the newly opened local branch (which I heard about via Michele) of that fabulous scrap shop, and bought myself (finally!) something decent to keep my paper in in the form of a cropper hopper paper diviser thingy. VERY COOL. Anyway, folks I hate to blog and dash, but the weather is sweltering, and my sister in law has a pool with my name on it!!

Do unto others...

Okay! It's 11h23 am and I am officially absconding from the work place. Dashing out to see my mom, who incidently lives in the same suburb as that fabulous scrapbooking shop...don't say I don't get revenge on those who desert me on Friday afternoons so that I have to baby sit the office. Ooh, feeling a bit rebelious !! ha ha.

Ok, now I'm feeling terrible, there I was moaning about the lotto - and this morning someone was killed right here at the beach near my office this morning, by a shark.

Folks there are few things in life which scare me more than sharks. They are the reason I don't swim in the sea...EVER. I am a really good swimmer, and can spend all day in a nice crystal clear pool, but will never EVER venture further than up to my knees in the sea.

Did you know that a shark can attack in just 3 feet of water? That's like standing waist deep in the water. No thank you. I think I'll head over to the pool with the tropical bar in the middle and have my greatest worry be that I need to top up my sun cream.

Condolences to this womans family, apparently she was 70 yrs old and used to swim EVERY DAY of her life at this beach. 

Damn it! I didn't win the UK lotto rollover this weekend. It was an estimated jackpot of GBPound 10 000 000. Looks like I'm going to have to change the world from the ground up... perhaps I should start blogging my rak's and rake in some good karma with the universe again.  

Back Intact

Well I'm back at work, with all my fingers in tact after our Chinese braai with friends this weekend! There were six of us (3 married couples) and since the other two couples already have kids, I had to endure the obligatory 'aren't you pregnant yet?' round of questions....folks, I've only been married 4 months - gimme a break!!! The braai was pretty good, except for the fact that the guys watched the South African rugby team lose to Ireland (first time in like 35yrs) and then proceeded to drown their sorrows with several beers, so many in fact that they couldn't get the fire going properly and us 'sober' chicks had to take over. Anyway, we still got to cook outisde and go balistic with the chinese cooking tools even though it was so dark by the time we ate that we had to keep running over to the porch light to see if the meat was cooked enough yet. Too funny now that I think about it! Sunday, I spent the day in complete and utter lethargy! It was SO freakin HOT, that even with the ceiling fan on full blast, and threatening to fall down and slice our heads off, it was still too hot to even move. The hubby and I plan to put in a swimming pool in a year or two when we 'eaten' into our mortgage a bit, and have some extra cash. Until then, though I'll have to remain immobile like those desert lizards in the kalahari. OH gosh I almost forgot - I watched the season finale of my favourite show 'McLeod's Daughters' and was absolutely devastated that the bastard script writers killed off the cool sister!! It was so sad I actually cried! What on earth are they going to do to replace her?? The whole story revolved around their relationship with one another! At the risk of sounding like one of those people that lives vicariously through their favourite tv shows- I guess I'd better stop...(and go and read what happens on the net...).

First Saturday Post ever!

Popped into the office to pick up my mini album that I am working on (surrepticiously at my desk, when no one's looking...) and thought that I would send out a big weekend hello! To everyone! The hubby and I are off to a friends house for a chinese braai tonight. I.e. everyone brings their own beef & chicken strips, and the host lays on the veggies and all the soy sauce & chilli etc. Then everyone gets a chance to cook their stash at the fire with the authentic chinese tools. Can't you just see Valkyrie putting on a fake Chinese accent, waving around the choppers and flippers and acting like Jet Li, almost taking someones eye out? (Haai Ya! Waw waw!!) Ok, so maybe only after my second glass of wine. I just have to also say that the weather today, is just friggin unbeatable.

In a bit of mood today

I must be having PMS, because nobody can do anything right today. Firstly, I couldn't get onto blogger to post this morning, which is annoying enough, then the hubby is acting like a pig-headed arrogant shit. Then I get left in the office whilst a) the hubby buggers off to play golf, and b) the sister-in-law buggers off to the beautician and c) the father-in-law buggers off to an esoteric retreat!!!!! I'm not even a salaried employee, I run my own business within this one on a commission basis, and NOW I HAVE TO BABY SIT ALL FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND I AM REALLY REALLY REALLY PISSED ABOUT IT! The weather is gorgeous and since all my work is done, I should be able to leave. But NOOOO, I'm the kind of person that will sit here (fuming) and look after somebody elses' business! GAAAH!!! Now...where did I put the company's credit card details, because I am off SHOPPING ON LINE as payment to MYSELF. ME ME ME!!

Did I mention (after my previous enraged rantings) that I got offered a really great job yesterday? It was totally out of the blue, I was helping out at another agency yesterday, and one of the clients rang the owner of the business to say that this company (that I was helping out) had better hire me, because I did such a great job on their bookings. (GO ME!) Is that the sound of my own trumpet blowing? Let me just reach back and see if I can pat my back some more! Ok, ok, but where the hell else if not my blog can I sing to the rooftops about my own greatness? After this afternoon's BULLSH*T (see below), this offer is looking even more attractive! Maybe I will just dump all this sh*t and go and take on a new position in a great company, with cool co workers and take this job in the funky office. Hmm, I wonder how they feel about bloggers...and blogging during office hours... 

There is something about the last week, I'm not sure what it is, but all my planets are in one heck of an alignment or something!! I just received my order from Sticker Planet .Com, and MORE freebies. How cool are these people?? I will of course be poring over the new catalogue this evening with a cup of joe. I am just really pleased that I feel I have got serious value for money. Not only are the stickers I ordered not available from local retailers, but had they been - they would have been at least 3x the price.

Now I just need to get to an all day crop or something, because I'm not getting much scrapping done. Anybody game?  

Scrapbooking Online redeemed!

Remember when I was having a good old fashioned whine about not having received my merchandise from above mentioned online store? It arrived today, my adhesives and my v cool funky 70's style vellum for a cool page about my mum. It also arrived bearing some extras thrown in (probably because the order was so late), which in my mind were unneccessary, but really very well appreciated! They threw in some embellishments, brads, and magic mesh to the value of about R50! They are SO in my good books again!!

I have to say that Centre Stage is one of my very, VERY favourite movies. I can just watch that sucker time and time again. It has SUCH a great soundtrack, and I am a huge ballet fan as well. 2 years ago, I started taking ballet classes again to try and tone up and lose weight, and my god, it really worked from the very first class -but then I got so busy at work, that I couldn't leave in time to make the class, so I stopped going. It was such a great class, all of us in that particular class were 'overweight', but loved dancing, so it was this really safe friendly environment, where you didn't feel intimidated, and could really pull out those tendu's and jete's and grande battemand like you were the reincarnation of Pavlova, or at least her very overweight big sister.

Maybe now that I am working fewer hours I should head back in that direction... 

Abducted by aliens...

Ok, so I wasn't really abducted by aliens...apologies for the lack of posting yesterday. I have no idea where my brain was. I think I was working, most of the time, but I had one of those days where I really can't remember what I did for most of the day...too bizarre. What I did do in the evening was attend a scrapbooking class given by someone new. Well, allow me to say WHAT A FRIGGIN JOKE!! This woman was the pushiest most annoying woman that I have EVER come across in the scrapbooking world. The class was to do a mini album, and this woman was SO obnoxious, i.e. "I've been trained by the best...yadda yadda blah blah", but she didn't even know how to use the FRIGGIN adhesive properly!!! To top it all she was a guest teacher, giving this so called 'class' (read 'expensive crop'), at someone elses home studio - how embarrassing for the people who invited her!! This was the first time I'd visited this particular studio, and needless to say, I probably won't be back. I consider this a pity, because it was right around the corner from my house. I don't want to blow my own hair back or anything, or boast, but I could have taught that class without batting an eyelid - and without being a pushy, annoying, condescending snob. Gosh, now I feel a hell of a lot better having had a vent.

The Scooch Factor

Clearly, I am getting loads of work done...oh well the hell with it. I can't be bothered. The hubby is leaving this afternoon to go away for teh weekend on a golfing trip, so I guess I feel like I have an excuse to goof off as well. (Any excuse really...). Although of course I will pine for him ALL weekend, it doesn't mean that I'm not going to be overjoyed at having the remote control all to myself!! Woo Hoo!! I am also going to do some real scrapbooking, until it comes out of my ears. Sunday I am off to watch the ...oops hubby patrol be back in a second...

Another computer scrapbook layout that I intend to do in the physical sense as well as this digital version. I posted this to Scrapbook.com as well. I am finding it easier to preplan layouts like this on the pc, because then when I actually get around to doing the page, I know beforehand how much I will need in the way of supplies, and thus I don't go and spend a fortune everytime. Oh yes, and by the way, that new arts and crafts store that was going to be opening across the street from my office, is now open. They are having some amazing opening specials. I just popped over, and managed to pick up 12 page protectors (that's 24 potential layouts), for R24.95. That's like $3.75 (US). That is what I call a bargain. 

This is my other cutie that I don't blog nearly enough about. Probably because his 'little' brother is such a hottie. Digby came to us via a friend who took him off a beggar! The beggar had stolen him from his litter and was trying to sell him for money, for alcohol no doubt. He'd spent the 2nd 4 weeks of his life on the streets, lord knows how he survived. Anyway, he did, and gives us so much enjoyment and love with all his 'quirks'. For example, he gets so thoroughly excited if we put a collar on him, it's as if he knows that this denotes ownership of him and to him that's the best gift in the world! Even the other day, he had a cut on his nose which he repeatedly scratched open, we had to get one of those cup collars to put on him so that he couldn't scratch it until it had healed sufficiently. We'd put it on him when we were at work during the day, and in the evening when we came home, we'd take it off and just watch to make sure that he didn't scratch. Come the morning he was so darn excited to have it back on again, it was hilarious. The hubby is his great love in life, even though I am the one that adopted the little bastard, but that's cool, and I'm guessing he only shows the hubby favoritism, because he sneaks up on the bed during the night when he thinks I'm asleep to cuddle with the hubby. 

International Treasure!

I went to go and see the last performance of the Lipizzaners this weekend out at Spier near Stellenbosch before they travel back to Johannesburg. Talk about a dream come true! Ever since I saw their European counterparts on TV as a child, I have dreamed of going to watch a performance of theirs. I am so proud as a South African to be able to say that our South African bred Lipizzaners, and training school is the only school in the world, to have the official stamp of approval of the original 'Spanish Riding School in Vienna'. Their story is an interesting one, a Polish Count fled the approaching Russians during WW II by harnessing his beloved horses to carts and fleeing westwards. He had to paint them with oil and parafin to make them look sickly, so that they wouldn't be eaten!!! He eventually emigrated to South Africa in 1948, with his horses following him a few short months later by boat from England. They have been bred in the Natal midlands since then, with 30 stallions standing at Kyalami in Johannesburg at the training school where they give weekly performances on a Sunday. It is a very highly specialised form of training which they under go, called 'Haute Ecole' which means 'high school', and thankfully, it is a very kind and natural form of training - they basically teach the stallions to perform their own natural movements, but on command. If you EVER get the chance to visit either Vienna or Johannesburg - GO AND SEE THEM, you will not be sorry, it was so beautiful, with such wonderful classical music that I had to wipe away a tear! Yes okay, I am a total softy when it comes to horses, and maybe because I know horses, it was that much more special, anyway, go and judge for yourself!

It's official, I have the cutest dog in the world. The hubby rates pretty highly as well. It just makes my heart want to burst right out of my body and do the hula when I see the two of them snuggled on the couch together. This 2 yr old dog firmly believes that he is still a puppy, and small enough to sit on 'dad's' lap. He doesn't realise that 60kg is just a tad on the heavy side. He will actually fall asleep like this, it's really funny when he starts to dream, because you can tell that he is chasing something. 

Farenheit 9 11

Ok, so it's the most subjective piece of journalism ever, but it's still leaving me feeling pretty darn anti-Dubya Bush. So if you want to have some fun follow this link: Build a better George W Bush... I couldn't resist.

Well, if you wanted a glimpse of my extremely glamorous life, here it is, summed up in one picture. Basically it depicts how not only do I have to compete for my husbands attention, but also a spot on the 'good' couch...lord help me if I ever wanted something like the remote control!! 

More I didn't need to know but what the hell, I'm on a roll...

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites. And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear. What Kind Of Coffee Are You? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Apparently...here's something I didn't need to know

What Language Should You Scream In Bed? More Great Quizzes from Quiz Diva

Cool new map working!

My cool new 'where y'all from' map is working! Yay, I can now see where most of my vistors are from! I do notice that I have some visitors from Aussie land - but no comments as yet. Come on folks, I'm a friendly blogger - feel free to sing praises about my wonderful blog. Go on, it's really that good. :) To my regulars - I am busy scanning my latest roll of film and will have some cool new pics up later this afternoon, see you all then!

Really pissed off, NO REALLY PISSED OFF

Mood: Really Pissed Off Playing: Theme from Pulp Fiction Ok. I'm pissed off. I have ordered two things online in the last two weeks and have received neither. The first one, is not such a let down, because it's coming all the way from Sticker Planet, Culver City, California, USA, and hence will probably take at least a month to arrive, no problem there... I live in Africa, I understand, these things take time. The second thing however, is really pissing me off. Scrapbooking Online, whose service to me the first time I ordered was nothing short of impeccable - emailed me today to say that they'd discovered some problems with their courier service - OPENING AND SCAVENGING the orders, so people were either not receiving ther orders or receiving them half empty with torn packaging etc. So, am I pissed at Scrapbooking Online? Not really - it's not their fault. But to the f*cking f*ckers out there who would steal stupid things like paper and stickers, may your faces be forever covered in large pustulous boils. You can't tell me that you steal because you need to eat - you can't eat paper you f*cking as*holes!!!!! GAAAAAH!!!!