Who's great idea was this again?????

During the weekend workshop, Wendy said we should set aside a day when we can send the rest of my family out and take all the studio stuff (except the heavy shelving) out into the rumpus, then paint wash the floors in the studio (Massive job, but one I've been wanting to do for ages).  Glenna and I also then talked later that night (or rather early the next morning) about de-cluttering the studio a bit more and having a clean out and re-arrange.  I felt so motivated afterwards, that on Sunday I decided to start with the end two shelves.  Problem was, once I started, I didn't want to stop.  Now I am half way through, with a kids class after school tomorrow and this is what my studio currently looks like, Yikes!

Now I guess it could be fair comment if some of you say - hey it looks like that quite often, but in reality, it is a lot worse than I ever remember it (except for that one crazy Friday night when I said to Gypsy that I'd quite like to switch the studio around and she said OK, let's do it and we were going till well after 3am the next day - it sure did look pretty bad right in the middle of that clean and switch around).  Also, before the weekend workshop, I actually had all the customer tables clear and cleaned.  One does however have to pull everything off the shelves to clear them out properly and give them a clean down, so it was inevitable that the tables would end up full of stuff.  It's bloody hard work - (Gypsy I'm appreciating your efforts all over again), but I know the end result will be worth it.  Once it's done, I can also start thinking about getting those floors done and then getting the new (to me) tables here and selling off these high ones.

I'm sure I'll thank the motivators later on when it's all finished and looking good, but right now I'm tired and sore, full of dirt and dust and have loads to go before tomorrow's class, so back to it!  Will post some photos once completed.

Vienna at the show

Whilst at the Ceramic and Craft show, we had one very well behaved little girl to keep us company.  She had loads of fun exploring under the tables and in the boxes and bags.

Emptying out my wallet (I did give it to her, so it was all cool - only wished I had caught a photo of her trying to get another wallet out of a handbag from the next stall along!!!)

Then she decided it was time for a little walk.

Then a bit of time for some nice cuddles with Carrie and with Mum.

Then chill out in one of Carrie's display boxes!

Play peek-a-boo under the table.

Laugh out loud (I'm not sure what the joke was here?)

And finally show off her new trick.  Standing and balancing all by her self.  Wendy said she had done this before for about 10 seconds, but on Sunday, she stood there for what must have been nearly half a minute?  She even managed to keep her balance whilst turning her head and looking up.  Wont be long now!!!

Thanks for making the day so much more fun Vienna and thanks to Glenna for taking all the pictures on the day.  Whilst I remembered the camera, was just too tired to remember to take the photos too, but Glenna spotted the camera and away she went - yay!

Ceramic & Craft Show

On Sunday 22, we went to the Ceramic and craft show in Takapuna.  I had a scrapbooking stand and Wendy and Glenna shared a stand for their goodies.  It went OK.  Not a lot of people through the door, but it seems harder and harder to drive people to these shows ans then once there, even harder to get them to spend money. I guess however that is the reality of things with the way most people's finances are these days.

As for the ceramics part of the show, I entered 3 pieces from the studio.  1 of my own and 2 of my junior students.  Both kids got a first, with Brooke's sun getting a 1st overall for her age group as well.  My piece got a 2nd place (I guess at some stage the student will surpass the teacher.... isn't that how the saying goes?).

Anyway, here are the pictures of the piece.  My black and blue glass bowl, Kyle's gorgeous copper bowl and Brooke's sun plaque (photos do not do these pieces justice).

Well done to all who participated in the show and received an award.

Japanese Homestay

Taryn's school had visitors from Japan and so we took on 2 home stay at short notice, but just for 4 nights.  Yuzuki and Nao arrived Wednesday evening and settled in well.  They brought heaps of gifts for us, including lollies for Taryn and Jayden - some of which were pretty interesting, like the grape flavoured candy floss with popping candy in the middle - Yum!

They also brought some paper balls (that we'd seen from previous Japanese Home stays) and played with them in the lounge and the rumpus.  They tried out the trampoline, the Foosball table and even had a go at darts (lets just say to that one that standing well back was a very good idea).  I also let them paint a mug and a tile each to take home to Japan and they seemed to enjoy that.

They were both super helpful and enjoyed helping with the cooking and were polite and well mannered too. Overall another good home stay experience.

Busy Fortnight

Wow, what a busy fortnight that was.  Between last minute Japanese homestays, the ceramics show, the 100's of tiles and mugs for school and kindy fundraising and getting organised for kids camp and ScrapCamp, it's been non-stop around here.  I think I could sleep for a whole day before catching up!  So, in the following posts, a quick catch up on photos from the events.

16 eh?????

This weekend I decided to make my popular 'Ugly Biscuits (as we call them in this house).  They are super yum, made with jersey caramels and apple rings all chopped up and cooked in an oat biscuit base.  They are not however in any way 'pretty' looking biscuits!

It had been a while since I made them, so I had a quick look at the recipe - makes 16 - it said!  Hmm, 16, better do a double batch, 16 wont last long in this house.  So, I doubled the batch. I don't know how big their 16 biscuits were, but after 5 & 1/2 trays of baking, I had 64 biscuits.  64!!!!!

I filled Michael's large Tupperware biscuit box and still had biscuits left over, so I filled the kids biscuit box and then everyone happily taste tested at least 2 each.  Guess I won't have to do any baking for a while now huh?

Right place, right time

Don't you just love it when you or someone else just happens to be in the right place at the right time!  I'm convinced that the universe makes it so most of the time.

Last week I decided to create a forum on my Caz Dezign Blog.  I always understood it couldn't be done on blogger and found many instances where people had tried and failed.  I started to search alternatives and then found a site that said it could in fact be done in blogger.  I set about getting it started and created the forum. It didn't look like I wanted it to though as it had taken on the format of my other pages in the blog, (ie with side panels etc).  I wanted it to take the whole page.  On Friday night, I found the instructions to do this, but just couldn't find the right place to insert the html code.  Even Taryn had a search for me.

Then Ashley arrived for a visit on his way home. He sat down and had a look for me.  Turns out I wasn't quite looking for the right thing, but regardless he just went 'bing, bang, boom' and it was done.  YAY!  If it hadn't been for him I would still probably be here trying to figure it out, instead I have an active forum.  Thanks Ashley - You Rock!

Thanks Vienna

Just over a week ago, my camera battery started to die and so I haven't been able to take photos as I knew it would stop at any time.  I had no idea where my battery charger was.  I had searched upstairs and down for it.  I knew I had taken it to camp, but it wasn't in my tote or my other camp bags and I was at a loss.  

On Friday night, Miss Wendy and Miss V came for Friday night scrap.  Miss V was totally exploring the studio and all it had to offer her curious eyes and investigative fingers.  When she went under the table to check out my embellishments boxes, I quickly turned on my camera and got these two shots before the battery died completely.

She continued to check things out and at one stage went into the box of extension leads and multi power boards that I take to camp.  Wendy picked her up and sat her on the table to do something else.  Yesterday when I was in the studio, I dropped something on the floor and when I bent down to pick it up, I spotted my camera's battery charger hanging out of the extension cord box.  Vienna had found what I had failed to.  Thanks Vienna - I can get back to taking photos now.

Total Meltdown!

This morning Jayden went into a total meltdown.  There was nothing leading up to it to suggest it was coming, which is usually a cue we use to jump in and try and diffuse the situation.  He sat on his bed sobbing!  He wouldn't get dressed, wouldn't come out for breakfast and this went on from 7.45 till 8.25.  Mike and I were both starting to lose the plot and then Mike said if he didn't hurry up, he'd have to go to school without breakfast and in his PJ's, which sent him into another wail!  It was a sight to behold, but there's no photo, cause I didn't dare even go there.

And what was the major issue you might ask?  Well, he wears a school uniform to school and as part of this he has 2 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs on long pants. 1 pair of shorts and both long pants were clean and in his draw, but he wanted the pair of shorts that were in the wash!!! They were his favourite ones!!!

I finally (before my blood fully boiled) managed to get him to get dressed in the 5 minutes he had left and then inhale some cereal as he flew out the door.

After school I asked him how he was feeling and he said fine, so I asked him what on earth was going on this morning and he just didn't know. We talked about the behaviour and he agreed it was unacceptable and really upset our morning routine.  He has agreed that he can't always have the same shorts to wear and that he will make sure he has everything he wants for the morning ready the night before so there are no problems in the morning again.  Here's hoping it works.

Snack Dinner

This was easy and yum!  We were planning to sit and watch the All Blacks as a family on Saturday night, so I asked the family if they'd like a snack dinner instead of a 'sit down at the table' meal.  They all said yes.  So, we had Felafel's with Sweet Chili dipping sauce, Bier sticks, crackers, Camembert cheese, dried apricots, cooked Haloumi cheese, almonds and Turkish garlic bread.  Yummy!

Two For One Deal

That's what I got Friday night and although I gave two to get one, I definitely got the better deal!

Wendy took Taryn and Sam to an all ages rage at Zeal, where Ashley was playing and I.....

Got this wee bundle of joy!  See what I mean, great deal huh?

At first Vienna just played with some toys and watched Jayden play on the Playstation.  As she warmed up.  I took off her hat and we all had a giggle at her 'hat hair' which despite some smoothing by me, would not go down.  Then she decided to try her hand at the metal puzzles.  Jayden asked if I thought she'd be able to get them undone!

Then it was time for a bath, so i asked Jayden to go run one. Without me even telling him so, he was very conscious of the fact that the water would have to be a bit cooler than what he normally had (he likes real hot baths) and so asked me to come and check it a couple of times.  He wasn't too sure about undressing in front of her though, so he filled the bath with his clothes on! lol!  Then he hopped in and hid his bits.  I quietly laughed to myself and thought how funny it is when they suddenly start growing up and becoming self conscious.

They had a ball in the bath.  Vienna splashed like crazy and Jayden thought it was really funny. She would stand up, let go and plop back down with a splash.  She tried to climb up the end a couple of times, but it's sloped, so she had a difficult time of that and kept sliding back in.  Once she went in back first and just sort of lay there, quite comfortable laying in the water on her back.  

They must have been in there for 15 minutes at least.  Then Vienna let me know she'd had enough and out she came.

I must have been to slow at getting her nappy on, as she appeared to almost try and do it herself!  

Once dried and dressed in her nightie and Jayden in his PJ's, (with some Lawrence of Arabia thing going on with his towel and dressing gown tie - not sure Vienna knew what to make of that!), they both came out to the kitchen and shared some raisins. At first Vienna grabbed the bowl and tipped them all into her lap.  Jayden calmly says "Ah mum, I don't think I'm gonna get any of those"  I put them all back in the bowl and Jayden reached over and took just one out and Vienna followed suit.

Then Jayden went down to his room for a while and Vienna followed him.  He came back to the lounge, she followed him back and the played with some toys for a while.

The he tried to go to the loo, but she kept following him everywhere.  It was so cute.   

When it was time for Jayden to go to bed, he started reading Vienna a story and then I finished it off. 

I took Vienna back to the lounge and came back to tuck Jayden in, but....Vienna had other ideas.  She wasn't done visiting with her friend!

When Jayden was finally in bed and his door closed, Vienna decided it was time to check out the pantry. At first glance I thought she was going straight for the booze bottles, but then she made a left turn and went for the herbs and spices instead.

She really liked the tin of Bay leaves - especially how it sounded when she shook it and also the small foil packet of dried veges from the 2 minute noodles, which made an awesome noise when she squeezed it in her hands.

After all the exploring she was plum tuckered out, so a bottle and a walk in Taryn's room and off she went.  I got a nice snuggle with the sleeping baby for 1 and 1/2 hours, yummy!  

Just before Wendy arrived, she was starting to stir and as soon as mum arrived back, her ears pricked up and she was awake in no time.  Snuggle with mum, then jacket and hat on ready for the trip home.

Thanks for spending time with us.  We had a great night with you Vienna and you are welcome back any time.