Bon Voyage, Aukland!

After a good nights sleep we were up and ready to go. We were doing a Auckland city tour before we got on the ship. We also found out we were staying very close to the Aukland sky tower!



Just across the street we were able to find breakfast. Two poached eggs and toast and a Flat White coffee.

We got on our bus and they took us around town.



These buildings are part of the university here.


Chinese New Year is a big deal here! It is the Year of the Monkey.


John Savage memprial


When we got back to the hotel, they had kept our luggage and called us a cab. It cost us $15NZD ($10USD) to get to the port. Our dollar goes pretty far over here at the moment. We are on board the Celebrity Solstice for the next 18 days.


Aukland harbour from our ship's balcony.


Bon Voyage, Auckland.


Beautiful Aukland skyline as the sun sets.


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Our Auckland Adventure continues!

Our driver contined to his family home, which has been in his family forever.  And they do raise sheep.

This Maori symbol welcomed you at the door.

Herding up the sheep

Lauree oves dogs

In the wool shed.  Shearing occurs once a year, in Dec.

Famous NZ pavlova his wife Donna served us.  We tried lots of different local foods and juices.  

Have to talk about the Mauka honey, which is becoming very well known in medical circles.  The higher the number the greater the medicinal factor.  Used on burns, sores.

Most Wonderful Adventure.

Just wanted to check in a let everyone know all is well.  Even after another earthquake in Christchurch, NZ.   We managed to get all our connections and arrive with our luggage in tow!  We arrived an hour early in Sydney, AU after a 14 hour flight.  There was a little one who screamed forever on the flight, though.

We stayed in a wonderful old hotel in Auckland attached to a tavern.  The unfortunate part was the 60 stairs you had to climb to the room.  The hotel staff was very gracious and took our big luggage for us.  

Our first day in Auckland was amazing.  We had booked a tour and were picked up at our hotel.  I had a little tumble tripping over an area which was dug out and covered with gravel.  No worries!  We headed north outside the city.  First stop was a wonderful craft market, where every thing was locally made, not made in China.  I am a sucker for this kind of shop, since I am a crafter myself.  Next we headed into the wine region of the north island.

The maori culture is very evident! The Matua winery, which means chief.

Our next stop was along the western shoreline of New Zealand.  The sand is black because of the volcanoes.  Beyond beautiful.

Surfers in the water.

Bird colony - ganets.

More to come!

The Trip of a Lifetime

Begins today! So excited! So overwhelmed! All packed up! My luggage only weighs 38 pounds, which is a miracle! I think I have packed very light for me. It helps when you are going to summer weather. Packing for almost 5 weeks is a challenge!
Have my compression socks on!




My luggage all set to go!

Went for a pedicure yesterday morning. Convenient the temp reached a record 64F so I could wear my flip flops! And then I went to work for a gal for the last 3 hours! Convenient how the registry person gets left with the sickest baby in the unit! Tells you the confidence level my fellow workers have in me!

Yesterday was also the beginning of Lent being Shrove Tuesday! That is pancake Tuesday in our house!




So I bid you a fond farewell and will post if I can from my Grand Adventure! Don't ever give up on your dreams because sometimes they become reality!




A little layout if Harlee from Halloween and her kitty jack-o-lantern!
The majority of papers were from My Minds Eye
The ephemera was Crate Papers After Dark
And the brads are October Afternoon.


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So, so Windy!

Oh, how the wind has blown today!  Gusts up to 60mph!!!  Believe it or not, it gets more windy closer to the mountains.  It was suppose to be blowing in a cold front.

Had a pretty quiet day.  Feeling better, thank goodness.  Put dinner in the crockpot.  Baked some cookes.  Scrapped a little.

Was suppose to go into work so a gal vould leave early, but was cancelled.  But, will be working tomorrow for sure.  

Four sleeps and a wake up!  

One little layout of Cooper, cradhing out after Christmas dinner.

Papers from Heidi Swapp, Chic tags, Echo Park. 

The big 25 is Heidi Swapp

Title stickers are Simple Stories

Brads and overlay are MME

Washi

Under the Weather

Managed to catch the crud from the grandkids. Yuk! Harlee missed school on Mon. and Tues. Need to get healthy before next week! Today, mostly just a snuffed up nose. Taking my Vit.C, drinking lots of fluids and trying to take it easy.

The countdown is on! 6 days!!! That is less than a week. Got my hair cut yesterday and have a pedi scheduled for next week. Have actually taken clothes out of the closet and have a pile going in Cait's old room. Can you say excited?

It's been a grey, overcast and windy day. But no rain or snow.








A layout of Nic and our tradition of Christmas crackers.
Papers from Pink Fresh, Simple Stories, and Shimelle
Title is done with American Craft Thickers
Authentique mini letters
Sticker from Kaiser Craft North Pole
MME flair and Prima brad
Washi
Ephemera?
Amy Tangerine polaroid die k

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It's Groundhog Day!

And that little rodent with the name of Punxsutawny Phil did not see his shadow!  That means spring is coming!  Right!!!  This is Montana folks!   We still have the possibility of snow in Feb, Mar., and April!!

It wasn't that warm here today!  I did get out to fill the bird feeders.  It tried to snow!  Didn't Mother Nature get the message that I put the snowman village away and I am done with snow!

Talked to my sister for at least an hour today.  I think she is more antsy than me about going.  I just want the flying part to be over.  

I have a fantastic light I use on my scrapbook desk, and it is not an Ott light.  But the bulb burned out in it today.  So, I had Curtis run out and get me one as it is no ordinary light bulb.  It costs close to $4 to replace.  But I would not be without that light in my scrap space.

This picture was taken just after we tried to visit Santa without success.

February 1!

It's a new day, a new week and a new month!  All on the 1st!



It is a beautiful day out!  The skiff of snow we got early this morning has melted away.  But the temperature is still cold at 33F.  Just a reminder for us all, it is still winter out.  But the days are getting longer- yippee!!!  I hate those short winter days.  Some days when winter drags on, I think I have some season disorder.  Thank goodness everyday we are closer to spring....



It's been a busy one.  Kirsten texted me this morning, that she was keeping Harlee home with a froggy throat.  Thankfully I had some turkey noodle soup in the freezer that I ran over to her.  Ran to the grocery store for a few items and the bank.  And came home and cleaned the house.  All set for a new week.



I took the snowman village down, so I am truly ready to say good bye to winter.  I didn't want to face that when I came home from "DownUnder".



I have been lurking at the Scrapbook site, CShttp://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/I (Color, Stories, Inspiration) for a while.  I was usually intimidated by it.  But, yesterday I sat down and made a concerted effort to try one.  Taking each element one, by one.  And I actually finished it.

You must use all 5 colors, 3 from the evidence list and one from the testimony list.

I did use all colours.  I used gingham, circles, wispy leaves, enamel dots, splatters(were on the bg paper), stamps

My testimony was food related. 




Papers were from We R Memory Keeper(Down on the Boardwalk)
2 papers from Dream Street papers(I believe they no longer exist)
Harmoine(Rocco)
Bo Bunny (Christmas Collage)
Simple Stories (100 Days of Summer)
The title was cut on the Silhoutte
Stamps were from Ali Edwards and Heidi Swapp
Memory Box leaf dies which were inked with Tim Holtz distress ink.
Impression Obsession Xo die
Wood veneer I believe is from Studio Calico
Word stickers were from Simple Stories 100 days of summer