New52: Illustrator #New52

Several months ago I purchased Creative Suite 5.5 Design Standard, and it’s taken me until the 28th of July to even open up Illustrator. Here’s my first doodles with my awesome Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet that I use full time!

I drew these using the blob tool and without even setting up the pressure sensitivity options. Since then I have opened up Illustrator to draw the background for a playgroup activity (oh yes, playgroup is a New52 for me too!) and can’t wait to use it again!

New 52 challenge is keeping me on my toes – but I’ve made it 9 months and 14 posts! I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life even more. I have to say I have many more draft posts, just waiting for me to finish them! Read more New 52 posts:

• New52: The one that proves how little I use cash! #new52
• Buying some happiness
• Crafting out and about
• Bye-bye Oven
• Souvenirs
• Bible 90 Days Complete
• Watching Playschool
• Not such a good new thing
• Battle of the Facial Cleansers
• Housesitting Edition
• Week 3: New Food
• Change is good

What’s new for you lately?

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

New52: The one that proves how little I use cash! #new52

My New 52 for the week – this is the first time I’ve had a $100 note in my hands! I’ve always got cash at an ATM, so they only give out $50s. I guess I have seen the old paper money back in the day, but for the plastic money it’s a first for me. Thanks to the customer who made my day!

I was so excited I just had to snap a photo!

 

I have loved the New 52 challenge, thanks for running it Peppermint & Christine! I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life even more. I have to say I have many more draft posts, just waiting for me to finish them! Read more New 52 posts:

• Buying some happiness
• Crafting out and about
• Bye-bye Oven
• Souvenirs
• Bible 90 Days Complete
• Watching Playschool
• Not such a good new thing
• Battle of the Facial Cleansers
• Housesitting Edition
• Week 3
• Change is good

What’s new for you lately?

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

Scrap Happy Blog hop: Buy some happiness #New52

I've been loving reading Stephanie's blog about the Scrap Happy project over at Scrapworthy lives, so I was thrilled when I found out she's got a blog hop going. You have probably found me from Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking.

This month the theme is:

Buying some happiness.

I have to say this is a hard one for me, as we are on a budget right now, but recently we invested some money in upgrading our computer, so it wouldn't constantly crash when I was scrapbooking (I'm a digiscrapper and a power user!). My husband encouraged me to just buy a new hard disk rather than go through the hassle and stress of trying to back everything up and reinstalling everything.

Of course I did have a few glitches (turning off my DVD drive in the bios and wondering why I couldn't install Windows, and having issues getting Windows 7 to activate) it was the best investment we could have made. My PC is running like a dream and I can just get things done!


I've also made this post my New 52 for the week - yes it's been a while since I posted one of them!

Now we are past half way in the year I’m still going strong with the New 52 challenge, thanks for running it Peppermint & Christine! I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life even more. I have to say I have many more draft posts, just waiting for me to finish them! Read more New 52 posts:

• Crafting out and about
• Bye-bye Oven
• Souvenirs
• Bible 90 Days Complete
• Watching Playschool
• Not such a good new thing
• Battle of the Facial Cleansers
• Housesitting Edition
• Week 3
• Change is good

Want more of the Scrap Happy project?
Here’s the other blogs in the hop!

• Scrapworthy Lives
• Scrapping Mojo
• Pie for Breakfast
• Scraps & Sass
• 1200 Some Miles
• Slice of Life
• Our Life with Spiky Potatoes
• Abstracts Mixed with Extracts
• Your Memory Connection
• Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking
• Melissa's Blog

Have you bought some happiness lately? Let me know about it in the comments below.

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

New52: 8 Gigs of RAM!

Last week I headed over to PLE computers and helped myself to 8Gb of RAM for my aging Dell XPS 420.
Open up the case, install the RAM start it up and boom – press F5 to continue into the setup. Oh dear! Of course I had my trusty Microsoft Entertainment keyboard 7000 which is Bluetooth, and last time I checked my BIOS doesn’t support Bluetooth. Not to worry I’m cleaning out our stash of computer junk and there’s keyboard right here. Oh, it is PS2, so that won’t work. After climbing into the roof twice I realised I’d lent my keyboard to Lauren. Not to worry, I just rang Phill and got him to bring one home from work. Since out other Bluetooth keyboard already lives there the IT guy didn’t mind us taking one home!
In the mean time I switched of my PC and thought, hmm I wonder what will happen when I turn it back on again. Voila, Windows loads as if nothing has happened. Everything just runs a little speedier now
I’m doing to reinstall the computer onto a new Samsung 2TB drive over the weekend – wish me luck! (This time I have the keyboard at the ready!). Oh and I only paid $14 more to buy it from the local shop than Amazon is selling it for!

Now we are past half way in the year I’m still going strong with the New 52 challenge, thanks for running it Peppermint & Christine! I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life even more. I have to say I have many more draft posts, just waiting for me to finish them! Read more New 52 posts:

• Crafting out and about
• Bye-bye Oven
• Souvenirs
• Bible 90 Days Complete
• Watching Playschool
• Not such a good new thing
• Battle of the Facial Cleansers
• Housesitting Edition
• Week 3
• Change is good

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

New52 Crafting out and about

 

Image via CrunchBase

A few months ago I found this Craft meetup group in Perth and I finally got to go to the May meetup.
I really enjoyed meeting up with four other crafty women, who were knitting, crocheting and smocking, and of course chatting. I managed to use my Martha Stewart train punch, a few felt stickers and card stock to create a few cards while I was there. Emily came along and had a great time playing with the other toddlers.
I’ve missed the occasional crafting group I used to host in Kalgoorlie, it was fun to meet some new faces. I'm going to host the Meetup with Scarborough Crafts at my place in July – want to come?
Do you meet up with fellow hobbyists on a regular basis? It can be fun to meet new people and expand your skills! I’ve just started hosting digital scrapbooking workshops in Perth, with another one coming up on the 13th of June.

20+ weeks into the year I’m still going strong with the New 52 challenge, thanks for running it Peppermint & Christine! I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life even more. Read more New 52 posts:

• Bye-bye Oven
• Souvenirs
• Bible 90 Days Complete
• Watching Playschool
• Not such a good new thing
• Battle of the Facial Cleansers (I must update you all on this one!)
• Housesitting Edition

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

New52 - Bye-bye Oven

One thing that we were looking forward to at our new home was a double oven. After using 900mm ovens all our married life, I was a bit cautious of going back to a 600mm oven.
Then once it was installed the oven never worked. Or rather the timer never worked – the click never lit up and the big oven wouldn’t turn on. Fortunately the top oven used an old school dial system so we can still use it. But as we speak I’m cooking a roast and it is a little squeezy. And muffins, well I had to cook them over 2 days as they grew to tall to have 2 trays at once. In general though I’m enjoying having a speedy little oven for garlic bread and the like.
So after 2 visits from a tech and nearly 2 months waiting, we now have to have to WHOLE OVEN replaced. Oh well, it will be exciting to try my new oven in June!
Being without an oven is nothing new, as we have incidents with gas bottles running out in Kalgoorlie, and then no oven during the renovation of our kitchen at Tindals Cres that took over a month, as Bunnings took ages to get our cupboards in. Phill did his bit in 1 long weekend, then were sitting around waiting for trades and those Flat pack cupboards.
I seem to have a bad record with ovens though. The gas oven at Lewis St never liked lighting for me, the small oven at Tindals Cres set my pizzas alight twice, and the whole door fell off and the built in oven almost followed (yes, we bought the house to renovate)

Our new oven at Tindals Cres had it’s clock die (Technika were brilliant and had it fixed in no time), and the clock on our parents oven at Foss St gave up the ghost while we were living there (admittedly it was already on the way out, probably the same power surge that messed up the dishwasher finally killed it!)
Enough with the negativity though, we are loving our new house, and enjoying making it a home. Oh and we finally bought a lounge suite. Everyone in Kal will be amazed, there is life after Stu’s couches! But that story is for a whole other New 52.
Curious about New 52? Learn more about the New 52 challenge here. I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life is full of variety.
Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

New 52–Souvenirs

Only about two months ago (how time flies!?!) Phill brought us a back a couple of souvenirs From Argentina and Chile. Mine was a small, tooled-leather box from Mendoza, a city nearby to the Gold mine. I also got an alpaca wool scarf, in PINK of course.

Emily’s gifts were a giraffe puzzle with a baby giraffe (cute!) and her ‘Argentina hat’ – a bright pink beanie with an alpaca and other animals and things stitched on it!

 

Emily’s had a hard time working out that Daddy isn’t going away every time he leaves for work. She stopped asking to see Daddy on ‘puter (Skype) a couple of weeks ago. This morning for the first time since Phill has been away she told me “Daddy, gone! Work, big bus” rather than “Daddy, gone! ‘Tina!” Such a relief that she’s finally getting her head around the fact that Daddy is back to stay. 

Learn more about the New 52 challenge here. I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life is full of variety. What new things have you tried this week?

 

Melissa 

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*

New52-Bible 90 Days Complete

I did it! I actually read the Bible in 90 Days! I completed it on the 1st of April, Day 89 of the reading plan. I found Chronicles and Psalms hard going but surprisingly enjoyed the prophets. I also found the Gospels hard going, I think I just don’t enjoy so much repitition in a short space of time. But I love John, it just seems so much more specific with the little things that Jesus said in a more natural way, well that’s how it seems to me. I also noted all the bickering amongst the Disciples, well I guess they were only human!

Reading the Bible in it’s entirity in such a short period of time really helped me follow get more of the historical facts in order and also made me realise that the New Testament is a lot shorter than the Old Testament. I mean, I knew it was, but it just became even clearer that a few thousand years versus less than 100 years of writing is a big difference.

 

I am still enjoying the New 52 challenge too, what has amaze me as I’ve done this challenge is that I actually do so many new things I just don’t have time to blog them all! What new things have you done lately?

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*

New52- Watching Playschool

Emily is really starting to enjoy Playschool, plus since she’s now sleeping later in the morning she actually is awake for it to come on at 9:30am. Today she sat in her Bumbo chair and watched the whole episode.
She commentates on the introduction “balloon, Teddy, Mima, Humpty, door” and then sits with a look of great concentration and occasionally joins in with actions and songs. I will capture it one day I’m sure!
Other times during the day she says “plays” and is keen to watch the afternoon edition too if Mummy remembers!
I have watched Playschool for too many years – probably over 20! Even when I was too old for it, I enjoyed the stories, and following the antics of the presenters. One thing that does bug me is that the presenters don’t always introduce themselves any more. I wonder why? I spend the whole episode trying to pick up on their names! Aah well, I’m sure I’ll know them all in no time!

Learn more about the New 52 challenge here. I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life is full of variety. What new things have you tried this week?

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*s

New52- Not such a good new thing

Emily is on her first ever course of antibiotics. She has had some fevers a few of weeks ago (teething perhaps?) but then when she has 3 in a row and a rash we took her down to the hospital - they said it was likely a virus and just leave her be unless she can't sleep then give her Panadol. Then last Sunday she was quite croaky so we took her in to the Dr and she got antibiotics. That really helped her. Perhaps she had a secondary throat infection after the virus or tonsilitis. Anyway she is much happier now and had slept through for the last few nights.

 

Australian currency photo by vagawi 

 

Ok so this one is a little old but on the 21st of January I saw my first US currency. Perhaps I’ve seen some before when others have visited the US, but I can’t remember! These notes were freshly minted and smelt good. I still prefer our colourful Australian (plastic) money it’s easy to differentiate the notes, and feels sturdier.

Learn more about the New 52 challenge here. I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life is full of variety. What new things have you tried this week?

 

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*