paper filled baubles

more christmas makings from the weekend - paper filled baubles.....

 

here's how it all went down - in pictures (thanks mostly to the lovely goob).....

got it?!

baubles = spotlight
scissors = probably spotlight (I've had mine for ages!)
paper = unused encyclopedia pages.

any questions - shoot me an email or leave me a message.
would love to hear from you.
(I do hope I'm not alone in here!!)

hugz from here.
cheryl xox.

my new/old job

today was my first day back at a real job.
you know - an office / cubicles / all dressed nicely / computers / printers / lunch breaks - the lot!
and it felt really really good.

the reason for most of my enjoyment was that this job is at a place that I worked at 12 months ago - just for a short 4 month contract (I was replacing someone on long service leave) - but it is a great place to work - and the people are amazing.
today felt like I was coming home!

there were loads of hugz from surprised peoples - the welcoming feeling was amazing.
I only got a call on thursday about the position (I was their first choice to fill in while they advertise the position) - and it all only got confirmed yesterday.
no time for gossip to spread as it does in small-ish office spaces - most didn't know I was coming back.

I won't write on here where I'm working exactly - I'll just say that it's a government agency that may or may not have something to do with this..........

source of pic

I applied for a full time permanent position in another section when I was there last time - and missed out by the smallest of margins. (it wasn't in the section I dreamed of - but it was a foot in the door. someone got the job that had already worked within the section previously)
I was devastated.
at the time I had just met my bio mother for the first time (not a hugely successful meeting) and missing out on the job felt like such a huge personal rejection. I cried at home for hours.

the thing is - I do believe the universe plays out just how it should (on most occasions!) - and if it weren't for that set back - I wouldn't have finally gone back to Uni to finish my teaching degree.

however - today I found out that another full-time permanent position is coming up next week - and it's in the education section of the department - the place that I really really wanted to work all along - my ultimate dream job of the moment. (plus the pay is pretty amazing - about $25 000 more per year than a first year qualified teacher!!).

the hours are quite flexible - so I could definitely still do Uni part-time while doing the job - but I just have to make a decision quick - and get an application together.

lots to think about this evening.

I guess I could give it a shot - and if the universe doesn't want me to have it - then that's the way it will be.

oh dear oh deary me!!!

must go - huge storm hitting down here right now - and I must turn off this computer before it gets fried!!!

(updated - check out the nefotlak. facebook page for an image of the radar over canberra last night - it was a doozy!!)

send me some cyber strength - I need it right now.

hugz from here.
cheryl xox.

christmas tree 2011

(didn't mean to publish this until tomorrow - but hit publish by mistake!!! - what a goose I am!)

here is our christmas tree for 2011.....(warning - loads of pics ahead!).....

it's very much similar to last year....and the many years before that......we like to stick with the blue/silver & white theme for our lounge room.

we bought the tree for our first-born's first christmas (this is it's 15th outing!) - and it's been a brilliant tree ever since. 

the colour choice came from the room coming with blue carpet when we bought it - and we've never had a chance to change it since!
besides - when we do finally change the floor - the kids have made me promise that the decorations stay the same - there's just too many memories and years of crafting in this tree now - and it just has to stay.

apart from the photo I posted on sunday - in this post - here's another two of my santa helpers that are so so so good at tree trimming now. (I've got them very well trained!!).....

we have set jobs - the girls put the tree together - then mr w. adds in the lights. then I add the tinsel - then we all add the millions of decorations.
it's an absolute hoot.....

all the decorations above in the little squares have been hand made by all of us girls over the last few years.

and we always try to make something - however small - to add every year.
(I'll post tomorrow about our latest additions so far - we did a little making on the weekend)

here's some night time magic.....as it's my favourite time to sit and enjoy the sights of the decorations.....

so - thanks for popping by. I do hope you enjoy our tree.

oh - and p.s. - I got the call about the job - I start tomorrow for a 2-3 month contract - YIPPEEEE.
very very pleased to be able to earn a little cash over the coming holiday season.

hugz from here.
cheryl xox.

paper garlands

more decorating from the weekend.....

after seeing oodles of home-made garlands on pinterest and various blogs - I knew it was time to break out the paper punches and sewing machine for some garland fun.

no tutorial here - it's really rather simple - just punch out circles and stars - and sew them together.

I used a variety of white/off white cards and papers - some plain, some textured & some pages from an old encyclopedia that I had on hand! I think having a little variety in the garland (even subtle) makes it more interesting.

I just sewed them together - then hung them over the mirror......super fun, wonderfully inexpensive & it provides instant christmas cheer!

as I mentioned in this post - the yellow has been painted out of the little mirror - and we've gone all white in the accessorizing department in the loungeroom (apart from some blue in the tree decorations)!!!

the room feels so much better - we're all liking the changes. (plus I love christmas time - and all the lights and decorations - so I'm loving this room right now.
I adore sitting here in the evenings - contemplating the world outside. it's so so calming......

reflections of the christmas tree.....which I'll post about tomorrow.....

here's to a fabulous week for everyone.

cheryl xox.

linking up here this week.....

yellow fling is over

yes - I'm done - my little fling with yellow has come to an end.

getting a new coat of white.....

I tried to really like it.....

  tried really really hard.....

it looks so good when other peoples use it - but yellow and I just aren't compatible with each other.
it's time to say goodbye.

with christmas decorating starting in house-o-nefotlak this weekend - some changes have to be made.
lucky for me - the changes were never huge - just splashes here and there.

I asked mr w. to get down the christmas decorations this weekend (we store them in our roof space).
we usually put up our tree on 1st december - but it's a thursday this year - and he will be away interstate with work.

just seeing all the boxes - the kids and I and mr w. just couldn't resist to start right away.

yesterday before they had even changed out of their pj's - the decorating had begun.....

(one star was added to cover up an instance where some underwear may or may not have been showing - then I just went nuts with the stars!!!! hey - it's that time of the year!!!)

blue stars because our tree is decorated in blue, white and silver - and yes - there is some crazy stuff going on with that cabinet on the right - I'll let you know when I have finally made up my mind!!!

apart from decorating madness - we managed to fit in a trip to the movies on friday night (breaking dawn 1/twilight for goob, eky and I - and arthur christmas for triple j and mr w. - both movies were enjoyed muchly by all parties involved) - and we also attended a 4 year old b'day party at the neighbours. good times.

and - I may be starting work this week - a 6-8 week contract - back at a place I worked at last year. amazing money - great people - and hoping for 4 days a week (and still allowed to go away over christmas!)
fingers crossed it all gets confirmed tomorrow. the extra money would just be perfect at this time of year.

so - hope you've all had a great weekend at your place.
hugs from here.
cheryl xox.

copy-cat delight

I do so enjoy when someone else finds inspiration from the things I blog about. (actually - I'm absolutely thrilled. little old me - inspiring peoples on the other side of the world - who'd a thought?!?!?!!!)

remember a couple of posts ago I wrote about my op art lesson while on prac in a primary school??

well - the lovely April over at Money Pit Love (all the way over in Canada) has created her very own piece of nefotlak. op art - and I couldn't be happier....

Money Pit Love

thank you April - you made this wee Aussie girl a little chuffed today!!

so.....on another topic.....does anyone need some rain?? I've had enough of what we have here!! thank you.

hugz from here.
cheryl xox.

a do for the dog

with the weather finally warming - and the pressing need to find our dog within the fur - it was time for our gorgeous 4 year old spoodle miss molly to have a hair cut.

goob took some photos of the super fluffy hound a fews days before.....

......and a few days later - the after.....

almost a completely new dog!!! (but still loving balls - as you can see!)
it's like an instant super weight loss - just amazing! (oh I wish it were that easy for me!!)

sorry - no photos of the 'during'.
it takes mr w. and I all our energy to clip this girl - it took over an hour on this occasion.
we gave her the haircut with dog clippers and scissors while the girls were at school.

here's a pic from later that day - all four of our 'girls' - in and around the pool!!!

now I'm off to paint some saloon doors.....

catch you again soon.
cheryl xox.

package arrived safe & sound

today I received a big package in the mail.....

(oh - and I've been testing out that instagram app on my iphone today also!! I like it so far.)

inside this package are two saloon doors from the lovely Sally and Steve at Us+House=Home - which I hope to convert into a message centre near our family room. (doors can be seen in this post)

in other news - we survived the in-law visit over the weekend (and the speaker is all fixed from my cleaning mishap which I posted about last week - love having such a handy husband!) - trying to get back into the swing of things once more.
exam time starting on Thursday for goob (year 10) - and finishing up of assignments for eky also this week.
the year is winding down - and I'm very happy for that.

hope things are well in your world today.
hugz,
cheryl xox.

cleaning fail

I mentioned yesterday that we're soon to have a visit from my in-laws.
they arrive tomorrow.
they haven't visited for over 2 years due to health issues - and they're Dutch (ie incredibly fastidious about cleanliness) - so I've gone into mega cleaning mode to try to exhume some of the piles of dust and mess that are around the house after weeks months of neglect due to university commitments - and living life with a busy family!

here's a peak of our tv in the family room which I've yet to show here in blogland.....

all nicely dusted - and I grabbed some potato-vine-flowers from the garden to pretty things up.....

here's a super close-up of eky's gorgeous clay bird she made at school last year.....
 

cute yes??? he sits well with my little collection of birdhouses - including the large one that once sat outside - and then later broken in the shed. (I found it recently - dusted it off - and marvelled at it's nature-made rustic-ness!!).....

and just before I took these photos - I climbed up to give the surround speakers a little dusting - 'cuz once you start looking closely around - you always find more dust around the place.........

here's a pic of one of our surround sound speakers that sit up high near the ceiling.....

that one didn't get a clean (there is in fact lots of cob-webs and dust on top -I've taken this from a more forgiving angle!) - because when I dusted the first one - this happened......

eeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkk!!!!
(sorry mr w. I didn't mean it!!! I was being super gentle - I promise!!)

the flippin noggin in the roof came unstuck.......

and now we have a hole (and some touch up painting to be done just for good measure!!).....

I shall try to avert my eyes from the chaos I've caused near the ceiling - and I shall carry on with making rooms look pretty-ish for the visit......

hope you're having a lovely day!

cheryl xox.