Fun Friday: Photos!

Hi all. :)

This week has been busy for me. It was so very hard to get out of bed this AM, but I managed to. I'm not complaining about being busy...because when we're busy, my hubby isn't worrying about things.

So...to commemorate the weekend, I'm sharing some photos. take a peek?

I love when the hubby's got a sweet tooth. Yummy homemade banana bread. He made it 2xs this week. :D

I love this view. I live 10 mins away from here. so pretty.

Do you think she has a future as a gymnast?

I think soooo....

with this summer being an extreme one...this is one of my first blooms that havent been scorched. I wasn't able to clip any for my table.

a sneaky peeky for you.

and what they Hey....another one.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Stay tuned for the reveal of August's kit over at SFTIO.

word 'em up!

Hello wonderful scrappy peeps.

I know it's been a while since I have done one of these...but I think today is a perfect day for WORD OF THE DAY!

Since over at Scrapbooking from the inside out the month has been about COURAGE, I decided that's a good word to bring. It sure has been on my mind!

So...the meaning, thanks to answer.com:

n.
The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

now of course...I always look just a bit deeper....
 
noun
The quality of mind enabling one to face danger or hardship resolutely: braveness, bravery, courageousness, dauntlessness, doughtiness, fearlessness, fortitude, gallantry, gameness, heart, intrepidity, intrepidness, mettle, nerve, pluck, pluckiness, spirit, stoutheartedness, undauntedness, valiance, valiancy, valiantness, valor. Informal spunk, spunkiness. Slang gut (used in plural), gutsiness, moxie.

knowing that I had to scrap about this word had me a bit worried. Just because I don't think that I am the epitome of Courage. Not at all. So I began to ask my hubby. My kids. I got some funny answers....and some that just made me sigh.

it totally convinced me that I am the antonym of courage.

Antonyms: cowardice, faint-heartedness, fear, meekness, timidity, weakness

My hubby said I have been courageous in my fight against Lupus. It took lots of it to overcome my fear of driving...and getting back into it after a bad car crash. Boldly moving far away from immediate family....

see...to me, these are all things that made me afraid. BUT they had to be done. I needed to do these things. It wasn't something that I was naturally inclined to do confidently.

You know what? One of the lovely ladies at the MB (SFTIO) pointed that out. Courage is doing something when you're not comfortable/sure of the outcome, but doing it anyways. Gotta love a forum in which discussions can bring something to light.

Now while I wish I were someone like :



It's a-OK to be meek, shy, & courageous at times little old me.

I think however, that NY's Bravest are the greatest example of Courage.



everyone has an opportunity to be courageous or , whether it goes publically noticed or not.

and a little courageous LO. :)

 
 
a little side note: our shop is located around the corner from our city fire dept...and my girls all run to the front to see the fire engines to wave at them as they pass by.

More! The Most 'Me' Line of Jewellery

Ship's Propeller - Brass and Wood - $50 - SOLD OUT

Solid Brass Anchor - $50 - I keep this in stock

Solid Brass Binoculars - $55 - SOLD but can remake with notice

This is prob also the most 'me' line. The spy glass and binoculars represent my near obsession with detective novels and shows/films and the secret harbouring I have to be a spy (way too much of a wuss tho!). The telescope reminds me of the exciting nights spent with my wonderful Dad and sister watching Haley's Comet through Dad's hand-built telescope (110 hours just to polish the lense!) which he later went on to sell for $10! :( Too kind! The anchor and nautical theme represents the fact that I married into the Killick family - Killick being an Olde English word for 'Anchor' which the Killicks have truly been for me.

I hope you find 'you' in this line too - because it IS for you I have made it x

Thank you to http://www.bobbyrobbin.co.nz/ for your wonderful and incredible handcrafts and blogging!

Love,

Annie :) xxx

Annie Blackberry Deluxe - Faux Naturel Collection

I am so excited!! We have been featured on NZGirl's website again! FaerySarah has written a blog about Annie Blackberry being oine of NZGirl's favourite things!! I am honoured. Thank you Sarah and thank you NZGirl!
http://www.nzgirl.co.nz/buy/our-favourite-annie-blackberry-jewellery/

I am also excited to announce our newest deluxe range - Annie Blackberry's 'Faux Naturel' brand. If you are a little onto it in the languages department you'll know this is French pun from the phrase 'au naturel' blended with 'faux' which means just what it means (faux pas, etc - false, not real). It's a deluxe range that is at an even higher level of quality than our already high standard. The charms are more expensive for me to buy and are often miniature workables etc. This collection features solid brass :)

The 'faux' alludes to the fact that it is looks like high fashion and IS high fashion but doesn't carry the $250+ price tag of other (usually very worthy) high fashion costume jewellery. The 'au naturel' refers to the fact that the jewellery includes semi-precious stones and metals (brass, white gold and silver plate, sterling silver) and also natural elements (ceramic, clay, jasper, howlite, etc). The end product is 100% handmade and NZ made and designed. I am a collage artist and that means I gather together a whole bunch of charms and odds and ends I find everywhere and turn them into wearable fashion. I don't pretend to sculpt or craft the individual charms but make art from existing materials (although we DO actually make some of our charms).

Hope you love it and enjoy it!

Hope you Like the Faux Naturel line!

Thank you for all your wonderful support and encouragement - it really is all about you guys!

Annie :) xx

Monday, monday

Happy 1st day of the week. :D

Nope, I'm not feeling particularly cheerful about it, BUT hopefully seeing some cheerfulness will be contagious and spread.

have a Layout to show you all....

and a close up:

it's using the new sketch over at the scrappiest. the sketch is awesome...but I'm afraid my interpretation isn't. :( I like the actual sketch better. oh, the blasphemy!

just to let you know, there's a new DT call there. last day for apps is THURSDAY. so if you like to work with sketches, this is the place to be.

TTFN

another fun friday...or is it?

this week has been crazy. the hubby caught poison Ivy while cleaning out behind the AC units because they were running sluggish. apparently the plants in our neighbors yard was poison ivy. now when DH warns them, they state they already knew it was there. Their kid caught it earlier in the week. Nice.

anyways...between the meds he's on and the craziness...he has been extremely moody. nuff said.

so to remind myself of how much i love him...really, i do....i'm posting a photo of him i love.

the vows did say for better or for worse, right?

now sonny boy has a mild case. :big huge sigh: the 2 grumps are together today.

due to the craziness...i forgot to post this!

using this week's sketch over at the scrappest.

and a quick question:

do you have people leaving you spam at your blog? I sure do! :/

Arlene likes.......

Sundays. After we go to Church, we pretty much have the whole day to ourselves...no obligations to work, pop movies in to watch if we're feeling lazy, go out for ice cream. It's a really relaxing day. The bad part to Sundays? That Mondays follow.

So. what else does Arlene like?

Flowers. Lots of them. Lately I have been warned to stay out of the sun by my Dr and well...my garden has been suffering. Especially with this heat wave. I really can't putter around in it anymore because I am now breaking out where in whatever body part has sun exposure. So.not.fun.

Black eyed susans are one of my faves and we have been buying them forever. I get crushed every year when in it's place "weeds" come in and we rip them out to find no black eyed susans. Until this year I wisened up and said...lets let this grow a bit more and see what it is. Lo and behold...can anyone say "DUH".

Day lily. yep...they're getting scorched.

my asiatic lilies. yes, Arlene doth love.....

yes, roses. and yep...they need to be trimmed. I just don't have the heart to clip them just yet.

another lily...just because

don't you just love their expressions? This was taken today during one of our explorations today. :)

a little trail we happened to "bump" into.

I like learning about history, too. there was a museum we bumped into as well...all about the revolutionary war. cool beans.

what are some thing that YOU love?

Scrapbooking from the inside out & Lily bee...&&& yet ANOTHER chance to win!

I'm telling you, this week sure has brought many opportunities to win the beautiful, awesome &generous COURAGE kit.

why did I add generous? because this kit just doesn't stop. all the paper, embellies, included with inspo provided at the site....the possibility of what you can create is endless!!!!!

so hop on over to Lily bee...  and check out all of our layouts...tee hee hee....and leave a comment about courage. it's THAT easy!!!

Annie Blackberry - Confessions of a Hopeful Heart

Sometimes I don't know how to do it. How to actually get out of bed and start the day. I've always got a million things to do but I just can't work out which to do. I experience this kind of meaninglessness sometimes like 'I really better tidy the table and go and get that DVD...but hang on, there are ppl starving and dying and I want to do more.' So I pray about which charities I need to take on and choose three I am so so stoked with:

*Prescha - This organisation aims to eliminate the modern-day slavery called Human Trafficking. It's sick and it's heart-breaking. Please buy an Annie Blackberry Freedom necklace - almost all proceeds (not just profit) go directly to this organisation. http://www.prescha.org/

*Little Tim - This precious lil guy is quadraplegic and has cerebral palsy - his family desperately needs funds to send him to the US for therapy that could really help him. He loves giggling, Rolf Harris music (he gets angry if someone changes the music! :) ) and rolling over but can't do much else. If you buy the designated Little Tim necklace off Trade Me - or email me for one - all the profit will go to Little Tim.

*Dips'N Trust - Funny name but what an organisation. This trust seeks out the lowest of the low, the most deformed, the most smelly and the most lowly of people. People very often near death and who often don't have the dignity of soap or towels and this is where Dips'N comes in - it gives those little loving things and the volunteers own love to show the most unloved how precious they are. Annie Blackberry wants to commit to $80 a month for Dips'N and will take donations on behalf or buy a piece of jewellery to give to this cause.

We have also been committed to Amnesty International and love this cause as it gives the unfairly imprisoned a voice. Because we can't support all these charities we will be switching from AI to Dips'N but the most important thing you can do for Amnesty International is pick up a pen and write to the governments who have the power to release these people. It does and has worked! http://www.amnestyinternational.org/

But even this doesn't seem enough. I know I'm not solely responsible for the world but we have so so much to give but it's only a drop in the bucket. We just got a large flat screen TV because we could hardly see our Warehouse Cobalt 16" ha ha :) And I love it. But then I realised that in the big scheme of things a big TV is so UNIMPORTANT. I know it's ok to enjoy this beautiful nation and have some nice things but I could have literally saved 1000 people's eyesight with that money (Vit A cream) but instead I use it so my eyes can see a clearer picture.

Sometimes I wonder if some of this is the depression? That the depression causes that nothingness - that meaninglessness - and it's not that I don't want to tidy my house or think it's unimportant but that I actually don't want to DO anything. But I also don't want to do nothing.

I feel like the years are slipping through my fingers. I can still barely cope with the miscarriage and my dog being killed 9 months ago and cry about it so much and so I wonder how I am going to cope with the inevitable pains and deaths of loved ones that may one day happen. I can barely cope with this and also with being in bed for 60% of my life. It's not just depression but also a range of physical and physiological conditions that impinge on each other.

The things that have helped me this week were my husband reading to me till I fell asleep, Phoebe and Elyse making me gifts, cooking me a roast and sharing the astounding unconditional love of true friends and Timmy, my little nugget,my pup-pups whom I love with every fibre of my being. And Joy...You're just always there. And Mum and Dad counselled me and came and did some housework - it's so appreciated.

But I do not lose hope. Andrew read to me a bit of his book by Barth: 'We are not allowed to not hope'. Usually I'd tell Barth to go jump (I don't like being told what to do ;) ) but I'm happy to not be allowed - it would be a tragedy.

I care about you all, what you go thru, how life has affected you, who you are and what you hope and what you fear. I pray you would find the healing I continue to find along this painful yet hopeful journey,

God's peace and unconditional love be with you,

Annie Blackberry xxx

fun fridays

I think in order to make things a bit fun...even if it is only for me at first....I will start making little unexpected posts here. so to kick things off:

a cute little question.

You need to quench your thirst and anything is available other than water, what will you choose?

a picture's worth a thousand words right???

More Courage Kit giveaway!!!!!!

Thursday brought me a whole bunch of stuff. Craziness...wackiness, weariness...but I check my email and lo and behold...Scrapbooking from the inside out is featured at yet another blog, offering yet another wonderful kit if you leave a comment. SOOOOO if you really want a chance to win that awesome, spectacular kit and already tried at GCD...you can increase your chance by trying here at GLITZ!!!!!!

I'm sooooo sooooooo soooooooo excited that one of my little layouts made it onto the blog! Yay!!

and since I wanted to post it anyways...here ya go.

March to the beat of your own drum

the journalling is hidden underneath the title, and basically is just about a mommy encouraging her terrors to keep being themselves. My kids are so different...I always get comments on them...Good ones! I want them to stay that way, each of them have their own quirks, their own special talents and as a mom I see my job as encouraging, enriching, and never smothering them. I love my terrors!!! they make me so very proud & I hope this Layout AKA love letter to them makes them proud, as well.

want a chance to win some courage???

Hi there!!!

stopping by to let you know that Scrapbooking from the inside out is having a give away over at GCD Studios!!!! Click on the link to check out courage once again, leave a comment on what Courage means to you for a chance to win. Guess what? My layout is in the post along with Nancy's and Melissa's!!! Yay!!!!


Brave

and a close up:

Doing a layout about my hubby was a must do with Courage. Why? He's so brave. The guy takes lots of risks in everything, and he pushes me to live on the edge a bit. There are times I have to help reign that in a bit...or ask him to be very careful...but this man is always encouraging ME to try and try and try some more.

When I saw the kit, my heart went all afllutter with the awesome colors (I know, I always say it!!!), paper, embellies....and I saw it could be taken so many ways...you could do the super hero with the stars,  the romantic with all of the pretty patterns, the summery look...no limits. Stop on over to GCD and then to SFTIO for even more inspo. You won't regret it!!!

I hate to end a happy blog post with some very very sad news: click here. Div just announced that Buzz and bloom is closing for now, due to illness. When the DT was first told I tell ya, it had me in such a funk...I was so very sad for her (she's such a cool person to work for) and her family, as a business owner as well...since I know how much a baby a business can be to a family. I truly hope things work out for the best, and hope to work with them at another time. :(

well, that's it for now!!!

It's the 1st of the month!

and guess what????!!!! No you don't owe me rent!!! well...yeah...if you're a tenant of ours...we'll be by later on today.

there's a new prompt over at AAM you need to check out. the post is full of excitement  for a number of things.

wanna know why?

because we're featured here!!! Yay!!!! Check us out on BLOG BAY. How cool is that???

Taken

The DT has been asked to scrap their greatest fear. I have many of those: bugs...especially spiders. being alone, not being a good enough mommy/wife. fire, losing a sense...all 5 are very important to me, thank you very much! There are 2 that just the thought of KILL me...one is dying young. & trust me, I came very close....I just couldn't scrap it so I went with the other one that just makes my heart want to jump out and run...one of my kids being taken...be it kidnapped, or worse....gulp....

I am feeling choked up thinking about the feelings behind the layout....soooo if you want to know the details, read the journaling...head on over to Scrapstreet.

The 1st always is a reveal day at SFTIO. Courage is being revealed there and a layout of mine will be revealed here tomorrow....oh what the hay....here's one of courage...I need to balance out the fear...right??? LOL

The butterflies get in the way.

I soooo adore the pretty color scheme that courage had. :D

I just had to document how I always get these butterflies in my tummy when something new for me to experience comes along. sometimes I give in, sometimes I hesitate but go along with it...other times they just control me and well...I do all that I can to avoid the flutters. I'm such a chicken!

Ironically...this photo is of me behind the wheel...and those close to me know how hard it was to get me there. I am proud that I now drive around...not EVERYWHERE...but I do get around...to work...Church if DH isn't going with me (a rarity), DRs visits, to the kid's school. Even went to pick up Chinese LOL. I know that one day I will be laughing so hard at myself for being so scared. 

SO...please do share with me. A fear, and an instant you felt brave....