To Do Lists

I am always making to do lists, which I seem to loose. The last few weeks I have started to use the notes app on my phone to make my list. Most people make the lst and cross things off as they are completed. My list just grows!!! For every job that gets crossed off I seem to add two, three or even four more it just seems never ending.

My to do list isn't one where I record all the housework or the running around for my family. It is purely the things that need to be done for my jewellery business, my teaching job and for organising the Snug Market each month. I don't even include the social networking activities that help keep both the Snug Market and my jewellery in front of people.

Is there something that I am missing? Am I making some error in the way I try to organise myself? Or am I simply lazy and that is why the list just keeps on growing? I don't have an answer and don't expect one, maybe one day life will stop being so busy and I will have time to complete everything on my to do list.

So looking forward to the day when my list actually gets smaller!

Oh well, time to get back to working on completing those jobs on my to do list.

Until next time (whenever that might be) take care and keep smiling! :)

Dilemma...

Life has become so busy!  It is incredible. 

I thought as my children got older I would have a little more time but I am finding that I seem to have even less!  I seem to be soooo good at filling every minute of every day with things to do. I give up one thing only to take on soemthing else in its place. I think I am trying hard to spend more time at home but I usually end up filling that time with something, whether it is filled with craft, planning for my class at school, working on new jewellery, filling orders, organising the Snug Market or running the Facebook pages that I admin for. My latest thing  is exercise which I tend to become obsessive about, currently it is walking/running with my dog for about 5km every day and attending 5-6 Jazzercise classes each week.

So what I want to know is how anyone juggles what you want to do, what you would like to do, what you have to do and still maintain sanity...

The view at 6am while walking my dog

Whoops!

I know I said that I was going to be regular with my posts but... Well... Umm...

Ok no excuses really, I just have been missing in action, spending time with my family, working fulltime, making jewellery and cards, going to a few markets and spending time with friends. Not much to do really, whoops I forgot to mention I have become obsessed with my latest fitness craze, jazzercise doing up to 9 classes a week! I really don't know why I haven't spent more time writing my blog, hehe.

So here I go again and I will try to be more consistant 😊

Holiday ~ Kuala Lumpur (KL)

KL was incredible.  The shopping was so brilliant! we stayed at Melia Hotel which was quite nice but not to the same standard for service as Park Royal.  The location of the Melia Hotel was perfect though.  It was right opposite the Berjaya Times Square shopping centre and within walking distance to the Petronas Towers, Central Market, China Town and Menara.  We rarely used transport at all.  The food was fantastic with so much variety to choose from.



While in KL we mostly wandered around the city and found thousands of places to shop (although that might be just a slight exaggeration). I did manage to find one shop with beads!

Overall it was a wonderful trip and I returned home relaxed and just a little tanned.

Holiday

My husband and I have now settled back into routine after a wonderful and restful holiday.  We spent 7 days in Penang, an island off the coast of Malaysia and then 4 days in Kuala Lumpur.  It was fantastic and just what we both really  needed.

We stayed at Park Royal Resort, which was perfect.  It was right on the beach with lots of water sports right outside the hotel.  there was a gorgeous pool and the hospitality was amazing.  There was easy access to a huge range of food choices and a night market on the doorstep of the hotel.  There were hotel organised tours (if you wanted them) and plenty to do.  Most of the time though we spent lazing around the pool and  going for walks in the local area.

In Penang, we visited the Botanical Gardens and the Butterfly Farm.  We went to the most incredible temples and wandered around GeorgeTown and the Little India area (the goldsmith shops in Little India were amazing with the jewellers making at the front of the shop so you could watch how they made the intricate pieces of gold work).

Gemstones

I love gemstones and at the moment I am getting quite a collection. The colours and textures are just amazing. My favourite changes every day depending on my mood. I have always loved amethyst but at the moment my favoutire purple would have to be sugilite. One of my closest friends loves rubies, so I bought some to make her a pair of earrings and maybe a bracelet to match a lovely necklace she had but the colour was just a little too pink. I also bought some garnets and this matched her ruby necklace beautifully. I am not sure how I will use them yet but they will probably be wire wrapped and added to a chain as they are only 4mm faceted. I think that gemstones are so versatile, they can be earthy or colourful or even sparkling. They can be mixed with glass, wood, metal, crystal or acrylic and they always look gorgeous. There is such a variety of shapes and sizes as well as cuts it is incredible. I love setting cabochons into simple silver settings but unfortunately I haven't really had much time for that lately. The majority of the gemstones in my collection are beads and I have tried to buy ones which are natural, rather than dyed or man made. Sometimes though I have not been able to resist some of the amazing colours of dyes sea sediment jasper and even some agates. I am so looking forward to making lots of new jewellery during the next couple of months, while I am on long service leave. Hope I don't bombard you all with too many photos of my new creations. I can't wait to get started but will have to wait until I get home from my holiday. Stay safe, happy and keep smiling Lee-Anne :)

Rest!

The last couple of months have been so hectic, between my full time teaching position, the many markets I have been going to with my jewellery and my family life with teenage boys, and organising a very successful fundraising market, life had become rather out of control! It is now time to take back that control with some much needed rest and relaxation. I knew that I was feeling very stressed and exhausted but until I got quite sick I hadn't realised just how bad I was (probably extremely difficult to live with). A week and a half ago I came down with a rather violent gastro bug (curtesy of my gorgeous children at school). After a couple of hours with the bug in full swing I passed out hitting my head quite hard, it was the middle of the night and my hubby woke me. I didn't think much of it so I just went back to bed. My hubby starts work at 5 in the morning and as he is unable to get someone to cover his shift at that hour went to work intending to get home as quickly as he could. I was still feeling very unwell and decided I needed help to get my boys up an off to school. I am so lucky as my Mum lives very close to me. I rang her and she came over to help. Just before 8 I again passed out this time not only hitting my head again but also cutting it quite badly. Now I was scared to move around in case I collapsed again so my mum rang the ambulance. The ambulance took me to the hospital where I was put on a drip to rehydrate me and I had a CT scan to check for any fractures, there were none. I had 6 stitches in the cut above my eye and I was put on an ECG machine to monitor my heart. The ECG results were unusual so I was admitted to the hospital. Through all of this I just thought the gastro bug was the cause of the problem. After a night in hospital, with monitoring, I was feeling much better, the bug was gone and I just had a nasty headache and a black eye. As I was about to be released the doctor who had been taking care of me told me tat my collapses were actually due to a heart condition, Tako Tsubo. I had never heard of it so I googled it when I got home. It is a type of cardiomyopathy brought on by stress! Well that really scared me! I was told that there was no lasting damage and that it would probably never happen again, phew! But the stress in my life will still be there, how much can I change? How do I reduce the stress from many things that are beyond my control? Lucky for me I have an amazing family who are incredibly supportive and wonderful friends. I am now on long service leave from my job, organised almost 12 months ago, it is funny how that sort of thing works out. I am writing this post from a hotel room where my husband and I are staying, without children, to simply rest. The moral here, hmmm, remember to take care of yourself! No matter how busy you are prioritise and ensure there is enough 'down' time and me time to keep yourself healthy. Stay happy, healthy and strong until next time Lee-Anne :)

Whoops!

So much for me trying to post regularly :(

I have been very busy since Easter.  Between working at school with my lovely class of 27 children and spending time running around with my 14 year old and teaching my 17 year old to drive, there is not much time left.  However, I am now one of the organisers of a local monthly market, which I love doing but it is quite time consuming particularly in the week before the market and I am in the process of finalising all the stall holders for a fundraiser market which is being help this Saturday and then I need to find time to make my jewellery.  Okay so I am a little bit on the time poor side but I do love every minute of it. 

I hope that next week I will be able to post about how well the market this weekend went, but at the moment I am still a little worried about the whole experience.  I have wonderful stall holders making donations of their lovely products for lucky door prizes and a silent auction that will be running during the market.  There will be a lovely lady doing face painting for half of the market time.  The BBQ will run throughout the 4 hours and there will be soft drinks available as well as a coffee and cupcake van.  The variety of stall holders is fantastic from jewellery, cards, scrapbooking materials, ceramics, mosaics, painted glass, resin work, soaps, candles, beauty products, stained glass, to some second hand books donated by a shop in the local community.  It should be an awesome day but having never organised something like this before I still worry!

Guess only time will tell...

I will let you all know on Monday how it all went

Have a great week :)

Beautiful...

A stunning day in Hobart today so I took my son to work and then went for a walk on The Domain. Here are some of the pictures I took during my walk

Mount Wellington

Looking towards the Derwent River and the Eastern Shore

Mount Wellington across North Hobart

Walking track

Domain sport fields

Looking toward Glenorchy

Some Healing Properties of Moonstone and Aventurine

I love using gemstones in my jewellery designs.  The stones are lovely to look at and feel beautiful against my skin.  I think the added element for the use of gemstones is the healing and strengthening properties they contain.

My latest pieces are made almost entirely of Green Aventurine and Moonstone, with some Czech glass bugle beads to add balance.

*Moonstone

• Soothes stress and anxiety
• balances emotions
• calms the emotions
• cures headaches

*Aventurine

• heals the heart by releasing emotional stress
• allows reuniting of the healthy heart and soul
• heals emotion pain, fear, negativity and imbalance
• Calm a troubled spirit and brings about inner peace

* from Healing Jewelry: using gemstones for health & well-being Mickey Baskett 2007

Necklaces

I have been loving making necklaces lately.  I have been playing with my Sizzix Big Kick embossing machine and loving it.  It is so much fun to add a piece of plain metal to a folder turn a handle and see what comes out.  I have made lots of different designs and then been adding these pendants to necklaces using lots of techniques.

The combinations of metal, glass and gemstones I have particularly enjoyed working with.  have a look at some of the photos Keri http://www.facebook.com/KeriPennicottPhotography has taken of my necklaces.

Embossed bird, Indian foil glass beads, moonstone and carnelian

Stichtite in Serpentine and Amethyst

Embossed leaf, cream howlite and black crystals

Amethyst and Stichtite in serpentine chips

Flourite

Chrysocolla gemstones

Andreas Needs a Miracle

A family from the school I work at has had a very difficult year.  Their youngest son was born with an irreparable heart condition.  I am currently working on organising a Mother's Day Market as a fundraiser for the family, to assist them during this very stressful time.  They have many trips to Melbourne which leaves the family split.  A hard thing for any family to manage.  It is amazing how well they are all coping.

I am hoping that this market will go a little towards easing their burden and show them how much love and support the local community has for them. For more information on the market or to donate please email me.

To find out more about Andreas and his family have a look at his facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andreas-needs-a-miracle/285106744877956

Until next time

Stay safe and be happy
Lee-Anne :)

Tutorial ~ Memory Wire Bracelet

A memory-wire bracelet is quite simple to make. 

Equipment:

• a kit   

OR

• beads (including spacer beads)
• bracelet memory wire  

PLUS

• round nose pliers
• household pliers (for cutting the wire ~ it is quite tough!)

And patience (haha)

Step 1
Use the house hold pliers to cut 1 1/2 loops of wire.

Step 2
Make a turn on one end of the wire using the round nose pliers.
Note: the end of the wire must make a complete loop any gap will allow the beads to move around or even come off!

Step 3
Thread the beads onto the wire in a pattern you like (experiment with colours and patterns until you are happy). Continue with the pattern until you have about 1cm of wire left.

Step 4
Make a turn with the remaining wire using the round nose pliers.

Step 5
Wear with pride!

Oh, I Love to Multi-Task

I usually try to spend one night a week with my family ~ even if it is just watching TV ~ as often I am making jewellery of an evening.  So last night I sat on the couch with my youngest son and my husband to watch Packed to the Rafters.  During the adds I put together some bookmarks.  Some of these will be heading to Under The Oak in Ulverstone and the rest will go on my market stall.  Hmmm, wonder if I should put some onto my Made-it store or on Etsy?  Maybe?!

Anyway here are the pictures of the ones I made in front of the TV

Turtle ~ Lapis Lazuli; Heart ~ coral; Seastar ~ Turquoise; Fish ~ Chrysocolla

Coral

Unicorn ~ Yellow jade & Smoky Quartz; Dog ~ Carnelian; Fairy ~ Amethyst; Butterfly ~ Rose Quartz

Hope you like my latest creations

Stay safe and happy
Lee-Anne :)

How lucky can you be!

I must be one of the luckiest people ever!

BEACUSE

1. I have a job I love ~ teaching children
2. My family is wonderful and we care about each other and have lots of fun together (and I mean my extended family)
3. My hobby ~ making jewellery ~ is not only a wonderful creative outlet but has meant that I have met so many gorgeous people at market and through social networking
4. I think I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world!  I look at a stunning view every day! The weather is variable but rarely extremely hot or cold, maybe just an occasional day
5. I don't want for anything!  There is enough food to eat and I love my home

These photos were all taken on the stunning West Coast of Tasmania

HOW LUCKY CAN ONE PERSON BE!

Stay safe and be happy :)

Hot days!

Tasmania is a place where the weather is usually quite mild, however that last two days have been almost 40oC which is very hot for here.  I love the warmer weather but this is almost too warm and all you really want is to stay out of the sun or head to the beach with mountains of sunscreen.

Yesterday (Saturday 25/2) the temperature reached 39oC and we felt like we were melting.  The day started with a Jazzercise class (no air-con in the hall!) and then registration for my youngest son for football (Aussie Rules).  By the time I got home, just after 11 in the morning, it was already hot and it was time for the housework to begin.

My eldest son was at work, no air-con there either, and my youngest son slept  in and then went to the beach with some of his friends.

In the evening we had some friends around for a BBQ which was lovely and by the time we went to bed (just after 11) the temperature had dropped to about 26o.

The danger in Australia with dry hot days with wind is of course bush fires.  In fact, you can almost guarantee a couple of fires.  By lunch time we could see a smoke cloud beginning to cover our city of Hobart and the Tasmanian Fire Service were recommending people in a number of small towns implement their bush fire action plans. Rather scary for those people as it means that their houses were under threat!

Today (Sunday) I had a stall at the Snug Market.  The hall has no insulation and no air-conditioning.  By 10am I was already sweltering as were the other stallholders. It was a very quiet day, although the food cooked and supplied by Honey Child was delicious.  By mid-day the sky had clouded over but the cloud was smoke and many of the stall holders were feeling a little edgy as to where the fires were.  Luckily there were no fires close by but ash was falling from the sky.  By 2pm, the market usually closes at 3pm, we had no shoppers and we decided that the best thing to do was pack up.

From the market I headed to my son's cricket game.  I wasn't looking forward to sitting in the sun watching him, however, it was actually really nice as there was a lovely breeze.  My son's team lost, but it was very close! By 6.45 we had large drops of rain and a few rumbles of thunder but not enough to cool the air down.

This was taken of the hills near our home a few years ago ~ it was very scary how fast this bush fire swept through the mountain range

There is still lots of smoke around but the fires are now contained which means that at the moment they are no threat.  Hopefully they will be under control very soon and the firefighters and volunteers can get some much deserved rest.

I am hoping that it is just a little cooler tomorrow as a class full of young children become quite irritable in the heat.

I hope you have a great week.  Stay happy, healthy and safe until next time :)

Back to Work

Well after not working since before Christmas it has been a bit of a shock to the system returning to work this week.  Last week I spent a few hours getting ready and organising my classroom at school as well as setting up a welcome display.  At home during the last week I had been planning what is actually going to happen for the first few days.  The terms planning will be worked on once I have assessed my class and determined every child's exact needs.

Tuesday and Wednesday this week were professional learning days, very long days when you have been use to doing your own thing.  They were full on but I learnt a lot about the Australian Curriculum which is to be used this year. Wednesday's sessions were particularly full with lots to learn in a very short time.  A lovely morning tea was supplied but as everything there contained refined sugar (there was no fruit or cheese) I didn't have any!  (That was amazing for me as I love sweet things!)  Lunch was also delicious with plenty of food which I could enjoy ~ yummy!  The Australain Curriculum will mean a steep learning curve for me as not only do we need to teach the content, skills and capabilities but we are required to assess and report against it with a whole new reporting system.

Today saw the children arrive in the school.  The day begun with meeting the children, most of whom I had already met in the previous year, and their parents.  I was lucky enough to have an ex-teacher assistant helping in my class today which meant that many of the tasks that didn't involve working directly with the children were completed.

Every year, I forget how exhausting the start is, a new group of children mean they need to learn all about my expectations, 'rules' and routines and of course making informal and formal assessments as to where this group of children are at.  These always take a few weeks to become really well established.  I ended my first day in the classroom with very little voice, luckily as soon as I stopped talking it found its way back.

After school today I had a personal training session with PT on Wheels which was fantastic (as always!) and then home to do some of those duties before picking my son up from cricket training.

Phew!!  Now I am very tired and ready for bed (even though it is on 8.30!) but I know that my mind will not shut down yet, so much to think about and organise for these little people whose education for this year I am responsible for, what a big job I have ahead of me.

I love working with children and am looking forward to the challenge of the year ahead.

Stay safe and be happy until next time :)

2011

2011 saw the beginnings of Lee-Anne's Handmade Jewellery and Craft!

2011 saw me head to markets for the first time

2011 saw my family growing up with my eldest starting year 11, college

2011 saw me continuing my learning journey with new techniques in jewellery making

2011 saw me continuing to try to be the best mother and wife I could be

2011 saw the teacher in me having a wonderful year with another fantastic group of Grade 1 children

2011 saw my youngest child becoming independent in his involvement in a World Challenge to Borneo in 2012

2011  was a wonderful year, full of learning experiences and growth.

What will 2012 bring?

Stay safe and happy until next time    :)

Change?

Hmmm, I am not sure that my blog has stayed as I originally intended.  I think, initially it was going to be just about the jewellery. But as I have become more involved with social networking of all sorts, including reading lots of other people's blog, I have come to think that my blog should be about who I am as well.  In many ways it already is.

The posts I made earlier this year about gratitude gave away some clues, although I think it may be time for you to see more of the real me and not just find out about my jewellery.

Thanks for reading and until next time be happy and safe :)

The day after the night before

Had a lovely night at a friends 40th birthday celebration last night.  Wonderful people, lots of laughs, a glass of bubbly or two or three...(think I may have lost count~whoops), fabulous music and yummy nibbles.  The fire was toasty and warm, although I didn't spend much time near it and there was no wind!

I have woken up this morning quite well (thank goodness it was possible for a sleep in though!) surprising really.

Things I am grateful for today

1. good friends with funny stories
2. sparkling wine
3. nice weather
4. friends who know when not to ask 'are you OK?'
5. opportunities to celebrate

An amethyst gift

 Have a wonderful day and keep smiling, Lee-Anne :)

My Addiction!

Hi my name is Lee-Anne and I am a beadaholic!

GOTCHA!!!  I doubt that was what you were thinking about when you read the title of this post.   Not only am I addicted to beads, and all things beady, but I am also addicted to metals and glass.  I could spend hours (and often do) in my little 'craft' room just playing with the beads, sorting, checking and looking.  Not actually doing anything, just dreaming and thinking!  When I can't work out what to make or inspiration has left me just 'playing with the beautiful beads can lead to a new inspiration.

Gemstones from http://www.etsy.com/shop/jewelsexports

Gemstones from www.beadworx.net.au

Today my 5 daily gratitudes come from my addiction...

1. colour
2. glass
3. metal
4. shiny things
5. tools

Strange things to be thankful for but ones that mean a lot to me!

Ooops!

Well ... I was doing well with my daily gratitudes but then came a 'bad' day one when I probably needed to really focus on the wonderful things around me and what happens I don't write!

I spent the day yesterday doing things for others.  I picked up my youngest son from his uncle's house at the beach ~ my youngest loves to fish!  My eldest if learning to drive (yep very scary at times, but he is doing well) and he drove.  He did great until a police car, driving in the opposite direction, suddenly put on his lights and then did a u-turn chasing someone.  Of course, my son thought it was him, he pulled over and (phew) the car went screaming passed.  I had to drive home, no big surprises there.

Later in the afternoon, cricket training was on.  I took the 14 y.o to training and then sat near the water to file a ring I am making for a customer.   Lovely!  Peaceful!  It was so nice I went for a walk. Beautiful, and while walking I started thinking about ways I could put some of my activities into a better perspective so I would have more family time.  By the time I got back to the car I was feeling in a much better mind set (woohoo). And a lesson learnt - it really isn't a good idea to walk in thongs (flip flops) for any length if time unless you like have lots of blisters.

Taken by BraydenKD  http://www.flickr.com/photos/blkd/

5 Daily Gratitudes

1. peace and quiet
2. mindful occupation
3. sleep
4. water
5. perspective

 I hope you all are having a lovely day :)

I Am So Lucky!

Today is the fourth day of of listing my 5 Daily Gratitudes, and I have decided that today is the chance to tell you about why I think I am lucky.

1. I am lucky because I have a job that I love!  What can be better than helping the next generation  reach their full potential?
2. I am lucky because I have a family who love being together.  My brothers, sister, their partners, all of our children and my parents as well as my family love spending time altogether and we go out of our way to ensure it happens at least twice a year.
3. I am lucky because I have everything I need...yes there I things I would like but I don't need them.
4. I am lucky because I get to enjoy having wonderful friends around me.  I can chat to them whenever I want (or need) and they are always there for me.
5. I am lucky because I have a husband who looks after me and knows when I need to be left alone.  He is usually very encouraging and loves me!

Well, those five were very easy to write and I could have listed many more.

My husband and boys at the Twelve Apostles on the Great ocean Road in 2011

Have a beautiful day
Lee-Anne :)

5 Daily Gratitudes

So this is the third day of my gratitudes!  Running a little late today as I had breakfast with some friends, what a lovely way to start the day!

1. friends ~ it doesn't seem to matter how rarely we catch up it is always just like yesterday that we last saw each other.
2. Memories ~ whenever we meet up together we always talk about our beautiful friends who are now angels, we miss them but they're are always with us and together we share wonderful memories of their lives.
3. birds chirping ~ is there a sound which is anymore beautiful first thing in the morning?
4. My children ~ I am so lucky to have two wonderful teenage boys.  They are among the most important things in  my life!
5. walking ~ I love to walk! Walking allows you to take in your environment, think about anything or just tune out and relax

Have a fabulous day!  Catch you tomorrow with more 'gratitudes'!

My boys and I taken about 7 years ago at a lookout on Tasmania's West Coast

To be Grateful For Today ...

Thinking about the five for today.  Let's see...

1. rainbows ~ how can anyone not be thankful for the wonderful rainbows that arrive on the gloomiest of days
2. healthy children ~ when I see and read about all the children who are sick it always makes me so sad and I feel amazed at how strong the parents and siblings are of those children.  I am so lucky that my two are healthy
3. beads ~ I can't imagine my life without them now!  They are my relaxation and enjoyment in so many different ways
4. apricots ~ yesterday we picked our first crop of apricots from our tree and they are so delicious
5. smiles ~every time someone smiles it brightens up not only their day but also the people around them

Have a wonderful day!  I am enjoying starting my day like this, it really does make a lovely positive beginning.

Lee-Anne :)

5 Daily Gratitudes

I am going to try to write every day 5 things that I am grateful for... Hope I can keep it up

1. sunny mornings ~ just like today
2. boats on the river ~ there is nothing like looking out of the window and seeing the boats on the river
3. happy children ~ listening the children laugh and play always puts a smile on my face
4. hugs ~ a friendly hug can brighten even the gloomiest day
5. kisses from my puppy ~ well she is fully grown but her devotion to me and my family is beautiful to see

A cruise ship coming up the Derwent River as seen from my house

 

 

My 'puppy'