Monday, December 21, 2009

Cranberry & Almond Biscotti

This recipe is from 'Better Homes & Gardens, Christmas 2009'

Makes about 60 pieces

Ingredients:
2 eggwhites
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup unblanched almonds
1/2 cup dried cranbrerries
200g white chocolate melts, melted
small silver cachous to decorate

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Grease & line 26 x 8 cm tin with baking paper.
Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Using electric beater, beat eggshites, caster sugar and honey until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick.
2. Sift flour over egg mixture, add almonds and cranberries and beat until well combined. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and smooth top. Bake bread for 30 mins or until light golden. Cool in tin. when completely cold, remove bread from tin. Reduce oven to 160 degrees celsius.
3. Using serrated knife thinkly slice bread. Arrange on prepared trays and bake for 15 minutes or until crisp. Cool.
4. Line a tray iwth baking paper. Dip end of each bread slice in melted chocolate, sprinkle with cachous, put on prepared tray and stand for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Enjoy!

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Induction Day


For Remarkables Primary School.
Went for a walk onsite and then our 'surprise activity' was a helicopter flight up the Remarkables.
Fantastic way to spend a Saturday and nice to meet the other teachers who I will be teaching with next year too.
Smiles.
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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Weekend at the Beach


Fuel Breakfast Church Market
Taieri Beach
Family
Friends
Meeting Coco
Enjoying my camera
Mighty Waves
Nice.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Queenstown Scrap Retreat


I am looking forward to some creative time this weekend :-) Feels like it's been ages since I had the opportunity to get stuck into making stuff! I will be running a workshop on Saturday and am just finishing the instructions for it...Need to put the class kits together tomorrow evening - I had a daughter up most of last night with a tummy bug....two sets of sheets later and lots of janola I am in hope that the rest of us don't get it but that would be rather amazing!

I hope all the reatreat goers enjoy the goodies that I've put together with stuff from Up2Scrap, Scrapbook Outlet and my own 'LaraFUNalia' bits & pieces. If they don't, I hope my darling husband's chef skills make up for it!

Smiles,
Lara

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Yay!


After a full on last weekend putting together an oral presentation for a job interview and an interview that I walked away from feeling very unsuccessfull, two sleepless nights waking thinking of what I 'should have said' in answer to the various questions I was phoned last night to be offered a teaching position on the Remarkables Primary School foundation team - a brand new school opening next year for year 1 and 2's and in mid year the year 3 & 4's then in 2011 the year 5 & 6's with it being a full primary in 2012.

I have been teaching part time and more recently in a roll growth new entrant class at Queenstown Primary which I am thoroughly enjoying. It is reassuring to go into the next year with some job security. It will be a full on year with the school gradually opening and still being in various stages of completion but a fun challenge. The learning spaces, specifically designed tables and no teacher desks in classrooms, whiteboard also cupboard for teaching stations (lap top, resources etc) are innovative and space saving and I'm looking forward to seeing it all come together.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

World Card Making Day 2009


So thought I'd post a collection of cards. Looking forward to some creating tonight! Need to make a few more for a mini market day next Saturday! You can check out the flyer by downloading it from HERE.
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Friday, September 25, 2009

creativity, pancakes and quinces


I got to play with some of the new Basic Grey Ranges for The Scrapbook Outlet last weekend...I love Nook & Pantry even more in rea life! I also had some My Little Shoebox papers and die cuts to work wtih...keep an eye out for the Scrapbook Outlet Ezine!


Saturday Brunch. Best Pancakes!


The Quince Tree.

Yay, Term Break! I am going to an Inspiring Local Thinkers Conference in Invervegas next week, then do some work, then off to the Beach!
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Friday, September 18, 2009

New Entrant Teacher

Really enjoying having my own classroom rather than teaching in a few each day - even if they were daily teaching times in the rooms, there's something about at least having a cupboard to keep my stuff in! My blogging for fun has been really useful with my class blog and as my class grows it will be fantastic to keep parents/whanau up to date and informed, am hoping the children in the class can do some of our videoing and photography for it so it's a real ICT experience for them too.

Have some scrap creating to do this weekend - will be nice to take a break from school stuff and get paper everywhere. A bit of nook & pantry in there too....loved this stuff from the sneaks and cool to have it to play with for the ezine!

Queenstown Scrapretreat Workshops and Day registrations are all go over there!

Smiles.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Up2Scrap and change of roles at work


Picked up this issue at Whitcoulls yesterday - cool comp if you buy it at Whitcoulls at the moment too...
My girls have a page each in this issue, they loved seeing their layouts about dad in print when I showed it to them last night. Thanks Up2Scrap :-)

I signed the papers yesterday at work to take on a 'roll growth' new entrant class till the end of this school year, start in a week's time! Very exciting and daunting, not much time to get organised...have two school visits this week with some of my class coming in.

What do you remember from your new entrant class?

I especially remember 'Where the Wild things are' by Maurice Sendak because my teacher (Miss Potvine) did a corner of the room up like the land of the wild things...hanging vines and all!

Friday, September 04, 2009

Spring Scrap Fashion

Cool competition at Scrapbook Outlet!

GOK inspired - check out the details here
and the first catwalk is here

Prize is a Slice machine worth $260.00 and lots of spot prizes.

Looks fun :-)

Monday, August 24, 2009

Retreat Workshop


Queenstown Scrap Retreat - Spring Workshop.
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Tuesday, August 04, 2009

variations

just posted some variations of the card organiser on my handmade blog as well as some cute list pads I have finally got around to re-making after selling all the other ones earlier this year.

Monday, August 03, 2009

Winter Fest Retreat 09


the group photo. lovely creative ladies :-)
Thanks Sharon for the photos!
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Sunday, August 02, 2009

Weekend Creativity



Yesterday I went to a Stampin Up charity event where we created 3 cards/projects. It raised $900 for the Southland Hospital Intensive Care Baby unit! Some of the ladies had been working on some card organisers in their monthly classes so I wandered around the internet and found instructions which I used to make the above using some of the older October Afternoon Paper collections (too busy just looking at the new ones I got this week from Scrapbook Outlet)...did a couple of things my way (of course) and would do some things differently next time but can see many ways to use the ideas in this project for other things!

I have been keen to do something with paint so last night got out my paints, glitter and buttons and created a wall canvas...at the moment it's up in the lounge while we decide where it should reside. Fun.


smiles, Lara.
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Friday, July 31, 2009

ezine


is out click HERE!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Colour & Word


Week 7 at Aussie Scrap Source :-) Above is my take....check out all the entries at the Aussie Scrap Source site!

Smiles.
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

SENZ 2010

I would love to see this happen in Dunedin....or Christchurh as a second option....

Go vote on the SENZ site!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Style Interior


Saw a link on Penny's blog and thought it looked interesting...perfect interiors, yeah right! I have 3 children and am not the tidiest most organised of people! But I do like what I see in the magazine cover :-)

Check out your style here.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Colours & Words, Week 6.


vote for your fave this week at Aussie Scrap Source.
I found this weeks colour palette really hard to work with...but think I got there with a lot of help from 3 Bugs & the slice with a little cosmo cricket.

Earthquake last night shook us all up a bit...was busy playing Settlers of Catan (board game) with my Parents in-law and I felt like I was rocking....it just kept going so we all got under door frames in the hallway (including the kids who had been sleeping soundly till we woke them). Eventually it stopped, then started, then stopped, then started...then stopped. It was 7.8 on the Richter scale. The kids took a while to get back to sleep. Was a rolling quake rather than a short sharp shift.

Term Break almost over.
Smiles.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

hero arts big week


Check out the Hero Arts blog for a big week of giveaways, competitions and inspiration :-)

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Colours & Words Week 5


Here's my layout for the colours & words comp at Aussie Scrap Source :-) The blue paint looks a little different IRL. There are only 3 entries this week! The next couple of weeks colour challenges are on the blog too, check them out, give it a go & vote for your faves :-)
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

cool 100th post giveaway...


Check out Clare's blog for info!
Love the frog & I've been eyeing up the homesewn mag for a while...

Crochet hat


I came up with this pattern by following a pattern but doing my own thing LOL...how very typical, sometimes it works.
I used a possum merino wool from the Milton Woolen Mill so it's really soft!
Thanks for the papers Kim, will get this in the post to you.
Smiles.
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Monday, July 06, 2009

Queenstown Scrap Retreat Competition

for early bird registrations...not one, not two but three of the handmade bags that were part of the giveaways at the Winter Fest Retreat....get your reg form and deposit paid by July 31st for a chance to win all three of the different colour ways.

See the Queenstown Spring Scrap Retreat Blog for further info.

I'm currently working on workshops for the retreat...any suggestions are welcome! I'm thinking that lots of gift ideas would go down a treat in November. I wonder what the chef will come up with to delight us for the A La Carte dinner on the Saturday night this time???

Smiles

Sunday, June 28, 2009

more cards

These ones wouldn't fit on the previous post unfortunately! the Storybook Cricut fave cut, pearls, SU stamp, Prima Flower and more SLICE acetate - this time in silver.
Love these Prima Flowers!
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Queenstown Scrap Retreat


Created a few layouts...and some cards that I am uploading here. Enjoyed playing with a 'big kids' design card for the SLICE - cut the dinosaur above using this card and some of the SLICE acetate, lots of people loved the acetate. I used the acetate in one of the circles on the 'be happy' card just below too and couldn't resist some of the Sassafrass Brads ( the red one in the centre of the circle below is one of them). the scalloped square is also a 'SLICE' cut - from Basics 1 Card that comes with the Slice (the circles are from this card too).



collected these prima flowers from the table where I sat (thanks Andrea).


More delicious flowers but this time mixed with some bling brads and my favourite cut from the Storybook Cricut Cartridge.

Had a nice weekend away - refreshing to sit back, away from my family and reflect on what I love about them all!
Nice to be home again too.

My favourite part of the weekend (other than watching everyone's reactions to the beautifully decorated tables, the handmade bags with goodies in, their 'technique booklets' and their little accomodation packages) had to be dinner last night which my husband prepared and served to us! I posted the menu on the Queenstown Scrap Retreat Blog. He wowed us all and we just about rolled back to the scrap room afterwards!

Now on to organising our Spring Queenstown Retreat!
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

gift album


I was about to organise some photos to take to Smiths City to get printed for creating with at the Scrap Retreat (using vouchers I got at the Dunedin Scrap Camp earlier this year - thanks Carol & Naomi)...and found the album pages and remembered I hadn't shared them yet. Basically I used a 3 Ring Making Memories pink courderoy album from Scrapbook Outlet. It had pre-made pages in it, I used a few of these but mostly created my own 8 x 8 inch pages and added some more page protectors too. With the gift I am including some photo splits so the recipients can stick their photos in and add in their thoughts & memories too. I haven't given it to them yet, it's wrapped by the door to take with us next time we are likely to see them!

OK, now better go and pick some photos to scrap in the weekend!

smiles.
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Friday, June 19, 2009

Colours and Words

at Aussie Scrap Source

my week two layout is on the site...and you can vote for your fave. Nice to see Julie B's layout there too :-)


above is the layout I did for the Week one challenge.
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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Queenstown Spring Retreat

Spring Creative Retreat in Queenstown will begin on Thursday 19th of November at 7pm and conclude on Sunday 22nd November 3pm (you will be able to select a Thurs or Friday arrival).

Will post more when registrations are open.

Smiles,
Lara

netball

game today. three members of the team away. two girls from the other Arrowtown team. Won 2-1.
Yay! We went out for breakfast to celebrate (game was at 8:30am). Phonecall. Miss K had a rash. no breakfast. to doctors. $47 with penicilin & loritadine for strep throat. home.

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