Girl's Night In

DH is away on a work conference down in Nelson so a friend and I had a girl's night in + sleepover and did some crafty stuff.

Bag of Christmas cards for DS's teacher, plus the cards.

Layout of our visit to Bethells

Finally did a page relating to this incident...

Bigger sizes are on my Flickr photostream - just click on the photos.

Customs Street East, Auckland, 1924

Customs Street East, Auckland, 1924
Originally uploaded by National Library NZ on The Commons.

Cool! National Library of New Zealand have joined Flickr's Common's project! Awesome! Read about it here.

It was launched today at National Digital Forum which I was able to attend in the afternoon (and will also go tomorrow afternoon).

Some very exciting things happening around the place... more about these soon.

gingerbread man

gingerbread man
Originally uploaded by pdugmore2001.

For Scrapbook Outlet's Very Sweet Christmas Competition, Week 4 challenge. I traced his shape from the cookie cutter we have, blanket stitched him and sewed on the buttons and ribbon. Added some stickles for glitter on the rick rack, bow tie and eyebrows.

He does look like he's got a bad strabismus but Missy Moo thinks he's cute and wanted to take the "teddy" to daycare. DS thought he was "beautiful" and got all excited about putting up the tree. However, he's going to have to wait until about the 13th Dec before we put it up! ;)

Have yourself a Homemade Christmas

This time last year I was heavily into preparing home made gifts to give for Christmas. I thought I would share some of the recipes I used as well as submit this to the Make It From Scratch Carnival (currently hosted here).

I made a number of eco-bags for people using this pattern:
Eco-bag Tutorial
but there are many more tutorials on how to make eco bags, gift bags and totes out there on the "Internets". Try searching the Sew Mama Sew blog for example. Or, download the free patterns from Ottobre.

I made Mint Sauce from the Edmonds Cookbook, and some herbed vinegars as well (recipes from some place on the web).

I created my own labels for many of these things. I've uploaded them to Flickr and they are free for you to use if you decide to make some of this stuff.

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My bottles of lemon cordial were popular.

Lemon Cordial (recipe from Melissa)
2 kg sugar
1 litre water
25gm citric acid
25gm tartaric acid (you can get these at the supermarket)
Juice of 6 lemons
Zest of 2-3 lemons

Dissolve sugar in water over heat in a stockpot.
Heat just to the boil but don't boil.
Add citric and tartaric acids.
Stir to ensure everything is dissolved.

Cool a bit. Stir in juice and zest.
Bottle in clean bottles (I got mine from Arthur Holmes).

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The Chocolate Panforte was delicious and also very popular. I think I will be making these again this year as they don't take long.

Joyce Black’s Panforte (from Cuisine magazine, )

125g almonds, blanched and skinned
125g hazelnuts
25g Brazil nuts (opt)
50g drained preserved ginger, finely sliced
50g glace cherries, halved
75g preserved orange peel, chopped small
2/3 cup flour
2 T cocoa
1 t cinnamon
75g dark chocolate
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup honey
3 T water

Chop almonds and spread in a shallow baking pan. Roast in a low oven to dry and just faintly colour. Roast hazelnuts in oven at 160°C until just starting to darken then tip into a cloth and rub vigorously to remove skins.

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a round, 20cm diameter sponge tin x 4 cm deep. (I used mini spring form tins to make 3 small panforte). Line base and sides with baking paper. Do not grease paper.

Chop all the nuts coarsely. Mix cooled nuts, ginger, cherries and peel. Sift together flour, cocoa and cinnamon. Mix with nuts and fruit. Break chocolate into squares and melt over hot water or in the microwave.

In a saucepan stir sugar, honey and water over low heat to completely dissolve sugar. Bring to boil and boil to soft ball stage i.e. a little syrup dropped in a cup of cold water can be gathered with fingers into a ball). Remove pan from heat immediately.

Working quickly with a very firm stirring utensil, mix syrup, chocolate, nuts and fruit together. Spread into lined tins. Smooth tops with back of a wet spoon. Bake for 35-40 mins. Cool in tin. When cold, remove the paper. Wrap in waxed paper then foil, sealing well. Store in cool place until Christmas. The panforte will soften slightly with storage. Lovely served with coffee or something stronger like sherry or a liqueur.

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The rhubarb vanilla mince for Christmas Mince Pies was very yummy and actually never made it into pies in my house - it got eaten on toast like jam and mixed into porridge.

Rhubarb Vanilla Mince (from Nigella Lawson's Feast book)

1 kg rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 5mm slices
300g soft dark brown sugar
2 vanilla pods
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
225g raisins
225g sultanas
225g currants
2 tablespoons brandy

Put the sliced rhubarb with the sugar into a large pan. Cut the vanilla pod into halves lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then cut each half into pieces, adding seeds and pod slices to the pan. Add the mixed spice and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the dried fruits and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in the brandy, and take off the heat. When it is cool enough to handle, bottle in jars.

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Spice blends are easy to make and are very handy for both meat and vegetables on the grill or BBQ or roasted in the oven. My favourite is this Ras el Hanout (from Cuisine magazine, 01 / 09 / 04 by Julie Le Clerc) which can be used in tagines as well. I put mine in some cleaned baby food jars that I decorated appropriately.

Ras el Hanout (a Moroccan spice blend)

1 t each coriander, fennel and cumin seeds, dry roasted and ground*
1 t gr. Turmeric
1 t gr. Paprika
1 t gr. Cinnamon
½ t cayenne
½ t gr. Ginger
½ t gr. Nutmeg
½ t gr. Allspice
½ t gr. Cardamom
½ t sea salt
½ t freshly gr. Black pepper

*To dry roast spices: Get out a heavy frying pan (I use a cast iron one), and heat on the stove top. Don't use oil/butter etc, you just want to toast them. Add the spices to the pan and stir/shake them until you can smell them beginning to toast. Remove from the pan and allow to cool before grinding and mixing with the other ingredients.

Combine all the spices and store in a sealed jar. Makes 3 Tablespoons. Use in tagines, couscous or as a rub for meats/roast veges.

I also made some rubs from one of my cookbooks, Joy of cooking by Irma S Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, (1997), Simon and shuster: NY, pg 86-7

West Indies Dry Rub

Goes well with pork, poultry, lamb or beef.

1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup coriander seeds

Combine in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, shaking pan often to prevent burning, 2-3 minutes.

Grind to a fine powder in a grinder, blender or mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl and add:

1/4 cup curry powder
1/4 cup ground white pepper
1/4 cup ground ginger
1/4 cup salt
2 T ground allspice
2 T ground red pepper

Sir well together. Rub will stay potent for up to 6 weeks if covered and kept in a cool, dark, dry place.

Cajun dry rub

Use with chicken, fatty fish, steaks or vegetables - coat before grilling, frying of sauteing. It caramelises into a tangy crust. Expect the spice to smoke during cooking.

Stir together in small bowl:

1 T cracked black peppercorns
1 T salt
2 T crushed fennel seeds
1 t dried thyme
1 t sweet or hot paprika
1 t dry mustard
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t gr red pepper
1 t gr sage

Rub will stay potent if covered and kept in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 6 weeks.

Southern dry rub

Dry roast:

1/4 cup cumin seeds

Grind into powder and add to:

1/4 cup light/dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet or hot paprika
1/4 cup chilli powder
2 T ground red pepper
1 t ground mace
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns

Stir together well. Keep in cool, dark, dry place for up to 6 weeks.

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Christmas Biscuits (Cookies) (from Melissa)

Makes 4 dozen biscuits.

Melt: 225g butter and 3 T golden syrup

Add:

3 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
6 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix well and then add:

1 beaten egg

Place small teaspoons on a greased tray. Don't roll into balls as this affects the texture. Bake for 10-12 mins depending on whether you like softer or crispy biscuits at 170°C

These freeze well.

Oatmeal Choc-chip Biscuits (Cookies) (think I got these from Bron Marshall's blog)

250g butter @ room temp
300g muscovado sugar
300 g castor sugar
2 large eggs
2 T milk
2 t vanilla extract
300g plain flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
300g rolled oats
250g choc chips

Preheat oven to 180°C; line 2 baking trays with baking paper

Cream butter and sugars in large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Add to creamed butter and sugar in 3 batches mixing thoroughly between batches. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, gradually beat into sugar mixture. Stir in oatmeal and choc chips. Bake 1 inch balls of mixture 10-13 mins (allow for spreading). Cook on tray before removing to rack.

PISTACHIO & CARDAMOM COOKIES

125g softened butter
½ cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup toasted pistachio nuts, ground
½ cup plain flour
½ cup corn flour

Beat together butter and icing sugar to just combine.
Stir in cardamom, sifted flour, ground pistachios, and sifted corn flour.
Remove to a lightly floured work surface and knead to bring together.
Roll out dough to 1.5 cm thickness, cut into preferred shapes with a cutter, place on a lightly greased oven tray and prick with a skewer.
Bake in oven heated to 150 ° C for 20 mins or until pale golden.
Remove to a wire rack to cool and then pack into airtight containers.
Dust with icing sugar to serve. Makes 20 small cookies.

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Biscotti can be an elegant homemade gift wrapped in a cellophane bag with a pretty tag attached. They keep well and are a nice, sweet treat for having with coffee.

I've made all of these at one time or another. My favouriate are the coffee and hazelnut ones. These recipes are from Great Italian food, Australian Womens Weekly, (2002), Sydney:ACP publishing, pg 238-9

COFFEE & HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

½ cup caster sugar
1 egg, beaten lightly
¾ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon espresso-style instant coffee
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
110g dark chocolate, melted

Whisk sugar and egg together in medium bowl; stir in flour, baking powder and coffee. Stir in nuts; mix to a sticky dough. Using floured hands, roll into a 20cm log. Place on greased tray.

Bake uncovered in moderate oven about 25 mins or until browned lightly and firm. Cool on tray.

Using a serrated knife, cut log diagonally into 1cm slices. Place slices on lightly greased oven tray.

Bake uncovered in moderately slow oven about 15 mins or until dry and crisp, turning halfway through.

Spread chocolate over one cut slice of each biscotti. Allow to set at room temperature.

SWIRLED CHOC-ALMOND BISCOTTI

60g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs
2 ¼ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups almond kernels chopped coarsely
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup plain flour extra

Beat butter, sugar, essence in medium bowl until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined between additions. Stir in flour, baking powder, soda and nuts. Cover, refrigerate 1 hour.

Halve dough. Knead cocoa into one half of the dough. Shape into a 30cm log. Knead extra flour into remaining dough and shape into 30 log. Gently twist cocoa log and plain log together. Place on greased tray and bake in moderate oven about 45 mins or until firm. Cool on tray.

Using serrated knife cut log diagonally into 1cm slices. Place slices on ungreased oven trays. Bake uncovered in moderately slow oven about 15mins or until dry and crisp, turning halfway though cooking. Cool on wire racks.

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More entries for the Scrapbook Outlet Very Sweet Christmas Competition

For week 2: Make 3 Christmas Cards.  Done! I used the Paper Pesto kit I got (the November kit).  Lovely stuff in there and I do enjoy the little robins.

Week 3: A layout of the family's wish list (or a member of the family).  Wow - I actually completed this one on time to get into the raffle! LOL! (It's a sad indictment on my time these days.  This time last year I'd already started/made a bunch of Christmas presents.  *sigh* ).

Anyway, I asked DS what he wanted for Christmas and told him to make a list or draw what he wanted.  He loves combine harvesters.  He tells me "I've never been on a harvester before" in a sad, longing voice. He also tells me in painstaking detail what each bit of the harvester does, and all about the "gwain" that gets taken to the mill and made into flour, which then gets made into bread.  He currently likes the Little Red Hen story for this reason, and if I do any baking he tells me, "Wait!  I will get some "gwain" and make flour for you!". 

I used the October SBO kit for this one.  Another yummy kit which suits my tastes entirely with lots of green, browns and "natural" colours.
You may recall this photo of my garden at the beginning of the season.  Now it looks like this! :-)

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Week 1: Scrapbook Outlet's very sweet Christmas competition

Finally finished my entry for the week 1 challenge of Scrapbook Outlet's Christmas challenges.  I decided to do the "12 days until Christmas" theme.  I'm hoping to put these on a ring but I need to borrow a crop-a-dile or something because the card is too thick for my baby punch.


I hope to finish the Week 2 entry tonight! *cross fingers* and that will mean I will more or less be on target for this week (3) layout to be done.

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Analyse your blog

Thanks to Stephen I have analysed my blog using the following tools.

Readability
Apparently I write at high school level. Heh.

Typealyzer
Supposedly decides which side of the brain you use to write your blog. Apparently I use more my left hand side!

ISTP - The Mechanics

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generelly prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

Gender Analyzer
Appears to be gender neutral (a slight preference for male). *snort*

How 'bout you?

Saturday morning randomness

I voted - did you?






























These cuties were being offered free to a good home so I collared them. I know they're a bit kitsch but I like 'em.

This is what happens to Indian food when 4 librarians get together! I met up with CW and Kathryn who were over for the LIANZA conference. So neat to meet people I've chatted to online. My colleague Fran joined us. (My face matches the pink wall! And I only had a mango lassi so I can't blame any alcohol. :-P) My long suffering DH came too and put up with us talking shop.

October Reading Round Up

Soldier Boy: a young New Zealander writes home from the Boer War / complied by Kingsley Field
Very interesting.  Felt for the boy facing a rapid "growing up" process.

Dreamscapes /Tamara McKinley
From the blurb: Catriona Summers' debut in show business came early. Her father, the leader of a travelling music hall troupe that toured the small towns of the Outback, carried her on stage when she was barely minutes old in order to introduce her to her first audience. From such humble beginnings Catriona had grown up to emerge as a rare talent, her voice garnering her praise from the public and critics alike. But her journey from performing popular songs for a few pennies to becoming an acclaimed opera diva on the Sydney stage, has been fraught with hardship and tragedy. And now some old scandalous secrets from her teenage years are threatening her present, her family and all she has achieved.  Not a bad read but it did seem to drag in places.  I found myself skimming bits.  I think the author could have easily made a 2 series out of this story.

Windflowers / Tamara McKinley
From the blurb: Claire can't wait to escape the harshness of ranching life for college and a career in the big city. Sydney in the 1960s seems a lot more vibrant and exciting than Warratah Cattle Station. But then she is summoned home to face her indomitable mother.
Found the story a little bit predictable but an enjoyable read.

Hotel of secrets / T. J. Joyce
From the blurb: In the lush jungle of New Guinea, the local hotel is where the lives of eight unlikely people will intertwine to form a tangled web of intrigue and lies. Four young girls - Eilish: a member of the IRA and on the run from British authorities. Rhoda: Daddy’s little rich girl, forced to leave her life of privilege behind. Maureen: a prostitute whose best friend has just been murdered. Carol: a university student no longer able to bear the weight of her parents’ expectations. Four men - The police inspector: a man whose sexual depravity and lust for power make him a threat to everyone he sets his sights on. Duncan: manager of the hotel, haunted by memories, tortured by his secrets. Bumbu: an old Kanaka, bosboi of the hotel, and a man fiercely loyal to those whom he loves. Mick: the lonely Sydney detective sent in to solve the case when one man disappears. Is it simply a disappearance or could it be murder?  I enjoyed this one some of the time.  It's a bit raw in places, and some parts seemed a bit contrived, but overall it was an okay book.  Not sure I'd go out of my way to read more.

The limits of enchantment / Graham Joyce
Growing up in the 1960s under the tutelage of unconventional midwife Mammy, Fern Cullen finds the people of their small English village rallying against them when a patient dies, forcing Fern to turn to former adversaries for support.  I found this one very engaging, and slightly weird but good.

The year we seized the day: a true story of friendship, fury and sore feet / Elizabeth Best and Colin
A compelling and inspirational account of how two very different Australian writers tackle their demons walking a medieval pilgrimage across Spain.

The ripening sun/ Patricia Atkinson
In 1990, Patricia Atkinson and her husband moved to the Dordogne, planning to earn their living as financial consultants, while an employee tended their small vineyard. Then the stock-market crashed, her husband returned to England and she was left to salvage their life savings from the vineyards.  Really enjoyed this book though it is not without it's sad bits.  I never realised how much work a vintner has to do.

The last concubine / Lesley Downer
Sachi, a beautiful 15 year old is "discovered" in a remote mountain village, taken from her adoptive parents and eventually becomes the Shogun's concubine.  Her life changes from a simple peasant life to one of complexities, intrigue and luxury.  But Japan is changing - the balance of power between the emperor and the shogun is tipping, Western foreigners have come eager to make Japan part of their empire too.  There are opportunities for Sachi to either choose or reject to make her life change once again.  I enjoyed the story and characters in this book.  Well worth reading.


As for scrapbooking LOs this month - I think I've done about 2-3!  So slack..
But I did do some sewing so that should could towards my craft quotient!  Not that it matters of course since I'm the only one who is counting. ;-)  Heh heh. 

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Sketchbook Retreat ..is overrrrrrrrrr

But I had a great time, nasty cold viruses notwithstanding!

The company was great, the food delicious (both the catering and baking done by the attendees of which I ate far too much!). The venue worked very well and I think everyone had fun. Megan deserves a big shout out for organising the event - she did a great job so far as I am concerned. Crafty Tart provided us with retail therapy - I think they got a shock at us rabid shoppers but never mind!

Furthermore, I did get some scrapping done which I suppose was the whole idea! LOL! It was nice to have some me time - a big thank you to my long suffering DH who had to deal with poopy nappies and a grumpy little girl who missed her mum.

*Edited to add: blogger has chopped off some of the photos so you'll have to visit my Flickr stream to see them in full glory. Just click on them.*

My Table


















Angela and Sandra


















Tracy, Annelie, Hannah, Megan, Sam, Faye, Michelle & Sarah-Jane (both obscured)


















Delys (great to finally meet you!), Angela, Danice (*I think* standing), Bronwyn, Rachel, Carolyn, Cheryl, Jodi (obscured), Delwyn, Ann and Lisa at the end.

Table opposite


















Not all the girls are facing the camera but Debs, Louise, Lesley, Carol, Lianne, Lisa and Kelly are visible.

Faye teaching her class - a mini album.


















Nic teaching - a cool layout with a mini book on the layout























Faye's mini-album class













































Little Halloween bag that Kelly made for everyone! Very sweet. :-)


















A layout of mine - very basic






























My LO from Nic's class - awesome design














































Scrapbook Outlet's Challenge pack Layout - one of them anyway. I did another with I left to be judged in the competition...





























I didn't get photos of the Halloween dress ups but there were some very creative ladies there! This was reflected in their work as I cruised around looking at the tables. It got quite intimidating actually! Some famous names attended the Retreat. But when I got home I realised that I need to change my attitude and instead look at what I admire about the work from those creative ladies instead of feeling lacklustre.

One thing I noticed is they do a lot more layering than I do, and there is more detail in their layouts. I would like to do a bit more of these things in my layouts. I tend to do things that aren't so busy with lots of elements. I admire the textured look they achieve with ripping, tearing, inking and so on too.

Another thing I'd like to do is more classes - bit tricky when my time is so full so I'm not sure how I'll fulfil this. Maybe online classes will have to be the go.

By the end of the Saturday night I'd started to wilt - I have a yukky cold and it was getting the better of me. Plus I'd run out of card stock suitable for the remaining photos I had and no motivation to get some from the shop. So I wended my way home and I was very glad to see my family and bed!

Thanks for everything Sketchbook, Megan and fellow scrapping women.

Playing with colour

This is cool. Using the Multicolr Search Lab you can create a mosaic of photos from Flickr containing up to 10 colours. I did some Christmas colours.

Just a weekend sew and sew

Been trying to get some sewing done.

Some time ago, Nichol Magouirk posted a card to demonstrate dry embossing which I loved. I'm "in to" trees right now. I had this idea that they would be cool on a skirt. I made some for a couple of eco-bags and then decided to add some to a skirt.

I had some material I'd been given that was quite old but seemed fine and I sewed it up, wore it once and the material ripped on me. Obviously it was rotten! To say I was gutted is putting it mildly. So last weekend I finally got the enthusiasm to remake it with some new fabric!





















I went into Spotlight looking for something (a zip I think) and naturally gravitated to the fabric section (as you do) to discover they had their summer cottons out to tempt me. So this one lept into my arms along with a pattern.













Not sure now about the length... might be too short for a 30-something-on-the-downward-slide-to-40 to wear to work ya think? Or am I too self-conscious?

Then I couldn't let my daughter miss out so she got a skirt from this cupcake fabric using this free pattern, and I have plans for one like the green polka dots from the apple fabric.















I would have made up the apple fabric this weekend but I discovered a few things:
a) I'd cut the wrong size out (too big)
b) I ran out of interfacing and Spotlight (who have the worst customer service) didn't have the right type so I had to go to the Fabric Barn
c) Fabric Barn in Henderson are closing down (and all fabric is half price so another 2 metres of fabric lept into my arms there)
d) so frustrating to reduce the size having already done the over-locking that I only managed to do one skirt instead of two!
e) being grateful for small mercies that I cut it too big and not too small
f) I need blinkers when I visit fabric stores otherwise I end up seeing things that want to come home with me
g) I {heart} fruit prints

A tag

My friend Jenny tagged me to tell you 10 of my husband's favorite things. After censoring the less family-friendly answers, this is what I got out of him. *snort* I asked why his family wasn't on the list and he said, "Well you said favourite things."

1. Photography - well this one was obvious. He's a landscape/wildlife person. Doesn't do people or street photography type stuff. Tends to the more traditional end of the spectrum in terms of style and doesn't think too much of overworked Photoshopped-to-the-nth-degree type stuff. Which makes it interesting because it seems like the PSNZ is tending towards that sort of stuff when it gives out awards these days. He would love to have more time to explore this hobby. *aside* It amuses me that the 3 guys I had relationships with (and married one of them), all were into photography. In fact one of them now owns a glamour photography business.
   
2. Big white lens - a lust after item! He does have one BWL, but he'd like a bigger one to get up close and personal to birds with.
   
3. Computers/ gadgets - he's really good at electronics stuff (it's his job) so luckily for me he can do some useful things when the computer dies.
   
4. Music - he plays the piano, the piano accordion and is teaching himself the guitar. He listens to music regularly.
   
5. Food - his tastes have expanded as he has got older and upon leaving home.
   
6. Birds (the feathered kind) - particularly natives.
   
7. The bush - this is his happy place. Whereas I'm a beach/water person, he prefers the bush.
   
8. Trains - where do you think DS got his obsession from!? He's planning to build a model train one day.
   
9. Chocolate - dark of course, like me ;)
   
10. Coffee - he makes a really good flat white, as good as any barista. He scorns these machines that do all the work for you and has one that requires his input. It really spoils me for anything else! LOL!
    

Mindset

I mentioned in my reading round up post that I wanted to write more about this book:

Mindset: the psychology of success / Carol S Dweck

This writer believes people have a tendency to a particular mindset, and this affects how successful they are.

A person with the Fixed Mindset thinks that:

• Your intelligence/artistic talent/sports ability/business skill is something very basic about you that you can’t change very much.
• You can learn new things but you can’t really change how intelligent etc you are.
• You are a certain kind of person and there is not much that can be done to really change that.
• You can do things differently but the important parts of who you are can’t really be changed.

This person is:

• supersensitive about making mistakes and being wrong
• always trying to prove themselves
• trying to confirm their superiority
• concerned how you will be judged

A person with the Growth Mindset thinks that:

• No matter how much intelligence/artistic talent/sports ability/business skill you have you can always change quite a bit.
• You can always change substantially how intelligent etc you are.
• No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially
• You can always change basic things about the kind of person you are.

This person:

• is concerned with improving
• thinks important qualities can be cultivated
• will confront obstacles and stretch themselves

It is possible for people to have a mix of mindsets for particular areas of their lives.

I found this book interesting on several levels. Firstly, as a teacher/learner I'm always interested in learning about how to be a better teacher/learner. Secondly, as a parent I'd like to be someone who is able to encourage certain traits in my kids, and learn how I can be a better parent. Thirdly, I'd like to understand better the whole artistic/creative thing for myself - how to get the best out of it.

I recognise myself in both mindsets. When it comes to thinking about intelligence and learning, I'm more in the growth mindset point of view. But when it comes to my artistic creative side I tend towards the fixed mindset. When I think about my interest in creative writing I definitely am a fixed mindset person!

Artistic ability - is it a gift? Many people would agree with these statements.

“…some people seem to naturally draw well or poorly.”

“... view drawing as a magical ability that only a select few will possess, and that only a select few will ever possess.”

I found the author's response to these statements interesting. She writes that some of the famous artists e.g. Jackson Pollack early work was hardly inspiring. She says,

“... people don’t understand the components - the learning components - of drawing. Actually… they are not drawing skills at all but seeing skills. They are the ability to perceive edges, spaces. Relationships, lights and shadows and the whole. .. Some people simply pick up these skills in the natural course of their lives, whereas others have to work to learn them and put them together.”

She refers to the book Drawing on the right side of the brain by Betty Edwards. This author has shown that people who take her drawing class will dramatically improve their drawing skills through their learning of how to see. My Dad worked through this book, and I have to say I agree.

Edwards states,

“Just because some people can do something with little or no training, it doesn’t mean that others can’t do it (and sometimes do it even better) with training.”

I was also interested in her chapter on teachers and parents, particularly this section.

Praising children’s intelligence or talent … sends a fixed mindset message. It makes their confidence and motivation more fragile. Instead, try to focus on the processes they used - their strategies, efforts or choices.

I had read somewhere that it is good to praise a child's efforts, and had been attempting to do that but this reaffirmed why I want to continue doing so.

From a teaching standpoint, I found this paragraph food for thought.

Lowering standards doesn’t raise student’s self-esteem. But neither does raising standards without giving students ways of reaching them. The growth mindset gives you a way to set high standards and have students reach them. Try presenting topics in a growth framework and giving students process feedback.

It's so easy to spoon feed our students. Many of them come with so little patience for and knowledge of good, efficient information seeking habits. I'd like to learn how to inculcate a little "growth mindset" into them!

On a personal level, I was interested in the section on relationships. Some of this stuff I've had to learn the hard way. I sure wish I'd known it earlier.

The fixed mindset thinks if you have to work at it, it wasn’t meant to be. A fixed mindset person expects everything good to happen automatically, to magically occur through their love like in a fairy tale. John Gottman [relationship researcher] says, that one of the most destructive beliefs for a relationship is

“If we need to work at it, there’s something seriously wrong with our relationship.”

He says

“Every marriage demands an effort to keep it on the right track; there is a constant tension… between the forces that hold you together and those that can tear you apart.”

A no-effort relationship is a doomed relationship. It takes work to communicate accurately and it takes work to expose and resolve conflicting hopes and beliefs. It doesn’t mean there is no “they lived happily ever after”, but it’s more like “they worked happily ever after.”

The book is US-centric and got annoying in places with the focus on story telling, but there is a chapter about how to change your mindset. I found it thought provoking.

How is this for a personal library?

This. Is. So. Cool.

Jay Walkers Geek Library

Take me there now.

Video of a TED presentation about the library.

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Can hardly believe the evidence!

But I actually did some scrapbooking. And card making on International Card Making Day (Sat 4th Oct).

Tried to do some tricky modge podging + stencilly dots + glitter on this one but it didn't turn out exactly as I planned.



















Used some funky stickers that Sandra kindly RAKed me with and some rub ons that Mel kindly RAKed me with too. :-)














Forgot to add the title before I took this photo. The blank space is for a larger photo I've got of him sitting at the front of the class with his special crown on. It's on the computer but I've run out of matte paper to print on. (DH has the matte black cartridge in the printer at present. Our next printer will have both matte and gloss because it's so annoying for both of us!).

Whitcoulls Top 100 List

CW blogged about Angus & Robertson's top 100 list, I thought I'd do Whitcoulls...
The ones in bold I have read.

1. Lord of the rings / JRR Tolkien
2. My sister's keeper / Jodi Picoult
3. Pride and prejudice / Jane Austen (a favourite)
   
4. Cross stitch / Diana Gabaldon
5. Harry Potter & the dealthy hallows / JK Rowling
6. The bronze horseman / Paullina Simons
7. The Da Vinci code / Dan Brown
8. The power of one / Bryce Courtenay
9. The pillars of the earth / Ken Follet
10. The other Boleyn girl / Phillipa Gregory
11. The lovely bones: a novel / Alice Sebold
12. To kill a mocking bird / Harper Lee (ages ago, should read it again)
    
13. The kite runner / Khaled Hosseini
14. The time traveler's wife / Audrey Niffenegger
15. Holy Bible (try to read something everyday)
    
16. The hobbit / J R R Tolkien
17. Magician / Raymond Feist
18. The clan of the cave bear / Jean M Auel
19. Nineteen minutes / Jodi Piccoult
20. Gone with the wind / Margaret Mitchell (think Scarlett is a whinging female dog)
    
21. Angels and Demons / Dan Brown
22. Harry Potter and the half-blood prince / J K Rowling
23. The Poisonwood bible / Barbara Kingsolver
24. Into the wilderness / Sara Donati
25. A thousand splendid suns / Khaled Hosseini
26. Life of Pi / Yann Martel
27. Memoirs of a geisha / Arthur Golden
28. Jessica / Bryce Courtenay
29. Birdsong / Sebastian Faulks
30. Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone / J K Rowling
31. Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix / J K Rowling
32. A fine balance / Rohinton Mistry
33. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe / C S Lewis
34. Jane Eyre / Charlotte Bronte
35. Rachel's holiday / Marian Keyes
36. The memory keeper's daughter / Kim Edwards
37. Shantaram: a novel / Gregory Roberts
38. Pact: a love story / Jodi Picoult
39. Tea Rose / Jennifer Donnelly
40. Change of heart / Jodi Picoult
41. Angela's ashes / Frank McCourt
42. Mister Pip / Lloyd Jones
43. The girl in Times Square / Paullina Simons
44. Twilight / Stephanie Meyer
45. This charming man / Marian Keyes
46. Wuthering heights / Emily Bronte (I tried, I really did)
    
47. River God / Wilbur Smith
48. The Persimmon Tree / Bryce Courtenay
49. World without end / Ken Follet
50. Dune / Frank Herbert
51. Wild Swans: three daughters of China / Jung Chang
52. April Fools Day / Bryce Courtenay
53. Atonement / Ian McEwan
54. The bone garden / Tess Gerritsen
55. The alchemist / Paulo Coelho
56. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / J K Rowling
57. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Askaban / J K Rowling
58. Sushi for beginners / Marian Keyes
59. The curious incident of the don in the night-time / Mark Haddon
60. Catcher in the rye / J D Salinger
61. I know this much is true / Wally Lamb
62. Eragon / Christopher Paolini
63. Tomorrow with the war began / John Marsden
64. Northern lights / Philip Pullman
65. Captain Corelli's mandolin / Louis De Bernieres
66. Kane and Abel / Jeffrey Archer
67. Tully / Paullina Simons
68. Catch -22 / Joseph Heller
69. No. 1 ladies detective agency / Alexander McCall Smith
70. Watermelon / Marian Keyes
71. We need to talk about Kevin / Lionel Shriver
72. Anybody out there / Marian Keyes
73. Chocolat / Joanne Harris
74. Winter Rose / Jennifer Donnelly
75. Denniston Rose / Jenny Pattrick
76. Killing Floor / Lee Child
77. A really short history of nearly everything / Bill Bryson
78. Anne of Green Gables / L M Montgomery
79. Nothing to lose / Lee Child
80. The secret / Rhonda Byrne
81. The book thief/ Markus Zusak
82. Galaxy / Douglas Adams
83. The stand / Stephen King
84. Edmonds Cookery Book / Edmonds (this woman has made it her mission to cook everything in a 40 year old Edmond's Cookbook during a year)
    
85. The potato factory / Bryce Courtenay
86. Lucy Sullivan is getting married / Marian Keyes
87. The vinter's luck / Elizabeth Knox
88. The red tent / Anita Diamant
89. Bridget Jone's diary: a novel / Helen Fielding
90. The Penguin history of New Zealand / Michael King
91. London / Edward Rutherford
92. The god of small things / Arundhati Roy
93. The shipping news / Annie E Proulx
94. Four fires / Bryce Courtenay
95. Mao's last dancer / Li Gunxin
96. Last chance saloon / Marian Keyes
97. Plain truth / Jodi Picoult
98. Perfume: the story of a murderer / Patrick Suskind
99. The Thorn birds / Colleen McCullough
100. The notebook / Nicholas Sparks

Hmmm... just under half of them I've read. Some I'd like to read some time. Others I am unlikely to even attempt! Like the horror ones. I'm not into that genre.

Future Book of Me content

Me at work. Amazing what you can do with the self timer.

Level 2 Reference Desk - this is the floor where the public library patrons and our students are served by either library's staff. I dislike the way this desk is set up. It's really hard to share anything on the screen while you're helping people. Also you can't adjust the screen to a different height so it's always there in your face.











View out the end of the building on the floor my office is on. More of our buildings are to the right of this picture out of view, as well as the local court house. To the left and out of view is the main street of this suburb, shops and the mall.

































Me in my office on the floor that is a dedicated space for our staff and students. I share this office with a colleague. My desk is remarkably clear of stuff!!

Flickr Goodness

While playing with MPOWs Flickr photostream I noticed that the National Library of New Zealand had added us as a contact.  This surprised me because I confess I see the National Library as a rather "staid" old bird.  So I went looking and I am so delighted to find that they are putting some of their photos on to Flickr!  Check out their photostream. 

I see that on some of their photos they write:

You are welcome to reproduce this photograph on your blog or another website. Please:

1. Maintain the integrity of the photograph (i.e. don't crop, recolour or overprint it)
2. Reproduce the photograph's caption information & link back to it here on Flickr.

We would like to know how you're using these images - send us an email with a link to your site.

If you would like to use this photograph in a different way (e.g. in a print publication) please contact us.

Isn't that way cool?

And one set they have intrigues my crafty side so I'm picking it out since it was International Card Making day on Saturday.  Christmas Cards.

4 cards and other ephemera items from the Turnbull Library's collections, including cards sent from the front during WWI and WWII.

The last 10 images in this set are e-card versions: either attach them to an email as they are, or use a image editor to put in your own message.

Last week and the weekend has flown by:

• I made a few cards and a layout on Saturday but most of the day was busy with other things.  Sunday is never a "free" day for me being involved with church and suchlike but I did visit my grandma for about 10 minutes until she fell asleep on me and I decided to leave! LOL! 
• My Dad had bowel surgery on Thursday but all is well and he is at home recovering.  He had a benign growth that needed removing as it always turns into cancer.  A good reason to have a regular colonoscopy once you reach a certain age group.
• This morning we woke up and found there was no water coming out of the tap.  Actually, "we" means me stumbling into the shower and wrestling with the tap thinking I was going nuts when nothing came out.  We checked the meter and as we were shining the torch on it (in our dressing gowns) our neighbour drove by and said they didn't have any water either and they'd rung "the man".  So we had brekkie and went up to my mum's for our morning ablutions much to the kid's delight!  As I dropped some stuff off at home on the way back to work I noticed "the man" and a digger dealing with a great pool/gush of water outside a house down the street so must have been a main burst I guess.

Here's to a non-stinky day ahead!

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Free handbag?

Anyone want a free handbag? 
Handbag Planet is giving away bags as part of their website launch.  Check it out :-)

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