{scraps of jacki's life}

now...

i have been playing with photoshop again. i just love it! i have been doing jessica sprague's photo editing course. i am going to learn about brushes next!

i pop into the cuttlebug challenge blog from time to time, to get some ideas and inspiration. their challenge for this week brought my butterfly post to mind, so i entered it. that post is still one of the most popular ones i ever did.

i am part of typepad's beta team, and i have been using typepad's new design for quite some time now. and i am very happy. but best of all is the AWESOME stats. their stats were not too bad to start off with, but now they are great.

for some reason i have been getting fewer comments lately. are you not talking to me anymore? i also often visit your blog without commenting, so i'm guilty too. but i have been trying a little harder, because i have been missing the conversation. please talk to me...

anyway, i have not had much to say on my blog since i started playing 'bricks breaking' on facebook and hanging out on twitter a few weeks ago. i wonder if that has anything to do with it?... nah! so, i stole this of my new blog-friend wenchy's blog, so i at least had something to post here today. besides, it seems to be list-season i blogland, so you cannot judge me as you probably did a list-thingy this week too...

1) Are your parents married or divorced?
married. 44 years last week.

2) Are you a vegetarian?
no. i like oxtail too much.

3) Do you believe in Heaven?
oh yes!

4) Have you ever come close to dying?
no. I may have wanted to, but no. (sorry wenchy. here i even stole your answer too. i stoop to great depths to provide great comic content to my loyal readers)

5) What jewelry do you wear?
chunky costume jewelry. i get bored quickly, and i don't have a rich lover. (yet)

6) Favorite time of day?
lunchtime...

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
jip!

8) Do you wear makeup?
yes. always. never used to when i was younger.

9) Ever have plastic surgery?
yes. i need all the help i can get.

10) Do you color your hair?
of course. i am not as blonde as i pretend to be.

11) What do you wear to bed?
PJ's.

12) Have you ever done anything illegal?
who wants to know? who do you work for? are you wearing a wire?

13) Can you roll your tongue?
yes. why would anyone want to know that?

14) Do You Tweeze your eyebrows?
no. it shows.

15) What kind of sneakers?
crocs. i don't wear sneakers, as i don't do excersise.

16) Do you still own vinyl?
No.

17) What is your hair color?
who knows? i have not seen my hair color in years. greyer than i would like, though...

18) Future child’s name?
huh?

19) Do you snore?
of course not! that would be very unsexy! don't believe anything the man tells you...

20) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
new york. london. paris. cape town.  

21) Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
no. only the man, a jack russel puppy under the blankets, and 1-3 cats on top of the blankets. there is no space for stuffed animals.

22) If you won the lottery? …
i would pay my debt. and the rest? they would have to wait. just kidding. travel. fix my house.

23) Gold or silver?
silver. and silver-colored. see #5.

24) Hamburger or hot dog?
chinese. pizza. fish and chips.

25) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Ice Cream. I declare it to be a food. (sorry wenchy! i could not come up with a better answer)

26) City, beach or country?
country. i love the bush. i just have to be within an hour's drive of a woollies, though. and have a good internet signal.

27) What was the last thing you touched?

*jacki scratches her head, thinking*

28) Where did you eat last?
here. now. salad for lunch over the keyboard.

29) When’s the last time you cried?
i cry often. cannot be more than a few days ago.

30) Do you read blogs?
Yes. all the time.

31) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
probably not.

32) Ever been involved with the police?
i have been living with an ex-cop for 6 years. does that count?

33) What’s your favorite shampoo, conditioner and soap?
whatever is on special at clicks. times are tough..

34) Do you talk in your sleep?
I don’t know. i am asleep, aren't i?

35) Ocean or pool?
neither. toilet.

36) What’s your favorite song at the moment?
the theme song from sponge bob square pants.

37) What is your favorite color(s)?
eyes - blue. money - blue. to wear - black.

39 Ever met anyone famous?
ramblerclive. oh, wait. i have never actually 'met' him. heidi swapp. stacy julian. tim holtz. karen forster. donna downey. oh shucks, now i have to find links to all their blogs...

40) Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
no. not yet. 

41) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
twirl.

42) Ricki Lake or Oprah?
jerry springer.

43)Basketball or Football?
neither.

44) How long do your showers last?
10-15 mins.

45) Automatic or do you drive a stick?
love automatic. then i can sms while i'm driving..

46) Cake or ice cream?
Ice cream cake.  (thanks again, wenchy. it seems we have something in common)

47) Are you self-conscious?
yes.

48) Have you ever drank so much you threw up?
no.

49) Have you ever given money to a tramp?
yes.

50) Have you been in love?
oh yes!

51) Where do you wish you were?
with my family.

52) Are you wearing socks?
yes. and slippers too. at work. what can i say - it's cold!

53) Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
fortunately not.

54) Can you tango?
no.

55) Last gift you received?
a kiss.

56) Last sport you played?
scrapbooking.

57) Things you spend a lot of money on?
groceries.

58) Where do you live?
on a plot in benoni, south africa.

59) Where were you born?
windhoek, namibia.

60) Last wedding attended?
can't remember.

61) Favorite alcoholic drink?
red wine.

62) What’d you do last weekend?
went away with the entire extended family, to middelburg.

63) Most hated food(s)?
hate food? i didn't know it was possible.

64) What’s your least fav chore?
ironing.

65) Can you sing?
yes. not very well, though. but i do. all the time.

66) Last person you instant messaged?
hayley. on twitter.

67) Last place you went on holiday?
holiday? i'm self-employed, in the retail industry. no holidays. alas.

68) Favorite regular drink?
water. coffee.

69) Current crush?
my man!

and thus endeth todays intelligent blog post.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

without words...

here are some photos of what we are doing this weekend away in mpumalanga:

eduard:

marni:

 

tian:

eduard, sean and francois - 3 birthdays in one week:

 

love, jacki

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

becoming a teenager...

happy 13th birthday sean!

i don't know that much about when he was born, as i was not there. but i do know that he is a kind and gentle boy, and that my life is better for having known him for the last 6+ years.

on sunday he brought us breakfast in bed, and when i asked why, he told me that it was 'evil stepmother's day'.

thank you sean, for enriching my life. without you i would not be a stepmother, evil or otherwise. and my life would have been poorer for it.

you can read what i have blogged about him before here.

tonight we are going out to supper and a surprise. typical scrapbooker/blogger, i saw a photo-op earlier in the week. and tomorrow we are going away for the weekend. with my entire, extended family. who are all already there.

and i am taking tonight, friday, saturday and monday off. wow! i hope the economy survives.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

happy birthday!

today is francois' birthday.

23 years ago tonight, my son was born. he was such a cute baby, with LOTS of hair...

he was born at 22h30, weighed 4.01kg and was 53cm long. he was unplanned, but not unwelcome!

and this is what he looks like now:

he has become a beautiful young man.

i scrapped this quick and simple layout this week, with the photos taken of him at the photoshoot in may, by amelia.

i used treasures and colormates cardstock, pattern paper from paper explosion's wedding collection (south african), a little scrap of 7 gypsies paper, rub on alphas and ribbons from my stash, silver photocorners. and my 2 most trusty scrapbooking tools: my black pen and my stapler.

all along the border of the cardstock, i repeated morse code for i love you.

he is away with his grandparents, so i don't see him today.

happy birthday francois! i love you, and your father would have been proud of the man you have become.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPINTIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

ma en pa...

i scrapped this layout this week:

the photos are of my mom and dad. i took them in november 2008, and i posted them on my blog here. the photos of this layout do not do it justice.

i found it rather difficult to fill the space on this layout, as i had challenged myself to not use any flowers. since i found this very difficult i have now proven that i can do this, i am not challenging myself like that again...

the inspiration came from celine navarro, you can see her layout here. the page on the right is a 90 degree flip of the page on the left.

i used treasures and colormates, jenni bowlin's ledger paper, 7 gypsies 'elgin' paper, and 7 gypsies rubons, heidi swapp ghost hearts and her awesome distressing tool, and words and alphas from wilpro. also 2 stickers from karen forster's anniversary range.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

busy, busy, busy...

i was reading this post by the talented artist and gifted wordsmith kelly rae roberts, who's blog is so beautiful and thought-provoking and interesting to visit. she was writing about how she was feeling 'blah'.

in fact, she said this: the truth is is that the last couple of days have made this week feel very very long. i'm a tad on the grumpy side, and a whole lot of restless. i start painting, i stop painting. i start reading, i stop reading. i start writing, i stop. and on and on. like one big giant unsatisfying circle of blah. you know how it goes. sometimes, it is what it is. even when we have nothing to complain about. even when life is going very well. even when a bad mood is just simply a bad mood without any complications attached. i'm trying to let. it. go. 

and it got me thinking.

we, modern man and women, especially those of us living in cities, have this urge to be productive. all the time. every day. we used to only be able to work at work, and overtime was an exception in peak times. now we work long hours. and have computers at home, and we work and check emails and make phone calls after hours too, and over weekends. and on holiday. we even check in from our cellphones.

and we multi-task. we cook while checking our kids' homework, we make phone calls while we drive, and we type that report while watching tv. time spent waiting in the car at the school or at the doctor's rooms is spent reading reports. we go to bed late and get up early, to make the most of our day. we use our social time networking with clients and marketing ourselves.

'wasting time' is frowned upon. computer games, watching tv, facebook and scrapbooking are scoffed at, as they are empty pastimes. housewives and full-time mothers are seen as 'ladies of leisure' and they do not get much respect. even when we go on holiday, we have to be active, out and about all day, entertaining ourselves and the children. when we sleep late and read and watch dvd's we are called lazy. students are expected to take jobs in the holidays. we even medicate depression and grief and exhaustion and trauma, and tell each other to 'pull yourself together' or get therapy when it takes too long.

as scrapbookers, we call ourselves 'memory keepers' or 'story tellers' or 'family historians', so we can justify the time and expense we 'waste' on our hobby. what happened to just playing or creating or having fun or relaxing?

why? i spend long hours a day in my shop. today i'm on a 14 hour shift, and there is no lunch or teatime. yet when someone walks in and catches me playing solitaire or on facebook, they always have something to say. and i feel guilty!

GOD created the dark, so we could rest at night, but we invented light bulbs and electricity, so we could do more. GOD created sleep, so we could rest, but we invented alarm clocks, so we could do more. GOD created seasons, so there would be a growing time and a resting time, but we invented hot-houses and heaters and fertilisers, so we could do more. GOD created sore muscles and tiredness, so we could stop working and rest, but we invented painkillers and energy boosters and caffeine and mood-boosters so we could do more.

why do we sell this to each other, and why do we buy this ourselves?

when i was reading kelly rae's blogpost, my thought was that she is probably just a little tired. and needs some downtime.

growing seasons should be followed by resting seasons. work periods should be followed by rest periods. over-exertion should be followed by healing. that is how it was designed. even when i work a while on my computer, it needs a few minutes to process and save the information. and so should i!

so. i am going to spend some time being creative. i am going to spend some time watching the sun go down, while processing and saving my work of the day. i am going to spend some time lying on the couch, watching recorded episodes of desperate housewives. i am going to sleep in and chat to my family and waste time. and not feel guilty!

now, i am going to spend some time with a cup of coffee, and play solitaire. and then i'm going to work again - reading blogs and playing on facebook and twitter. and it is not wasting time. it is networking and marketing. that is my story, and i'm sticking to it...

...i am blogging. and scrapping. after a long absence of inspiration. which kind of proves my point, doesn't it?...

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

photoshoot - my family

here is harrison ford my dad, jan:

and another of him:

my mom and dad:

my mom, lottie:

francois and my mom have always been very close:

francois up close:

mother and son:

mother and daughter:

i wanted the man and sean to be in the photographs too, but it was just after the man's surgery, and he could not drive, so he could not get to the shop. we will have other photos taken soon.

i posted these and other photos to amelia's blog too. and i posted more photos taken on that day on her blog here.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

alice in wonderland

alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book", thought alice, "without pictures or conversations?" so she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a white rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

and so the story begins, with alice following the rabbit, and falling down the rabbit hole, and emerging in a place called wonderland, where many silly and funny characters reside, and where they do all kinds of weird and wonderful and unexpected things...

often when i plug in my modem, and open my google reader, and start reading, following one link after the other, i too fall down the rabbit hole, and emerge in a place called wonderland, where many silly and funny characters reside, and where they do all kinds of weird and wonderful and unexpected things...

although i have been a very bad blogger lately, i have been reading blogs, and so i thought i would share with you some of the silly and funny characters that have been keeping me entertained in wonderland lately.

there has been a thought-provoking church debate going on at rambler, allie and mel's places. go. read. comment. (be nice). but most of all, think! all three are very interesting blogs anyway, local, and totally worth reading!

shadow project- photography with a humorous twist

fun cartoons with the internet in general and social networking in particular as a theme

speaking of social networking, you can find me on twitter and on facebook. you can also become a follower of this blog on facebook here.

i found some scrapbook inspiration from celine navarro, heidi swapp and donna downey this week, triggering ideas that translate into something else. sometimes a creative journey starts with just a spark..

although i have been a bad blogger, so you have not noticed it, i bought this e-book, and i am working through it slowly. i can definitely recommend it, if you are a blogger.

jessica sprague is hosting a free photo-editing class. you can get more info here. so, those of you who keep telling me you don't know where to start, go register! her classes are always good.

read this post by jodi, read it all the way through. there is a wonderful nugget of wisdom and insight in that story.

a comment i made on helen's blog, about ordering expensive scrapbooking kits from overseas versus buying at your local scrapbooking shop, sparked quite a few interesting responses. you can read the post here, and remember to check out the comments! thanks helen, for hosting the impromptu debate!

both helen and stefanie recently blogged about playing this game: you go to google, and type 'in what your name wants'. and you have a giggle at what is returned. here is 'what jacki wants':

little jackie wants to be the universe's biggest star

jackie-o wants to smash mos def

jackie wants a pre-nup

jackie-o wants to be your baby-mama

jackie wants to plan jason's wedding (the bachelor 13)

jackie wants you to want me

jackie-o wants to host the next big brother series

jackie wants 2 hot dogs on flickr

user jacki no longer wants to receive mail

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

digital elements used on this blog...

i use lots of digital images all over this site, and sometimes it is difficult to link the credits with every element. also, i often download elements, and then i cannot remember where they came from.

so, i wanted to create a post that has links in it, that you can follow. it is so much easier when it is all in one place. i will add to it when i download new stuff. and when i use something specific, i will create a link to this post.

the digital stuff i use come mainly from the following sites:

scrapgirls - you can also subscribe to their free newsletter for lots of tips, tutorials and freebies

twolittlepixels - i bought frames here

shabby princess - you can even buy blog banners and blogwear. see some downloads here

jessica sprague - for this grunge mask, and the tutorial

allie hoopes - for this grunge mask, and the tutorial

summertime designs - free stuff like this

shutterfly - also some downloads here and this awesome collection here

two peas in a bucket also has digital elements

cute frames from junosplace and scrapshana

'weekend' word art by ali edwards

dream trip castle dreams mini kit by seebee

happy birthday freebie here and here

happy go lucky from shabby princess

thanks to all these sites, for all the wonderful stuff to play with!

and, if you are the creator of anything on this site, and you don't like how i have used it, or you want me to credit you personally, please let me know, i will gladly make changes. i admire your skill, and resolve to be better with the credit in the future.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

marni

i scrapped!

after an extended absence, i have found my scrapbooking mojo.

it is too soon to tell if it was temporary, or if it is back to stay..

as you see, i used a transparent butterfly, and some gauzy flowers. and stitching. as always there is stitching. the pattern paper is basic grey, and the cardstock is treasures and colormates.

the photos are of marni, you can see one of them here.

i thought i had forgotten how to scrap.

now, if only my blogging mojo could come back...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapboook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

the lights are on, but nobody is home...

before life interrupts again, i thought i would get a blogpost up early today.

*jacki spends a few minutes staring at the blinking cursor and the blank space before her, sighs, and leaves to go to facebook*

i cannot think of anything interesting to say today. so, rather than fill this space with nonsense, i will just leave without saying anything...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

gingerbread man

run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, i'm the gingerbread man...

is your life like mine? running, running, as fast as i can, trying to catch an elusive gingerbread man..

Now chase him old woman, now chase him old man
Chase him, yes chase him as fast as you can!
Through the garden and out the gate,
Catch him right now, before it's too late. 
The gingerbread man, he's out of the pan! ...

....Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man 
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan! 

you can see the whole poem here.

this past week has been very busy, too much so. i haven't had much time for anything, let alone blog.

running, running after an uncatchable gingerbread man, something that doesn't even have lasting value...

anyway, rozanne recently blogged about how she uses google calendar to organise her life. so, i gave it a try, and i'm am very impressed. i am not going to write about the details, she explains it all very well. all i can say is that it is very user friendly.

on it i created a shop calendar, and i made it public. so my clients can see it here. it will be featured on my blog permanently, and updated constantly. planning a little ahead may make me feel a little more in control.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

ps: i got the idea of the gingerbread man from kayla lamoreaux. something she said here got me thinking about it.

south african scrapbook convention...

are you coming?

you can find more info here.

you can read my posts about the previous events here.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

on buying a car, and letting go...

last saturday afternoon, exactly a week ago, when i closed the shop, i had a thought that i had not looked at buying a nissan for either myself or francois, or for both of us. we both need a car. i had looked at almost everything else, but not nissan. so i drove to the dealer, hoping to still catch them open. they were not.

so on monday francois and i went there, and we test drove some cars. we decided against the tiida for francois, because it was too expensive and a little too big.

on tuesday evening a different dealer stopped at my shop, and brought red tiida to show me. it is almost new, and in a good condition, with low mileage, for a good price. it was either a good deal, or too good to be true. so on wednesday i arranged for the car to go to the AA for a full test, which it passed with flying colours.

on thursday the man and francois, and my dad, saw the car. and they approved.

on friday the car was serviced, cleaned, fitted with a new windscreen, and insured. francois got the car late on friday.

phew! what a week! last saturday we were no closer to buying a car, and now it is all over, bar some administrative things.

the process this week went by in a whirlwind. i found it quite stressful, and the whole week i had a lump in the pit of my stomach. this morning, during a quiet minute, i reflected a little, gathered my thoughts...

...and there, deep inside, under the tension, and the relief of having it all done, fluttered a teeny butterfly. wondering what it was, i discovered, to my surprise, a little pride.

a pride in doing it myself.

look, i had a lot of help, input, and many, many opinions, from the man, francois, family and friends. but mainly, it was a project driven by me. arranged by me. organised by me. and looking back, i am quite proud that i pulled it off.

i also spent a few minutes wondering why buying a car seemed so difficult and stressful to me, when it seems to be so easy to others. and i realised that it is because most people finance their cars, and get used to a Rx per month car payment. when they buy a new car, they re-finance, and just continue with the monthly car payment. so same cost, new car.

for me, it is a new cost, and it is a lot of money for something that rapidly loses it's value. i have also had bad experiences with my jeep, that is a huge expense to maintain. i am a little scarred, and traumatised.

and also, there is an emotional reason. our current cars are our last big, visible, tangible link to ronnie. he chose and bought the 'old' cars. selling them, and driving different cars, will remove yet another daily reminder of him.

letting go turned out to be a little more emotional than i expected.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

boy, meet car...

here is francois' old car:

he was due for an upgrade.

and here is the first glimpse of francois' new car:

it is not completely new, just new for him:

 

it is a nissan tiida.

he is ready to drive it for the first time...

so shiny and clean...

oh, is this where the engine goes?

may you have many years of problem free motoring!

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPINTIMES scrapbook shop. benoni, gauteng, south africa

a challenge...

 how many did you find? tell me in the comments. so far i'm on 17 20 24, but i'm still working on it.

if, like me, you cannot resist a puzzle, you can download and print it from here.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

dear customer...

please allow me a few minutes to talk to you.

even if you are not a customer of my shop, you are still a customer somewhere, so this is for you too..

i know that you come to my shop, and you see the same stock all the time. i know that there are empty gaps on the shelves that take a long time to be filled. i know that there are items that you want, that i have not stocked in months.

i know that. in fact, i am painfully aware of it.

i also know that you are getting frustrated, and bored, and are popping in less often, and shopping elsewhere. i know that you are complaining to your friends. i know that you are not coming back.

but please understand.

i know that you have much less money to spend in my shop. i know that you are leaving your credit card at home, and that your income is not going very far anymore. i know that your bond and groceries and school fees have to be paid before you can spend money here. i know that you are scrapbooking less, and using your stash, and simplifying your layouts because you have to stick to a smaller budget.

i know that. in fact, i'm painfully aware of it.

but, please understand. the same applies to me.

if you spend less, i make less. if you don't pop in, my sales drop. if you stay away, my income is less.

i am not saying that it is your responsibility to spend money in my shop. i'm not implying that it is your fault. i'm not thinking that it is your job to help me out. not at all!

all i'm asking is for is your understanding. and some patience.

please remember that my rent and telephone bill and bank fees also have to be paid before i can buy stock. you have to know that i am working harder and longer, and stressing more, because i too have to stick to a smaller budget.

so, please understand.

i have to admit that if i could just close my doors today, and walk away, i would. because spending time with my family, and having a little time for myself, and being home, would be so much less stressful at this time. but i have a long time left on my lease, and a landlord who does not compromise.

so, please understand.

i am still here. and, unless things get even worse, i will still be here for a while. besides, what else would i do? and when things get better, and they will, i will be ready, and open, and trading, and buying stock, when so many other businesses went away.

so, dear customer, let's make a deal: i will understand your posistion, and you will understand mine. i will respect your need to save money, and you will know that that filling my shelves is a challenge.

i will empathise with you, and you will be patient with me. we will support each other, and help each other, and be honest with each other.

and we will drink no-name brand tea and eat cheaper biscuits, and create layouts that cost less. we will use our stash, and finish projects before we start new ones, and use more creativity and fewer products, and we will not complain and be negative.

well, maybe a little. sometimes. for a little while...

thanks

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

this is good..

they played this this morning on 94.7's rude awakening radio show this morning. it was so good that i just had to hear it again, so i googled it.

and how about that guy with the cigarette inside the plane? are there still airlines that allow smoking, or is it a very old video?

if the video does not work, follow this link.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

thankful thursdays: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

i have had this sitting in my email inbox for months, and today - on ascension day, i decided to put it here, for me to be reminded of it from time to time.

today i am thankful that HE conquered everlasting death, so i may have life.

Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

isn't it awesome how much detail there is in a short little sentence that we normally read over?...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

news on the pain...

just a quick update on the man's shoulder:

he is in a lot of pain. much more than last time. i'm not sure why. maybe it was a bigger procedure than last time? maybe because it was the second surgery in 2 weeks? the pain blocker that they inject also only lasted a few hours this time, instead of the 2.5 days of last time. and it is quite a bit colder than 2 weeks ago.

last night he really felt overwhelmed. for the first time. he was difficult and grumpy and whiny. he just could not get comfortable, and the pain killers did not help.

thanks for all your good wishes and support, both here and on facebook. i know things will be a little better every day.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

on mojo and a shoulder, and other things we are missing...

• my blogging mojo seems to have gone the way of my scrapbooking mojo. both gone.


• if you see either of them, capture them and return them, please? there will be a reward...


• and they will be punished. for going AWOL.


• the man went in for another operation on his shoulder today. to fix whatever came loose after the previous reconstruction. a re-reconstruction. he, quite literally, had a screw loose! let's hope there will be more success this time.


• and he has to stay overnight in the hospital. and i miss him while he is there!


• he has become rather handy with one arm, and is doing almost everything himself, with one hand, and his teeth.


• he has not driven in more than 2 weeks, and he is either home-bound, or i have to drive him where he wants to be. thankfully his mom is helping out with picking sean up from school and taking him home. that would have been our biggest crisis, otherwise.


• on mondays i have the day 'off'. that means running around like a crazy person, trying to get the entire week's errands/shopping/chores done. these last 2 mondays i had the man along, and we ran his errands too. yesterday we went to pick 'n pay (a supermarket/grocery store) for a few things. sean was with us by that time. and we spent ages there. browsing. can you believe it. browsing in a supermarket.


• normally grocery shopping is a chore, something i don't particularly enjoy. but as we were walking out, i thought about how fun that was, and how nice a day it had been. running errands. grocery shopping. together.


• when we came home, we made supper together. the man made chips (with one arm), i made steak, and sean made eggs. there were no vegetables in sight...


• and i realised again that the simple things can be so joyful, if you do them together. with the ones you love.


• on another note. i still have no new car. but today a salesman came to show me, and let me test-drive, the new kia soul. very new. it has not even been launched in south africa yet. 


• it is different. unusual. certainly not pretty. but the price is right. oh, the confusion...


• and my new laptop is out of order. i cannot believe it, i have had it for less than 2 months! it has also been in hospital for more than a week now. so tonight there is no man, and no computer. i'll just have to spend the evening with michael schofield and his friends..

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

max...

if you follow tertia, south africa's favourite mommy-blogger, then you will know that she had her baby, max, this morning.

what you might not know, is that max made twitter history, and the news, as you can see here.

interesting times...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

us...

sometimes i have so much to blog about, and sometimes i can think of nothing to say. this seems to be one of those quiet weeks.

the man went for a shoulder operation tuesday before last. over the weekend he started to complain of more pain. on wednesday he managed to squeeze himself in for a early appointment to the doctor, and something inside the shoulder has come loose. so on tuesday he is getting operated on again. and the healing process is pushed back by 2 weeks...

the biggest problem with the shoulder is that the man cannot drive. so i have to take sean to school, and take the man everywhere.

this has added some strain to my days..

here is another photo from the photoshoot, of francois and myself.

*edited to add: are you a coldplay fan? you can download their album leftrightleftrightleft FOR FREE here. i did, and i'm listening right now...*

 jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

mom and dad

i just wanted to post this photo of my mom and dad, taken by amelia at saturday's photoshoot.

why?

'cause it makes me smile...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

photoshoot saturday...

they came to the shop on saturday. each in their appointed time. all groomed and painted and gorgeous. some alone, and some with reluctant family members.

they all spent their few minutes in front of amelia and rika's cameras. they smiled and posed, and their images were captured on many camera cards, to be saved on disks. this day, this look, this time frozen for ever...

ineke

cathy and aaron

you can see what cathy said about the photoshoot here.

prieur

dirk

christina

cheryl

rene

laetitia and wilhelm

of course, these people were there too:

these are just a fraction of the many gigs' worth of photos taken on the day. dontcha think i have beautiful clients?

thanks amelia, we had lots of fun!

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

8 things...

i have been tagged to do this at least 3 times, so best i do it, or be kicked out of blogland forever...

8 Things that I am Looking forward to:

1.  making soups and stews in winter
2. time!
3. improving our home and especially the kitchen
4. having a man who isn't a doesn't have pain
5. having a dependable car that i can enjoy
6. the economy improving, and while i'm asking, world peace
7. a quiet weekend
8. a social life. wait, those last 2 contradict each other, don't they? i' a complicated girl...

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. got up early to drive sean to school in the dark and rain
2. made mother's day cards
3. blogged
4. twittered, and twittered some more. i'm productive that way!
   
5. paid some bills
6. watched desperate housewives and fringe on tv
7. caught up with emails and blogs
   
8. fussed over the man with his sore shoulder

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. travel
2. have more time to do things i like
3. get my scrapbooking mojo back
4. design wesbsites (or blogs) for an income
5. write for an income
6. earn an income
7. buy an expensive awesome camera and take better photos

8 Shows I Watch:

1. desperate housewives
2. grey's anatomy
3. big bang theory
4. the mentalist
5. facebook - let's be honest, it is the world's biggest soap opera
6. CSI - love all of them!
7. brothers and sisters
8. 2 and a half men

8 People I'm Tagging:

1. you
2. you
3. you
4. you
5. you
6. you
7. you get it...
8. you


for the life of me i cannot get the papragraphs to align properly. so let's just pretend that it was intended to be this way, ok?

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

making cards, and a facelift for typepad...

i have been making these mother's day cards, to sell in the shop.

i am on typepad's beta team, which means that we get to test all new typepad products before they get rolled out to the other users. and i can tell you that there is a major facelift on the way.

as with all changes, it takes some getting used to. since it is quite a dramatic change, it takes a while to find your way around. and, as with all changes, there will be complaints.

but, after the initial confusion, i must say that is looks good. i think the improvements make all the changes worth the initial inconvenience. i'm working in the 'new' version now, and it works well.

i need to blog about tim holtz and the convention, but i have had so many things going on at the same time.

my man had a shoulder operation on tuesday. he is doing well, but in some pain. and the worst is that he cannot drive! that makes life very difficult. but before we know it, it will be over...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

i heart technology!

i have been a bad blogger this week, there has just been so much going on.

my man had an operation on his shoulder yesterday, after it dislocated 6 times in about 8 months. 5 trips to the emergency room, and 3 times it had to be put back in it's socket in theatre under anesthetic. eventually the doctor agreed that it could not go on this way, so he did the surgery yesterday. and unexpectedly, the man had to stay in the hospital overnight.

i don't have time for a proper blog post, as he has let me know i can pick him up now.

i am sitting in my local mugg and bean, a coffee shop, having breakfast and coffee, and surfing the www on my laptop using my free wi-fi minutes. the internet is super fast, so i will keep it in mind for the end of the month, when i get capped. i am a mweb client, so i get 300 free wi-fi minutes per month.

i just love technology. and i'm sure these other people in the coffee shop think i'm this very powerful and important business woman. it's great!

by the way, while i typed this i noticed that certain words in my post are being underlined in red, and if i right-click on them, the spell checker suggests alternative spelling. thanks typepad, for making the spell-checker so much easier to use! just one thing, though. maybe you should include the word 'typepad' in your dictionary...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

improve your blog..

do you want to customise your blogger blog?

you can find a free online course here.

buying a car...

as most of you know by now, i'm trying to buy a car. for myself, and for francois. i was finding this a difficult choice, until i saw this video. now, i'm convinced, i am buying a hyundai!

Hyundai Assurance Commercial - watch more funny videos




jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa