What a great weekend I had. It was my birthday on Saturday and I turned the big "40" so I decided to have a party/barbecue to celebrate.
I have not had a birthday party since my 18th birthday so I figured it was about time I had one. So many beautiful people turned up to help me celebrate and the day turned out to be one of the best I have had in a very long time. I was spoiled rotten with the many thoughtful gifts that I was given and humbled by the love that was shown toward me. Thank you to each and every person who helped make the day so special.
Steve did so much hard work to help make this day special for me and cooked fried rice and chicken wings and then the barbecue. He made sure that there was not one but TWO birthday cakes so we had enough to go around. Yummy mud cake....mmmm my favourite!
The afternoon started at 12.00pm and we partied on until about 3.30am. I really didn't expect to go that long but the guests arrived in a couple of waves and as one group of guests disappeared, another began to arrive. Thank god I didn't have too much to drink so I was not hung-over on Sunday morning...only tired and was able to face the clean-up and then my last lot of homework for the semester.
Last homework....that sounds like music to my ears. This week is probably the last week of TAFE and my Graphic design course which is both fantastic and a little scary. It means that I now have to venture off into the big wide world and start putting my new found skills into practice! I have managed to get some part time work doing Graphic design for a company called ReferCorp which is fantastic, but I am constantly worrying and hoping that I am doing a good enough job and keeping them happy. There have been a few hiccoughs the first two weeks and I have had to re-do a couple of web banners a couple of times over...nothing major but it is things that I did not learn about in the course and particular ways that the company like to have things done. They have been very patient with me and I am sure expected at least some hiccoughs as they consciously picked a new graduate for the job.
I was extremely flattered to be recommended for the job by my Web design and Print design teachers at TAFE. ReferCorp had approached TAFE asking if they could recommend a student for the job and I was picked. A HUGE compliment. It's funny, I wasn't really that nervous about the interview, but now I am constantly nervous about whether I am doing a good job. That's not always a bad thing though...I figure if you are like that you put the best efforts in to ensure you are always doing a good job. As long as my employers are happy...then I am.
The big bonus with this job is that I can work from home and it is only a few hours a week. This will give me the time to develop the scrapbooking side of my business and seek out other Graphic design freelance work. My dream is to get my designs recognised and made into paper c=scrapbook designs and break into that market. It will be hard work but I am willing to put in the hard yards and hopefully it will pay off.
My friend Erin is inspiring me to keep going with this dream. She is just beginning her journey of following her dream with her new design venture Blossom Creations. She does some beautiful work and I am sure she will be very successful.
I caught up with my cousin Jude late last week and it was wonderful to see her again. She was in Brisbane for the Papercraft expo and had a stand for her business Scrapbooking top 50. She actually had forgotten that I lived in Brisbane and so hadn't contacted me. I surprised her by just turning up at the expo to see her. We met up again on Tuesday for lunch and a but of shopping and had a lovely afternoon together.
Not long now until Greg arrives...he will be here Tuesday week and I am getting so excited about seeing him again. Steve has booked a few days at a unit in Agnes Water which will be lovely. A holiday we all need I feel. It will be great to spend time together as a family and just enjoy each others company.
Wow this will probably be one of the biggest posts I ever do LOL. I really should get going and finish that bit of homework that didn't get done yesterday and check my e-mail for new jobs from ReferCorp.
Take care and keep smiling :)
