Workshop-on-the-Go

Friday Night Club Night - 7pm

Friday, June 19th

Please contact me to RSVP ASAP!

Sunday Scrappers - 11am

Sunday, June 21st

Please contact me to RSVP ASAP!

 

 

Featured Projects: 

Blossom Workshop-on-the-Go

These are the WOTG cards - cute, right?

These are extra cards you can make:

 

 

I cannot cut your projects this month...but do I plan to have a couple scrapbook layouts available to copy.   They are in various stages of completion - but here's a peek!

 

 

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or wish to be included on my mailing list.

Have a great day!

createatrobinshouse@yahoo.com

Hello from Australia

After six long months in the Gulf, we're finally heading home.  First stop...Perth, Australia!  Well, okay, it's not exactly on the way home...but it's a start.  At least it's not in the Gulf.

Besides, we needed an excuse to Cross the Equator and rid our ship of 2,800 slimy Pollywogs.  Our trusty Shellbacks put together a great ceremony the "wogs" will remember forever. 

In Perth, my liberty buddy chose the hotel - Crown Metropol - and it was a GREAT one!  Not only was it decorated in Black, White and Chrome/Mirrors, but it had a casino attached.  Awesome!

 

Look at the black marble bathroom - love it!

Our main event was a trip to...

Ever seen the mini-series The Thornbirds?  They had a whole exhibit based on the Auatralian farms.  They showed us how the dogs move the sheep around and into the various gates, sheared sheep right in front of us and taught us how to use a whip.  (Best part, they don't use it on the animals - it's just to make noise and steer them in another direction - whew!)

Plus, they showed us how to milk a cow.  I don't think I've ever done that before.  It was very weird.

This little goat is only one week old and he was so cute.  He slobbered on my shirt, tho.

This giant guy is a Wombat.  You're not supposed to touch his whiskers or he goes a little crazy.  So, they said we could only pet his hind legs.  It was kinda weird that they had him all spread-eagle.  Oh well.

This little guy is a Tazmanian Devil.  This is the best photo I could get of him.  I was standing there for five minutes and he just went 'round and 'round this tiny 6 foot diameter hill.  His friend was busy running 'round and 'round a little hill at the back of the cage area.  Every once in a while they would trade hills.  What a couple of goofs!

This is a koala bear.  They also only like to be touched nicely on their backs.  And, we weren't allowed to hold them.  Do you see the claws on that guy?

Kangaroos also have some pretty nasty claws, if you can see in the photo above with Deb.

Hello from Abu Dhabi - Part 2

Sunset Safari

 

There is so much to do at the Sunset Safari!

First, we rode in those white 4-Runners all thru the sandy dunes.  Everyone was hollering and having a merry time - I was white knuckled and hanging on for dear life!!  I had to keep reassuring myself, "They do this every day, they do this every day..."  as we were spinning and sliding on the sand, twisting and turning over the crests and valleys.  It was a lot more fun once I was OUT of the car!

 

The lady standing next to me is my roommate on the ship, Adriane.  She's super nice, and lots of fun!

 

 Once we got to the Safari compound, there were camel rides, 4x4 rides, a huge dune to climb to watch the sunset...and some snowboards to slide down.  But, we ran down as fast as our legs would go.  Inside, there was a henna tattoo person, a flacon owner, a place you could try on the traditional gear - both male and female - and a little store with souvenirs and outfits you can purchase.  There were huka pipes will smelly things to smoke.  And there was yummy food with rice and something that more resembled tortillas than naan, but that's okay.  :o)

 

Ferrari World

 

One of the days we visited Ferrari World.  It's a theme park that is practically attached to the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi.  I think it's the world's largest indoor theme park...but I know it has the world's fastest roller coaster. 



 

We went on it twice.

 

 

One of the fun displays they had was to dress up as a race car driver and crew.  We had a blast and make them take about 4,000 photos of us.

 

Finally, they had a little go-cart track.  Oh my gosh - it was so fun!  I was thinking it was a little ho-hum during the first couple laps, then after everyone had cleared the starting line...all of a sudden my car got some serious "get-up!"   I had so much fun navigating the curves - and there were a lot - and keeping my traction.  I'm not sure I've ever been on a go-cart that wasn't similar to Autopia at Disneyland.  This was sooooo much better!  I was passing people and zooming around the corners.  Too bad it was only a six-minute ride.  It was awesome!

 

 



Hello from Abu Dhabi!

In January, we went to Bahrain, but I didn't have any internet access at my hotel (ug!) and I didn't take any photos.  Oops!

But, now it's February, and we are back in United Arab Emirates - only this time, it's Abu Dhabi.

 

Today, we took a bus tour and went to a mosque.  In order to get in the mosque, I had to cover all my hair and wear long sleeves.  The boys could wear ball caps and t-shirts...but heaven forbid I show my wrists.  Shocking!   Either way, this is not a good look for me. 

 

The mosque sure is pretty, though. 

 

In order to go inside, I gotta take my shoes off.

 

This is the male praying room.  That golden tower in the center points toward Mecca, so the know which way to face when they pray.

Outside the female praying room...and the bathroom is this fun little room filled with feet washing stations.  Before you pray, you are supposed to be purified.  You wash your face, hands, privates and your feet.

And, they had a few rows of those toilets I used a few times in Japan.  They are a pretty, ceramic hole in the ground.  Not my favorite.

I can't imagine why anyone would use a hole-in-the-ground toilet when the other kind are available.



 

After the mosque, we went to a revolutionary self-sustaining community.  The University section is the first section built.

It has electric cars that get you all thru the complex - there was no driving!  It was like the Jetsons - you told the car where you wanted to go and it went!  Super cool!

 

 

The buildings were all built with solar panels on the roof and special decoration on the sides that let light in...but didn't let the sun beat down into the windows. 

 

 

There was this massive wind tunnel machine that uses only wind power to cool a courtyard.  And, it really did.  It was almost like walking into a refrigerator.  Then, the breeze comes from between the buildings and spreads the cool air around.

 

Gardens on the roof and underground electric car "tracks," eco-friendly construction.  And, it's only just begun. 

It reminds me a lot of the purpose behind EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) at Walt Disney World. 

 

Bye for now!

Hello from the Tallest Building in the World!

The Birch Kalifa is the tallest building in the world.  I'm not sure if it still maintains that title, but it's pretty close!

 

Our ticket was to the 125th floor.  Then, whoosh!  The elevator kept going!  Oops, so we got to get a quick peek at the rich people who pay $200 extra dollars to go to the 148th floor. 

 

Now, we're back on the 124th floor, this is the view looking up.  Amazing, right?!?

 

And, this is the view looking down.  Beautiful!

 

 

This is me and my two liberty buddies - Deb and Rebekah.

 

After this, it was time to get in line to go back down to the bottom.  It was over an hour!  And, we missed our dinner reservation.  Nuts! 

CARL VINSON Bake Shop!

 

Okay, so I showed you some of the amazing flowers my guys have made out of veggies, here's a little glimpse at some of the cakes that come out of our Bake Shop.

 

 

We make cakes for everything - regular meals, every holiday, different celebrations that an individual division might be having (retirement, reenlistment...)

 

 

Most of the photos I have are from holidays, but you can see as time goes on that they are getting better!

 

 Celebrate the Navy's 239th Birthday!

 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

We had some very impressive Thanksgiving celebrations - on the Mess Decks, in Wardroom 1/2, Wardroom 3 and the Chief's Mess.



We do an awesome Carrier cake when we have receptions.  This is a practice cake...and by the time you are done piping all that icing...you can't even use your hand!  

 

Our Stupid Bowl celebration was incredible.  We filled the hangar bay with chairs, set up a bunch of food tents and had a real tailgater!  Sans beer, of course, but the food was off the charts and the game was a good one!  (Or so I heard!)



 

We also have the capability to print edible photos.