Australia Day Scrapping Goodness

Happy Australia Day everyone. Hope you all had a great day, chilling out and having a good time - and let's not forget the lamb chops!!!

I had an awesome day today - relaxing before another school year begins tomorrow by doing some scrapping, watching some tennis and Oprah, and a little bit of washing and just 'chillaxing' as the kids at school say.

I challenged myself scrap wise today in two different ways - first challenge was to use a transparency as the BASE of my LO instead of sticking it over the top. Here is what I came up with using one from Hambly Screen Prints:

I never realised how hard it would be to photograph the completed layout so the transparency is obvious. In the end, I put the layout against the window - as you might be able to tell by all the dirty marks and the blurred background of my clothesline and back yard.

My second challenge was to scrap about myself. Well it wasn't really a challenge but more of a light-bulb moment when I was watching Oprah today. It was an old ep from Jan '09 where she was looking at herself and her weight-gain etc and coming to the realisation it wasn't about what she does or doesn't eat etc but more about how she feels about herself. So this is where this LO came from - not so much about self-pity or wanting pity from others but coming to a realisation that it is ok to struggle and admit to needing help - trust me, it took me a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to realise this.

Journalling reads: 'It's true - sometimes I do. Some days getting out of bed seems to be too much to handle, let alone thinking about work, Tony, the boys, cooking and cleaning. However, I rarely admit this; I rarely tell people how I am really feeling. Why? Because I am scared to? Yes. Because I am afraid to? Definitely. But mainly because I am embarrassed to. Yes embarrassed!! And even more than this, I am ashamed to. Ashamed?? Totally. I mean I am a 32 year old married mother of two and I have a successful and rewarding job so what am I ashamed? I am ashamed because I feel that I should be able to cope - everyone else does, so, why can't I? Am I lazy? Don't I care? Nature has programed us to cope - first we are born, then we grow up and by the time we are adults, we have learnt all the skills that allow us to cope with life. Yet sometimes it is all just too much, too overwhelming. I don't know where to start or what to do and feel utterly useless. So I leave things as they are, I let them pile up and pretend to ignore it all, hoping it was magically disappear until I have worked myself into a deep, dark hole that I can't find a way out of. But do you know what I have discovered? I have discovered that it is okay to ask for help, it is okay to admit that I can't control absolutely everything. The best part about this discovery is that my world has not ended, no-one thinks any less of me and I am learning who I am is more important than what I do.

Very different layout for me - I rarely scrap about myself so directly or personally. But come to think of it, this is the third LO I have done this year where I have been quite focused on myself - maybe this is a new side of scrapping I am discovering in 2010.

Anyway, I guess I should think about getting a semi-early night. Lachlan, our baby starts school tomorrow (sniffle sniffle), Mitchell is in Yr 2 and I welcome 4 new classes of students and all my 'kids' (now big Year Niners) back.

S xoxoxo

Still on a high

I have just finished packing up my two submissions for the magazines and I don't think it has sunk in yet - me a published scrapper - what the??????
I just hope now that after all this excitement, both are officially picked up for publication. I guess I will just have to wait and see.
I started back at school on Friday - a student free day full of meetings. Pity the SFD's weren't devoted to planning and preparation; something I see as being more useful and worthwhile. We have another SFD tomorrow and it is more of the same - meeting after meeting after meeting. Whoever says teachers get it easy with all the holidays they have needs to be a teacher for a year to see how much work actually gets done on 'our own time'. I can't wait to get into my classes and teach - I LOVE my job; I feel very fortunate to have a job that I love so much (most of the time) and, while I wouldn't mind a short break from it one of these days, I can't see myself doing anything else other than teaching.
Anyway before the chaos that is school begins, I made the most of my afternoon by doing some scrapping - been a bit light on after the rush at the start of the year. The aim is to complete at least one page every week, more if possible during good times to make up for those periods when I get weighed down with marking and life.

I love these pics of Mitch wearing his new glasses; was worried for a while that he might not want to wear them, but there was not need to worry, he rarely takes them off. He is one cool kid.

Well, I think that is all for now. Best go do some more planning and housework before tomorrow. Hope to have the house all in order so that I can have 'me' time all day Tuesday.

S xoxoxoxo

p.s. wanna see some brilliant art work??? take a look here

Woooooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooo the Channelling worked

OMG OMG OMG OMG can you hear my screams from where you are??? If not, you need to get your hearing checked.

I had the MOST awesome news today, not once but TWICE - how freaking awesome is that??!!!

The day began with an email from Cassie Bellmore at Creating Keepsakes Australia, wanting to publish my {07.01.10} LO - the one I channelled my inner Pip Prosser for lol.

and then ..............

the screaming got even louder when ..................

Kim Taranto from Scrapbook Creations also sent and email requesting my 'King of the World' LO.

OMG I still cannot believe it. After almost 10 years of scrapping (well only the last 5 or so seriously) and only my third attempt at submitting, two projects have been accepted - how unbelievable is that???

Ok screaming has stopped but doing the happy dance now .... be thankful my webcam is not turned on lol.

Back to work tomorrow so need to get an earlish night :(

Thanks to two special girls for their unending support and encouragement. Love ya girls, mwah mwah
Me xoxoxo

It's almost over for another year

....... my birthday that is.

32 today - where have all the years gone. I remember when I was like 13 or 14 I thought that 30 was old and here I am, 32 already.
I had an awesome day today. I realised today that it isn't about the big ticket stuff, it is about all the little things that make a birthday special - simple things like party pies and party sausage rolls on the pool deck. Things like a smile, a touch of the hand, a look. Yeah getting presents are great - don;t get me wrong, I am a girl who looooooooooooooooooooooves her presents but today was something more. I don't have pics to share - for me, it wasn't about pictures, it was about something more, something that a picture would never be able to tell.

So here I am, 11 minutes (according to the computer clock) before the end of MY day - 32 and loving life.

And before I go, here are 32 random facts about me:

1. I am the baby of two babies - that is both of my parents were the youngest in their families.
2. I grew up less than 10 kms from my husband but never knew he existed despite the fact that I went to school for 3 years with one of his brothers - lol guess a 7+ year age gap will do that to you.
3. I wanted to be a teacher since Grade One - never changed my mind all throughout school.
4. As a child, my older brother and sister would grab clumps of grass and chase me with it calling out 'dead chicken' and for many years I believed what they were saying.
5. I grew up in the house my great-grandfather built for my grandfather and grandmother when they were married.
6. I only clearly remember one of my grandmothers - mum's mother. Dad's mother passed away when I was 4 and I only have vague memories of her. Sadly I never knew either of my grandfathers.
7. I grew up on a farm surrounded by cattle, yet they were my biggest fear.
8. My mum took me to the first day of school EVERY year from preschool UNTIL Yr 12 ... and trust me, I was heartbroken when she said that I could get myself to school on the bus that day.
9. I shared a room with my sister until I was 10 and she was 15.
10. I sometimes talk in my sleep.
11. When I am super, super tired, I snore really badly :O
12. I used to swim competitively for over 10 years.
13. Following on from the above - I used to train twice a day, 3 times a week and once a day, 2 times a week, swimming an average of 4kms each session.
14. I used to ride my push bike into town (almost 20kms from the farm into town) on a regular basis.
15. I was a year ahead of myself at school - not because I am super bright but because mum and dad started me early with the intention of keeping me back but they never did lol.
16. Following on from above, I was 16 when I graduated from high school.
17. I pranged my parents car (which they had only had for 6 weeks) when I was 17 because I was perving on a cute guy on the footpath instead of watching the traffic lights.
18. I have since gone onto have accidents - all minor thankfully - in all of the cars I have owned, although I would like to point out some were not my fault - kangaroos and cars do not mix lol.
19. Watching reality tv is one of my biggest weaknesses - love most reality shows, although i DETESTED Big Brother with a passion.
20. In Grade 11 and 12, I refused to listen to any music that wasn't country music - yep I was a HUGE garth brooks fan.
21. I married Tony just a few months after turning 21.
22. I didn't enjoy university all that much - but loving the life it gave me.
23. The first dog that was ALL mine was called Mauchy (pronounced Mokey) and was devastated after he had to be put down because he attacked the neighbour's sheep.
24. Despite growing up on a farm surrounded by animals, when I got my first cat, I believed the store when they said it was a girl so I called her Abby. When she turned out to be a he, we changed his name to Charlie Brown .. and he is sitting right beside me as I type this.
25. I love reading trashy novels by Danielle Steele - mainly because I don't have to think while reading them. Sad I know, not the sort of thing an English teacher should admit.
26. I hate having photos of myself taken, yet I am obsessed with photography.
27. I met my two bestest friends online and I am so lucky to have them in my life.
28. I have a tendency to cry too easily. It is the first thing that happens when I get emotional.
29. I always said that I was never going marry someone like my father - bald, stubborn and a farmer - I did all three; go figure.
30. I refused to let anyone take pictures of my when I was pregnant with Mitchell or Lachlan ... and don't I regret it now lol.
31. I eat waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much chocolate and drink even waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy more coke zero.
32. I think I am finally becoming comfortable with who I am and am slowly working towards the person I would love to become.

Well the clock is reading 12.15am so that means my birthday is over :(. Oh well, another will roll around next year no doubt.
Take care
S xoxoxo

Channelling my Inner 'Pip' ...

... as in Pip Prosser.

I have been a fan of her work for quite a while and follow her blog but as much as I have always wanted to, I have never been confident enough to try a LO based on her 'style' of scrapping, especially the way she journals. I HATE my handwriting with a passion and would love love love to be able to write like Pip or H-er, Heidi or Ali - I'm not fussy about which one, would love just to be able to write like one of them lol.

Anyway, to cut a long story short when I was sitting here surfing the net yesterday, I realised that I have never scrapped a LO about our every day lives. So of course, I had to correct it and this is what I came up with:

hehe hehe, I even tried to journal like Pip hehehehe

I have also managed to complete two other layouts this week in between the mountains of washing and folding (still haven't tackled the ironing yet :( ). Very happy with how these have turned out, especially this first one. Have subbed my 'Pip' LO and this one to all the mags but not anticipating any success but at least I gave it a shot.

As soon as I saw this picture, I knew that 'Titanic' would have to get a mention somehow - it eventually came together lol.

A close up of the journalling and the 'Titanic' reference lol.
That is about it for now. Off to see if I can channel the inner scrap godesses some more.

Ciao

Me xoxoxo

Just an Ordinary Day

Thursday January 10, 2010 - an ordinary day; nothing special happening today but nevertheless, it is still a day with memories that need to be recorded for the future.

1. Driving to town for swimming lessons.

2. Mitch during his lesson - no pics of Lachie today as he is not allowed to swim at the moment :(

3. A big day for this little boy - his first 'big school' (as he calls it) bag which was part of his christmas present from one set of grandparents.

4. Cheeky Cheetos grins - the boys each had a packet of Cheetos after swimming. Can't really tell in the picture but their mouths and fingers were a yellowy/orange from the chips lol.

5. Watching the clouds build up, hoping for rain; sadly there was none :(

So as you can see, there is nothing particuarly special or ground-breaking or earth shattering about these pictures but they are still important to me none-the-less - they are a part of our family history and if I don't tell their story, I guess nobody will.
I have created a LO for some of the pictures I took today but it is too dark to get a decent picture so will be back tomorrow sometime with a layout share :).
Take care, mwah mwah
Me xoxox

Very quick catch up

The silly season seems to be slowly winding down and I think the last of the Christmas/New Years festivities are over for now ... until the birthdays start up for another year.
I had an absolutely fabulous Christmas in Warwick with the entire family at Mum and Dad's place. My bro, sil and their kids were down from Rockhampton and my sis and her partner as well as his parents and brother joined us for Christmas Day as well.
The day started off at 2.30am (yes you read that correctly - 2.30AM) when I woke to hear the boys talking about what Santa had left them and how each of them saw Santa drop off the presents. I was able to convince two of the boys it was far too early to be awake so they went back to sleep but Mitchell was determined NOT to sleep because it was (in his words) 'Christmas and I just HAVE to open Santa's present NOW or he will be uspet with me'. I finally caved in at about 5 and let him open his Santa stash.
After breakfast, Tony, the boys and I went for a quick drive out to Tony's parents' farm so the boys could share some Christmas goodness with them. They were thoroughly spoilt with new school gear and lots of John Deere goodness - I am beginning to suspect that if there were no green toys at birthdays and christmas, the boys would have fits lol.
From there, we returned to Mum and Dad's to wait for the special guests - BIL's parents - to arrive and once they did it was on like Donky Kong - paper flying everywhere, squeals of delight (mainly from Lachlan and not the girls lol), lots of kissing and hugging and 'look what I got, look what I got'.
I have to say that I think this was one of THE best Christmases that I have ever had - no fights or arguments, lots of laughter, kids getting along most of the time (sucks being the youngest hey Lachie) and just sitting down and talking.
I guess I should upload the pictures from my camera onto the computer one of these days to show you - hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm maybe that is ia job for today.
Hope the rest of you had a great christmas. All the best for 2010, hope it is a great one for each and every one of you.
Til next time
Me xoxoxo