It's all in the Undies

... apparently ...
Well it is according to my 7 year old. No matter what I tried, there was no convincing him to put some shorts on when I wanted to take some happy snaps. Silly me for finally deciding that last Sunday HAD to be the day that I finally got around to taking pics of the boys with what I think is the most awesome chair (peeling paint makes it even more awesome IMO!). The chair (well chairs to be exact because they are two) lives in the boys cubbyhouse and was here when we moved in. As soon as I saw their peeling paint, I need I had to take pictures with them, but life continually got in the way and I kept putting it off.
Until last weekend that is .... last weekend the boys decided that they needed to pull the chairs out of the cubbyhouse and literally throw them down to the sandpit to play one of their games. They were having such a good time that I just knew I had to get out there and take pics but by the time I got out there, one of the chairs had fallen apart and the other one was very much worse for wear so I snapped as many pics as I could. The problem was that Mitch point-blank REFUSED to put any shorts on - he saw nothing wrong with just getting around in his undies. Me on the other hand, thought that wasn't such a great idea but hey, when he is willing to sit and smile nicely, who am I to argue??!!
So this weekend, it was my chance for payback - definitely something to make sure goes into the album for his 21st birthday.

........ isn't karma a great thing when you are a mother lol hehehehehehehehehehe.
That's all the showntell I have for now, think I am coming down with a head cold or something, trying hard to fight it like crazy.
Til next time, thanks for stopping by,
Sarah xoxoxoxo

Weekend Scrapping Goodness

Sadly the weekend is over but that's ok, another week at work has started and I am loving it at the moment. Feel really lucky to have such great classes, even if they like to chat a bit too much at times.

Have been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster this week, trying to sort out what we are going to do when Mitch has his legs done - no easy solutions but still working on it. Just hard to try and not feel the work/home guilt thing. Hopefully by the end of the week, I will have some solutions.

So to get over the emotional horrors that the weekend was, I spent quite a bit of time engaging in some scrap therapy. Not totally happy with some of the layouts but apparently (as some people have told me), they are ok. Guess we are our worst critics.

I have to say that I am in love (pardon the pun) with the first LO. We don't do Valentine's Day in our house but seeing this picture of Lach and I made me realise that I have a little bit of Valentine's Day every day when he hugs me (which is lots by the way - that boy is soooooo affectionate).

I finally got around to scrapping a school picture of Mitch by himself after doing all those ones of Lach and the two of them together. Not 100% happy with this LO - have been trying to work out what it is missing but still stumped - feel free to offer suggestions :-)

And finally, this is what I spent most of yesterday working on (between emotional meltdowns and venting sessions with some very special online buddies). I have had this Hambly Transparency Overlay sitting in the stash for an eternity and was determined to finally use it. After some inspiration searching on the net and some chatting with the girls, I came up with this. Definitely not what I had planned and not ever sure I like it but I am told it is good (wtf?). Oh well, it is another one for the album lol.
Not a lot else to report - just plugging away, one day at a time. Not sure if I will get a chance for scrapping during the week. If not, guess I will have to wait and see what the weekend brings.

Take care
Me xoxoxoxo

On a roll

Got another woot woot email today - SBM wants to take a closer look at the Walking Towards their Future Layout. YAY!
Isn't it funny that up until a week or so ago I couldn't get within cooee on an acceptance from them and now with the new tech. editor, I have two picked up within days of each other. Certainly not complaining but does amuse me how quickly things change. Just gotta wait now to see if it actually makes it to print.
Fingers crossed
Me xoxoxo

Weeknd Scrapping Roundup

Feels a bit like groundhog day here at the moment - late Sunday night and I am blogging again with a scrapping update again.
Feeling in the groove with scrapbooking at the moment. Not churning them out as fast as other, more well-known scrapbookers, but certainly am working a lot faster than I ever have before. I also feel that my style is continuing to develop - really have the 'cluster' thing going on at the moment.
I managed to complete two layouts this weekend. For the title in the first one, I used an idea from Ali Edwards blog with a LO of her son. Quite happy with how this has turned out:

I think I have finally finished all the pictures of the boys together on the first day of school. Still haven't scrapped Mitchell's first day pics for the year - just need to get the time to make it down the street to get the photos processed.

For this next layout, I used a pic of Mitch taken by Lousie Lambert when she came out to take some family photos for us last year just before the wheat harvest. Got myself some Bo Bunny Press loving on this LO hehehehe. Thanks to H-er for the help with the title.

OK that is it for scrapping for the weekend. Didn't do much else except spend a few hours on the mower (and still only managed to move 1/3 of the lawn), did a truckload of school work and prepared all my notes needed for my district panel meeting tomorrow - big week ahead of me I think lol.
Thanks for stopping by.
Me xoxo

wooooooooooo hoooooooooooo

just a quick post to say that I had a LO picked up by Scrapbooking Memories magazine. First one ever for that mag.
On another note - Mitch and I went back to the doctors today. Unfortunately the tightening in his calves has worsened instead of improved which means that he will need to have plaster casts fitting in an attempt to 're-teach' his muscles to relax and hopefully walk on his feet instead of his toes. That won't be happening until April when the weather is cooler - the casts will be made of fibreglass which will apparently be quite hot.
Hopefully will be back with another update over the weekend,
S xoxo

Mid-week roundup

Hey there to anyone who reads this. Today is hump day - woooooooooo hooooooooooooo so gotta love that. Been a tough start to the week with some sadness for one of my Year Nine 'babies'. I hope better times are ahead for their family. It hurts me so much to see one of my babies in distress; sometimes I really do feel that I am their mother - not that I want to replace the family they have, but when you put so much of your heart and soul into the welfare of 160ish of them, it is hard not too care. Seeing my group of students rally around my little buddy was so heartwarming - I know our future is going to be in good hands with these guys and girls.

I did something this week that is a rareity for me - well rare during school time anyway. Wanna guess what it is???
If you guess scrapping, you guessed right!!! Normally I am too brain dead after a day at school or have got too much planning, preparation and marking to do which stops me doing anything scrapping related. However, last night the urge to scrap hit me and I came up with this using the first of the February sketches from Inspired Blueprints (love that place):
Called this LO 'Walking Towards Their Future' and uses even more pics of the boys on the first day of school this year. For the first time in a long time I am feeling more confident in my scrapping abilities. Got the whole cluster thing going on the moment and have to say I am loving it - still see my in the LO's but know that I am slowly evolving my style. Still think I am more of a simple scrapper but definitely using more 'bits' than I have previously used.
Might have a crack at some more scrapping later tonight - no work tomorrow but a bit of a drive ahead of me and maybe, hopefully, a little bit of time to stop into a scrap shop or two hehehehe.
Take care
Me xoxoxo

.... More scrapping ...

OMG can you believe it - I have managed to scrap yet another LO. I didn't think I would be able to get another one out before the weekend came to a close (lol 1 hr 25 mins to spare).
A lift of a LO I found on 2peas ages and ages ago and put in my inspiration folder. Was a quick and easy way to finish the weekend. Gotta be happy with that.

Also managed to get most of the lessons for the week planned - have to be super organised this week - am taking Thursday off because Mitch has another specialist appointment about his toe-walking. It will be the follow-up to decide the next plan of attack - more physio or plaster casts. Have a great week.

S xoxo

Weekend Roundup

Another weekend has almost come to a close and I am very happy to report that it has been a wet one. Lots of beautiful rain that the crops desperately needed to help finish them off before harvest begins in the next month or so.
I have been lucky enough to have a fairly quiet weekend. After an early start with cricket yesterday morning, I spent the day resting, reading and, of course, scrapping.
Didn't fulfil last weekend's promise to myself to scrap a picture of Mitch's first day of school for 2010 but did this one instead:

Love this pic of Mitch and Lach. We are so lucky to have kids that get along so well (most of the time lol). Will treasure this pic for years to come.

The next layout came as a result of a tidy up and cull of my photo container. I had been wanting to go through the container for a while and get rid of pics that weren't good enough to scrap or ones that I had multiples of (seriously had 3 copies of the same photo and I had already scrapped it twice :o). I have scrapped most of these pictures before in larger sizes but never got around to doing these ones so decided last night was the time to scrap them.

And finally, another LO about me and my ongoing battle with depression and anxiety related issues. Not sure what is going on with all this self-reflection but have never scrapped so openly about myself. The layout didn't quite turn out as I had planned but nevertheless, it is another one for the album. I want to thank Lisa Warren for documenting her own struggle because she gave me the courage to document my own.

Not sure if I will manage any more scrapping done tonight. Have a bit of marking to look at before tomorrow and need to plan for the week ahead.

Til next time,

S xoxoxo

"Big School"

It has almost been a week since this little man started "Big School". Lach had been waiting for this day for about the last six months; constantly talked about finishing daycare and heading for "Big School" with his big brother. I can't believe how fast the last 4 1/2 years have gone - hardly seems possible that my baby is at school.

Mitch was as proud as punch ready to show Lachie the ropes. Love this pic.

Mitch is in Grade 2 - very excited to be back at school, although already complaining that there is no homework (as is Lachie) - lets hope that keeps up for the next 10 years lol.

And some scrapping -might seem like I am playing favourites but just could not wait to scrap these pictures of Lach. Needed to capture this memory for the future. Hoping to scrap Mitch's school pics this weekend.

So there it is, the first day of school done and dusted. Keep your head up little buddy - only 12 more first days to go.

Hope to catch up again over the weekend with some more scrapping.

Sarah