Caught ya!

As an English teacher, I don't like it when I see or hear the word 'ya' . I am forever correcting the boys and kids at school that it is 'you' not ya. However, rules are meant to be broken aren't they? For this layout using 'you' just didn't seem to fit the picture so I caved in and this is what I came up with:

I have to admit that I am pretty happy with this layout. Very simple but to me the focus is the photo. It is not a perfect photo by any stretch of the imagination but I am so glad that I decided to use it as it makes my heart smile.
Thanks for stopping by.

Me xoxoxo

Just another day

Today has been another one of those days. Lots of fiddly jobs to do around the house like the washing and ironing but I also managed to fit in a little bit of scrapping time. I will have to wait until the morning to get a decent picture but in the mean time, I have this to share:

Have to admit that the layout turned out totally different to how I pictured it. In my mind I had a vision of combining aqua shades with yellow for something different but when I came across the scrap of heart paper left over from Create '08, I knew it had to go there somewhere and then the pink just took over lol. It was good because I don't often get to put pink on pages of the boys.

Remember this from last month??? It got picked up for publication today. Very happy about that. Lots of rejections though but not to worry.

Finally, Chris and Sarah-Lou, please don't despair about no mail turning up. Still trying to make a little pile of goodness for you both. If it isn't posted tomorrow, it won't happen until the week after next as we are off to the coast for week.
Ok I am outta here. Take care.
Me xoxoxoxo

Scrapping goodness

I have been plugging away at the pile of photos I have sitting on the table and I have to say it is good to be in a better frame mind. I hate when I let the dark cloud settle over me but, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining and the lining for me is being able to come back out the other side in a better, more positive frame of mind. Gotta to be happy with that. I am still not going to set any records with my scrapping but that's ok; I'm not into it for the records. Here is what I have been up to. I have been channelling some of the Goddesses of Scrapbooking here in Australia:

1. Channelling Kim Arnold. I love how she pulls off such amazing and stunning layouts, not to mention how she incorporates twine on her layouts. This is my 'Kim' attempt:

My next bit of channelling came from the queen of double layouts, Pip Prosser. As some of you might remember, I channelled my inner Pip earlier in the year and actually had a layout picked up for publication as a result. This time, I channelled a double to use the pictures taken when Mitchell had his casts taken off:

And finally I have this one. Not sure who I channelled for this one but I do know that I am not 100% happy with it. I need to work on my misting technique (tips anyone???), although I am proud that I finally used the Heidi Swapp heart mask we got as part of our Create '08 kit.

The school term is drawing to a close here in Queensland which means my long service leave is all but over. Not sure how I feel about going back to work next term. If you would have asked me that question a month ago, I would have told you that I couldn't get back there fast enough but now I am not so sure. I miss the kids but I sure as heck don't miss the politics and mind games with the staff. Some days I wish all I could do is teach and forget all about the other stuff. After all, the kids are the reason why I became a teacher in the first place.

Oh well, enough of that. I am off to make the most of what is left of my leave.

Thanks for stopping by.

Me xoxo

Operation Casts Off a huge success

**** WARNING: GROSS PICTURES AHEAD!!! ****

Yesterday was a big day for our biggest boy. After 8 weeks of discomfort, broken sleep, putting up with being asked dozens of questions every day, Mitch had his second lot of casts taken off. This time he was awake for the procedure - last time he was already under the anesthetic when the doctor took them off. Mitch asked if I would take some photos so that he could take them to school to show his classmates and, of course, the scrapper in me just had to oblige with this request lol.
It was interesting to watch the casts being taken off. The saw wasn't overly loud and it hardly took any time at all to make the cuts. Mitch was a little unsure at first, was worried that the blade might cut his leg, however, it didn't take him long to get entralled in the process.

Once all the cuts were made, the doctor asked Lachlan if he would like to help - apparently he had to do the VERY (lol Lachie's word) important of pressing down on the plier thingies to prise the cuts apart. By the look of the tounge in the second photo, he was putting a lot of effort into it. And oh boy, what a surprise to peel the casts back to reveal one dirty and VERY (my word) smelly leg.
Hehehehehehe just in case the previous photo wasn't gross enough, here is a close up of the feet. All I can say is thank goodness for whoever invented Glen 20 (in my eyes, and to my nose, you are a God) because it was rank!!! And if all that wasn't gross enough, there was one more little surprise in one of the casts. We have no idea how it would have managed to get wedged where it did bit on the top of one of Mitchell's ankle was a sorghum seed. Yep a sorghum seed. And wedged it was - so wedged that it had rubbed against the skin that much, it broke the skin. Fortunately enough, the seed didn't shoot (as in sprout), although it was just starting to spilt. If the same casts were on for the entire 8 weeks, it definitely would have shot which could have been bad news but luckily it didn't. He has a tiny infection from where it was wedged but it appears to be healing ok.
The verdict??? Well at this stage, it appears as if the procedure has been a huge success. Mitch has a lot more flexibility in his lower leg/ankle area and can now get his feet to right angle with his legs. And the best bit??? Yep, you guessed it, he is walking on his feet AND staying on them. We haven't seen him take more than a small handful of steps on his feet for the last 4 1/2 - 5 years. So in my book, that is a total success, so much so that the specialist thinks he shouldn't need any physiotherapy or special exercises!!! Here's hoping the success will continue.
So on that happy note, I am not going to give one giveaway from the previous post, but THREE. Yep, I am giving a little package of love to the three lovely people who left comments on the last post. So Chris and Sarah Lou, check your emails and Media, if you read this, please email me so I can organise a little package of love for you too!!
Have a scrappin' good weekend everyone.
Me xoxoxox

Out for Publication, Show and Tell and a GIVE AWAY!!

To my absolute amazement, my 'Chick Magnet' layout included in the previous post has been picked up for publication. Of the three layouts I sent in yesterday, I can guarantee you 150% that this layout WAS NOT the one I thought might get picked up. But hey, who is complaining, a layout for publication is a layout for publication lol!!!

I spent some time last night sitting and thinking about the post I made yesterday and decided that I analyse things WAY too much and I just need to sit and enjoy the process rather than be caught up with how many layouts I have done. Would I love to be one of those scrappers who churns out fistfuls of layouts every day? Heck yeah, but the reality is, I am slow, I fiddle-fart and fluff-arse around(thanks Dad for describing my creative process) and spend ages just playing, shuffling papers and embellishments around the page.

So from now I just need to remind myself to enjoy the process - it isn't a race to see who can fill the most albums in a year, (although wouldn't that it be great to see scrapbooking as an Olympic event hehehe) it is about the legacy that I am leaving behind for my boys. Deep down, I know that one day years from now they will get a real kick out of looking at themselves as little kids.

Now for some show and tell. I don't know how many of you would recognise the other person in these pictures but it is Rebecca, one of my nearest and dearest friends. We met online about 4 1/2 years ago and have been chatting online almost daily ever since. In January last year, we finally met in real life when H-L and I flew down to visit her for my birthday. The three of us got together again in August last year for a girls weekend away at the Gold Coast (where these pictures were taken). Rebecca was here for a visit just a few weeks ago. I hadn't scrapped any pictures of our time together - mainly because that would involve scrapping photos of myself and that is not something I do a lot of - but the owner of my LSS (parts of website still in the process of construction) asked me to create a LO for her shop and passed a bundle of papers and embellishments by way.
Now to be honest, some of the papers are ones that I would never look at or pick out for myself, especially the really girly-girl ones (not much call for pink in a house full of blue lol) but while I was scrolling through my picture files, I came across these ones and knew I just HAD to use them. The title 1297 refers to how many kilometers it is from my front door to Beck's. But it isn't about the distance, it is about what a chance meeting online has become - one of the most amazing friendships I could hope for. This girl means the world to me, she has been there through the highs and lows, she has heard me laugh and has offered comfort when I have cried. It doesn't matter that she is so far away because I know in my heart she is right there beside me all the way. And girls if you are reading this, it is high time you both updated your blogs!!!!
The other layout I created last night was another tough one for me - not in terms of papers but in terms of embellishements. I was given owls and dinosaurs. Now I will be the first to say I don't mind using birds on my layouts but owls??? Nope, don't want to see them on my pages. There is just something about them that makes me go blah. I guess Debbie was really trying to get me out of my comfort zone with her little embellishment pack. Ok Debbie, have done it once but please don't make me use them again lol.

And FINALLY, a give away. If you love ribbon, flowers, buttons and chipboard leave me a comment and you might just find yourself the owner of a little give away pack. Winner to be announced in the coming days.
Righto, I think that is everything I wanted to say for now. A very long post indeed. Until next time, take care.
Me xoxo

Winter Blues

Why is it that the onset of winter always seems to lead to on onset of feeling down in the dumps? I don't know what it is exactly but I just feel so blah at the moment. My moods over the last week have been up and down more than a rollercoaster at an amusement park. I alternate between being way OTT to lying awake at night bawling my eyes out for no reason.
I am really struggling with the boys at the moment - everything seems to be a constant battle with them, especially Mitch. I am tired of fighting, I am tired of arguments, I am tired of feeling like crap every time they are around me.
I have created some new pages, but right now they feel so fake - don't know whether it is because the last day or so has been crap, crap, crap where the boys are concerned. I always promised myself that I would not be one of those scrappers who created the 'oh my life is so perfect, so wonderful, my kids are so perfect, so wonderful' type layouts, yet today, I look at these and they feel so fake - and of course, this only adds to my anger and frustration at myself.
I think it is time for me to stop and get real, get a grip of myself, my emotions, my moods and basically, get over myself.

Hopefully, next time I am here, my mood will be brightened and I might be in a better space.
Me xoxo

She Inspires Me

Yes she most certainly does and yes mum, I know she is the cat's mother (how many times did you tell me this as a child) but she does. Who you ask? Well Heidi of course lol. As if that was hard to guess, we all know I am a Heidi tragic from way back and if you didn't realise it, scroll down a few posts and read all about it hehehehe.

I was hunting around for some inspiration last night and found a LO on 2peas that someone had created and loved the design of it. As soon as I saw the LO, I knew that I just HAD to use a pic of Heidi and I from Misitified last month. I will say this, I hate getting my photo taken, especially now with the buzz cut (I participated in Shave for a Cure as a dare put on me by the kids at school), but could not miss out on a photo opportunity with my scrap idol. It must have been providence because her webcast today was exactly what I journalled about on the LO last night - all the reasons why she inspires me. Awesome goes no where near to describing how great she is.

Journalling reads: She inspires me with her creativity. She inspires me with her willingness to speak so openly about her life. She inspires me with her passion to live, laugh, love and even cry. She inspires me to step outside my comfort zone when scrapbooking. She inspires me to handwrite on my layouts (even though my writing is rubbish compared to hers!). She inspires me because she is Heidi Swapp.

So there is it, those are the reasons why I am a complete Heidi tragic but you know what, I am proud to be tragic, even if it does place me in the scary stalker category. LOL just kidding.
Have loads more show and tell but SHE deserves a post all of her own.
Til next time,
Me xoxoxoxo