Sick

Flu-ey, watery eyes, stuffy head, runny nose.

Yep that is me at the moment Head is stuffed fuller than a cuddly teddy bear. Two weeks back at work and look at what happens - I get sick :-(

Oh well, tomorrow will be a better day, I just have to keep soldiering on.

Nothing to share, nothing to show - unless you count bags of used tissues as worthwhile show'n'tell'. Hmmmmmmmm I think not.

Back to bed for me. Thank goodness it is the weekend. Could not have faced work feeling like I do today, yesterday was bad enough.
Til next time
Me xoxo

Stopping to pick my chin up off the floor

Guess what I found waiting for me in the mail box this afternoon??!!
Ok so it isn't exactly a layout in a magazine but to me it is the next best thing - my name being among the 'Standout Readers' in the latest edition of Creating Keepsakes manazine. There is is - second column, third name down. YAY that's lil ol' me - Sarah Hemmings.

I tell ya, talk about an awesome boost after a few less than perfect 24hrs. I think I am having scrapping withdrawals. I started back at work last week after 3 1/2 months long service leave and I have hit the ground running. I was hoping for a smooth re-entry back into teaching but no, that would be asking too much. I have done nothing but clean up mess after mess, disaster after disaster and literally spent all of last week chasing my tail. I think I have corrected all the errors and have put things right again so hopefully things will settle down so I can try and get a little bit of creating done here and there.

Hopefully next time you stop by, there will be some creating.

me xoxo

A little bit of awesome-ness ...

Even if I do say so myself. hehe

I made it one of my New Year's resolution to have a go at submitting layouts to the magazines. I had a real problem making myself do this because I believe that my scrapbooking isn't up to the standard of most of the names that you see in the magazines month after month. After a few harsh words and loads of encouragement from some special girls, I bit the bullet and sent some creations off. Within a few days I had two acceptances, the first of which was published in Issue 79 of Scrapbook Creations. The pic is one of my all time favourites; sadly I can't claim the credit and although I did credit the photographer in my notes I sent in, it was not put into the magazine.

Lachie was so proud when I showed him. He 'confiscated' the magazine the next morning and took it to school, proudly saying to his classmates, 'Look, I've been published.' LOL too cute. I just loved it when his teacher told me that is what he was telling everyong. Didn't have the heart to tell him it was actually Mummy who was published.Today was my first day back in the classroom after 14 weeks Long Service Leave. Still not 100% sure how I feel about being back. I guess I just need to get back into the swing of things and get back into the routine.

S xoxoxo

Country Boys and my visit with Carrie and the girls

Yep there is no denying that my boys really are country boys. No matter where they go or what they do, they are always going to have a streak of country in them. How many city boys would INSIST (maybe DEMAND is a better word) on packing this in their bags for holidays??!!

See what I mean? You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. Lachie was hilarious with his tractor on the beach. He was busy telling Daddy that he was chisel-ploughing in the strips or using the 'boom sprayer' (as he calls it) over at Glendon or mulching the cotton. That kid has got all the farm terminology down pat, even if it is in his own language. So of course, I just HAD to take pictures and come home to create this: Ok so the truth is that I am not overly happy with how this LO has turned out. I know I wanted to incorporate yellow into the page somehow but even with this gorgeous paper from Bo Bunny, I still feel a bit blah about it. Oh well, it is another one for the album and gotta love that!
On to other matters....

As you may have read in my previous post, I was contemplating going and seeing Sex and the City 2 last Thursday. Well I went and I have to admit that I LOVED it. OK I didn't love it as much as the first but OMG it was sooooooooooooo good to be back with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. It was hilarious, lots of laughs throught and while I understand why it didn't get such great reviews, I don't think it matters. Yes it was stylisied to the hilt and way OTT in places but hello, wasn't the TV show like that (especially in the final 2 seasons), wasn't the first movie like that??? Carrie and the girls are always over stylisied, that is who they are and that is what makes them, and the show and the movie, unique. I think the scriptwriter has been true to the characters and I can handle all the flashy clothes and stuff because to me that is what SATC is all about - waaaaaaaaaaaaaay over the top style. This is one of the things that has helped make it so unique over the years. If it was just your ordinary TV show, using your ordinary characters wearing everyday, ordinary clothes, it would not have had the same impact. So poohey to the reviews, a definite double thumbs up from me LOL. Also a huge thumbs up to an Aussie singer whose song was used in the closing credits and in the theatrical trailer - way to go Rikki Lee!!
Well I think I have taken up enough of your time today. Hope you have all had or are having a great weekend. Til next time.
Me xoxoxo

Christmas in July

I know, I know, I can hear you screaming at me - Christmas??? Already??? Girl you HAVE GOT to be kidding - and I totally hear you. I am soooooooo not a Christmas in July person. My motto has always been, well that is what Christmas Eve is for hehe. But this year I am trying to get organised and what better way to get started than to scrap some christmas pictures. LOL nah I am not that organised. Have actually created this LO for a buddy who works at a scrap shop and is organising a Christmas in July extravaganza thingy. It still needs some chipboard reindeer embellishments but they are with her so you will just have to see the layout in its almost finished form:
This youngest boy of mine is such a dag and goof ball but he is so darn cute too!!
Nothing else to show or report today. Am about to head off and finally go see Sex and the City 2 (yes I know it copped a beating in the reviews but OMG I love love love love love anything SATC so I am going anyway) all on my lonesome. Who knows, I might be back later with more scrapping to show lol.
Have a great day
Me xoxoxox

Holiday Roundup

Yep we are home from our little trip away to the coast. Being winter the weather wasn't that crash hot (but what else is new in winter lol) but that didn't stop the boys from going into the surf and braving the waves. I love this picture so much. I have had it enlarged to 8x10 and can't wait to scrap it - just need to work out what I want to do with it first hehe.

This is my ABSOLUTE favourite picture from our holiday. I love his cute little bum and how it is covered in sand and how he almost has a 'wedgie' on one side of his cute little bum cheek. Even though he is quite tall for his age, he still looks like a little boy from behind.

And of course, what is a trip to the beach without digging in the sand. The weather this day was perfect. It was almost like a perfect summer's day, minus the 30 degree temp (oh how I miss the hot weather). The boys spent hours digging in the sand, making castles and tunnels that apparently 'went all the way to China Mummy!'.

Just what every little farm boy needs at the beach - his trust John Deere tractor. The boys were allowed to pack one toy each and after much deliberation and debate, they both chose their tractors with buckets on them. You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy.

Another random pic of Mitchell. He is a real little fish, well both boys are. He would spend all day and all night in the water if he was allowed to. I love love love how the sports mode on my camera allows me to just click away and get all the fine details like the droplets of water.

And as for me, what did I get up to on our holidays? Well I powered my way through 4 books, two scrapbooking magazines, watched lots and lots of late night tennis and consequently feel asleep on the lounge most nights :-o, did a spot of shopping here and there, took the boys to see Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After, ummmmmmmmmm slept lots and even managed to do a spot of scrapping.

I packed the bare essentials - a few sheets of cardstock and patterned papers, some sticker embellishments, a pair of scissors, my trimmer and one ink pad. I thought I did really well to take just that with me but I was very worried that I would not be able to do anything at all because I am one of those 'have to finish one project before another one gets started' kind of girls. Needless to say I managed to get over myself long enough to create the bases of two layouts. All that needed to be done when I got home was to raid the chipboard and thickers for titles, add some mist and do the journalling. Here is what I came up with:

All this layout needed was the misting and digging out my trusting manual Dymo label maker. Quite happy with how this has turned out.

This layout is very plain and simple but I quite like it. Channelled a bit of Pip Prosser here I think going for the large block of patterned paper behind the photos lol. I also experimented with the journalling and wrote around the outside of the large block and the title forms part of the journalling. Not too shabby even if I do say so myself. And yes, before you kill me Beck, I know there are banners on both pages but I couldn't help myself, even if the one on the Cross Country layout looks like G-Strings hanging on a clothesline lol!!!

Anyway, I think that is all for me for now. Trying to make the most of my last few days of long service leave. Hard to believe that, including the Easter holidays and now these ones, I have been home for 14 weeks - where did that time go? I have mixed feelings about heading back to work - I miss my classes but sure as heck do not miss the politics, red tape and in-fighting that happens in any work place. For a while there I contemplated no going back at all but too scared to throw it all away just yet and realistically speaking, apart from part-time jobs while I was at school and University, teaching is all I have ever done so what else could I possibly do?? I am sure that once I get back into the swing of things it will be like I had never left at all - well here's hoping anyway.
Til next time,
Me xoxoxo