Howdy Stranger

lol do people still say Howdy??? hehehe I think not. Oh well I like being different.
I have finally found a few spare minutes in the week to update this blog. Nothing special has been happening - just life. Have had a massive fortnight marking and preparing assessment. I finally finished the last lot of marking on Thursday around midnight. Felt good to have it done. I have about a two week break before getting inundated with all of the end of year exams. My Year 12's are definitely on the countdown - 5 teaching lessons with them until their exam. Where has the year gone???
Not a lot of scrapping has been done - in fact, just one layout since starting the term. Very plain and VERY SIMPLE but I actually like it, especially the Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology Ruffle Ribbon:

This is the boys' school photo for the year - the very first one of them together at 'big school' as Lachie still calls it. I cannot believe how much both boys, but particularly Lachie, has grown in the last six months. Hard to believe that Lachie is only in Prep - he looks so much more grown up.

Have spent last night and today trawling online shops looking for After 5 dresses for an awards ceremony I have been invited to attend next week. Nothing like short notice to kick a person's butt into action. Found out on Wednesday about it which meant 10 days to find something - not easy when you are a bit on the 'cuddly' side. I have two formal outfits in the cupboard but have worn them so much over the last few years I am sick of the sight of them. Found this one and have ordered it. It was love at first side. Just hope I don't end up looking like mutton dressed as lamb:

The sales assistant was soooooooooo helpful when I called (they have online plus store front). Promised me that they can get it from their end of the country to mine by Wednesday 9am at the very latest (fingers crossed). All I have to do is pray that it fits hehehe.
On the magazine front, the following page was recently published in Scrapbooking Memories Magazine. Not one of my favourites but was accepted for their 'banner' theme, even if the banners I used look a little like g-strings hanging on the line lol. Gotta love October Afternoon stuff though - all the pp is from their collections. I {heart} OA HEAPS and LOTS and MUCH

I have more to show but cannot just yet but if you get Scrapbooking Memories for yourself, turn to pages 29 AND 110 (still cannot believe having two layouts published at the same time). The colours of the layout on pg 29 are totally blown out but hey, who cares, it is published lol. The one on pg 110 is soooooooooooooooooooo not my colours but I love the basic design of it.
Anyway, I guess I should start to turn my attention to the neglected piles of folding that have multiplied in my push to get all the marking done. When oh when will someone invent a washing machine that washes, dries, folds and irons clothes? Oh and putting them away should be an optional extra lol.
Til next time

S xoxoxoxoxo

He loves me ...

I have to say that I am feeling very loved and totally spoilt today. When the boys and I arrived home from school and swimming training, this is what was waiting for me in my office:

A brand new iPod classic AND a bunch of flowers. And for what reason??? Birthday? Nope - been there done that already this year. Wedding anniversary??? Nope - be there done that already this year. Other special date??? Nope - have never done that sort of stuff, probably never will.
They arrived on my desk for two reasons:
1) I put my trusty, faithful iPod Nano through the wash on Friday night - not once BUT TWICE (running away in shame now - I mean who puts an iPod through the wash once let alone twice???!!!).
2) Tony thought I might need a bit of cheering up because I have been sad and upset lately.
I feel very spoilt. I planned on just getting another Nano - really don't have the need for a wiz-big iPod because all I use it for is listening to music but Tony said he saw this and liked it so who am I to complain hehehehe. 160GB - lots of room to put some movies onto for when I am going to the States later in the year - gotta do something to fill in the long plane flight. Just between you and me (please don't tell him) I actually went and got one of the new generation iPod Nanos this afternoon (whoops lol). Now have to work out what to do with it lol
And then there is the flowers - gerberas are my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE of all time. Although fuschia pink is my favourite gerbera colour, I NEVER say no to geberas.

I have to say that for all the rough patches we have faced over the years and for the little arguments etc we have had, I don't regret (well 95% of the time anyway) making the decision to marry Tony all those years ago. Sure life gets in the way and it absorbs us but after all this time, I cannot image NOT having Tony in my life.
Nothing else to report, looks like it is another busy week ahead - but feels like that every week doesn't it???
Until next time,
S xoxoxoxo

What's doing???

Apart from work, swimming club, swimming lessons for Lachie and mini squad for Mitch, Tony spending hours upon hours in the tractor planting only to have the prospect of losing some of it after having rivers of rain - nothing much.

Don't get me wrong, rain is GREAT but with the amount of water lying in the paddocks at the moment, most of the seeds will rot before they get the chance to grow. But that is farming - it is all the luck of the draw and we just need to move forward now and get onto the next task; waiting for the water to drain away and the ground to dry out so cotton planting can begin.

School is back in for the final term - 1 week down; 9 to go. My Year 12's are in total countdown mode. It is very scary to know that I am now down to 10 lessons with them before their final exam. I just hope that the excitement of finishing off their school studies, coupled with formals, valedictory and (for most of them) 'schoolies' week doesn't make them lose too much focus. I feel slightly more settled after the first week of Term 4 compared to Term 3. I love my job and I love teaching SO much but man I HATE HATE HATE the politics and crap that goes on behind the scene. I know you get that in any job and I have to just deal with it but I get so frustrated because our primary concern should ALWAYS be the students but bureaucrats being the type of people they are, make it so dang hard. I really want to say to some of them - get out of your plush little office and get back into the thick of things in the classroom so you can see that a lot of the decision you make are so irrelevant and pointless. LOL how do you think that will go down??? hehehehehe

Scrapping has taken a back seat for the last week or so. Disappointed and annoyed with myself for not doing more during the holidays but thems the breaks. I only managed a paltry 3 single LO's and this double (which by the way, I am not sure I like):

Anyway I feel William Shakespeare and Martin Luther King calling me so I had best get back to planning work for the upcoming week.

Take care everyone and thanks for stopping by.

S xoxoxo