It's nearly springtime.

My favourite time in the garden, everything is starting to grow again...and it's not too hot to enjoy it!!! These are some of my favourite spots in my garden. When we moved here 2 years ago - there wasn't one single plant!!!
It's my 2nd love after scrapping! There just aren't enough hours in the day....

Another Jack of Jill

..Geraghty- Groves that is,,
New Scrapjack for August, for once I am one of the first in!

more About Life

This is all part of an album of advice for my daughter - I did a LO on each of the things that I feel are important to her...
I will add to it over the years..

About an album

A work in progress for my daughter...

...when it rains...

it pours..
I have a broken thumb.
poor me.
big ow...
I am trying to think of a really cool story as to what happened, but it was inane and DUMB!!!
I slammed my hand in the safe at work. Should be called a Not Safe hey?
I haven't scrapped since the start of the school hols...we have had illness upon illness, and um, the odd accident.
but IT ENDS NOW!!!
this weekend
I MEAN IT>
I am going to do 6 layouts tomorrow. I have set a catch up challenge..
I just need to convince DH to take the kids to the beach.
Watch this space for one handed creations!!!!

Miss Molly had a Dolly..

who was sick, sick, sick..
I know the feeling..I have not blogged or scrapped, or slept for that matter!! Since the start of the school holidays..We have had a terrible run of illness - gastro, tonsilitis, and culminating in a seizure where my daughter inhaled vomit, couldn't breathe and had to be resuscitated...hospitals, blood tests, EEG.s oh boy. Add in a 3 day Health and Safety conference in Rockhampton, and an official opening of the store...
We are all back to school and work tomorrow - I'll be glad for the break!
anyway - apart from that we are all great!!
I need some scrap therapy...
but not tonight...I will watch Grey's and go night night..
xx

layout,,,,,,,

and now it's July!!!

So, work should be slowing down a bit now huh?? I finally have a weekend at home YAY!!! I mean it is great to get away, but when you work full time, a couple of weekends away in a row can really throw you out....
Have done a few pages, only finishing off UFO's...waiting for my scrap mojo to return after a good REST>>

June???

hey, how did that happen?? Wow the year has gone fast! I have been so busy with our AMAZING refurb at work - we are definately the coolest op shop around!! Funky orange, lime green and bright yellow walls, way out retro curtains...I have sure made a statement!!!

I will post some photos when we are done - we have been painting for 10 days straight - some of the walls needed undercoat and 4 coats to get rid of the HORRIBLE brown timber sheeting...
Anyway - hope we brighten up some lives here in Bundy!!!
I have scrapped a few LO's the last few weeks, but most nights I have just fallen into bed exhausted!! ( hard work that, going up and down ladders all day).
Got some done from Keppel....and some old photos..

Scrapjack

Well, I am a bit late this month, but here is my LO for his months Aussie scrapjack...from the very talented Mardi Wennen..

Dropped it..

oops. My carefully organised box of chipboard is now on the floor - and it so perfectly arranged by letter....
who has time to sort it out again?? I think they look fine where they are!

title???

I guess at some point I should think of a cool title for my Blog - hmmmn...
nope, no inspiraton just yet...
any ideas???
The Zachinator:
Here's my gorgeous boy - he was thrilled to finally be in a "zine" and 2 at that (SC and SM) - as every other lo I have ever had published has been of his sister!!
...and here is is again - yes, I often scrap the same photos twice - for different albums..

Freestyle baby!!

I have finally finished some of the layouts from the amazing classes at the Freestyle convention..
These 3 are from Nic Howard, Emily Falconbridge and Tia Bennett..
sorry about the crappy self potrait!!I had to take it myself!
Thanks girls for all the wonderful inspiration.

Head down bum up!!

This photo really does symbolize me at the moment!!! I am having a major refurbishment at work - we are going to be the coolest op shop EVER!! I have chosen paint colours - lime green, orange and banana yellow.... um... seemed like a good idea at the time!

This is my daughter at Australia Zoo - you literally have to hold her back from climbing into the cages with ANY animal...
Another Wildlife Warrior in the making??? I hope so.

Australia Zoo

OMG! another weekend away, I am buggered! (and secretly dying to get into my scrap room with all my new inspiration!!) But we have just spent the long weekend at the Sunshine Coast - did all the touristy things with the kids - they had a FAB time at Australia Zoo..Patted anything that could be patted, and fed anything that stood still long enough. It just seems so poignant - with huge pictures of Steve everywhere. Zach (3) kept saying "poor Steve".."naughty stingray"..

Freestyle

WOWOWOW..what a great weekend. I really enjoyed the Freestyle weekend in Sydney!! It was great to meet all the great ladies in the scrapworld. Emily Falconbridge is SOOO lovely, and inspiring - as were Tia Bennett, Rhonna Farrer and Nic Howard. It was great to go to classes that weren't product based.
I failed to take many photos, just (2...oooops - and look how cool I am!!) - well I was just too busy to take photos!!
Hi to the spunky Melbourne girls - I will wear my autographed apron with pride!!!

ANZAC day

We have had a beautiful sunny day here for Anzac Day. We all went to the march this morning, the kids marched with their Father (who wore his great grandads medals from the Boer War) and their Poppy, who is a Vietnam Veteran.
It's a tremendous event here - a huge crowd of vets and their families, and all the local schools and community groups are involved.

Retreat

Wow, it has been a great past 3 weeks! A weeks holiday at home, a week on Keppel Island and a 3 day scrapbooking retreat...Life should always be like this!!
but, alas.. I went back to work this week.

The retreat held by the local scrap club "I scrap therefore I am".. was terrific! 3 nights and 2 full days of scrapping!! The stayers award goes to Sandra from The Creative Arts Cottage - she stayed up all night on Saturday and scrapped through the night...GO GIRL! I lasted until 3am..
I finished 11 layouts, and one Monogram - so it was very productive..

A huge thank you to Cassie and Petrina for all their hard work (again) setting up a great weekend for us all!!

we're baaack

We have had a wonderful week on Great Keppel Island..Fab holiday - the kids had a ball> It really is a beautiful place. How lucky are we to have this up the road?? (well 3 hours!!)
(Top to bottom)
Fishermans bay where the resort is..
The view from our balcony..
The amazing sunset..
The kids and the wildlife..these enormous starfish were all over the place..

Fave bits

My little garden is really starting to come along. These are some of my fave bits.

new car

We spent a whole day going to car dealerships....I have nearly lost the will to live.
I am just not the least bit interested.
Anyway, got a shiny new one.
Hyundai Tuscon has ebs, abd eps and poq....or something like that.
DH is happy.

And apparently there is nothing wrong with the gear box on our old hyundai - it is the timing belt..I hate mechanics. So we are now (after 3 years fighting it) a 2 car, gas guzzling, environment destroying family. It has been tough though with only one car and 2 jobs and 2 kids who go to different places everyday. It will certainly make my life easier, as I had to do all the running around before..
Oh well c'est la vie..

eggs, eggs, ad nauseum.....

the day started with eggs, had a few eggs in the middle and ended with eggs. That's it though - all gone. I like to get it over and done with in one day! Any lurking eggs have been surreptitiously disposed of..

they don't look overly impressed though!!

Ready!!

Okay - we are ready for the big furry rabbit! We have painted, dyed, inked and done every conceivable thing to an egg and left them as offerings. So SHOW ME THE CHOCOLATE!!!!!!

Gearbox??? What gearbox??

- you mean the NEW one that my car needs. I hate that. Day one of Holidays and the car packs it in.... and this time it MEANS it. I'm talking commitment..."engine about to blow up" tantrum from my poor little hyundai. Okay, so I didn't know about putting water in the battery, and I'm sorry that for the first year I owned it I though it was air cooled......but there is really no need for this type of behaviour. I gave her new CV joints, clutch, some ignition thing, and alternator. Ungrateful that's what I say.

Oh well - only $2000 for a re-conditioned gear box. Bargain.

Might have to seriously think about getting a new shiny one....

I warned her.

Titles..

Hey - no wonder my kids can't spell - I keep stealing the letters out of their jigsaws for my titles..I love it when you can use "non - scrapbooking" stuff on a layout!

Why do kids get sick in time for holidays??

My beautiful girl...who is currently ill with the famous 24 vomiting bug....she's devastated - last day of school was today and it was pizza and games day!!!

Inspired by..

the very clever Emily Falconbridge.
Her lo's are so free and creative - I have scraplifted this lo from one of hers - have you ever seen a lo and thought - "I have to go and do that" straightaway???
I hope she doesn't mind!!
I just love her idea of painting over everything. I haven't quite pulled it off though...hmmmn.

when??

I love this candid photo of my little boy - so proudly counting to 11. Boy they really grow up so quick!!

nearly on holidays..

finally I really did do a layout about me. you know I'm just NOT photogenic. I look much better cut up!!

same photo, different album

but in colour..

who said pastel was the new black?

..not this little black duck!
I'm having a brights and whites phase I think..

oooh got it

...scrapjacking that is... here is my version of the very talented Erica Glovers layout on the new Aussie scrapjacked site...