I finally worked it out

Thought that while I was in the reorganising/spring cleaning mode, that I would give my blog a fresh new look. Have really wanted to put my own title banner on here but could not for the life of me work out how to do it. Well after a good few hours (that's time I ain't getting back) I've worked out how to a) create a banner in photoshop and b) add it to my blog. Man was it frustrating but I am so stoked I can do it now - expect regular banner changes and hopefully they will get better as I get better at making them (fingers crossed)

In other news, there isn't really any. Toe is going really well - taken the splint off and am hobbling around home with no crutches - still using them when I go out.

Not much planned for today - hopefully get some scrapbooking done later now that my space is all up and ready to go. Haven't scrapped since the retreat but am so ready to get into some now.

Andrew and I are planning to go to the drive-in on Friday night to see a double feature - Poseidon and Superman Returns. I am soo excited. Haven't been to the drive-in, in years. Last movie I saw was Innerspace with Dennis Quaid in it. You know, when he gets shrunk and injected into someone and I also saw 101 Dalmatians. Think I was about 10!! So it should be soo much fun - will definitely be taking some pictures.

Anyway, will post tomorrow

Till next time

New stuff in my scrap space.

So it's been a week since the retreat and I was all inspired once I got back to make my space more user friendly and also prettier!!! So I went in search of some funky storage and found these cute black locker tins at Target. I bought 4 and attached some tags so i can tell what is in each tin. Also painted a little set of drawers I've had in there of ages - nice meadow green color. Was inspired to use green black and pink from the little Beyond the Page frame that I made up on the retreat (see pic above)

So I am now loving my space again. Really feeling like getting some serious creative juices flowing and just scrapping up a storm.

PS Toe is still very sore but getting better, little by little. Have moved off the couch a bit more today so that is a positive!!

Have a great weekend.

Till next time

This little piggy went to hospital

So I've fracture the middle toe of my left foot. I know - what a pathetic injury and it's my first broken bone as well. Walked into our lounge room last night and whacked my toes into the chunky wooden leg of our coffee table. It hurt so much but I could still get around on it. Woke up this morning and I couldn't walk on it without being in a substantial amount of pain. So Andrew took me to the hospital and I've come home with a half cast splint on and crutches. I tell you what, hurting your toe sounds really pathetic but you'd be surprised just how much we rely on these little things. Suffice to say, I am at home today with strict doctor's orders to keep my foot elevated.
And getting used to crutches is not the easiest of things to do. It really is just a pain in the butt (and the foot).

Am supposed to start playing basketball in two weeks so I really really hope all is well by then.

Till then, I'm off to lay down some more and take a couple of Nurofen.

Hope your day has been slightly better than mine.

Till next time

2 more layouts.

So I thought I would post pics of 2 more LOs I got done over the weekend. One is of my dad and I (and it's inspire by an Ali Edwards LO in CK June - LOVE THAT WOMAN!) and the other is a photo of Andrew's family at our house for a family BBQ.
Am totally in organisational mode at the moment- still working on my scrap desk. I hope to have it finished by tonight and then take some pictures of it. Also cleaned up my office at work, filed a whole heap of stuff, chucked a whole heap of stuff and man does it feel good.

Not much else happening around here - same old same old. Looking forward to a night at home tonight - been out every other night this week. Love being home, chilling out, bumming around in my slippers and not having to go out in the cold. I used to want to go out all the time when I was 20-21 but now I am such a homebody.

Till next time

My weekend's work

Been home today. Cleaned the house (first time it's been completely done - have done bits and pieces - for about 3 weeks). Been sick, been busy, you know the drill. Feel so much better now that it is done. The floors are shiny, my carpet looks cream again. AHHH. All is now good in the world. It also means I can organise my scraproom and do some more scrapping, without feeling guilty about housework. Came back from the retreat all inspired, not just to scrap but to reorganise how I store my stuff. So many different ways that people do this. Went to Target tomorrow and bought some cute black tin boxes and am trying for more organised look for my scrap desk. Will taked pics tomorrow once I am done.
Thought I would post a couple of the LOs I did over the weekend. The one up the top is of me and some of the kids from church at a rubgy match. Love that Boho paper - picked that up at the retreat. The one below is of me and my best friend Cath. Got some bad news from Cath about another friend in Adelaide on Friday night - our friend Chris was diagnosed with Cancer the Friday before and it was discovered that is was all through her body and she passed away suddenly last Friday. She was only diagnosed a week prior to dying. Was really shocking. She is only in her 30s and has two small children. So the first layout I did at the retreat was one that celebrated the friendship that Cath and I have. Made me feel close to her even though she is in Adelaide.

Anyway, I will post more LOs tomorrow

Till next time - Make sure you tell your friends and family that you love them. You never know which day will be your last.

Scrapanalia Retreat

I have just had the best weekend at the Scrapanalia Retreat at the Cleveland Winery in Lancefield. It was soo much fun. Jess and Donna did such a superb job and if they have another one I will definitely be going. The accomodation was brilliant (there were some other guest there - not scrapbookers - who certainly enjoyed themselves and made full use of the spa in their room for most of the night!!!) , the food was beautfiful and there was so much of it - almost no room for chocolate snacks The scrap room was big and bright and we each had lots of room to work. It was great meeting new people and sharing together. Checking out other people's work, seeing how they create was so inspiring. It was brilliant sharing the drive and a room with Katie. Great to get to know her even better and just hang out together.

I managed to get 5 LOs done and two beyond the page items which I am pretty happy with. Will post some pics of the stuff I did over the next couple of days.
The photos above are of some of the scrap room and also a picture Katie, my new friend Donna and I. Really wanted a photo with us and Jess but unfortunately Jess went home early cause she wasn't feeling well - hope your feeling better Jess.

Anyway, gotta run - still have to unpack my scrap bag from the weekend and organise some tea.

Till next time

Too excited

So my promises of a prompt return to blogdom did not come to fruition but alas I am here. Another busy week in the life of me, Salvo youth worker and scrapbooker. Yesterday (Wednesday) spent from 9am -9pm at a Chick Flick movie marathon that I organised for the girls at our church. Was lots of fun. We watched 5 movies in total, ate lots of food, put mud masks on, played games, laughed lots. Love hanging out with the young girls at church - they are such an awesome bunch of girls. As part of the day, I made up little gift boxes out of noodle boxes and filled them with chocolates, samples from the local pharmacies and other goodies. They looked very cute and the girls loved them.

Today we've had our niece Jessie with us as a school holiday treat (for her! LOL) She spent the morning in the garden with Andrew while I went to the office for a few hours. She went home tonight - I think she was a bit sad that she had to go home.

Tomorrow I have a full on day - spend a few hours at the office in the morning, come home, finish packing then head off to meet Katie and then drive to the Scrapanalia Retreat for the weekend. I am so so excited. Nowhere near as prepared as I should be - I've just grabbed stuff of my desk, whole handfuls of cardstock, patterned paper and photos and shoved them in a bag. Hope I'll be able to make some decent LOs with the stuff on the weekend

Anyway, enough blabbing. I really gotta get some sleep

Have a great weekend everyone

Even Badder Blogger

Well it's been a whole week since I have blogged - what a shocker I have been. But I have seriously been sooo busy I haven't even had time to check my email, let alone blog. Started off with spending a few hours with my sister on Sunday night, after she broke up with her boyfriend. She was devestated but since then they have been in contact and met up and talked through issues and are going to give it another go. So I am stoked with that cause that make such a good couple and they both love each other to bits.
Spent from 10 - 10 on Thursday at Dare Girl conference for high school girls. Took 9 girls from church along. Was lots of fun but oh so tiring and very girly but it was all good. The girls seemed to enjoy it. The theme was PJ party so we all went in our Pyjamas. There were like 2000 girls running around in there PJs - it was very fun. The picture above is of me and the girls in our PJs.
Friday and Saturday was spent at another conference in Richmond on Youth Leadership. Was some great teaching and it was great to meet with other youth workers and leaders from around the State.
So tonight I am really tired and looking forward to hanging out with Andrew (feel like I haven't really seen him all week). This next week is going to be pretty busy too. Got lots to do for work and also a bit of prep to get organised for the Scrapanalia Retreat next weekend. I am soooo excited but also a little worried that I am not going to have enough hours this week to get as prepared as I want to be able to scrap all weekend.

Anyway, definitely going to be back blogging more regularly. Will be back tomorrow to share more stuff with you.

By the way, am stacks better now. And Lyn, no I am not pregnant. Not yet anyway. You guys will definitely know when that happens!

Till next time

Bad Blogger

Well, what a lame blogger I have been. There seriously has not been anything happening around here this week except for me being sick, and I was sick of talking about being sick! Ended up spending Wednesday and Thursday off work and on the couch. Had me some serious DVD and sleep time. It was soo good and I feel so much better for having that bit of time off. I have a super busy week this week, so I really had to get well or I'd be sick for ages. Watched some old classic chick flicks - An Affair to Remember followed by Sleepless in Seattle. Bit of Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge. What a sloth I am. But it was great.

Saw 'Cars' last night and loved it. What a great movie. The people from Pixar are true genius in making movies that will appeal to pretty much anyone. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you have to go see it. I am going to be bold enough to say I think it may be the best Pixar movie yet.

Am hopefully going to spend the night with my little sister and her friend. My sister broke up with her boyfriend of 1.5 years today, and she's feeling pretty low so we're watching Dawsons Creek episodes (loved that show) and eating cookie dough and chocolate. Hope it cheers her up a little bit.

Hope your weekend was a good one.

I so need to blog more regualrly.

Will hoepfully be back tomorrow

Till next time

My Public Holiday

Still sick. Still congested. Getting so sick of this (no pun intended!). Despite being sick I had to run a fundraising BBQ at our local Bunnings yesterday. It was to raise money for the youth at Mooroolbark Salvos to go to a Salvo youth conference that is being held in Fiji (I know FIJI!!) in January next year. It was soo cold but I kept thinking of getting me and those kids to Fiji and hopefully how warm it would be there. Before any of you starting thinking, gross sick woman handling food, I stuck to the job of cashier!

So that was my Monday - 8-5 at Bunnings. Am having the day off tomorrow to try and get over this icky sicky feeling. Don't think 8 hours in the cold yesterday did me any favours in trying to shake this thing!

Today I've been at work and at the school I do some stuff at. Last week of term so I have a couple of weeks break from school stuff. Love going to the school but will be glad of a couple of weeks off. Andrew has parent-teacher interviews tonight. so it's just me for tea. Gonna cook me up some stir fry noodles then settle in to watch Survivor and All Saints. Love Tuesday night TV.

Have a good one.

Till next time

Hope

Some of my favourite things this week

So these are my favourite things at the moment. Still feeling slighty rotten. Seriously, how much snot can one person have. It's disgusting.

So I love my Kleenex Aloe Vera tissues, I am craving the smell of Vicks and Lemsip is my drink of choice at the moment.

I think I must be sick cause I don't even feel like scrapping - that in itself is a sickness.

So I am spending my Saturday, curled up on the couch, under a toasty blanket, watching some girly DVDs while Andrew and his Dad slave away in the backyard, building garden beds and retaining walls. I feel bad that I'm not helping but I really have to get better.

What a sucky way to spend a long weekend.

Hope yours is better

Till next time.

Another LO from the weekend

Here is the other LO I finished on the weekend. Scanned a little shadowy but you get the gist. This is a picture of my good mates Marina and Peter. Love these guys to bits. Pete is just an all-round good guy - would jump in front of car to save you kinda guy. And Marina is probably the only friend I have that I can talk about everything with. Such a cool couple and am so thankful to be able to call them friends.

Have had the day at home today - getting sick. Blocked up nose, sore throat - you know the drill. Got the house clean - between running to get tissues and sneezing and then I spent the afternoon on the couch. Feeling a little run down but am hoping to kick this thing before it gets any worse. Sipping on some lemongrass and ginger tea as I type this, so hopefully that'll soothe me a bit.

Am hopefully meeting my little sister for lunch tomorrow. Going to check out her new workplace. She just started at a community health centre a couple of weeks ago as an intake worker. Her first full-time job. She finished her Health Promotion degree last year so she's all grown up now. So proud of her. She'll be 21 this year - makes me feel a little old!

Anyway, I said today's post was going to be more exciting and fun, but yet just another mundane daily update. Will have to have a look around the net for something fun to post tomorrow.!

Till next time

Bsuy Busy Busy but Goooood

After saying I was going to try and be a more regular blogger, I haven't done very well, have I!
Had a great weekend. Was busy, but it was great. Spent the whole day with friends on Saturday, scrapping up a storm. Chatting, eating, scrapping. We spent over 12 hours together and it was so much fun. Love that this hobby of mine has brought some awesome women into my life. So 12 hours of scrapping, you must have done heaps of work I here you say. NOT! I only got a total of 2 layouts done in that whole time! One of them is above - some photos of Williamstown - went there one night in Feb with a bunch of friends from church. Pretty happy with with how it turned out.
But Saturday was not just about the scrapbooking, it was about hanging out.

Sunday had church in the morning, church in the evening and a sleep on the couch in between! I get really sleepy on Sunday afternoons. Don't know why but always seem to have a snooze most Sundays - suppose I won't always get the chance to, once kids come along!

Am hoping to get a bit of scrapping done tonight - need to finish off a few things from Saturday.

And it's not long to go now till I go on the Scrapanalia Weekend Retreat (30th June-2nd July). I am really looking forward to it and know I it's going to be so much fun. I've already started thinking of stuff that I want to achieve there. Better get more than 2 LOs done!

So that's my weekend in a nutshell.

This post was so not exciting but hey, I will find something good to post tomorrow.

Till next time!

Love in the driest season

Just finished reading an amazing true story called Love in the Driest Season. This is such a powerful, emotional book and I highly recommend it to anyone. Here's a little blurb on it...

In 1997 foreign correspondent Neely Tucker and his wife, Vita, arrived in Zimbabwe. After witnessing the devastating consequences of AIDS and economic disaster on the country’s children, the couple started volunteering at an orphanage where a critically ill infant, abandoned in a field on the day she was born, was trusted to their care. Within weeks, Chipo, the baby girl whose name means “gift,” would come to mean everything to them. Their decision to adopt her, however, would challenge an unspoken social norm: that foreigners should never adopt Zimbabwean children. Against a background of war, terrorism, disease, and unbearable uncertainty about the future, Chipo’s true story emerges as an inspiring testament to the miracles that love—and dogged determination—can sometimes achieve.

The struggle this couple went through to adopt this abandoned baby was almost unbelievable. This struggle, in a country of 11 million people, that had, at the time. over 543,000 children who had either lost their mother, or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

So much goes on in our world that we find so easy to ignore. A whole continent is ravaged by a HIV/AIDS and it's easy to turn a blind eye to all that could be done.

Do yourself a favour and go out and find this book. Then once you've read it, find out what you can do to help, in some small way. Let's help our fellow human brothers and sisters fight this disease that is wiping out entire generations.

I am going to investigate what I can do and I'll share what I find with you guys.

Till next time.

CJ has come home

Well in a previous post (in April) I spoke about a little project I was taking part in called a Circle Journal. I made a little book and it has been posted around to different people, who add an entry and then post it to the next person.. Well yesterday I got mine back. So excited. I first sent mine off in November so it feels like forever since we started but it's finally all done. I love my book. And love all the entries that all the girls put in. It's taking pride of place on my coffee table at the moment and I can't wait to show it off to friends.

Had a day off today. Cleaned the house, did a little shopping - put a few things on lay-by - a cute little cardigan and nice black knit top, both 30% off! And I have nothing on tonight either so it's a good day all round really. Am hoping to get some stuff organised for LOs in little packs so that all the paper and photos are ready to go when I am.

Anyway, I'm off. Hopefully be back tomorrow. Want to be a little more regular with the blogging thing.

Till next time

The weekend that was

Another weekend is almost over. Man they go quick. This one has been jam packed. Yesterday spent most of the day scrapbooking with my sister-in-law and neice Jessie. Had lots of fun. Only got one layout done but still had fun helping Jessie with her stuff. Actually really happy with how this LO turned out - the photos are of Jessie and Andrew reading together, which is something they love to do.
After scrapbooking we made our way to TGI Fridays where we had a family tea for Jessie's 6th birthday, which is on Wednesday. Had some yummy chicken quesidillas (tortilla filled with chicken, cheese, gucamole, etc...) Sooo good, yet soo bad! Then a lethal choc mud birthday cake for dessert. Andrew's other sister Susie has just been overseas for 6 weeks and bought a princess outfit and crown for Jess when they were at the Tower of London, so of course she had to put that on straight away. She did look very cute. But that means that Susie is number 1 aunty (for now!!) Will have to think of a way to better the princess outfit! I think Andrew and I are stuffed.



Today I collected for the Red Shield Appeal this morning. So flippin freezing and wet but I did it for those who needed it. And I didn't do to badly. After a couple of hours walking around collecting in the cold and wet, headed back to the meeting place for some soup and a pie.

Spent the rest of the day grocery shopping and hopefully will get a LO done tonight as well.

So mammoth weekend and I have another good one next week as well.

Hope you all had an awesome weekend as well.

Till next time

Thank God it's Friday and Thank God for the Salvos

So I have a pretty busy weekend ahead. Not crazy busy - good busy. Tomorrow I am spending the day scrapping with my sister in law and her little girl Jessie. And then we are off to TGI Fridays at Doncaster to celebrate Jessie's 6th birthday. So Saturday will be full but good. Then Sunday is the Red Shield Appeal, which is an annual doorknock appeal that is run by The Salvation Army (who I work for and where I also attend church) to raise money for a lot of the super important programs that we run for the community. So that involves knocking on doors for about two hours, asking people to donate to this awesome cause. I love the Salvos - have been involved with this church and organisation my whole life and I really believe in what we do for our community.

Also, some good friends from our church had their baby today (the fifth baby born at our church this year!!) They had a little girl, Acacia Faith. So happy for them. They are such an awesome couple. So hopefully if they are still at the hospital we can have a visit on Sunday evening.
Went in to Target today to buy a little something for them and have realised I have the baby fever really bad. Maybe it's not such a good idea to visit a newborn. I may become terminal!

Anyway, have a good weekend and please give generously to the Red Shield Appeal and help someone in need.

Till next time

Body Shop

Just got home from my first Body Shop at home party. It was so much fun. It was a foot spa party and we all got to soak, scrub and lather our feet with lots of yummy scrummy products. Man I love this stuff. Smells so good, feels so good. I have fallen in love with multiple products. There body butters feel like silk and this awesome hand rescue treatment (See above) which made my hands feel so soft. So I bought some! Wanted to buy so much more but had to restrain myself. But I've made a big list of all the things I like and am heading to my local Body shop every payday from now on. The first product on top of my want list is the Passionfruit Body Butter. Smells and looks so good I could eat it.

So I am off to sleep now that I'm relaxed and smelling goooood!!

Till next time

My Grandpa

So today marks the second anniversary of my Grandpa's death. He was such an awesome man and I am so privileged to have had him as my grandpa. He was loving, kind, quiet spoken but when he did speak, spoke real wisdom. He was a example of courage and a true Christian gentleman. He battled Parkinsons Disease for about 20 years of his life and perservered, even when life got a little tough for him. My nanna is also an awesome woman and stuck by Grandpa till the end, caring for him and loving him. They missed out on their 60th wedding anniversary by a few months. Such an inspiration. Love them both to bits and I miss my Grandpa a lot.
So today is for reflection on my grandpa's life and the impact he had on me.

So why not call your grandparents today, and tell them you love them. And if they are no longer with us, remember some good times you had with them.

Haircut and a layout

I finally got a chance to go and get my haircut today. It's been about two months since it was last done and it gets nasty when it starts growing. Thought I would take a pic of my new do to share - the facials are my attempt at Zoolander's Blue Steel!
Finished one of the LOs I started yesterday. Really like this one - so colourful. But hey, the photo is of a rainbow so it kinda had to be. Thanks for looking