Show Day in the Valley 7 September, 2008

We had a great day yesterday at the show. We took along the Cricut and the Expresssion as well as a pair of Cuttlebugs for demonstrations. The kids loved the Cuttlebug Piggies we made as free make-and-takes. We made over 50 of them! So cute.

Hopefully our classes will reflect how successful the day was, we are hoping to fill our kids classes this school holidays and next term. Lots of people took flyers and it was a very positive atmosphere with a great turn out of visitors for the show.

But boy was it dusty! The joys of the country-side.

On another note, our scrapbooking entries won prizes, and Emily’s watercolour picture won first prize. We were to exhausted to stay back to collect the entries and one of our lovely clients was able to collect them for us, so we could head back to the shop to unload and get home. What a full-on week.

Waiting at home for me was my little 2 year old nephew, who has come to visit for a few days. Lucky us ! He’s cute cute too boot! (oh yes, his Daddy did come too… someone’s gotta drive the car)

The two Daddys here have had a nice Fathers Day, with a trip to the park and dinner with the family tonight. I have loads of photos on the other camera so I will try to post tomorrow night if I can get to the computer after work.  Now the pair of them are playing airplane games… so grown up.

Hope all you great Daddys out there had a lovely day too. You deserve it. Daddys are very special. Especially mine. Love you Dad. xxxx

T is for tired. 5 September, 2008

T is also for Tania. Tired Tania.

I am burning the candle at both ends lately, (but having fun doing it), somehow managing the hectic weeks of classes (have you checked out our schedule?  and seeming to be staying afloat with family and friends. It’s tricky working so many days and nights, but I am just loving all the classes, and we keep adding new ones and revamping old ones to make them better.

Tomorrow Rachel and I are packing for the Chapman Valley Show. I am not too enthused about packing. If you are going, please stop by to say hi.

So, as it nears again to midnight I have checked my emails and am ready for sleep. Glorious sleep.

Peace to you.

Night xxx

How many uses? 4 September, 2008

How many uses are there for double-sided tape? Let’s see how many comments we can get in one post. Type in your name and one “use” at a time. You can post as many comments as you like, but there must be someone else’s in between.

What I mean is that you have to wait for the next person to add a ‘use’ before you can add another one.

I’ll go first.

Ready… set… GO!!!

Storybook Cartridge 3 September, 2008

Breathe… It’s just gorgeous. I’ve sold the one I had in the shop, but Lisa brought it back for us to look at “out-of-box” it today and all it’s swirls and loops, accents and more had me very excited. Every letter is different. Well, of course every letter is different dummy, but every letter has different accents and corners and borders.

  I will be ordering more, and one of them is mine. Mine… all mine. Mwhaa ha ha haaar!

Please let me know if you would also like one of these so I can pre-order enough. I just love new cartridges. And there’s this one too.. Graphically Speaking.

Monday Funny - Bad hair day 1 September, 2008

Tournament of the Minds 31 August, 2008

Can I gush? Please? Do you have a choice? 

 I am so proud of my little girl. My little girl - who used to need me - who used to need me close to fall asleep, (holding her preferably). My baby girl, who not only is beautiful, but works in a team, is dedicated, loyal - and smart.

Oh yeah. My heart swelled with pride today. Well, it’s swollen all the time, but today Emily and her team presented their challenge to the judges.

What is she talking about? I hear you say.

TOM - Tournament of the Minds… Their teams have been dedicated and focused on this for the past 6 weeks. Oh yeah, early mornings twice a week at school, and Sundays too! There are 4 disciplines, and 7 students chosen to take part in each. They are given a problem to work on and then need to present their answers in creative and interesting ways in 10 minutes. There is a whole bunch of criteria that needs to be strictly adhered to. If you are interested in more reading go here. It’s a lot of work, and she’s been there every step of the way. No missing meetings, no sleeping in (shock stun).

Okay, so she’s not just my little girl, she’s our little girl and I wished Andrew had seen their presentation too. He was home with the 3 boys. He keeps things together for all of us, and if it were not for him, then we wouldn’t be able to do the things we do. He’s there, kicking me out of bed at 7 am on Sunday to get ready, and he’s there with a hot tea and loads of biscuits when we get home over 6 hours later. And he’s done the washing, lunches, dishes, all Joshua’s care - and will be making dinner too.

My Mum was there though, and my brother and his partner. That’s us… family gather round. Well, Mum was a blubbering mess, lucky we were sitting up the back as she was bawling away. So funny. I feel it too though, so proud I could cry. Ever get that? She has grown with this experience and the stimulation from this unique challenge has been rewarding.

I guess you are thinking that her team won, but they didn’t. But they were great. Results for the finals won’t come in for a while yet, but that matters not to me, they were great. I am so proud of her. My Our baby.

One of mine 31 August, 2008

A layout I completed a while back using Luxe papers is on show at the Aussie Scrap Source site.  Here

Challenge Complete 31 August, 2008

Thanks Janita for your version of the challenge from August 16th. This looks great. I just love the way you did your lettering with the Cricut!

Remember the challenge?

Astro Boy 29 August, 2008

Poor Astro.

He was in need of a little repair so Andrew and Matthew get right to it. They are the first on the job to pull things to bits… pity they don’t always go back together the same. Shh, don’t tell him I said that.

Matthew is drawn to mechanics, he loves how things work, so when Andrew pulled Astro apart to try to fix his wonky arm he had a little boy magnetised to his side. I reckon it’s mighty annoying, but he’s like a fly you can’t give the hint to, but you can’t swat either. He just hangs around. Kinda like Emily does when there is sweet stuff being made in the kitchen.

All this to fix an arm.

After all.. it IS Astro.

The cubby is coming along 29 August, 2008

Slowly. Ever so slowly. But as we all know, any progress is still progress.

How exciting - one of the walls is almost complete

I think it has something to do with child #2 repeating these words
“C’mon Daaaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby, C’mon Daaaad, let’s go work on the cubby. Dad. Dad? Daaaaaaad!!!.

I am getting used to seeing the monstrosity in my backyard now. You know, when something has been there long enough and you don’t even notice it anymore. Well, that hasn’t happened to me yet. I notice it. Ugly box in the backyard.

Front View. Hopefully there will be a door there one day. Our old door. I wonder if it will fit?

Ugly box. With the tree stump in the middle. And the tin on sideways.

New Cricut Catridges in Stock Now 27 August, 2008

“Story Book” and “Graphically Speaking”.. ooh la la!

 

Children of Courage Award 26 August, 2008

You asked for it. Joshua’s trophy.

The layout is here.

I was surprised when Anne rang me to let me know that Josh had been one of the many wonderful special needs children in Geraldton to be honored with the award for Children of Courage. I didn’t quite know how to take this. I was unsure that he was “deserving” and felt really odd about it.

Challenge Complete 25 August, 2008

Thought I might post my version of the challenge from the 9th .

 

Remember the map? I turned it on it’s side and flipped it to make it work with my photos with what I had laying around. I need quick easy ones to help me get through my mountains of photos.

Monday Funny - Could you drive this? 25 August, 2008

This was sent to me by a friend recently… think it would get confusing at the traffic lights?

 

You figure it out… it’s giving me a headache.

Legomania 24 August, 2008

If I had a dollar for everytime I hollered the words “pick up your lego!” I swear I would be rich! My twins just love their lego and for some reason they seem to need to spread it everywhere. They will spend hours picking through the pieces to find that elusive part, (which for some other reason is always at the other end of the box you are looking in).  They do have my “organising” gene and have compartmentalised little containers for the ‘best bits’, you know, the special one-of-a-kind pieces, little round things, tiny connectors and the heads and the arms. Trouble is that the “untidy” gene is dominant over the “organising” gene.

But when I go into their room and catch them quietly watching a movie with this lego set-up of a cinema I can’t help smiling. They are so darn cute. And quiet. Oh how I love quiet.

Now this head and the hands thing… whatever it is that possesses my boys to take the bodies apart I am not sure, but they are compelled to do so, all the time. It drives me insane. I see no reason as to ‘why’ one would do this.. sure they have plenty of answers as to why they need to do this, like “because the skin colour doesn’t match when we swap heads”. Mmm, seems to me that if they didn’t pull the head off in the first place, then they wouldn’t need to swap the hands.. and what happens to the hands that are taken off? The other is that they need the torso part, with no head and no legs and no hands. What on earth do they need the torso for? Get this.. “to go in the cupboard as different shirts”. Of course, why didn’t I think of that? -  because every good lego man needs 3 spare shirts.

Hee hee. My twins just crack me up with their idiosyncrasies. At least they “get” each other. They are the best pals, and I often find them in bed together reading the same book, or playing a DS Game, or watching a video. How wonderful to be a twin, to have your buddy there all the time… one who understands you… who “gets it”  why you need to pull the hands off your lego men.

Oh.. and can you see which child is most like his father in this picture and why?

Weekend Challenge 22 August, 2008

Feel like scrapping? Feel like a challenge? Use this page map sketch to inpire you to create a layout this weekend. Leave a comment when you complete it!

Girl helpers 21 August, 2008

It’s no wonder Andrew rolls his eyes and groans when one of us offers to “help”. This cubby is an ongoing project. I ‘project’ it will be complete in the year 2015. Click here,  here and here to see past posts on the progression of the cubby.

Uh oh... look out Andrew... here comes your help - in the form of a little girl.

I can’t say I am much help either, not that I claim to be. In this instance I am only the photographer. I keep them company, but only as long as I can stand.. it’s been very cold lately.

Site works management.

 So cold that I have to wear my slippers. See? Oh aren’t they just the finest looking “grandpa” slippers ya ever did see? I do have lots of slippers, but I like these best. They are practical. Not fluffy and pink that gets all mucky, and not too soft that you feel like you are walking on pillows. These are decent and warm and have solid bottoms, and cover enough, not like some that just cover your toes.

We are all hanging out by the cubby - even Jaxson

Just check out that sexy slipper. That’s me.. totally gorgeous in my trackydacks and grandpa slippers. Can you see how much help we are? Not much I tell ya. Jaxson is willing though, but just as useless as me. At least he looks cute, don’t you think?

Pesky Little Girl

There’s my girl. And what’s she doing? Is she helping? No.

Oh no.. not a good shot.

She’s throwing Ash-Bombs. At me. And I think she’s enjoying it.

Little sod.

 How dare she? Throw things at me… and laugh.

I should be the one laughing… at her… and how she can’t even button up her cardigan properly.

Ha ha ha… who’s laughing now?

Now git to work

Work is progressing, just slowly. That’s ok. The year 2015 is a while away yet.

That's it girl, get into it.

I’m going back inside where it’s nice and warm.

Aha it’s done! 20 August, 2008

Amazing what a few coats of varnish will do for a door. I thought I had better follow through and show the finished product. Seeing as you have seen the steps and been with me the whole way through. Well not quite.. you weren’t WITH me when I went to Bunnings and overspent on new brushes ( I just can’t help myself) and a new edger that I really didn’t need, but you have pretty much been with us.

Kinda flash huh? I think I might need to give the Scarecrow Doorstop the flick and get me a butler.

My last ever door photo... I PROMISE!

Layout Share - Strum 18 August, 2008

 

Using FancyPants papers and Heidi Swapp Chipboard Letters, also velveteen ribbon and BG Archaic Rubons. The little tag was a gift from Fiona who I scrapped with that night… she gave us all one… and we all used them on our pages… her contribution.

The name is Bond 17 August, 2008

Well, that’s who #3 thought he was this morning. I am guessing there were lots of strung out Mums this morning and I definately was one of them.

Today was Matthew and Daniel’s First Holy Communion.

Trying to keep the boys clean for the half hour prior was testing in itself. They were darting about, on hyperdrive whilst I was doing Emily’s hair and getting Joshua dressed. At one stage Andrew yells from the shower “Did you know the boys are outside?”

What!?! One had a noisy gun, the other a voicechanger and between them I think the whole neighborhood knew there was something going on in our household this morning. Besides the fact that we are NEVER up at 7am on a Sunday. (And yes, my neighbor commented at church that she heard us).

The name is Bond... Matthew James Bond

 Even when they are playing up, they are so cute. I wanted some photos of them in their outfits, and I managed to get some, but mostly they are like this..

And this…

Can you hear me?

 But eventually I got a decent couple of photos and we could go.

Even Emily was looking swish with her curls.

There was a little girl.. who had a little curl...

Don’t they look sweet?

Butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. Right?

My little honeys. They are just the most beautiful boys in the world.
Of course, that’s just my point of view, but of course they are. And their Holy Communion was beautiful. Nanna and Lauren (along with a packed church) were there to suport them in this journey, and to join in the celebration afterwards.

Looking up.