Monday, July 30, 2007

I'm alive.....

For all of you who have been wondering where I am....why I have not been on messenger lately...why I haven't been scrapping.....

We have a bit of a full house at the moment. Joseph's cousin goes home to the Philippines at the end of the week and we have been busy taking her around and entertaining her. It has been lots of fun but very tiring.

And my boys used up all our optus download thingimajig...so now we have been bumped off cable internet superhighway speed to the oh sooo damn slow dialup speed bicycle lane.

And no time to scrap because we are out just about all day and by the time Joseph gets home......we take our guest out to Mil's or Aunty's place to visit and never get home till very late. TIRED!!

Today we are off to the city to try and get MIL a passport so that she can go to the Philippines on Friday. She has lost her marriage cert, she doesn't have photo id.....so there are lots of obstacles to tackle today. I will have nurofens and panadols in one hand and caffeine in the other!!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Where has time gone????

Has it really been 10 days since I have last blogged? What have I been doing?

ummm....let me try and remember....

14th July - Scrap n Chat!!! Organised by KitiQ and Bons Scraps.....it was a fabulous day out. I had a fantastic time chatting and distracting everyone. It was great catching up with Vita, Felicity, Clair, Jane, Sofi, Tash, Rach, Bon, Kelly, Danielle and etc.....if you are in the etc category....please forgive me...my swiss cheese brain is just shocking. I had a fab time with Jane at the Crafty matters demo. I shopped.....for Mich and myself. And I did one layout. tee hee...a layout of a photo that was taken oh.....over 5 years ago. Yah....shocking....hahahaha.....oh...it was a christmas layout too!! Straight after the crop....we went to Joseph's cousin's place for dinner and then played cards till it was pumpkin time! DH was on call that weekend and right after dinner....he got a call and had to take a cab into work! Poor man

15th July - Ellen & Phaedon's birthday party. Mich put on a wonderful spread....everything was sooo yummy and I had a fabulous time chatting, laughing and eating. Jeromel had such a good time he didn't want to go home!

My week was quiet....well quiet because I stayed home.....didn't feel all that crash hot ....so most of the time I was on the couch with my best friends...foxtel and my hot wheat bag firmly planted on my belly. *Aha* I hear you all say. Tee hee

Last weekend....we went up to Mt Buller on Saturday....had lots of fun. Quick little collage of photos. Can you see my beanie?? Ok....Michelle Tan tagged me a while ago....but I didn't understand what the tag meant...until I realised that all I had to do was put this up on my blog...how cute...how pink....it's not a link to anywhere...just a pretty decoration. This has been going around a bit....so if you haven't done one....then I am tagging you.





Ok...next tag was by Michelle Vass
The Rules: So this is how it works. I must post the rules, 7 random things about me and then tag others to do the same. Sound fair enough, right? These are the rules…. each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

1. At 13, I came to Australia without my parents as an overseas student. I lived with my Aunty for a while and then went to boarding school.

2. I went to Korowa CEGGS for a year....but it was too far to travel from Bayswater...so I transferred to Tintern CEGGS.....and eventually went to boarding school there.

3. After HSC, I got into a Biochemistry course at Swinburne and moved out to live in Camberwell. I was 17 and lived above a post office with 2 other students (brother & sister who totally ignored me).

4. I lived in that shop house for a year paying $20 per week.....the location was great.....but it was damp, smelly and disgusting. While living there....I worked as a waitress in a chinese restaurant. The pay wasn't great...but the food was. LOL....as a student, you work for free great food.

5. My father came to Australia to visit me and when he saw the conditions I was living in. He felt really bad. He had already retired....so he bought a flat in Box Hill as an investment and I moved there.

6. I met Joseph just before I was 19....we were introduced by a mutual friend....and we were set up on a blind double date. It was love at first sight.

7. We got married 6 months after we met.....small garden civil marriage. It wasn't a shot gun wedding....we were just so much in love and knew we were right for each other. All together now.....'Awwwwww'

Whew....that's 7. If anyone hasn't done this tag or would like to reveal a bit more....YOu're tagged!!!
And then I got some news to share too...big news....!
I got a very exciting phone call from For Keeps waaaaay back in April......I was told that I was one of the winners in thEveryday Moments Competition!!! I was surprised, stunned and very very happy. I really loved the long 8 month long competition.....those 3 layouts a month really made me think a lot about my everyday moments and I tried very hard to capture those moments. My prize was absolutely awesome.....$1000 worth of scrapping products.....it was a huge box ....it was just like Christmas!!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Stupid, Sick, Mojoless.....but lucky!

Why stupid? Last friday, I did something completely stupid. Burnt the back of my mouth and part of my throat with a very hot cup of coffee. I like to start off with a really hot cuppa...because I know it takes me a while to drink it...half of my coffee is usually lukewarm because I've forgotten about it. So this time....stupid me absentmindedly reached for my coffee....and took a big gulp of hot scalding coffee. And maybe it's age related...maybe just stupidity...but my reflexes made me swallow it instead of spit it out. GO FIGURE!!!! So my throat got burnt as well. Sigh.....I got little blisters in my mouth...it was hot and sore. And what's worse.....I was supposed to go to dinner that night with a few girlfriends.....we were going to have Indian food. LOL....of all cuisines....Indian food.....I had to cancel because I couldn't even speak properly.

Then Saturday late morning we picked up DH's Mum, Aunty and cousin and took them to Phillip island to go to their friend's house for lunch. This friend made us a beautiful Filipino lunch and it was lovely meeting them .....but....her husband who is 75 years old.....pretty much chain smoked inside the house. So by the time I was driving home....I was coughing......still coughing in fact.....coughing so much at night that I put something out in my neck and ended up with a migraine....quick trip to the chiro fixed that part.

So.....that takes care of stupid and sick from my blog title......now mojoless.....no scrapping done.....at all.....until yesterday when I got an email from the Lovely Susan Johannes reminding all the Group 1 contributors that their layouts were due that night. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh.....totally forgotten about the due date...panic panic!!! The challenge was to go to the op/thrift shop and buy something to use on the layout...no patterned paper allowed and a 6x12 layout or an altered item. Luckily I already had my thrift store item. Whenever I go to the op shops.....I always head for the books......particularly vintage children's books with gorgeous old style illustrations. This Noah's Ark book was falling apart and missing pages....but I could see potential in the gorgeous illustrations. So here is my layout....done in a mad rush.....first time doing a layout that size. It was challenging....I wanted more room....like double the room. LOL!!! Anyways......go check out the challenge here the prize is sooooo nice and to die for. So go on.....do a layout and enter it for the comp....you got to be in it to win!!

Ok....now comes the lucky part. I'm truly a believer now that good luck/good news comes in 3's. Well....bad luck....stupid, sick and mojoless....that was 3 as well right? lol Anyways, I found out that I won 3rd prize in a Love Elsie layout comp at Scrappers Bliss on Sunday night. Then Monday night found out that I won a US$25 voucher at A cherry on top for my Junkitz layout....and then on Tuesday I got an email from Layle Koncar telling me that I'm one of the rak winners and will get some new papers from the Ashville or Sumner range!!! Absolutely rapt!!!

There's been other bad stuff going on in my life as well.....problems with our brand new Veronas from Bay Leather Republic.....a very bad experience at Red Rooster the other day....and my credit card has been fraudulently used and is now maxxed out until the bank finishes their investigation. Sigh.....see...that's 3 as well....well...it's a total of 6.....sigh!!

Ok...if you have read this far....you will be rewarded...with a layout....not a new layout....done a few weeks ago....lol. Pauline from Fireside Crafts sent me a very lovely birthday pressie and I absolutely fell in love with the We Are Memory Keepers papers! Fireside crafts kits promise to 'ignite your creativity' and this one sure did!! I teamed up the papers with some MME rub ons and absolutely love this layout. Fireside Crafts have released 2 gorgeous kits and they are also running a competition ....go check them out.Oooh...found another layout done a couple of weeks ago....hope you can read the journalling....I swear this boy cracks me up with what he says...

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Happy 18th Birthday Jordan!!!


Today, my eldest baby Jordan turned 18. I'm still in denial that I am the mother of a legal adult. tee hee. The above photo was taken at his Year 12 formal a couple of weeks ago.....don't they look like a fabulous bunch of young adults? They all came to our house so that I could take a few pics before the limo picked them up. OMG...the limo was sooo cool.....it had blue neon lights under it. After the formal, there were two after parties and Jordan got home at 6am!!! He was only just 5 mins walk away which was good. We didn't have to go pick him up.

DH's midlife crisis layout has finally been published in Scrapbooking Memories this month. It was one of my first layouts accepted!!! I think DH was half hoping that they wouldn't publish it anymore...tee hee. I still love this layout even though it was done nearly a year ago!!!

I got some Happy Mail today!!!! Sweet Christie sent me a gorgeous little package today. It was really nice getting a surprise in the mail. I absolutely adore the red felt owl ....I'm going to use it on a layout really soon. And the cute little monogram is sitting on my scrap table.

Last Friday, I had a small lunch for Felicity's birthday. Michelle and Jacqui came over . It wasn't a big do because Felicity has been sick and wasn't even sure if she would be able to come until the night before!! We had a nice lunch of yummy Singapore chicken curry. All the kids came along as well and they had a lot of fun dressing up!


Tuesday, Kylie came over with her girls for lunch. Made a yummy vegetable soup with bake at home rolls. Wednesday Julia and Matt came over for lunch (roast vegie soup & bake at home rolls)....and Mich and her kids popped over as well.

So yes, it has been a busy week for socialising........no mojo for scrapping. I think my mojo might have hopped into Felicity's pressie by mistake!! I've printed some photos off, gone through my paper stash, taken out some embellishments, moved things around and generally made a mess. No layout to show....I did make some Christmas cards though. I'm too embarassed to show them ....I mean.....who makes christmas cards in July? Who???? A mojoless person...that's who!!!

And what does a girl with no mojo do???? She shops of course!!! This is my stash from this week!!! Actually all from a day. LOL....yummy Buzz n Bloom alphas from Bons Scraps

And the gorgeous Jenny Bowlin, Rhonna Farrer and 7G stuff is all from Arty Pants
BTW, Arty Pants have their front page all done and their first kit is online as well. So go and check it out and don't forget to stop by the forum for a bit of a look see!And asides from shopping and entertaining, I am sooo rapt that I got 6 acceptances!!! 2 from Scrapbooking Memories, 2 from Scrapbook Creations and 2 from Creating Keepsakes!!!

Ok....lastly, I forgot that I hadn't actually shared the layouts that I did with my Scrapping Angels kit!!! I had heaps of fun with this kit and it was really well received by all the ladies who bought the kit. It comes with all the products and instructions for 4 layouts. I can share 3 because 1 has been picked up for publication!
If you're still here.....leave a comment!!!! LOL...I get lots of hits but not many comments!! Don't feel shy....please delurk and say Hi!