nearly holidays :)

Blogger is coping flack over altering header settings. Seems mine has also been chopped. I think I'll wait till blogger has had a chance to respond to the torrent of abuse before playing with html codes as suggested by some. Don't touch what you don't understand! (edited:...OK...so I couldn't leave it alone....fixed!...)

Finished work for a fortnight after a seemingly endless line of pre-employment functional assessments. Why IS there a mad rush to employ people the week before Christmas? I dunno.

Last day of school before the 5 week onslaught of school holidays. A rare day at home...just me and the baby....and coffee :) (oh, and that mountain of jobs I have to do before all the visitors arrive)

Have a wonderful Christmas

SBM masters

A big congratulations to those named masters for this year. Alas it is not me.....but I've known that for a while now! I was fortunate enough to end up with 2 items that got an honourable mention in the magazine though. Seeing as the issue is now out, I figure it is OK now to put on my blog :)

1. mini album:

2. Decorated Storage unit (which Bill would like EVERYONE to know that he constructed! and I'm sure would make more at a price!!)

And my single LO (that I really liked but didn't rate a mention LOL)

And my double..... I knew submitting a fully digital LO was probably limiting my chances...but I had to do it anyway!!

busy, busy...

Just time for a quick LO using bits and pieces from various packs....

digital downloads

....available from Blue Bazaar :)

I think I have now wasted sufficient time on digi playing that I need to start getting ready for Christmas. I still haven't done all the Christmas shopping...and I have another busy working week coming up. Gonna get my act together...soon....

(We did get the Christmas tree up though....and I had to refrain from rearranging the tinsel that the children had put up that was not creating a balanced tree...it's that first born thing again apparently :). I'm OK with it.
(I might fix it later)

first LO in AGES!

Most bits from Couture pack...

For those that have asked.....Willro&co designs have been officially launched at Blue Bazaar .
They are available through the shop - just look up digital scrapbooking :)

Layne Beachley?

Well, possibly not.

But she is certainly not lacking in confidence. After watching a large pod of dolphins swim past and a few intermittent showers, it turned into a good morning of learning how to be a ripcurl chick. (Thanks to the Ulladulla learn to surf school for holding a 'girls learn to surf day')

After some careful coaching (from Grace) and under constant scrutiny of her father lest he should have to dive in fully clothed to save her, we saw a bit of this:

more of this:

but by far the most of this:

The others entertained themselves doing this:

Hope you all had a wonderful family weekend too :)

OK, I'm back

I have had 2 emails today noting my apathy towards my blog.

One came from my 3rd born sibling...and as I am in the middle of reading "Birth order - why you are the way you are" by Dr Kevin Leman, it all makes sense. Playgroup has a lot to answer for, doesn't it PV??

My firstborn status, on the other hand, explains my desire to be proficient at everything - including graphic design. So in true first born style, I have decided to prove that I can do it, and my efforts of the last few weeks are now on show...and very soon for sale...hopefully!

It also explains my need to live vicariously through my children - thus Tara is enrolled in the rip curl girls learn to surf day on Sat...and hopefully my other current obsession, photography will be satisfied by getting some cool photos of her surfing....and I will post those :)

The only other thing of interest is a photography competition that I entered...that irked my first born status because I did not win...however I was pleased with the photos. You had to use 5 common objects that Canon gave you in photos in any way that you chose that tried to tell a story... (a box, balloon, piece of cellophane, chalk & a dot). Had I known that the judges were looking for photoshoped versions of laser wielding robots, I could have gone to town...but alas......

A bit excited...

because finally SBM Vol 9 No 6 arrived in my mailbox :)

I guess I have had a few LO's published - and that is always exciting.....but this time the magazine has my design as it's free paper and alphabet. It is a nice feeling to see stuff you have 'made' turn into something tangible. (Oh, and there is a LO of Bill in there too...he is very tangible LOL)

Big Red

She continues to grow. Funny that.
7 years ago, her father's eyes met mine and and in unison we said, " She's got red hair!". Who would have thought! She astounds us daily with her abilities & brightness - not bad for a child who was predicted during pregnancy to be set for significant problems.
Happy Birthday Big Red!





I have been tagged by one of my lovely cyber buddies on SOF Karen

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

My 7 facts:

1. I have bought 2 computers in the last 2 weeks coz ones I had died...aaggghhh

2. I went to boarding school in Sydney (for yrs 11 & 12) and lasted for 2 weeks until I cried on the phone sufficiently to my mother to bring me home.....she made me go back though.

3. I grew up on a sheep/wheat farm. Don't like sheep. Boarding school was the better option.

4. I had my own private physiotherapy practice for 14 years. Don't miss the paper work!

5. (before kids) I went as support crew for my DH, brothers & cousins on a motorbike trek from central NSW to Ayers Rock and back. Crazy adventure! [note to self: trying to average about 500kms per day and set up camp every night in a different place is NOT a clever plan]

6. I drive an XR6 turbo...it really is a 'boy' thing though...but he has to drive the old ute to work *wink*

7. My whole life is shaped by the knowledge that God loves even me & has a great plan for my life :)

I'm now supposed to tag 7 more people. I'm not sure that I have 7 people to tag that haven't already been tagged....and all who know me KNOW I wont respond to those chain letter type emails....so I think I'll just answer the questions and leave it at that!

AND (don't be shocked now)
I actually scrapped something - Yes, with real paper all you cynics out there! It is just a basic little LO - I really love that whole CI range of cut out paper. I figure if I do a LO telling them that they are best friends, I might actually convince them of it...eventually anyway....if they don't kill each other first....

Is it nearly Christmas?

Scary thought!

BUT in I thought I would start getting ready.

'Have you done your Christmas shopping?" I hear you ask.

Nup...but I did make this little Santa today. I MIGHT even do Christmas cards this year.

(don't hold your breath!)

Saturday ramblings

Hmm seems like blogger does not like my new laptop..or vista...or both? Unfortunately the picture has to be at the top of the post.

So. What have I been up to? Well, since the last lot of NZ ramblings, I think I had overdosed on blogging and let everyone's ears have a rest...or eyes I guess really. Work has been frantic. I think I worked more than double my normal hours in the last fortnight - so not much has happened. Including housework.

However, I decided that it was time to have a break and do at least something creative...so I have been practicing my digital designer skills, and making some stuff from scratch... a sample of which is above (but should have been below!). Maybe one day I'll be a real designer? (no offence to all the real digital designers out there).

Oh, and this little gem arrived in my inbox :)

Where's Wally?

A perceptive question, no doubt!
Needless to say he was not technically at Shoalhaven Library. A delightful impostor was however.
Grace was unsure exactly what it was all about, but her eldest sister convinced her that she had to get dressed up to find out. After being decked out in a pink version of Wally, her sister decided that she would not embarrass herself by dressing up and left Grace to front as Wally on her own.
Perhaps that is being Wally in the truest sense?
She was crowned the smallest Wally for her efforts. Her father is still unsure whether this is actually a good thing or not. It did however fill up a few hours of school holidays.
Thanks Gail :)






The weekend also brought a visit from the Cooks.
Beach weather is on the improve.











thanks for the great weekend guys (no, we wont mention the lollie repercussions Auntie Leisa)


Scrapping?
Yeah..havent done that for a while. Good intentions. Darn work!