Vague...

I think I outdid myself in the vague stakes today! I created this LO for the latest Lime Tart blog challenge ( the square behind the MR bird is navy mesh - bit hard to see).


The criteria was create a 'something' using red, white and blue. Pretty simple really and I was pleased with how my LO turned out. Only one problem I thought it was due today but it was actually due last Monday - oops! Lucky really since I also completely missed that I was meant to include star embellies. And then to add insult to injury the LO blew away when I was photographing it and ended up face down in the dirt!

I've now checked that I have until the end of the month to enter all of the other challenges that have caught my eye... maybe I should check again to be on the safe side! ;)

On a more positive note I was very chuffed to receive an email telling me I was a Wicked Princess cc winner - how cool it was for the chart I made for Angus. He was very pleased too and denied that he had been sulky about me making it lol.

I've been practising using the different settings on my camera so I thought I'd share a couple of pics. I took both of these on Australia Day - even though Rob scoffed at me for taking photos of fire works - must admit it's not the best photo but I think it's a good start - roll on next year so I can practise some more! But was a tad pleased with shot of the sunset :)



TFSB - happy scrapping!

Scrap happy

Hmm - wonder if I've used that title before? Never mind because it describes my mood perfectly. I've been having a lovely time these past few days - a blind scrap at Challenge Heaven:


I like blind scraps, you never quite know what you'll end up with!

And then there's been the cc at Wicked Princesses to keep me busy.

Challenge one was based a fab sketch by Krissy. You had to include the word 'new' so I scrapped Angus' earring - he got his ear pierced on Sunday and I scrapped this yesterday - how up-to-date am I??


Challenge Two continued the 'new' theme but this time you had to recycle or reuse something. I chose to re-scrap a pic and use only pp scraps. Does the five year old me remind you of anyone?

I first used the pic years ago for an off-the-page challenge. I think my style has evolved a bit since then!


Challenge 3 was by Kirsty and it was an OTP - I created a chart for Angus to remind him to do his shoulder exercises. I used the back of the 2009 school planner and stuck it to a huge (ugly) advertising magnet. I covered the boxes with a transparency so that he can use a whiteboard marker and then rub the ticks out at the end of each week. I think the nagging robot looks like me as I try to get that boy to do those stretches. Angus is not amused!


Have a wonderful Australia Day everyone - I hope you're doing something nice. We're off for a picnic dinner at the lake while we watch the entertainment - jet planes and jet skis followed by fireworks :) A loud but fun evening!

When NZ Grandma was here last week she gave the kids some Aussie tattoos - here's where they ended up this morning.

Also, if you're looking for some scrapping inspiration Bec is running another comp over at Scrapability Sketches - it was loads of fun last time.

TFSB :-)

Blatant advertising

... for a good cause lol.

The Wicked Princesses are having their first CC this weekend - jump in and have some fun!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post - I really appreciate your support. My friend and her kids are still in a daze but they're holding together - lots of hugs going their way :)

TFSB

Sad days indeed

Yesterday was meant to be a day of quiet celebration. On Thursday evening I competed in my first Aquathlon - a 3.5km run and a 300m swim, coming third in my age group, not bad for a first effort. Rob completed in the longer 1000m swim and 7km ride and both of us were cheered on by the kids - a fun day out.

But, celebrations were not to be. Also on Thursday night our friend Glenn went mountain biking (as he regularly does) and at around 10pm Roslyn, his wife got the call that no one should ever receive. Glenn had come off his bike and his companion couldn't find a pulse, the ambulance was on its way.

Another friend and neighbour stayed with Roslyn and Glenn's kids (who are 14 and 11) while I drove Roslyn to the hospital, we arrived in time to see the ambulance pull in, they were still doing CPR. We were taken into the family room and given the barest of details - they were still working on him and would keep us posted. I rang Glenn's parents...

Moments later we were ushered into the emergency room, a team of people were still performing CPR, the head doctor introduced himself and explained that Glenn's heart had inexplicitly slowed and stopped. Paramedics had rendered assistance at the scene and continued to do so for 45 minutes. He further explained that at no time had they managed to restart Glenn's heart and that it was no too late - Glenn had died at time of the crash and they were about to cease all efforts to revive him.

In a situation that was already surreal the doctor then began supplying details about the autopsy, police report, coroner's report and asked was Glenn registered for organ donation? He then proceeded to offer time lines for this process. It was nothing like you see on TV.

Amazingly Roslyn held herself together through all of this - her gallows humour was beyond compare. As she sat with him she asked me to make some calls. "Don't sugar coat it Alison, tell them he's dead" and I did. Meanwhile people kept arriving, and the nurse kept coming in and asking if Roslyn wanted to see them. Most, she didn't so I sent them away.

Sadly, Roslyn then had to decide whether to bring the children back to see their father. Roslyn was just 15 when her father died - history has a cruel way of repeating itself. Roslyn asked could I please make a note that she did not want anyone to bring the family cold chickens - apparently her strongest memory after her father's death is off a fridge packed with seven cooked chooks, carefully prepared by friends and neighbours.

So, we got back in the car and drove across town so that Roslyn could wake the kids and tell them their father was dead. As we walked out of the hospital Roslyn said she felt like she was somehow caught up in a very bad movie. She decided in order to improve the quality of the viewing her character should be played by Cate Blanchett, mine by Drew Barrymore. We laughed because we needed to.

It was heartbreaking to witness the children's shock, disbelief and then some level of comprehension. It was all we could do to get them dressed and in the car - it gave them something to focus on. Many people will question whether it helped or harmed the kids to see their Dad's body but when Roslyn asked I offered my honest opinion. I felt that they would always have questions if they didn't get the chance to say goodbye. I have no idea if this is right or wrong...

And then came the police and the organ donation people - sadly only Glenn's corneas could be donated because of the way he died but it helped the kids to think that Daddy was giving the gift of sight.

It was around 2am when we pulled back into Roslyn's driveway - a long dark to day that will be followed by many more. Roslyn said to me that she found it interesting that she was coping so well and that those around her were falling to pieces when they were only on the edges of the tragedy. She then said in a week's time they'll go back to their lives and she'll be left alone with a life that will never be the same again. Past experience has taught her this is true. She said it was my job to make her laugh because she was going to need to. So, I did and then I went home and left her with her alone with the huge gaping hole in her heart.

Glenn was 46 and a religious man. Those from his Church believe he has been taken home, he's in a better place and it's all part of God's plan. I disagree the best place for him is at home with his family. A friend who is much more pragmatic in her views of God's grand plan - quotes the giving of free will and that bad things happen because people are bad. A more palatable and realistic view perhaps. But Glenn wasn't a bad person so I can only hope that I'm wrong and he is right and there is a higher purpose and he's reaping the rewards. Sadly I think not...

Bits of Berry

I seem to remember promising to blog about my holiday! It seems so long ago now - probably because my darling children have been so beastly since they returned home...

But that aside we had a wonderful time away and the kids thoroughly enjoyed their jamboree and adventure camp respectively. Rob and I decided to stay in Berry for a couple days after we dropped Angus off. We'd never been to Berry but wow, what a gorgeous spot. We stayed at a guesthouse that doesn't allow children - it was bliss! A quirky house filled with books and interesting art. I loved this birdcage full of cats. The photo doesn't really do it justice as it was hanging in the verandah window with the cats looking (longingly) out into the garden - fabulous juxtaposition :)


We spent our time, reading, cycling, swimming, walking on the beach and popping out for coffee at one of the many lovely Berry cafes and enjoying the local restaurants for dinner. Here's a shot of the house - our room was on the right - we had a private verandah and all the other rooms faced out onto the other side of the house - it was a slice of private paradise.


We then moved on to spend a couple of days in Wollongong - again somewhere we were not familiar with. The surrounding area is very beautiful and we enjoyed a spot of people watching on the beach at North Wollongong as well as watching the hang gliders strut their stuff at Stanwell Park. We also enjoyed a run along the beach and dinner with an old friend of Rob's.

I snapped this pic of a pelican on the lightpole - he seemed to so huge but moments before I got my camera out there were two of them perched up there.


Looking at my photos I realise there is a distinct lack of people in them. I have one of Rob making a face at the camera and that is it - none of me at all! Ah well sometimes the scenery tells the bigger story.

Now, a couple of scrapping shares. First up is one I forgot to post the other day - I did it before I went away. Zoe and the most enormous flute on the planet lol. It's for the colour challenge over at Challenge Heaven (pink, blue and cream).


And here is one I finished last night for the January sketch challenge over at Wicked Princesses. Rob and his friends joke that the only reason they compete in Ironman events is to get a free towel - hence the title :)

I guess you've all heard that Krissy is the proud new owner of Wicked Princesses - wtg Krissy! Anyhoo she is having a bit of a comp to celebrate her first month on the throne and I'm playing along so, if you decide to join up please mention my name :) It's a great forum - you won't regret your visit there!

Thanks to everyone who has popped by and left me some blog love :) It's always nice to know you've stopped by!

A bit lazy...

I'm back from a lovely week away - but I haven't downloaded any of the photos from the camera as yet so I'm going to post the LOs I did before I went away and leave my holiday adventures for another day - I know, so lazy!

So, onto my scrapping shares. This first one was for the CIS sketch blog. I used the December Lime Tart kit - yummo!


This next one also uses the same kit and features the same cheeky dog :) Sparky obviously remembered getting a present for his Birthday because when Zoë offered him his Christmas present he ripped straight into it. I made a bit of a boo boo when I printed out the photo sequence ending up with the photos in reverse order - I whacked the arrow on the LO and decided it was all ok lol.


This last one is of Angus and his friend Charlie (who is a month younger than Angus but almost twice his height!) They both got groovy new helmets for Christmas so I thought I'd take some pics of them. Hmm, such silly boys!


TFSB :)

Breathe

Looking back 2009 was a year of extreme highs and lows. But here we are at the beginning of 2010 bloodied but not beaten, ready to begin again. Here's hoping that the new year will be kinder to us all - we just need a moment to breathe!

Yes, that's my word for 2010 - breathe or as Angus would say chillax. This year I'm going to hesitate for a moment before I launch myself in, I'm going to breathe and assess the situation, I'm going to chill and relax and not get caught up in the little things - or that's the plan anyway - let's see how it all pans out :)

The past week has been pretty relaxed and I've enjoyed with some scrapping time. Here's a few creations I whipped up.

This first one was for the Ebony and Ivory challenge at Challenge Heaven - pink and white. Not sure how I ended up with quite so much beige (must be too many hours spent listening to the cricket commentary). Sadly the stamp didn't work out quite as clearly as I'd hoped (it says capture which I thought was a suitable sentiment for the pic) but in the end I decided not to cover it over.


Another entry for Challenge Heaven and another Rob LO. I had to use Wild in the title. Rob has always wanted a unicycle (would you believe I bought it at Aldi?) but after 18 months he still really hasn't mastered riding it - much to his chagrin! I took these pics when he first got and then forgot all about them until I fell over the unicycle in the garage recently.


And one more! This is me channelling my best Kim Archer style! Not of Rob this time - but more food! You would be forgiven for thinking Rob and food are my favourite subjects lol.


And now before I go here is the moustache of the day. The grandpa!




TFSB :)