The countdown is on!

Zoe informed me this morning that are 11 sleeps until she leaves for France and that she has a mere six days left of high school. So much excitement, so much to look forward to! I'm still wrapping my head around it all...

I was lucky enough to have a week in Bali with one of my sister's last week - it was magical :) But the week since I've been back has flown by, We've had lots of fun things happening including celebrating mine and Rob's19th wedding anniversary.

Sadly the combination of my brother's wedding, my little holiday and other social events meant that I missed a couple of the challenges in Top 50's Amazing Race but here's my entry for Africa.

The criteria:
1. Fabric
2. Happy photo 
3. Song Lyrics for title or subtitle

I used pucker up and blow from the Pinocchio song Give a Little Whistle. The photo is of Zoe and her friends playing miniature plastic recorders - they were very happy and I was very glad when they disappeared up the street!

Oh and in exciting news my LO won the French leg of the race and I got a fab prize pack from Sonia at Forever Always.

I'm off to a 12 hour crop tomorrow so I'm hoping to get a few of the new month's challenges done.

Take care and thanks for popping by :)

A new look

Woo hoo! How cool does my blog look? Pretty fab right?

My gorgeous and creative friend Marcia offered to give my blog a makeover. And a makeover she delivered! I answered a brief questionnaire and voila my new look appeared - talk about clever (and oh so insightful and creative!).

I haven't been scrapping much of late - too much other stuff going on - *yawn* but I did make this card the other night when I really wanted to create something but just couldn't bring myself to pull all my supplies out.

As  you can see I'm still coming to grips with my new watermark (created by Marcia of course) I'm sure with further practise I'll get it right, but right now fading the background without making the words disappear is beyond me...

Race Update

Top 50's Amazing Race is continuing apace. Here's a little race rundown.

Detour 2 - Following your trip to Antarctica, you travel to a mystery foreign country and you don't know the language! Scrap a layout or a 3 card set with a foreign word in the title or subtitle to get you back in the race.

I chose to use a couple of photos from my Hong Kong trip and used Pang Uk as the title. When translated from Chinese it literally means shack house but is also used to describe these stilt houses which are found in the fishing village of Tai O.

As well as some old paper scraps and embellies from my stash, I used some handmade goodies from The Greatest View, D-lish Scraps and A Lil Somethin. 

After successfully negotiating the detour I headed to Canada for Stop 4. The criteria:  Include a Large photo (bigger than 4x6), Use Leaves on your LO and, Incorporate movement down the page.

My photo was a 6x8 that I cropped slightly, I added a Little Bit of fANTsy leaf and for the downward movement I used the paper strips, arrows and strips of washi as well as the texture paste spots. The orange flower is one of Lime Tree Creations latest releases.

Stop 5 took us to Europe and I landed in France.
The criteria:
1. Love themed layout to represent the city of love!2. At least one heart to represent the romantics at heart who flock to Paris3. At least one charm to aid of all the charming features of France

To meet the criteria I used the Macca's tagline for this LO of Zoe in her Macca's uniform, she loves her new job (or the cash it provides!), I added two Charm's Creations hearts and two flower charms from the race kit. I also added some other handmade products from Lovely Bugs Bits and Bobs, Rainbow Splendour, Lil Red Rocket and A Lil Somethin.

The white cardstock is embossed but it doesn't show up, so here's a close up :)

Next up is a roadblock but I'm yet to negotiate that.

Thanks for stopping by :)

A couple of October challenges

Last month I managed to blog about my Pumpkin Patch challenge entry but somehow forgot to link to their blog - epic fail! Let's see if I can get it all together this month...

So, here's the LO, I used a Purple Pumpkin button and a doily. The cork bird is from Apple Tree Lane Designs. I also used some really old paper from my stash, they're still some of my favourite designs and colours.

Zoe is becoming such a good driver. A couple of weeks ago she drove Angus and I over to Granma's house. Some highway cruising, followed by a series of tricky roundabouts, traffic lights and crazy old ladies doing u-turns in the turning lane. She aced it.

While we were visiting, Zoe snapped these photos of Mum and I while Mum was getting a couple of pointers about using her iPod (not that she really needs any, she's got it all going on ;-)). I created this LO for the Scrap the Girls recipe challenge - flowers, two different alphas, more than one photo and staples. I also added a super-cool polkadot bottle top from D-lish Scraps, a cute little Greatest View chervon bag and a Lil Somethin' pin. I really wish I could remember where I got the resin flowers - any ideas?

Zoe and I are off to Sydney tomorrow for her French trip information session, not long until she jets off! Whatever you're up to have fun :)

Under where?

When I was 14 my friend had a slumber party (yes back before we called them sleep-overs) and her parents arranged to hire a VCR from the chemist (no one owned these new-fangled devices as yet) and were given a list of videos to choose from. We were so excited! We poured over the list for days and eventually chose Blue Lagoon and Puberty Blues.

At the party we spent ages pressing the rewind, play, pause buttons to see if we could catch a glimpse of  Christopher's Atkins penis - we couldn't! Oh how we giggled! I have a feeling both movies were fairly unsuitable for an innocent group of girls but it was harmless fun (luckily my friend's parents had no idea what the movies were about). The other thing I remember from that day is being enchanted by the lacy knickers the girls in Puberty Blues wore. So much nicer that my plain cotton ones. I was determined to get myself a pair.

Five years later, while at Uni in Sydney I got a job in the lingerie department of Myers. Dream job and so began my lifetime obsession with beautiful underwear...

Years later I was reading a crime novel and the coroner was doing an autopsy. He began by listing all of the dead woman's clothing for the record. It included faded and mismatched beige bra and panties. As an underwear lover this statement horrified me. Not that I expect to meet a horrible end but if I do at least the police report won't be disparaging about my underwear! Even my everyday beige is part of a matching set!

Zoe and I went shopping last week. We were on a quest for sandals to match her formal dress, jeans  and you guessed it - underwear. The outing went like a dream, the first pair of sandals she tried were perfect, add to those a pair of half-price ballet flats. On to the jeans and the first two pairs were perfect and part of one of those save 25% deals. We were on a roll!

Now what you should know about my daughter is that in chest size takes after me - poor kid. We are not busty women. So, even though she's 16 and taller than most of the boys, the little tankini tops have served her well. But there comes a point when (even if it's only as a matter of status) you need a real bra. So off we went to Bras and Things for her to be fitted. We discussed that it might/would be embarrassing and she was cool with that.

Anyway, long story short, she was fitted and is now fit to be part of a police report ;-) Gosh you can get gorgeous underwear for teens and no, there is not a piece of lace to be seen, it's all funky patterned cotton. And she loves it. How do I know? Her friends came round to view the new purchases as soon as we got home!

Shopped out, we retired to a cafe for refreshments. And I took a photo to immortalise the day (of course) and scrapped it for Charm's colour challenge over at SFS - red, pink, yellow and white.

I used a Charm's heavenly heart and the fab yellow heart is from Apple Tree Lane Designs. It's funny because I was really happy with how this LO turned out but when I photographed and added it to the SFS gallery it suddenly seemed very flat and dull. Maybe I need to buy some more underwear to cheer myself up?

It takes time

Because yesterday was Friday I had some time to myself, oh how I love Fridays! As usual my week had been a little crazy and I felt like we had crashed straight into Friday, desperately screeching and skidding to stop in time, lest it flew straight by. So, it was serendipitous to discover that Marcia and her scrappy buddies were blog hopping to a time theme.

I loved reading all their different takes on the theme. I truly believe that if you live a busy life, organisation is the key to making time to do the things you love. There is an old adage that says 'if you want a job done ask a busy person to do it". The more time we have the more we waste. Time is a precious resource, I don't want to look back on my life and think it was a life wasted.

So, just to give you a peek into my life I thought I'd share the events of the last couple of days with you. I'm not suggesting my life is any busier or more important than yours, just thought you might be interested :)

Thursday

6.40am Usual breakfast routine, signing notes, reminding Angus to give the dog a chicken wing, confirming with Zoe the arrangements for her band concert. Being reminded that Rob will be working until around 9pm. Rushing around picking up random objects because the cleaner is coming...

7.30am Arrive at work - beaver away.

Lunchtime - go to the gym, catch up with a girlfriend. Back to the office, more beavering. Ring to check on Mum and get into a protracted conversation about greenhouses and the weather - neither of which I am interested in at this time! Promise to visit over the weekend...

4.50pm Arrive home. Greet dog, cat, kids, check that the cleaner has done a good job, confirm we are leaving again in 20 minutes, check cat and dog have been fed/walked/loved. Take a sneaky look at facebook and discover possibly slanderous post about my place of work. Take screen shots, make phone calls, send email. Time to go again, realise we have nothing for dinner.

5.20pm Drop Zoe at school for band concert, take Angus to cafe to wait for concert to start.

6.05pm Get stuck in traffic and arrive 5 minutes after the concert has started (argh!).

7pm Take children to get fish and chips. Go home, sit down and hear all about the Zoe's day (Angus and I covered his while waiting for the concert). Clean up and do three loads of washing while watching the One Direction special with kids. Fall down the stairs and bruise both elbows. Ouch! Convince children to go to bed. Call my sister.

9pm Sit on the lounge with Rob for an hour. Pay some bills. Record pedometer steps for Steptember, go to bed.

Friday

6.50am Rob has already left for the day. Have leisurely breakfast, check facebook  (only good stuff this time!). Discover exciting news about Zoe's French host family, engage kids in real conversation! Wave goodbye to them, have a coffee.

9am Head to the hairdresser. Read my book! Discuss Zoe's hair and make up for her formal, book appointment. Wonder just how expensive her one night will be...

11.15am Home again, coffee, blog hopping, scrapping. Lunch. Fold some washing, walk the dog, call another sister. Plan dinner ;)

3pm Collect kids from school, in the middle of a massive thunderstorm. Head to shops - chemist (Angus and Rob have a cold), gift shop (present required for Zoe's friend), bakery (for kids' afternoon tea). Drive across town in crazy weather to drop kids at swimming squad.

4.15pm Go out for afternoon tea with Rob (remind myself what he looks like!).

5.15pm Collect kids, drive back across town in crazy Floriade traffic, take work call (damnit, don't they know it's my day off and the start of a long weekend?). Home again, make dinner, convince kids to walk dog in the rain!

7.15pm Zoe leaves for youth group, I fall asleep on the lounge. Wake up and do some scrapping.

9.30pm Rob collects Zoe, they have a tiff on the way home and both flounce off to bed cranky. I continue scrapping (there is no other solution!).

10.30pm Record pedometer steps and go to bed.

And that is my crazy life, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are usually pretty much like Thursday but without the luxury of seeing a girlfriend. And now you know why I love Fridays between the hours of 8.50am and 2.50pm. Or maybe you read that and thought - wow - she has no idea about what busy looks like!

Anyway, here's the LO I did during those luxurious quiet hours on Friday. It's a just because LO, without a scrap of patterned paper. I wanted to use my newest My Vintage Blossoms, and the red and teal was perfect against the black. It's been awhile since I've used a black base, not sure why as I love how it makes the colours in the embellies so much more vibrant. But I'm always disappointed with the way it photographs. Imagine the black is more dense and the colours brighter.

And some close ups :)

Thanks for taking the time to stop by :)

Purple Pumpkin

Last night I was in a scrappy mood so I had a little play with the Purple Pumpkin sketch challenge. It called for layers of patterned paper and it felt like ages since I'd done a LO using any pp. I rifled through my random pieces of paper for a patterned base and then flicked through my scraps folder for some other bits and strips.

Years ago, when I first discovered Kim Archer, one of the things she did regularly on her LOs was to use a strip of paper that had a shape punched out of it. I still love that look and revisited it on my LO. I also added a bit of printed transparency (so last year lol). I was undecided about what the title should be and what alphas to use and then I dug these ones out. They came in a kit long ago and I have no idea who made them but they worked! To finish things off, and because it was Purple Pumpkin challenge after all, I added an extra-large tree button and that gorgeous silk flower (which I got in the vintage lucky dip). Then because it still needed just a little more I added some barb wire chippy (a packet of which I discovered, unopened, languishing in my stash) and stitched on a button. Stitching, that's something else I haven't done in a while. Love how it makes the button look complete :)

Have a fabulous long weekend and if you're into that sort of thing, may the best team win!