The smock

Three days, 3 broken sewing needles and a few tears of frustration later I finally completed Mikaela's little smock top. It was made from this tutorial. I admit I struggled with it a little, mostly due to inexperience more than anything else. Also knowing which size needle to use for different types and thicknesses of fabrics sure helps. I know this now. I am planning to use this pattern again to make a dress for Miss Mikaela but will modify a few things. Maybe put in a zip or ties at the back. Over all it looks pretty cute on her and she loves it. As long as no-one gets too close it is a winner :) LOL.........

Right now I am sewing library bags for school next year and am planning to make some shorts for Ethan and Connor. This is easier said than done purely for the lack of boy's fabrics out there! Spotlight had zero drill fabrics for boys. It was really disappointing. I think I'll have to look furthar afield for some funky boyish fabric that doesn't have skulls or camo on it :( That's all that seems to be on offer for older boys. Feel free to recommend some good suppliers of boy's fabric.

Christmas aftermath

I had full intentions of doing a fancy Christmas post with lovely pics of the kiddies opening gifts, the beautifully decorated tree, the baked ham....but I just decided to enjoy it all instead. We had a lovely dinner party for some friends and family on Christmas Eve and had a blast. Christmas day was the usual Christmas Carnage...gifts and paper flying everywhere! It was lovely to hear those squeals of delight as they opened 'everything we ever wanted' according to Mikaela LOL. We had a fantastic church after the paper clean up and then headed off to my sister's place for lunch. More gifts, laughter and food made for a lovely Christmas day together.
I haven't even uploaded my christmas pics as I have been busy doing some DT projects and some post Christmas shopping at Spotlight. I am making a patchwork bed runner at the moment and needed a few little pieces of fabric to finish it. I may have bought a few extra bits and pieces but it was 20% off after all :) I have some lovely fabric for a dress or skirt for Mikaela and some materials for some bags. Will post pics if they come out OK or can at least be photographed in a flattering manner.

And another one...........

Love this photo LOL....poor little chook all in a tizzy over next to nothing. I have used my new sewing machine on this layout...only the second time on a layout actually. I have used it for a CHristmas card yesterday too and it turned out quite nicely. I might have a new 'thing'....about a year after it was the 'new big thing'. I'm a late bloomer ;)



Big congratulations to my buddy Kjirsten who had a magical week this week...a new Design Team position, first acceptance from a scrapping mag..... and a new niece or nephew due any day...well done Kjirsten!!

....and some more layouts

I am on a roll! I swear I had to stay up until midnight to get the house back in order after spending so much time scrapping this week...but it sure feels nice. This one is Piper, my niece who just turned one. I have had this Junkitz syuff forever and was looking for something to use it for.
Both layouts have been removed for publication :)

A couple of Layouts

You will notice a little colour theme going on with these 2 layouts. Just loving green and black/brown/navy at the moment. The first one uses American Crafts Papers from the LSBS October kits. The layout is actually made on black Bazzill which you can't see because of my black background...just imagine a black border :) The photo is one of those I posted yesterday.

*This layout has been pickep up by Scrapbooking Creations for publication*


This one is a little so-so but it will do LOL. I love this MME range but it turned out a little blah. Cute kid though ;)

The photos from Sunday have turned on my mojo...yay! Stay tuned for more layouts as the housework gets ignored...yay :)

Holidays!!

The kids are finally on school holidays....mostly a good thing LOL. Mind you, there is little chance of my routine changing too much just yet as the 3 older ones are at Vacation Care. They still need to be up, fed and lunches packed every morning!! At least it means great fun days filled with awesome activities they would not usually get to do with me.


Yesterday we decided on the spur of the moment to go up the coast for a drive. We drove to Maleny, Montville, Maroochydore and then Mooloolaba where I took some pics of the kids on the rocks. This drive will be forever known as the 'M' tour. It was such a lovely day...just driving and walking, icecream and sunshine...bliss!

LOL @ Poor little Connor having a 'moment'. It was all a bit much for him at the end of a long day. Unfortunately, that miserable photo was taken even before this happened......

I didn't even get time to compose the pictures or even focus... Please note that while I was taking photos of this potentially disastrous situation, I did pause to see if anyone drowned. There are no photos of the children still submerged as I took my eye away from the viewfinder....see I still qualify for the Mother of The Year after all :)

My husband, however, will not qualify for Father of the year, even though he actually saved them. See the look of pure hysteria on his face? Sadist. The other thing on his face is a whole lot of hair. This is his annual 'Grizzly Adams - I'm on Holidays - Nobody can make me shave now' season. This annual growth also disqualifies him from Husband of the Year :(

Answered prayer....

Wow, just today I was wishing and hoping and praying for this next year to be a fresh, new start for our Jarred. Today's highschool orientation went really well and he loved it. Best news is that he has been accepted into the Technology Immersion program. He completed the submission and application all on his own and has been accepted completely on his own merits. The program allows the class to have technology embedded into every subject area of the year 8 curriculum. They have a purpose built tech classroom for some subjects and is one of only 6 schools in the state to have this Microsoft Gateway program. Very happy day :)

Gifting

It's day 2 into the last week of school for my kiddies. The year has just flown by. Jarred is at his High School full orientation day today. I still can not believe he is off to High School next year!! I pray and hope that next year will be his year - where he finds his niche and his feet - where his social difficulties will be overcome as he embraces the challenges and routines that High School brings - That he will soar. He has had such a tough year this year and I truly hope next year will be a new beginning for us all.
Ethan is feeling a little trepidation in finishing Prep and starting year one. He will be fine, and the teachers are already supporting him in transitioning. Miss Mikaela is a chameleon...she will just cruise on in and be fine wherever she is put next year :)

This is a layout of the Divine Miss M in that less than divine picture I posted a few days ago LOL. I am on a mission to use up the collection of Scenic Route papers I own ...

This is what I made for a little girl Mikaela is in a Secret Santa swap with (Attention LSBS girls...this may be your child's gift!!!...turn them away!!!!Hehe.) It is a little fabric covered notebook and gel pen roll. The little fabric roll unrolls to reveal..................................................................
This :) The gel pens are little mini ones, just perfect to throw into a little handbag or tote. I sure hope she likes them!!

These are some pencil holders I altered for a few of the kid's teachers. I filled them with lovely coloured pens and wrapped lollies..........

.....and fabric covered notebooks for a couple more (the Geisha one is for Jarred's japanese language teacher)................

............And a mass of tins filled with choccies and treats for the support teachers. Jarred has had many support teachers during his primary school years and we wanted to say a little thanks to them. Many of them never receive gifts, so these were well received :)

I feel like I have been making pressies forever! It feels good to be able to give things we have made though.

Better go and try to put my crafting stuff back into order. It looks like Spotlight has exploded in my dining room!!

Happy Birthday to............

My Niece Piper who turns 1 on Wednesday. Today was her little birthday party where all the cousins and family got to celebrate this precious Princesses birthday...how cute are the cupcakes my sister whipped up?!

The first official cake taste.....

....And she loves it!!!
....She really loves it!! LOL
Miss Mikaela has been asking me to sew her a skirt recently and I thought I'd turn my first attempt at skirt making to one designed to be worn for less than a month LOL...just in case it all went terribly wrong. AS it worked out, a few things went awry, but in the end it worked out OK. It is a bit shorter than intended due to some ruffle issues, but some leggings manage to fix that. She has some white ones that will work for Christmas. Over all it is a tutorial I will try again. I had to adapt it to fit Miss M as it was designed for a 4-5 year old, but she is pretty tiny herself. Note the tattoo from Kid's Church today :) ....It says 'Love Wins'.

Another tutorial I am going to attempt to try tonight is this one for some Christmas gifts...they are terribly cute and look easy enough for the novice sewer.

Yesterday I attended an all day crop with Shannon, Amanda and Lisa who I met through the Little Scrapbook shop. We had such a good time, even if I did spend a whole lot of time staring at my craft mat or just looking busy :) I did a couple of layouts that just need journaling or a touch or 2 and also made some tins for the many teachers in our lives. I admire and appreciate these people who impart so much into my kid's lives and dedicate their lives to educating and shaping young people. What a gift...(and responsibility) they have! We have had awesome teachers this year, especially the suppport teachers for Jarred as he enters into Highschool next year. I'll post some pics of the tins tomorrow when they are all done and filled up :)

Catching up........

This week or so since Schoolies has already passed by in a blur as I rush about catching up with numerous tasks that need doing. I still haven't managed to sit at my scrap desk and I am getting a bit tetchy :( Hopefully tomorrow........


Last night was Miss Mikaela's dance concert and she was terribly cute and rather good if I do say so myself LOL. All the kids were amazing and our dance teacher, Julie, did a fab job of organising it all. The concert's theme (and theme for the kid's whole year) was 'Living a Choreographed Life'. It is a Christian dance school and Julie incorporates scripture, prayer and life lessons into her dance teaching...great stuff for our daughters!
Here are some of the many pics I took last night. The first couple are at home before the big event and the rest are using my zoomy-zoom lens from way back in my seat LOL. Yes, I am sure zoomy-zoom is a widely accepted photography term...or soon will be ;)

Today was the dance company's break-up party which was held at a local park. I was able to take the boys along too and get some happy snaps...lovely.

Master Ethan in green....

Ethan helping Connor (nice change hehe)......

The Divine Miss M being less than divine....

Mister J.....hoping he is camoflagued from all the little girls running about I think.....

And finally an actual, real life layout! This kit is one from great new store 'Scrapniques' which has lovely little kits for great prices. Had to have this primary coloured beauty for this pic of Connor. This layout was scrapped a few weeks ago.

(gone to be publsihed!)

Hellllooooooo :)

Hi there...remember me? I barely remember me, so I forgive you if you don't! Life has been insane! Driving back and forth from the Gold Coast, staying in a beachfront apartment that I don't have time to even enjoy, Christmas shopping squeezed into the hour a day I have 'free' and the other every day life stuff that just keeps on happening. Thankfully Schoolies ends tomorrow and I can have my life back! If you see me complain about how hectic my life is in a few weeks, just remind me of this last fortnight will you?! It has been a great couple of weeks working with Red frogs really, and the money is so welcome....it makes for a very merry Christmas this year and comes as a real blessing.
I have not scrapped a single, solitary thing for weeks! Can not wait for the LSBS Christmas Cybercrop this weekend to kick off my mojo and get me going again. I have really missed it. I need to stick and paste and cut and paint!
I received an email this week from For Keeps magazine picking up an easter layout I submitted a while back! That will mean that I have had acceptances from all 3 mags and will have layouts in all 3 magazines around April! Very excited about that. Rich is a bit bemused about the whole thing as usual and wants to know if this scrapbooking lark might ever actually make us money instead of just using it ;) ...hehe....silly man. He truly does love my layouts and how happy I am when I am creating; he just likes to get in a little dig every now and then. Men! He'll never really get it will he?
Better go...off to drive down the coast again. 2 more nights, 2 more nights, 2 more nights..............

Friday again...

.....already! Beow are the photos of the kid's debut as team mascots for the Qld Roar last weekend. How cute are they in their one-size-fits nobody T-shirts and little soccer shorts! Mine are the 3 on the end below......with thr Wellington team member. They were less than happy about not being able to walk in with the Roar players, but I was stoked to see them all together as I could manage to get better pictures. I was a fair way back in the stand and used my kit zoom lens for these shots. Not too bad considering the distance and lighting.

Here is Ethan walking on with his player...Mikaela is there to the left too...

Have to laugh at this shot...Ethan was not concentrating too well at the end and managed to get left on the field. This is the photo of him after he realised the other mascots had left without him LOL.
Heading into a busy couple of weeks so this may be my last post for a bit. Our catering company is catering for the Schoolies chaplains and volunteers at the Gold Coast for the next 2 weeks solid. We have about 500 people a night to feed before they head out to volunteer each night. Huge job but so rewarding and important. The red frog crew do amazing work. I'd appreciate your prayers for a safe and smooth week. So often little things get in the way to make things difficult, so prayers for my family and their well-being will be welcome too!

Bad, bad blogger :(

I have been a very bad blogger. With Rich gone and a mad, manic week I just haven't had time for anything extra this week...including my blog. The highlight of my week was my birthday on Wednesday :) My family had a little party for me on Tuesday night at my sister's place and she made me the most delicious strawberry and caramel filled cupcakes! Oh my...my sister is the queen of the cupcake.

My parents gave me some money for my birthday and my sister Tracey gave me the fab big red Women's Weekly cook book...so cool. I am such a geek. My other sister Rachel's pressie is apparently winging it's way from the US which is just a tad suspenseful! I'm hoping it's a Hummer ;) My lovely MIL gave me money to buy some lovely new earrings which i managed to pick up in a jewellery sale for half price...love that! Nice little gold hoops.

This layout is my challenge for tonight's Cybercrop over at Little Scrapbook Shop. It is an 'All about me' CC and this was a self portrait challenge. I have great difficulty scrapping myself, as many of us do, so this was a great stretch for me. Pop into LSBS and check out the cybercrop and inparticular my handy 'how to use an upside down washing basket as a tripod' article...very helpful stuff.

Jarred says I look tired in this photo....well yeah. I am tired. I also just moved another year into my thirties this week and it's all catching up with me. Boys!

I am right now staying awake with a Latte by my side as I am picking up Rich from the airport at midnight or so...yay! Apparently he has a bit of 24 carat love coming my way for my birthday...woohoo :) Nothing says Happy Birthday like some gold hehe. There may even be a couple of *ahem* 'Chloe' handbags in his haul. Lovely. I can't wait to see him. I also have a little gift for him too...I lost my voice :) He will think it's Christmas LOL. I am just a bit run down I think.

The kids have gone off to Grandmas for the night as it was such a late flight so they will have to wait until morning to see him. They were less than happy about it but they will be fine. They are all super excited today too as they have been asked to be mascot members for the Qld Roar soccor game on Sunday nght and run out onto the field with the team...so cool. Can't wait to take some photos of them in their little mascot gear hehe.

Got Milk?

For my sisters who are on MSN chat right now...here's a milky one :) Hehe

Hello Ween........

....That is what Connor is calling today...HELLO WEEN LOL. It is really very cute. He has only cottoned on to this whole halloween concept through some shows on Nick Jr today. He thinks it is all about costumes and lollies...fair enough assumption for a 3 year old. He is not particularly happy that he won't be knocking on stranger's doors for treats but he has embraced the costume part with great gusto :)

A couple of layouts to share...the one with the bugs....

One for the LSBS Think Pink challenge comp....Love the Sassafrass Lass stuff I won from the Aussie Dares comp a few months ago....

Some of the lovely sewing things I am collecting...new buttons (which will benefit my scrapping too of course, only $6 a bag from BIG W)...some jumbo ricrac....
And my lovey fabrics.Michael Miller 50's inspired pices and some others....more on the way too Hehe...