Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that....

This is a long post so grab a cuppa and settle in :)
I have been AWOLfor a couple of weeks almost as I have been flat out...horizontal even! I attended the LSBS retreat in Sydney the weekend before last and had an absolute blast. Meeting so many of the LSBS Ladies and seeing the ones I already know and love was so exciting and super hilarious.
Unfortunately I arrived in Sydney feeling a little less than well. By Friday night I had no voice (and a rather unfortunate rattle in my chest) and by the time I flew home on Sunday I was a bit of a mess. I have spent the last week or so recuperating and getting better. Rich has taken on a heap of the household tasks and has been so good to me.
Just when things were looking up, I go and develop an abcess in my jaw....not so fun. I spent the weekend quite stoned on various painkillers and antibiotics to attack this awful lump and am finally feeling half human again. I haven't been sick for a while and I sure got a good dose the last few weeks.
I am out of the drug haze (mostly...my spelling and punctuation will tell) and getting back into routine.
In the midst of all this illness my beautiful niece Jenna turned 6...how cute and self satisfied is she with her cake LOL...so cute.

Here is some recent scrapping I have done.Some of it I did at the retreat (little to be honest) and some I hadn't shared yet.

This photo of Piper (my niece) is from March but I hadn't scrapped it until recently -

Here's one of my boys and my cousin's little guy Bailey in North Queensland...

This layout is a DT page for LSBS this month using the lovely MME paper packs. They have die cuts and 9 sheets of PP for less than $12...bargain!

Here are my gorgeous boys at the park. I did a digi layout with this photo a few weeks back but wanted to scrap it on paper too. This one is from the retreat.

Another retreat layout...this one was the pick for DT layout of the weekend. I love this photo and have been wantitng to scrapit for a few months. Love this October Afternoon paper range!

Miss Mikaela and that hat. This layout was for last weekends Cybercrop at LSBS. I challenged the girls to make little paper pieced animals/birdies/critters for their layouts and cards.

Another DT project using MME journaling cards. These make a lovely little mini album with as little as a few scraps of PP, some photos and some rub-ons. Cold laminating with little pouches, a ring and some ribbons and you are done.

Lots to do around here so I better get moving. DH is good, but not that good. The laundry basket resembles Mount Washmore and there are a few things in the fridge that Kitchen Crimes would be interested in.