I'm out of here...

I am off to Thailand for 12 days! Richard has been there for a week already, with a group from Church, on their yearly trek. They travel there anually as TESOL teachers, and to carry out work for the orphange we have built a few years ago. A place opened up and I had the opportunity to jump on the plane and go for the last 12 days of the trip! I have never traveled to Thailand before so I am a bit beside myself!

I have organised the kids to go to their gramdparent's houses for the duration of my trip and they are finally all packed and sent off....I am taking a little breath before I finish packing and take off....I'll see you soon :)

Blooms

This layout features the gorgeous little flowers we will be making in my very first class for Scrapbooks etc in November. This is not the layout we will be making but the flowers are made the same.

Cute huh? If you'd like to have a go at making these sweet little blooms, book a class ;)I'd love to see you :)

This is a little peek at one of the two layouts we will be making in my class. It's just a little snapshot so not very clear...but you get the idea.

Recent Digi Layouts

I haven't shared any digital layouts for a while. I have finally cleared some rubbish off my computer and backed up a whole lot of stuff for Photohop to run more efficiently...much more efficient for digital scrapping. It's lovely to be able to occasionally snuggle under the doona to scrap and not have to pull out all of my supplies!

This layout was published in Scrapbooking Memories magazine a few months ago. Unfortunately it printed with a greenish cast to the yellow elements...mut have been a gremlin in the works!

Thinking Pink!

Before we think pink...

It is my turn to host the 52 Pick-up challenge at Little Scrapbook Shop this week and I have chosen Hidden journaling for my project. I have created a panel behind my photograph for my journaling.

The journaling I have used is a definition of Motherhood written by Preacher and author Lisa Bevere. Her books are seriously powerful and revelationary.

Mother…

I have found mothers to be those who lay down life to bring forth life—whether this is by way of natural childbirth, adoptions, or rescue. I have found mothers to be advocates for children and change, protectors, nurturers, and healers of sick children. They are the ones who respond to a child’s cry in the night. They grow into masters at multitasking. A mother is one who feeds and sustains life with warmth and what beauty she finds. She is a wiper of tears, calmer of fears, tender of injuries, instructor, teacher, friend, and confidant who gives advice whether you ask for it or not! She is a woman with answers who will tell you who she is. (“Because I am your mother, that’s why!”) A mother is likened to the interior coating of a shell called the mother of pearl. What is often painful for a mother becomes priceless in her daughter.
~Lisa Bevere~

Last night I had the pleasure to attend the third annual Girls Night In crop run by the ladies on the Scrap Chat forum. We raised a great amount of money for breast cancer research. I managed to only scrap a couple of layouts between shopping, chatting and checking out everyone else's projects. It was a fantastic night!

Miss Mikaela and some October Afternoon Cherry Hill.

Master Connor and his corn at last week's school spring fair. That corn cob was roughly the size of his head :)

Scrapbooks Etc...

...is my new workplace :)
When the scrapbooking shop where I taught and worked closed down a month or so ago (The Scrapbook Princess), I never thought I would have another opportunity to find another teaching job so quickly.
Being such a niche market, Scrapbooking jobs are few and far between! When a couple of my beautiful students sent me an email requesting that I apply for an advertised job at Scrapbooks Etc, I was a wee bit nervous and very excited. I shop there all the time and I have always loved the store and staff. When I applied and got the job I was ecstatic! The announcement was finally made today so I can tell the world about my new job!
I will be teaching classes, working occasionally instore and will also be part of the Creative team...pretty cool huh!?

I have had a few weeks of good news and abundant blessing. I never take for granted the amazing opportunities that come my way and feel so, so blessed.

And because a post isn't finished without photos...a couple of out-takes from my '100s and 1000s' entry in the Canon Photo5 competition.

School Holiday Flashback

Just a layout to share today. I am suffering some post-traumatic stress syndrome from yesterday's dust storm. I am seriously over dust! As an asthmatic, it is deadly for my lungs. I do hope it is calorie free because I have digested masses of the stuff in the last 24 hours!

Just tilt your head slightly to the left to see this properly...

*ooops it's gone!*

I bought skeins and skeins of embroidery thread on sale the other day and felt obligated to pull them out and stitch with them...I haven't stitched by hand for ages...as if a couple of cross stitches counts as stitching!
Purchase justified :)

And to finish...some luscious red images from around my home right now...

It's official...

I am shortlisted for the Scrapbooking Memories Magazine's Masters again this year!!

I am so excited to have been selected as a finalist in the Masters alongside so many amazing and accomplished scrapbookers. It is all very daunting to see the names published this year! No keeping it to myself this time round LOL!!
Apparently calls for the top 10 will be made on December 1st....back to biting my nails!

Some exciting news!

I am thrilled to be able to announce my Design Team Position with a great Aussie chipboard company A2Z Scraplets. I applied for a position a few weeks ago and was very surprised and excited to make the cut :)
I am looking forward to playing with their gorgeous designs! Click on the link to see the blog post and to have a browse at their amazing selection of chipboard products.

I have some more very exciting news to share in the next week or so too...it has been an amazing month!

Organisation Motivation

I recently made a Facebook post about browsing some Home Organisation websites and quite a few people wanted links. I promised a blog post listing my favourites, and so, here they are.
I often read and browse these blogs and sites when looking for a solution to a storage problem or just for inspiration. With a family of six, space is always at a premium and being organised is essential to a calm and hapy household. I definitely don't have all the answers and am always looking for new systems and ideas.
They are a bit of a hobby/obsession for me to be honest ;) If I spent half as much time actually organising as I do browsing home organisation sites my house would be perfect!

Unclutterer
Peace of Mind
Creative Organising
Organisation Junkie
DIY Organization
Mom Advice
Cindy Salzmann
Well Planned Woman
Organize Our Family
Life Hacker
Adorn
Clean Sweep
Home Hints
Suite 101
FlyLady
Discover Organisation
Life Organisation
Housekeeping
Organized Home
HGTV
Home Organization Help
Peter Walsh
Sorted!
Chez Larsson
Family Corner
Family Education
Better Budgeting

I would love to hear about your favourite home organisation blogs or sites if you have one I haven't listed. I will add to this list as I recall others I have forgotten here.