*Mwah!*

I am cleaning the Tupperware cupboard tonight. This is the extent of my New Year's Eve celebrations. The excitement of my life is truly overwhelming!

I have great plans to maintain a better household routine this coming year and have utilised a funky old cabinet today that I found on the side of the road to create new storage spaces for the kid's craft supplies, homework materials, gift wrapping supplies etc. The pantry hosted a lot of that stuff previously so it awesome to have some space freed up and a purposeful area for that stuff to live now! I'll pop some pictures up soon.

I am kickstarting 2010 with a little reorganising which is so like me LOL ;)

I am always amazed at the number of reads this blog has. Currently I have around 1000 hits a month which astounds me! 

I am very grateful for everyone who comments on my work, photos or posts and look forward to blogging into 2010. I love the opportunity to share and communicate that blogging gives me.

Thanks so much for reading :) 

And because no post is complete without a photo - a little sparkler action from Jarred on Christmas day. 

More Graphic 45!

I finished another item using the Graphic 45 Domestic Goddess and thought I'd share it too. I made this calendar for the coming new year using this fun, vintage range. 

Domestic Goddess

Yes, Domestic Goddess is a given when you think of me, but this is actually the name of a gorgeous range of papers from Graphic 45. I love this range and have used it to make a few altered items. 

I bought these cute little tin'gift bags' for 50% off at a local discount store today and immediately knew what I wanted to do with them!

I used the Graphic 45 papers and tags to decorate them, tying some ribbons to the handles to finish. I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper elements and then sealed the entire surface. 

This little MDF money box is from Riot Art and Craft and was easily altered to make a little money box for my Laundry for all of the coins I find in pockets!

*Enabler Alert*

Little Scrapbook Shop has 50% off EVERYTHING in store right now including the entire Graphic 45 Domestic Goddess collection. If you want a Holiday bargain, pop on over to the shop for a little splurge. At half price it would be criminal not to shop!

There's nothing to see here...

I lost the plot on the photo a day thing. It was seriously ambitious to begin something like that knowing the sort of December I would be having but for over half the month there I did OK...and then...yeah :(
Oh well. Maybe next year ;)
I have been scrapping a fair bit but it is all for classes, design team projects or magazine commissions! Nothing to share at all!

We are mid Christmas preparations right now and we have 34 people attending Christmas dinner tomorrow night! I have lots left to do so will leave you with this. 


Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas   and a blessed new year. 

Photo A Day #17 and #18

Day #17 -

Basket Case. Self explanatory LOL.

Day #18 - 

Miss Mikaela and her manky eye trick. She thought she was quite HILARIOUS with this scrunched up eye thing. She's such a shy. delicate little flower ;)

Photo A Day #14, #15 and #16

Day #14 - 

Lethal Ethan in the background running from the helicopter Rich just had to buy when we were in Thailand last month. Boys and their toys hey! It is almost dark in this photo so it's not so great but the kids just love that thing.

Day #15 - 

My adorable niece Piper in the backyard when she came to play the other day. Isn't this sweet? 

And a couple more from the same day because I couldn't choose ;)

Sweet Jenna, my other niece, blowing a very stubborn dandelion. I don't think it was quite ready for blowing, hence the very puffed out cheeks!

Day #16 - 

Lethal Ethan at the end of a very, very long day at our staff Christmas party at the beach yesterday. Most of the photos I took have other people's kids in them so this is the only one I'll share from yesterday ;)

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

I am a little bit beside myself today after receiving a very exciting phone call this afternoon. On the 1st of December I entered this photo in the 'Living Australia' Australia Day photo competition. 

The photos are eventually judged by a professional panel and there are some amazing prizes on offer. 

In the meantime, New Idea have selected 10 photos from the entries to feature in their magazine. The top 10 photos will be put to a public vote for the best representation of 'Living Australia' in the country...and my photo has been selected as one of them!

I was barely coherent on the phone today when the poor woman rang me and I have no idea of what the prizes even are for the New Idea section of the competition..ha! Who cares hey?!

The photo remains in the running for the major prizes too which is exciting. 

I am a happy girl today. 

The photo has all four kids in it too which is lovely. I always feel guilty when one child is featured over the others in these things!

Another lovely thing I have to share today is this blog award I have received from the gorgeous Chelle (check her Chelleybean Designs blog for amazing handmade goodies). 

I also received this same award from the lovely Tanya Tahir, mum to a sweet little man and a gorgeous new baby boy...makes my uterus throb just a little ;) Both are super talented ladies and I am thrilled that they thought of me to pass this blog award to :)

So there are some things I am to do to receive this illustrious award - some rules to keep it growing:

1. Copy picture and post on your blog
2. Thank the person who gave it to you and link to their blog
3. Write 7 things about yourself we don't know:

Ok, so 7 things you don't know about me (or may not remember) hmmm - 

1. I am the eldest of three girls and am very close to my sisters and family. 

2. I am married to the amazing Richard who is the Children's Pastor at Hillsong Church here in Brisbane. 

3. I have an unnatural love of B grade musical movies like 'Little Shop Of Horrors'. Love them!

4. I love the colour red and have splashes of it all over my house. Not splashes, literally...red elements I mean ;)

5. I love vanilla. Anything vanilla scented is heavenly to me. I am intolerant to Jasmine and oleander. 

6. I often cross my big toes over my second toes. It is weird and I don't even know I am doing it. 

7. I adore coffee and am in love with my coffee machine. My fave coffee is a double strength latte on skim...mmmmm.

OK now to pass it on to 7 other bloggers that I admire - 

1. Shan whom I love (when she eventually blogs *sigh*)

2. Helen whom I also love and blogs more frequently than Shan ;)

3. Lisa  who has the most gorgeous vintagy thing going on

4. Celeste who has four little princesses that will melt your heart

5. Jilly GG whom I share a lot in common with and makes me LOL

6. Mel who is the original domestic goddess

7. Kerryn who is my namesake and just as cool as me ;) hehe

Thanks again Ladies...that was fun :)