howdy partner…….

Posted on August 30, 2006

You know – I used that title for no particular reason – except that it was the first thing that came to my head!!!

Hey now – if you are looking for a whole heap of colour, you have come to the wrong spot! I mean – yeah sure – I am colourful – but unless I figure out how to colour the font in this post – there will be no colour – ie – no pictures!!!! I’m just gonna prattle on about life – after all – that’s why I am here!!!!!!

Firstly – let’s discuss how my three and a half year olkd daughter tried to ‘pull a sickie’ on Monday. Yes – already she is easing herself into that larrikin-type persona that us Aussies are well known for – but a sicke from creche – where she gets a second breakfast, all the playmates in the world, dress-ups in fanct costumes, sand galore – I kid you not! What a girl! She did the old ‘mummy – my tummy hurts’ trick. Hmm – the thing is – with a child and their tummy – I figure you can never be too safe. One minute they might look fine, and the next – well – you have an appointment with a mop, buckets, and a whole lotta floor cleaner. Okay – so I said she culd come to school with me (a pain in the rear end – but hey!). As I was packing a snack for myself – a little voice piped up and said “you’ll need snacks for me too mummy’! AHA – lightbulb moment. So I said – ‘but don’t you have a sick tummy”………”no” she said, and then the tears started….”I don’t want to go to creche, I want Daddy to take me….”. Aha. There we have it. not a sore tummy afterall – just a conniving child!!!!!!! SO – get this – Daddy took her to creche. Why is that strange you ask (or maybe you don’t – but I am telling this story!)? Daddy to M1 in his car, and I took M2 in my car – to the exact same spot and the same time. (both children will not fit in his car!). How’s that for spoilt! M1 is daddy’s little girl through and through. Me – I am tough, and wuld have just said – come on – let’s go – but not daddy! Little devil – anyway – she got to creche and immediately tucked into another bowl of cereal…………OY

Guess what I just bought (ok so I lied – there will be a picture!!)

How fantastically cool is that!

I bought it on ebay – $329.00 AUD – they sell for $500 AUD in stores. This bloke (bike city warehouse) buys them in bulk, and then sells them. he has a ‘normal’ store in Melbourne, and he delivers for $30. Ripper!!!! This thing will hold both the girls while I ride the bike, or I can push it as a jogger. I have used one before behind a bike – and I love it:) Can’t wait to get back on the bike again – especially in this gorgeous weather!!!!

it’s getting to the time of year when kindergarten enrolments happen. I had no idea about this. I was completely in the dark – I just figured it would happen some time at the end of the year. Nup – NOW. I rang our council (they are in charge of the whole allocating kinder spaces she-bang) and enquired as to why I had been hearing murmurs about enrolment times – and I hadn’t heard anything yet. Get this – M1 is on a waiting list – #6 no less. WHAT! My child – already on a waiting list – I haven’t even checked out any kinders! Apparently they get to enrol on the basis of their age – so the older kids are at the top of the list, and the younger ones get what’s left. Bugger. Why did we have a baby in January! Never fear – all will be well. We went to have a look at her soon-to-be kinder (I figured I should go and have a look where my child’s education was going to begin!!), and Miss Helene (yes – that’s right – Miss ‘Romper Room’ Helene – and get this – her assisstant was ‘Miss Jane’ – gotta love a bit of Mr Squiggle humour!) was happy to inform me that M1 has already climbed up a couple of spots on the waiting ist, and is now sitting at #4. Gifted! Enrol her in special gifted school now I say – she can move up a list without trying! So now we just have to wait until enrolment day next week, and if there are spots left – M1 is in like Flynn! (not sure who Flynn was / is – but we’ll go with it!).

Onto other stuff – Will and I went down to the loca golf driving range on Monday before we picked the girls up. Apparently I have a great swing! yeah. Some bloke who was hitting next to us was watching me (I am presuming only my swing – otherwise it may be a little disturbing) – and he was the one to inform me of my apparent swing. Will on the other hand – did not get a mention. Poor lad! Anyway I got myself a few free buckets of balls – got to be happy with that.

I’ve got a site for all you chicks out there that want to find your essence. Check out SHE-ESSENCE. There are also some great forums over there – plenty of challenges – both for scrapbooking and our every day self. Have fun exploring, and discovering your true essence!

AND – have a look at the fantastic stuff at Designer Digitals this week. Ok – so I know I am a couple of days late it was all released on Sunday – but who cares! There are three wonderful challenges – hopefully I will be able to squeexze one in this week – using some of Patties’ Speed Bytyes! How ace are they – I have been having scrappers block so often – but these really help to knock it outta me! Check out this weeks ad challenge – Maria Sharapova is a great palyer – and this ad says it all!

My buddy Trish has just opened her virtual doors . Loving the new design Trish!

AND another buddy Jess has a couple of top shelf paper packs on her blog.

The colours here ROCK!

On a somewhat sad note – I stepped down from the Sweet Shoppe today.  I just didn’t feel that I was doing them justice.  they have such as awesome team – but I wasn’t doing enough to warrant being a Sugarbabe. So – a big shout out and thank you to all the gang over ther – it wa wonderful to be a part of such a ’sweet’ community
I guess now that it is nearing 5pm – I should go and be a hands on mother instead of letting the sandpit and swing set do the job for me!  Cheers:)

just stuff…

Posted on August 27, 2006

OK – so I’ve been mucking around trying to sort some web stuff out. I tell ya – php is gonna be the death of me – either that – or dreamweaver. I have sorted out how to wdigetize a blog theme that wasb’t widgetied when it was created. Quite easy in fact – just followed a few tutorials – but hey – it’s all sorted. The theme I’m in now is all happy and widgetized – but my spunky theme with the background papers wasn’t – so I have done that! YAY for me.

Just another thing to add to my ever growing list of stuff that I CAN do!  Check out Holly’s blog – I managed to widgetise that for her – and it works!  YAY!
It’s a gorgeous Sunday here today. I made Will a list of stuff to do – and he has already crossed off one item! Yep – that’s it. O N E Slow coach. At least that was an important ONE – fixing the clothesline cord. Now maybe I can use the actual clothesline rather than a bit of rope strung between a couple of trees!  Unfortunately that will mean needing to bring the washing in and folding it – ugh.

Look – I am tired – I had a big post planned – but you know what – I can’t be bothered – so cheers!

it’s all good…..

Posted on August 23, 2006

So far I have had a positive response for my actions.  I am a happy little camper. – There are mpore in the pipelines!

Here is the result of the pop to b/w action….

The credits can be found right here.   I’m not usually one to scrap myself – proably becuase I don’t have any photos of me!  That is – until I discovered the nifty little remote control thiny I have for the Canon EOS 350D!  What a cool tool!Soo – I spent some time in my bedroom yesterday arvo – on the bed – with the camera propped up on some clean (very important) unfolded clothes (not so important!), the curtains wide open, light streaming in, and me grinning wildly in the hope I could get at least one okish shot!  I thingkI succeeded – who knows!  I had fun anyway!

M1, Wilbur and I were chatting about having another baby.  M1 was asked whether she would prefer a baby sister or brother.  Turns out she wants a brother like Tristen (her very best buddy Lincoln’s baby brother!).  So then we said – ‘if you marry Lincoln – Tristen will be your brother’, and she replied – “I’m not marrying Lincoln – he’s marrying me”! She’s obviously got it all sorted!  Love her style.

So it’s Wednesday.  What have I acheived this week?!  Nothing on my to do list.  In fact 0 I didn’t even make a todo list – that’s how far behind I am!  yeah sure – I finished my actions – NOT on my todo list – but hey – at least I got something finished.  I have a bathroom cupboard chock full of dirty laundry.  I know it’s chock full – coz M2 has to pull out a whole lot of stuff before she can get in there and play hide and seek.  I know she’s been in there because said laundry is strewn all over the floor.  When do toddlers learn how to clean up…………..

Speaking of M2 – she had a blood pressure check today.  I know I am no doctor – but her heart was beating beautifully today.  Nice low reading – yay – just what we want.  She goes for an MRi in two and a half weeks.  Not looking forward to that – gotta starve her before the general anaesthetic.  Aarrgghh.  Trying to starve M2 is like trying to get a fish to swim out of water. Hopefully the results of the scan will be good – would prefer the no open heart surgery type of results – if we have a choice.

Well – it’s yet another late night at the computer – time to snuggle up in my cosy bed like a bug in a rug.

ready… set… action…..

Posted on August 22, 2006

Yep.  I have been working on these for some time, and I think I have got it right!  Photo adjustment actions for both PS and PSE!  I like to call them PHOTO POPPERS!

They were great fun to make, and work in both photoshop and photoshop elements.  Yippee!  I realise the image there is not the best one to see what the actions do – but that’s the best I could do!  If anyone out there would like to trial them for me – leave a comment – the first five people to say ‘me please’, and state their program will get to have a go:)

OK – onto familial stuff.  Gee that sounds ‘technicackal’ (unlike that!) We had a quiet day at home today.  I don’t know what has gotten into my girls – but I have never seen them play so nicely together – for most of the day.  Wonders will never cease.  Well – I tell a little fib – there was a bit of blood curdling yelling coming from M2 – but that was only when M1 provoked her – which is becoming less og an occurence these days!  Thank goodness – it all helps to preserve my sanity.

As I sit here and type (it’s 11pm – so you will have to excuse any typos etc!), my family is asleep.  I would like to be able to say that they are resting peacefuly -  but – no.  M2 has been super restless – waking up every half hour – crying for whatever reason it is that toddlers cry for in the middle of the night. I jammed a biscuit into her hans.  M1 woke up and asked for a biscuit.  I kid you not.  yes – I do feed my children.  Maybe I need to check their bottoms for little wormspoking their heads out – who knows.  These two girls  eat as much as I do – and that’s a fair amount.  Wilbur is also asleep.  Thankfully he has removed himself from the couch, and has made it to bed.  Now his dulcet snoring tones have lowered a decibel or two. – but – M1 is in bed with him.  Probab;y sucking her thumb like crazy.  that is one of the most annoying noises (after the dulcet snoring) that I have to deal with.  Aarrggh.  She’ll be going back to her bed soon though – I’m not sleeping in her bed – that’s for sure:)

All this bed talk is making me somewhat drowsy – so cheers for now:)

hanging out…….

Posted on August 20, 2006

Yeah! We had a lovely time.

Went to the market yesterday morning with NAnna, Pa, and the girls. Ate the most delicious Morroccan Concotction – ah… the flavours – mmmm. Then we left – amidst tears from Madison – which I am sure stopped within 5 seconds of Nanna feeding her up with Freddo frogs!

Off to Flinders – gorgeous day. Dhippies on the beach, followed by a mini Nanna nap, and a vigorous game of golf – which I won by the way. Played quite well – considering the last time I played was 20 years ago!

Very important testing of both the bed….and the remote control device on the camera!!!!

 

OK – so it may be a little hard to seein this photo  – BUT – if you look closely – there are two larger ‘leaves’, and four smaller leaves.  Definitely means we are meant to have 4 children!!!!!!

There was a bottle of complimentary champagne is our room..No wonder it was free – the stuff was absolutely awful!

Of course we realised how bad it was after the joyous photograph!
 

Next up – a couple of golfing shot – check oout the ‘professionsal’ swimg I managed, and Will’s not so professional, but equally as effective swing!

……………and look at the obstacles we had to overcome………

Of course there are plenty more photos – but I am not going to throw them all on here.  We headed out early this morning to take some of the gorgeous sunrise – will post those later.  That’s right – we headed out early.  Even though we didn’t have the girls waking us up, we still arose at 6am.  Considering we both fell asleep last night by 8:30pm, I think we had enough sleep.  Next time we go anywhere – it’ll be for two nights – first night to catch up on sleep, and secong to – well – enjoy each others’ company a little more.

Today we had another round of golf – Wilbur beat me this time – but we both improved on yesterdays scroe.  I can understand how people love to play so much.  It’s quite satisfying when you really make good contact with the ball.  WHACKO.

After golf – hometime.  Instant excitement when we walked in the foor, and instant tears from M2.  Not sure if they were tears of relief or sadness!!!

OK – enough computing – need ot do dinner – I have been at this entry for way too long – took forever to sort out the photos!!!!!!

going going gone….

Posted on August 19, 2006

Wilbur and I are going away without our children for the first time in 3.5 years.  How exciting!!!!  You read that right.  In the last 3.5 years – we have had at least one child attached to us at all tmes!  Can’t wait.  We are going to a local pub/hotel (about 40 mins down the road), near the beach.  Play some golf (we are both crap at golf – but I intend to win anyway!!!), drink some ‘champers’ (note to self – drink that after golf – otherwise I will have o chance of winning!!!), eat some food, walk along the beach.  Hmmmmm. Souds great.  No children.  Hmmmmmmm. Sounds even better!!!!!!!!

Soo – it will be back to normal programming tomorrow night – where I will have all the juicy details (although some you may not wish to hear…………………………..)

What a character.  The credits can be found here.

Ok – off to the market with the family, then galivanting with my yummy husband!

a scrapping frenzy….

Posted on August 17, 2006

Yep – that’s what I have been on! In a desperate bid to find some ‘mojo’ (what sort of word is mojo anyway – dodgy really:)) – I have been scrapping my little heart out, and plus – my fantastic designers that I am lucky enough to be buddies with, or on their creative teams are producing such scrumptious stuff – how could I not have a frenzy. (looking back on that sentence – it seems that none of it is grammatically correct – woops!).

Let’s get started!

{dear daughter}

This is all stuff from the lovely Jessica Bolton over at Eclectic Scraps – UNAMUSED kit. Such fantastic texture – love it.

{blessed}

Need I say more! Credits for this one can be found HERE.

{mackenzie ella}

Little miss photogenic #2! The credits for this one can be found HERE.

OK – last one……

{dream}

This one was for this months scrap with the sugar babes promt over at SSD. Go on over, and scrap with us – you could be in the running for a nifty little gift certificate to the store! What a bonus!!!!

Yep – that’s right – miss photogenic # 1!!

Phew – that’s it scrap-wise for me!

All this scrapping has mademe leave my exercise in the lurch. I haven’t been running at all this week, and I can really feel it. Tomorrow M1 and M2 are in creche for the day – so it’ll be the perfect opportunity. Thank goodness. yes – you read right – thank goodness they are in creche tomorrow! We are sending each other berserk at present! I guess that is normal. Madison is watching one of my all time favoutie movies right now – “The Sound of Music” – for the fourth time this week! I borrowed it as a weekly – so we have certainly got our weeks worth out of it. She loves it – pokes her head around the corner every now and then and sings ‘cuckoo cuckoo’! How cute!

M2 is sooking in bed. Surely she can’t be hungry yet again. I have never seen a child eat sooooo much. She’s going to pop soon surely.

Time for me to sign out – dinner to cok, walking to do – if my chubby wobbly husband gets home like he said he was going to! Oh yes – you read that right – chubby AND wobbly. My usually trim husband has added some poundage – and not in the right places!

just playing…..

Posted on August 16, 2006

……with my camera and photoplates!

Loved mucking around with the photoplates!

oh yeah baby – back again…..

Posted on August 16, 2006

This time with a little colour – coz you know what – the last few posts have been all words – must be boring!

We wwent to the park a few Sundays agao, and took heaps of photos! Finally last night I got around to resizing a couple. I figured that I couldn’t just throw ‘em up here willy nilly, ut I had to at least make ‘em look good – so I prettied them up with some of Karen’s gorgeous stuff…………..

Credits: All of it is Karen Hunt stuff – tape, paper pieced flowers (these templates are too cool!), funky doodles stars, papers are from Snuffy, Chirpy and Huggy paper packs, and notepaper from her take a note paper pack. Get it all at PDW or SBB.

The next one is really just a couple of the above photos on their own! Yeah – original I know – but hey – I am in the middle of a very deep scrapping slump – gotta get myself out of it somehow!

Credits: Red paper is from Holly McCaigs OFFICE CHIC kit, swirls are Anna Aspens, ribbon and bow, and stamped sentiment – Katie Pertiet , flower – Shabby Princess’ Olivia Collection, date stamp and tag – Christy Lyle.

You know what – I think I am missing creating kits a little! I think I need to channel that creating energy into websites! I borrowed a fantastic book from the library – PHP FOR DREAMWEAVER 8. Hang on – can I find an image…….. (coz I know everyone if really interested!!!!)

Hmm – that worked nicely!!!!! I know it doesn’t look very interesting – but hey – it’s useful – and I am all about useful! AND it’s making this blog entry more colourful!!!!!!

AARRGGHH – I should not have gone to amazon! It’s like dangling a carrot in front of a horses nose! I finally purchased some stuff that had been in my cart for a while, and then some! Ok – so I bought the book that I have borrowed, plus some other web designy type of books. I love books – they are a great reference – I generally use at least two or three of my reference books per day! They are not exciting books – but here’s one, and here’s another. Yay:)

Wilbur gets home today. Great. We are off to kinder gym soon – gotta love turning somersaults with the girls!

Enjoy the sunshine wherever you are:)

just testing….

Posted on August 15, 2006

hmm – I am trying a new thing with  my browser!  It seems to work fine when I add an entry this way – but for some reason, I am unable to login to my blog itself.  Very frustrsting!!!!!!

OK – so it is a lovely day today!  If I hurry up and get my bacKside into gear – I could go for a run, and then do a cyc;le class at the gym – but do I look like I am doing that rght now!!!!! 

M2 is back in bed – she was cranky this morning.  Why oh why is it that when kids get cranky they get to go to bed – why can’t we do that too!  Surely the rest of the family could fend for themselves quite well.  It;s not that hard to eb a kid – surely.  Just a matter of doing a bit of colouring, play doh, and general jumping about!  Easy as pie – there’s no need for me to supervise that sort of thing – surely.

How about a todo list for today.

1. washing (enough said)
2. run
3. exhaust children so they sleep well!
4. find my scrapping mojo
5. remember the rest of the things I need to do so I can add them to my list!

Wilbur is in Darwin at present!  Lucky him!  He’s doing a course that allows him to jump out of a helicopter a great heights and be safe whilst doing it.  Unfortunately the only reason he would be jumping out of a helicopter would be to avoid a large and almighty disastrous crash – so I hope he is concentrating.  We find out next week if where he will be working.  The options at present are – Thailand, Perth, Sale or – well – anywhere else in the world!  Note that as good as Thailand sounds – he would be stuck on an oil rig for 6 weeks.  not overly exciting – no time to go surfing at the beach that’s for sure! 

We are in the market for a new car at present – very interested in the KIA CARNIVAL GRAND.  Yep – a bit of a people mover car!  How cool and exciting is that!  I know – we only have two children right now – but we will be getting more (sounds like we just go off and buy them from somewhere – if only!).  We are planning on adding to the family – just not sure when!

Enough rambling for now – this is not at all interesting for anyone – even me -! Cheers:)

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