Random Thoughts of a Heard

ISN'T SHE JUST PRECIOUS??

Well just a quickie update today, sitting here in jammies when i am supposed to be getting ready to go out for lunch - oopsies, lucky i'm not one to take ages to get ready lol.
Worked friday and yesterday - went well, had a blast with the others there (no young kids working you see lol), am glad it went the way it did.
Just have to share these pics I took of maddy just before i left for work yesterday. She was dressed in this black top and skirt, and she just looked sooooo grown up and i just HAD to grab the camera to take some pix of her. And so she span....... she looked like she was dancing in her own little world. Isn't it amazing how our children make us feel.........they can have us totally spellbound one minute and then completely frustrated and pulling our hair out the next........and yet i wouldn't change it for the world. She is all that she is and there is now way i could ever explain properly just how much i love this kiddo.
The layout is one i did friday night using Gin X papers from my Embellished DT kit, lovin these papers BIG time!! I also did another layout last night using them again, though on a black background this time, haven't taken a pic yet so will share next time. They are both about maddy, the first shows her at her happiest and the second shows her at her grumpiest, love them both - they show maddy at her extremes and i love it!!
Well might update more later, REALLY have to go and get ready - think steven's starting to get annoyed now lol..... so better go.

take care and chat soon.......

posted by Julie @ 11:22 AM 4 comments

Am feelin heaps better since last chatting - am over it so will not go into it again.
Bought the new For Keeps mag today, have a double in the babies gallery (bye bye baby)- am lovin the way each layout gets its own page, really gives you a chance to soak the whole layout in without being distracted by others on the page, and it just looks soooo much neater as well i reckon.
Have also decided in the last couple of days that i will enter the FK elite team comp, is nerve racking but if you never try then you never know. I was tempted by the SM masters one but just feel they put too many requirements on the entries - i suppose this is a way to weed out the truly determined - and i wasn't that fussed lol...one year maybe. I have enough to keep me busy at the moment anyway. Still have some paper lines to get through in the kit from Embellished, Cathy from Scrapgenie has posted me some more lines to play with as well and i have GOT to do a couple more class samples for Hobbysew - supposed to stay about two months in advance, plus the paper kit she gave me last time. Then lets not forget the little things as well...... i have two circle journals sitting here waiting to be done and posted, i have a few rolodex cards to be made up, swap items to be posted and still have yet to write up the instructions for the project layout going to SC - lucky its not due for another month yet lol. I did manage to remember to post out the layouts for SM and FK yesterday, so theres a couple off the list now. I either need heaps better organisation skills or i need a way better memory. Its not that i don't have time to do these things its more that something will pop up in my mind and i'll do that instead - like this FK comp, finished a layout for it last night and just love the way it come up, for once i am really happy with the way something turned out. So thats one down and four more still to go.... at least there's still plenty of time for this one.
Might make this weekend a catch up weekend, do all the little stuff thats waiting to be done and get it all posted out monday, over and done with then. Although am working most of the day saturday (at this stage anyway) so will have to be a catch up sunday.


Okie quick rundown on the layouts - first one was for a impromptu friends themed photoswap challenge on Embellished - heaps fun and really like the way it turned out - thanks for the pic lorrie, your a champ!!
Second layout was for another impromptu challenge between ali and i -had to use the sentence "friends are the 'embellished' part of life" as a title on a layout- is for the scrapping friends theme callup at FK, so hopefully one of us makes it in - fingers crossed here.
Third layout was for a photoswap at Embellished. Find it really nerve racking to scrap other peoples photo but am really happy with how this one turned out. And loooooove the Doodlebug silk flower i've used (from scrapgenie), they are just gorgeous.

almost forgot to mention - Ali, little miss sneeky lol - scrapped one of my pics i took the other dayand uploaded on here, it looks absolutely fantastic - LOVE IT!! so thank you ali.
here's the layout here if you wanna see:

http://www.embellished.com.au/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1718&limit=recent

Also got my layout back from Jodee for the photoswap - and she did a fantastic job with the pics of Rylan that i sent through, she included so many of the elements that i love -THANKS JODEE, LOVE IT!! will give a link when she has it uploaded to the Embellished gallery - speaking of which.........has been looking totally awesome lately, the work being uploaded is just brilliant and it has been great to see all the different styles of scrappers we have at embellished and how those styles are just constantly evolving. The DT entries are looking fabbo so far, cannot wait to see all them once the deadline hits - not long now ladies!!
Well thats about it from me today, am working tonight so most likely no scrapping till sunday then, oh well such is life and a break might get the creative juices flowing again lol - can only hope so.

take care
and chat soon

posted by Julie @ 12:33 PM 3 comments

Today's update probably won't make much sense, i can't make much sense of anything myself today so goodluck to me trying to explain it all.
Yesterday started of sooo good for me. I got Maddy off to school in time, i had an acceptance email from both SM and FK, the boys were really well behaved......and then i went to work!!!
DOWN
HILL
FROM
THERE!!!!

Most of the people i work with are just fantastic, really great people who do their best. Then there are a few young kids that think its not that necessary to do so much work, and feel free to roam round the store wherever they want. Well lately there has been some unrest so to say.....we have had to have a staff meeting to discuss the 'bitching' levels going on at work. Sure sure, fair enough. She feels the young kids are being picked on only for the fact that they are young, easily intimidated type of thing...LOAD OF CRAP!!! Wanna chat.....FINE......but you can still work and chat at the same time, not just stop and do nothing. WEll anyway....last nights group managed to include all three of these young kids (talking like 18 boys) so knew was not gonna be a productive night, didn't realise how bad it would be.
Suffice to say by the end of the night i was in a filthy mood, mumbling away to myself like some crazy woman. I just wanted to get out and go home......YEAH RIGHT!
ONE OF THESE YOUNG ***********KIDS HAS GONE IN TO HAVE A WORD TO MANAGEMENT ABOUT MYSELF AND ANOTHER LADY HAVIN A 'BITCH'. UNFRIGGEN BELIEVABLE!!! won't go into it, don't really know what got said, i know she rambled alot. I think i got her goat up though because i disagreed with her. "apparantly" one of these boys has had a 'vast' improvement, uhhh..... he was the worst of them last night - i swear this kid rules the roost at the moment, i dare to disagree and BANG warning issued and told this type of talk is shit stirring. WTH!! what did i just miss!! And its just played on my mind all day that she has this impression of me being a 'trouble makier' i guess. Any one who knows me, knows that thats not me. I'm just really really upset, not sure if i'm making a mountain out of a molehill or what, but just a little dumbstruck - guess i was last night too or i would of just kept my mouth shut.
So have just been alternating between being really really angry bout it and being really upset bout it. And then I'm angry at myself for letting it get to me, for letting it make me angry towards everyone else around me.
Does feel better now to have gotten it out, and besides this i have really been enjoying my job. Maybe i just needed a mopey day. Not working till friday, so hopefully by then i will have picked up some of my old enthusiasm for it, just have a feeling though that its gone now and i won't be able to get it back. Bit sad really, I really did enjoy it and i'd be hard pressed to find another job with such perfect hours (no need for a sitter as steven's home when i start) and at such a fantastic pay, nearly $20an hour. We'll see what happens friday i guess and whether i can get over it or not. Please tell me i'm not being a sook and you all would be pissed as well.
Anyhoo, thats that, I've gotten it off my chest and its helped heaps. Maybe i will try and scrap something tonight, i tried today but just couldn't get totally in to it, was a little challenge between ali and myself - to use the set sentence as a title on a layout with pics of some of the ladies from Embellished, just couldn't get it go the way i wanted, i do like the end result though.

......................well looks like will have to upload a pic next time, didn't think to do so at the start and well ....it won't let me now - GREAT DAY ISN'T IT?

take it easy till time,
chat then..........

posted by Julie @ 6:05 PM 2 comments

PIC SHARIN' TIME!!

Well not much really to update since my last one. Yesterday was a great day for me and today was another great one.
Took the the kids down to the local soccer field today after picking Maddy up from school. They had an absolute ball - and so did i - snap,snap, snapping away with the camera. This is one awesome camera!! Am having some serious fun, and still trying to learn heaps - still set on autofocus though lol. Here are some pix i took of them playing - 7 out of the 167 that i took LOL. Have soooo got to burn some pix onto disk, comp is filling up very quickly now.
Have decided to make another lifestyle change : am determined to budge this last ten kilos or so from having little man ryskie. He is now 16 months old, enough is enough - NO MORE EXCUSES!! So thats the new personal challenge i have set myself. I did it with smoking and have now gone eight weeks - have started the last stage of patches -so if i can kick a ten year habit (fingers crossed) then surely i can lose a little excess. We'll see how i go i guess.
Well just a quick and simple one today - scrapped another layout last night but will share a pic next blog.

till then
take care.....

posted by Julie @ 7:18 PM 5 comments

CRAPPY WEATHER IS SCRAPPING WEATHER

What a fantastic day - has just been a blast!!!
Had a little sleep in (10 am lol), which i needed since i didn't go to be till nearly four this morning.....oopsies LOL. But i was just in the mood to scrap last night. Started and finished the 'YOU' layout bout my hubby. I realized that i had never scrapped a layout just soley about him - very slack of me i know. But i love this pic and i am happy with the way it came out. So was just doin a little net cruisin after finishing and then was just struck with wanting to scrap another layout.... mind you this was well after midnight, really should of been going to bed not starting a layout....but i really wanted to do it and i wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway so out came the stash again lol. Really like the way this one come out as well, alot more playing on this one. Used the bit you push the flourish out of as a stencil with the paints, messy but fun.
Weather was REALLY crappy when i finally got up today so not much that could be done - EXCEPT SCRAP LOL! Steven has been just brilliant today - he has kept the kids occupied most of the time and just left me to scrap. Was just unsure of what to scrap though, so while chatting to miss ali asked if she was in for a challenge- we decided to go for a one hour challenge - hmmm yes, very challenging for me........i am the slowest scrapper lol. So we printed off our photos and then it was ..READY...SET.....GO!!!!! We did run slightly longer than planned but hey that ok, it was still a heap of fun and WAYYYYY challenging. The 'when i grow up' layout is the one completed in just under an hour an a half. I like it......simple yet still eye catching i reckon. Mind you somehow i forgot to put in the top line of the journalling, was looking at it on line after uploading it thinking something not right - DER .... missed a whole line of journalling. Butwasn't hard to add it luckily. Ali and I had such a ball that we have decided to make it a weekly thing - putting a call out in the forum on a sunday for others to join us. Strictly ONE hour - layout done and uploaded. Actually we were both so excited that we put the call out for the first one this arvo, at around four. Thanks to lorrie and terri for taking up the challenge. We all made the five o'clock deadline and again HEAPS OF FUN!! My 'so eager' layout was a bit more simpler this time but i still like and am feeling a little proud to have made the deadline LOL.
So i reckon i must of set some sort of personal record of layouts scrapped in a weekend. Four is a fantastic effort for me.
So thats it for me, my mojo has been seriously overworked but am definetly pleased with the results. whilst i have been a great scrapper today, i have been a somewhat slack mummy so am off to spend some time with the kiddo's before bed.

till next time,
take care

posted by Julie @ 6:28 PM 3 comments

Okie, well heres the promised update with all the ??'s

was tagged by Nicole

1. How old are you? 27
2. How many kids do you have if any? three - maddison 6, nicholas 4 and rylan nearly 1.5
3. Are you married, single, divorced, widow? married to my hubby steven
4. What is your occupation? I am a mother foremost and also a nightfiller for IGA -not glamourous but the pays great lol
5. What are your passions? Passionate about My Life - family, friends, and all the indulgences
6. Are you a dreamer or a dream seeker? mostly a dreamer - though if i want something bad enough then i'll not stop till i achieve it
7. Are you happy with the way you life has turned out? Most days i am, there are the occasional moments where i wish we had of done things in a different order but such is life.
8. Are you a scrapper and if so how many hours a week do you scrap? a scrapper - YES, an obsessed scrapper - DEFINETLY lol - wouldn't have a clue as to how many hours a week, i try to do something each day - if not actually scrapping then scrapping related
9. What do you want to do before you die? i want to have travelled australia and seen all it has to offer. i want to have seen and held my grandchildren and if time/health allows my great grandchildren.
10. What is your favorite food? not so much a favourite food but a favourite style would be spicy, i like my meals to have some zest to them - so not a meat and three veg person lol
11. What is the food you hate the most? suasages - they are ok when burnt on a bbq - but cannot stand them any other time - yucko!!
12. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?lol i have had many but the latest one is that i went to walk in the automatic doors at work - was in a rush as was a little late - well either they were too slow or i was too fast coz i walkes straight into them - FACE PLANT LOL
13. What is the happiest day of your life thus far? I cannot give you one single happiest day for i have had many - and they have always included familiy - the day i was a bride, the day i was a mother (times 3), the days your child calls mama - each and all just as precious
14. Are you a neat freak? Or a dirty house cleaner? sooo glad hubby can't answer this for me lol - in no way am i a neat freak - i like a clean house but do not obsess about it. i do the necessary chores but seem to forget the less often ones - like dusting and such.

who do I tag?? well i do not have a big list of blogs there, so i guess i tag anyone reading who has not yet answered such ??'s - and please leave a comment letting me know you will anwser them, would love to check out your answers.

posted by Julie @ 8:27 PM 0 comments

JUST HAVIN A PLAY

Well have just spent the last hour and a bit having a play with the layout/template for my blog. I saw a layout slide on Scrapcats blog - some gogeous layouts there francine - and loved it. Took me forever to figure out how to add it to my blog - its not neat or dainty but its there LOL so it will do for now. Have also used the time to add some more links to some blogs i check out every now and then - not the best blogger person but sometimes i do have an extra half hour where i do a bit of a cruise. Would love to figure out how to widen my blog space so that it goes across the page instead of the narrow strip down the centre - but again one thing at a time i guess.
Was over at Nic's studio last night and noticed she has 'tagged' me - will have to do it tonight Nic, really have to go and get ready for work - i have to leave in like half an hour and am still sitting here in jammies. LOL I have got to be the MOST unorganised person at times.
Well will leave it at that for now, let me know what you think of the slider - and if you know how i can stretch the blog right across the page that would be handy - you'll have to make it really S.I.M.P.L.E. with the instructions thought am sooo not that computer literate LOL.

till next time
take care....

posted by Julie @ 11:38 AM 3 comments

ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL

Well the boys seem a bit better this evening, Nicks temp rose slightly but no where near as much as it has the last few days. Took them down to the doctors today to try and get them in to Dr Russell - he is brilliant with kids and the only one i will take the kids to see. At first they couldn't get into see him till nearly four this arvo but when the nurse saw Rylans rash she though it best to wait in the reception area for a quick ten minute gap to open up - we only had to wait about half hour so that was pretty good i thought.
Definetly NOT the measles, but it is a viral infection that has caused flu like symptoms and the rash. He didn't put a name to it, said only that it would run its course within the week and to keep fluids up. The reason Nick was really crook while Rylan wasn't is because poor poor Nicholas also has Toncilitis at the same time - hence the confusion with the oncall nurse last night on the phone - I was explaining so many symptoms to her and she just could not come up with something to tie it all together. So nick has this foul foul medicine to take, he's normally good with taking meds, but farout it was a struggle to get it down tonight - we had to actually hold him down, not something i enjoyed doing but something that had to be done. But it seems the boys are on the mend, the rash fades in and out depending on the heat in the room but should be gone in a couple of days.
Some other exciting news in the last few days is that Rylan had his first haircut!! it had just gotten soooo long and it really had to be done, but i was sooo upset afterwards. These are the before and after pix - Nick got his cut at same time,BIG DIFFERENCE THERE AS WELL. I did end up taking Rylan back today to get it cut a little shorter as was looking a little bowlish to me round the ears, looks heaps better now and he looks sooo grown up - will try and get a pic to share next time.
Here's a pic I took of Maddy today after school. She has soo much enthusiasm for anything she does - She ABSOLUTELY loves going to school and yet at the same time she ABSOLUTELY loves to get home in the arvo.I can't wait to see what i can come up with for it.
The layout is one i did for her Wednesday but couldn't get round to uploading till now. I just love this colour combo, the colours are not quite right in the pic - think granny smith green and cherry red. I think they look fantastic together. And am soooo loving the spots at the moment - hence the reason why there is only one sheet of pp used here, didn't want to cover the spots LOL. Love the pic here as well, she just seems to be giving me some beautiful photo opportunities lately. Normally is virtually impossible to get a natural looking smile from her. This is actually a DT layout for Embellished SS, pp is part of a pretty funky looking "Miss Preppy" kit. The other 90% of the layout is Heidi Swapp (they should sooo make me a representitive LOL) and is also available from the shop at Embellished (and always at 20% off RRP).
Well have managed to get two layouts done today, one is for a photo swap and the other is a Scrapgenie DT layout - so unfortunatly i cannot share this one - but will share the swap one once Clare has recieved the original. And its only Ten so i really should be able to get another layout done tonight. Will see how i go. Well thats all there is for now, seems lifes getting back to normal....well as normal as possible round here LOL.

till next time,
take care..........

posted by Julie @ 9:26 PM 0 comments

I do not even know where to begin on an update for today, its been both good and just absolutely terrible.
First off, even though was up so early ended up running late as Nicholas was not well, he woke with a pretty high temp. Rang mum to see if she could watch him for the day, no probs there - just that she lives down other end of town. So dropped Rylan off at daycare, then Maddy of at school and then down other end to drop Nick off. Only just made it to Echuca (45 mins away) with like five minutes to spare before class - not a great start for a first class.
Then mobile rings bout half hour into class, was so embaressed i just shoved bag under table and kept goin with class. Then mobile rang AGAIN within another 20 minutes, so thought better take this call. Well was Steven, he was home from work as he had a phone call from the daycare (first call i missed) informing him Rylan had Measles and to come pick him up STRAIGHT away. So here's me, on the phone at my first class, determined there was no way he had measles and how on earth could he catch it when he's cooped up at home with me all the bloody time - in the end steven said it didn't matter- he was home, he'd go pick nick up, look after rylan and get maddy at three thirty from school. He can be such a godsend - and i can be an ass.
As for the class, it went really well, was heaps of fun but at the same time alittle chaotic at times lol. The ladies are all at different experience levels, so some needed less attention than others. Have changed next months lesson plan as the ladies would really love to scrap a layout, apparantly has been a while since they have, mostly been doing OTP items. So thats all sorted now, its a pretty simple one they've chosen from my album actually - don't think they are into the 'overdone' look on most of my others LOL.
Okie back to the boys now. So i get home and have a looksie - and i mean a real close looksie - and sure enough both boys are covered in a really fine rash on face, tummy and back - i sooo swear it was not there yesterday. Nick is really sensitive to light as well - steven said last night he asked for his lamp to be turned off at bedtime - this lamp never gets turned off!! Rylan is fine apart from rash, but nick has a pretty high temp and complains about a sore head and back, so i guess it has hit him pretty bad. Might give doctor a call in morn and just check out proper procedures for measles - apparantly theres not a lot that can be done, but better to check and double check i reckon. They are all in bed now, so is pretty quiet here, thank goodness as i am feeling like total and upper crap - wonder if adults can get measels?? have a terrible headache and my joints are really aching.
I am not a drama lover, am far from it - i cannot stand drama or conflict around me, yet somedays it seems to just hunt me out. Sometimes i wander just how many mirrors i broke in a past life. I guess we all have our fair share of bad days - anyone wanna nominate to take mine LOL. Well thats about it, the class was a blast - hopefully the next class day is alot smoother.


till next time,
take care

posted by Julie @ 7:25 PM 2 comments

AM SOOOO EXCITED AND A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS AS WELL!!

Well today's the day guys - I am going to teach my first class over at Hobbysew (the altered MM monogram) - and i am soooooooooo excited bout it. I got up really early to get everything organised for the kids as well as for myself - most organised people would of done it the night before but those who know me will know that i am faaaaaar from organised. Actually got up a little too early - hence such an early morning blog LOL - should of went an extra half hour sleep in, would of been so handy!! Okie so wish me luck ladies - i have a feeling the closer i get to Echuca the more nervous i will be ................I know that once i start talking though I'll get over the nerves pretty much straight away.

- on a side note - i did another layout last night and i just LOVE it - sorry guys won't be able to share until tomorrow maybe, have to go straight to work once i get back this arvo. Not noice, not noice I know LOL.

well thats it, wish me luck
please don't say - 'go break a leg' - you never know, i might just do it somehow LOL.
will update when i can

till then,
take care

posted by Julie @ 7:07 AM 3 comments

SCRAP AWAY!!

Well not much has happened here in the last few days. Worked Thursday, Friday nights and all day Saturday. Although have been scrapping up a storm last couple of nights due to the challenges set by Lorrie this month for Embellished's Cyber Crop. Started 7pm Friday night but couldn't join in on all the fun till after ten when i finished work. Let me tell you those girls were chatting up a storm, no scrapping for me was too busy chatting till like two in the morning LOL. So needed a sleep in but didn't get much of one, steven woke me to let me know that he was taking the kids to macca's for breaky - how could i miss a great chance like this to spend time together for breakfast, very rare occurance at our house. Then was off to work till eight that night and then the scrapping began LOL. Lorries first challenge was the sketch challenge, it was just a brilliant sketch, though my layout didn't really end up looking like it LOL. So was up till about three last night, finished the single and double layout, not a bad effort for me. And i love the way they both turned out. I think its all about the photos, i mean really good photos, something i still have to learn how to do, would so love to take proper photography classes. One day maybe. LOOOOOOVE the pix of maddison on the double layout, she is just gorgeous - trying at times I admit - but just a beautiful little girl, and she does try so hard sometimes to be good and helpful but being six is not easy lol,and very short attention span is not a great mix.
Have a busy period coming up now, my to do list seems to have grown with nothing actually being done on it. I have my first class this thursday for Hobbysew, still have a couple more kits for Scrapgenie to get through as well and then there are the Gin X papers that were in the DT kit from Embellished that i am just DYING to get my hands on for some fun. These papers are just the funkiest and totally suit me to a tee, will be fun to play with. Here's a link to check them out at the Embellished shoppe (just go into 12x12 papers and theres a Gin X category)
http://www.embellished.com.au/shoppe/
My fav of the bunch are the 'take a vacation' range - the yellow, orange and green ones. Used a little of them on my 'Rock Star?' layout, but am itching to use them again. As you can tell by my 'r' layout am still lovin these paper flowers, are just soooo easy to make and look fantastic on a page.
Well thats all from me for the time being.
Till next time
take care,

posted by Julie @ 7:25 PM 2 comments

okie, take two LOL:



from now on will just have to upload pix first then blog around them LOL

posted by Julie @ 3:17 PM 1 comments

HAVIN A GREAT DAY - WELL ALMOST

Today is shaping up to be a great day for me - besides one small mishap with Nick at kinder everything else is running smoothly - touch wood LOL
Will start with the mishap first i guess - had just gotten home from doing groceries this morning when i get a phone call from the Kinder teacher - Nicholas has banged his head on the bridge there and has a bit of a gash, nothing major but will need to pick him up as a precaution. Apparantly head wounds bleed.......ALOT...did not know this, so freaked a little to walk in and see my poor little man sitting there with blood matted in his hair and spatttered on his clothes. Took him up to the local hospital to get him checked over, but all is fine, just a small scrap and YES..... head wounds do bleed alot. So he's been getting heaps of cuddles and kisses, and nick being nick - he is hamming it up LOL, nothing like playing the sympathy card is there?
But i started the day in a good mood, this morning went smoothly and kids all got to school/kinder/daycare on time and organised. Went down and did the groceries, out in record time, subbed a couple of layouts this morning checked emails after lunch and had an email back from Jannah at Scrapbook Creations saying she would love to have them both and would actually like to use the 'day dreama' one for a projects lesson - YAYYYY!! But what has really put me in a great mood is what she wrote in her email - " Please let day dreama be mine! I love it. Julie - you have reallyblossomed these past few months! " it just makes me feel good to know that my work is getting noticed, i know that that can sound kinda shallow, but it just makes me feel happy and i can't help that. I am a big doubter of my work, and no matter how many times i hear someone say it looks great i will always find a fault. Think its time to just chill out and do what i do, if it wasn't good enough then people wouldn't say so. Bit of a wake up call i guess.
Anyhoo, i promised yesterday to show you the two layouts side by side to compare the differences , so here they are:
Very different aren't they - but i love them both, just need to do one for maddy now.
Well better get going, is time to head down and pick maddy up from school, best not to be late or no car parks and then a huge walk LOL.

till next time
take care,

posted by Julie @ 2:53 PM 1 comments

YAYYYYY ITS FINALLY POSTED!!

I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED AND POSTED MY MAKE IT MEANINGFUL ENTRY!! Thats all its been about the last few days and to be honest was really getting sick of it. So thats it, done and posted, they can make of it what they will, I at least have a gorgeous album that i absolutely adore, with the exception of a couple of pain in the butt layouts in there LOL.
What else have i been up to?................hmm, have fallen behind in the 21 day challenge again, so hopefully get it up to date within the next week. Did scrap a layout last night about Rylan, loved the way it turned out and was a really quick one to do. Have also scrapped another layout tonight about little man Nick, total opposite of the rylan layout. Where rylans is soft and sweet, Nicks is bold, bright and busy - love them both. Will upload them both together on next post so you can see how different they are (haven't got a pic of tonights one yet).
Haven't really been upto much in my day to day life. My routine seems to be set in concrete at the moment. I get up, i dress, feed and organise three kiddies in the space of an hour and then drop them off at school/kinder/daycare depending on the day. Come home, clean a little, scrap a little, sit at the comp a little (um yes... a little...) and then its time to go and pick maddy up from school. Some days it only me and Rylan home, other days its Rylan, Nick and I, some days i have to work that night. Slight twists to it i guess but basically is still the same. Am getting quite bored with it really - or as we say here - am starting to get itchy feet. This is usually a sign to start some sort of planning as a big road trip is not far off. Here's hoping anyway, probably couldn't afford a big trip at the moment, but never say never i guess. will just wait and see how it works out over the tax season.
Still playing with the cannon, slowly working out what means what - is still set to autofocus for the time being though LOL. Would love to take the kids out and get some really fantastic pix, but unfortunatly weather is really crappy here and not game to take the camera out in the rain,it might catch a cold LOL. So just have to settle for taking some not so good indoor shots.
will try and insert some pix throughout the posts, you know me, its all about having photos lol, so fingers crossed all goes to plan,

till next time
take care and chat soon


NOPE PIX NOT WORKING TONIGHT, SO NOT FUSSING WITH IT.
CHAT AGAIN SOON

posted by Julie @ 11:44 PM 0 comments

AM SOOO OVER IT ALREADY!!

JUST HAD A WHOLE OTHER POST, SPENT A GOOD HALF HOUR TYPING AND ADDING PICS AND WENT TO PUBLISH AND VOOOSH..........GONE!! THIS BLOGGER THING IS SENDING ME CRAZY, AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOO OVER IT!!!

okay, a couple of big breaths now ..............seriously, this is supposed to help organise your thoughts, recap your day - this is the worst part of the day lately, anything that can go wrong with it does, it makes me so cranky i just want to pick the computer up and throw it right out the bloody front door. Little peeved at the moment so not going to make a big post, the one i originally did was catch up of the hectic last four days. General jist of it was, Good time friday night, worked most of saturday, did class samples and DT work for Hobbysew Sat. night, went shopping instead of working on CBX comp sunday, late nights sunday and monday to work on CBX entry, is now finished just need to do a couple of last minute things with it.
Well that was definetly a lot quicker than the original post lol, all thats left to do now is upload the pix, so here goes.....................




first class is for an altered monogram, using MM's giant ones.

Joined the two canvas' together into a kinda book, used the 'insides' of the canva as like a shadow box then covered with transperancy.


Heres a pic of the cute little cane basket/shelves thingy i got in the clearance section at Kmart - has more stuff sitting on it at the moment than in it LOL - i just moved everything for the pic LOL.



Obviously cannot share any pix of my entries for the CBX comp, would disqualify me if by some miracle - AND I MEAN A BIG MIRACLE - i was shortlisted to top 10.So thats about it, was gonna share a couple more pix but won't upload and cannot be bothered with it anymore.
so will just leave it at this then

take care and take deep breaths

posted by Julie @ 4:53 PM 0 comments

Okay, so cannot post layouts in my original entry for today- AAAARH what am i doin wrong!!
so will just upload them in seperate entry - fingers crossed!!














so these are the pics that were supposed to upload with my original entry below, they FINALLY decided to make an appearance.

posted by Julie @ 4:31 PM 0 comments

FOUR YEARS!!

Well i have done my first official layout for Embellished as Design Team member, and i think it ended up lookin alright. The kit I used was the Winter Chill Kit, it had a selection of Chatterbox papers, not normally my thing, but these papers are just gorgeous. They really are outdoing themselves with their new range - Chatterbox that is.
There was a little cardstock accordian album thingy in there as well that i had fun with. Made up a little Travel guide about our visits to Victoria's snowfields - had some real fun with this.
Have managed to get through a few things on my to do list. Rak list has been updated, just need to email it out to members, have kinda caught up with the 21 day challenge - have done the journalling pages, will go back and do the quote pages over time. Have sent of the Raks that i have been meaning to send for a little while now - they were pretty cool, so i hope they like them, also posted out J2's prize today for the secret item challenge i hosted. Layout for For Keeps was also posted. So am narrowing down that list slowly, really have to get those class sample done though, and that chatterbox comp deadline is drawing nearer. So am hoping to buckle down Sunday and at least get a couple done.
Today also happens to be steven and I's fourth wedding anniversary, he's got somthing planned but not letting on about it. Just that i have to be dressed up a bit, so i would guess we are going somewhere 'nice' for dinner. Cannot wait to see where he has chosen. Is good to be back to this stage considering a short time ago i was not sure which way our marriage would go. I guess when you want something fixed then you do what it takes to fix it. I have been trying so hard lately to contain this 'Tal' temper than i have, is good to be able to discuss things rationally instead of the yelling that used to be my solution. Still plan on us seeing someone, alittle professional finetuning wouldn't go astray.
So anyway thats about it for today, have to go and start getting ready, washed my hair this morning and then plaited it so is gonna take forever to get it straight. LOL the things we do hey?
anyhoo,

till next time
take care and have fun.

posted by Julie @ 4:01 PM 0 comments

JUST SOME LAYOUTS!!

Okay, only going to upload those retreat layouts. Not much to be reported since yesterdays blog. So a layout only day, seeing how i promised and such.












i know the 'cow' one is really plain, not my style at all, but everytime i added something it just seem to ruin it, so just left it as it was, though did mount forth pic on chipboard and sanded edges.


There's not much too them really, just some quick and simple ones. Is hard to go over the top with creativity when your working in a metre by metre area with ten tonne of talking goin on round you.



I do like them though, and am quite happy with the work i was able to do while away. and since i went over my quota (3 LO's) then am definetly in on the Rocky Retreat next april, shhhhh, was going anyway, just trying to scare me into more work lol. And here is the final one, a double for Nick's Easter parade at kinder.

I did come home with a heap of little OTP items. Some made in classes, some were swap items and some were just little knicknacks made to fill as many criteria on the challenge list as possible LOL.Not going to upload all those though, will try and do a link to embellished where i had them uploaded in the forum last night.

http://www.embellished.com.au/talkscrap/forum/index.php?topic=351.0

now if i was really clever i'd know how to make one of those neat little links hidden in the word, sorry though, you just have to settle for the big chunky link above LOL.

well thats me done for today

till next time,

take care and scrap heaps

posted by Julie @ 1:49 PM 2 comments

LOVE IT....LOVE IT....LOVE IT!!!

I know i promised to share the layouts from the retreat today, but i have been majorly distracted. It was a nice sunny winter day here today so I had a bit of a play with my cannon this arvo, testing out what it could do. Seriously though, i need to read the manual, it took forever to figure out how to turn the flash off lol. Here are some pics i took of rylan after he woke from his nap, so about one-ish i think. Now i have never been able to get good inside pics without using a flash, these were taken no flash and in my room, one of the darkest in the house.





I just love that soft warm glow they all have.





And then i took some more of the kids playing out back on the swing set to see what the sports mode could do. You could hear it auto focusing as they swung back and forth on the swings. Yes i know, using auto focusing, but haven't got a clue yet on the manual settings, one little step at a time i think. Will try and read a chapter in the manual each day and learn a little at a time. So here are some pics of them outside:




the pic of rylan is him actually swinging towards me, at the point just before going back again. This camera is truly awesome.






Okie might push my luck a little and try and upload a couple of layouts from the retreat. They are a bit more simple than what i normally do, but is hard to go over the top when your in a different scrapping environment, you have to be quick and you can only work in a metre space, but am really happy with how they turned out. here they are;

nope, no go. Must of reached that quota again i guess, will upload them next time, it will be the first thing i do, promise lol

till then
take care and learn lots

posted by Julie @ 5:18 PM 5 comments

EXHAUSTED BUT HOME

Okie, well am home after my weekend away scrapping. It was a heap of fun but i am utterly exhausted, there was not much sleeping while away. So will only be brief updating.
First thing though, and prob most exciting, steven bought me the ultimate present Friday arvo before i left...................he bought me my cannon. Whilst i was very nervous about him buying it, i must say that i am over the moon that he did,... IT...IS...FANTASTIC. Whilst i didn't get much of a chance to use it over the weekend due to all the rain, i did have fun trying to work it all out, still much to be learnt LOL.
As for the retreat, well the place we stayed, Cleveland Winery, was just STUNNING, here are a couple of pics:
It was a mix of old english style and outback aussie, sounds wierd i know, but it was beautiful.
There was some really lovely ladies there to chat with and i really enjoyed myself. But am really tired as well, so will have to upload my layouts and such from the retreat next time, sorry guys but just cannot type and this is taking way too long to try and type.

so till next time,

take care and sleep deep.

posted by Julie @ 9:07 PM 3 comments