Couldn't help myself

The inspirational Alicia has a challenge on one of her USA sites (2 croppin cousinz) to get more members and of course I just couldn't help myself and had to join up!!

Haven't been active on any overseas sites (since my trip to Canada) so thought "why not?"....I have heaps of spare time to get involved in another site....NOT! But anyway...if you're interested....check out the site and sign up with me as your referring member ...he he he!

There's already a few Aussie's there....Chelle, Sara N and Ang....

A girl can never have too many...

handbags (or shoes) !! A scrap friend has just started to sell her lovely original handmade handbags online if you're interested...keep an eye on her blog if you LOVE bags too!!! Good luck with it Steph :)

Final LSBS calendar swap entry for the weekend (Jenni's - what makes you smile)....no more here now for a while....back to the albums to go OS with my folks!!!

Off to Cairns tomorrow for work...love Cairns...so relaxed and the climate is perfect at this time of the year!

More Calendars

I've had three calendars here this week for the LSBS swap....here's two of the three....still working on the last one.

I also have a final LO to share from the Mt Tamborine weekend of my lovely friend Ann - who's recently moved up to Rockhampton with work.

Funny story...printed off a sketch from Little Book of Sketches to take up to Mt T. with me to do this layout...but didn't check the print out with the original on screen. Did the LO...really happy with it...emailed it off to Cath for her to consider for use on the sketch site....only to realise that I'd missed a whole feature of the sketch in my printed version that I based the LO on ... opps! How embarrassing! Here's the sketch I based it on....can you see what I missed???

Mt Tamborine was such a hit with everyone who went that we're already organising the next one. This time we're off to the Sunshine Coast. I found this amazing huge beach house for rent and we're booked in for 16-18 November 2007. Hoping to get 15 scrappers along for another fabulous weekend. There's a couple of vacancies still left....check out the thread on SM Online if you're interested.

The Morans enjoyed a lovely Anzac Day...we didn't go to a service but will be next year (you'll see why in a minute). We did however go for a picnic bike ride down to Wellington Point. It was so busy down there....just as well we were on our bikes as car parks were very scarce! Poor Tara looks exhausted in this photo!

I ended up having Thursday at home with Danah (11)...big event in a young girls life happened and she wasn't up to going to school....so we had a quality day together....bonding time for Mum & daughter!

The other excitment for both the girls is we've got them into Guides....Danah is going to Cleveland Guides Friday nights and Tara to Brownies on Monday afternoons. Danah went last night and LOVED it....wanted to sign up right away and is keen to get uniforms etc ASAP. We've got a mother/daughter activity in two weeks.....ROCK CLIMBING....think I'll just hold the ropes. So next year...they'll both be marching in the local Anzac Parade. I'll have to dig out all my ol' Guide 'stuff' to show them.

Today has been busy with Danah back at netball, Tara swimming and I had another class to run at the House of Scrapbooking. A couple of the same ladies that did my first class turned up again today (thanks Rose & Gloria) and they made a start on some lovely tag books. Next class is in June...we're making a handbag box....based on the new Art Blanche from EK Success.

I also found a new local scrap shop today....Scrapbookers Realm...it's only been opened a few months so just had to check it out (bonus 15% off today yay!) ...will be back to visit again.

Another Weekend LO

Forgot the second LO challenge set by Karen on the weekend....a bride challenge (something old, new, borrowed & blue)....here it is (for my Book of Me).

I've been tagged AGAIN (by Nicole)...same SEveN tag I had the other day....will do the seven questions but don't think I'll push my luck and send it to another seven friends....or no one might visit me anymore :D

1. I scrap in a very small incredibly untidy space!

2. I lived at the very northern tip of Australia when I was a kid (at Bamaga) and Loved IT!

3. I lust after Robbie Williams (like lots of women my age!)

4. I did a "spin" cycle class at the gym today and hope I can walk tomorrow!!!

5. I have NEVER had Christmas away from my Mum & DAd.

6. One day I'd like to get my motor bike license

7. I like driving my car....alone....with really loud music (usually Robbie).

Scrap Outcomes

Love being able to scrap all day and night and not feel guilty.....here's some of the goodies from the Mt Tamborine weekend.

Coaster swap.....thanks Karen for organising this one....we all added a little to each others coaster. I'm planning to either make it into a magnet or us it on a LO....not sure which yet

An 8x8 page for a friend who's not well atm....hope you like it Leanne. I don't have a chicken soup recipe but hope my pumpkin soup recipe will sooth your soul :)

Karen (Gypsyangel) set us two LO challenges on the weekend......we used her book "She" to choose a quote and do a LO on a randomly selected lady at Tamborine....I picked Chelle's name out and here's the LO I did for her.

Sarah (Franapani) did this lovely LO for me (although the photo of me is not very flattering)!

I can also share a couple of LO's I've completed to send in for the 123 Challenge Cyber crop that I completed up at Tamborine ...

Check out my "flower" butterfly wings in this one.....got the idea from the latest CK magazine!

I have one more LO .... just putting the finishing touches on as I ran out of time on Sunday morning.

I also did bit 'n' pieces on the albums for Mum & Dad but still can't share that yet.

If you'd like to see more photo's from our fab weekend at Mt Tamborine....check out the SM Online photo thread here......

Mt Tamborine Photo's

I love everything about scrapbooking.....the creating.....the capturing of memories for future generations....the photographs....the shopping.....the FRIENDS!

Just had a wonderful weekend away at Mt Tamborine with a group of ladies from SCrapbooking Memories Online forum. I'd met a few IRL but it was the first time for a number of them. Even though we'd all just met...we all got along just fine and had a ball!

Thanks to Karen (Gypsy) for organising it! Great to see Chelle, Nae, Heidi and Robyn again. Nice to meet Lynnie, Ros, Karen (who works for same organisation as me and we didn't know it beforehand!!) and Sarah (sorry for calling you Sharon all weekend - my girls will tell you I never get their names right either!!).

Did heaps of scrappin' although I've still got a bit to do to finish off the albums for the folks to take overseas. I got to play with Nae's wonderful Cricut and Sizzix die cut machines (thanks sweetie - you're a life saver).

Had heaps of laughs, drank a few drinkies, didn't sleep much (1.30am & 2.30am bedtime with a 7am start both days), SANG some Sing Star (Lyn, Robyn & Nae are the real Sing Star Queens).

Check out Chelle's debut on Sing Star...you rock chickie!

We visited Lisa at the Scrapbook Cupboard on Saturday to do a little shopping. And we ate!!! We had enough yummy food to last a WEEK!

I'll do another post with the scrapbooking outcomes :)

Random Tag

Fran has tagged me....so before I blog about my fabulous scrappin' weekend at Mt Tamborine....I'll do this tag!

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I love my AFL footy...go the Lions...my Mum's Dad (my Pop) was a big Hawthorne fan and when I lived with him & Nana (in 1976) I started my love of footy.

2. I'm a chocoholic!

3. My favourite colour is ORANGE!

4. I love that my job gives me the opportunity to travel occasionally - throughout Qld and to every state & territory in Australia AND one trip overseas!

5. I have one (single) brother (40) who I'd love to find a caring partner to share his life!

6. I'm lousy with money....hopeless....can't budget to save myself.

7. I went to boarding school for two years when I was 13-14.

I tag - Sara N, Sara P, Chelle, Relsi, Steph, Megan and Alicia!

Movie Date

Yesterday we met the 'boy'....lovely (very young) Matthew....who's apparently Danah's boyfriend. It was quite funny/cute...when he arrived at the movie theatre she hid behind me initially....but once her friend Maddison arrived she was right. All the parents were there - nice to meet his parents as well. I stayed (sat on the other side of the cinema) with the three "kids" and saw "Stomp the Yard" while Peter, Tara & the other parents went to "Wild Hogs".

Friday night was LSBS cyber crop night...but before it started I had a quick visit to Scrapbook City (Indooroopilly) to see the beautiful Alicia - home from New York for a couple of weeks. She was teaching a class - so didn't get to talk too much to her - hope to see her again before she flys back to NY. Also caught up briefly with Peta, Sara N (with less than 4 weeks to her little man arrives), Leone and Sara P.

Back to the cyber crop...I managed to do a digital LO for the digital challenge. (see Beach Babe - used DebF's yummy Beachalicious kit from LSBS - plain flamingo paper, beach towel paper, flamingo brad, staple, beach babe sticker and sunshine flower sticker. Also DebF's Lauras Pocket zigzag stitch and DebF's date stamp.Plus scrapbook answers erased border and Michelle Coleman's blue flourish painted art sample. Made on Photoshop Elements). The Beach Babe is Emmie - Danah's friend that lives at Nth Straddie Island.

I also completed the DT challenge (2007).

I also had a look at the cybercrop at 123 Challenges blog...hope to do a couple of them while I'm up at Mt Tamborine next weekend (2 days non-stop scrappin'). Speaking of which...that's my task now....to plan, prepare and pack for my trip up the mountain on Friday. Looking forward to 2 nights up there with about 10 other ladies from the SM Online forum.

I'll leave you with a quote....for my very dear friend Sandy....who had a very rough few days last week....but thankfully all ended well and I was pleased to play a very small part in helping her in her time of need. I know she would do the same for me if I needed her. Love you sweetie!

“Friendship consists in forgetting; what one gives, and remembering what one receives”

Love Sketches?

A new sketch blog for you to check out....Little Book of Sketches.....gotta love sketches!

Check it and leave a comment that you found them via my blog and we'll both go in the draw for a prize!!!

Christmas Secret

My friend from work Pam is expecting her first bub in August (a little boy!!) and I'd taken this lovely pic of her and her DH at our work Christmas party in December.

I did the maths and asked the question and yes....they knew then but weren't telling anyone.....so I just had to use that in the title for a LO - using yummy Fancy Pants goodies. I'm really pleased with the end result!

Paisley

Had a packet of paisley chipboard to work with and decided...I like paisley but have a hard time using it.....so did some thinking, searching and more thinking and came up with a list of possible paisley uses....see LSBS for the list but here is the LO I did, using Fancy Pants chipboard, to go with the list.

Now there's a bit of story behind this LO....being the addicted scrapper that I am....last night about 7pm I realised that I wasn't happy with the black bazzill I was planning to use for this LO and NEEDED white instead.....but of course I had NO white bazzill :( I had to have white bazzill NOW....there was no waiting until I could get to a shop and who knew if any scrap shops would be open on EAster Monday!!! Luckily my friend Megan (Born2Shop) lives about 10 minutes away....so I did what any self-respecting addicted scrapper would do and I txt Megan begging her to see if she had any white bazzill I could buy from her!!! I found an excuse (I did have stamps to deliver to her) and raced over to her place at 7.30pm to pick up a piece of white bazzill.....she saved me....thanks so much Megan....I owe you :) The white looks soooo much better than the black!

Woke up this morning inspired to do my 123 challenge LO - so here it is - think I'm right to share here before the comp judging is done :) Had to do a LO using swirls/flourishes, no paint and gems. Enjoyed doing a LO for a competition again...it's been a while!

While in a positive scrappin' mind-set I also put together another calendar entry - for Corina on LSBS - hope you like it :) {{the colours have scanned a little dark}} It's based on a LO I did recently for a CJ and loved doing it so much I had to do another one!

Well, that's it, my 10 days off are almost over....back to work tomorrow :(

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you enjoy a relaxing, fun-filled, family/friends day today.

We're off for a roast pork lunch with my folks. The easter bunny arrived here overnight and the girls have had fun finding all the eggs left hidden around the house.

Whipped up two little easter bags for them and TAra made one too!

Spending some time this morning blog surfing...and came across this blog (123 Challenge) with some fabulous LO's on it. A few of you know it already because I recognise names/LO's - but thought I'd share here and maybe have a go at the April challenge myself.

Beach Week

I love beach holidays and the Sunshine Coast is a favourite - has been since I was a kid!

This year we stayed at Golden Beach at Caloundra - the southern end of the Sunshine Coast on the Pumistone Channel looking over the northern end of Bribie Island. Here's sunrise from our balcony.

The resort we stayed at had a great pool (with slide) that we used everyday - I was more than happy to lounge around the pool - reading & snoozing - while the girls swam. I even had a couple of swims (the pool was heated).


We also used the resorts kayaks - which we all loved (even though Peter had to rescue Tara the first afternoon as she got caught up in the current and was heading off into the bright blue yonder!!). We went kayaking about three or four times over the week. We also went bike riding - great bike path all the way along the water front and back the other way to a COLD ROCK ICE CREAM shop!!!!

Plenty of take-away/restaurant options in the area including a fabulous Thai restaurant and we went back to a favourite Chinese restaurant one night. Started our week with the obligatory fish 'n' chips and also had awesome "works" burgers (from real burger shops not the "M" one!).

We spent a day at Australia Zoo - a short 20 minute drive away - luckily on the day of the tsnumi warning! Dad called just after 8am to let us know about it....I'd only just hopped off the net and someone had posted about it so I knew but wasn't too worried. Still....it wasn't a nice feeling - being at the beach with the possibility however slim that something could happen. As it was we had a lovely day at the Zoo (see family self-portrait above).

FAbulous set up....awesome animals and I was really impressed with the whole place. The girls had been before with my folks but Peter & I hadn't been. I couldn't get over the food at lunch...it was so fresh and generous and reasonable prices for that type of place! The elephants were awesome - we hand fed them & have the pics to prove it. Spent ages watching them frolick in the water at their enclosure as well. It was a tiring day - lucky we didn't have far to travel home and enjoy a cold 'beverage' on the balcony!

We spent a morning at Kings Beach....a popular Caloundra surf beach. There were life guards on duty and quite a few people. The girls and I spent an hour or so in the surf....exhausting but exhilirating at the same time. They also have a water fun park at Kings Beach which is great for washing the sand/salt off before heading home.

We managed to see one movie...."Meet the Robinsons"....not my first choice but anyway what can you do??!! I also read one & half books.....a couple of scrap mags.....and drank a few bottles of wine and/or cans of vodka pre-mix! Peter & the girls loved having Foxtel....the kids channel was never off I don't think and if I never hear the "spongebob squarepants" theme song again it'll be too soon!!!! I also tried my hand at taking some 'different' holiday photos - like this one. Can you guess what it is???

Well that's about it....we could easily have had another week up there....with lots of other things we wanted to do but didn't want to rush the whole time to get them done. Will have to save them up for next time!

Scrap Works

Here's some goodies I've been working on lately but haven't had time to share.....still working on our holiday post....it is coming!

First up.....yummy Fancy Pants sample LO for the LSBS Little Book of Big Memories Competition with pic from my trip to Vancouver last year....Whistler is a nearby ski resort town and the location for the next winter olympics. Don't get a lot of uses for 'snow' rub ons but these worked well with this I think!

I've also whipped up another calendar entry for our LSBS 2008 calendar swap...this is for Stenja77 (hey Steph...hope you like it). Steph's calendar topic is "Childhood".

Not scrapped yet.....but will be one day!!! Cool afternoon snap shot from Caloundra. While on our 'beach week' holiday, I did work on LO's for the family albums going overseas with Mum & Dad when they go to give to the relatives in America. So I've done about 30+ 8x8 LO's for those albums. Won't share just yet....some final touches to do on them still.

Do YOu Remember?

Do you remember your first real 'boyfriend'/'girlfriend'?

Mine was probably Kenny Smithers in Year 7 (although I did like a boy when I was much younger and remember Dad telling me I hope he has lots of money....so I asked the boys father next time I visited if they had lots of money!!!) But I do remember kissing Kenny at school (not necessarily a pleasant experience - he was much too rough) and hanging out with him during lunch.

Why am I asking?

Danah (11) came to me tonight.....while holding the phone in one hand (she'd been talking to her friend Chenai for ages and ages and had even kicked me off the net to chat simultaneously to her online AND on the phone at one stage) to tell me that she has a boyfriend --- not just good friends as she'd previously mentioned. I had Chenai to thank apparently cos Danah wasn't too sure about telling us. Don't know what she thought we'd do......

Peter came in and we told him too!

Matthew is in her class, we asked a few questions, reassured her that so long as he was nice to her that was all that mattered (and that having a 'boyfriend' didn't interfer with her school work) we also mentioned that she shouldn't be pressured into anything just cause her friends or Mat wanted her to.

She was worried because he's shorter than her!!!! EVERYONE is SHORTER THAN HER - she's as tall as me already and I reassured her that it doesn't matter what he looks like so long as he's a good person (and the boys will eventually catch up to her in height .... might take a while but they will).

I was so pleased she finally told us....so scared that she has a boyfriend & all the joys & tribulations that brings with it.....then joked with her about wanting to get a photo of them together so I could SCRAP about it!!!

Will post tomorrow about our holiday week at Caloundra....lots to tell - it was fabulous (except for the minor hiccup of a tsunmi alert amongst it) - and I'll share a few pics....but for now....just had to share a special "Mum's" moment about my little BIG girl!