Early Scrapbooking.

I found these today. The folder is my year 10 (1992...) T&D folder covered with magazine pictures, stickers, zips, ric rac, sequins, beads etc. I think the base of it all is a Sportsgirl shopping bag. I was the envy of everyone with this folder. I tossed the contents but I will just have to find a use for this memento of my past. It is too cool to throw out.It is also a good way of knowing who loved who at the time! lol

The B&W book was an art journal. I loved the designs by Fiorelli and the print ads they had were so eye catching. The base is Newspaper...Wayne's Worlds...I am way cool dude!

So that was my walk in the past today. Tomorrow is a new year. That makes my folder 15 years old!!!

Have a happy & healthy New Year everyone. My Grandfather always said 'if you have good health then you have everything' I now see he was so right. x

Finally...a good day!

Well today was a good day...considering.

I had energy today, which I have been severely lacking in for awhile now... I will bore you with the domestic duties that I achieved. 3 loads of washing, floors done, mowed our lawn with the ride-on (love that ride-on!), sorted the kids old clothes and took to Vinnies, went for a drive out to the lagoon so Matt could have an 'outing' :} The birds are fantastic, I hope I can make it out again with my camera soon. Tidied my scrap desk, finished the LO that I started last night. It is for a comp on Scrapping Jewels. I had a few opps moments but it is done! I am sort of OK with it... I talked to Moo on the phone for awhile. I then mowed my Grandmothers grass because she is away. I used one of those mowers that you have to pull the cord too start and you also have to push it!!! lol... did I mention I LOVE my ride-on? So at least her place looks lived in, it also looks like aliens have made crop circles... While I was there I picked some fresh beans, yum. I then thought I would try freezing them, my Dad does it with his, so I gave it a go. I will see how they cook before I do more. I have also washed the rocks for the new fish tank that Santa delivered, dinner is done and dishwasher is on. Not a bad day for me...

Oh, Matt also had a good day with not many headaches. He was able to move around a bit more and sit for longer... I think that also helped me get things done, I could leave him and the kids for short periods of time.

My first JACK!

This is my very first entry for Aussie Scrapjacked http://aussiescrapjack.blogspot.com/. It is a 'Jack' from one of Sarah Van Wijck's creations. I love her work so I thought I would finally have a go at entering, after many months of looking.

Matt is COVERED in spots! I don't even think you could play dot-to-dot, they all just merge together. He said this morning, after another rough night that he thinks this is the sickest he has ever been, so he must be sick...poor guy! Today Shawn went to play at Nash's (thanks Rach!) I went to Armidale to get more 'Drugs' for Matt, and he wanted Red Cordial to swallow them down with... I got home in time to put Liberty to sleep and get this page done while she slept. I would like to do another one tonight if time is on my side... I am in the processes of cleaning my stove top...Yuck!

I am cursed.

Matt now has Chicken Pox...

Rollerblades.

Shawn loves his Rollerblades from Grandma! He has actually taken to them very well. Matt has been sick all day and spent most of today in bed, not much fun! Hopefully he will be much better tomorrow. Shawn and I did manage to do some scrapbooking today, and he produced 2 pages!! He loves doing it but it is hard to find time when Liberty won't bother him. We may get some more done tomorrow when she sleeps. It is raining now. My driveway is doing well.... It was so worth the money!

Ho Ho Ho

Well that is another Christmas over. It didn't feel alot like Christmas this year... I am not sure why. Maybe the weather is cooler than normal or my Mum being away, or my lack of preparation...not sure, but we all still have had a great few days. We had a BBQ breakie at Matt's sisters 20 minutes away, then we stopped in to see Matt's mum in hospital. We had a few hours at home where Liberty slept, Shawn put his Star Wars Lego together, Matt and I just sat and watched. :} I was feeling off and was hoping it was not the bug that is doing the rounds. I had a 20 minute 'Power Nap' and felt great for it. I am very tired... Around 5 we headed off to the Baldwins for a yummy baked dinner. We decided early on that dinner would be best turned into a sleep over. The kids all had a great night with various toys and the 'sing star'. I even gave it a go... Glad this blog doesn't have sound. lol. Pam did a great cooked breakie this morning and then we returned to our Christmas mess. Matt is now in bed with the shivers and a high temp... again I hope he is just tired. Well I best get myself into bed. Thank you again to the Baldwin family for sharing your day with us Myhills. I am very grateful x

One more sleep!!!

Today we had Christmas with the Ferris Family. Amanda & Roy have been friends of ours since high school. I guess I don't consider them friends, I would gladly call them family!
Shawn played Santa. From Ant Tam Liberty received 2 sports hats that are soooo Miss Liberty. Shawn received an NBA Basketball....How cool will he be next season. Thanks Ant Tam we love you x
We gave Amanda a James Patterson book that she has been looking for, it is also the only one that she doesn't own of his. SantaKid. I had been looking everywhere for it and finally found one on Ebay from America. I think she was happy. We gave Roy a Guinness Records book...Matt will get his tomorrow shhhh. :} Jess received some books and a musical Jewellery box (as seen in the photos).
I was a lucky girl again and got some more opals and a funky candle holder, Matt was very happy with his water ski mag subscription.
Well I am now too tired to go on.... The children are sound asleep and Santa just came. Tomorrow is going to be another big day so I best go and get some sleep. Before I go I would like to thank Julia for the most beautiful hand made card, it came today...Thank you!
Good night everyone and have a Holly Jolly Christmas, It's the best time of the year!!!

Merry Christmas xxx

Welbourn photos

These photos are from our Welbourn Family Christmas last Saturday.

2 Sleeps

Only 2 more sleeps.... but if I don't get to bed soon it will be 1 more sleep. I just had a few more things to wrap. I think I only have one to wrap tomorrow and that is the fish tank for the kids. Shawn has his cousin from the gold coast sleeping over tonight and they are still awake deep in conversation about Lego something or other. The time is 10.49!!! So much for an early night! He doesn't get to see Jake often so this is really good for them to hang out. But they could do it tomorrow....
Today we had the Myhill gift swap. We do a secret Santa kind of thing and it works really well with such a big family. We were meant to have a dinner tonight but Matt's Mum is in hospital and will be until after Chrissy. She is doing really well though and is in good spirits.
Yesterday I worked in the morning and it was painfully slow! Everyone has finished their camera shopping and photo printing. In the afternoon I had my Mother and Grandmother down for our Christmas dinner. We started with gifts then Christmas BINGO. We really are the coolest family. My Grandmother in America likes to play BINGO at Christmas and has little prizes. I carried the tradition into my mothers side a few years ago and we really enjoy it!

Well I need my sleep, Goodnight x

Christmas Cookies.

Today we made a mess!
We had a great time doing so.
Matt and I made 11 soft pretzels and 1 pretzel dog. They were pretty good for our first attempt. It took a good bit of arm action to make the dough long enough to twist into shape. While we worked on those I had Sugar Cookie dough waiting in the fridge. I didn't get to them until 7.30 tonight. Shawn and Liberty had a great time decorating them, with Grandmas help. Sorry the photos are bad, I am so tired. I still have gifts to get ready for tomorrow. Sitting at the computer strangely enough does not get them done!
Last day of work tomorrow for me until next year...it is going to be soooooooo busy. I think my worst customers are husbands wanting to get their wife a new camera. Great thought, but most have no clue as to what features she wants....

Thicker Skin Required.

What have I done!!!!
Well tonight I went to my first 'Uralla Events Committee' meeting and I walked out as the Vice chair.... This is so not like me.... I am the one who sits in the corner and doesn't speak for fear of speaking out of turn... So that is where I got the title of this post from. I will need a thick skin so I don't take everything so personal. I think this may be a very good opportunity for me to grow in knowledge, confidence and capabilities... Having said all of this the VC is not that big of a deal, but it is too me.
The UEC organizes the 'Thunderbolt Fair' in our little country town of 2000 people. It is held on a weekend in November. This year the guest performer was country singer Felicity. There are rides for kids, markets, food, Battle of the bands comp, billycart comp, street parade etc. All of this seems to be organised by 6-10 people... Thunderbolt was our local bushranger.

Well I am sure I did other things today but at this moment I am still stuck with 'What have I done'!!!!!

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,
This year I would like an updated first aid kit please.

I find I am relying on my Dr Pamela for medical advice, time and supplies more than I should. A new kit with the things that I should have, but don't would be of great use. Then again, I am glad it wasn't me that had to lance my son's pox thing on his hand tonight. Maybe you should just deliver that kit straight to Pam's!

Thanks Santa


Thanks Pam xxx

Ab Fab!

This is my newest LO that I did last night. Not bad I took the photo and did the LO in the same day...impressive... My 'absolutely' rub-ons are ATD and are nice and sparkly, they go on so well. I was very pleased! Only thing is I keep looking at it and it looks like I have spelt it wrong...This photo doesn't do any justice to the actual page. sorry

Well yesterday I had my hair cut and tonight I had my eyebrows ripped out (hate my eyebrows...) I am a new woman!

Well I better go and fold the clothes that I have piled onto the bed so I can get in it....

Good Night!

Santa Came Early!

This is how my driveway looked at 8 am this morning.















And this is how it looked at 2.30pm this afternoon.





We have had so much trouble with the rain washing our driveway away. I even had friends who claim that they couldn't visit me anymore until we had it fixed!!! (Thats what they said anyway...lol) Yesterday Matt was at the Council and asked who he should see about a quote. Long story short...within 24 hours our driveway is finished!!!
Now Santa will be able to park out the front, much better for the Reindeer... HO! HO! HO!

All Dressed Up & No Where To Go.

This morning Liberty went off and put on some beads and bangles and carried around a few handbags. So I thought we may as well drag all of the dress-ups out! They both had a great time. Shawn is not itchy and not as tired as he has been so that is great! I am off to get a haircut soon. YAY, DOUBLE YAY!!! I hate my hair at the moment.
We all had a nice night looking at Chrissy lights last night. I must say that Armidale being the bigger city was very dissapointing. Uralla is much better this year. It could be that it takes less time to drive around just looking for lights. But last night you could drive for many blocks and find nothing...
Well I have done nothing today! I did make a Birthday card, that filled up 5 mins...lol I should go and run around now before I go get this fantastic makeover...hahahaha :}

Food, glorious food!

Today I discovered the food network website as I was looking at 2 Peas. http://www.foodnetwork.com/ I found some super recipe's. Now, I am no baker or a gourmet chef but I will give this site a good workout. So far I have Sugar Cookies, Shoo fly Pie and Hot Pretzels in my sites. I think the Pretzels will be great in the wood oven at Green Oak for after Christmas. I will make some and freeze them. 5 years ago we went to Lancaster PA to a Pretzel factory and actually got to make one. Hopefully I can remember how to twist them... The photo is us at Downtown Disney eating Pretzels, Matt has a Pretzel Dog. (hot dog wrapped in pretzel) Yummmmmmm.......

Today has been a bit of a kick back kinda day. Pam came which was nice. I am a bit cut off from civilization with Shawn having his spots! Today is a better day so hopefully the worst is over. He is at Grandmas building Lego. He did the same yesterday. Matt took Liberty so I could get too the pressies. 3 hours latter they were all done and hidden. What a job!! Still have a few family items to shop for then I think I am done!

Tonight we are taking Miss Hannah to Armidale to see the Christmas lights. We have taken all of the girls on 'dates'. It has taken awhile to get to you Hannah, I am sorry. :}

Decorating...

Hello! Well my poor little man is well covered with pox!! He is very sore & sorry... We are both getting good at 21 and have just finished a game of Monopoly. Anything to keep his mind off scratching. I did manage to do a page today while Liberty slept and Shawn watched a DVD. It will be my entry for the 123 Challenge this month. You had to use a Christmas photo, different fonts and use hand stitching. The photo is actually a collage I did for this blog of many photos. It printed nicely... Work tomorrow, that was a fast week. Next week will be even quicker...

Yesterday...

Hello! Yesterday I needed a release so I took the camera into my garden. I quite like this little photo, the shadows are pretty cool. Well at yesterday's assembly the best woman won! I am so proud of you Courtney, congratulations, you are so super! So that was the good news of yesterday. The not so good is Shawn now has Chicken Pox...he had avoided them for months, everyone around us had them. Now he has them. Only about 20 spots so far and he is not sick. So far, so good! My washing machine has just recovered from conjunctivitis washing... lol
Today will be activities at home. We might get the crayons out and colour some more Christmas cards, then again we might not...

Our Visitors.

These 2 came and visited this morning. They had as much fun watching us through the window as we did watching them. Since Matt has fixed up our bird feeder we have daily visitors.
Today I achieved a good bit off my list, so that is good. Got cards and gifts in the mail. Printed some photos (again) Hopefully I can get the calendars off to America tomorrow. You will never guess what is happening outside at the moment...RAIN!!! Ahhhhhh
Tomorrow is a pretty special day. We find out who is next years primary school captains... Very exciting!!!

Rain, rain go away...

Well another day another storm. I think rain is great and I am aware that peoples living depends on it but enough is enough for now! Nothing exciting to report today. I think we are all tired after our big weekend. TV tonight for me, what to watch and what to tape... Criminal Minds or VS??? Life is full of tough choices...

The photo is just a random image taken at Luna Park when we went to Sydney.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!! xxx

What a super weekend!

What a super weekend! We packed alot into the 2 days and it doesn't feel like it, I love it!!! I worked on Saturday morning, then hit Woolies. Made it home in time to tidy up and cook ready for the Ferris' Family to come for dinner we had a great night talking about high school sweethearts...:} Today started with me putting a roast into the slow cooker before heading off for the Baldwin fashion shoot. Too easy, a beautiful family and it shows in their photos... After that I went home and and packed ready for our adventure to Yarrowych, to hang by the river. Jase had the BBQ, Dean had the flame and we had lunch. Then a good swim. I think Matt is still in shock that I actually got in! Liberty had a great day, she never got cranky, I am so proud of her!! Shawn and Nash had a great time playing Ewocks (as you do). They were so busy, I don't think Shawn had much to eat because he was so busy. I am so blessed to have 2 great kids...If I say so myself!
We made it home and Amelia came to collect the Wedding photos...I really hope they like them. I threw on some veggies and Mum and Grandma came for dinner to celebrate Mum's birthday a day early. I forgot to take some photos!!! I guess I was all photoed out. Grandma made some great sweets and I have put my order in for Chrissy :} So that has been our weekend. A great one, good family, good friends and good food! Thanks everyone!! xxx

Lucky me

Wow 17 sleep till Santa according to my ticker...so very unprepared...oh well!
I am a lucky girl! I just received a belated birthday pressie from my Moo. I got a pot of Opals (Scrapbooking sprinkle sh*t, that I wanted) and as a super surprise a black and white freshwater pearl necklace and earrings that Manda had made for me!!! How super is that?
Well I better get back to dinner Lasagna & roast veggies...mmmmmm. Manda will be back soon, she just ran off to put Jess to bed then we can kick back!

Treats

These are the wonderful treats that arrived from America yesterday. I am still stoked! It is so nice to know that someone that you many not communicate with through the year and only see every 3 or 4 years thinks of me and my family...
This afternoon I am off to do some Glamour Photography (lol) for my 'anonymous' friend. We have been saying for awhile now we should do family portraits. They are needed for next Saturday....... I will have to work out what my fee will be. Christmas dinner sounds goods! :}
I think I will go and start some wrapping, then again I may not...

10 bucks!

This LO just won me $10 to spend at scrappingjewels.com They have the Doodlebug stickers that I am addicted to. I entered a comp at shallenges.blogspot.com/ it is pretty neat. A new shallenge gets posted every week or so, I have only just discovered it. This photo of Shawn was taken on a Sydney Ferry as we made our way to Luna Park. I have completed my next entry and will post sometime...

Now it seems one of my delightful and funny friends...so it could be any of the millions...lol think that anonymous actually means anonymous!! When what it really means is you put your name at the end of your comment!!! I know who you are..... :}

Suprise Box!

I just received a box of Chrissy pressies from my Dads cousin in America!!! I am so stoked! I think they are Hallmark ornaments for each of us, including Mum, a box for the kids and some planters peanuts for us. YUM!!! They will be unwrapped tonight if I can wait that long. How thoughtful is that!! I cried...then I came onto the computer and had the country internet radio playing and it was Tim McGraw's 'Live like you were dying' Love that song!
Well the badly taken photo is a double LO that I just finished, I think I will enter it in Keep'n The Memories comp. It doesn't show them very well but the blue dots are the plastic beads that you get with the kids stained glass craft kits. They melt in the oven. Anyway I had some left over and the colour worked better than anything else I had. They look nice and sparkly!
Carols was nice last night. Shawn sang in the school choir and he did very well, no silly business! He is back at school today for the activity day thingy, he gets to go to the park for fun and games. After school he has mini ball and I have my first work meeting... I printed 30 cards on Tuesday and will have to make some more today. Last year I did too many, this not enough...
One last thing and I will stop my rambling. :} I believe you don't have to log in to make a comment, you just click on anonymous and go from there... hint hint :}

100 Kisses!

I went to fill my Christmas candy jars with the last of my Hershey Kisses and noticed on the 3 pound bag, that I lugged back from Dad's in June, that 2007 is the 100 year anniversary of Kisses! Just some useless info... They got the name Kisses from the sound that the machine makes as the chocolate drops down onto the belt. I love the town Hershey, PA. I have been twice. Milton Hershey seemed like a great man... Anyway enough of a history lesson for today.
Shawn is home from school again today, he could have gone but his eye is still pink. Liberty 's eyes look really good. Like yesterday the 2 of them have had a great morning. They coloured and watched the Disneyland video that we made. They kept busy as I again washed their towels, clothes etc. I am over washing especially with the storms we are getting. We will get another today because it is 'Carols by candle light' in the park tonight. Well I think I will go and create, I need the release. Better go and hang some more clothes out first.

The eyes have it!

Well it turns out that both of my lovely children have conjunctivitis (pink eye). This is the first time for both of them. I am guessing the local swimming pool may be the culprit. Such is life!They have both been surprisingly good with drops, I am impressed! They have had a great morning playing together. Liberty is in her cot and Shawn is colouring his Christmas cards for his friends. Hopefully I can go and get mine printed today. I am just going to print the photo onto a card at work, complete with message already on it. Easy. possibly lazy, but easy! I thought I had Matt's gift all worked out but I was wrong. What I had in mind is not suitable for him. I won't say because he sometimes reads this... Hello Dear :}
Well I better go and get some lunch for Shawn and myself. Have a great day everyone!

More decorations...

These are some of the deco's around our home!
The 'Giraffe' LO that I posted last month is a winner! I will receive a mystery prize from Basically Scrapbooking... (B.S also has a new owner so it won't be closing!!!) I like Mystery Prizes, I think that is much more exciting than a voucher...not that I am fussy...lol.
Matt would be in his meeting with the big boss as I type. This will be very interesting to hear about when he gets home... Liberty has a doctors appointment at 4.30, looks like conjunctivitis... Not happy Jan...
I am big on my ... today... here are some more.............. bye....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPACE!!! YOU ARE!!!.....

Tree Progress Photos.

Well these are the shots of us putting up our tree. It is about a 4-5 hour job our tree. It is 7 feet high, has approx 740 clear lights and about 200 blue lights in the tinsel. I like to think I could tell you where 90% of the ornaments came from, but I was a bit rusty this year... Each ornament has a history. Some I made with my Great Grandmother 24 Christmas's' ago and some that my son made last year. Some my mother made when we moved back to Australia from matchboxes and wrapping paper. I still have our silver foil, toilet roll, ping pong ball angel - she must be pushing 28!
Today was spent decorating the rest of the house and Matt has the outside lights up. When the rain stops we will go and see how they look. Colour out the front and white around the deck. After he finished the lights he took the kids to the pool while I put away the last of the deco's and vacuumed the fallen tinsel.
Lamb roast finished off a productive Sunday. More decoration photos tomorrow...

It is up!

Well we have just finished putting our 7 foot Christmas tree up and decorating it. It looks pretty good. (if I say so myself ). This is the first year in 8 that we put icicles on... I will take some photos tomorrow and post. We still have all of the other decorations to put out and fill the Christmas singing animals with batteries etc. That will happen tomorrow...
We had a great night out last night...may I say Rach, I love your logic! It was nice to be out and not have to watch kids, be home to put kids in bed etc... I had to work today so I had to be reasonably responsible. I thought work would be busy and I was right! 3 More Saturday's till' Santa!