A weekend of...

... in no particular order:
Fun, Gorgeous and Inspiring women, eating out, scrapping, meeting lovely people, enjoying wonderful classes, sisterly lovin', sun and surf, mini mum action, he and he and she! Here are a few pics from the last few days...










We had a wonderful time at PaperCrafts Festival in Sydney this past weekend. Got to spend some time with my lovely gal pal Celine and her man Damien. Also got to catch up with the lovely sweet Lusi. Both their classes were fabulous!! AND another wonderful part of scrapping for me is all the connections we make on this journey... all the beautiful souls we get to catch up with, such as cutiepieMel and Superwoman Beth {who had a baby girl AMY only 6 days prior, WOWSERS!!} both whom I met through Lus at KiwiScraps in April this year. HAPPY to see them. YES! Then there are always NEW people you meet, and at the time you cant quite recall how you know their face, but you do... and later you remember! Always happens to me! Funnneeee! I *did* get to meet and chat with the talented Danielle Quarmby, she's a hoot, has a great sense of humour! I *love* a good laugh, I am sure if we spent more time together there would be much snortage going on!

Its tough trying to balance such a major scrapping event and family. Nath was wonderful helping me get from class to class and taking care of Mikaela and Joshua. I had Josh in a two of my classes, or part there of and he was very cute and very well behaved!

Yesterday we headed down to Sydney, went past DavidMetNicole which was closed unfortuately. We then headed to Bondi, which was so great... we had the best time enjoying the sun and surf. I NEED to touch the sand, ocean and float in the waves as often as I can, its simply one of the best feelings in life!

Now I am home, working on some design projects, buying presents, off to a baby shower this afternoon and catching up with my sister Leanne.
Happy Monday!

OH and GOSH... I just want to say a HUGE thankyou for all your lovely comments about my DT position with Maya Memories... I am so chuffed :-)
Bx

Exciting News...

I am so SO so EXCITED to be sharing my latest news... I have been selected to be a permanent design team member of Maya Memories...

I am delighted to take on this challenge and can NOT wait to share with you all my creations... sooooon. Just looking at the Maya site makes me want to scrap, its so yummy... go check it out. Delicious!

This is one of my things I wanted to achieve before my next birthday & it is here in purple pen on this here layout I did some time ago *smile*... and just secretly there are a few other major things in this list that have also come true. Hey when my birthday comes next May... won't it be fun to see how many things I have done on my list :-)?? Or not done for practical reasons...

I love that!
I love the whole "putting yourself out there and making your dreams come true!"
Taking a risk... and recieving SO MUCH joy for every single happy fortune that comes my way.
Whoo hooo...
Thanks for the opportunity Rajini.

Tomorrow I get to spend some time with her and her... and her, some other "dream catchers" I am blessed to know and call my dear friends.
Life is beautiful.
Joy!
Have beautiful weekends lovlies and I hope you do some dream catching of your own, big, small and inbetween... all dreams count :)
Right now I am dreaming of a latte and some cake this afternoon LOL!
Bx

Serendipity...

So I really wanted to catch up with this chick-a-dee at my 20 YEAR (YEAR 10) REUNION... record scratch... YES I am THAT OLD :) But I didnt, she wasnt there... THEN this morning I get an email from her. There we have serendipity... ain't life sweet!

I did catch up with two other gals I have known since I was 11... what a bunch of hotties HA! We didnt stay long, I forgot to put my breast pads in after I got dolled up LMAO! That is just SO ME! *grin*

Sunday we went to the airport open day and ended up catching a joy flight down to the coast in support of Breast Cancer awareness, hence the pink plane (SO KEWL). It was so bumpy, but L.O.V.E.L.Y... Josh was so great, didnt bother him at all. He had to wear that little belt, very sweet.

Here is a quick pic of the cutest baby EVER :) Bathtime last night...

SO looking forward to this weekend and catching up with her!!! AND the lovely She too :)

Hugs and Love
Bx

Her face...

When I ask to take a photo of her!! NICE one Missy Moo!

Tho I forgive her because I am sure I could swim in those eyes of hers.

A couple of Mikaelaisms of late:
1. She tells me I am looking FIT, with conviction. I LIKE that :)
2. When she got an icecream headache recently... she called it "brain disease" instead of brain freeze.
3. I sent her to her room as she was being WAY TOO exciteable and making heaps of noise... to which she replied "yes good because I need some peace and quiet"... ah ooooo K!
4. She told me she doesn't like me to refer to myself as "Mum"... she likes to WRITE Mum because its easier :), but she likes to SAY "Mummy" oooiwwww!
5. She refers to herself as "sissie" when talking to Joshua.
6. She has not lost her love for playing with snails... it's been raining the last two days... snails galore to her delight. LOL.

She wrote me this note a few weeks ago:


Translation:
I love you Mum. You are the goodest girl in the family we want you to be but are best. You will be the good mum. I love Josh and Nathan. We will look after you. We love being in our family. You are the best Mum and maybe Nathan thinks you are the best girlfriend.
CUTE AS... she is such a delight.

Or "oh how delicious" to use the phrase of Mrs Henderson (Judi Dench), from the movie of the same name which Nath and I enjoyed last night.

Happy Friday's beautiful souls...
ENJOY your weekends.
Kiss Hug
Bx

A few more layouts...

You know I think I lost my scrapping MOJO for some time before Joshua was born. He, my dear gorgeous boy has certainly made it return with a vengence. I guess its the REALLY QUICK layouts that appeal to me most. With a newborn babe that is the ONLY kinda scrapping I can do. Asides - lets face it - with an ever expanding family, it wont ever get any less crazy around here LOL!! I wouldn't have it any other way *smile*
Here are my latest layouts:





I also made this OTP (off the page) item for Joshua, its to keep all his cards and trinkets in:



Happy Days...
Bx

My place right now...

Looks like this:



No photo of me because I am feeling vain :-) And have not had my morning coffee yet!!!!

I should be in bed still but I just can NOT help myself... at Josh's 6am feed... I MUST get up (usually to the computer)!

AND - I am a bit "pumped" this morning - rather excited - because I am off to a scrapday. Its with CM, they are the only albums I use, aside from my minis, then of course... anything goes. Unfortuately my posse are not attending - due to uni assignments, european holidays and QLD escapes... SO I will be the only FreeStyler freak there!! LOL! Lucky for me I am taking the ulitmate universal LOVE item of a newborn babe... at 5 and a half weeks, this will be Joshua's first scrapday. How cute! Sure to be an even more distracting day then if my posse were there to chin wag with. Hopefully I still get a fair bit done!

I am also a BIT excited that first thing this morning we are off to an open day at the airport... we have not told Mikaela, she is obsessed by planes - cant wait to see how excited she gets LOL! EDIT: Ah... we went out there - tis NEXT weekend LOL!!Better a week early than a week later I say!

Last night we went to the Nara Candle Festival... was lovely!



Anywhooo - just a quick glimpse into my Sunday morning - when CLEARLY I should still be sleeping.

But I am up now... coffee time!
Hugs and love out to you all...
Bx

This is what I see when I walk her to school...

So far today, I have managed to:
* Get my family up, showered and dressed for their days.
* Get Mikeala's hair done - such an issue some days, and a breeze others. Girls!
* Walk Mikaela to school while she rode her scooter.


* Take a few "artsy" photos on the way.
* Do some groceries.
* Post another RAK pack - I posted all the others yesterday... so they are on their way peeps :-)
* Enjoy our neighbourhood.
* Have an SMS conversation with my youngest sister.
* Breastfeed Josh at the local park on the way home, listening to the birds.
* Put the slow cooker on with our dinner - a creamy chicken mushroom concotion.
* Change a nappy or two.
And its not even 11 am. Life is GOoooooooood. Write your own list of all the things you have done SO FAR today, and I am sure you will be surprised with how much you've accomplished. Or not. Maybe its just me - I AM always surprised LOL!

Inspired by my latest InsideOUT magazine, here is a random Q&A...
WHAT ARE YOU...
Buying - as little as possible! May be a first for me LOL! Tho I am always buying scrapping stuff - ATM I am sticking with the bare essentials (my monthly Sissey pack)
Changing - nappies :-)
Drinking - Illy coffee, only two a day - tho usually one.
Doing for dinner - see above
Planning as a Getaway - PalmCove at Christmas time, we have an apartment - its our annual family retreat - we cant wait:-)
Listening to - whatever I have downloaded onto my computer. ATM Crowded House.
Reading - Magazines, mainly house, home and garden ones - they are my FAVOURITE inspiration items. Plus brain can not read a novel just yet LOL! Maybe when on holidays.

If you are interested in playing along, answer the questions on your blog and send me a link, I'll add it to this post. I really like doing these short quick Q&As, its a good snapshot of today and works perfectly as a layout. Actually I have a "Gal Pal" mini album where I got them to answer these questions... MUST finish it and share with you.

Here are few finds from the magazine too - inspiration galore:
DavidMetNicole - a very kewl shop in Surry Hills Sydney - must get myself there, when?? I do not know, soon!
This site - which is all about trend spotting fashion, architecture, food and more.
Will add more later... seriously kewl stuff!

Have a lovely day people.
Gotta Love this life! - Crowded House like!!
Bx

So far, so good...

With the "schedule"... tho the timings were a bit out - I managed pretty well and we had a fabulous dinner I made too!! Mind you I was in bed by 930pm LOL - that is SO unheard of for Nath and I - we are totally night owls.

So I managed to get a few hours studio time in yesterday, with a my little studio mate to keep me company (and totally distracted *grin*)...


These are the layouts I got finished:




They have all been "works in progress" for some time - I lay them out on my table and just add bits here and there when I have a few minutes spare. Then when I assemble them it takes me no longer than 30mins - 1.5 hrs. Most of my layouts are SUPER quick - or I get bored before they are done LOL!!! Layouts that take a long time to finish are not my cup of tea at all! Tedious even!

I have about 100 layouts "organised" and ready to go at anyone time. I will share my organisation strategy another time.

Right now... off to take Kaela to school, today we have opted out of the 2x 1hour round trip in favour of the car as I have a postnatal yoga class to attend.

Happy Tuesday lovelies.
Oh and RAK winners - your packages will be posted tomorrow morning :-)
Bx

EAJC #41, Magic Carpet...

Where would I want a magic carpet to take me to right now???... Italy.

Actually it is ALWAYS Italy! I have loved many places we have travelled to, but my heart belongs in Italy.

I hope one day we'll own a villa in Tuscany. Maybe you'll see us on the LifeStyle channel renovating LOL!!!

Thanks for another great challenge Em.
Happy Monday peeps.
Bx

And the winners are...

ALL OF YOU! (who commented on the RAK post)
If that is **YOU**... please email me your addy so I can get them out to you :-)
Joy joy JOY !!!

I really like Sunday nights... getting organised for another week ahead, I feel that all in our lives is sorted and in order... by Wednesday that feeling has all but disappeared - which is why we have Thursday and Friday to enable us to look forward to the weekend approach! LOL.

I am looking forward to walking Mikaela to school tomorrow... the start of the fourth (and last) term of the school year for us. 10 weeks of a finely tuned routine. BAhahahahaha HA ! I can dream :)

I HAVE actually attempted to put together a schedule of what my day MAY?? look like. How funny it'll be to look at in a few weeks, when the REAL schedule becomes clear!

Just for fun... I share with you this photo of Mikaela and her totally ridiculous manicure she did herself. Whist on the phone to the lovely Lusi recently, Mikaela comes into my studio and says "mmmmm, yeah... not very good" I am distracted and not sure what she is speaking of "what?" I ask. Mikaela shoves her bright red nails (and MOST of her fingers) into my face and asks "are you cranky?" Ah... YES, if I were not so busy laughing!!! Silly girl!

Off to watch some teev with my guy. Not the cricket either!!
I hope you all had great weekends...
Now email me your addy!
Bx

Friday at ours...

Hanging with Kim, Mikaela and Josh in my studio {technically Josh is not actually IN the studio, rather outside the door in his pram}. Listening to Ayo, Ben Harper and Bob Marley...

I created a slightly cleaner studio so that we can get a few things sorted...

Mikaela sorting the threads getting ready for our RAK giveaway! (Make sure you have an entry :-) Dont be shy!! You have until 1124am 13th October to enter) She is really helpful, especially when she is put to task (thanks to Kim... who is the one to get the project underway).
Getting Josh's birth announcement cards done, again - with Kim's help :)
Finishing these layouts...
Happy Friday peeps!
Bx

2am conversation...

With my man went something like this.
N. What time did you last feed Josh?
B. 4.30
N. But its 2am now
B. Yeah, you were asleep!
N. So you fed him....
B. 2 hours ago!
N. Not yesterday afternoon??
B. {realising some kind of brain malfunciton on my part} whatever, shut up, go to sleep!

5am conversation
N. you are like a different person, at 2am you were snapping at me and saying you fed Josh at 430.
B. {both laughing} I know!!

And whoever thinks babies dont smile before 6 weeks is CRAZY MAD. Joshua was smiling at his 4d scan (30 weeks gestation) and this has been proven.

Experts suggest that babies smile heaps in the womb, then the trauma of birth takes them 6 weeks for the smile to return again. Thankfully for Josh, even tho we did not have a "delightful" experience... he was smiling again within days. Admittedly most of it is just "face twitches" STILL OH SO CUTE to see!

He is so cute (Nath says I say this about 100 times a day... can you blame me?)


Happy Days
Bx

Making your dreams a reality...

This is my Wish Jar I created some time ago... inspired by Keri Smith.

Along the same lines as my "dreamboard"... making your dreams and desires tangable and therefore achievable...

In very basic terms, my wish jar contains my list of 100 things I want to do before I die.

Interesting that I find at different times my blogging community are thinking along the same vein, Ali recently posted along this same matter.

I must say... the list IS very powerful. Since I created my wish jar... I have realised a number of wishes, such as:
. Meeting Emily Falconbridge
. Climbing Pisa tower (and let me say my "wish jar" is the ONLY reason I got to the top... otherwise there is no way I would have done it... in fact I was even chanting the mantra "100 things, 100 things" as I climbed, kinda terrified to the top LOL!!!)
. Climb the Eiffel tower (okay...technically not met as we took the lift!!)
. Have a healthy and happy baby in 2007
(there are many more... but I have a baby boy on my boob and dont have the time to elaborate!!

A few of the 100 things still to do:
. Meet Bono and Nelson Mandela
. Meet SARK, Sarbrina Ward Harrison and Keri Smith
. Meet my blogging sisterhood... friends I have made over the years
. Own a villa in Tuscany
. Work in Africa as an aid worker for a year or so
*grin*... loving dreams, we have gotta have them!!

I have more to add to my life list... I will post in its entirety soon.

Oh and please make sure you are part of my RAK giveaway!!

Gotta go change a dirty nappy!!
Peace out...
Bx