Cutiest T-shirt in the world...

Is it not?
My dear and darling friend Kyles gave me this as a gift today.
I, of course, in all my pregnancy hormon-alness ~bawled ~ well not bawled, but I did have a fair teary.

Its just so CUTE I couldnt help it !!!!!!

Thank you SO MUCH Kyle... for such a seriously gorgeous and thoughtful gift... and for simply being one of the best gal pals anyone could ask for! I love you much!

I am blessed.

That is for sure!

So here I am at 15 weeks... we had a checkup today ... all is good. Pretty sure I felt a *flutter* today... so anytime now I will be feeling the babe move a LOT more. Thats my favourite part of the pregnancy.

Tonight we are off to Cirque du Soleil which is sure to be an amazing experience... its a first for all three of us, Nath, Mikaela and I have never been before. We are SO SUPER excited!!

Happy Friday... and have a GREAT weekend loves...
Bx

EAJC # 12, I believe...

How cute is this weeks challenge by Em?! Thing is I believe: what Em's card says!! I have used that quote so many times over... guess it was good because this made me "think" a bit more...

I believe: You can create the life you dream of!

Supplies:

Red acrylic paint, pebeo crystal touch 3D paint and EK Success Bookworks mini letters. Butterfly punched from an antique magazine. And thats all folks!

Journalling on the back:

Believe you have the right to the life you dream of! You do! The power of choice is yours, use it wisely. Be determined, have courage... do not give up on what is important to you. Place family first. Love with your entire being. Create yourself and family a life that is happy, contented and joyful (most of the time)... the life you want and deserve! Create the life you dream of. Believe that happiness is a choice. Joy is an option. Simple!

Bless...

Bx

Aussie Dare # 19...

This challenge is to scrap lift one of the FreeStylers who will be teaching at the upcoming KiwiScraps event!

How cool is that !

Of course I decided to lift Em's layout. LOVE IT!

Supplies and Techniques:

Firstly I used some bubble wrap to paint the background. Sewed on some lace and rick-rack. Placed a little doille behind the photo. Used Pebeo Perl touch 3D paint in Pearl for the heading "Love Cuddles"... and EK Success Bookworks Mini ABCs used for "With my Little Girl" Uniball Signo pen for writing on Matisse acrylic paint framing the photograph. Thats it! Done *smile*

Thanks Em... your layout was so easy to be inspired by !! SUCH FUN!! I may even do another one!

Peace out.
Bx

Flex #5, Flowers...

Patty's challenge this week is simply FLOWERS... ahhhhh I love flowers !!
So I totally relished doing this layout of my sister and daughter, aunt and niece:
Flowers I used: Prima flowers (12), Heidi Swapp large orange Gerbera (1), Smaller pink and Red one (not sure, but the BEST I have ever used, so thick and nice), a few miscellaneous from kits and some Heidi Swapp Credit Card flowers (girl)... I also used a block (flower, of course) stamp with Versa Mark around the edges and not to forget the Chatterbox floral paper!!

Journalling is taken from emails between my sis and I on 14 March 2007:
Cant wait to {you} have another little baby...
Forget how small they are.. Kaela grew so fast...
Now when I see her I feel like I'm meeting someone new, but oh so familiar!
I look at her & I still see a 1yr old with a tiny fluffy fro, cheeky smile with no teeth & tiny hands stretched out to be picked up!
Then I blink & this little girl is looking at me and telling me about school & her friends & BOYFRIENDS??? LOL !!

Needless to say this brought me to tears... and I knew I had the perfect journalling to accompany the photo I took of them both recently. Katie and her guy Isaac had come to visit for the weekend and Nath, Mikaela and I took them out to Yarralumla Nursery Cafe for brunch, the perfect Sunday morning.

Love this girl so much!
JOY!
Bx

Flex #4, Scraps...

Patty's idea this week is a great one ... use pieces from your scraps {I often challenge myself this, but do NOT always succeed}. SUCH a brilliant idea because all scrappers have a mountian size of scraps!!

This is my layout of my younger sis Katrina and her guy Isaac, cute couple:
I decided to use up all the "cut offs" from trimming my pages to fit into the Creative Memories 12x12 pages. Sew them all together, then create some circlish {nice word!!} design elements to compliment... all taken from my "Off Cuts box"

My "Off cuts box" is a large one... and SO useful, one of the main things I miss when I go to a scrap day... no dipping into the "treasure trove" to find that tiny piece of perfectly complimenting paper to go with a layout.

Anyways ... how adorable is my sister and her guy?? Cute as!

Bx

Flex # 3, Old, New, Sparkly, Blue...

Patty really came up with a great one this week, Old, New, Sparkly and Blue!

THIS one I LOVED... mainly because of the subject... and the challenge fit perfectly with it.

Here is my layout:
My supplies:

Old - the negative frames, M apoxy sticker and square making memories jewel brads... I have had all of these for ages.

New... the large frame around the main photo I picked up from the photographers when I collected these photos.

Sparkly... glitter paint on the large frame, Hiedi Swapp blue jewels, square making memories jewel brads and 3 orange jewels.

Blue... background.

The story behind the layout is that I had cleaned out my make up supplies and given the excess to Mikaela for dress ups. When she saw the BRIGHT pink eye shadow she excitidly exclaimed "Oh Mum, now I can be a rockstar"!! And so that is what we did for a few hours, I did her make-up, Kaela got up on top of the dinning table (so naughty *wink*) and grooved away with her guitar AND we had a rockstar photo shoot too. It was a lot of fun.

Bx

Flex #2, Pick a Letter...

Patty's challenge this week is to pick one letter and create something. Okay - already I feel like I am cheating (eik!) because I *could* flex this challenge SO much more, like use the big foam B Making Memories letter I have in my stash and create something to place in my studio.

However I have decided that all of Patty's challenges will be 12x12's, I am already doing cards and mini-albums and feel that I need to contribute to my family albums...

The letter I selected is "B"... for Baby and Bek ...here is my layout:

Nath is always so supportive of my scrapping {he knows what is good for him *grin*}... he actually thinks this one is pretty plain... Mmm I guess it is in comparrison to the others I did last night. Or maybe it was just because he was watching the cricket and felt he had to say "something".... hahahaaaa.

Love and Peace out...

Bx

Flex #1, Dr. Suess quote...

Yippeee... I found a series of new challenges via Gigi's blog, Patty's Flex your Creative Mind Project (FYCMP). So far there are five exercises up and I have managed to complete ALL of them over this weekend, I will probably get behind from now on *haha*

Here is my take on Exercise 1... Dr.Suess quote:

The quote is:
Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you. Dr Seuss

I am TOTALLY addicted to challenges ~ I LOVE THEM~


I find I am even setting myself challenges ... most common one is to get the page done in an hour - and most the time I do.


Peace out...
Bx

First Day Riding to School....

Oh... I did get a little choked up... she is SO BIG. I can NOT believe she is THIS big.

How excited was she?? Well - very!
I ran a bit of the way beside her, but she took off a few times. I had to ask her to wait for me! Fun stuff indeed.
There were only a couple of "incidents"... of course they were the fault of the bike... and Mikaela let the bike know all about it!!

Mikaela's school is about 3kms from our home... so not far, took us about 20mins across some pretty major roads etc. We visited Nath quickly as his office is the street besides Kaela's school.

I have promised she can ride her bike every Thursday and Friday morning (which is when she is with us on school days)... it will be good for her (and me and baby).

I had imagined her riding her bike to school NEXT year {I would push our babe in the pram or take him/her in a carry sling}...

However... she is ready NOW... so we do it now!

My little girl is not so little anymore *grin* and a bit of a sad sigh...

Bx

EAJC # 11, your initial...

Emily's Art Journal Challenge for this week is "your initial".

Even though my first name is Rebecca... so you would think my initial is R, it is acutally B... most people call me Bek, Bec, Beck, rarely Rebecca.
Journalling on the back is:
People only call me Rebecca in formal correspondence, my work colleages and thats about it. Everyone else knows me as Bek. I always refer to myself as Bek and if I use initials on a scrap layout its usually a B because B is for Bek and thats Me.

Supplies used:
* acrylic paint (only on the back)
* uni pin fine line black pen
* FancyPants Designs paper
* Making Memories kraft paper stickers
* Heidi Swapp bling frames icee
* calendar - su doko The Times 2007 daily desk calendar

I just thought of something... its funny that I use Rebecca in my banner. I like the name Rebecca, I guess I would like it if people called me Rebecca more often... after all it is my name. My mother once sent a girl home for calling me Becky {parents are strange about names}! I will never forget that, its a funny joke we share in our family "her name is Rebecca" !!!

No one calls me Becky, or rather no one usually gets away with it asides from my Dad.

So there you go.
I guess I am both a B or an R depending on my mood. I always introduce myself as Rebecca. Must be the Gemini in me *grin*

Love out...
Bx

Its a long weekend here...

Mikaela is with her Dad at the beach.

Nath and I have 3 days together alone.

Saturday involved lots of running about and chores type stuff... like getting more glasses (you know how they always break in the dishwasher and all of a sudden you have none?) AND a whole lot of wooden coat hangers (40) to make a start on getting my wardrobe in super order. Its getting there. I had no idea how cheap those wooden coathangers are!! My dear younger sister {Leanne} enlightened me (she is such a little home-making Goddess)... bought a box of 20 for $17 at KMart... NO WAY! Yes WAY. So there you go, my wardrobe looks so special... I need more though. I need to do ALL of Nath's too. And spares. I like order, a lot!

And I made a "little" cheesecake... not so little... its huge, like 30cms... and there are TWO HUGE slices that have been eaten by Nath and I.
It is perfect.
Delicious.
Fabulous White Chocolate Cheesecake.
We ate two (much) smaller slices tonight also... surprisingly ~I feel a bit queazy!~

I share the receipe {bill granger} for your enjoyment also:
100g (3 1/2 oz) plain sweet biscuits
50 g (13/4 oz) butter, melted
250ml (1 cup) cream
250g (9 oz) cream cheese
250g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese
125g (1/2 cup) castor (superfine) sugar
500g (1lb 2 oz) whitel chocolate, melted
To Serve:
passionfruit pulp

Process the biscuits in a food processor until they look like breadcrumbs. Add the melted butter, process briefly, then tip the mixture into a 20cm (8 inch) springform tin lined with a disc of baking paper (I used silocone). Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base of the tin, then put the tin in the fridge until you need it.

Using electric beaters, whisk the cream, cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar and chocolate together until smooth. Pour this mixture onto the biscuit base and put the cheesecake back into the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve drizzled with passionfruit pulp and cut into wedges. Serves 8.
************************
Today we made two trips to the rubbish tip... got rid of a whole lot of stuff cramping up our garage. Mikaela's old, old, very old BED. A really disgusting old couch and a few bags of ... crap, old coat hangers etc etc. Now our garage is sparkly again. I like order.

Tomorrow ... another sleep in! French toast and maybe some scrapping... or more cleaning? I dunno, I mean it is not even spring here... but I have the fever. The cleaning fever. Seriously. I love clean and simple lines. If I have not used something in a year... it has to GO... GO GO GO! Then we only have what we DO need and DO use.. and nothing that we dont!

Its all great.
Srap... clean... whatever!

Oh and another exciting thing I discovered... Cathy Z has her blog up and running again, has done for 3 months!!! 3 months..... WHERE IS MY HEAD??? First the not knowing about wooden coat hangers being as cheap as chips {good quality ones too}!! THEN this. Sheez!

(hugs) and love out...
Bx

EAJC #10, Note to Self...

Emily's Art Journal Challenge #10 is NOTE TO SELF... I could say again "I really loved this one"... who am I kidding I LOVE THEM ALL!

I wish I didnt compare so much of this pregnancy to the experience I had with Mikaela *smile*
Journalling on the back:
Both pregnancies are unique and beautiful in the own right for two unique and beautiful SOULS.
The weight --> your body is not inportant to your health and that of the baby.
SO WHAT if you are SO MUCH larger than you were with Mikaela - Get over it - allow yourself to have another Amazing and wonderful labour experience. YAH!

I love this reminder card... about what really matters

A dear friend of mine {the Jodes} said "ah dont worry about it hun, you know your body is not your own for about 2 years"
Kyles says longer *grin*

Its all good.
Bx

EAJC #9, Inspiration Found...

Emily's Art Journal Challenge # 9 was about Inspiration Found...

This one I really enjoyed... I am inspired by SO MANY things in my life, mainly the everday... mainly people I KNOW and love, Nath and Mikaela, my family, my sisters.

Magazines like RIOT (rocks), art blogs... colours, shapes. Sabrina. Keri. SARK. Julia Cameron. ** Beautiful Friends. Womens Circles. Emily and Celine. Challenges. The list is endless... seriously!

One of the biggest inspirations for me the past few years has been Ali Edwards. To me she is the ROCKSTAR of the scrapping world.

Lots of scrapping artists do... dont get me wrong. Its just that Ali really stands out for me as one who is ever inspiring... ever evolving... ever growing AND ever ENCOURAGING the same in others! And THAT is what I love so much about the inspiration she evokes in me.
Journalling on the back:
Ali Edwards is so inspiring to me. I first attended one of her classes in August 2006. I had been a fan for a while and reading her blog for almost a year. Her slide show (and song, BOOM BOOM BOOM) gave me goose bumps and THAT is when I decided Ali was the *rockstar* of scrapping. And oh so down to earth too !!

** All of these I first discovered via Ali and her blog too! Infact my entire blogging experience and connections all began with, well me of course, but mainly via inspiration and recommendations, and links from Ali ! Wowsers.

I kinda cringe when I see this photo of myself... JUST SO EXCITED.
Its cute really!
And gave my little sister Leanne a good lauf!!
Bx

EAJC #8, I miss...

Em's Art Journal Challenge this week is I MISS.

I totally miss breast feeding. Oh I LOVE breastfeeding SO MUCH. The little hand, the little teeny tiny baby... the connection, the LOVE. THE LOVE!
A side note to this: a most authentic Goddess I know and I were talking one day about what sort of photos she could take of me... what sort of Goddess do I consider myself to be?

My response, Breast Feeding Goddess, I have never felt MORE of a Goddess than when I breastfeed.

Journalling on the back is:
I loved breastfeeding Mikaela. It was the most wonderful and remarkable spiritual connection I have ever felt in my life. I loved how she grunted until she latched on... how her little hand caressed my breats, and when she got bigger, my face. I loved how she got "booby drunk" after a feed.. in a total state of bliss and contentment. I lvoed the ease of breastfeeding, the ability to feed my child anywhere at anytime. I loved the WHOLE breastfeeding experience & cant wait to do it again!

PS... I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jodes for taking these photos for me *thanks babes*
Bx

EAJC # 7 Shoes...

Em's Art Journal Challenge #7 was SHOES. Mmmm a good one indeed. I have tonnes of shoes, many I bought during my time living in Italy.

But the ones I cherish the most are a tiny little red pair my mother bought for Mikaela when she was about 18months old.
Journalling on the back is:
These little red patent leather shoes are just so very cute.
My mother {Mikaela's Grandmother} bought them for her when she was about 18 months old --> they are gorgeous. My Mum cant help herself when it comes to beautiful shoes and little girls --> especially her first Grandchild.
Its totally obvious where I get my shoe fetish from (and where Mikaela gets hers too).
Its all about shoes shoes shoes Galore!
Bx

EAJC week 6...

It is a beautiful rainy day here. Which, for me = scrapping/artists day! Whoohoooo.

I love getting creative when its raining.... it is perfect.

I have a number of Emily's challenges to share, which I have done but not posted...naughty, naughty! Although, you may appreciate by the journalling... that I could not really post them until we announced our pregnancy.

I have about 5 to post and I will post them individually for the sake of organisation, or my attempt thereof. So lots of posts for today *smile*Emily's Art Journal Challenge for week 6 {Sunday 11 Feb} was LOVE LOVE LOVE:
The journalling on the back is:
Its hard to fathom that this valentines will only be Nath's and mine second one together and we are having a baby!!! We are delighted and excited and feeling so inlove and blessed to have found each other - our true soul mate!

These challenges are so much fun... and really great to be doing when I am pregnant and there are so many exciting things happening for us in 2007. It will be a big year and this "pack of cards" will be a wonderful keepsake for years to come...

Thanks Em for such a gift.
You rock!
Bx

This beautiful young lady...

Is my sister Katrina (affectionately referred to as Katie)... she was there the moment Mikaela was born. They have a remarkable connection and they are very devoted to each other.

At the tender age of 19 Katie had the poise of someone much older, she was very much a part of my pregnancy, birthing and new Mum experience. She was the only one who could come anywhere near me during a contraction.

Since she found out about the arrival of another niece or nephew.... she is moving back to Canberra. I can NOT tell you how delighted I am. I know the babe is not the only reason she is moving back, but it is a major factor.

Although there are 11 years between us, Katrina is one of my closest friends and we can always rely on each other. Age is no barrier for our heart and soul connections.

Nath and I cant wait for her to arrive and stay with us for a while {and house sit when we are in Europe for a month} She brings with her warmth and tenderness... {tho she is really bad at choosing age appropriate gifts... and that is another post entirely *grin}
We are blessed.
Bx

Baby Bump...

Yep, its only 13 weeks but I have a pretty substantial bump already. Which is so funny because with Mikaela I was about this size at around 6 or 7 months, not 3 ! ~ I even have a plaster cast to prove that, oh so helpful, not *grin*~
Oh well, it is mainly due to the fact that I am 10kilos heavier falling pregnant with this bub than I was 7 years ago with Mikaela.

It does have its benefits too... its nice to have "popped" out already as Nath and Mikaela love rubbing my belly, holding it and talking to our babe... oh so very sweet.

I have been very fortunate {much as I was with my pregnancy with Mikaela} very little morning sickness, but I this time I had been tired... REALLY tired. Now I am past that stage and feeling really great, new energy and all.
Its all good!
Very good indeed...
Bx

New Life...

Is the name of figurative sculpture... given to us by Nath's beautiful sister Cass and her hubs Matt.

I love this so much, I have admired this collection for years. I just never had a piece... until now!

It is perfect that the first piece (of what is sure to be a major collection for us) came in the form of a beautiful gift, a celebration of a wonderful time in our lives {and I cry just thinking of it, or looking at the statue}. And yes, that is mainly due to hormones *grin*

Nath and I are so blessed to be expecting our first baby at the end of September 2007. We are currently 12.5 weeks pregnant and so delighted and excited to the anticipating arrival of our babe and a sibling for Mikaela! EXCITED excited EXCITED *grin*

So there you go Sheila... your senses are 100% spot on xx!

Love and Blessings to you all...
Bxx

A little Scrapping Exhibition...

Last Saturday there was a snippet in the local paper about a scrapbooking exhibition/competition. The Best of Canberra... scrap a layout onto a canvas based on the things you loved the most about Canberra.

Even tho I didn't have very much time (about 3 days to get the project thought out and completed), it was an interesting challenge and I'd give it a go. Asides... its a SIGN. I saw it and therefore I must follow this path before me... like the Celestine Prophecies, The Secret... yadda yadda {you know what I mean *grin*}

Tuesday I got the canvas's and I submitted them this morning.

Here are the two I did, as that is all I had time for:






The exhibition is being held in Block F of the CIT Reid Campas, if you are local... go check it out!

Cass and Matt (Nath's sister and hubs) are arriving tonight for the weekend... JOY JOY!!

BTW... I am going to share a secret sooooooonnnn *grin* Shaz will be SO RELIEVED!!! I'll tell ALL shortly! See if you can GUESS... also a perfect opportunity for any one wanting to "delurk" *smile*

Have beautiful weekend lovelies....

BIG MUCHOS Love
Bx

Pottery passion...

Here is one of my first "mixed collage" platters...





I am having SO MUCH fun creating these. Thursdays are my days to spend at the studio getting messy and creative. I love it. There is a married couple there in their 90s... so NICE, so kewl... really inspring and sweet.

I have another 9 at various stages of completion, becoming "leather dry", ready to be bisque fired or ready for the final firing after I have glazed them.
Will share soon. It can be a lengthy process *smile* Each plate is entirely different, they are not all mixed collage like this one, some are very simple.

BTW... Mikaela's bust dried up over the Chrissy break and I need to start again ... its a test to see if I really want to sculpt *ha* ~I do, but in the meantime I am enjoying this creative distraction~

Hugs and love...
Bx

Ali Challenge #15...

This is Ali's 15th Challenge (and the 15th I have done... a bit late with this one, but done none-the-less). As with all of Ali's challenges....I really enjoyed this one, once I got started it was a quick one!!
The challenge was:

to come up with you very own personal creative manifesto. Maybe it is one word. Maybe it will be paragraphs. Whatever it is or becomes, take some time this week to begin generating one for just for you.

I decided to do a mini-album, and here it is:

CREATE: make things, get pieces together and just create, make it! Make something, anything even when you dont always want to, just do it anyways. Get out the paint, the paper, glue, sissors and have fun creating pbits of you, pieces for life.


FLOW: Let your creative energy F L O W just go with it. Dont think about it too much. Dont get hung up on the "right" or "wrong" design. Too much or not enough ---> just let it FLOW.


SHARE: Share your life -- your true life. Even the sad bits, share the truth of your life. Share who you are and how you think. Share what means so much to you -- what makes you unique.


MESS: Make a very big bloody mess - and LOVE it. The messier the better. Embrace the messy imperfection of creating art. JOY!


FEEL: Do what FEELS right, not what is "supposed" to work in a design sense, according to a text book, but rather - do what FEELS right to YOU & YOUR unique style and personality.

This mini album and my creative manifesto is a nice little reminder of what really matters to me when I am creating my art. Sometimes when I am really stuck... I think of the advice I give to my six year old... to encourage and nurture her artist within. The same advice works for my inner child - just create, there are no mistakes, its art honey! Create, Flow, Share, Mess, Feel... yeahhhhhh !

Enjoy creating the lifes you dream of.
Bx