We are off on a big plane...

Here are a few pics from this morning.. busy getting ready to go up to Sydney.
Now we are about done.
Got the hire car.
Ready to hit the road.
Kaela and I have managed to pack all of our stuff into inflight baggage... YAH! for us!


Nath has one big one (inside another) clever man! He knows my luggage will spill into his, so the extra suitcase will come in handy.

Tonight we are having dinner with two of my sisters, Lee and Meeges.

Tomorrow we fly into Hong Kong... and our journey begins.
Naturally I have a "mini travel scrapping kit" all prepared and ready for the adventure.

Mikaela and I have our scrap travel journals set to go... City headings are stamped and marked with a ribbon... we are ready to fill in the pages.

Of course I will share all the added contents when we return. JOY :-)
I wish you all happy adventures while I am away. Know that I will be thinking of you all and holding you close to my heart.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who leave me such sweet and heartfelt comments on my blog... I really appreciate them very much. I am seriously considering moving over to typepad so that I can send direct email reply's to comments etc because its just so cumbersome with blogger.

Me, She, He and Babe are off ... catch you on the flip side.
Love and Peace out...
Bx

What have I done?????...

WARNING: the following post is heartbreaking for those attached to Mikaela's hair!!!!!!! i.e. ME!!!!!

Before...


After...

Okay, so my dear little sister offered to take Mikaela to the African hairdresser on Friday. Plan was to get corn rows or plaits with extenstions (acrylic hair weaved into her own) Usually she is a horror. When I do her hair, or take her, there are tears, A LOT of tears and begging and pleading. I get it. It DOES hurt (I had mine done some years ago, its very painful... kinda like having your legs or bikini waxed for 16hours.. yeah!)

So anyways... we thought that with Katie taking Kaela... she may be better behaved. NOPE! We thought wrong. Juliet (hairdresser) managed to get 8 braids done before Mikaela started swinging. Katie decided to call it quits then !!

Later that night after an episode of Gilmore girls... I tried to straighten it and get some more done. Mikaela would have none of that. And some of her hair had dreadlocks. I like dreadlocks, but I dont want her to have them at age 6. She can decide herself when she is older. Asides if she hated them in a couple of years... we'd be at this stage we are at now... then! If you know what I mean.

So I CUT IT ALL OFF !! Yep I did!!!

Initially Mikaela was crying, a LOT... "No Mama Nooo" I had threatened to cut her hair before (oh about a thousand times) I guess neither of us ever thought I would follow through.

Thankfully Mikaela loves her new "do" and I think that has a great deal to do with her ability to comb and brush it right the way through. Once the shock wore off a bit, I think she DOES look rather funky... and a bit older, that makes me a bit sad too.

Now Mikaela now has a MUCH better appreciation and understanding that her hair IS *her* responsibility!!! Hence she is brushing it constantly!

You should see the HUGE bag of hair left over.... HUGE!!

Funny - I am not at all attached to my own hair... I have shaved my head three times, change my hairstyle often and have no problems with cutting it down to 2cm at any whim.... but Mikaela's hair is entirely different and I *do have* a bit of an attachment to her locks... so much more than my own.

I am still a bit sad when I look at the before photos, but it had to be done!
Simple.

Love
Bx

Every pregnant woman should own...

One of these... "they" {whoever "they" are} should give them away free..

Seriously I almost didnt even need the massage from my treatments on Friday.... just getting onto this chair and letting gravity do its thing was almost enough.

Amazing!
I wonder if I can hire one... bhahahaha.

We have 9 sleeps until we go on a big plane, tonnes of things to finish, finalise, get done before then... crazy busy times.

Forgive me if I dont blog much... between now and then, and especially forgive me if I dont blog whilst overseas. We leave on 15th May and return 12th June.

Love out
Bx

EAJC #17, bedroom...

Emily's challenge #17 is about your bedroom...

Such a cute challenge, my journalling is:
I've always had a bit of a "princess" bedroom. When I was young my bedroom had a brown cupboard which I collaged with photos of "pop-idols" most likely WHAM! and George Michael. My sisters and I would pin tie dyed sheets to the ceiling to create "clouds". I always shared my bedroom with one of my siblings.
When I lived by myself in my mid 20s I had a sheer piece of material with embroidered daisies I glued all over. Now I have two beautiful nude charcols... and *NATH* the best addition to my bedroom EVER!!!


Love and Peace out...
Bx

EAJC # 16, get someone else to contribute...

Emily's latest challenge is to get someone else to contribute to your card.

I got Sarah to do mine at KiwiScraps.
I love what she did, added some material, stitching and a button! Cute as!

LOVE IT!!!

Journaling is:
Sarah Abbott of Melb was my guest Artist for Emily's challenge this week. Sarah and I "knew" each other via blogging but this was our first meeting IRL (in real life). I LOVE that we have met now!!! KiwiScraps Freestylers was a great event. A creative smorgesboard of fun and friends.

I am hoping to post some more... some of the projects I did at KiwiScraps, my "Shiny Happy People" mini album I created from Emily's class.... such fun! Not sure how I will go with timing between now and our holidays, work etc, see how I go. DESPERATELY wanting to do Patty's challenges I have been missing them SO MUCH.
Will have to save them for my return I am afraid :-(

Also have a "travel journal" to share... both Mikaela and I have made one to take notes of our holiday experience. The before and after shots are sure to be fun.

Enjoy Art...
Bx

Completely Random...

Totally enjoying...
Ruby Rabbit taking a ride in the cup holder of my car... a little Mikaela "isim"
Feeling our babe move a LOT now.
Nath has felt it a couple of times in the last few nights. Katie too. Mikaela is not patient enough (mmm Mummy trait there!)
Babe is quite a kicker now.
Very exciting indeed.
We dont know the gender of the babe... we want a surprise.
Heaps of people keep telling me they think I am having a girl.
I have no idea.
I like that.

I am SO enjoying having Katie {my youngest sister} stay with us... she is such a sweetheart.

I WAS going to be teaching 3 mini-workshops on scrapbooking techniques this weekend, it got cancelled. Kind of disappointed, but relieves some pressure, so its okay. I have decided to have an Artists Date instead... a few friends over on Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours.

Mikaela got her Girls Brigade uniform Tuesday night... so cute how excited she is about it all.
She *loves* it.

A beautiful soul must have said a prayer for me... because I AM having my massage this morning after all. The whole package. I promise to share. So special, I have been waiting since Valentines Day when Nath gave me the gift.

Oh... and I have been tagged by Michelle (and Sarah) to divuldge seven random facts about myself, so here they are:

1. When I make the bed... I have to shake the doona, quilt, bedspread 12 times... no more, no less ~it must be 12 times!~

2. I am the eldest of five… two sisters, a brother and a baby (now 24yrs) sister.

3. I am close with all my sisters… we are all best of friends. I suppose its kinda daggy to say that they actually ARE my best friends, but its true. They are definately one of my main life blessings.

4. I love driving long distances alone.

5. I am a night owl, I’d rather stay up till 1am, than get up at 5.30am, and I am grumpy when forced to!

6. I like clean lines, I hate clutter and mess (I create a lot of it, but hate it still)… our home is reasonably clutter free and clean (it could be more so). I don’t like ornaments and knick knacks, photoframes etc all over the house. I like photo walls and clean surfaces. The thought of clutter actually made me shudder just then! I blame my mother, she hoards everything. I cleanse and donate probably every other month. I DO have ornaments and things... I just find that after a while the energy is stale and no longer applicable to my life, so I pass them on for someone else to gain joy for a while. Super special items I hold onto, even if I put them away.

7. I *heart* lip gloss.. my favouritre right now is Napolean, but I also love Natio and good old Blistik... I usually have about 3 in my bag at once.

I am supposed to pass this on to 7 others... but I choose not to, it will get around all by itself without my assistance *smile*

EDIT: Okay.. "its" got the better of me I MUST TAG... so I tag the following seven beautiful women: Di, Moo, Mel, Wanda, Leonie, Jen and Michelle.

Oh and DO check out Leonies post here... BIG exciting news for Goddess Leones (tonnes of me hugs and love for you sweets)!!

Peace and Love out...
Bx

Artists Date....

... with her.
Is the best ever!
Got lots happening, lots on my mind and plate... crazy busy with our departure on our overseas holiday in two weeks, and court dates and deadlines... Scrapping stuff... projects and teaching. IT nerdy stuff... PowerPoint presentations to give to management and IT Team, all good and fun, just not all at once!
I knew an artists date with Mikaela would totally cheer me up.

Unfortunately whilst at the post office running an errand I promised Nath... my pregnancy massage that was booked in for this Friday... and was kinda keeping me together with something pampering to look forward to ... got cancelled.
I tried not to, but I cried.
In the post office.
Yes!
Mikaela was most concerned... so I told her why.
She {and the postal clerk serving me} were both very sympathetic and supportive.
Which only made me feel more tender, but better.

So after a teary... what does one really require??
Icecream thats what !!

I so *love* that grin. Makes my heart melt. I love this child so much!!

So here is to getting out... breathing in the fresh autumn air and taking in the beauty of our everyday lifes... especially when it gets crazy hectic.
Thanks Mikaela... out with you was the exact medicine I required. I love you honey.
Bx