Weekend round up.....

Over the last couple of days I have completed 30 - 6x6 layouts for the Southern Cross Kids Camp.

Julie Stone is calling on kind-hearted scrappers to create the simplest, most basic 6" x 6" (Photo size is 5" x 3.5") background LO's for the kids at SCKC. In total they need about 1600 layouts for the kids' books, so every one that you can donate will be a huge help ! Not only is this for a great cause, but it will help you use up your scraps and not-so-new supplies (which means you can then go and buy some lovely new stuff !)...so get scrapping!!

I have been speaking to Julie today and she is amazed at everyone enthusiam. I have also been speaking to friends in NZ and they are busily making pages too. If you look at Julies blog, Cindy's pages are shown.

To read more, visit Julie's blog HERE or contact her via email.

I also found out that I am still on Survivor Island - there are only 20 left from the orginal 47. We have a sketch challenge this time.

I have had some great news this week about Rebecca - my 16yo. She is in Year 11 this year doing a nice light course of English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths Methods and Year 12 Further maths. This is on top of her skating training 5 days a week (she will be skating in her team and as an individual at Nationals in Perth this year), and having a weekend job.

Bec has been nominated for a Women in Leadership course - to be held in Sydney for a week in April. We thought that was a big thing until she came home later in the week with a place in Monash Universities High Achiever program and an application to undertake a 6 month research project with the CSIRO, working with their scientists/researchers. She is not brilliant by any means - but is a hard worker. She is learning all about filling in forms!

I had better get back to my sewing - we have Bec's first comp for the year next weekend and she needs new costumes. Can't wait to start playing with the Bejeweller - hot fix crystals sound far more fun than sewing sequins.

I've been tagged, again....

I've been chased everywhere this week...lol.

I've been tagged by Jen this time.
The rules are: Pick up the nearest book, turn to page 123 and copy down the 5th sentence on that page and the 3 following sentences. Now tag at least 5 other people. Sounds easy - now wheres my book?

"The Ferrari was important; not a brand new one, which I suspect, using his mother's social barometer, he sensed would be not altogether in good taste, but a Dino, a machine which empitomised Enzo Ferarri's genius before he compromised his engineering soul and started building cards for rich, coke-snifing hairdressers, advertising men and the new breed of Wall Streeet bratocracy.
As Damon grew into his late teens he lost the ambition to be a doctor. While, if he applied himself, he certainly had the brains for medical school, he may have known that his body would let him down."

This is from April Fools Day - by Bryce Courtenay. He writes the longest sentences around. I have known Bryce for many years, I worked for George Patterson Bates - one of Australia's largest and oldest advertising agencies and he was the Creative Director of the Sydney Office. This book tell about his family's life with Damon , a haemopheliac.

I tag Vesna, Connie, Amy, Ingeborg and Karen

SOOOOO much in common....

I had to laugh at my youngest Emily this week. She is attending a new school program this year but although we think she's doing better she still gets into the car at pick up time grumpy. This week she bounced into the car and rang me at work.
The conversation went along the lines of:
"You know that new girl Natalie that started last week....we have SOOOOO much in common"
Em doesn't mix well with anyone she doesn't know. They were sitting at a table working and Nat (not to be confused with Nat rat!) told her that sometimes she has little tics - because she has Tourette's Syndrome - so of course Em says me too. And yes they both have/had rats and Nat has a ferret which Em think is great, they like You Tube and Habbo Hotel on the computer.
Em has never met anyone like her before. Since then she has been happily doing things for me around the house and doing her school work - a different child.
It's a great feeling to be accepted for who you are, tics and all.

Another layout done and tagged....

Just finished my second Survivor 2008 layout. No patterned paper and flowers - can't complain about that.
Prisma/bazzill cardstock, Hambly transparency, BG rub-ons & stamp, HS letters, Prima flowers, bling, kindyglitz, pens.


TAGGED:-

I've been tagged by my friend Wendy
You must post the rules before you give your answers. You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name. Each fact must begin with that letter. If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name. After you've been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers. At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details).

My middle name is Anne... here goes:
ARTISTIC - Used to be seen regularly with a paint brush in my hand
(and I still have a heap of them on my kitchen windowsill)
NACHOS - Yummy
NIGHT OWL - Always liked the time when everyone else is in bed.
ENTHUSIASTIC - Well usually when I am doing something I like

I think most people have done this - if you haven't done it and would like to share... I tag you too.

15 Key Points to a Happy Life

I have been attempting to clean my office/creative space this morning as the clutter in my half, thanks to everyone else liking my space too, is causing me stress and almost panic attacks. I am reclaiming my space, and when I have finished I can get back to what I love doing. In my culling of mountains of paper clutter I found the following and thought that I would share it:

15 POINTS TO A HAPPY LIFE

. Compliment three people everyday
. Watch a sunrise
. Be the first to say Hello
. Treat everyone as you want to be treated
. Never give up on anyone; miracles happen
. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage
. Be tough minded, but tender hearted
. Be kinder than you have to be
. Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated
. Keep your promises
. Learn to show cheerfulness even when you don't feel like it
. Leave everything better than you found it
. Don't rain on other people's parades
. Be honest about your emotions
. Don't waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them

Who's that girl.....

Another old photo scrapped for a weekly challenge. Not allowed to use flowers or bling again this week and had to use striped or paisley pp - so I used sheet of Kaisercraft pp and some scrap cardstock and my pen. I am still on Chook Scraps Survivor Island and round 2 suits me - FLOWERS!!! but no patterned paper.

It has been a very quiet weekend, mum's taxi hasn't been too much in demand yet I really haven't got a lot done. And I am happy with that. I need to have that quiet time to recharge and just hang out with the kids. My office/scraproom is one of the smallest rooms in the house but we seem to gravitate there - the girls on John's and my computers and me at my scrap desk. Sean's room is next door - so there are alway interjections from the peanut gallery!

Tomorrow is another day.

I did it....

I really did! I have resigned from my treasurers position. I did say I would complete the financial year and write an appeal letter I can feel the load lifting - the end is in sight.

My Survivor 2008 layout - had to use green, blue, white and could only use black or brown for ink or journalling.

Em started her new school group yesterday and loved it which is a huge relief. Its good to hear her feeling more confident in her abilities.

Emily has been busy...

Just thought I'd post Emily's layout from this week - she hasn't done one for a while. Em is 14.

A special note to Amy - remember your red circle! Em was looking through my scraps for colours and your paper was the perfect match.

February.....Already?...

Looks like this year is off and running as fast as the last one - and left me behind somewhere in the rush. Ever get the feeling that even though you never stop - you never seem to get on top of things. I look at my friends who are extremely unwell, and the death of my father and think that I don't want that sort of reality check to make me reassess my priorities. It is time to take care of myself and look at what is best for me and my family.

. I need to work so I am lucky to have a (usually) caring boss which is so important when there area only two of us in the office.
. I need to be there for my family - and specially for my youngest who is now home schooled in conjuction with her AYCE (Access Yea Community Education).
. I need to take better care of my body. It's time to put my skates back on and use the services of my four legged personal trainer - I hadn't realised how much I have missed exercise - and get rid of some body clutter. And make those doctors appointments I have been putting off.
. I need to create. I am happiest when I am making things - I have been since I was little. I am not going to allow myself to become too busy to play. So far this year I have done at least one layout each week - not as many as I would like - but enough for now. I even dragged out my beads last night and made an ameythst and gold necklace - first time in ages.
. I need to nuture my spirituality. In my rush I am neglecting to take care of that important part of me.
. I need to resign from my voluntary work with a charitable/community service organisation. As much as I owe my life and sanity (literally) to the members of this fellowship my role as state treasurer is getting harder for me to fulfill. There is a city office to run, payroll, gst obligations and now it is really feeling like another part time job to me. We do three year terms and I have done two years of someone else's term when they dropped out and nearly 18 months of mine. I am burnt out.

Funny - I am not into making new year resolutions...