Things that make me smile ...

I’m pretty sure I know why we go away on holidays … it’s so that we can appreciate our beautiful homes when we come home again, lol! As nice as it is to be away, I love that feeling you get when you pull up into the drive way, the children unpack the car (you mean your kids don’t help???), and that first load of washing begins to chug away in the washing machine.
I am not complaining … I realize I am VERY fortunate to have all the good stuff in my life that I do, but I must say that sand underfoot, ground into the soap, and even in the sheets of your bed gets a little tiresome after a week. When you are one of many that lives briefly in a unit, you never know whose sweaty body has been lying in the lounge just before you, whose smelly socks and jocks were last in the washing machine as you drop your towels in, and worse still, whose butt has been sitting on the same toilet that you are about to plonk yourself down on … but enough of the dirty talk!!!
Surfice to say, I was SO happy to see my clean washing machine, bathroom floor sans the sand, clothesline full to overflowing with fresh-smelling clothes dancing in the breeze, our bedroom smelling of Pumpkin Spice candles, and a favourite aubergine lounge that is now decorated with children and DH. Oh well, I can’t win them all!!!
More next time!

Too busy to blog ...

Waaaaay, waaaaaay too busy qwyzzling to blog! How about a couple of photos for tonight, and we'll have some scintillating conversation tomorrow ... that is, if I have finished qwyzzling! Up to Level 45, which is a bit of a pesky one! For those of you who are not up on qwyzzling ... here is a link! And look, some hints if you get stuck!
And if qwyzzling isn't your thing, perhaps you'd like to visit a brand new blog, Pieces of Me, just hit the blogging track today. More next time!

Creating Shtuff …

(Layout credits - Fonts: 2Peas Bad Hair Day, Garamond.)
Someone who shall remain nameless (*waving happily, Miss M*) told me off for not creating any new layouts while on holidays and also said they were expecting to see some new shtuff on my blog this afternoon … and because I am very nervous about getting into any MORE trouble, I’ve done three.
No kits, no fonts, no quotes, no ‘real’ access to the internet, no big screen and fast computer to work with, no comfortable chair, CS instead of CS2 (who moved all my shtuff around?) … and a son who stood behind me after the first two layouts had been finished, and demanded, ‘Where’s MY layout???’ *sigh* … So in the interests of NOT getting into trouble AND keeping my son happy … here are some new layouts.(Layout credits - Font: 2Peas Bad Hair Day)
Very basic stuff, I know, but I’m a simple scrapper … no frills and bows on this little scrapper, I’m afraid. I do love all the pretty things, just can’t seem to use them on my layouts.

(Layout credits - Kit: Sweetie Pie by Gina Cabrera, from Designing with Digitals. Embossed flower from Cabaret kit by Rhonna Farrer, Designing with Digital. Font: 2Peas Bad Hair Day.) The colours are all wrong on this screen so goodness knows what it looks like your end, so I apologise profusely just in case it looks awful!!! I picked up a computing mag on the shopping trip yesterday, 'Made in Minutes' which is promising ... lots of ideas. If layouts have to be created in less that hours, that's a good thing ... no time to tizzy them up! Must away ... enjoy the layouts ... more next time!

Reconsidering ...

Did I REALLY say that I wouldn’t post any more surfing photos? How foolish, considering that we are holidaying on the beach … I’ll start off with a pyjama photo instead! Aren’t these purty? Sussan is having a ‘20% off everything’ sale, and these looked so comfortable. Is it just me, or would the white and pink make an interesting background paper??? Two pairs of ¾ pants, and two singlet tops with built-in support. (Not that we need much support in that area, just quietly, folks … but it’s nice to have it there if I ever need it, he, he!!!) Tash and I did a little sales shopping today, but it wasn’t a very fun experience. Waaaay too many people with the same idea, and by the time we drove to the shopping centre, found a park, remembered where we parked the car so that we could find it again, and then found a shop in a shopping centre I’ve only been to twice before I was exhausted.
We had to get the girl a white belt … I’m not a fan of ‘show your undies and everything else you own’ look in jeans, and being a nasty mum, I make her wear a belt. She is such a long skinny girl that by the time we get stuff long enough, it is way too big around her, hence the belt. And we bought some new undies for her, and a book for the boy, which she had almost finished reading before we got home! Don't feel sorry for him, though, cos he was at home reading one of HER Christmas books. Lunch, then Coles for essentials like Vanilla Coke, bread and Fruity Bix for the boy, then Gloria Jeans. I am trying to bring Tash up the right way … we shop, then we visit Gloria Jeans, and to date, she is responding to the training very nicely!
Michael surfed this morning at a very nasty hour (somewhere round 5.00 am, I believe!) so I don’t have photos of him, but we went down to the beach late this afternoon and I got some more shots of the girl.

It was very wild and woolly, and the surf was a bit rough, but she still had fun. The cheeky miss even had time to wave just before she stepped off the board, right at the sand.

I love this shot of dad and daughter as they look at at the waves. It will be interesting to take another photo of them next year, to see how much taller the girl is.It is also interesting to track the changes between brother and sister. The boy decided he would rather body surf for a couple of years, and wouldn't get on the board. Tash has been the one to get out on the board, but this year end, Michael has been pushing to get out on the board. He is actually better than she is now, (though we don't tell her that!), much more confident, much quicker to bounce up and stay up. Kids are funny ... wouldn't swap them for anything, though. Well, almost anything, lol. More next time ...

Look away if you're sick of surfing photos!

Sorry about all the surfing photos, but it was kinda fun standing out in the blazing hot sun, sometimes up to my knees in water, photographing the kids. Both have improved vastly since last year … bigger, stronger, more teachable, I guess. It isn’t so much work for their dad now, as they will turn the board and paddle back out to him, and all he has to do is push them off onto the wave and cheer wildly when they make it onto the wave and up onto the board. Hmmm ... sometimes they don't make it ONTO the board!We visited Kirra Surf for the third time in two days, and bought DH a wetsuit. I wouldn’t like to guess how long he has had the one he has just literally ripped to shreds. He is like his dad … why get a new one when the old one (rotting apart at the seams) is still doing a great job? This latest suit had ripped just above his backside, leaving a well-ventilated view for all to see. Not a problem!’ Says DH. ‘I’m wearing my Speedos underneath!’ ‘Eeeeewwwww!’ says I. Finally twisted his arm far enough, and off we went to Kirra Surf. They will know us by first names soon … Left the bright red wetsuit on the rack and chose a grey one … muttered something about camouflage and sharks not seeing him quite so easily!!!
Pretty low key day apart from the excitement at Kirra Surf … the three surfers in the family went body surfing this afternoon while I went to the local mall. Sale time meant pj’s were on special … three pair of Size 16 (Yup, size 16! Gulp!) for the boy, and a pair of pretty pink ones for the girl, which cost me 1/3 of what they usually cost. Bargain!!! And I also smuggled in a pretty green tshirt with lace, beading and a velvet ribbon detail at the v neckline, for me. I’m having a green phase at the moment … it also means I have something pretty and new to wear while on holidays, always a good reason to buy, I feel.

No more surfing photos tomorrow, I promise. More other stuff instead ...

More photos ...

Just thought I had better post some photos of the boy (the bottom two!) before he noticed he wasn't part of the surfing fun! More next time ...

Life's a beach!!!

Lots of beach photos today. It was very hazy and very hot on the beach this afternoon, and I did the motherly thing and stood for two hours trying to get great shots of my kids and their surfing … at the request of the kids and their father, I might add!I only have a 200 mm telephoto lens for my camera, so most of the action happened a long LONG way away! At one stage, I hiked up the a lookout spot on the headland, in an attempt to get closer to the surfing, set myself a nice spot, looked over the edge of the cliff, and what did I see spread-eagled beneath me??? None other than a young miss with very large ... umm … (uncovered) mammary glands! Every second person that came along looked over the edge, their eyes widened, then they gave me a very considered look before they moved on. I assured them all that I was taking pictures of my kids, but I don’t think even ONE of them believed me, and as by this time the tired legs and sunburn was beginning to kick in (yes, I had sunscreen on!), I gave up and wandered back to the beach. The hazards of photographing your kids … And you know what Doug wanted to know ...? No, I didn't take a photo of her ... There is a heap of good stuff that I could blog about … sales’ crowds, sore legs and feets (we have four flights of stairs to climb to our unit, which is a double storey unit, living downstairs, sleeping upstairs!), the joys of sand in EVERYTHING, buying a wetsuit and two rash suits for kids that very rudely grew out of last year’s stuff, the joys of shopping with two children who have Christmas money to burn … but hey, I’m too tired! I’ll do photos of the boy tomorrow! More next time …

Wishing you a quick recovery ...

Do you think you can have an overdose of Christmas? … Just wondering! I was waaaaaay too nervous to tell you, my happy readers, that we actually opened our Christmas presents a day early. I know, I know … it was a dreadful thing to do, but hey, I wanted the car full of holiday stuff, not presents with pretty squishy bows that looked at their best under our tree. So Saturday morning we opened presents, helped out with a Christmas program the kids were involved in, and then drove down to our holiday unit.
We had a fun time … the kids did so well financially, as this year most of our extended family did the money thing, which the kids are looking forward to spending in the post Christmas sales. Of course, the kids also got the usual books and clothes and computer programs as well … Santa knows us all so well. Michael bought me a pair of ‘diamond’ earrings … from a local discount store, and they look great!!! Just don’t try having a ‘nana’ nap in them!
Another branch of the family dropped in this morning, for a brief visit. You know those cushions filled with awful squishy cushions filled with slippery polystyrene balls? They give me the creeps, and Tashy has been wanting one for ages, so as soon as Granny found that out, she was on the hunt for a couple. Tashy has a purple cushion, and the boy the tiger-y looking character! And of course, they are the most popular presents to date … no accounting for kids’ taste, is there? They are both zoned out on the kids’ channel on cable tv at the moment, something they don’t have at home. One of the treats of holidays …Now … for some random observations!
Observation 1 – I can’t scrap anywhere but home!!! Sad but true. I need all my home comforts around me to be creative! I am still on dial-up while away from home, and it is almost slower than usual. Somehow the air is different, and the seat I am sitting on certainly is, and the creative urge is still back at home sitting at my messy desk wondering where I am. So although I feel very guilty at not creating layouts, I am going to use the time to work on some PS CS2 skills. Perhaps even learn something I can put to use when I get home … learn how to make stitching, or how to texturize paper, or … the list goes on, as there is always more for me to learn.
Observation 2 – working on a laptop, even a very good one, is not the same as my home computer. I really don’t know how scrappers work on a laptop all the time. The colours are all wrong for me, and the screen is waaaaay too small. Can’t edit my photos properly, and can’t seem to create layouts either ! We live and learn …
Observation 3 – Out of all the people I know, I love my family people the best, and that’s what Christmas is all about … lovin’ our family people! More next time …
PS … the half-empty box of chockies in the top photo? That’s how Santa delivered them, honest!!!

We've arrived ...

Now isn’t that a purty sight? Another happy accident with the camera … you guys will begin to think I have started celebrating Christmas early with a glass of wine in each hand, lol! We drove over to a house that had won the Christmas lights competition in our area, and found a wonderful display of colour and movement, and lots of excited happy kids. We had a good look, and just as we were about to leave, I stood on the other side of the street, slowly panned across the house, and moved the camera up and down at the same time. I thought it was a pretty cool effect … did you notice that Santa snuck in, at the top left of the image. DS isn’t impressed … he thinks it is out of focus, but we agreed to disagree. So long as I am happy … he says! He is a scream, he inherits his artistic feeling from his father, lol!
We have escaped city life for a few days and made our way down the coast where we are enjoying the beach life. Of course, there is no surf and no surfboard today. Hopefully the surf will arrive on Christmas morning (what do you mean, we can’t order surf, like take-away???), along with the surfboard that is still on its way. Later … we’ve been down to the pool, and beach, and it’s blowing a gale. DH says, ‘Think of it as exfoliation!’ but I’m not sure I want EVERYTHING exfoliated at the same time, lol! I’ve lasted down there just long enough to get a couple of photos, then head back to the quiet, air-conditioned unit. And guess what the best part is? I have the key, and they can’t get in till they ask nicely through the intercom. *insert evil laugh here* More next time ...

Getting ever closer and closer ...

…to Christmas!!! Now that either makes you break out in big smiles, or shiver in terror, depending on how well your ‘present buying schedule’ is going! Me, I’m just going to relax now and go with the flow … I figure my kids have waaaaay too many good things coming their way anyway … and if we are short a present or two, there are always the post-christmas sales after the special day!!!
I have poor DH at my mercy over the holidays … he is coming shopping with me to buy new work gear, or else he is going to have to go in to the office in just the bare essentials and that will shock all the girls (and some of the guys!) at work. He hates shopping with a vengeance, but there are just some things I can’t do for him, and one of them is trying on trousers, lol! Most other things I can cope with … (he is about 30 kilos heavier than me, and black men’s trousers are not a good look on me!)(Layout credits - Kit - Shabby Princess from Digital Design Essentials. Date stamp from DesignerDigitals. Font: Century Gothic.)
Here's another 'borrowed' photo of someone else's cherub ... it's a funny thing, but when I see a little boy of this age, I feel so tired ... probably because when my little 'cherub' was this young, I spent most of the time running after him. A glorious age to be, but let me tell you, fourteen is a lot easier to keep track of. My boy watches and following ME mostly when we are out, which is a lovely change! I really like having a tall, handsome stranger with a deep voice living with us now. The only downside at the moment is that he has an inexhaustable hunger, can't seem to fill him up with food. Could be because he has grown more than 5 inches this year ...
Just in case you've forgotten what my 'tall, dark and handsome' stranger looks like ... here he is! More next time ...

Back to the boring stuff again ...

(Layout credits - Papers from Fall Delight by Lisa Cohen at ScrapArtist. Scroll brush by Tracy Ann at SBB. Smootzy Alpha by Michelle Coleman at ScrapArtist. Fonts: Typist, 39 Smooth. Stitching by Shannon at SBB.)
Sorry it’s me again … have to find another riveting guest blogger soon, I think. That was kinda fun yesterday! This is the layout I was going to post yesterday, until someone more interesting came along … I love the colours and textures in this kit called Fall Delight by Lisa Cohen at ScrapArtist.
The greens and browns and blues are very pretty … I’m going to hunt through my photos and see what else I can create with it. Lisa has another kit in the shop too, called My Boy, which also looks promising. I love the way designers advertise their kits now … almost like a mini layout I think. Verrrry pretty!Do you ever open up Photoshop, create a new file, and stare blankly at your screen? Or perhaps spend all day looking at everyone else’s creations, and do nothing yourself? Maybe it’s just me, but the creative juices aren’t flowing today … maybe I need a Christmas break lol! I have a Christmas letter to create, and envelopes to address, cards to finish off, to pack for our holiday, wash the floor (it is all partied out!), catch up on the washing and ironing, and check my Christmas present list … perhaps I don’t have time to sit at the computer right now, lol!
A friend brought me some unexpected flowers this week, so I am sharing them with you too ... More next time!

Guest Blogger!!!

Yes, folks! We have a guest blogger making an appearance this afternoon, and she has entitled her entry …
Miss M’s Sanity Saver for the Festive Season …
Take it away, Miss M …
“Don’t ever undertake a calendar project for Christmas presents in the third week of December, particularly when you have a troublesome family like mine. Divisions several kilometres deep run through the various branches like wildfire … which makes for interesting editing when adding and subtracting birthdays!
I had this bright idea of creating beautiful calendars several nights ago, and the project has overtaken and consumed my every waking (and sometimes sleeping) thought. It went something like this … hmmm … why don’t I use some of my layouts? Shouldn’t take long to throw together … or perhaps not.
Think I need to do a new layout … or two … or twelve. (rude word here … but Sharon took it out!!!) Now, what paper to use? What elements? Need a brush or two? (‘Nother rude word!!!) Umm … template first. Found a great one at Scrapbook Elements, just what I wanted, but needs a little tarting up. (Am I allowed to say ‘tarting up’?)
I have disappeared off the face of SBB, my family is too scared to come near me, my coffee pot is nervous whenever I come into the kitchen, and why am I snarling and spitting at the cat?
La, la, la … maybe some music will help the creative juices flowing … damn, just hit my head on the keyboard! Sound asleep, patiently waiting for the printer to produce. Who’s idea was this?
Helpful suggestions from DH … why don’t you make a bulk calendar and give the same one to everyone! Yeah, like THAT’s going to work!So here we are, three days from Christmas … and the printer is trying hard to keep up. Off to get them bound tomorrow … wanna see? Here’s a sneak preview of my finished product … this page was designed with pretty stuff from the kit Circle of Friends at Digital Design Essentials. The doodle on the month page is from the CT freebie available at DDE.
Sharon says I have to stop now ... and she also said to tell you that her most faithful blog visitor is ... ZeeLV!!!" More next time ...

Don't go making promises ...

... on your blog that you can’t keep!! Like, for example, a birthday and anniversary layout! Oh, I had good intentions … I took 45 (yes, 45!) photos of Michael during the day, and have one or two to play with, lol! He is getting self-conscious about being in front of the camera, and I don’t have the relaxed, candid look I am looking for. Here is one of the photos I like … You might recognize that look, those of you that have children of this age … the PS2 stare. Total and utter concentration on what he is doing. I do have a layout bubbling away quietly that I will share in the near future.
Until then, I have one I prepared a little earlier for you!!! I took my tripod and 200mm lens (and camera, in case you were wondering!) down to the pool yesterday afternoon. I had the telephoto lens on so I wouldn’t get splashed obviously! I got a nice one of Tash, and it didn’t take long to whip this layout up, using one of the ads I found at Just Ad Inspiration. I just love the colours in the pool … the late afternoon light did something special to it.
(Layout credits - idea from an ad at Just Ad Inspiration. Fonts: Apple Garamond Light, Two Century MT.)
Michael enjoyed his birthday, scoring a new PS2 handset, a new game, and a huge Bionicle set to construct. He is not sure what to play with first … we had a discussion about quantity of presents versus quality of presents, and he decided he would have both, which wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, lol! He is a very loved and spoilt boy! But hey, you only turn 14 once, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL! I am really loving having a teenage boy!!!
Today I caved in and upgraded my Site Counter, even though it cost an arm and a leg. I have a lot more options now at my fingertips … and guess who wins the prize for being my most frequent and faithful visitor? Tune in tomorrow, and I will let you know!!! More next time …

Yummy baby!

(Layout credits - Kit: Reggedy Friends, from DesignerDigitals. Messy Cream Stitching, from DesignerDigitals. Chunky Chipboard Alpha - Cream, from DesignerDigitals. Font: Two Centuries MT.)
Is there any thing more delicious than a baby covered in chocolate, I ask you? I’m guessing this was Lochie’s first easter egg … and it sure looks good!
We are getting very close to a special day (other than Christmas!) in our house. Our son and heir turns 14 tomorrow, and we also celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately the anniversary often gets lost in the excitement of celebrating the boy’s birthday, but hey, that really is MY fault. If I had thought to hang on for just another 1 ¼ hours, Michael could have been born on the 21st of December.
As it is, he is not all that impressed with having his birthday just five days before Christmas, and would prefer to have been born in June, he tells me. Just quietly, I don’t think he suffers in ANY way whatsoever … most people go the opposite way and buy him heaps, just so that he doesn’t feel bad!!! Clever boy, I think.
So tomorrow I might have a ‘happy birthday Michael’ layout to share, and probably a photo or two of the celebrations. To finish today’s entry, I’m sharing a layout I created using my fun deco photo of yesterday … (Layout credits - Fonts: Futurist Fixed-width, Arial Narrow. Direct scraplift of a layout by Ronalyn called 'Meet Ethan'.) More next time ...

Christmas glitter ...

How’s this for a bit of Christmas festive spirit? I just LOVE this photo … and the best part, it was an accident!!! I take photos of our Christmas decorations on the tree each year, and the other day on PBase I saw some great photos like this, but had no idea how they happened … bear of small brain sometimes! This morning, I set my tripod up, turned on the Christmas lights, shut the blind and got to work. Tried several decorations, broke one of my precious glass ones … *sob sob* …and accidentally bumped this decoration as I pushed the shutter. Oh WOW! WHAT an effect! Took three more shots, chose the first one I had taken, sharpened it in PS CS2, and that was it!!! How COOL a shot is that??? I might have another try at spinning some different decorations tomorrow and see what eventuates!
But enough on the Christmas decoration front …
Scrappin’ stuff … I found a really good website through a blog the other day, called Just Ad Inspiration. I find that my style is moving towards ‘magazine ad’ style, if you can call it that. This website by Kelly Shultz (hey, Kelly designed one of my favourite kits called Bloom … how amazing is that?) is basically a collection of ads and other cool stuff that you can use to get the creative juices going. Go visit, and see how inspired you become …
A layout to finish off today’s blog … another wonderful photo by Elizabeth’s mum. I love the clean graphic look to it …
(Layout credits - Fonts: Century, Century Gothic.) More next time …

Lots and lots of stuff ...

(Layout credits - Papers from Santa Paper Pack by Sandra Boddington, at The Digi Chick. Red ribbon from An Eclectic Personality at ScrapArtist. Stitching by Shannon at SBB. Messy Cream Stitching at DesignerDigitals. Fonts: Times New Roman, Garamond.)
Don’t really have to say too much about this layout … I think the journaling says all there is to say … I can’t tell you how many photos were taken to get one decent one of the kids. And even this was slightly out of focus, but I am not taking any more photos. I tried for a family photo, but that did NOT work at all, so once again, the kids star on our Christmas card. I played in Curves a bit, and quite liked the finished ‘white’ effect. We may not get snow down here, but we will be having a ‘white’ Christmas.
The card will be very simple this year. (Layout credits - Anna Aspnes Foto Kards. Font: Century Gothic.) I used Anna Aspnes Foto Kards and will probably print on white textured card, depending on how it looks. Every year I have ambitions of having the Christmas cards in the mail early, and every year I don’t!!! I’m thinking of cancelling Christmas cards and calling them New Years Cards instead!
I finished another couple of layouts today, but can’t share those yet, as they are for a website that will be opening up after Christmas! Rats ... I need instant feedback, lol ... I had creating then putting it away for a while! We've just had a thunderstorm, so the sun is out again, hot and steamy weather for the rest of the day ... must away and work on the latest half-finised layout ... More next time!

Out of the vaults ...

(Layout credits - Kit called Paint a Picture with Jack and Me, frame using a edge brush, and Messy Cream Stitching from DesignerDigitals. Font: Stamp Act, Artistamp Medium, Century Gothic.)
This month the CT at DesignerDigitals had homework … creating layouts using circles, and this was my contribution. I ran a filter over this picture to tone down the beach colours, which were too strong for the pretty papers I worked with, and I made the dotted circle by drawing a circle shape, then typing and spacing a full stop using the font Artistamp. More than one way to skin a cat, I reakon!
A couple of other layouts which were tucked away in vaults at ScrapArtist were the layouts below.
(Layout credits - Kit: Winter Wonderland, from ScrapArtist. Photo frame from A Beautiful Life, at ScrapArtist. Grunge overlay from Haberdashery. Fonts: Bodoni Classic Ornaments, StampAct, Adobe Caslon Pro. )

And this one … we scraplifted Tiffbrady, who was December’s Guest Creative Goddess. The layout I scraplifted is called Blowing Bubbles.(Layout credits - Kit - A Good Life, from ScrapArtist. Staples from 'Block Party' at ScrapArtist.) More next time ...

Malachi

(Layout credits - Tracy Ann's Splotches. Fonts: Century Gothic.)
What a cutie … I’ve decided that it is waaaay scary doing photo swaps … AlohaMamma invited me to swap photos with her, and that was easy enough, but then, after she had created a piece of art, I had to do my bit, lol! A wise friend told me, ‘You need to create your sort of layout, rather than what you think others would like!’, so that’s what I did here. Clean lines, colours that work with the gorgeous photos, simple rather than tizzy. That’s my kind of scrapping!!! Hope you like it, Yvette.
And here is photo no. 2 that Yvette shared with me. I think I like this one even more … love these bright funky colours!
(Layout credits - Grunge edge - Inka Dinka Stamp Edge from DesignerDigitals. Messy Cream stitching from Designer Digitals. Font: Century Gothic.)
Lots of fun ... anyone else want to play this game ??? More next time ...

The Christmas glow ...

(Layout credits - Grunge overlay from Vintage Dreams, at ScrapArtist. Kit: - Grateful, from ScrapArtist. Stitching from Mary Jane. Fonts: Typist, Comic Sans, Black Jack Regular, Christmas Flakes.)
Here is a bit of Christmas glow for you … I know I posted this picture a few days ago, but here is a layout using the photo.
Today was a driving around, busy sort of day. The kids and I hit the shops for food early this morning. Christmas just around the corner means you have to be in shopping centres early or you can’t get a park and are destined to drive round and round and round the carpark … looking and waiting and hoping desperately that someone will get sick of the air-conditioning and go home, leaving you to fight with other disgruntled would-be shoppers over their car spot. So … the early shopper gets the carpark. Michael found another great tshirt with a saying … ‘Lost Sister. If found, please do not return.' It goes without saying that Tash wasn’t amused.
We rushed home with food, threw it in the fridge (after cleaning it out, Miss M!!!) and hopped into the car again … this time off to the hairdressers for two kids who didn’t really think they needed haircuts. Then raced home.
Friends over for a swim and afternoon tea. As said friends were heading home, disgruntled DH of friends MSN-ed me … ‘I’m home,’ he says sadly! ‘Where are the lights of my life?’ (Okay, I added that bit, lol!) Hmmm … they are on their way home with the remains of the chocolate biscuits … do hope the biscuits actually got home, or I am in trouble. More next time ...

Sometimes it works ...

(Layout credits - Fonts: Century Gothic, BlackJack.)
… and sometimes it doesn’t. Scrapping is a funny thing … sometimes the layouts create themselves, and sometimes you can spend hours working, just to have everything end up in the bin. Today was a day like that. My ad challenge layout created itself in about half an hour, and I am happy with the results. The next layout in the assembly line I have spent most of the day on, and that you WON’T see. Hmmmm … more next time.

Naughty or nice?

(Layout credits - Fonts: Primer Print, Century Gothic, Futurist Fixed Width.)
Hmmm … what do you all think? I guess he must be nice cos Santa’s already whispered in my ear, and told me that he was coming to visit!!! I only hope Santa remembers to bring his credit card, cos mine’s nearly full!!! Incidentally, how could you not love that face? I really should print it off and put it somewhere prominent so that when I am ready to tear my hair out over messy rooms and wet towels on the floor in my bathroom, and a trail of apple cores around the house, and an empty purse, I remember just how precious he is …
Bit of a nothing day today … little bit of housework, ironed for an hour or so, chased kids into the pool, worked on a Christmas shoot order for a friend, chatted on Messenger, visited lots of galleries, caught up on my commenting … and so the day went. Isn’t this what holidays are all about? Not much scrapping though, just this one layout of Michael, inspired by a Pulsar ad … can’t give any more credit than that, I am afraid. It was a challenge on a site somewhere, sometime. Must away … the babysitter is home, and I have to go steal some bandwidth to send my big photo order away, or Santa won’t have his portraits back in time. More next time …