Multi-tasking!

Got to love being a woman, we're just the best at multi-tasking! I've been scrapbooking and talking to mum on the phone at the same time. Love the headphones that come with our phone. I often hook it up, pop the phone in my pocket and go about my business chatting to mum, doing the dishes, the ironing, feeding the dogs, whatever!

We're going out for dinner tonight to some friends. It will be lovely, particularly as they have a little toddler! You know friends have a different life with kids when a dinner party starts at 5.30pm !

Found a pair of my slippers chewed up in the front yard as I went to work the other day. Ack! Not sure who was the culprit or if they were partners in crime. But I have seen a few pair of my shoes disappear out the back door which I've rescued just in time. Not so my slippers this time. I need eyes in the back of my head. Sharon did warn me he looked like a little thief! ha.

Credits here.

February

Well February is well underway, heck it's nearly over. I'm not even going to think about that right now. I'm still going strong with Project 365, but a wee bit behind in pages. No matter, I'm still taking my photos every day.

Credits here.

Twas a bit naughty and had some chocolate tonight. It was delicious. Hands up who has tried Whittaker's Chocolate? It's sensational! It may even rival Nestles for my favourite bite now. Actually whilst eating the chocolate my mind started heading towards Easter. Absolutely depressing that the eggs and buns are in the shops already. Our year is already going full tilt. I think I may make my easter egg shaped shortbread again this year, it was a big hit the year I made everyone a batch.

If anyone else has any other bright ideas for Easter, apart from the norm (because I can be anything but normal!! te he) I'd love to hear it.

Ouch

Ouch is right. I got myself well and truly sunburnt today. I do seem to have a penchant for wearing sleeveless tops so my arms right to the top are in agony, my face, my cheeks, my nose, you may call me Rudolph if you want, it's shining like a beacon right now.

Lucky had his final class for Grade 1 today. I of course was the proud mama taking more photos. See, I need that scrapbooking t-shirt for sure! He passed with flying colours, we got a lovely little ribbon and were told he's okay to be put up into Grade 2. Talk about feeling proud. Shhhh I shouldn't brag, but not all dogs were invited to go to Grade 2!!

Am I starting to sound pathetic here?

Anyway as for the sunburn, I didn't realize just how hot it was getting standing on the sidelines watching them go through their paces. Was quite funny when one of the lessons today was to walk past food on the ground. The instructor put a line of tidbits down and everyone had to walk on by. Everything that the dogs had learnt, and I mean EVERYTHING went out the window. It was quite funny. But after a few goes round Lucky soon got into his stride and just kept on walking past. Honestly he looks up at Mike and I just know he'll do anything to make Mike proud.

We're just so lucky with our menagerie.

While on the subject of the boy, here's a page I did recently. Got to love this face huh? This is what I get every morning when I leave for work. The menagerie don't realise just how fortunate they are to have one of us here all day with Mike working from home.

Credits here.

Must go see what I can put on this sunburn. Mike wanted to put vinegar on it. Who knows if it will work, but I'm not fancying smelling like a potato chip right now. I think some cool soothing lotion is more the order of the evening.

Enjoy your week everyone.

Can tick off the list

Do you have a list of things you want to do before you die? Sounds a bit morbid and I'm not meaning to. I'm meaning great things, like travel to Mexico, or skinny dip in the ocean, or sing on a stage. Those things that would put a big smile on your face, that you can tick off the list. And well, you know what a big list person I am but I don't have a list as such of these things written down, but they are in my head.

I got to tick one off today. I got to ride in a helicopter. And it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S !!! It was just a 10 minute joyflight around town, we had a festival on and Mike got me a ticket to fly. What a feeling. And so fun to see our little town from the air. I'm sure the pilot thought I was nuts when I told him I felt like I was in Google Earth !! He asked where my house was so made sure to fly right over it. How cool it was.

Saying a quick prayer! My smile belies my nervousness. I was kinda ducking too, I was a bit scared of those rotar thingys flying around.

Roger Wilco Over and Out! Who knows what the pilot thought when I turned the camera on myself! hahahaha

And here's our little town. I can see my house but you can't!

While I'm posting photos, Lucky is up to his last Obedience Class in 1st grade tomorrow. He had so much fun last Sunday. This is more for us I think than him. He knows what to do, it's us who have to learn. Mike had Molly before I was on the scene and she never had any classes, so as good as she is is more to do with her nature than anything else I think. She sits when I say sits. She stays (sometimes) when I say stay. She drops when I have food to offer her! With Lucky we want to do it right.

How proud he looks walking really well here. He does do a bit of the chest out strutting.

And I was rather the proud mama here, taking pictures of the little boy with Mike! Needless to say I was the only one there with a camera, hmmmph. I think I need to have a t-shirt that says "scrapbooker" so others realize why I always have this appendage around my neck.

And with that and not a scrapbook page in sight, I'm about to have a cup of tea and go to bed.

11.7 !

11.7 whats you may ask? 11.7 kilograms I've lost as of today I say! YAY ME! That's 25 pounds my friends. Almost 2 stone. I'm over the moon happy. I am absolutely loving this Tony Ferguson diet. Plus it might not be the best thing to admit, but I'm only doing it about 70%. I just cannot live without bread so every now and then I sneak a bit.

I've been seriously uninspired of late with my scrapping. I'm behind on my Project 365 pages, I did a page for the first week in February, then the fires happened and I've seriously not been able to even think of starting the second week in February. I've taken pictures, but I sit at the computer and can't even attempt it.

So as a salve, as a means of documenting it for our history, remember those big times in history, do you remember where you were when you heard Elvis died or the Diana had her accident in the tunnel or man walked on the moon or the towers fell. Those big moments in history. This is a big moment in Victoria's history, let alone Australia's history. I needed to document it, so it will be in my 365 book.

Credits here.


I sewed up a storm this past week and ended up making 6 comfort bags. I filled them with various things like hand puppets, teddy bears, textas and drawing pads, sticker books, jewellery making kits, and sent them off. The box was huge! I've been in touch with the lady organising it, she has a lot of donated goods to put in bags so is welcoming empty bags now so I'm stash busting this weekend again. I feel like I'm doing something. At last. I hope in some small way I put a smile on a little kiddy's face.

Here's a pic of some of the bags with a few of the "friends" that went inside, and some of the finished products ready to box up and send off.

And finally, there's a blog I love to stop by and read all about and admire the gorgeous handiwork of Gwen at Scrappy Angel Quilts. Gwen surprised me the other day in telling me she was sending me some of her beautifully hand-dyed sock yarn. Lucky me! All because after 2 years and 100 blog posts, I was one of the first to ever comment. Who knew! So thank you once again Gwen, I absolute adore the yarn and can't wait to knit with it.

Get ready everyone to oooh and ahhhhh. Isn't it gorgeous. With my love of colour, I can't wait to see how it knits up.

I mentioned to Gwen in one of our correspondence to each other, that her timing was perfect. I had come home from work and was having a really down day. I was in tears after listening to talk back radio on my drive home, some of the horrid stories about the fires, people ringing in. I was very upset and walked in to find the parcel on the kitchen table. Sometimes yarn is just what the doctor ordered.

Good heavens. Scrapping, yarn and sewing all in the one post. That hasn't happened for ... well ... not sure if it's ever happened!

Happy V's Day

Seems wrong to go out for dinner tonight, a lovely meal, knowing we can drive in our own car and come back to our own home and sleep in our own bed. I've been sewing up a storm today making the comfort bags. They're so bright and colourful. Picture will be forthcoming.

But until then, here's a favourite picture of me and my honey. I do love this man to the moon and back and I tell him every chance I get.

Credits here.

Nearly a week on

The fires are still raging, people are still being found, latest death toll is 181 and rising. I feel so helpless and overwrought with emotion, I know so many are. I can't help but read the newspapers, the stories of every day you and me people, each had a story, the heartwrenching stories are outweighing the miracles. I listen to talk back radio on the way home from work in tears hearing the people ringing in, the generosity of the public, the appeals, the donations. I can't imagine losing everything. Starting again. I can't imagine losing a friend or family member to the hands of this hell.

Mike's cousin lives in Kinglake. He was one of the lucky ones. I'm so thankful for that. So many others aren't.

Lots of ways to help out. Click on the pictures to take you to the sites. Please help those in need.




I'm making rainbow comfort bags, thanks to Jodie who put me onto this website. What a wonderful thing to do for the littlies. I had a lovely time buying bits and pieces to donate with the bags today.

And Tracey of OzCountryQuiltingMum fame has a wonderful idea for making blocks for quilts. What comfort these will give. It will be like wrapping the victims in a hug from afar.

And finally the most famous little koala. Gives us hope. I don't care a fig if this picture was taken during the backburn the week before or once the fire went through at Mirboo North. That is irrelevant to me. This picture however gives us hope for all the animals. They say over a million animals have been lost, all creatures great and small. I can't even imagine those now maimed, in pain or starving out in the bush. You know what a big animal sook I am.

Photos obtained from the net somewhere. Here is Sam all bandaged up on the road to recovery.

We're fine

Thank you for asking, those who have left comments and sent emails. The closest fire to us was about half hour drive away and was going in the other direction, we couldn't even smell the smoke. It was a horrible Saturday, the heat was bad but the wind, oh my God the wind was like being in a big windy washing machine, it blew all ways.

I can't watch the tv news without crying, the devastation, the lives lost. 84 dead. I know by the time I wake up tomorrow the death toll will have risen. I can't believe that some of the fires were started by fire bugs. As far as I'm concerned they deserve the death penalty. This is terrorism by our own on our own soil.

I'm just so sad for everyone.

End of the week, thank heavens

And a weekend of NOTHING planned, blissful, peaceful nothing. We're gearing up for the worst fire danger day tomorrow since 1939 or something like that. Winds are meant to be picking up tonight and 40+ heat tomorrow. Mike went out and bought two new 30 metre heavy duty hoses, just in case. You never know. The perils of living in a small country town is that if a fire breaks out anywhere in the vicinity our only fire truck (or we may have two, I have no idea) armed with volunteers will be out fighting and nothing left to assist the town.

We're in town, not out on a farm, but I remember the fires of last year, or was that the year before. Mike ended up at one of our dear friend's farm helping to fight a fire and save their livestock and hay. He said it was horrible, he was holding a hose and hosing down the house and wasn't giving up that hose for anyone. The firefighters were out in the paddocks and the helicopter was dropping water. I was at home with the menagerie, I could see the smoke in the distance, but I knew we were safe. Boy I was scared stiff for Mike that night.

Excuse me but I do have to tell you, he said he was that scared that if the water dried out, he was building up to (cough cough) "piss on the fire if need be!" (his words)

Okay, enough said.

Feast your eyes on this little beauty from Shen. Actually it's a big beauty, it's chockers full of fun things to play with. Click on the image to take you to twolittlepixels. You'll never run out of things to use, it's great.

Back at my sister-in-law's BBQ for her birthday I went snap happy taking pictures of the kids, of everyone. Perfect for this page.

And gearing up for Valentine's Day next weekend I've made some vouchers to give to Mike. These are the "for public" display ones. The naughty ones shall remain private! hahaha

Well I think a cup of tea is in order and maybe an episode of X-Files, we're back into them again and up to the second series, it's taking forever!

January is finished !

I can't believe I've actually stuck with Project 365 for a whole month. Sometimes it's a struggle to take a photo every day and I'm not overly fussed about that. I'm just representing the "week that was". What I am struggling with is keeping my journalling down to a dull roar!! One of my very good friends I used to work with often said about me "Why say in 10 words what you can say in 100!!" Enough said huh?

Speaking of my very good friends, I went away on a girl's weekend and had the most wonderful time. Some of my old workmates I've known for 20+ years, you just don't pull those types of friendships and history out from anywhere do you? We had a lovely time down at Jan Juc, sea views, great company, lots of laughing.

As an aside : You will NEVER see the pics of me playing Wii boxing!! I'm shuddering just remembering. hahahahahaha

We did do the beading as promised, I'm so amazed, I made a necklace, earrings, bracelet, wine glass thingy and a mobile phone decoration (which has promptly broken, so obviously I didn't make that very well!!) Pictures will be forthcoming.

As mentioned with January coming to an end, here are my final pages for the month. Because I'm very obsessive, I have to have the month finish on an even double page (yes, and I don't like to step on cracks in the footpath either!!). So I've rounded the month off nicely with these two.

Credits here.

Whilst down that way I spent Sunday night with mum and took her to the movies to finally see "Australia". I didn't mind it. Not that I'm overly keen about her, but I think Nicole Kidman has gotten a bum rap with her performance, I think she played the role she was given. Anyway I was starting to feel like the only person who has never seen it, so I've rectified that now.

Early night for me, this hot weather has really flagged me, probably the hot weather and the big weekend with the girls !!