Still scrapping

I've never found a craft that has fulfilled me as much as scrapbooking, being able to get down on paper the stories and preserve the photographs, it's really filling a creative outlet for me. Although I did take a trip over to the next town yesterday and just wandered amongst the beautiful materials, thinking hmmm step-daughter no.1 is turning 18 next May, maybe I'll make her a quilt although her favourite colours are hot pink and lime green at the moment so I fear there may be sunglasses necessary when sewing. Plus there's that sock that needs to be grafted and the pair started.

Ahhh so many projects, so little time.

Another page for the family history book, I do love these vintage pages especially, they are so fun to do. I used the Afternoon Cha kit again. The paper really made me think of the pretty patterns on the dresses we wore. All in our "Sunday best" visiting my great grandmother (my grandpa's mother). She has long since passed away now, she was born in 1900, no hiding her age, we always knew how old she was due to the year we were in. But being the first great grandchildren for her, I know we had a special place in her heart.

Credits here.

Now back to the dining room table with me, I'm knee-deep in Christmas stockings. Yes, you read right. A number of people have asked whether I would be making them again this year and I am, so stay tuned. I may need ear plugs though, Mike is working on his bagpipes at the moment in the house, it's LOUD !!

Father's Day

Well we've had a full house here today for Father's Day. It initially started off with some very quiet plans, Mike and I and number 2 daughter was staying for the weekend. In the end number 1 son rode down on his motorbike from Melbourne and my father-in-law came as well. Three generations and I think it really tickled Mike pink. He's not one for fuss or bother. But I'm so glad it turned out like it did.

A beautiful roast lamb for lunch, followed by banana cake and icecream for dessert. Perfection. Mike did a little toast to my dad at the beginning of the meal and the tears really brimmed ready to flow. My first father's day without my dad. I do note though that my father-in-law hugged me that much more tightly which made me feel quite warm and fuzzy.

So because it's Father's Day I thought I'd show you a page I did of my dad that I don't believe I've shown before. This photograph appeared in the Herald Sun after the Moomba procession was held in 1979. Moomba is a big procession in Melbourne, with floats and bands and huge huge crowds. And let me tell you it's a long march blowing a brass instrument, I can say that from experience because I've marched in my fair share too, although never getting my picture in the newspaper like this. It was a shock having breakfast the next morning, I remember dad was flipping through the pages over his bowl of cornflakes and sees a picture of himself large as life before him.

Credits here.

Another weekend

Although every day is a weekend to me at the moment, and I'm loving it like that. I have a day set out in front of me to knit, to sew and to scrapbook, I'll pop on a roast lamb for dinner and the day will be just about perfect.

We were down in Geelong yet again yesterday as my brother got married. His girlfriend of 4 years has immigrated from America with her two boys (who yes, they will be my scrapbooking victims too because they are as cute as can be) and they were married in the backyard in a very simple ceremony. They plan on having a more "girly" ceremony next year in the nice weather.

I do believe I know every single lump and bump in that so called highway right now, ha.

I have made another page for the album, a picture of my dad and his dad, just hanging out on the back porch at home. I wonder what they were talking about? From looking at the other slides and the clothes they both had on, I do believe this was Christmas Day 1965, probably the aftermath of opening presents and both of them disappearing while the "girls" were doing the lunch dishes more likely.

I used the beautiful new kit by creashens called "Afternoon Cha". Click on the picture to take you to twolittlepixels.

And Sharon brought out this most beautiful paperpack, so soft and pretty, so I had to go borrow a friend's baby and scrap these cutest pictures. Expect more of this little cherub, I have a whole CD of beautiful pictures to scrap of this bright eyed girl.

Using Paper Essentials-Shadowed Soft by [ksharonkdesigns] and other goodies. Credits here.

Spring has sprung

A beautiful day today, how is it that you turn the calendar to September and all of a sudden Mother Earth knows it is Spring. The rainy days that we've had ad nauseum for weeks on end just stop mysteriously and the sun comes out. Most strange.

And we actually ate dinner tonight with the back door open. And there's no fire going in the fireplace at the moment. That hasn't happened since before winter began.

I wonder how long it will last.

Another page for the family album, it's fun being able to discover these old pictures of our lives and to be able to share them with you. I would dare say I had this little nurse's costume to copy off mum who used to be a mothercraft nurse, complete with red cape. What a little "mini me" I was, te he. It does really make me giggle because anyone who knows me knows I adore fancy dress, looks like it was engrained in my early years.

Credits here.

Thank you for your thoughts about the candle yesterday. It was a nice day. We met at the cemetary although our timing wasn't all that great, there was a funeral a couple of rows over arrive just after we got there. Then we took my father-in-law out for lunch, then on to my niece and nephew's school to surprise them with my sister-in-law when she had to collect them. The look on their faces were priceless. They came running up to my sister-in-law as per usual and then stopped, did a double take, and then kept running again straight into Uncle Michael's arms. Too too cute.

Then because it was that kind of day, we went to the other cemetary over the other side of town and visited my nanna and poppa's graves (from the story time in daddy's arms page). Mike had never been there before to see where they were buried.

We meandered the couple of hours home, made dinner and lit Pat's candle. And that was our day.

Back again, but not for long

I'm back again, for tonight, then back to Geelong tomorrow for the day. I know every single pot hole in that "so called" highway I do believe. Tomorrow is, well was, my mother-in-law's birthday. Being so close to her passing we wanted to spend it with my husband's family.

I gave Mike tonight a candle I got from that beautiful shop Dusk. It is absolutely gorgeous, cream coloured with almost sparkles on it, will burn a zillion hours, so hopefully will last our lifetime, and it's sitting on a lovely glass plate with like mother of the pearl shell tiles around it. That will be Pat's candle. Whenever he feels the need to light it. Her birthday, mother's day, Christmas, whenever. He got a wee bit emotional about it. He said we'll definitely be lighting it tomorrow.

Another page to show for the family album. A rare photograph with my nanna and poppa (dad's parents) in it. Nanna passed away when I was about 5 or so. I have no memory of her apart from photographs. Another reason this family album is such an important project of mine and has become almost an obsessive passion to complete.

Credits here.

I got home this afternoon and Molly came racing over to the car, saw me get out, very excited, then ran around to the passenger side to wait for mum to get out, alas no mum. Molly was very put out, it made me laugh. I think she's in love with my mum.

Although I'm so tired right now, I'm hanging out till 11.15pm to watch the repeat of Project Runway which I missed last night. It's the wedding dress edition, so should be good. I really am addicted to reality tv. Not all, but some. And of course the beauty of being on holidays from work means I can get a sleep in tomorrow morning! Either that or I'll snooze in the car as Mike is driving.

Having a fine time with mum

Although it hasn't stopped raining all weekend. Friday was an okay day but Saturday and Sunday it rained and hasn't stopped.

We did go shopping on Saturday, a bit of wet weather wasn't going to stop us. We ended up at Port Fairy and went in and out of every single boutique there, bliss! Mum snapped up some bargains, lovely Italian knitted jumpers at $49 each! Gorgeous. Score one for mum. We ended up having lunch at Time and Tide, delicious. We rounded it off by sharing the most magnificent chocolate brownie cake, covered with rich chocolate sauce, icecream, cream and strawberries. Too bad I left my camera in the boot of the car because it was truly sensational. And more than a little sinful.

I'm heading back with mum to take her home tomorrow. And of course more shopping!

Off to bed with me now but before I go here's another page to share of the family album. This is my very very favourite family photograph. We were out the back of grandma and grandpa's under his apple tree. I just love this picture, I have turned it into a vintage hue here, but have it framed as a black & white pic on our mantle piece.

Credits here.

Tail end of it

Thank goodness we're at the tail end of Mike being sick, although he's still using it as an excuse to get out of the dishes. Men are really really bad at being sick aren't they? I use a very general sweeping statement there I know. But women might be knocked to the rafters with being sick but they still keep on keeping on. Beds still need to be made, meals still need to be cooked, things still need to be tidied and put away and cleaned. Part of our multi-skilling perhaps? Who knows. Just that often if we don't do it, it doesn't get done.

Okay, rant over!

Mum is coming to stay today for a few days, I'm so looking forward to it. Again madly cleaning yesterday. te he. Everything is clean enough, but you know how it is, you want it to be perfect for your mum.

Onto scrapping. I was thinking the other day how funny this is. Although not scrapbooking per se (because I didn't even know what it was), I loved when I came home from travelling overseas, that I would put a photo album together. It had to be perfect. Perfect placement of pictures, stories typed up on coloured paper, memorabilia inserted such as tickets and the like. Everything pristine and a pleasure to view.

The great trend in scrapbooking I think at the moment and I've jumped on the band wagon with full force is to distress things. I love this look. This antiquated, crumpled, torn look. Obviously perfect for vintage pages, but why did I do it for the Molly page shown in my last post? Who knows. I just like the look.

Back to my photo albums of my trips. I would be horrified if I had torn a ticket when putting it in the album and any crease marks from folding memorabilia were straightened out as much as I could and if pictures weren't exactly perfect they didn't make the cut.

How funny that my way of thinking has gone 180 degrees.

Another page for the family book. There are not many baby/toddler pictures of Trevor, I'm having a hard time finding them but there was a reason. Mum and dad with a sick baby and a toddler (me) in tow, really didn't find time to take a lot of pictures of him. Thank heavens for the digital age today, nice and quick and instant.

Credits here.