New Toys Have arrived

Sorry to sound so excited but my lovely new shiny white 6.5kg Bosch washer and 6.5kg condenser dryer arrived today!! They are soooooo cool and I love them to bits. Well would have to wouldn't I or I wouldn't have bought them. Going to take a while to get used to the LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG washing cycle but man they are both so quiet and everything looks so fresh and clean… And I can do HEAPSSSSS in each load - no more 5 loads of washing a day Now all I have to do is get rid of the overhead cupboards and the tacky laundry cupboard and I will be in laundry heaven coz they stack on top of themselves (well obviously the dryer goes on top but you know what I mean). Bit overkill really as now it's starting to fine up & I can hang everything outside but the dryer will come in handy for evenings especially next term when Meleiha has swimming lessons everyday for two weeks… Tho she does have several pairs of bathers to wear I know she will only want to wear her blue ones with her matching boardies!!

Now to wait for the fireworks when the boss man gets home on Thursday as I didn't tell him I was getting them!! Hope to have the old washing machines (yes two of them!!) and the clapped out dryer out of here by then. Don't care if I only get $50 for the lot, just want them out of here!!

More old photos

Collage of pics from January 2008... Went on a bit of a bender with the chainsaw and ended up with all the hibiscus trees hacked to within an inch of their lives but they will be of so lovely this summer. Several horrid scrubby things disappeared and the natives out the front got demolished as well. Already showing signs of joyfulness in Spring with all the lovely green growth and flower buds galore. Birds are loving it too as they are nice and bushy so afford lots of protection from the chicken hawks and crows that are hanging around in abundance lately (DISLIKE CROWS intensely)... I scored some lovely unusual twisted pieces of branches which I hope to use eventually for growing things up. Noticed my creeper that appeared out of nowhere in one of my pots (migrated somehow from Ros's garden but we just can't work out how as I've never put anything from her garden in this particular pot) has sent out new growth (I thought I'd killed it as it went all brown and yack whereas everything else in there is thriving).... So am moving that up stairs on the balcony too and will tie it up & train it over a piece of the branch so it can grow around the railing... Want a jasmine or wisteria or something as pretty as that along there too for perfume in the evenings - will be so nice at night with the window open (once I get the fly screens redone)... At least I have proven that the only way to break into this place now is by smashing a window as the fly screens are funky ones that you actually have to take the window out from inside the house to get in & you have to get past the security locks as well... Good luck with that..... It's tighter than Fort Knox with all the padlocks and double locks around the place!!

Car show

Yesterday was our local annual car show... Was a great day and took a few pics but silly me put the zoom lens on so had to stand back a million miles to take shots so got lots of peoples heads & bodies in the way!! The centre pic is of Ray's Chev... Ironically he asked Max (while in Auto One - his shop), if we could stop and have a look at it while we were in Brisbane & send him back a report... but we were there a week later... it actually left the day after we arrived and as coincidence would have it, we walked into the exact shop he got it from... just up the road from where we were staying... Of course we drooled and um & ahhhed over several beauties and the owner regaled Max with what was being shipped from the States... but we walked out empty handed - I could have quite easily driven out in one or two of the Chevs or Mustangs that were there..LOL

I digress... was a great hour or two wandering around looking at the old & new cars and chatting to others we haven't seen for a while (hanging shit on those who wouldn't know original from Spam)... tho got a bit sick of people asking where our GT was... Blokes pat answer - in the shed where all good cars are kept (my answer is he's a pain in the ass & won't pull his finger out and get it back on the road - sick of hearing it's going to Perth to be re-sprayed and re-wired coz he doesn't trust anyone here in town to do it... STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND JUST DO IT ALREADY!!)

Also put my name down to be a Friend of Make A Wish foundation... been wanting to do something like this for ages - I can cook, I can create, if I can do something small to help bring some joy to a child's life then I will do it... so here's hoping I can help out soon..

Oh and stopped in at Rumahs (new store with gorgeous Asian style furniture, garden stuff & nick knacks) - very drool worthy and ohhhhh so cheap compared to some other places in town.. Discovered I know the part owner really well too so will be back soon to get my fish to go on the balcony next to the eagle!!

And my car battery died a horrible death sometime Friday I guess (well I drove it Thursday to get kids & it was fine... jumped in Saturday night & she was kaput!!) Of course I **HAD** to have left something on for it to be so flat it would not even keep a charge (would start with jumper leads but even a quick drive around the block - zip, nada) so grumble guts went to the shop next door to Rumah's to get me a new battery. I haven't driven it at all today so will see tomorrow if I am nuts in saying I think there is something severely wrong with the electrics in the car atm or it will just start first time & all it needed was the new battery.... I checked all the doors, none were open/ajar, both interior lights were off & obviously the head lights were off too or he would have noticed that Thursday night when he got home from work (DUHHHH!!)

Anyway that's our weekend, kids played in the sunshine with their water pistols for the better part of the day so I could have some Mummy time creating - painted 2 pages of a Board book challenge & found some glossy mags to rip pages out of but I'm not sure where I'll be headed with it... the others are all up to spread 4 so I am kinda behind but will get them done asap... kids willing.. Got lots to do tomorrow - shopping & picking up wise... ohhhhh and my Bosch washing machine & condenser dryer will be delivered in the morning sometime... yeahhhhh... no more smelly wet clothes & no more the house looking like a chinese laundry with coat hangers over door frames to get things dry anymore.... Thank you Mr Rudd for your generosity in handing back all my Family Benefit - hee hee... Loving the bulk payment - out of debt for the first time in 9years!!

Last Day of School

Just a shorty - last day of school....yeahhhhhhhh. Max home last night and crook as a dog. Hardly move and I'm sure he is going to cough up a lung anytime now. Twins sick again so didn't take them to school (tho I did threaten on more than one occasion this morning when they started arguing - was going to chuck them in the car in their jammies!!)
Productive day for me, got lots of washing done again, dried, folded and mostly away as it threatened rain again. Got the twins birthday presents - two new bikes & for way less than we expected. We saw them last week and basically the kids loved them so we sorta said maybe Father Christmas might be nice and bring them... Basically both bikes cost us what we thought we **had** to pay for Tyler's bike alone (according to the price/swing tag thing) - luckily the two people who helped us were friends so had the scanner thingo & showed us the checkout price and we were shocked so grabbed them straight away!! 2 for the price of one!! Plus 20% off on special.... Great start to the weekend...
Tyler must still be ill as he picked at his food and has been listless since about 3pm when he got back from Nanna & Grandads (dropped them there at lunch so we could go shopping)... He crashed just after 7pm again so will be angry no doubt that I didn't record BHG for him to watch.... Meleiha's cough returned full force tonight so have filled her up with medicine and she had her puffer as well - so far so good not heard a peep from her which is good.
Neesh went to see House Bunny at the cinema with India and Ashley - was hilarious so now I'm going to have wait til it comes out on DVD to watch it. India bought a heap of apples & oranges down for us... They are sooooo yummy... And she has the coolest glasses now - they suit her so am going to have to get photo's of her wearing them. She only needs them for driving so hopefully no more speeding tickets (ha ha ha - running joke with her mum & I!!) And silly bugger bleached her hair again - I tho't mine was light but man hers is really light but looks great!! She fell asleep & it was on for about an hour - which actually with her golden red natural colour was probably an okay thing but could have been disastrous!!
Speaking of hair had mine done the other day and Pam did the underneath 3 shades darker than the last time... She was "oh well this is the colour I use last time, you wanna go darker, how bout we do it this shade, its three numbers up"... Yes okay whatever you want to do and looks good, "oh & I might do some chunky foils on top but bring it down even more so it's really light but still use the same gold for the regrowth at the roots coz that matched the rest really well"... No worries Pam you do what you think will suit..... I love it when she gets creative with colour, it is so pale on top & so dark underneath and she shaped the sides around my face so I have a sorta fringe bit that is down to my jawline so when I pull the back up the sides are down & I can just pin them up with slide clips... exactly how I like it, when I want it off my face. And when I straighten it - looks awesome but not so good down in the wind coz it sticks to my lipgloss (ha ha). Anyhow next time (November) I'm going to ask if the colour she used underneath she will mix some of that in with the blonde foils she does so I have a few bits of the dark on top too, especially around my face as I think somethings the light is too light and with summer coming it's going to be worse being out in the sun all the time.....
Anyway I'm off to bed, it's after midnight and I think we may be heading down for the car show cruize tomorrow and then the show Sunday... It's forecasting showers & 18 degrees so should be nice if the rain doesn't show up, just pleasant and not too warm... Pam said there is a heap more entrants this year (her partner & her are members of the car club & she is on the committee) so they are at a bigger venue so I am looking forward to going....

Scrapbooking layouts & stamping

Okay so **yes** this is the same two pages - just one set taken in the protector, one out on my easel to show the colours properly (love this kit from ClubScrap - gonna hate using up all this POP). And #Yes# they are my nails - cool huh?? Way longer now too as I didn't get them filed Monday, just reshaped and filled - boy they grow a lot in 4 weeks!! Anyway - I tried the crayon resistant thing with my wheel using my Versacolor ink pads - now that is a funny story coz they are the little cubes so picture me trying to ink the jumbo wheel with this eeeny green ink cube... Hilarious to watch!! Not so fun to clean the wheel after!!... Used more versacolor for the colouring with some makeup sponges I got from the cheap shop (Red Dot store - $2.99 for this big bag of assorted shapes & colours)... As they are pigment inks had to wait til the next day for them to dry, then buffed the crayon off taking the ink with it... Way cool effect and the girls loved it. This is an 8x8 album I got in a MEGA kit of c**p - love the albums, hate all the junk that came with it (bought 4 - one for each child as the albums weren't available separately!!)... The kids have scored all the tags, handmade paper shapes/frames stuff. Have to admit I kept the eyelets & fibres included in all four kits but the rest was ghastly so offloaded for their creations... I may re-score the flower punch shapes as they are a lot like Prima's & I can easily change the pastel colours with ink but not sure I need them at this stage til I have used up the 6 bottles of real thing I have here already (and the other 30 odd 400gm Moconna coffee jars full - flower obsession... noooooo whatever made you think that!! )

More Use-it-Up creations

Have seen a heap of baggies made from one sheet of 12x12 sheets of paper so decided to have a go myself using my Scor-pal. Things I have learnt - not all doublesided papers are alike - some are just toooooo thin for this type of work and with the Scor-pal they tore straight through... One must also **try** to make a template for ease of marking when using the slot punch coz no amount of eye-balling gets it right... But altogether they turned out lovely. Second pick is for my Sis for her 40th last week (had Happy stamped inside)... I saw this technique somewhere (must learn how to copy links and keep them to give the right credit!!) where you stamp in versmark ink and emboss with white powder, then wash with your watercolour crayons. I liked the idea but I didn't have white EP so just used my clear with the sparkly bits from my darlings mixing experiments a few years back (I have it all in a big Tupperware container as I did a bulk buy with some friends so we all got about 200gms each - that is A LOT of EP when you start using it & realise how little you need!!) Not quite sure how I did it but I do know that it involved HEAPS of water & tissues and heating gently with the heatgun to get the right amount of colour and washout.
The other two are more Use-it-Up ClubScrap POP's and experimenting with different looks with the same stamps. It's not very clear but the green cards flower has been coloured with metallic pencils with baby oil.. I think it is my version of Black Magic technique (thank you Ari M for the baby oil idea) - it really is shiny in real life and looks so cool... The red is hard to see but I tore a "mask" frame and stamped inside the frame, then overstamped with the outline of the flowers, masking one or two as well... again looks great in real life....
Do you like my little easel.. so cute came from the 2 Buck Shop ($2 shop) with a cute little canvas for kids to paint - kids got the canvas and paints, etc - I scored the easels!! It is sitting on a block of leftover wood from my bench hubby made. Meleiha did some artwork on it - a starry winged butterfly with a gorgeous expression on it's face & "To Mummy" written underneath. She didn't officially give it to me as I think her big sister gave her heaps about it and Meleiha threw it in the rubbish.... I retrieved it and it sits proudly on my desk now....

Experimenting with Digital

Well Blogger lost this post for some reason so I am not going to retype the whole blurb... Anyhow this is my first attempt at Digi scrapping using elements & design from a cool book I got from Doubleday Book Club... "Layouts For Scrapbooking" by Helen Bradley. I love it, its easy, everything is there on the included disc and has step by step photo's that this Photoshop dummy was able to follow and create in a flash the above.
Do yourself a favour if you want an easily explained instruction book for beginners in Digital Scrapbooking.... (still love my paper & messy ds tape tho!!)

My Poor Neglected Machine

Here it is, my darling MemoryCraft 9000. I bought this just before Zach died in '98 and I fell in love with the ease of use, the embroidery function, the cards and all the whizz bang feet it came with to create so many different pictures, stitches & seam finishes. With this baby & my Janome overlocker I was in heaven making all the kids clothes with little bits of embroidery & monograms on their clothes... Fast forward a few years to 2000 and the arrival of the twins. Still sewing - a LOT especially with two babies but then those two babies got very mobile and inquisitive and my days of leaving my machine out, uncovered ready to go at a moments notice on my special Horn sewing/overlocker cabinet were over.... When I got a free chance - not very often with four kids as you can imagine (Max at work from 6am 6 days a week with his transport managers job & when he was home he was tired & asleep by 8pm) - she got released from the darkness to be used generally to fix a hem or resew buttons. No more fancy stitching, no more embroidery... Then of course the move to the new house, then 2yrs on another move - even less time to do anything as a single Mum and my baby got relegated to the inside of the cabinet.... Fast forward to Sept 08 and low and behold another new home, a wee 8yr old interested in making things and a mummy itching to teach her!!
MC gets lovingly taken to the fix-it man who oils her, re-tensions her, gives her a clean new look and a new globe (he broke it so no biggie) and she is home again... Out in the light and being used once again.... Gosh it's been along time and I really didn't realise how much I missed sewing and the joy of creating something from some coloured material and cotton.
Watch this space.....

Mummy... My Tooth Came Out

Poor baby not only was he running a temperature so bad you could fry an egg on those cheeks but then his tooth decides to FINALLY come out so we have to contend with blood everywhere (why is that??? I hate head wounds and when the kids bite inside their cheeks or their tongue...ewwww!!!). Tyler was so ill and had to have a cloth to spit into coz of course, he hated the taste of the blood in his mouth.
He had woken on Saturday morning and bounced out of bed ready for his soccer match, then the went to Hungry Jacks for a team celebration but Daddy said he slowly faded and became cuddly boy (when that happens - you know it's time to come home & you're in for a rough time!!)... So back in the car & home by 11.30... I wasn't feeling the best - hot & cold and horrrrrenddddous headache so we made a fine pair... By the time Max, Neesh & Meleiha left 10mins later to go to Nanna & Grandad's for lunch, Tyler was fast asleep in my bed, didn't even watch the movie I put on for him. I laid down next to him and had a snooze too but had to get up just before 2pm to get Josh from work. Poor kid could barely move but I had to take him as Max wasn't back yet. Home again and straight back to bed. Kept him drinking water & tried to get him to eat but he picked and not interested and back alseep again just after 6pm. Had nightmares or was delirious - not sure which but was screaming for Meleiha and so distressed.... it is heartbreaking to see them in pain like that. I ended up laying with him for a while but it was so cold in their room & he was so hot!! Couldn't get Max in with him as he had to work Sunday so needed his rest (or he becomes the grumpy truck driving monster from hell - we hate it when dad has a crap week at work with nix sleep & comes home tired!!)
Sunday he was still a bit down but he did have an up moment or two even went for a motorbike ride but only lasted about 10minutes as he got tired again.
Went to school Monday but was very tired and grizzly when he got off the bus & still saying not hungry so just nibbling on food - crashed like a tonne of bricks early again.
Got up this morning late and not really with it... Neither of them wanted to go to school so gave them their note to say ring me if they get worse!! Nothing so far (2pm) so all good I hope.
Thank goodness the school holidays start this weekend. Rest, sleep-ins, relaxation and preparation for their birthday party are the main things on the agenda (oh and the usual termly vacation fling out of clothes & crap from the house)
I am over these bugs going around - even the doctor said they are longest "holding on" factor ones they have seen in years. Makes one want to buy a tropical island in the middle of the ocean and go back to basics!! With my internet still for shopping & communication tho or i'd go crazy!!!

Pics for last post

More gems from picasa

Little note cards using up smaller pieces for ClubScrap POP's & my yeah hoo fab SU scallop punch & circle punch (the one that matches no idea the size). Another card using up stash & the SU label punch - got this last year from a friend in the States ... came in a brilliant tin with inks & stamps to match... Naughty I know but still haven't used the stamps but I will - **eventually**. Orange dress card is Daneesha's birthday card - cut it out allll myyyyy selllfff (after seeing something similar myself & searching for a template to no avail). Embossed with my cuttlebug folder, punched the neckline with my nestabilities & did sort of a water coloured girlfriends heart & then covered it with glossy accents & more pearl dust. Oh forgot to mention that the scoring you see on a lot of my stuff is using my Scor-pal. I love it... the only thing I need to do is get some clear contact & print out cm's to correspond with the score lines so I can accurately do folds using our metric paper (set up for inches & I always get it wrong by a few mm!!) I think there is an insert for metric measurements but I haven't got round to sourcing it YET!!

Hockey Windup

Had Meleiha's hockey windup last weekend. As you can see by the clouds looming in the background, it threatened rain most of the day but held off until just as we left the beach at 2.30pm. Had a ball & filled them all up with snags & onion from the bbq & lots of juice. Had an inpromptu game as well which was hilarious in itself as there was no real rules, boundaries and the little kids had a HUGE cone goal area whereas the big kids had about a metre between theirs!! Really hope we can keep the little ones together next year so will keep in touch with G & hope they still have spots on the team for Meleiha next year. India & Mrs A stopped by too as they spotted us from the road!! India recognised her old jacket I was wearing (bit hard not too when it is bright purple with a white design emblazoned over it - a surf brand not sure which!!)
Oh... I did the right thing and voted at the Surf Club while we were there. I will admit to voting for Peter Watson as I do think he does a good job in the district but will admit I also voted 1 for the Nationals in the numbered vote. I really thought it was time for them to put their money where their mouths are & if they can get us back some of the wealth the bush creates - I am happy we gave them a go. Labour hasn't done squat but build infrastructure for the city which have all blown out in budgets or become major eyesores & white elephants!!
Off my soap box now!!

Recent creations

Been trying out a few new ideas & trying to work out how to get some decent photo's of my creations. Mostly use it up things with my ClubScrap POP's & versacolor cubes. Plus some clear embossing powder & a wee bit of sparkly stuff (like crystal glitter but really fine - bottles here somewhere - pearl dust - that's it!!) With the Always card I did a bit of rock n roll with the versacolors (pigment inks) & then clear embossed and it really made the detail come alive but it is so hard to get a decent pic. The bird is stamped with beige under as a shadown then foam squares under to lift it. Oh & for something different used the SU spiral punch as a decorative finish.

The Restaurant Assembly

Tyler had his assembly Friday week & wanted to be a chef (personally I think he looks more like a butcher with that apron & black pants/white shirt but he was happy!!) The whole show was brilliant I just wish I had gone up the front and sat on the floor to get some better photo's. They started with some food facts, then a demonstration of food combinations, a little song about pots & pans and how mum love pots & pans (you could hear the collective snigger from all mum's present but it was a funny little ditty!!)... Then they topped it all off by buiding a food pyramid (which I missed so do wish I was down the front)... Altogether a fun morning & so glad Max was home to come along too....
Am loving the collage function of Picasa!!

More layouts

More MSH Challenges and I'm outa here I am so tired from last night & now Tyler is running a major fever too... Summer where are you - am over my kids being sick and me being tired all the time!!

Layouts

More layouts from last year MSH challenges - using up my ClubScrap kits & Stampin' Up sets