Back from the Bush!

Only this time last week Cass and I were at the Townsville Airport, ready to board our flight back to Brisbane after an amazing long weekend at Hughenden for Outback Scrap.  It was a long time in the planning and despite some hiccups along the way, Kerry, Lindy and Karen from Flinders Poppy Arts and Crafts Group did a fantastic job of organising the whole event.  Women came from all parts of the Queensland outback including Julia Creek, Barcaldine and Cloncurry.  I think there was even a lady from Mackay who travelled all that way!  The ladies who came to take classes were all just amazing too, wonderful down to earth women.  I loved meeting everyone!  It was a great opportunity for the ladies to try new techniques and products and I really hope the classes provided some valuable new scrapping skills.  Sandra and Rachelle did some great classes too and it was fab to spend time with Rachelle on the trip up and back and get to know her a bit better.  It was a wonderful weekend for all.  Half the fun of course was the chance to sit and chat and we had plenty of opportunities for that.  The recreational hall in Hughenden is fantastic too, as good as you will see anywhere, with lots of room for sport, theatre, etc and a great industrial kitchen where the local ladies fed us the most amazing home cooked food every day in between classes.  On our very first day in Hughenden we had morning tea at Karen's house and had the most amazing pikelets and rosella jam and cream.  I don't even like pikelets but wow I do now!!!  And I had no idea I liked rosella jam either because I've never had it before so there's two new faves to add to my list of things I shouldn't like as much as I do.

Cass and I stayed on a beautiful cattle farm outside of Hughenden which is owned by Kerry and her lovely husband Alan who cooked us up hot breakfast every single day!  What a man!!!  They are really lovely people and the farm was great, a real piece of true outback Australia.  Cass and I stayed in cottage (see above) on the farm and it reminded me so much of my Nanna's old miner's cottage where I used to go and stay for Christmas holidays when I was a kid; all corrugated iron and glass louvre windows.  The constant noise of cattle and wind was weird but relaxing at the same time, simply because it was so different to the sounds of home.  On the Sunday night when the classes were finished for the weekend and we had packed up the hall we all went up to Mt Walker for drinks and fish and chips for dinner.  The sunset was just amazing out there and there were so many stars at night without the city lights to draw attention away from them.  I'll share more photos later; I had to rely on Cass's camera for any shots I wanted to take as Caeligh dropped my camera a few weeks ago and I didn't have the money for a new one before I left.  I'm hoping to remedy that really soon though - I miss my camera!!!!  The photo of Cass and I lying on the road is on the way back from the drinks that night - note the roadkill in the background?  "Don't sleep on road!!!!" is the message here people!!! lol  There is more to the story but for now let's say we'd had a few to drink and were being egged on by our hosts!!!

The picture down the bottom is of me and Cass - on quad bikes mustering cattle!!!!  Ha ha I never thought I'd see the day!!!! lol  We got up Monday morning with the anticipation that Alan said he would teach us to ride the quad bikes so we could have a look around the property but then he put us to work!  Mustering cattle isn't as hard as I thought but it did take a little while to figure out how the cows respond to where you are behind them and how fast you're going etc.  We got the hang of it pretty quickly and after a while Alan left us to it with 65 head of cattle including a couple of massive bulls who looked like the size of cars and would kill you if they sat on you!  There were also quite a few poddy calves, still fuzzy and only a few days old.  Seriously cute!!!!  I think we did okay for a couple of city gals!!!  It was the best fun I have had in ages and I would love nothing more than to take the kids out there one day so they can see what country life is really all about - I fear though that they wouldn't ever want to leave once they got out there!  Is that such a bad thing - I'm not sure.  After only a few days in Hughenden I could see me happily packing up and leaving the city behind.  I wouldn't want to be too far from a regional city but let's just say it was very appealing and I'm lucky that with my typing job I can work virtually anywhere.  Just a thought for now....

Up the top is a pic of Cass and I at Mt Walker with our bona fide cowgirl hats on!  Mine sits proudly (upside down, Alan, just like you told me!!!!) on my desk with the faint coating of Hughenden dust still on it that I refuse to wipe away.  It's my most treasured souvenir of the trip and I'll be sure to wear it every chance I get.  After getting to do actual cattle mustering I figure I've earned it!!! lol

The house has been totally upside down while I've been done.  We had a total internal repaint last week so I came home to every scrapbooking item I possess being packed in boxes - where it all still sits because all I've done is type since I got home.  I'm really itching to do some though because I did a layout while I was away during free crop time that I really love.  It isn't me but that's okay, I'm still really happy with it.  I'll have to ask Cass to scan it for me.  

Speaking of scrapping, you know what I'm going to start doing again?  Challenge blogs.  I used to love them and some of my best work came from doing challenges, comps, etc when I was just getting started and I think I need that motivation back in my scrapping.  There are so many great sites now.  I know that our Everyday Garbage challenge blog really fell off the wagon.  Cass and I just struggled to find time to do what had to be done for it each month but if anyone is interested in us doing it once a month for inspiration purposes then let us know.  I am pretty sure I can fit in once a month but rather than getting people to send their work to us, we can put up examples of what we've done and then people can post a link to their blogs for people to come and see.  It would be more a place for inspiration rather than the way we tried to run it before.  If you're up for that we'd love to know.  

Likewise if you know of any great challenge blogs that really do it for your mojo, please drop me a comment and let me know.  I hear names floating around the blogsphere but I don't have time to find them all so if you have a favourite I'd love to know what it is.  There are so many out there that I imagine it's hard to choose.  I'm also planning on going from 12x12 layouts to A4 size for my challenge blog stuff, just becuase I don't have an A3 scanner at home (I use the one at Cass's place for my 12x12 stuff) and because for me if I see a challenge that inspires me I want to create right away, do something immediately and scan and upload it so I have to utilise the A4 scanner I have under my desk.  Maybe the change in size will be good for mojo as well.  I've never tried it before and used to think it was a bit sacreligeous to scrap in anything other than 12x12 but I'm very ready to expand the horizons and grow some wings (and grow some balls too!) and try something different.  How many of you have tried A4 or is it 12x12 all the way?  I don't think it will become my preferred side but for challenge blogs I really want instant gratification so it's a way for me to achieve that.

I'm off to - you'll never guess! - TYPE!!! lol  My work is a'calling me so I must pull out the proverbial finger and get something done.  I have extra work this week and don't want to miss Friday night's crop at CyberScraps as the new Basic Grey is in plus some cool new Pink Paislee alphabet stickers (mmmmmmmmm....alphabet stickers....drool).  I'm looking forward to catching up with the chickies and seeing what everyone's been up to. 

Have a good week everyone and don't forget about those challenge blogs!!!  Love, Lu xx

Outback Scrap - Hughenden 15,16 an 17 August 2008

These are the two projects I'm doing for Outback Scrap this weekend.  It's going to be a really fun weekend of scrapping and running amok in the beautiful Queensland outback!!  If you are a local or you don't mind a drive (a really looooong drive!) then you can give Lindy a call on (07) 47410385 or Karen on (07) 4741 1911 to find out more info, class descriptions, sizes, costs, etc, plus the low down on things like how to get there, accommodation and all the other things to do while visiting the region.  Both of these ladies have been absolutely amazing in organising this event for the Flinders Poppy Arts, Crafts and Resources Group and have overcome some massive obstacles to be able to put on what is sure to be a fantastic weekend of scrapping and fun.

Cass and I are already starting to pack as we have an early flight on Thursday morning up to Townsville, where we spend one night, before flying out to Hughenden early Friday morning.  I'm really looking forward to catching up with my aunt Anne (my birth mother's sister), whom I've only met once, and my birth mother's parents whom I have never met in person.  It's certainly been a long 34 years for them as the last time they saw me was in the hospital after I was born.  I'm hoping to catch up with them for a couple of hours when we get to Townsville as they live there.  All of our kits are already being couriered up as they are too heavy for the flight to Hughenden also so hopefully they will arrive today or tomorrow.  I'll feel more relaxed once we know they've arrived.

As for home, we've all been sick here.  We've all had a cold for the last couple of weeks and then Caeligh brought home a gastro bug on Wednesday afternoon from kindy.  The poor thing was so sick and so I spent Thursday looking after her but then by the early  hours of Friday morning I had the same thing and I have never been so sick in my life!!!  I wound up in hospital trying to find an anti-nausea drug that would work and I lost 5kg in three days.  That's good from a weight loss perspective but cruddy in that as soon as I start eating again it will all come back.  Right now all I can stomach is water, Gatorade, diet shakes (I was sure the milk would not agree with me but seems all good) and fruit.  That's literally all I can eat right now.  I guess it's one way to change bad eating habits!!!! lol  So Blayd and James got sick too over the weekend and Doug and Lachie seemed to be unscathed, how I'll never know.  It's so weird that some people get it and some don't.  But because my immune system was already down because of the cold I had, which is why I got such a bad bout of gastro to begin with, now that I'm slowly recovering from that, my cold is worse than ever so I'm also living on vitamins and Codral to get through the week.  I just want to feel human again in time for Thursday!!!  I've never been on a plane so I'm really excited now and it turns out that Thursday is a student free day here so all the kids will be coming to the airport to see me off as well which is cool.  Doug and I have never been apart in 11 years as we will be this week, five nights, and he's already telling me he'll miss me.  I'll miss them too but there's a part of me that's really looking forward to going and having that freedom and independence that comes from being away from home and family and not having to worry about anyone but yourself, even for a few days.  It's a great restorative but not many mothers get the chance to do it.  

I'm going to go and get started with my work for the day.  I have to try to make up for what I won't be earning while I'm away.  I'm also going to go make a shake and find some fruit to eat.  I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to blog again before I go because I have a busy few days with stuff to finish for Kaisercraft as well as something for Scrapbooking Memories plus work plus packing etc so if I don't chat to you all again have a great week and I'll be sure to post some pics when I get back.  I'm trying to convince Doug to let me take his laptop so I can check email and stuff while I'm gone but he's funny about giving me something valuable like a laptop.  I'm just as likely to leave it on the plane or in the ladies room!!!! lol  Chat soon, Lu xx

Scrapbook Creations Issue 57 and a massive TOOT!!!

Now first of all this is the big TOOT I'm talking about - nothing to do with scrapping cos that's a bit up oneself!!! lol  What we have above, courtesy of some Japanese car fan website, is a picture of this very lovely Black Mitsubishi Colt - identical to the one n ow sitting in my driveway!!!!

Her name is Lola and I'm definintely in love, or at least very appreciative, to have her.  We bought her last week, finally making the decision to buy a second car after managing with only one for about seven years.  Seven years is how long it's been since I have had my *own* car so that I can come and I go as I like.  I've been stranded at home on the days I'm working because Doug takes our slowly expiring old van to work every day and his mother has been dropping off and picking up the kids from school for me.  That hasn't been without it's problems so the children are all very happy with the arrival of Lola.  I was even a good girl and did my research first on what we were going to buy, reading car reviews, specifications on all the different types of small cars available etc.  I've never prepared for something quite so thoroughly!!!  I also went into the showroom knowing exactly what I wanted to pay for her and the extras I wanted that I wasn't prepared to pay for so the salesman had to figure out a way to have them incorporated into the price I was happy to pay.  It all worked out beautifully and while I'm probably paying a percent or so more in interest than I would have liked (because I've only been working for myself for such a short time) I figure I can wait it out a year, establish the business a bit more and refinance her next year at a better rate.  So I finally have my freedom back and boy does it feel good!  I went out the day after we got her and bought a pink fluffly steering wheel cover and black seatcovers with pink love hearts on them as well as matching floor mats.  Even a pink air freshener.  Can you tell I'm trying to discourage Doug from wanting to drive it all the time instead of me???? lol  It now definitely looks like he has borrowed his wife's car when he drives it.  It hasn't deterred him that much though because Doug has never owned a brand  new car before in his life and I let him drive her home from the showroom on the day we picked her up.  He's really enjoying driving something that doesn't make strange, unidentifiable noises and that will actually promise to get him where he is going!  And very unlike me, Lola is being kept spotlessly clean!!! lol  No rubbish left in the car, no eating in the car, nothing gets left in the car and she's been washed once already.  Black does show all the dirt sadly so every morning I use a special cloth to give her a quick wipe over before I drive her.  I plan on keeping her a long time so I want to take good care of her.  I figure cos she gives about 600km per tank of fuel I should really treat her nicely!!! lol  So there is my exciting news.  I'll take an actual picture of my Lola when I get a new camera as Caeligh dropped my good camera and busted the lens so it is stuck halfway and won't close or open fully anymore, completely crapped...not very happy about that......

In other exciting news....(not that a pic of my ever-widening arse is exciting, trust me....lol)

My first ever article for SC has come out in the latest issue - 57.  I have to say I'm really excited about it.  I'm glad that after doing the whole pubbing thing for a while I'm not sick of it or unappreciative of it.  I'm still feeling very thankful to have my article picked up and I think Kim and the team at SC have done a fab job with this issue.  I'm missing one layout - No Mama - because it's actually my Masters single layout entry from last year *my bad* but I figure somebody may as well use it if they like it.  I just can't find where I've put the photographs of my Masters stuff which is why it isnt' there.

The typing is going great guns to the point where work just keeps coming from the most unexpected places and with people coming to me instead of me having to go and find them.  One of those things that makes me thankful that God is working in my life even though I know I don't give Him nearly as much time or thought as I should.  But having the makings of what hopefully continues to be a successful business has brought so much change into our lives that I am grateful, really grateful, and it makes the long hours and lack of sleep far more bearable, knowing that hard work is paying off and that we can use that money to do things for our family that we couldn't afford to before AKA Lola.  Without the business there's no way we could have gotten another car, not even a second hand one let alone a new one.  How sad when I'm excited that we went lounge shopping last weekend while all the kids were off with their gran and we found a lounge we like.  We've also never owned a new lounge before, always hand-me-downs and cast-offs from other people or second hand from op shops (not that I haven't loved some of our old lounges!) and the one we have now is totally wrecked and another lounge is getting to be a priority.  So we've found the one we like and we're going to save up to go and buy it.  I even got excited about buying new towels!!!  I've never bought a set of towels before in my life, I've gotten one or two when I've had money or they've been really cheap so every towel in my house is mismatched, a beach towel or full of holes.  I went to KMart a couple of weeks ago when their manchester was on special and bought extra blankets for the kids' beds and I bought 10 matching big towels.  It's those kind of things that we've never spent money on before that I'm really grateful for too.  I'm sure for some people it's totally normal to regularly buy a new set of towels or linen etc on a regular basis but with four kids I know there's lots of you out there too who know that those kind of things are waaaay down the list of priorites and are just frivolous wants instead of actual needs.  It's also about knowing that when the bills come in we can pay them.  That in itself has been a huge stress relief for Doug as I know he worries about that kind of stuff alot and now I'm glad that I can do my part to help so he doesn't have to worry so much.

I've been getting ready for my first ever plane trip next week to Hughenden for Outback Scrap.  I'll put up a post about that shortly so you can see the layout and album I'll be doing.  It's been a lot of work in the lead up but I can't wait to get up there and meet everyone who has been involved and so helpful.  Karen and Lindy from Flinders Poppy - the craft group who has organised the event - have been absolutely amazing and performed some not so small miracles in the face of adversity.  I will definitely be buying those girls a drink!!!  

I'm also excited to hopefully be catching up with my Aunty Anne (my birth mother's sister) and my grandparents whom I've never met.  They live in Townsville and we have a stop-over there before flying out to Hughenden so I'm really looking forward to meeting them and getting some photos.

Well I'm going back to my typing.  I've got a whole pile of Kaisercraft goodies to do up for the coming months of releases along with the other v.talented Kaiser girls so I want to do some of that tonight as well once the typing is finished plus finish off the rest at Jilly's place tomorrow.

Take care y'all!!! Love Lu xx

Unexciting me....

Only unexciting because I haven't really been up to much to share with anyone! lol  It's been a lot of work, work, work and more work, and if someone had told me six months ago (when I was still thinking about how to get my own business off the ground and wondering how on earth I was going to find any clients) that now I'd have people coming to me with offers of work and that I'd have to start turning work down because I have too much, I would never, ever have believed it.  On one hand I'm extremely grateful because being self-employed can be real feast or famine stuff - you either have heaps of work or sometimes not nearly enough to pay the bills - but on the other hand it has left me with so little time for scrapping that I feel like I've forgotten how to scrap properly!!!  I haven't sat and had a whole day to scrap in a long time.  I've been going to Cyberscraps for our fortnightly crop nights which is good but then it's such a fun social thing to catch up with the girls that sometimes I don't even feel like scrapping then.  It can be more fun just chatting and catching up instead.  I did "Unleaded or Regular" at our last crop night.  Glad to have it finished as I started it the fortnight before and it just sat in my bag until the next crop night.  Nothing brilliant but I had wanted to do this layout for a while.  I took the photo of the Coke cans at my birthday lunch this year when Cass and I went out for Singaporean for lunch.  She's always been the full strength "regular" Coke and I've always been the "unleaded" Diet Coke and that's how we both refer to it if we're getting each other a drink "Do you want regular or unleaded?" even though we both know the answer already.  The layout looks black on the right hand side because I cut a one inch strip off the paper so the photo mount corner would stick out and the scanner just sees black if there's nothing there.

The layout below is a "play" layout that I did over at Jill's place a couple of weeks ago.  Jamie went for a sleep over and it was his first "proper" sleep over at a friend's house.  He's used to having sleep overs at Gran's place but staying with friends was a first for him.  It was also Levi and Jonah's first time having a friend sleep over at their place.  Luckily they were all beautifully behaved.  Doesn't it make you wonder why they don't ever do that for their own parents but will be perfect angels for other people?!?!?  I'm referring to James there but I'm glad to hear he didn't have Jill and Tim pulling their hair out with his usual drama queen antics - he saves that for us! lol  So while the boys were settling in and Doug and Tim were off being geeks together Jill and I took the opportunity to have an hour or two to scrap.  Jill's working on gorgeous ATCs which I love to watch her create.  ATCs sort of scare me because they're so little and I worry that I won't have nearly enough room.  The idea of "inchies" makes me cringe even more - I can't wrap my head around working on a 1 inch square space but en masse I'm sure they would look fabulous.  So I had a rummage through Jill's stash and boy does she have some stuff! lol  It's always funny how I look at my own stash and think "Oh I've got nothing good" and go through other people's stashes and find the best, funkiest things but it turns out the owner of that stash thinks they've got nothing good either.  It's all in the perspective isn't it?  I didn't even have my own photos so I've used a pic of Levi.  It was totally just playing and I had fun doing this one.  Sometimes they're the best ones, the ones we do for the complete creativity of it, with no goal in mind, no purpose and no plan.

Anyway I was talking about work before I side-tracked myself.  I haven't counted the hours but I think it's at least a full time job right now and I'm also over the hurdle of having people who pay on different cycles.  Some clients pay weekly, some pay fortnightly, some pay end and middle of the month and another pays monthly so that's been something else to juggle until we've gotten into a pattern and I've gotten used to when money comes in.  It's finally starting to make an appreciable difference to how we get by too, and I've been able to buy a few things for the house that we've needed but haven't had the money for previously.  I think I can even see something that resembles a savings account at some point soon and I haven't had one of those in a very long time.  I know a lot of people are the same; savings?  what savings?  That's the stuff that gets gobbled up by the ever increasing cost of living and the government and the banks all have a tisk-tisk at us terrible people for choosing to eat and have a roof over our heads instead of save our money.  Sorry for the cynicism but I'm sure you get what I mean.

On a brighter note, it's only a couple of weeks now until Outback Scrap happens up in Hughenden, Queensland.  I've got my classes all set and organised and I'll post something in the next couple of days with more details.  If you feel the urge to get away from it all for a few days you should make the trip and come play with us!  You can email me for further info if needed.

Okay well I'm off to type now - nothing new there - but have a great week!  Love Lu xx

SALE! SALE! SALE! Now I have your attention...lol

Cyberscraps Mid-Year Sale Now On!

30% off everything (except for already reduced items and Bazzill which is 70c everyday anyway) store wide - even the brand new stuff!!!

Jump online to score a bargain too!

www.cyberscraps.com.au

or visit the shop at 36A Ainsworth Street, Salisbury.

Ph 3274 55 22 if you need info or directions.

Sale runs from today, Monday 14th July until Saturday 19th July 2008.

Happy shopping!

Shiny Happy Friday!

Okay well it's a bit of a hodge podge mess this post but let's just try and make the best of it! lol  What's with all the pics you ask?  Blogger has finally changed their upload page to allow for five pics at a time so I figured I should make good use of it because I hardly ever post pics (bad me) and thought I would take the opportunity to photo share what's been going on lately at my place.  I posted a pic of Lachlann cos he's my deep and meaningful one.  He loves contemporary ballet, has a crystal collection which he uses for various purposes and wears a necklace with certain crystal pendants on it for calming and focus.  He's the ADHD kid.  He's kind of floating in the middle right now and I have been trying to find the spare money for him to go to dance classes.  I'm hoping that because he's so emotive and very much a "feeling" creature, that he will be able to use dance as an outlet for his thoughts and emotions.  Logistically it's hard but we'll figure something out.  I think it involves a second car but we need one anyway.



Mr James is in the school choir and he really loves it.  This was their first performance outside of school, at the local shopping centre on a Saturday morning.  I think he spent more time waving at me, watching the crowd and picking his nose than singing but he never misses a performance or a rehersal and as long as he's enjoying himself then that's all that really matters.



I promised James I would share this picture of his favourite whoopee cushion.  He has three of them.  I guess it's the age.....



Now this is more just for my records than anything else.  Caeligh turned 4 waaaaaay back on 4 March and she's like a little adult wandering around in a child's body.  That rampant naughty streak of hers hasn't gone by a long shot but we have a naughty chair in the hallway now which is the "most boringest place in the whole big house" so now at least we have an effective negotiating tool!  She gave me an earful the other day about why she shouldn't have to sit on the naughty chair because she's the princess.  I asked how come she thought she was a princess.  Apparently it's because I call her that all the time, me and Daddy both, so that makes her a princess and princesses get to decide what they want to do.  Apparently I, Mummy, am NOT a princess so I can't tell her what to do but because she is a princess, she can decide not to sit on the naughty chair if she doesn't want to.  I grabbed at a really thin straw and said, "Well, if you're the princess then I'm the Queen so I overrule you kiddo!!!".  She didn't get it until I got out a pack of cards and showed her how the king and queen are in charge! lol



Mr James again, and you can't see it in the photograph but he's lost both of his top front teeth so he's a bit weird about smiling for me.  He turned 7 on 19 May and he's as much a drama queen as ever and everything is a total disaster.  His favourite saying is that he's DOOMED!!!!  What 7 year old thinks he's doomed for goodness sake?  It's always at the height of a screaming hissy fit and it's right up there with, "Can't a boy just have some fun?" when he gets asked to come inside, "Can't a boy just have some toys?" when he wants to take half his room in the car when we go somewhere, "Can't a boy just have a bite to eat?" when he has left it too late to snack before bed, as we're trying to get out the door etc.  He is fully of lots of funny little sayings and mannerisms that I really love in him, including seeing his dad make fun of the Nu Wave Oven on the shopping channel the other day.  We were being sarcastic about how much we'd love a Nu Wave and it's only $299 with a FREE knife set!!!  James sat down and dutifully wrote down the toll free number of the home shopping channel and then brought me the piece of paper and asked if we could get the Nu Wave Oven for daddy for his birthday cos he really seemed to want it a lot.



Blayd has also had a birthday and now I'm officially the mother of a teenager. ARGH!!!!  It's come way too soon, as these things always do, and it really is as if overnight they turn from *sort of* normal kids into grunting, cranky, bad-tempered beasts!!!  He always seems to be in a bad mood and I don't like boy hormones already.  It's been a very eventful month for him actually.  He turned 13 on 28 May and then a week later proceeded to break his right pinky finger just below the first knuckle, snapped it clean through while playing dodgeball at school.  That's the first time any of my kids - touch wood - have broken anything and I consider myself to be lucky for one and blessed secondly that God watches them when I can't and has spared them from worse injury over the years.  He's also had his first girlfriend.  Well, it's kind of a girlfriend...I think...sort of...maybe....lol  I say that because the young lady in question was also quite partial to his cousin Scott and I think she just wants to hang out with both of them when it suits her so I'm keeping my nose right out of that one!  I did give him the (and I know this sounds dreadful but you'll understand where I'm coming from here) "Bros Before Hos" speech - not in those words of course.  I said something like how his friendship with Scott, who is also his cousin, will be there long after the girl in question has grown up, moved away, found a new boyfriend, etc and that the friendship is worth far more so if it came down to the situation where the girl was causing friction between Blayd and Scott I told Blayd to pick Scott.  Girls will come and go but I hope that their very special lifelong friendship will stay exactly that - lifelong.  Wish me luck on that one!!!! lol



This is the desk where I've spent what feels like every waking hour lately.  My desk where I do my typing work and also where I scrap.  Typing to the right - where you can see my trusty keyboard - and scrapping to the left where you can see my scrap stuff and my purple basket full of inky dinks.  The stuff under the desk is just stash and I'm not even sure I remember what I own anymore.  It will all have to be moved soon as there is a huge built in wardrobe going in our room - exactly where my desk and all that crap - sits right now.  I dread having to move it all.



These is my mobile stash - the bags I take with me whenever I go to Cyberscraps for a crop or to Cass's place to get some scrapping done.  It's all a bit of a mess right now and seriously needs some sorting out.  Would you be surprised if I told you I can't find anything I need when I need it?!?!?!



Cass and I escaped this morning and went to a local LSS for a paper sale.  I was totally restrained and only bought $13.50 worth of paper!!!  Don't even ask me about the fish paper - I have looked at it every single time I've been in that shop for the past couple of months and I figured that there must be a reason I need it for it to keep jumping out at me each time I go in there so I bloody well bought it!  Look out for it on a ghastly layout some time soon! lol.....

I barely took any photos at all over the June Scrapbook Convention weekend.  I did have my camera but it remained in my bag 99% of the time because I was having way too much find talking and demonstrating for Scrapping Outback and helping in Cass's class and chatting to remember to get it out!  The one above is Cass and Melissa at dinner on Friday night at an amazing Indian restaurant in West End called Sitar.  The food was just fantastic, the best Indian I've ever EVER had and it was such a great fun night getting know Melissa and Fi from Kaisercraft.  



This is a pic of moi and the wonderful, wonderful Louise Nelson who came a bloody long way just for a scrap show!!! lol  I've loved Louise's work for just about forever and think she's a mega clever chicky.  We've done the blog stalk back and forth but never met up IRL until that weekend.  I snuck away for half an hour on the last day of the show to have a yak and a hot chocolate with her.  She's really lovely and I'm so glad to have had a chance to catch up with her.  Now I just need to find a reason to go to South Australia for a visit..... lol 



This was Friday night dinner again with Mel, Cass, Me and Fi.



This was Sunday night dinner with the girls from SM, Melissa, Cass, Me and Leanne Stamatellos.  We went to aThai restaurant this time and again, great food, great wine, great company.  Poor ol' Cass got herself a wee bit tiddled!!!!!  You'd never guess it from the pictures though.  Earlier in the evening we found ourselves at the Printblocks for drinks and got to catch up with some of the wonderful industry, retail and magazine chickies from around the place.  

This is a (bad) photograph of the layout I did for Scrapbook Creations' Colour Competition.  It was a struggle, let's be honest, but I'm happy with it.  It was on display along with a layout Cass did as well.  We both had 20 sheets of paper each to use, plus different embellies etc and I was working at Cyberscraps that day so did mine there and she was at home.  She emailed me her layout once it was done and it turns out we had used exactly the same two sheets of patterned paper and our layouts look freakishly similar, right down to the same Fancy Pants journalling card as well!  When Kim (SC Ed.) got them in the mail she apparently thought we'd done it on purpose as a joke!!! lol  Nup, all very Twilight Zone...do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do...I'm lousy at theme songs, sorry....

Cass and I had a fab day at Jill's place last week, getting our Kaisercraft DT work done.  Yes, even with all that yakking and chatting we even got stuff done.  Her new kitten Fergus is just adorable even though by the time the boys were finished doing some painting, poor Fergus was a bit pink and orange as well as brown!  Jill and fam have been having a well deserved break so hope the travels are all going okay!  See you when you get back!

I'm doing some stuff for Kaisercraft at the moment which is keeping me more than busy, plus I've got a couple of product challenges for SM on the go and an article for SC to finish by next week.  I'm trying to settle into some kind of routine with the new transcription company I'm doing work for and I'm making slow but steady progress there.  It takes up way too many hours but any job does.  I'm spending my days working, occasionally scrapping, thinking a lot about where I want to go with my life in general.  I worry too much, don't enjoy my family enough and I think I'm too inner focussed and feel like I should be doing more for others in the universe.  All very deep but it's a real sense of obligation that I feel at the moment, that I am lucky to have what I have and should be doing more to help those who don't have the life I do.  There's a lady locally who makes up care packs for children who have to go into foster care and most of them arrive at a foster home with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and even those aren't enough most times, so she makes up a drawstring duffle bag that is age appropriate and contains a couple of sets of clothes, new underwear, a new toothbrush, a couple of toys and books so that at least they have something to call their own in the middle of the upheaval of having to leave their family and their home.  I think that's a great cause so I was thinking about trying to get involved in that somehow.  I'm not sure exactly what I can do apart from donating the things that go into these bags but that's a start.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Not long now until Outback Scrap at Hughenden.  I've got my OTP and my layout all done and ready to go and I think we leave Brisbane on 14 August.  This trip will be another tick off the Life List for this year as I'll be going on a commercial plane for the very first time so I'm looking forward to that.

I was also really sad to hear about Jane McGrath this week.  Rest in peace.

I'm off to grab some lunch and then it's back to my keyboard for an afternoon of copy typing.  Have a good weekend and keep in touch yeah?  Love, Lu xx

Quick update

WOW WOW WOW!!!!  What a fantastic weekend we had last weekend at the Brisbane Scrapbook Convention!  I met up with soooooo many amazing scrappers and friends whom I'd only ever spoken to on the phone or online before.  Cass and I went in Friday to help my friend Alana set up her gorgeous display for Scrapping Outback.  It was so much fun to unpack all the beautiful products she had like her cool albums and beautiful wedding words (the most delicate things you'll ever see!).  She even had a fabulous pink windmill.  Cass put up all of her layouts for the tutor display and we caught up with the gorgeous girls from Scrapbooking Memories when they eventually made it - minus their luggage!!!  We got a sneak peak at all the fab products everyone else had and Cass and I made a beeline for the guy who was selling the Dew Drop ink pads 4 for only $10!!!  Talk about eager- we spent $60 on ink between us and the show wasn't even technically open yet!!! lol  But hey, ink is an essential like food, water, air and sleep right?

So first day was CRAZY BUSY with people everywhere so you couldn't even move.  It was pretty much what I expected but it's a bit harder being behind the counter instead of walking around.  I helped Cass to teacher mini brag book classes each day which went really well so at least I'm a little better prepared to teach at Outback Scrap in August as that will be the first BIG classes I've ever had to teach.  

The best part of the whole weekend was catching up each evening after the show finished.  That was when you actually got to properly chat to people who were too busy rushing around during the day.  On the Friday night Cass and I had a fantastic dinner with Melissa and Fi from Kaisercraft at a great Indian restaurant at West End.  We had the best time just yakking and catching up.  I think all of us could have talked all night but sleep called.  Saturday night we ended up at Satay Hut at Southbank with a great bunch of girls including Chris, Michelle, Raqual, Melissa, Fi and more and I'm really sorry if I havent' remembered your names.  I think I met so many peopel that after a while I started forgetting who was who!  Everyone was fantastic, funny and wonderful.  It was a great night and I'm going to put up some pics when I have a bit more time.  Sunday night we had drinks at the  Printblocks 20th birthday party at the Plough Inn where I met even more great girls and caught up with Kim and Lorraine from Scrapbook Creations.   We then had dinner at a Thai place with the SM girls and Leanne.  It was such a fun night.  Tthe only problem with this business is that we're all scattered across a very big country so those kind of catch ups are so few and far between.  On the Monday afternoon I FINALLY got a chance to sit down with a scrapper whose work I've loved for just about forever.  Louise Nelson came for the show and was there the whole weekend but it took until Monday afternoon for us to match schedules long enough fo a hot chocolate and a long awaited chat.    She's just the coolest chick!!!  You rock babe!  We've promised to keep in touch via email cos the last time I checked SA is a bit of a drive! lol  

I didn't get nearly as many pics as I wanted because I usually ended up having such a good time I forgot to get the camera out so if anyone was there and has pics please pass them on to me!  I know just about everyone had a camera which was great so I'm sure I'll see more photos as everyone starts updating their blogs.

I'm off now.  A BBQ at my little sister's place for her birthday today and the a BBQ at Cass's place with Jilly and her husband as well.  Can't wait to see all our feral kids get together - the neighbours will think we've opened a wild animal shelter in the backyard.  James is v.excited - he hasn't seen Levi or Jonah in months - an eternity apparently in 7 yo terms!  Hopefully there'll be lots of good photo ops.  I haven't been taking as many photos as I should be and I hate not having anything new to work with.

I've got a busy few weeks with a new transcription company offering me 20 hours of work per week on top of what I'm already doing which is great for the bank account and not so good for the scrapping time.  I've got layouts to prepare for CHA for Kaisercraft as well as some wood products to scrap that need repackaging so I'll be busy with that.  I've also got an upcoming article for Scrapbook Creations to finish off and a product challenge for SM.  Apart from that nothing much!!! lol  I love that I'm so busy even if I don't have a lot of spare time.  I know lots of girls are in the same boat so good on all of you for juggling it all.

Have a great week and I'll try to find some photos for the next update.

Love Lu xx