Big share

Have lots to show off in this post.

I've found myself scrapping as much as possible in the last few days, if only to take my mind off what has happened. I'm still finding it hard to believe that Michael is gone, his face is as clear as day in my mind, as is his voice and his laugh. Its a very strange feeling, one I'm not used to as I have been very lucky in my life not to encounter death often.

Last Wednesday I scrapped with Hayley at her place, I had a lovely day and for some strange reason my children were really well behaved! I even managed to get two LO's finished.




I found a lovely forum on Friday night, just in time for a cybercrop. It is called Scrapbook Divas and there are some awesome challenges happening right now. It was totally bizarre. After logging on and chatting with the girls in the chatroom, it was soon pointed out that I was from Wollongong as is another girl on the forum, Marijana. More chatting and we soon realised that our children go to the same preschool, and even on the same day!!! Plus we go to the same coffee shop all the time, and shop in the same stores. It was a classic, such a small world, isn't it?

So I managed to get three challenges finished for the Scrapbook Divas Forum, all the challenges were lots of fun and great for some different ideas.

The first one is Helen's Challenge using 'circle flowers'.



The next one is Rach's Challenge using different distressing techniques.



And the last one is Mel's Challenge using Silhouette Circles. I loved this one and am stoked with this LO!



In this last one I used some of the gorgeous Sissey Kit which I received this week. My first kit ever and I just LOVE it!! I've signed up for 12 months, such an extravagence but I know it'll be worth it! Don't know that my hubby is convinced that its a necessity in the budget, but never mind. LOL



Managed even MORE scrapping this weekend, I have been really inspired by challenges of late, seems to get me enthused and gives me a starting point when I might otherwise sit looking at my papers, photos etc for ages with nowhere to begin.

This week was the first week of Chipboard School over at Scrapping Outback and we learnt about Graduated Colour Chipboard. It was lots of fun, but caused me to turn my scrap room upside down looking for my heat gun...which is still missing! I have no idea where it could've gone, I'm sure I haven't lent it to anyone. So instead of heat embossing, I had to use the other option of inking then kindy glitzing then using Dimensional Magic. Stoked with the end result and will definitely use this technique again. Thanks Nicole for pointing me in the direction of this forum. Bring on Week 2!




Last but not least, I completed the Colorstory Challenge #7 which was given to me by the very talented Lisa Warren. This was lots of fun to do and the colours were just gorgeous to play around with.



Now, lets see if I can get another page done tonight! Wish me luck.

Cheers,
Sar

Remembering Michael Whetton...

I am lost. I am confused. I feel like I'm walking around in a daze.

Someone very important to me passed away on Wednesday, someone who has always looked out for me and contributed in many ways to the person I am today.



Michael Whetton was my boss for seven years when I worked for Freemans. I started just after the August floods in Wollongong in 1998, I was nearly finished Year 12 and my sister Nic called me in a panic and asked me to come into the office to help. I met Michael that day and worked for him for the next seven years before i fell pregnant with Cooper.

Michael was a daily influence in my life, within a year I became his Personal Assistant and would spend alot of time one on one with him. He was the first one to tell you if you looked especially nice that day, but also the first to tell you if you looked like shit. Michael didn't mince his words, and we had our run ins, but I never lost respect for him and looked up to him like a father figure.

Michael taught me to be a perfectionist in my work, I have the work ethic I have today because of Michael. He was the sort of boss that gave back as good as he got...if you did the right thing by Michael, he always did the right thing by you.

Even when I stopped working for Michael in the office, I continued to do Michael's ironing every week. He always took the time to stop for a chat, and loved talking to my kids. He took Daniel to the cricket, took Daniel & I to dinner and even took me to the opera at the Opera House the one and only time I've ever been.

Only five weeks ago Michael found out he had cancer, which was a shock to everyone as he really wasn't ill. He retired from his job at Freemans that day. He spent the next five weeks in hospital, with the doctors trying everything they could to 'fix' him.

I had NO IDEA that the situation was this dire. When Michael's wife Anna called me on Thursday morning there was not one iota of me that thought she was going to tell me that Michael had passed away. I was dumbfounded, I didn't know what to say. Still today I can not believe it and expect Michael to pull up in my driveway any minute to drop the ironing off.

My love and thoughts are with Anna, Martin, Simone, David and the rest of the Whetton Family. I loved Michael and will never ever forget him.

Category Stories challenge

I had SO much fun doing this layout last night! It was bright and cheery and just what I needed with stitching, cutting, bling, you name it. This is for the challenge for the month of August over at Category Stories. This is such a fun blog, check it out if you're needing some inspiration.



Cheers,
Sar

Monday again...

Where do the weeks go? Its Monday again, another busy week ahead, time is just flying at a rapid rate.

Got a little scrapping in last night after Georgie & Bronte went to bed, me & Coop sat at the kitchen table and just did 'craft' as he calls it. It was lovely actually to have that little bit of time just for me & him.

I ended up with this page for a challenge over at Scrap Therapy. I sorta think it needs something, but I spent waaaay too much time on it and so too bad, its done.



Just pottering around doing a bit of tidying up. Mum is here, Daniel has gone to work, Georgie & Bronte are asleep. Need to move my scrap crap back into the scrap room before it well and truly overtakes my upstairs area as well!

Am totally loving Pink's new song 'So What' at the moment, have you heard it? Do yourself a favour, have a listen here. Check out the lyrics too, its a classic. Sucked in Carey...my god, what man would be stupid enough to lose Pink?! Crazy.

Seeya,
Sar

No scrapping, and not happy about it...

I can't believe I have nothing in the way of scrapping to show for the last week. Well, yes, actually I can believe it. Nothing much has been accomplished in my house in the last few weeks really.

Life has been spinning, crazy, spiralling...I have felt lost and just not myself. Finally, the doctor has decided that I need to take something for what seems to be post-natal depression. This is not something that has been easy for me, not one little bit. I always thought I was strong, I always thought I could handle anything, I always thought that if something was wrong with me I could get 'better' on my own. Apparently its not that easy. I'm thankful for the understanding and explanation of what is happening to me. I'm not just turning into a horrible person, someone that I wouldn't even like to spend time with. There's a reason. And I'll be okay. Its just gonna take a bit of time.

Big week teeth-wise for me, had an appointment with the oral surgeon about my wisdom teeth. Looks like I'll be having all four of my wisdom teeth taken out in a few weeks. Sound like fun? I think not. Have to have this done before i can get my braces on, so that'll be done a few weeks after that. Full on. Anyone wanna place bets on how much I've spent on my damn teeth in the last nine years? Bet no one would even go close...

Two weeks till Master Cooper turns 4. I cannot believe it. Where has the time gone??? We're having his birthday party at the fire station, its gonna be a hit. I've been busy making (well, trying to make, haven't finished yet!) invitations. You like?



Other news, Georgie is no longer going to daycare on a Thursday with Cooper. I finally made a decision that the $70 a day I was being charged by ABC was just ridiculous, so gave notice last week and Thursday was her last day. I've spent two days this week in tears about it, I feel guilty for pulling her out especially knowing that she loves it. I am caught in the middle, I keep thinking I've made the right decision, but then I go and get the guilts again and I'm not so sure. ABC have also notified that as of next year all children must be enrolled a minimum of two days per week, which I'm not prepared to do for Georgia right now. I think one day a week is enough for her to socialise, two days a week while I'm at home, what would be the point? Leave me a comment, tell me what you think. Have i done the right thing?

A pic of my kidlets to finish off, god its a crackup trying to get a shot of all three of them looking at the camera at the same time! This was the best I could do.



Bye for now,
Sar

Friday Crop Night

So I FINALLY went to my first crop on Friday night! I can't believe I've waited this long, seriously. I had a great time, met some lovely girls and also got to see the Stampin Up products for the first time.

The crop is held at my LSS Scrapbooking Delights every fortnight. Along with the owner Sandra, I scrapped with the very talented Lisa Warren along with Liz & Anne. Everyone was friendly, welcoming and it felt like I'd known everyone for ages. Thanks for making me feel so comfortable, girls!

Lisa had organised a Stampin Up demonstration by Ness and let me tell you, some of these products are seriously amazing. I have heard lots of talk about Stampin Up on the SM Forum and now I understand what all the fuss is about. Thanks so much, Ness! I look forward to having a demonstration at my place soon.

I managed three LO's before I made my way home bleary-eyed at midnight!







I will defintely be making the Friday night crop a regular thing for me.

What have i done with the rest of my weekend? I can't believe its nearly over. Took the kids out to the Dragon Park yesterday morning to get rid of some energy, then home for the rest of the afternoon. Had dinner with my SIL Kaz last night while the boys went out to wet Molly's head. Her night turned sour after I left at about 8pm, with my 2yo niece Chloe having a febrile convulsion and having to go to hospital in an ambulance. They think she could possibly have roseola, poor little thing. I'll have to keep an eye on my kids in the next few days, as they were all playing together last night.

Today I have a family get-together with some of Dad's family from QLD, its at a park thank goodness, so the kids will be amused. Still in my jamies at this point though...best i be getting off the computer and getting myself organised. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend..whats left of it anyway!

Cheers,
Sar

Quick share...

Just a quick share of my LO's for the weekend. The first one I did last night over at Scrap Therapy. It was a Blind Scrap Challenge that Emma & I decided to do at the last minute, and we're so glad we did! It was heaps of fun and it was interesting to see how we both interpreted the steps in our own way. I'm only new over at the Scrap Therapy Forum, but it seems like a nice place to be, with some great challenges and a fun cybercrop happening over this weekend just gone.



The next one was a quickie, not much in it but it does the job.



And just a couple of pics from today, the first one is my Georgie girl, sound asleep. She goes to bed with three dummies usually, she just loves her dummy. I went in to check on her and found her like this, just had to capture that moment! Funny girl.



And Bronte, in the middle of a screaming session, nothing I did would settle her...so Em had a go and she calmed right down, god I love having Emma around on the weekends.



Hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was really good, I caught up with my SIL Ange and the kids (who are visiting from Vietnam) today, so that was really nice. She's been bitten by the scrapping bug during this trip, so Hayley & I have been trying to give her as much info as she needs so she can start scrapping when she goes home.

Its getting late, 10pm Sunday night, time to get Miss Bronte up for a feed before we try again for a full night's sleep. Wish me luck!

Cheers,
Sar

Exciting Share...

So, a few things that have been happening with me...

First of all, my week started off pretty ordinary with some REALLY hard days with Bronte, the crying sessions were just getting worse and worse. At times I found myself not even wanting to be around her, isn't that horrible? But slowly our week has gotten better, thank goodness. She was a really good girl for me yesterday and so far so good today as well.

Here is a layout that I did on Wednesday night, Daniel was working OT afternoon shift, Bronte had cried for an hour straight and after the kids were all finally in bed I just had to go downstairs and let it all out...



The colour is a bit off in this pic, its actually a white background, but anyway. I just really really missed Daniel that night. I copped it off Hayley on Thursday...she laughed at me and told me I was a sop, but I don't care! Its how I feel...most days anyway... ;)

A very successful day of scrapping for me yesterday. While I was shopping on Thursday, my girlfriend Kiley who owns RJ's (small discount store) in Westfield Figtree, asked me if I could make her an album to display in the store. She stocks heaps of the Kaiser products including OTP albums, rhinestones, fozz felt...AND, she said that if anyone needs anything specific she is more than happy to order and it'll arrive within a couple of days straight from Kaiser! So I left her shop with an OTP album, rhinestones, felt and Kaiser papers...I was a bit nervous as I had never actually attempted an OTP project before....but I'm absolutely STOKED with how it turned out. What do you think?













And for my final share...I'll be doing a Guest Design Team spot in October for the online store Scrap N Craft With T! I'm so excited, but again nervous as this is the first time I have done anything like this. I ordered some very exciting new products during the week, and can't wait for them to arrive so I can start playing! So head on over to Scrap N Craft With T and have a look around, there are some awesome products available. Trust me, you'll be sure to find lots of yummy goodies to order. Nothing like scrapping parcels arriving in the mail, is there??

Cheers,
Sar