A Rainy Day Means Making!!!!

So yet again, I am working up the courage to enter a comp with one of my LO's. This one is for 123 Challenge .


It was an interesting challenge...You had to use an embellished CD, something from the garden as a stamp and three different patterned papers. So, without further ado (LOL) here's my take!

The little circle 'stamps' are from some pipe that was laying around downstairs. First time I have been glad we hadn't done a dump run for quite some time LOL

So, thats it, wish me luck! Thanks for stopping by!

Five Fabulous faves for .... ummmm... Thursday!?!

Okay, once again, a day early. I want to change, but Thursday just doesn't alliterate like Friday...I may have to rethink LOL

Its actually raining in Mundubbera, *gasp*...so this weeks top fave is very 'earthly' LOL. I *heart* my tumble drier this week. Now as much as I love line dried washing, I love the sensation of having a day 'off' from the laundry, and throwing it all in the drier feels like that! Ooooh my slow cooker and I are falling in love all over again:-) I haven't used it for MONTHS, and suddenly I am using it every second day! Tonight is beef and mushrooms in red wine, and then I am going to attempt slow cooker pancake for the morning for breakfast. It is the nicest feeling to arrive home from work and for the house to smell divine...and dinner is done!
I have been wearing my black pearls this week. They just feel so very nice and look so very pretty. I always thought I wanted regular 'white' pearls, but these black ones are fabulous!
Ooooooh, op shop find!!!! I wandered in to the local op shop and picked up the Anne Of Green Gables trilogy for $5. I am LOVING reading it!!! I had forgotten how much I loved this book and the movie! Its such an easy happy book to read. If I ever am blessed with another baby boy, its totally going to be named Gilbert!!! LOL

Having suffered my first horrible migraine head ache this week, I feel it only fair to mention my new secret love LOL. I was in agony, even thinking of taking myself to hospital (and I don't think I am a wuss when it comes to pain...I have had three natural labours!!! Two of those induced) when I remembered these. Oh My Stars. I had two and the rest of the day is a mystery. I slept and slept and when I woke up I could deal with the dull thud. So thats it for this week. As I suck at posting on Friday, I may just have to switch days for next week...so be on the look out;-)

Love you, thanks for stopping by:-).
Have a safe weekend Mum and Dad, can't wait to hear all about it!

OMG...Its RAINING!!!!

Today is park day, and it actually rained. Luckily it had the good manners to hold off until the kids had all had a good play and gotten absolutely filthy! Sam always comes home from the park and then spends about an hour in the bath...time for me to do some scrapping!!!

I took part in a challenge that required felt and buttons...this is one corner

And look at this cute little guy! So, same old same old here...Guides this afternoon, which somehow I have been roped into helping out with again this week...Mick keeps calling me odd names out of 'The Jungle Book' (apparently this is what cub scout leaders are called). I just give him stink eyes.....


I am NOT taking on girl guides!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all those who remembered friendship pins! I feel vindicated now:-D It definitely must have been a girl thing though!

So, love to you all:-) I am off to snuggle on the couch and enjoy the rare treat of a rainy day!

Surely I am not the only one...

...who remembers these???

When I was at Primary school, these were HUGE! Friendship pins, I think they were called, and you made them and gave them to friends...and hoped like holy heck you got some back LOL. It was uber cool to have your whole watch band filled with them, if I remember rightly. I can't remember if I ever got any, but I am pretty sure my long suffering mother bought me the stuff to make some! Any hoo....I had lots of beads, and Natalie was looking bored, so we revisited my childhood and made some! (that's not mess in the background...that's ART my friends LOL) I think I may grab some smaller pins tomorrow, as the 'patterns' at the moment are determined by whatever we can squeeeeeeze over the loopy bit!
So, if you remember these, please give me a shout out...Mick thinks I am demented and I need proof that - in this instance - I am NOT!

Love you, keep warm!!!

Wheee! Some scrapping:-)

Any day with scrapping in it is a good one!!!

I am currently trying to work up the courage to show this page over at 'Aussie Scrapjacked'

The pics are of Natalie when she was little. mum suggested that I take pics of her next to something so that when nat was older she could compare the object to her size as a baby:-)

And more hand cutting on the title...I SO want a Cricut machine!!!!! LOL

Hope you like it, thanks for looking:-)

Trying to 'shake up' the kids breakfasts!

The kids eat Porridge EVERY morning for breakfast, so I have been trying to give them a bit of variety. I keep imagining them as adults refusing to eat porridge because their mother MADE them eat it every morning for breakfast when they where little.

This is SO not true.


Every morning I get up, ask them what they want for breakfast and they ask for porridge.


I swear. Its not me, its them!


So this week I got up at 4am (I did go back to bed...I stumbled out to the kitchen, flicked the switch on the slow cooker then stumbled back to bed) and made this for them
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/creamy-crockpot-apple-oatmeal.html


Yum!!!! It was a gentle introduction to some new ways of eating breakfast. It is DELICIOUS!!!! I would eat it for dessert....


I also made pancakes one morning.


The other mornings I let them have their old stand by fave.


Any good ideas out there for some easy breakfasts?????

Woke up with a headache...

Which is not a good start...

Remembered about 5 minutes ago that I didn't have any caffeine yesterday...*doh*...so I am currently mainlining Diet Coke, and hope to be pain free soon LOL I sooooo wish I could stop drinking this stuff, its just too painful ;-/ (for the whole family, not just me!!)

I just got back from taking Charlotte to ANOTHER birthday party. These kids have a MUCH more active social life than I do! The good thing is though that its always a good opportunity to catch up with all the other mummy's. The kids friends have the lovliest mums, I am so blessed to have met these women. They make living in this little town so much more bearable.

Thought I would also share a snap of the view of the town's main street. This was taken during the week, and you can see just how busy it is...NOT! This was taken standing at our front gate.

There are some things that I love dearly about living in the country...the peace and quiet and the 'community spirit' (not quite the phrase I am searching for, but it will have to do) are the biggest things. I love that living here enables me to stay at home with the kids. I like that my kids will grow up in a small town. I like that I know all of their friends and their friends family's.

I hate that what you can see in that photo is the available shops LOL. Admittedly, I now do a LOT of shopping on line. Its just frustrating at times, like this morning being disorganised I had to spend $20 to get a little present for Charlotte's friend. I can't just 'duck to the shops' and grab a few little gifts.

I hate that i live so far from my family, and that because I am not working we can never afford to go and visit them. And with petrol prices climbing as they are, I will probably only get to go see them for special occasions like Christmas:-(

Anyways...I don't know where this post is headed...just rambling I guess. Some days I need to remind myself about the good things involved with living in this town, because some days i just want to move!!!

Happy Birthday to Charli...AGAIN!

So today was the big party:-)

The cake was a bit of a disaster...but there was no time to make another one LOL
The girls (and mummy's) did lots of beading...who knew that tying beading elastic was such a challenge!?! I am definitely NOT cut out to be a beader...I lack both patience AND the creativity. I think I'll stick to scrap booking!

She got so many lovely presents from her friends, and had an absolute blast. We have been home for 1/2 an hour, and she is wearing ALL the jewellery she got, has her toenails AND finger nails painted and is wearing a new outfit. I just wish I knew which of her friends gave her which present:-/
Hope you like the pics mum. She had a wonderful time... and everyone got a prize in the pass the parcel, I eventually thought of enough clues!

Five Fabulous Favourites for Friday!

Oooooooh its Friday again! Well...it soon will be, and then all I have to do is survive work....

This week, some that things that make me smile....

My white board in the kitchen. Yes its ugly, but by golly it helps me remember when and where everyone needs to be! Not one forgotten library book or guide outing since it arrived! (I also love the red wall that it is on...took Mick ages to paint and he hated the color, but he did it for me...its my LURVE wall LOL)

Okay, bad idea to take a pic of the floors at the end of a day...but I love my floor boards. They were clean this morning!

Mmmmm cuppas at night after the kids are in bed. I look forward to this ALL DAY LONG!
I am also a fan of the cups that my sis Amy got me for my birthday!

Chocolate freddo frogs...need I say more???

My arch... I love it...its why I wanted to buy this house LOL (I also love that every room has a set of french doors, but I don't love the actual doors themselves yet, as they are still waiting to be painted *heh*)

So that's them for this week. I'd love to hear some of yours! (its okay mumsy, yours should be easy! You have 5 kids and need to think of 5 things..I personally don't mind being on your list every week!!!! *heh*)

Think of us on Saturday as the Princess party finally happens. I am so disorganised. No food plans, no games done. I suck, truly.

Love you all, have a great weekend!

*sniff*

Mick is away tonight and its so lonely! I mean usually we sit around kind of ignoring each other (in a friendly way!), but the house seems so empty tonight....

Guides went well...we made chocolate balls and played a few games and another little activity that one of the girls organised. I didn't get time to do the craft I had planned, so my worries about not having enough to keep them entertained were unfounded:-)

My girls just love going. I really hope they can find a replacement leader because it would be horrible to stop just as we found something they like!

Wednesday is park day!

And it was such a great morning to go. It is just gorgeous out in the sun! Sam was in his element as all his 'besties' were there. I love watching them all play together, we have managed to meet some really LOVELY kids his age...and the bonus??? Their mums are fabulous too! So park morning is fun for Mum and Sam:-)

My next challenge for the comp involved some hand made embellishments. I decided to try some Fimo clay...OMG I was having 80's flashbacks ALL day long. Anyone else remember those lovely necklaces of gum leaves and flowers made from Fimo???? I can see why they were huge though, it is the best fun to play with!

I did manage to burn the yellow a little, but I hate yellow anyways and the mustardy colour that it turned into was MUCH nicer IMHO!!
So...its a cat and a paw print:-)

I also used the cat itself as a stamp LOL. I was sitting at my desk wishing I had a paw print stamp when inspiration struck...I could just go to the source! Forget stamps! LOL Luckily he was co operative, and I gave him a yummy treat afterwards and cleaned his paws;-)


So, I am running Guides today *sigh*. We are going to do some cooking and some games and I might look for some colouring ins or something...I am so NOT being roped into being the leader for keeps though! Look at me..I have my serious face on!


So, have a great day. I shall return to update with how guides went!!!
Love you!

Just another day hanging out

Sam and I baked the YUMMIEST biscuits this morning. Like these are dangerously good... Gooey Butter Ball Biscuits

• I packet of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 packets of vanilla cake mix (this looked a bit tricky, so Ithrew in a bit of extra butter and cr cheese and just used 2 packets LOL)
• Icing sugar

Cream the butter and cream cheese (I made sure they were really soft) add the egg and the vanilla. Throw in the cake mixes and mix together. Roll the mixture into balls, roll the balls in the icing sugar and bake at 175C for 10 ish minutes.

Now I warned you....they are GOOD!

I can't remember where I got this recipe from. It was somewhere on the inter webs, but I can't for the life of me remember where...I am probably breaching all sorts of copyright, although I did translate it from American to Australian;-) It was all ounces and junk...and I also had to look up powdered sugar. Hard work!

And this is what we are doing now. I don't know how I let it get like this...there are another 2 loads on the line. I mean seriously. I wash EVERY stinking day. I just hate folding and sorting and putting away. I need a slave....

Well my lovelies. If anyone wants to come help fold washing, I shall provide coffee and freshly baked Gooey Butter Ball Biscuits, but you had better come soon. Sam is a fan of these, and Mick is expected home for lunch;-)

Love you, have a wonderful day!

Action Man...

Oh yes he did!!!!

He climbed that stinking radio tower, and once he got to the top, he let go long enough to take photos AND a video, cause he thought I would be interested.... uh no, I am interested in having a husband come home after work!!!

So, here is the view from the top:-)


I think I vomitted in my mouth a little again....

Whew!

Today has been a major cleaning spree. My lungs and throat hurt cause I used too much bleach and then forgot to open a window *Ooops*
The house just smells so clean and good:-)


I made a page for a competition at Scraploot. I followed a sketch for the first time ever, and am not entirely sure that I did it right. I'm not really happy with how it turned out either...its VERY pink and girly!! Even for me LOL


I was inspired by Charli's birthday to make a page about her and how much she has grown and changed since she arrived in our little family. She is just so confident and out there, yet also sensitive and loving. She certainly keeps us on our toes!

And one for the grandparents...the kids playing dolls down in the yard yesterday. Both the girls have their Baby Borns, and Sam has good old Baby Jesus. That poor dolly, I don't think dollies are designed for the tough love that this little guy has seen!

Happy Birthday to Amy Jane! Hope your day is fabulous and that you get spoiled spoiled spoiled!!!!!!!

Our little boy is growing up...

He asked me if he could get a bra.....


LOL I tried explaining that only grown up ladies needed bras, but then Natalie and Charlotte pulled up their jammie shirts to show off their little tank tops that they had just rediscovered. *sigh*


We had a lovely Sunday. Lots of hanging out and playing X Box. We went for a walk this afternoon and ended up at the park for a little play. It started to get quite cool though, here's hoping we get a cold winter this year!!!


I did some scrapping, but it is too dark to take any decent pics, so I shall return tomorrow:-)

Happy Birthday to Charli!!!

Six Years ago today.... Our family was blessed by a beautiful baby girl:-)
This is Charli's first bath. She was about 5 hours old, and not happy!

(sorry, photo's of photos...no pics on the computer of my little girlies!) I love that one of Natalie meeting Charli for the first time. She was still such a baby herself! Bet she didn't realise at the time that her entire world was about to change! (Mick looks SO young! Must have been Sam that aged us;-))

Today, she got heaps of presents, played lots of games, chose what we would eat for dinner (tacoes with lots of sour cream) and ate loads of cake! What a wonderful day!

We hope you had a wonderful day Charli, we love you loads and are so proud of you. Happy birthday baby girl!

(oh and despite what it looks like in the photos, we DID get out of our pyjamas today!!LOL)

Five Friday Faves!

Yes I know...technically, its still Thursday night...but I don't think that I will have time to post tomorrow, so I'll hit you with the things that make me smile (and I am trying to not rely on the obvious things like my spunky fire fighter husband - training tonight and he's in his uniform, or my beautiful babies)


Number 1 on my list is my bed.....aaaaaah. I love it. And now that I have pink sheets, blanket and doona cover, it is my MOST favourite thing!!!
Number 2 would have to be my scrap room. I went from a corner shelf and the dining room table to a whole room. Its messy and not painted yet, but I love it. It even smells good...like the baby wipes I use to clean my stamps and paper;-) The girls gave me these for Mother's day, and I love them!

I LOVE the smell, feel and look of line dried washing. It feels so clean and smells so yummy! I like hanging it on the line (thank goodness, cause we do at least one load a day) and folding it, but I HATE putting it all away...

And my house. I don't think I have put a pic of our house up here before. It has soooooo much work to be done on it, but we will get there slowly but surely. All the work we have done so far is on the inside. Mick is planning on painting the outside of the house this year, and I want to plant a hedge (to replace the prison yard front fence LOL)

The front left hand side is the bit we will be knocking out to make the verandah. And the front door will then be smack dab in the middle of the house.

So they are mine...what's your fave things???

Love you, thanks for visiting!!!

Let the cupcakes...oops, celebrations, begin!

I have just finished icing and decorating the cupcakes for Charlotte's class for tomorrow. As she is only allowed 6 girls at her beading party, I thought she should be able to celebrate with all of her friends. So here they are, very basic, but the kids assure me, they are very yummy! I just realised that between this, her actual birthday AND the party she will be getting three cakes! Sheesh!!!!! Ginny, your present for Charli arrived to day...she wanted to open it ASAP, but it has been hidden away from prying eyes and fingers and will be given to her on Sunday. Thank you, I am sure she will love it:-)


Happy birthday to my gorgeous sister Clare bear for tomorrow too! Seems that we are getting closer and closer in age now seeing as how I stopped adding years at 28!!!! LOL

Love you lots...hmmm, I don't even know if you read here....at least this will be actual proof that I thought of you:-D

As Promised...

This was taken during Micks joy ride...can't figure out how to make it go down the bottom GRRR

Some photos of Micks exciting day:-) He arrived home about 13 hours after he left this morning. He was filthy, exhausted and looked as if he had had the best day ever!

All I can say after seeing the photos of today's job is I am sooooo glad my husband doesn't do this for a living. It looks dangerous.

And after days of lovely still weather, would you believe that it was quite windy today??? The two guys are about 20metres up in the air. They have to catch the ropes attached to the top section and screw it into the section underneath. While the wind is blowing and the helicopter blows everything around.

Makes me feel quite ill just looking at it. I think I vomitted a little in my mouth...

And then, Mick went for a joy ride in the helicopter. Good times

(and being the patient woman that I am, I am not even going to mention the hour and a half of my life that I will never get back that I spent trying to upload video of the whole exercise. See a picture of serenity I am...)