Kaisercrafty Sharing :)

A LO about our mad dash up to Charter's Towers following mum's diagnosis using Little Toot...I had a giggle sticking this 'Service Station 8km' Sticker onto the LO...
The photo was taken on a stretch of road called the 'Bellyando Crossing'. A stretch of road about 300km long, with no turns and a service station marking the halfway point.

Definitely no 'Service Station 8km' signs along this stretch!

^^ That's a pic of the magnificent service station.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you are enjoying a wonderfully lazy Sunday! I know I am (well, once I put on my cleaning fairy outfit and tackle my bathroom!)

As you do...

So, this morning we woke up at 6am, piled into the car and drove 5 hours to go and meet my new niece :)We snuggled.

I sniffed her baby smell.

I hugged my clever sister.

Then we piled back in the car and drove the 5 hours home again.

10 hours of driving for a 2 hour visit.

Crazy.

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat!

Oh...and some vital stats that were missing from the last post ;)

Name: Chloe Mary (Chloe because its a beautiful name, and Mary for my mum)

Weight: 2.9kg (6lb 7)

Length: 50cm (she is TIIIINNNNNYYY! About the size of the girls Baby Born dolls, and just perfect)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Oh wow!

Thank you SO much for your beautiful caring, supportive comments on my last post. You guys are amazing! I could feel love surrounding me all day:)

You'll never guessed what happened...

So, I was feeling fairly down, when I got a call from my little sis.

She had had a hospital appointment this morning and she was told her baby was breech.

A little sad, scary and disappointing for her.

After speaking to her about this and finding a few links re turning breech babies, I got another phone call.

My sis had gone back to work.....and her waters broke!

3-4 weeks early!

It was baby day!!!

So, after a sad start to my day, we have another baby in our rapidly expanding family.

And you know? This baby girl looks just like mum.

What a precious distraction for mum's dreaded anniversary!
Its hard to be sad when looking at such a perfect little face :)

I just hope that Poppy guy doesn't use up all the snuggles before Aunty Kirsty gets there!!!

Thanks for stopping by...you guys have no idea how much your support means <3

I've Been a Bit Quiet this Week...

Tomorrow is the 12 month anniversary of losing my beautiful mum.

Today is the 12 month anniversary of the day when I had the opportunity to spend a night with her, caring for her, and I chose not to, because it was inconvenient. So many excuses for not staying. I want to travel back, give myself a slap, and stay.

I'm really struggling.

So, I've been a bit quiet.

Most of my energy is being put into trying to keep a smile on my face in public, and, its exhausting.

Thanks for stopping by...please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers, we are all having a difficult time :(

A Kaisercraft Share :)

With my NEW favourite collection Blae and Ivy (why, no, no I don't say that I have a new favourite collection each month....;))

Meet my nephew little Freddie :)
Not sure I like the paint up in the top corner. I think I got a bit excited...

And I made myself a Trinket chest!
All the girls in my house now have one ;)
Today, I had my first day of teaching since going on maternity leave 10 years ago! (and a possible day tomorrow too!) Yes, a complete shock to my system LOL, so if you don't mind...its bed time ***yawn***

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!

It Doesn't Get Old...

That feeling you get, when you open up a scrapping magazine, and see your family inside.

Thanks so much to Lisa from Storyboard kits for inviting me to take part!

Seeing my family's smiling faces and seeing how excited the kids were to see themselves in print really reminded me that I should probably submit something occasionally! LOL

So, there was once this fool...

Who made some projects to send to Kaisercraft so they could take them to the US for CHA.

Then she sent them without taking any photos.

Yeah. me.

So, I've been scouring the internet to see if I may be able to glimpse them somewhere in the background...

And I found this picture here.
No.

The birdcages are NOT my projects.

But if you get out a magnifying glass, and look in the bottom left hand corner...
Hah!

My Mannequin!

I'm at CHA....kinda ;)

Christmas In July!

Or it is this week over at DownUnder Direct Inspiration!!

Full materials list found here.

I love adding a little more bling to Christmas pages than others ;)
Thanks for stopping by!

Just 'cause :)

A LO just because...doesn't seem to happen very often! LOL

My gorgeous Chari Beth :)

Some fairly old photos...as I was scrapping them I just kept focusing on her cute little chubby cheeks! She seems to have grown up so much in the last few years!

I just love these epoxy flowers layered on top of lace and bigger flowers!
And lots of layering of paper to give dimension and texture!
When making these shabby, vintagey kind of LOs I often struggle trying to find a good neutral alpha to create the title. This time, I made what I have here work!

I bought these Thickers a long time ago. I'm going to blame Lauren ;)...I think I saw some on a LO she did aaaaages ago, and loved them. I still love them, but they really haven't worked for any of my pages.
So i wrapped them in twine!
I think I kind of like the rough, shabby look they have!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

My New *Toy*

Not so long ago, I was tootling around the internet, when I stumbled upon a link to a super cool little camera store.

In the super cool camera store, I found a super cool little Polaroid camera.

And I ordered one.

Completely spur of the moment.

And then I suffered from horrific buyers remorse. For days. Then I worked up the courage to tell my husband. Who just rolled his eyes.

Then I waited.

On Friday, my toy arrived!
And its not so very little! Look! Its bigger than the boy's head!
We have been having so much fun taking old school polaroid photos!!!
I seem to have recovered from my buyers remorse....in fact, when I took the first photo, and Sam told me it was "awesomer than awesome", I felt better instantly ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Tell me...am I the only impulse shopper out there!?!?!

Oops...edited to add the link to the cool camera store....www.photojojo.com

Lets Get Shabby #25

I actually got around to completing a challenge this month! God bless rainy days ;)

I truly love the Lets Get Shabby blog. I love the challenges, I love the Team, I LOVE the inspiration!!

Challenge #25 is in honor of Let's get Shabby's 2nd birthday!

The challenge was to be inspired by this photo:

Added criteria...your project had to feature the #2, and two items from this list:Lace,Chipboard, Ribbon, Material/Fabric, Book/Music page.

Here is my take
I love the blue/grey/white color combo in the inspiration photo, so I *borrowed* that color scheme :)

I used ribbon and book paper from the list (The little scalloped green and blue ribbon) And lots of number 2's found on both the bingo card and the little journalling *22* card.
Anyone else find when they set out to specifically use items on a page their brain starts to find ways NOT to use them?? I usually can't complete a page without lace or ribbon, and when I was challenged to use it? I had to squeeze it in somewhere! Stupid brain!
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a GREAT week!

DownUnder Direct Share :)

Not so very long ago, I went over to Brisbane to help host and attend my beautiful little sis's baby shower :)

I also attended ante-natal classes with her and her husband...I *may* have been lucky enough to be invited to attend the birth of this precious little one! (so excited...although maybe actually seeing a baby being born will kill off my long held dream of becoming a midwife LOL)
I made this cute little guest book for the baby shower in which guests could leave lovely notes for the Mother to be :)
And because the baby is a girl...I completely indulged my love of all things pink ;)

(full materials list and mini tutorial for this album found here)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

KaiserCraft Sketch Inspiration :)

I love sketch challenges!

I love when I am scheduled for the Saturday Sketch roster over at Kasiercraft :) I love not having to think about balancing embellishments and elements...all of the thinking is done for you!

I have used Class of '87 for my sketch interpretation this week...all about my poor broken baby.
I so remember getting this phone call.

Mick and the kids had to get back to work and school following mum's funeral, so I stayed in Ballina an extra few days to help sort through mum's things and just try to get my head back into some sort of 'normal' after an insane couple of weeks.

My sisters and I had just been through mum's clothes. We got back to my brother's house at about 4 o'clock when my phone rang.

Mick's first words were 'Don't panic, she's okay'...

Yeah...don't panic?!?!?

Within an hour I had packed, and my brother and his wife were driving me the 8 hours home (as Mick had our car).

An older boy at school ran smack into Nat and snapped her collar bone. She had to go in the ambulance and everything...all very exciting and scary for a little 9 year old girl-who's mum wasn't there.

She's all good now.

3 months of trips to Bundaberg for specialist appointments and x-rays, and its all good (mostly...the specialist says that all other healing will happen as she grows...any experience out there with a break like this?)

But definitely an experience I don't want to happen again.

That feeling of your baby being hurt and not being there? Not nice.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'd love a link if you give this sketch a go!!

A Little Share

Of my latest KaiserCraft-iness :)

Using the two newest lines Blae and Ivy...
And Little Toot :)

I had a bit of fun with these Tri-fold cards this week! I love how they look pretty intricate...even though I am NOT a card maker!

(I have a tutorial on the blog for how to make these...SO easy!)

This one is using Chanteuse, and the GORGEOUS new Alpha stamps.

I am in love with these stamps. Truly. I mean I am NOT a stamper, but these are SO easy to use!

********

Yesterday would have been my mum and dad's 36th wedding anniversary.

They were such a great example of marriage to me. So in love and cute. Dad took some pink flowers up to her grave yesterday. He used to spoil her so much, and she loved it.

It broke my heart to think of him going up to see her grave with those roses.

Happy anniversary mum and dad.

A Quick Thank You Card

I don't know if you remember..it's been a while after all...but I like to craft ;)

Its not that I haven't been crafting...its just that I am not able to SHARE anything just yet. (and some fool posted off her CHA projects without taking any photos *DOH* if anyone happens by the Kaisercraft booth, say hi to my projects for me? LOL)

Here is a super quick easy card for DownUnderDirect :)

Full materials list here

I've been trying to make more postage friendly cards. Which is quite difficult! I keep trying to add buttons and bling...which all add bulk!

Have you checked out their snazzy new website? Looking GOOD!

More on Our Week Away :)

It was so relaxing.

That was the main feature of our not-quite-a-week away :)

We got to spend a LOAD of time with my new little nephew Freddie.

This was the kids first time meeting him. I had been lucky enough to spend time meeting him when he was brand new :)
Trying to get a photo of the 4 cousins proved quite a difficult task. One I became even less enthused about when my dad reminded me that in 2 months there will be ANOTHER cousin, and a new portrait will be required ;)
I got lots of sleepy cuddles.

Freddie's mum and dad got quite sick. So I managed to sneak lots of time with him whilst they recovered...
Mind you, I had to battle this pair!
He's such a sweet heart!
And then my beautiful sis let me take some photos of her bump.

This is the new cousin due in the next 2 months. A little girl. Still trying to convince her that Kirsty is an awesome name (although my brother Daniel is working on Danielle, and my Dad-Alan- on Alanna LOL)
So much fun!

I would so love to take a course and learn how to take awesome photos and learn what my camera could really do! For now, I'll content myself with the amateur happy snaps...maybe a retirement project? LOL
Then we got a bit arty.

I was going for the shadow silhouette of the bump...it almost worked ;)
Funny story...we had just gotten back from our little trek, when my brother ran out to tell us that whales had been spotted along the coast line.

My sister was most concerned that it had been her that was spotted! LOL

Silly girl...she looks amazing! Such a compact little baby bump!

Thanks for stopping by, and your beautiful comments supporting my family on my last post.

You guys are the awesomest xxx

I'm Back!

And feeling refreshed :)

We have been down south visiting my family...lots of walks(our spoiled Doggy didn't exactly walk...), whale watching and hanging out.
I got to have so many snuggles with my new nephew Freddie.

We even babysat!

We went down for an engagement party.

For my sis and her fiancee.

The party was good! Lots of kitchen duties...luckily my sister is having 4 bridesmaids, so lots of helpers(Kudos to Claire, Clare and Amy)...not to mention my mum's beautiful best friend/soul sister Vicky and her family! These guys were amazing...so wonderful to have such a lovely adopted family...kitchen duty is always much nicer when you have such great company :)

This weekend marks 12 whole months since we got *that* phone call from my mum.

(read about it here)

Sunday will be 12 months since my sisters and I jumped in the car and drove up to Charter's Towers to be with mum.

Tuesday would have been mum and dad's 36th wedding anniversary.

Then, in a couple of weeks. It'll be 12 months since my life completely changed. It seems ridiculous to even be typing this. Who receives a diagnosis and then dies within the month?

Its coming up to a hard time.

Please keep us in your prayers.