Speaking of Winning...

I have been playing with the gorgeous After Five collection from Kaiser Craft this month, and I am in love. The gorgeous black/white/grey/beige combos make creating SUPER easy! Kaisercraft have a chance for you to win the entire collection (valued at almost $70) on their blog!

All you have to do is pop over to this post and leave a comment!

I reckon...

That 100 followers is a big deal!
So I am having a little scrappy giveaway :)
Included is a card with all the different colours of twine I have (I know I had troubles finding all the different colours..maybe someone else has too?), some of that crinkly seam binding ribbon that seems to be everywhere at the moment (which I couldn't for the life of me find in Aus, and had to buy in from the US, thank you Ebay!), some embys from my fave Kaisercraft chrissy line from this year :) and also one of each of the MME girl playing cards from their Alphabet Soup range (SUPER cute!)

If you would like to be in the running, just leave a comment and I'll randomly draw a winner out sometime late next week!

Thank you so very very much for stopping by...I love reading your beautiful comments!

Day 11

Of my Thirty Days Of Me!
Kudos to anyone still reading :)
What's in your makeup bag?
I am woefully addicted to two makeup products.
Lipstick And Max factor 2000 Calorie Mascara.

Now the Mascara, I love. It makes my eyelashes long and thick, and I haven't left home without wearing it for years.

The lipstick however, I am constantly on the search for the *perfect* shade.

I thought I had found it last year.
It was an Avon colour. I bought two.
And now?
Its not made anymore.
Awesome.
So the hunt continues!
I also have sitting on my dresser, my mummy's makeup bag.
Every morning as I put on my mask to face the day, I see that little polka dot bag and think of her. I haven't used anything in it yet. It seems kind of wrong.

Yesterday marked 3 month's since she left us.

I feel bad because we were so busy at work that I didn't even think about it until last night.

I promise mum that I haven't forgotten. I miss you every day. For some reason yesterday morning, I logged into your facebook account and read through your posts, wall and messages. I love that you saved all of your messages. Even if some of them were from meanies. I love that all of the people you recently chatted with are still along the bottom of your profile.

Maybe a part of me knew that it was an important date.

******

Thanks for stopping by my friends...I think I am feeling a scrappy give-away now that I have hit the 100 followers mark! (Soooooo exciting!! Thanks guys!!)

I'll be back later with a little goodie post ;)

I have this Friend...

Her name is Michelle.
Her and her husband have a cattle property out here.
The week after I came home from mum's funeral, her and her husband came around one night and completely stocked our freezer with meat.
Then yesterday, she arrived again, and refilled with the meat that hadn't fitted the first time.(yeah, its chock-a-block)
Amazing.
So generous, and loving and thoughtful.
Being with mum as she was ill, was so infinitely precious, but it had really taken a toll on our mostly single income. Giving us this meat has allowed us to feed our family some fabulous meals, whilst trying to sort out our finances. It gave us some breathing space.
I hope she realizes how amazing this gift was to us. I get teary even writing about it.
Over the last 3months, I have really discovered that I have some incredible friends.

Day 9...

And 10....of my Thirty Days!
Day 9- A photo of your latest purchase..
Now I would like to be able to share that I have bought something like these... Or these...

Or **swoon** these..

But, alas. My last few weeks have seen me only purchasing the very basics.

*sigh*

Oh the excitement!

Day 10.

A photo of your favourite place to eat...

I had mentioned previously that I am a sucker for a restaurant meal.

However, since having children, no ready and willing babysitters, and also living in the middle of nowhere- which only boasts ONE restaurantish type place, my standards have, well, they have dropped.

I love taking the family here.

I love that they can ALL find something to eat that they enjoy. I love that its always a little chaotic and that my children won't be the WORST behaved in the place. I love that they can make a little bit of a mess. I love that their table manners aren't under scrutiny. I love that it is relaxed. I love that we can occasionally afford to eat here ;)

And the Sizzler toast.

I love the Sizzler toast!

A Little Share :)

Just a few bits and pieces from my blogging week over at KAiserCraft :)
A quick Homemade card I love this range.
And some handmade paper roses. I am just a little addicted to making these...

And the glimmer mist added a nice little shimmer!

A little decorative Homemade wreath :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous week!

Day8!

A song that matches your mood...

I miss my mum today.

Day 7 of Thirty :)

Still plugging away at my Thirty days of Me!
I got a Facebook message last night that gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going! Thanks Claire!
Describe your dream wedding...
So when my husband and I got married oh so long ago, we made the mistake of announcing our engagement before even thinking about what sort of wedding we wanted.
Our wedding kind of just *happened* without much thought into what sort of day would suit us, and so *our day* really didn't reflect us. If I had my time again, I would take the money we spent on our wedding (which really wasn't much), take the $100 and a ladder that my dad offered (heee! funny guy!) and elope.
I would have a holiday with the man I love.
12 years after our wedding, we have yet to have a holiday together. We skipped our honeymoon, promising ourselves it would happen later.
So far, it hasn't.
My dream wedding would be a wedding in some lovely destination, with just him and I.
No one else.
Just a private ceremony. Just a relaxed, promise to each other.

My dream wedding would then probably entail a lovely dinner in a restaurant when we got home with our immediate family to celebrate.
Very relaxed and private :)

Shhhhh...

We've been playing Scrapping Whispers!
The lovely Bridgette organised a game of Scrapping Whispers...I had never played anything like this before, so I was both keen and nervous!
I received my whisper from the lovely Sherry Mendoza. I kind of used her LO as a sketch, and also was inspired by her use of colours.
Here is what I came up with :) I then passed my 'Whisper' on to the talented Jodi :)
I can't wait to see what has been done by all of the other ladies and follow it from the very beginning! (to see how wildly wrong I actually got it! LOL)

Day 6 of Thirty!

Still plugging along DAILY with my Thirty Days of Me!

A Photograph of an animal you would like to have as a pet. Daisy.
She is the perfect pet for me.
She is cute, and funny, and isn't too needy.
She is naughty and (in this photo) really grotty (she got a bath and a haircut later in the day)
She makes me laugh.
I like her so much that I am actually thinking of getting another one to keep her company! She loved having mum's dog Molly to visit! Am I crazy for even considering another dog?

Homemade

With KasierCraft :)
Yep, still on blogging this week over at the KaiserCraft blog :)
This is a LO that I have wanted to do for a while. Natalie pointed out to me months ago, that every time I spoke to my mum on the phone I would ALWAYS finish the call exactly the same way 'Okay, Love you, Bye!)
Not only that, My mum would say it at the same time.
So I really wanted to capture and remember that with this LO. And the gorgeous soft colour palette of the Homemade range was perfect for this very rare photo of my mum and I together. Basically most of this LO is just made using Patterned paper. The title is cut from one of the PPs and mounted using foam dots. The roses are also made with PP.

And I also added a Prima vine, just cause I can ;)

I so miss hearing my mum's voice. I'd love just one more phone call with her...

Day 5 of Thirty!

Day 5 of my Thirty Days of Me.
A Photo of Yourself 2 Years Ago...
Well, here tis me...2 years ago, at my little sisters engagement party :)
First with my husband. Then with my other sis

(Whoa, Amy...you were BLONDE!)
Gotta love the look-up-at-the-camera-to-get-rid-of-any-double-chins trick ;)

4th day of Thirty!

Okay. This is getting silly...4 days in a row of blog posts! :O
Todays prompt in the Thirty days of Me is
Share Your Favourite photo of Your best Friend

I know, its sad. But he is my best friend.

I love that I got to watch him become the amazing daddy that he is.

I love that I get to spend forever with him.

He makes me laugh.

I am so blessed :)

Some Sweet Little Birthday Cards :)

Its my turn to blog this week over at KaiserCraft :)
I received the lovely Candy Lane Collection, and at first I was very very scared. It really wasn't my 'bag'. All bright pinks, oranges and lime greens. However, once I started I simply could not stop!
This range is absolutely perfect for little girls.
Perfect! The little 6x6 Paper Pads combined with the coloured chipboard packs make girly cardmaking sooo easy!

Even for a card noob like me!

And then...I had my first ever try at using my little collection of Copics!

I know, still a long way to go...

But, I am going to have lots of fun practicing my colouring in!

Day 3 of Thirty!

WHOA!
Three days in a row of postings! I know, I am as shocked as you are LOL
My 3rd prompt from my Thirty days is ...
Describe the perfect first date
I am a complete sucker for a restaurant meal out.
I know, sooooo predictable!
So, I will say a meal out, followed by a walk on the beach...

In reality, any date with this guy would have been perfect ;)

I think our first *date* consisted of a counter meal with him, me and his mates at the local pub LOL
I do remember our first kiss though, and IT was perfect. The kind that sends goosebumps everywhere...we had all gone to a bull ride as a group at a local pub. When we all decided to leave, I grabbed his hand so I wouldn't get lost (hehehe)

We all walked home, and he didn't let go ;)

We dropped further and further behind the group.

He stopped and gently kissed me.

Perfect.

Day 2 of 30...

Todays prompt for my 2nd day of thirty, is


A photograph of something you ate today...

Well, despite it now being 2.30pm, I have only eaten breakfast today. But boy-oh-boy, was it YUMMY!

I had ham, cheese and tomato on toast....mmmmm.....

Just posting this is making me hungry, best go have some lunch now! LOL

Thanks for stopping by! I am blogging next week for KaiserCraft (lol I almost forgot that very important *L* in the word blogging) so I will have lots of craftiness to share each day! Also, a big YAY to all the other peeps stopping by to let me know that they are also doing this '30 day' posting challnge!

KaiserCraft Storage Idea :)

Recently, Ali from KaiserCraft challenged us all to create a storage solution for around the home. I decided to tackle my junk drawer... Its decidedly errrr, junky? I actually am not even sure what half of those things are!
So, I completely emptied the drawer, and sorted it into piles, and all that junk is now in this!

Kirsty Piper: Storage Drawers; Storage Drawers SB2073, Secret Bird Society Patterned papers - Mystery P544, Conceal P549, Shh P546, Paint- Sea Breeze KC043, Paper Tags and Shapes- Manilla EM924, Raw EM925, Clear Stamps Tags CS760, Mini Alphas Latte MA 506, Cream MA505.


Yep! I now, have a drawer that holds JUST the yellow pages *gasp*

I still have all the bits and pieces, but its actually organised!

Day 1 of THIRTY!

So this is my first day of my thirty!

I am hoping that they don't actually have to be consecutive LOL



A photo of yourself...

Okay. Its 2 years old.

And I am wearing make up.

And my hair has actually been done nicely...

But technically its me. Just add a few more kgs and a few more wrinkles and a whole lot of grey hair LOL

A Description of my day...

Well, its before 9am on a Saturday, so not much has happened yet. I am still drinking my cuppa and still on the computer. Its quite chilly, but gorgeously sunny!

I have waved my husband and middle daughter Charlotte off for the weekend. They are visiting Mick's 93 year old Nana, who is a bit unwell. Nat, Sam and I stayed home because we didn't want to descend en-masse and tire/confuse poor Nana Piper. It was Charlotte's turn for a little 1 on 1 time with a parent, and she is STOKED to be going away with just daddy :)

I am a little apprehensive, as I am going to be attending my first funeral since mum's. Actually, I am a lot apprehensive. I feel ill about it.

I am also sad as my baby bro and my sis in law are hosting a big birthday fiesta this weekend, most of my family will be there, and I am not.

So, ummm, not quite a cheery start to the 30 days of me, but really, at the moment, I am not really feeling the cheery...

Thanks so much for stopping by friends...and for any comments, I love your comments!

Thirty days of ME!

So I first saw this *challenge* on Lisa Warren's blog (I love visiting her blog...so much loveliness!)
And, SHE got it from Tina Gray's blog, and SHE got it from...
Well, you get the idea, like my best ideas...it wasn't actually MY idea lol

The 30 Day Meme
Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.
Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.
Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.
Day 4 – Your favourite photograph of your best friend.
Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.
Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.
Day 7 – Your dream wedding.
Day 8 – A song to match your mood.
Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.
Day 10 – A photo of our favourite place to eat.
Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?
Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.
Day 13 – Your favourite musician and why?
Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.
Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.
Day 16 – Your celebrity crush.
Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.
Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.
Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.
Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.
Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.
Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
Day 23 – 15 facts about you.
Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.
Day 25 – What’s in your handbag?
Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.
Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
Day 28 – Your favourite movie.
Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.
Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days
So I am in.
Starting TODAY!
I am going to try to post every day.
My bloggy *get up and go*, kind of got up and went.
I started blogging you see, for my mum. So she could see what we were up to. And now that she's not reading or commenting I kind of lost my bloggy mojo ;)
But I am going to try. And this seems like a good kick start! Thanks Lisa and Tina!

Oops, I Went AWOL Again!

Sorry friends!

I have had my daddy and my sis Amy up visiting for the past two weeks, and it has been lovely :)
It was just nice having them here. We pretty much did nothing. But we were together, and thats what was nice :)



The kids loved having their Poppy!
On their last afternoon, one of the lovely ladies I work with asked us out to see her one day old lambs! She had 6 new little babies frolicking around her place!

These two were twins born less than 24 hours before we went out! So cute! She is calling them 'Salt' and 'Pepper' (Not juicy and tender as her hubby suggested! LOL)

My sis was stoked!

The kids loved being able to hold these babies!

They were so gentle with them!

Even Sam...he seemed mesmerized! Look, this one os so new it still has its umbilical cord!

And I of course have also been scrapping. Its my therapy at the moment. Playing with all the pretty papers and flowers and ribbons makes my spirits lift.

A pic of Nat opening her first gate!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and not completely giving up on me! LOL

Some Crapbooking

As my husband calls it ;)

A quick page of my mum and the girls completing a jigsaw puzzle... The photo is actually almost exactly 12 months ago.

If only I had known what was going to happen...or maybe not? Maybe its best not to know about things like that?

I am more than a little in love with these *sparklers* from Websters pages :)

And of course...still trying to tackle my fear of cards...two cards with the scraps!

I am also a little in love with this Lost and Found range from MME :)

Thanks for stopping by, and for your wonderfully supportive comments :) Each one means so so much to me, so thanks for taking the time!