in my garden...

yes...it is the wrong time of the year... but look what has come up in the garden....no no not the weeds...lol...
My sister and one nephew are here for a couple of days from the farm....so E and Ike are having a fabulous time playing...
There was lots of laughing going on...and this is what they were laughing about....These two really love each other and they have such a great time together!

My friend Liz had a baby boy yesterday...Oscar Michael...a little brother for Charlie! Congratulations Liz and Alan...and my friend Susan was one of the doctors! How great is that!

Hope you are having a good week - I am supposed to be clearing out junk....but as you can see I am procrastinating! - Lissy

busy busy day!!

Well I have had a busy day...mostly not very exciting....I did school run, food shopping, washing, ironing, cleared spare room for sister's visit, cleaned bathroom, next school run to pick E up at twelve....so not very thrilling....

Busy this afternoon too...but more fun! I did two quick layouts in a hour and a bit, our mums group had a get together at park, thenI took E to dance, got home and made tea...E has gone to bed...tired! Me too! Won't be up late tonight!

Here are the layouts! Getting into stitching on layouts again....

Plus one I did last night! Colours do not look too good here...sorry
Hope you have had a good Monday - Lissy

Happy Scrappy Sunday...

Dreary weather here...and we have been no where all weekend as one of E's friends has either Chicken Pox or Hand, Foot and Mouth...so we did not go to the farm...just in case...

So I have had a happy scrappy Sunday...Ben has been working on the bathroom at our other house...E has been playing and scrapping with me...and so I have done four layouts...and working on a fifth!! Mostly pretty simple layouts so quick to do...a bit of distressing and stitching on a couple...



So all in all quite a good day...hope you have had a good one - Lissy

Tonight....

I got to meet Carole Janson...and she is lovely...Alli has been at the craft fair with Carole this week and arranged for us to go to dinner...Sharon picked me up and met Alli and Carole at an Italian restaurant. We had a great meal and a great time! Check out the girls blogs for better reports of the event! Today I made a mini album...but it is a gift...so will share it after it is given :)

And I finished the little felt fairy house....like the one Mel made...very cute although mine seems to be a jumbo version of Mel's....I am not good with instructions and had to add bits but E thinks it is great. It is a gift for one of her little friends...and she has made a little fairy to go in it...a bit scary looking but cute all the same...I cut out the wings for her...I came home tonight to find E had put her fairy to bed in the castle as she calls it! Cute :)

We are off to the farm tomorrow for a couple of days which will be great. And now it is way past my bedtime! Hope you all have a good weekend - Lissy

tinkering around.....

Today I have been pretty productive! We had swimming this morning and then I have done some washing and so on....not so exciting....

Then we spent an hour or so out in the garden...pulling out some weeds and plants and putting in some seedlings and stuff....E and her little friend Lara picked them out the other day so I thought we should plant them...and some seeds....have no idea if they will grow! E loves gardening! Nice autumn day here so good to be outside for a while!

and best of all today...Ben had his oral exam for his Chief Mates ticket today and PASSED!YIPPEE...next it is his Master One...Well Done Ben! For those who do not know Ben is a Ship's Officer...driving ships and stuff in the off shore oil industry. His plan is to become a Pilot one day...hopefully in Fremantle! I think a meal out is in order tonight!

And gee you girls have been leaving such lovely comments on my last post! THANKS...so very nice :)

Yesterday E had dance again and Ben came along to watch...it is so hilarious watching these 3 year olds trying to wiggle and walk and skip and so on...I had tears running down my face! E is pretty excited as she is the leader for the skipping part in one of the dances!
I am thinking I must go to Spotlight and stock up on felt...Mel is making such cute little felt toys and houses and things...E loves the little rabbit she sent to me...and they would make such cute birthday gifts for little girls :) And big ones!

Lastly I have been doing some pages...but cannot share them yet...boy pages...eeek...I have been thinking about what Kim Archer would do to get me inspired...so sanding, painting and distressing stuff!! These techniques seem to work so well on boy pages...Anyway I hope to do some more scrapping for me soon! My favourite kind of scrapping...no strings attached! Hope you are having a good Tuesday! Lissy

simple scrapbooker.....

I have decided I am a simple scrapbooker...I occasionally do something more wowee but generally my pages are pretty clean and simple...I am not good with putting lots of stuff or embellishments on the page...I tend to like my photos in similar positions...I love to use photo corners, chipboard or plastic lettering and decorative tape...I tend to use handwriting and word strips for journalling...I love patterned paper and scalloped paper....sometimes I add a bit of stitching...I like everyday photos and to record everyday moments...and that is about it for the bulk of my pages...and I am rather happy with that...that's me...that is my style...

There are so many local aussie, kiwi and US scrappers that I admire...for all sorts of reasons...probably mostly because they do things that I do not! And this variety is great...to talk about all who inspire me would take FOREVER...

Anyway I managed a few layouts yesterday...in between entertaining E and having Ben and E play chasey around the house and through my studio! And then there was nothing on TV that interested me...I am still trying to scrap some photos printed out a year ago!!

I am totally in awe of how Carole has the patience to cut out some many flowers and make them look so fabulous on the page...I can only cut out a few simple flowers like on the page below (I have been thinking about meeting her this week hence the cut out flowers page!)

And because I am missing these girls :)

And lastly had a visit yesterday from a girl, Sarah, who I used to life with many moons ago...and her two kidlets...she bought me this very cute juicer....E keeps asking to "squeeze melons"!!!
And so that is about it for this Monday - Lissy

This week I helped out at school with cooking! No mean feat with 3 year olds! They all loved it and couldn't wait for the muffins to be cooked and they ate them all!Don't you love their hats and aprons! They make bread and muffins each week.


Despite the fact that E 'tortures' the cat...he still seems to hang around and love being with her! She can carry him around in a basket. And the other morning he went into see her when she was still asleep! He is a glutton for punishment I think! He is in danger of being loved to death!
I made this little mini album from a kit by Trina McClune at Scrapbook Outlet that I got months ago...think it was for Valentine's Day...mine turned out a bit different to hers as I used some different colours and such and also I am hopeless at following instructions...so I just got the gist of what she did and then went on my merry way! Our fourth anniversary is June 1st so it is to send with Ben when he goes back to the boat this week :)
And now this afternoon I might try and do a page or two - I hope you have all had a good weekend - Lissy

dance...

Today E had her first dance class....so cute! She really enjoyed it! She listened and followed instructions...and I think she danced quite well!

We didn't really have anything appropriate to wear... and dancing is not easy in crocs!! So I shall have to go and find some other stuff for her...though most of them were wearing fairy dresses!!

It is just at the local church hall...a great way to start and have some fun!
And another layout! Another everyday page of an everyday kind of moment! My kind of scrapping!

Hope your week has started well - Lissy

Four Layouts and a lot of Cheesecake!

That is the sum of this day.....tried to have a Sunday afternoon nap but that didn't happen...so have to be content with getting some pages done!

All pretty simple pages using some very nice patterned paper...I am really liking Sassafras Lass "Serendipity" papers...one layout of a recent photo but the rest are photos that I printed out in July and August last year...I am trying to get all the printed photos done...all pretty bright pages too!




Hope you have had a good day - I am just happy to have some pages done! Lissy

Mother's Day....

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there...

I have an oven mitt and soap from E made at school....but she tells me they are hers as her name is on it...lol....oh well...guess she hasn't quite grasped the concept yet! And that is about it around here but I plan to have a nice easy day and maybe do some scrapping!

The curtains were finished and rods put up yesterday...and they look quite good! The colour was all right after all....phew! Not fabulous but OK! Until we renovate we have exposed brick and beams in the living area (circa 1980 but fortunately pale brick!) which is pretty hard to "improve"! But we put some paintings up too and so it is looking brighter!

And you just have to look out our window and see the fabulous views to forget the not so perfect decor!

We had a lovely afternoon yesterday.....Alli and family came over for afternoon tea...and brought a yummy chocolate cheesecake! They forgot to take the rest home so I had some more last night...thanks Alli...lol...and I shall squeeze in a bit more today...the things you have to do....The kids had a great time playing...the weather was good so they were mostly outside having fun.

E is busy painting and stamping on my studio floor so I might get out some photos and see how I go!

Have a great Sunday all! Lissy

today...

I have been making curtains...for the living room...the vertical blinds are broken and I do not like them anyway...the windows are huge...3m and 3.5m...the colour of the curtains is called 'donkey'...lol...not so sure about it now that I am home but too late now...might try and think up some way to brighten them up...Ben has to take down the old blinds and put up the new rods for me so I can work out the hem...then they are done....

So no scrapping today...but here is the other layout I did last night...I think I have had "scrapper's fright"....you know...a fear of not producing something brilliant...but I have reminded myself that a masterpiece is not needed...what is needed is the memories recorded...so I grabbed some cute pp for the background and a couple of nice scraps...bit of a wacky combination of colours...and then I banged it all together really quickly...not so sure about the journalling but wanted to try it like that...


Anyway that is it for another warm day here....apparently it is going to be 29'C tomorrow....it is supposed to be autumn....have a great day - Lissy

a good end to the day....

A warm Tuesday here and...

we have had good day today...swimming this morning...E went really well despite having not been for a couple of months. And then just hanging around at home, and all three of us spending some time outside as the weather was so nice!...or should I say 4 of us as Lucas the cat was hanging around too!

And it has ended well as I have scrapped..yay!

I haven't done a thing for two weeks.....but Sharon sent me the link for a new Aussie Sketches site...and they have a sketch by Kim Archer for this month....every time I have a slump I find that Kim's fabulous work always gets me started again!

Nothing flash but here it is!



And we had a new addition to the household...a lovely little felt rabbit arrived from the talented Mel Goodsell...Thanks Mel...it is adorable! Love the button tail :)

So now I will have to see if I can get scrapping! Anyway Happy Tuesday to you all - Lissy

hanging onto the past....

It can be pretty hard to actually let go of your past....not in any negative kind of way for me but just physically getting rid of stuff....

And I have kept all my clothes from before I had E and was living in Broome...8 tubs of them in my wardrobe for the last 4 or so years!!! Crazy I know, as despite the size thing...board shorts, bikinis, summery slip dresses and little tops don't really go with the climate and lifestyle of a mum in Perth....and although all gorgeous they will be hopelessly out of date if they ever fit again!

So I am trying to get rid of it all....I have managed to clear about half of it and will have to have another go...as really all of it needs to go!

E has been painting this afternoon! A flower, a tractor , a dinosaur and a picture of Lucas(the cat)...I was amazed at her skills! She knows how to clean her brush in between colours and so on! I love that Montessori give young children skills and do not presume that at 3 they are too young! She pays quite a lot of attention to detail as well.
I have done no scrapping for two weeks...quite a long break for me! I am a bit lacking in energy and inspiration at the moment...so I am spending the time clearing out scrapping stuff that I have collected and will never use! and generally tidying up my studio ready for when inspiration does hits! So until then you will have to put up with boring posts!!


Though here is my layout in the latest SM Vol 8 No 11...I did it over a year ago but they took a while to actually put the 'action' gallery in the magazine! A very plain and simple layout but I do still love the photos!

Anyway hope you are all having a good week! Lissy

It's soupy kind of weather.....

Well today seemed like a good day to make some soup...it has been a bit dreary and colder for a few days so it must be soup weather.....I decided to try Pea and Ham soup...I have only really ever made pumpkin or vege soup before....so went off this morning looking for a ham bone...we had some yummy Pea & Ham soup at Delitable..a cafe deli place just out side of York...on the way back from the farm....very nice it was too...mine has turned out ok but not quite as good I am afraid! But Ben came in the door and said "Pea and Ham Soup" and so it must smell right and he is eating it! E is not so keen....I can't find the food processor so it is pretty lumpy...oh well!

Today is Sharon's birthday.....Happy Birthday! We are going to see a movie tomorrow to celebrate....you need to spread birthdays out over a few days I think....

I am loving all the very cute things Mel is sewing at the moment....I have been looking at lots of stitching stuff recently but have yet to actually make something....as it will mean unpacking more stuff and looking for things.....she is also making some very nice cards too....I am envious of this ..lol..as I find card making very difficult...they usually end up looking very lame....though one I have made for Sharon's birthday is OK I think....

This afternoon Ben, E and I watched "Open Season"...it was pretty good...we hadn't seen it...I think Ben enjoyed it most!

I really must get on and do some pages as haven't done anything since the day at Karen's ten days ago....I have some ideas and LOTS of photos from our visit to the farm....so stay tuned! Lissy