GOOD EVENING.....HERE IS THE NEWS......!!!!!

told you I would be back !!!!!

you might need a coffee and a bar of chocolate to get through this post !!!
** WARNING - this is a VERY image heavy post **

well i guess the biggest news since i last posted is the fact that my beautiful baby sister, Louise and her hubby, Chris became proud parents to a baby girl on Wednesday night.
Emily Jane made her appearance on April 15 at 5.55 p.m., weighing in at a respectable 3860 gms (or 8lbs 8oz in the old money) and measuring a long 51 cms.
Emily is a little sister to my gorgeous niece Bianca who is still coming to terms with the fact that the long awaited little brother is in fact a sister - LOL - and that she has been given the name of Emily.
"B" was quite happy at one point a few weeks ago to give the new baby her name and she would now be called "Chloe".
"and when you call me Aunty Shazzie, you must ask to speak to Chloe, cause that will be my name" - too cute.
sadly, Kait and I won't be able to get down to see them until the end of May so until then it will be lots of phone calls, emails and photos.

here is my beautiful baby sister (looking absolutely amazing after having just given birth), with her two precious girls.

and here is my adorable niece, Miss B being very grown up and holding her new sister all by herself.
i tell you....the end of May cannot come soon enough.

we are also waiting for news any day now, that my niece, Ash and her partner, Joel have welcomed their baby into the world.
Ash is my brother's daughter and her baby will make me a "GREAT" aunt - makes one sound positively ancient doesn't it.....????
i keep telling Ash that won't be a GREAT aunt - i will be a bloody fantastic one......ROTFL
stay tuned for that news.

so....what else has been happening....???
late last month I headed up to Woodlands of Marburg to the Stick 'n Giggle retreat.

what a setting

what a weekend

what a hoot....!!!!!

i FINALLY got to meet the GORGEOUS Miss Kym and to say that we clicked instantly is an understatement.

she was even more gorgeous in real life

(despite her choice of footwear for Saturday night's 1920s dinner)
ROTFL - she is so gonna hate me for posting THAT !!!!

it was a pleasure to meet Barb, Kym's MIL too.

it was great to finally meet Renee and her Mum, Coralie who were great "across-the-table" scrapping buddies and dinner companions on the Saturday night.

it was good to catch up with old friends too -

Tam and her beautiful Mum, Sharon (aka Bonnie and Clyde)
Tam has kindly renamed me "Betty Rubble" so I gave her a new name starting with "B" too - ROTFL

Jodi who had me in stitches and trying not to snort champers out my nose (didn't she look simply GORRRRRGEOUS.....!!!!!!)

the oh-so-elegant Miss Rondelle

the divine Miss Jay (Cuttlebug and card-making queen)

Linda and Amanda

Grace (seen here with her friend Miranda)

and finally the amazing, beautiful and hostess-with-the-mostess, Jody (and Stick 'N Giggle owner) and her equally gorgeous Mum, Karen
thanks for running a FAB-U-LOUS weekend Jody.

it was just THE best weekend and I hope that it won't be too long until I can catch up with everyone again.
(Please note that some of these photos were taken by other's at the Retreat and shared on Photobucket)

well......that concludes today's news.
stay tuned for more reports in the coming days

(i won't bore you anymore today)

until next time......
be happy, stay safe but most of all.....
always look for the things in your life that make you smile
~~ and let those you love, know that you do ~~

~*~ LIVE OUT LOUD ~*~

shazz xo



P.S. did i happen to mention the food.....????
oh....the food !!!!!!!
here is just a small sample of the food we were served up.

Rack of lamb - so tender and juicy !!!!

Chicken Breast stuffed with ummm....something delicious !!!

MUD CAKE - YUMMMMMMMM