I DON'T DO "SICK" VERY WELL.

i have had mark at home quite ill the past three days.
now for this work-a-holic husband of mine to not even open his laptop, turn off his phone, stay in bed and take pain killers, he really must be ill.
i think it is just the flu (and so does the doctor) but he has been so sick with it.

and then the doctor insisted on doing an ECG on him this morning because he could hear an irregular heartbeat.
mark just shrugged and allowed himself to be monitored while i sat there and stressed out big time.

why is it that men make such a song and dance about being ill (you know what i mean - the none-too-subtle moans and groans as they turn in bed, the feeble requests for a cup of tea, etc) and then they just shrug off something like an ECG.
well everything was fine but that's not the point.

mark's pop died at an early age of a heart attack after having several previously at the ripe old age of forty (mark is 42 this year) and his dad had a triple by-pass a few years ago.
hello....????
does anyone else see a family pattern here....???
when the doctor asks you mark, if there is any family history of heart disease, maybe you should say YES...!!!

anyways, i have done the "good wife" bit today and let him watch the dvds he wanted to, and kept the fire stoked all day to keep the house warm, and made him chicken soup.
i'm not quite ready to collect that life insurance policy on him just yet.

i am hoping to get a lot of scrapping done this weekend - i seem to have sooooo many UFOs and things i really want to get done, while not forgetting the los i have to do - but for now i will share a lo with you all that was this week's inspiration at tca.

the theme was "minimalism"

hoping you all have a fantastic weekend, whatever you do, wherever you go and whoever you spend your time with.

~*~ shazz ~*~

FOR MARIE

ok, ok....i know i should have done an update on the weekend before now
(i have received many requests for an update from the gorgeous miss marie which culminated in a threat yesterday to "update or else"....LOL)
so here it is.

i left home after i dropped kait off to school on friday and wandered up the highway to robina. i love just wandering around the place and looking at things without the pressure of making sure the kids aren't bored or pleas of "can we go NOW". it was just lovely to just wander and look and i didn't buy anything except a coffee.
when i got to margate i drove past where the SWIG was being held and not recognising anyone's car there i went and parked at the beach and read a scrapping mag i had in the car and then went for a walk up the beach. actually it was more a case of being blown along the beach because it was mighty windy. the walk did me the world of good and i felt the weight of a few problems in my life being lifted off my shoulders.
headed back to the conference centre and met up with ruthy and diana - lots of squeals of delight and hugs all round. it was so good to see them both again.

we set up and after dinner started scrapping. i surprised myself by completing my dt challenge for tca (we were all sent the same pic and had to scrap it)


as well as half of another lo by the time we wandered into bed about 1-ish. it was so good to be scrapping with friends as well as meeting up with the lovely owner of the scrap heap, christine and lots of the other ladies who are regulars over there.
everyone was so welcoming and friendly.
met the lovely chrissy and sue her friend. and so many other talented scrappers. i felt a little daunted by it all actually.
it was mighty chilly on friday night and i was ever-so-grateful i took my winter woollies and a hot water bottle.

saturday morning ruthy and i did a class with the amazingly talented and hilariously funny bev watt. she is an outstanding scrapper, a great teacher and kept us in stitches the whole time.
we spent most of the day scrapping and before we knew it, we we being told to head off and dress for the western night.
some of the girls went to so much trouble with their costumes and again it was the lovely bev who had us in raptures of laughter with her horse costume.


and let's not forget christine's attempt to get her "too-big-hat" through the "too-small-door".
just too funny.


i thought diana and ruthy and i scrubbed ok as scrapping sheriffs.


although ruthy would have done well to remember her hat - the beanie didn't QUITE work babe....ROTFL.
the flower was a nice touch though.


and the lovely miss diana looked the part of a country lady rather than a scrapping sheriff.
but we all had the best night.


and try to guess which one of us can't spell - RUTHY !!!!
(sorry about the blurry pic)


we watched the western classic "calamity jane" and sang along to all the corny songs. we scrapped and laughed and laughed some more.

sunday was another class with the lovely bev. we made a handbag album and it was so much fun and they look great.
(remind self to take a pic of it to share)
just before lunch the lovely chris millar paid us a visit. i knew it was her when she walked through the door. she has a smile that lights up a room when she walks in. it was such a thrill to meet her after talking online for so long.
after lunch it was sadly time to pack up and head home.

i had the best weekend though.
and it was good to get home to mark and the kids - i did miss them terribly.

i will post the los i completed tomorrow - just to give you something to look forward to....lol

i hope you all have a wonderful day (what's left of it)
mark is home ill today and i have been quietly tiptoe-ing around the house so as not to disturb him.

until tomorrow, take care

~*~ shazz ~*~

WEEKEND PLANS

i am all packed to head off to the SWIG with ruthy and diana.
have stocked up the fridge for mark and the kids, left the cards for the video shop, the list of phone numbers is on the pad beside the phone.
i am leaving after i drop kait off at school.
i hope to have lots of layouts and stories of the fun and frivolity to share....not to mention a pic or several.

hope you all have a great weekend whatever you plan on doing.
take care everyone

~*~ shazz ~*~

HOW SWEET...!!!

i went shopping for some comfy shoes this morning (oh the curse of having size 9 1/2 - 10 feet) - no luck - and met up with dad and nanny for a coffee and a chat. it is so cool having my dad and step-mum in town so we can do these things.
as i was getting in the car to leave a saw an elderly couple (probably in their 80's) crossing the road to get into their car. not only were they holding hands but when they got to the car, this lovely old gentleman opened the door for his wife and just before he closed it, after she got in, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
i was mesmerised by their obvious love for each other and was VERY embarrassed when the old fellow turned and looked my way.
with a lovely smile and a tip of his cap he got in the car and drove away.
how totally and wonderfully sweet to be so obviously in love at that age.
i hope mark wants to still hold my hand when we are that age.
it was a lovely private moment between two people obviously very much in love and i felt very voyeuristic witnessing it.

just a few los to share today.

this one i did as part of TCA's inspiration - using stamps for your title or as an embellishment.
i love this pic of kait taken on her 7th birthday (2003) - it shows what a little monkey she was at that age.

and this is a cj entry i did as part of TCA's DT. jayne, the owner chose the topic of "my favourite things".
lucky jayne should receive this in the next few days - i am still waiting for mine to come home.

thank you to those of you who left comments or emailed me about yesterday...it is a date that rolls around each year for our friends and for us as well.
i don't know that it gets any easier as the years pass.

mark's aunt ruthy has sent us some copies of some old family photos on a cd.
what an amazing wealth of gorgeous photoes and oh so scrappable...!!!
i have printed up a photo of nanna taken in 1926 when she was 21, to take to the SWIG with me and try to do it some justice.
these photos are all just so amazing - some dating back to 1893.

our family woke this morning to the smell of freshly baked bread
YUMMY YUM YUM YUM...!!!
i FINALLY got my bread maker out of the pantry and set the timer so there would be fresh bread waiting for us to eat first thing this morning.
not so good for the figure but such a deliciously delicious aroma to wake up to.

enjoy the rest of your day
and a happy tomorrow to you all

~*~ shazz ~*~
xoxo

SORROW

KRISTY LEE GRAHAM
September 18, 1982 ~ July 17, 2003

‘MOVING ON’

You can shed tears because she has gone
Or you can smile because she lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left you.

Your heart can be empty because you cannot see her
Or you can be full of the love and friendship that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live in yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only the fact that she has now gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind
Be empty and turn your back.

Or you can do what she would have wanted
Smile
Open your eyes
Live life and go on.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

SHIVER

how cold is it....?????
and i LOVE IT.

loved waking up to hear rain on the pavers this morning; loved re-stoking the fire to warm up the house; loved vege-ing out in front of the telly this morning with mark watching some of the telly shows we have taped in the past week; loved cooking toasted sandies for everyone for lunch (not real keen on the idea that i got stuck with the dishes though)
YEP!!!
i unashamedly, 100%, totally LOVE winter.

thank you to everyone who passed on their good wishes regarding my health. i am feeling much better and aside from my normal cycle of insomnia at the moment i am feeling better and i actually got out and walked every morning this week.
i will admit i do need to get a full check-up but i need to feel comfortable with the gp i choose to see and who i choose to care for our family.
thanks again girls....you truly are the best.

not much to report on the scrapping front - a lo i have to add some finishing touches to before i post it as the inspiration for this week at tca.
i am trying desperately to get organised for the scrap heaps's SWIG next weekend. i am so looking forward to hanging out with my gal pals, ruthy and diana and not to mention all of the other ladies that hang out at the heap.
i don't imagine we will have a balanced weekend of scrapping and chatting. i think the chatting will far outweigh the scrapping but hey....that's what it's all about.

mark and jake have headed up to carrara to watch our local all-stars football (soccer) team take on the qld all-stars. the game is the curtain raiser to the sydney fc vs qld roar game. i contemplated going but the call of the scrapping dungeon was too strong.

i sent flowers to our dear friends, kel and janelle yesterday in rememberance of their daughter, kristy lee.
kristy lee was taken from us in accident on july 17, 2003.
not a day goes by that i don't think of her, nor of janelle and kel and the effect that tragic night had their lives.
i remember with all-too-vivid detail the dark dark moments of those days after her accident and i wonder how we ever managed to survive such a tragic event.
but survive we did and as i said to janelle last night, some days it is just a case of putting one foot in front of the other without thinking about it and moving forward.
i can't even begin to imagine the pain and sorrow that janelle, as a mother must feel - she not only lost a daughter but a friend, a confidante and the light of her life. because i know what a lasting and profound impact kristy's death has had on myself, on mark and on our children.
kristy was by no means a saint....she was a typical rebellious teenager that caused her mother and father no end of grief but she had grown into a beautiful young woman, finally got her act together and life was finally good for her.
to be taken in such tragic circumstances was almost unbelieveable and even today i find it hard to believe that such a shining light has gone from our midst.
she will forever more be the gorgeous and beautiful young woman that she had grown into.
our darling angel girl.
R.I.P. KRISTY

~*~ shazz ~*~

MISERY GUTS

i am sick.
and i don't do "sick" well - whether it be me or mark or the kids.
i need to see a doctor but with our much loved gp retiring earlier this year i am very reluctant to let a stranger prod and poke the parts that are hurting at the moment.

i need to get better though cause i have so much i have to do in the next week or so before i go to the scrap heap's SWIG with ruthy and diana.

so no scrapping, no chores, lots of sleeping and lots of feeling BLAH and sorry for myself.
and to add insult to BLAH-ness, mark has gone to brisbane for a business meeting tonight - just when i needed him at home to play mummy to the kids.

i am off to put my head down again i think...
sorry about the downer post.

a happy tomorrow to you all

~*~ shazz ~*~

I.W.B.D.F.Q.**

with views like this off our front balcony last night.......




** I WOULDN'T BE DEAD FOR QUIDS

have a great tomorrow everyone
look for the "happy" in your day

~*~ shazz ~*~

BUSY WEEK = LONG POST

how can it have been a week since i last blogged....????

* we sent matt off to work sunday night at 9.30 as our 17 year old son.....he arrived home monday (july 3) morning at 6.15 as our 18 year old young man.
happy birthday sweetheart!!!!
where have the years gone and where oh where has my little baby gone...???
my first born, my dear sweet matty who i always thought would be an only child because i could never imagine being able to love another child as much as i loved him.
now he would rather spend time with his friends (he used to cry so much whenever we left him); he sleeps long into the morning (he used to wake up early every day and we never used to mind); he loves the band "story of the year" (he used to sing along to the wiggles); he loves looking at fast cars and one day wants to own a monaro (he used to push his matchbox cars around the back yard).......
i know it's all part of growing up but part of me will always see my little boy when i look at him.
you have probably seen these before but i will share them again.

this was taken the day he turned one. mark and i had shown him how to point to one finger and this is what he was doing in this pic. i would so love to be able to travel back in time to give that chubby little man a great big cuddle and hear his giggles.

this pic was taken earlier this year.....he is such a gorgeous young man
(i guess that explains all the giggling phonecalls we get at home)

he didn't have a party as such....mark took him to the pub (right of passage they tell me) and then 20 of his friends arrived about 10 p.m. and partied on until about 3 a.m.
mark stayed up and kept an eye on things (but they are all good kids so there wasn't much to supervise), made them popcorn and put the empties in the recycle bin.
matt had a great night.

* mark, kait and i went to brisbane last saturday to attend our friend, graham's 40th.
graham and his wife, ruth are matt's godparents and matt was disappointed that he couldn't attend because of his soccer commitments.
on the way up we had a tyre blow out on the motorway at 115 kph - thankfully mark was driving and managed to pull the car up quickly because it had the potential to get VERY ugly, VERY quickly.
a quick tyre change and we were on our way again. we hit something on the road that slashed the tyre open the tyre guy said when i took it in on monday. he said we were very lucky it didn't explode the tyre because whatever we hit gashed the tyre wide open.
scary stuff.

* kait was a little off colour before we left home and got progressively worse as the day went on. by the time we got home about midnite on saturday she had a raging temp of well over 39 which lasted well into sunday.
she was vomitting, lethargic and just so ill. all that weight (well the whole 400 gms she had put on) ended up in a bucket. it's a case of one step forward, two steps back with her and her weight at the moment.
even her physie teacher noted how much thinner she was this week compared to last week.
she is a lot better today and is sitting hoe-ing into her breakfast at the moment.
she has a little friend coming over to stay tonight and they are off to do a beading course at the new local bead shop (what a treasure trove of gorgeous beads it has too)

* i called in to check out debra's shop while we were in brisbane. i was like a kid in a lolly store running from stand to stand drooling over all the lovely products debra has in.
as a result, my "no shopping again til i have done 20 los" rule just flew rapidly out the window.
i have set myself a new limit of 25 los now.
"MY NAME IS SHAZZ. I AM A SCRAPPING SHOP-A-HOLIC"
isn't recognition of one's addiction the first step...lol

* jakey played his first game back with his old club, italo stars, last weekend - a full game with premier reserves and he benched for premiers and got 15 minutes on the paddock.
if you know nothing about football (soccer), prem reserves and prems teams are made up of grown men so here is my 15 year old baby going one-on-one with the best adult players in this area - and doing a good bloody job of it too.
he was never happy at workers (he just seemed to clash constantly with the coach) and he took the initiative himself and approached the coach at italo stars to see if they had a place for him in the team, went to his coach at workers and explained why he was leaving then organised all the transfer papers, etc.
he is a very mature 15 year old and i am so proud of him and the fact that he isn't afraid to tackle the tougher challenges that life can throw at him.
and he is just so dang cute too....lol

* my gorgeous friend wren, and her husband brian welcomed there fourth child into the world on sunday.
congrats to you all.
wren gave birth to a precious baby girl last sunday morning and despite her sorrow at needing a caesar, she now has a beautiful little girl, with the thickest blackest hair i have ever seen on a baby. i visited them on monday and got in my fair share of cuddles.
now all she needs is a name wren....lol

* i am sending out my thoughts and prayers to my beautiful friend marie who has had an awful week with the passing of her father-in-law, one of her good friends and another friend suffering a miscarriage.
sometimes we don't know why we have such sorrow given to us but i believe that everything happens for a reason....it's just sometimes we don't know what that reason is and we may never know.
take care my dear friend.
love to you, kelvin and the boys.

well that is the end of this mammoth post
*NUDGE NUDGE* are you still awake...???
i hope you all have a great day, filled with laughter, rainbows and time to do the things that make your heart happy.

til next time

~*~ shazz ~*~

p.s. notice i made NO mention of the score in the final state-of-origin game nor where the title will be going for the next 12 months.

T.G.I.F.

the end of another week.

{busy busy busy}
i am not sure where the time goes.

check out this new aussie site.
what an amazing group of aussie scrappers - daring and challenging us.
each woman with an amazing and unique style - it will be great to see the dares and what they come up with.

we are off to brisbane for our friend's 40th birthday tomorrow - a barefoot lawn bowls party - should be a hoot !!!
so just three los to share tonight and then off to bed.

this is a lo that my dear friend marie did for me for my birthday - i just had to add the pics.
thanks darls - we make a great team.

this lo is part of the inspiration weekly challenge for tca.
all bias aside, my daughter is gorgeous.....LOL

and this is my butterfly doodling lo that i completed in my gorgeous gal karen's online class today. i relaxed, remembered to breathe and just let it all flow. had a ball and it was a great way to pass the time while i ignored the housework in the name of creativity.
check out her blog for up and coming classes.
i promise you won't regret it.

have a great weekend everyone.

~*~ shazz ~*~

BAD BLOGGER

how can a week have passed since i last posted....???
where have the days gone...???

firstly let me just humbly thank everyone
(both friends and others who have just wandered by my ramblings)
who posted their support during my "crisis of faith" in my scrapping and my life in general, and those who emailed me too. i was blown away by everyone's support and encouragement. i managed to scrap over 6 los last week so i guess this is the part where i look back on my last post and roll my eyes.....lol
from the bottom of my heart - thank you all.
here is one of the los i did

...the rest are dt commitments but i will share them when i can

mark and i attended his "uncle" jim's funeral yesterday - he isn't really mark's uncle - a cousin of mark's dad by marriage but he always was "uncle jim" to us.
one of nature's true gentleman and the world will be a less brighter place with his passing.
rest in peace uncle jimmy.

matt has settled into the rigors of shift work.
out the door by 9.30 p.m. to start his shift at 10 p.m.
home by 6.20 a.m.; breakfast, chatting with us and then into bed by 7.30 a.m.
he sleeps until about 3.30 p.m. and then he gets up and spends some time with us before he starts it all over again.
he is bringing home good money for an honest day's (well...night actually) work. and the best thing is, he is saving most of it because he hasn't had a chance to go shopping to spend it...lol
i can't believe he will be 18 on monday !!!!
where has my baby gone...???
where is my little man who only ever wanted his mummy; who played with thomas the tank engine trains; who never slept but i was more than happy to be reading to him and playing lego at 3 a.m. in the morning; who cried and sobbed every day because i used to make him go to preschool when he only wanted to stay at home with me...???
who are all these girls that get more of his time and attention than me these days...???
who is this grown, independent man who is making decisions and driving a car and having the occasional beer with mark....???
someone call the police....my little boy has gone missing...!!!!

well sadly the socceroos have bowed out of the world cup. i strongly believe that the quality of the reffing has been a HUGE determining factor in the outcomes of the games - who will ever forget the fiasco in the australia vs crotia match...???
but our lads can hold their heads up high and be proud that they played to the best of their abilities and made the world sit up and take notice.

my two adorable buddies marie and ruthy have their first efforts on display for their DT positions with emm. go and check it out here.
looking good girls...!!!

sending out some positive vibes to dear ruthy too who has had her fair share of troubles this week. remember always that you are loved ruth and i will always be here for you whenever you need me.

it is only 3 and a bit weeks until ruthy and i and the lovely miss diana attend the scrap heap's SWIG at margate. it should be a hoot of a weekend and i am so looking forward to spending time with these two VERY funny gals and getting some scrapping done between fits of giggles and chatting.

I did an online class with the amazing karen ridgeway last week. this woman's talent is amazing and after my initial insecurities about my own abilities (oh alright then....i cried at the computer because i was so over whelmed) i got stuck in and did the class. it was so much fun and karen's instructions were very well written and clear.
so if you wanna give the phenomenon of doodling a go, just have a look here and sign up for a class.
i will share my lo with you when i have finished my doodling to my satisfaction (don't hold your breath for THAT one....lol - no honestly....soon i hope)
i am doing another class this friday which will be better for me as last week's class was on a thursday night and after being at work all day, the last place my tired old eyes wanted to be was back in front of a computer.

the gorgeous miss shell belle has lent her talents to a worthy cause so if you want a chance to own a shell belle original have a look here and maybe make a bid.
good luck with it all shell and i hope it makes squillions for the CF cause.

it was my dearest, and shortest (LOL) friend's birthday on monday
happy birthday donna !!!
donna and i have been friends since we were 13 and even though she is living in gosford (and hopefully moving soon, closer to us - YAY) and our contact is minimal to say the least, i picked up that phone and called her on monday night and it was like we had only chatted the day before - not months ago. i love that about her and the relationship we have.
so even though she may never read this i just want her to know the i love you heaps my dear friend and i hope that we can see each other very soon.

my sister, louise and i have been busy trying to organise a surprise party for our mum (well technically she is my step-mum), erica's 60th and her and dad's 30th wedding anniversary.
now the funny thing is, erica knows she is having a party - just not where (we have hired a river cruiser and are going crusing up the manning river for the afternoon)
and dad knows all about the party except that we have included their wedding anniversary as part of the celebrations. he will get a big surprise too.
dad, who is a freak when it comes to organisation, thinks he has everything under control.
louise and i have been getting these phonecalls from dad - whispered calls from out in his workshop on his mobile. i got one the other day from out at the taree garbage tip after he apparently pruned everything in the garden and took it to the tip. he called me last night because erica had gone out to dinner and he wanted to "discuss the plans to date" with me. then he quickly hung up cause he heard the car turning into their lane, only to call me back a minute later saying it had been the neighbours car.
it is all just too funny.
it is definitely "secret squirrel" stuff so louise and i have nicknamed dad "secret squirrel".

anyways girls....that is my say for today.
if you have reached the end of this post without the aid of medication to keep you alert - i salute you.
i hope you all have a great day today.

ciao for now

~*~ shazz ~*~

LOST

i am a little lost at the moment....i have some fairly heavy stuff happening to and around me and i am just not coping at all with it.
and everything is suffering - mark, the kids, the house (resembles downtown baghdad at the moment), my scrapping, my health and ....well...i guess, just everything.
but i will get through it and with the help of dear friends like the gorgeous marie, who lifts me up when i am feeling so low - this to, will pass.

matt starts his first night at work tonight...in fact i just made his "lunch" and he is about to head out the door. he hasn't had much sleep to be doing a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift but i guess he will learn that he needs to sleep before he goes off to work. i just hope he drives carefully to and from work - it is cold and dark and VERY foggy.

my good friend, the gorgeous karen ridgeway, is now holding online classes.
check it out here.
i have signed up and despite being very nervous about it all - i have never done an online class before but karen assures me i will be "safe" in her VERY capable hands. i am really looking forward to it and can't wait to learn a few of her secrets to scrapping in her unique and gorgeous style.

despite feeling BLAH about my scrapping the past few days i have managed to scrap a few los. i am on a challenge to scrap 20 los before i go shopping again - i might have snuck a few pieces of bazzill in today though.
*naughty naughty shazzie*
i can't share all the los but here is one that i am happy with - i think....!!!


I just can't find "my style" and it is driving me insane. i look at what others have done and try and copy it. i don't know whether it is because i have so much old stuff in my stash that my los look old and stale; or whether i just don't have the knack or what the bloody hell it is.
and it is driving me insane.
(and NO.....this is not a fishing expedition for compliments....!!!)
i will happen on it one day and this will all be a bit of a giggle....but for now it is sending me
CRAZY...!!!

and now dear readers, if you are still awake, i hope that you all have a happy day tomorrow.
i have to work but that's ok...i like the people i work with and the boss is a bit of a spunk too
*WINK*

~*~ shazz ~*~

p.s. if you want to read an incredible piece of writing you need to have a look here.
doesn't this gorgeous girl have such a beautiful way with words...???
she never fails to make me feel happy/sad/nostalgic with her words.
and she ain't a bad scrapper either.

WINTER WARMTH

we kept the fire burning all day today - it was cold and wet and great snuggling weather
(had a lovely snuggle after lunch with mark and fell asleep in his arms - doesn't get much better than that)

i didn't step foot outside all day except to drag some plants out onto the front landing for a drink of rainwater.

managed to get some scrapping done
(in between loads of washing and folding)
and miss kait even scrapped a page too which i will share when it dries.

i am not happy with a layout i completed of kait
(it is heading for a radical makeover);
completed my "inspiration" layout for tca
(sorry about the gross pics but i thought they were an important part of jakey's life and were a story that needed to be told);

Page 1

Page 2

and completed a second layout of kait that i think i like but won't share just yet.
i am still really really struggling to find my "style" but while i search for it i am recording our family history.
i was looking for my new album this morning
(LOVE my d ring album and now need to get another one)
and i found miss kait lying on the loungeroom floor with it, pouring over all the pages -reading the journalling and just loving it.
and isn't that what it's all about....???

my scrapping is about being a creative outlet for me
(more a trickle than a raging torrent at times though);
it's about my obsession with having my kids know how i feel about them when the words just won't come; it's about making sure the images and thoughts and feelings of our family are recorded so future generations can know who were are and what we were all about.
but most of all it is about my darling baby girl, lying on her tummy on our loungeroom floor, giggling over the pictures and words of our life.

in the words of master spunk, jon bon jovi
"HAVE A NICE DAY"

that's all folks

~*~ shazz ~*~

p.s. "GO THE SOCCEROOS...!!!"
it has been like christmas eve here tonight with mark and the boys waiting for the game to begin. jakey has headed off to bed to catch some sleep before he gets up to watch it.
they spent dinner tonight speculating on the outcome of the game and the "what ifs".
i must admit i have allowed myself to think "what if we beat brazil...???"
how excitement would THAT be...???

JUST A QUICKIE

bought myself a d ring album the other day when i snuck a visit into the scrap yard at burleigh on the way to taking jo to see the specialists at southport (just a check up and she is doing fine)

i was shocked to discover that, once i filled it with my already completed layouts, i now need another one.
and here i was thinking i wasn't doing much scrapping at all.

the layouts i did for tca are finally up on the site so now i can share them here. i am really pleased with the way they turned out.

i love this pic of matt, playing his guitar of course.
it shows his gorgeous long eyelashes and that look of loving what he is doing mixed with a look of concentration.
no wonder the girls scream wildly when he plays on stage.
(does that sound at all like the comments of a totally biased mum...???)

and this is the layout of our darling baby girl, kaitlyn
(she hates me calling her that but she will always be my baby girl).
the challenge was to use the product we were given (i got GinX coasters) in a variety of ways.
i hand-cut the pp "curls" and journalled around the outside of the curls and on the photo - first time i have ever journalled on a pic.
even though you can't see her face clearly it is one of my favourite photos of her. i get positively teary when i look at it actually.

and the great news is that matt FINALLY has some work. he will be cleaning and loading and unloading shipping containers at "macaz" - one of the local macadamia processing plants. i am sure it will give him a sense of direction now instead of the aimlessness he has had these past few months.
it won't be easy work - "cold and tiring" is how he described it when he got home this morning at 3 a.m. but it is honest work and he will get fair pay for the work he does.

well time to light the fire and get dinner started.
i hope to get some scrapping done tonight.
enjoy the rest of today

~*~ shazz ~*~
xo

p.s. the insomnia was back again last night.
being woken by matt arriving home i guess didn't help.
fingers crossed that sleep will be my friend tonight.

SO OVER IT !!!!

it is 3.30 a.m. AGAIN and i am so over this little bout of insomnia i am having at the moment.
i have tried herbal sleeping tablets; having a wine with dinner; no coffee after 5 p.m.; relazation exercises; meditation; evry bloody thing i can think of.
this is the 4th night of it and i am exhausted...!!!
(even nodded off at my desk at work yesterday - how embarrassing. although it gave shayne, our workshop manager lots of joke ammo for the day *blush*)

if it wasn't so cold in my scrapping room i would go down there and at least make my sleeplessness productive in some way.
today i have to give blood which always drains me and then we are supposed to be going out for dinner tonight to farewell a friend who has just been accepted into the police force. i'll probably fall asleep in my pasta !!!

*SIGH*
just wish i could shut off my brain - turn off the millions of things racing around up there. make my thought processes stop. find the ability to be less of a worrier than i am.
ok...raving now....better sign off !!!!

i hope you all have a great day
and sorry about the whinge

~*~ shazz ~*~

HOLIDAY MONDAY

the sun was shining today but it was still chilly. i did manage to get through the mountain of laundry though - it was a good drying day. now i just have to tackle the ironing that seems to have adopted a rather successful breeding program in the basket on the front loungeroom floor.

i finished a lo i started yesterday.

it is a pic i found of matt with his godparents and our great mates, graham and skip (a.k.a. ruth) taken after a soccer game in brisbane in 2004. i am very happy with the lo - "now that's a turn up for the books" i hear you say.
i have been suffering a real crisis of confidence with my scrapping at the moment. looking in mags and at online galleries hasn't helped at all. just made me sad.
i am sure i will get over it though. mark has helped heaps by saying if i didn't start believing in myself and my work, i could give the Scrap Heap SWIG a miss....!!!!
i told him that he could be the one to ring ruthy and tell her.....lol

i had a great few hours shopping with erica yesterday. i bought some scrapping goodies (ac ribbon sets i didn't have plus some crocheted motifs that were half price - told you erica was a good bargin shopper AND i got 10% off with a voucher so all in all it was a good days' shopping) + a whole heap of material to make these cool beanie frogs for next years bonfire night for kait's school. we made 16 big ones and three small ones for this year's stall and they all sold out in 1/2 hour.

arrived home to find mark up to his armpits in sh*t - literally. the pipe that runs along the side of the house cracked when the retaining wall collapsed over 12 months ago and every so often it clogs up. we have managed to clear it everytime it has (hence the "up to his armpits in sh*t" analogy) but the whole path needs pulling up, the pipe replacing and while we are at it getting some termite piping laid. big $$$s and the budget doesn't quite stretch that far at the moment. hopefully the temporary measures will last another 6 months. poor mark - what an awful job.

i hope those of you who had a long weekend had a great weekend and that the week ahead is a happy and fulfilling one for you all.
take care

~*~ shazz ~*~

SUNDAY MORNING

just a quick post.

took kait shopping yesterday to buy some badly needed clothes. she needed size 8 - 10 for her height but only size 7 - 8 for her waist. she is such a tiny little thing
(the big weigh-in is next week at the paediatrician)

anyways...we managed to get some yummy chocolatey coloured track pants with pink trims (drawstring waist helped) and a matching pink trackie top and a long sleeved top to match - lots of bling. and she bought another long sleeved top with lots of decoration. i guess i should take a pic of her in them...she looks great. now we just have to find her some jeans to fit her.

she also spent a gift voucher she got for her birthday at the bookstore. she got the second boxed set of "the weather fairies". if anyone knows where i can get hold of the first boxed set i would be very grateful.

i managed to scrap a lo yesterday - not happy with it though.

i think it needs some ribbon across the bottom or something.
any suggestions...???

i am off for a shopping trip to spotlight with my step-mum erica (nanny)this morning. erica has a wealth of sewing and craft knowledge and i love going shopping with her. she has a real eye for a bargin and has some great ideas for using sewing goodies and techniques on layouts. might even sneak in a coffee at the local coffee shop.

enjoy the rest of your day.
i hope you manage to get some scrapping done or whatever else takes your fancy on this long weekend - i know i will be aiming to scrap again this afternoon.

~*~ shazz ~*~

BRRRR

it's cold and wet and foggy and wintery - LOVE IT !!!!!

the house is closed up, the fire is lit, dinner is on, i am in my jimmy-jams and i managed to scrap today and have plans for lots more over the weekend.
here is an album i altered today for the daughter of a friend who is moving interstate to work.

i was inspired by similar albums that the talented jen hall shared on her blog a few weeks back
(although mine isn't anywhere near as good as the ones jen did)
i did enjoy doing it though and a great way to use up some scraps.

considering the family dramas over the past 24 hours (and no....i won't bore you with the whole sordid mess) i am feeling pretty good about my little corner of the world.

drive safely (double demerits don't forget)
laugh, giggle and act a bit silly
and
have a great weekend

~*~ shazz ~*~

MAKE YOURSELF A CUPPA - IT'S A LONG ONE !!!!

my most heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who has emailed, sms'ed, called and prayed for my sister, jo and for our family over the past few weeks.

i feel like our family can take a collective breath now and move on with life. for the past few weeks our lives have revolved around hospitals and doctors and all things medical - it's time to cast open the curtains and let life back in again.

jo was discharged from hospital on friday, may 26 with a script for oral antibiotics and instructions to go back to the doctor within a week if the lump on her neck had not shrunk. she was quite ill over the weekend and with our encouragement (and mum's insistence) she went back to the doctor on the tuesday.

he sent her for MORE blood tests and an another mri on the lump on her neck. the news wasn't good. she had a second lump on the base of her skull and the specialist wouldn't rule out the possibilty of a tumour. he readmitted her to hospital and told her he would be operating on her on wednesday morning.
for whatever reason he decided to seek a second opinion (and this doctor is one of the most arrogant people i have ever met - my nursing friends who know him say he NEVER seeks second opinions so God knows why he did this time) and emailed jo's results to a neurosurgeon in brisbane at the PA.

wednesday morning he marched into jo's room and told her that she was being transferred to the gold coast hospital and would be seen by the brisbane neurosurgeon that afternoon and possibly operated on that night. naturally we all thought the worst and after much pleading on jo's part, they let her go out to the school to say goodbye to jarrod and to go home to see kye (mum was looking after him) and then brett drove her up to the hospital on the gold coast.
that afternoon she was assessed by not only the neurosurgeon from brisbane but he also had her seen by an ENT specialist as well as a vascular microsurgeon. whatever this thing was in her neck it was nasty and it wasn't going to be an easy op.
she was so ill they delayed the surgery until thursday and they had her back on a drip and pumping her full of antibiotics overnight.

it was the hardest few days of my life - i wanted to be up there with her but brett was the only one who would have been allowed into ICU had she ended up there and i was much more help down here helping with kye and jarrod. plus i was one of the main organisers of the bonfire night for kait's school that was on saturday night (another long story - see further down this post) and i just had to be here.
i spoke to jo briefly on thursday morning and we shed a few tears and said some things that have been a long time in coming. to say that my attention span at work on thursday was not 100% is an understatement. it was the longest day of my life.

jo was in theatre for just on three hours - the lump on her neck was a bronchial cyst with involvement of the major artery running into her brain. the second lump on the base of her skull was a second cyst forming. she was so ill they decided to just drain the cyst this time and when it grows back at a later date, it will have to be removed. she was just too weak this time for them to remove it - the surgeon felt she may not have survived the surgery had he tried to remove it
they drained as much of it as they could and established that there was NOT a tumour underneath it, which is what they suspected. they put a drain in her neck, which came out on sunday. she was on pretty strong painkillers and wasn't very coherent the few times i called so i just let her rest and got brett to give her our love each day when he went up.
the good news is that she arrived home yesterday afternoon - very tired, very skinny but alive. she was so happy to see the boys but went home and went straight off to bed.
the road to a full recovery will be long and the surgeon told her that the cyst will grow back but next time he hopes jo will be strong enough to have the op to remove it.

again i just can't thank each and everyone of you enough for your prayers and support and friendship over the past few weeks. if i could jump on a plane and fly around the country and hug you all one by one i would.
thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of my family, jo and her family too.

as i mentioned before kait's school had their big bonfire night last saturday night. a huge success again despite the security guards having to call the police to deal with some trouble making inebriated teenagers - why can't they just stay away from this family occasion...???
the school only has 87 chidren in it, 4 staff but each year for the past 26 years we have had a bonfire night each june to raise money for the kids. we have fireworks; a produce stall legendary for it's pickles, relishes and craft; a cafe serving freshly made cakes and brewed coffee; a bbq cooked by the parents; rides; entertainment....etc, etc.
this year we estimate we had about 3000 people through the gates and we had banked by the end of the night about $30,000!!!!
not a bad effort for our little country school.
it is a huge undertaking - this year we made and sold 850 dozen lamingtons, we peeled 80 kgs of onions, we made 40 kgs of coleslaw; we cooked and sold over 850 steaks; we mixed and cooked almost 8o kgs of doughnut mix.
this year we were lucky enough to have 55 dozen krispy kreme donuts donated which sold out in record time.
now to add a little bit of excitement to the mix, the P&C president decided on friday that it was a good day to go into labour and have her baby !!!!!
(congrats on the birth of little lyannah may, rondah and justin)
so as P&C VP i was in charge and with the help of jane, rondah's assistant and andrew, our gorgeous and slightly crazy principal, we managed to muddle our way through the night and come out relatively unscathed.
tired and exhausted but happy with our results.
and the good news.....we get to do it all over again next year.....LOL

if you have reached this far into this mammoth post - well done !!!!
not much more waffling to go *wink*

a HUGE congrats to the most gorgeous and talented miss marie and miss ruthy on their appointments to the every moment matters DT. both marie and ruthy are the sweetest girls around and have been a tower of strength to me over the past few weeks. it is a well deserved accolade my dear friends and i am so looking forward to seeing what you guys get up to.
love you both to bits.

last thursday i was shocked, amazed, blown away when this arrived in my mailbox.


thank you so much ruthy....i love it so much and i was so surprised to receive it.
you are such a blessing in my life.

i have also managed to scrap a page this week which i found very theraputic. it is for the craft attic's weekly inspiration - every second week i post an inspiration to hopefully inspire some of the girls to scrap outside their comfort zone.

this week's inspiration was to scrap using purple - my inspiration...??? miss kait has a real "thing" for purple at the moment so i scrapped a purple lo for her - doesn't she look so grown up in this pic...??? it was taken first thing in the morning on her 10th birthday in may.
every other week the very talented kim geling posts a sketch for us to scrap.

and that dear friends....is that.

be happy, stay safe and look for some laughter in your day

~*~ shazz ~*~

GOOD NEWS

i haven't wanted to update my blog because we were literally taking things hour by hour there for a few days last week but the good news is that jo doesn't have cancer (the pathology came back last night); she is coming home today and God willing she will just get stronger as each day passes from now on.

many of you know that she was taken through to the gold coast hospital last wednesday and operated on, on thursday. a lengthy three hour op that seemed to take all day while we waited.
but now at least we have answers - a diagnosis and a treatment and hopefully the road to recovery.

i am so sorry for those of you who have been waiting for news via my blog, and for those of you who have emailed and messaged me. i just couldn't bring myself to answer back in any really coherent way because i was just holding my breath and praying like the dickens that she would pull through ok.

add to that the fact she was in a hospital 2 hours away and i had committments with kait's school that i couldn't get out of and it made for a pretty rough and stressful week for not only me but our entire family.

i will post a longer version of the events later today so if you feel like a bit of a read later, make a cuppa and settle in....

have a fantastic day everyone....the sun seems to be shining a little brighter down my way today, if you know what i mean.

~*~ shazz ~*~