Movie madness ...

Day 30 -  I learnt several things today.  One - that taking Christopher to the movies is still an enjoyable past-time, even when I have to bring one of his friends along.  Two - that the animated G and PG movies are often better than the adult offerings and while once around with an adult focused film is usually more than enough, many of the animated ones you can watch over and over and never tire of them and Three - the cost of going to a major cinema chain is getting way out of hand.  $13 for a child and $17.95 for an adult ticket is just ridiculous.  From now on I'm heading to the independent cinema complex where you can still get tickets for $10 !!

Boats ...

Another favourite challenge site is Kraft It Up.  This one, obviously, uses kraft cardstock as its base and offers additional criteria on top of that.  This month we were asked to use this picture ...

and then create a layout using Kraft and any inspiration we liked out of the image (the banner, the colours, patterns etc).  I decided to use the basic white and blue colour scheme with touches of red and also the use of the flag banner.  I also felt that the photo had a real nautical feel to it so used boats as my layout theme.

Cat heaven ...

Day 29 -  Our cat, Mr Zo, is huge.  He makes Garfield look skinny, in fact we even had to get a small dog carrier to transport him as he doesn't fit into the normal cat cages.  One thing he just loves is to expose his big fat tummy to the sun - he finds little spots of filtered sunlight and then lies there in cat heaven oblivious to the world.

Scrapping the boys ...

It's no secret that I love participating in challenges and I particularly like the ones on Scrap the Boys - not just because I have a boy myself but because they always come up with some interesting and varied challenges which make me think a bit.  This month was no different.

The first challenge was to create a layout about our boys nickname.  Great, I thought.  I've been wanting to do this page forever and I've had the appropriate letters in my stash for almost as long :).  Obviously with  "Christopher James" as a name it was a given that my son would get "CJ" as a nickname.

As Father's Day falls in September there was a bonus challenge this month to scrap a layout about our boys and their special relationships with their Dad’s.  I kept this one simple, highlighting the fact that while Christopher and his Dad are father and son they are also great mates.

The last challenge was to add a touch of 'industrial grunge' to a layout by using metal.  This one I found difficult as I am not a lover of metal at all and have very little of it in my stash.  Eventually I discovered in the deep dark recesses of the bottom draw, a small packet of bottle caps and decided these would have to suffice!

It's a habit ...

Day 28 -  a 20% off everything (even already reduced items), scrapbooking products and me are not a good combination.  I just can't resist a good sale even though my craft room is overflowing.  I have so much stuff in there I could scrap for a year and not need to buy another thing and still have product left over, yet the lure of a 20% sale I find irresistible.  It's a serious habit I know but I can think of worse ones to have :)

Just right ...

Day 27 -  I took Rachel formal dress shopping today to the last shop on the Central Coast we had yet to visit.  If we didn't find something here it was going to mean a trip to Newcastle or to Sydney which I wasn't looking forward to and it would have meant the loss of valuable HSC study time for her.  So we headed to Toukley, not overly optimistic but with fingers crossed.  We tried on a number of possible dresses - none suitable until we came to this one.  I knew the moment she put it on that it was a winner.  All along she had been saying she wanted green and many of the dresses we had tried on were very gappy in the front which was a worry to her or were way too long even when wearing high heels so would have required alteration - this one was good, only a small tuck needed across the bodice which I could easily do myself.  (Only one other dress had ticked all the little boxes and would have been beautiful except for the $480 price tag which I just couldn't justify for a once only wear).  THEN I looked at the price tag to see if this one was within my price range and felt my heart race - was $330 down to $49 as it was last years stock.  I made an executive decision and we bought it and it will be just fine !!!

Having reservations ...

Day 26 -   Today I realised why I love belonging to my local library.  I have a system - I go onto Amazon and check out what books are coming out soon and then go onto my local library on-line site and reserve those of them of interest to me as soon as they are listed there - most show up as 'on order' some weeks before release date.  9 times out of 10 I'm at the top of the reservation queue and have them in my hot little hands only a matter of days after they hit the store shelves and even with the extremely popular best sellers I am only in the reservation queue for a few weeks.  Today I picked up my copy of Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs, Gone by Mo Hayder and Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich and I feel pretty pleased with myself - over $75 worth of books for $3.90 reservation fees ! - you have got to love local libraries.

Happy faces ...

Day 25 -  Daisies make you smile - they lift your spirits.  How could you not be happy looking at their bright, cheery little faces lifted to the sun?

End of school ...

Day 24 -  After thirteen years of schooling today was Rachel's final official day at school.  Much of her year spent yesterday afternoon readying the school campus for the unofficial end of school "muck up" day where the Year 12 takes over for an hour or two and lets their hair down with some antics - in their case some balloon filled offices, water bombs and over 5 kilometers of rope, criss-crossing the quadrangle, threading up stairwells and effectively cordoning off access to much of the campus - all with permission from the principal.  I waved her off this morning with a tinge of sadness, remembering all those years ago my own muck up day.  I didn't fully appreciate it then, nor does my daughter fully realise it now, but those carefree days of school were very special and will never come again.  Life is about to get much more complicated.

Sick of being sick ...

Day 23 - Among the many things I hate about being ill with a heavy cold (apart from the fact that I'm not very good at it), is that no matter what medicinal measures you use, they only ever take the edge off and you never really feel 100% until the bug has worked itself out of your system - and that my friends takes time.   I had a shocking night last night - coughing and wheezing and nose blowing my way through the wee small hours and today, quite frankly I feel shot.  In fact I really don't feel like doing anything and to be honest I haven't for the past couple of days.  All I really only want to do is crawl back under the blankets and feel sorry for myself.

Vast and dry ...

Day 22 - Watched an interesting documentary produced by Dick Smith (one of our great Australian identities) on the current topical issue of population in this country.  There is much debate of late over the level of migrant intake and whether we, as a nation, can sustain a growing population in the future.  I think one of the misnomers about Australia is that because we are seen to be such a large country with a relatively low population, we are automatically thought of as being under populated and have the capacity to take in more people.  Unfortunately while we are vast, much of Australia is desert and water availability is a constant worry.  Indeed some 75% of our population lives a cosmopolitan lifestyle within 200km of the coast around the edges of the country.  In fact only 6% of the country is suitable for food production.

Canberra capers ...

Day 21 - It's noticeably quieter in the house at the moment.  Christopher has gone on a four day excursion to Canberra.  It's a traditional Year 6 pilgrimage to head to our nations capital to see Parliament House, our seat of government, the Australian War memorial, Royal Australian Mint and all the other exciting places that are available there.  I did it all those years ago and Mrs Dyson, his teacher has done this same trip now for 9 years running - I think the adventure of seeing the wonderfully informative and historical sites would be very special - I'm just not too sure I'd like to do that with a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds.
 

Dress pain ...

Day 20 - Rachel and I have been doing the rounds trying to find a suitable dress for her upcoming Year 12 formal in November.  Naturally we want to find something she likes, in a reasonable colour, in a flattering style and one that fits within my budget.  So far no luck - either wrong size, wrong colour, unsuitable style or in the case of two that actually ticked the previous boxes - way too expensive.  It's a fun exercise - not!!!

Tummy time ...

Day 19 - Today I spied Christopher giving Mr Zo a tummy rub.  I'm not sure who was enjoying it the most although the look on our cat's face told me he was in a blissful place.  He's a huge cat, double the size of his sister Bella but he's such a softy.  You've got to love cats!

The green, green grass of home ...

Day 18 - Although it is spring here and much of the remaining garden is budding or in bloom, the only thing that appears green with our lawn are the weeds and these are thick, lush and multiplying!!  It's a big job trying to keep them under control as well as time consuming and unfortunately we just don't seem to get to it as much as we should, making the big job even bigger.  Even after the two of us spending several hours hard at it today, there is still much to do.
 

The science of having fun ...

Day 17 - Christopher went fossil hunting in the Hunter Valley with his science club from school.  Armed with gloves and hammer they scoured an old quarry on the lookout for botrychiopsis, deltopecten and megadesmus artifacts.  He came home tired, dirty and smelly but he had such a great time.  "I didn't think science could be so much fun", he said.

It's raining ...

Day 14 - If there is one thing I know it's that Australia is a land of extremes and I think this is becoming more and more evident in our weather patterns. Today was a fine (please excuse the pun) example. It rained - not nice gentle, ground soaking rain but a torrential, blast everything into the ground, downpour. It literally came down in sheets and in a matter of minutes large sections of the Central Coast Highway at West Gosford was underwater. Fun times!

Tea and Toast ...

Day 13 - Guess it's official - I'm boring.  I love my cup of Australian Breakfast tea and Vegemite on toast for breakfast.  It is probably my favourite breakfast and one I tend to cycle with porridge in winter and muesli in summer and  the odd cooked English breakfast on a Sunday thrown in for good measure. 
 

Skyline ...



Day 12 - A day at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney is always memorable, not only for the exotic bird and animal life but for the totally stunning views across Sydney Harbour to the CBD.  It truly is a spectacular sight, arguably one of the most photogenic cities in the world.  I never tire of looking at it - by day or by night - Sydney city will always have a special place in my Australian heart.

Beauty ...

Day 11 - The large Turpentine tree around the corner from my house is in blossom. I've walked past this tree on many ocassions, glancing briefly at its height, taken in superficially the colour of it's trunk, it's leaves but I've never stopped - never gotten up close and truely looked at it. I did today and it was beautiful. Pale fluffy white blossoms with golden centers. Feather light and delicate.

And the same again ...

Day 10 - The Australian Springtime Flora Festival is NSW's premier gardening event, with over 300 exhibits of all things gardening, home and outdoor living. The event is held at Mt Penang Parklands, literally a 5 minute drive from where we live and annually attracts some 50,000 visitors.  This year marked the 24th show - and I have missed only one - the year of Christopher's birth.
 
One thing more dependable than the annual festival is the annual advent of rain at some stage over the four days.  In it's 24 year history I can recall only two years of a complete rain free event with most years experiencing at least one day of rain and some years being a total wash out.  Of course if it isn't raining full pelt it is usually blowing a gale.  This year of course was no different, rain and strong winds on Thursday and Friday afternoons. 
 
 

All present for the presents ...

Day 9 -  It's Christopher 12th birthday today.  He was up bright and early - even brighter and earlier than normal !!.  He refrained from opening all his presents straight away - just picking out two for the morning and the rest at night.  I soon realised that while he was excited to see what he had received, both John and Rachel were just as eager - present opening really is a family affair.

Moving on ...

Day 8 - It is my son's birthday tomorrow and he's asked me to make cupcakes for his Year 6 class.  I'm happy to do this as I have every year for primary school and as I did for my daughter before him.  At a point somewhere in the cooking process it dawned on me that after 16 years of preparing cakes for classmates this was my final time.  Part of me is sad that yet another segment of my life and my son's childhood has come to an end, along with the bedtime story reading and playing with toys - yet another part of me rejoices in this wonderful process called life, of the adventure and excitement that awaits him and the lessons he has yet to learn.

Just purrfect ...

Day 7 - Our cat, Miss Bella, has a "thing" about warm towels. She knows when they are being finished off in the dryer and meows piteously around my feet in anticipation of them being taken out. When I throw them down onto a lounge ready to fold she is immediately onto them, snuggling down into the cosy warmth. Most days she is just so dang cute I don't have the heart to move her.  Eventually they cool down and she decides a patch of sun on the window sill might be a better option.

Doing a happy dance ...

I'm thrilled to be guest designer over on How Much Is Too Much challenge site this week.  I love this site - they have some very talented designers and some awesome challenges.  What better way is there to reduce your overflowing stash than partake in the odd challenge (or two)?

If you would like to play along  my challenge is all about shapes - circles, squares, hearts, etc. These can be punched, chipboard, stickers, whatever you have. Choose your shape and use it at least 10 times on your layout. I’d then like to see you use the name of your shape in your title - for example “You are in my heart” or “Singing star”.