LSNE - 30th September

The back of the carpark across the road from where my daughter works part-time has a resident population of wild ducks.  I caught them napping when I dropped her off tonight ....

Being Sassy in September ...

I've been doing pages based on sketches from Sassy Little Sketches this month via Peta's September competition on Scrapbooking From Scratch.  

Sketch 1

I've been redoing a few pages from my now 18 year old daughter's album - not the whole album just some layouts/photos I really didn't like and were done when I first started scrapbooking.  These photos were one set from that small pile -  I'm much happier this time around!

Sketch 2

I used this sketch for a fun layout on my son and his rather obsessive attachment to his computer.

Sketch 3

This sketch really appealed to my simple style and I'm pleased with how my layout came out.

Sketch 4

Really like  this page  - I'm using a one off pic from Christmas a number of years I hadn't scrapped before. Love that it captured a quiet moment on Christmas Day.

123 ...

Thought I might join in with 123 Challenges this month where the challenge criteria was to use the colour white, the word ON and the technique of white space.  Here is my take on this where I have used predominantly white with just light touches of colour on a minimalist layout.

Scrapjacked for September ...

I'm running late in putting up my layout from inspiration gleaned from Scrapjacked this month.  This time I used the layout by Vicki as my inspiration.  I really like how she has made the central focal spot of her layout a large rectangle and her use of string across the page as well as the large circular embellishment on the left of the photo.

Here is my own take on her layout ...

LNSE - 29th September

I live in a beautiful part of the world - I should NEVER lose sight of that.

LSNE - 28 September

Mr Zo just loves sitting in the sunshine and will follow the rays that stream through our skylight window onto patches of the floor.  It doesn't seem to matter to him that the spots are small and he's a very large cat - just so long as he can get part of himself into the warmth he is happy.

LSNE - 27th September

It is the school holidays and I've given ds the task of cleaning up his Lego collection - atm it is all thrown together in tubs.  He's decided to put together all his "kits" which means rebuilding the models .... one very big job.

LSNE - 26th September

My daughter and her boyfriend flew to Melbourne today - her first major trip by herself (well almost by herself).   She's been overseas before with school groups which were fully chaperoned and strictly supervised but this was a trip on their own, by train, plane and negotiating a strange city.

Part of me rejoices in her maturity and in the fact that she is growing and pulling away from us as she increases her independence.  The other part of me is sad because as much as I love her and want her to be independent it is sometimes hard for a Mother to let go.

Sketches and senses ...

Another sketch from Shimelle this week which I have combined with a challenge from Soul Scrappers as they work so beautifully together.  As a member of several design teams I do get a little frustrated when people use the one layout for multiple challenges - I just don't feel this is fair to those that take the time and make the effort to do separate layouts especially when prizes are involved.  My exception to this rule is when you use a sketch from one site and combine it with a inspiration challenge from another.

The challenge was to portray the sense of smell in a layout based on for summer..  This is a series of sense challenges upcoming for the next few weeks.

Here is my take ...

LSNE- 25th September

The skies opened today and the rain came down in absolute torrents.  It was incredibly loud on the hall roof where I was retreat scrapbooking.  The old gutter system certainly wasn't coping with the sheer volume of water and it was overflowing along large sections.  A very good day to be inside.

LSNE - 24th September

There is just something about  attending scrapbooking retreats that cleanses and restores me.  Just a couple of days where I can do what I want when I want to do it, not having to clean or cook or answer questions or break up arguments, where I can go to bed when I want and get up when I like, where I can stand under the shower for 30 minutes if I so desire and have that extra piece of slice if I so wish, where I can spread out all my scrapbooking stuff across a large table and just create what I want is pure unadulterated bliss.

LSNE - 23rd September

Spring can be beautiful - simple as that ...

LSNE - 22nd September

Today I had a banana on my cereal!  Woo Hoo monumental day!!  For the better part of a year I have been buying bananas in one and twos only and they have been carefully handed out to the boy for school lunches because with braces he finds it hard to eat any other fruit.  The terrible cyclone and storms that ravished northern Queensland at the end of last year and early this one not only caused massive damage to homes and livelihoods but they decimated crops of bananas.  Prices sky rocketed but now at long last trees have regrown and fruit is back to being plentiful and with it the prices are back to affordable.  I have missed my bananas.

LSNE - 21st September

Much of what my daughter does at TAFE for her graphic design diploma is a mystery to me - I see her working away hard at the computer or upon a sketch pad at her desk.  Every now and again I get a small glimpse of the creative process.

LSNE - 20th September

One of the benefits of having a daughter who works in a pizza and pasta restaurant is that she has learnt how to make some really delicious dishes ...

LSNE - 19 September

There are days when I really, really, appreciate the fact that I have a daughter who has now finished school and is willing to help her brother who is in the first year of high school.  I feel the a weight has somewhat been lifted.

LSNE - 18 September

Our entire family is a lover of Rowan Atkinson - his exploits as Johnny English and Mr Bean have left us with fond memories and sore sides from laughter over the years.  ds was such a Mr Bean fan he had the full bedroom set up and his very favourite companions were these three little guys.

So naturally when Johnny English made another appearance on our screen we mad an immediate trip to the local movies to see him.  We weren't disappointed - much fun was had by all.

Being ARTastic ...

ARTastic have a beautiful painting for inspiration this month. It's Almond Blossom by Vincent Van Gogh.  I just adore the vivid blue in this painting and the little details in the flowers.  Just gorgeous.

The extra criteria for this challenge was to use a blue background, white flowers and a brown or white title.

My layout this month is quite detailed as well.  It has lots of little flowers and pieces of lace, buttons, pearl brads and other little touches.  I've used a partial sheet of vivid blue paper cut as a circle circle for the background as well as cutting blue and white flowers from another sheet.  I've inked the clear acrylic title in brown to form the title.

LSNE - 17th September

I love to read.  I used to sneak a flashlight to bed with me when I was a child and I'd read by it's yellow glow secreted under the covers.  It was my guilty pleasure - a clandestine meeting of paper and mind.

Now I've come to rely on reading as part of my daily ritual - I find I don't sleep well unless I spend at least 30 minutes each night with book in hand.  I'll devour nearly anything, from science fiction to murder mysteries, historical romances to chic flick .... just so long as I can read.

LSNE - 16th September

Miss Bella is the funniest little thing - she loves going outside and the merest touch on the handle of our french doors will bring her running from wherever she is in the house in the hope of some R&R in the great outdoors.

LSNE - 15th September

Cats! - you have to love em :)

LSNE - 14th September

We all have work to do in this life - sometimes the lesson is harder for the young.

LSNE - 13th September

Spring has sprung in my neighbourhood.


Now what's that old ditty .....


Spring is sprung, the grass is ris.
I wonders where the birdies is.
They say the birds is on the wing.
Ain't that absurd?
I always thought the wing was on the bird.

LSNE - 12th September

It's how I start each day ...

LSNE - 11th September

We have been doing this for quite a while now - our Sunday morning ritual of breakfast in bed and watching the ABC political TV panel "The Insiders".  It's become "our" special time, just an hour or so every week dedicated just to us - bliss.

LSNE - 10th September

My son currently has 5 friends in our family room playing the Wii and eating lots of sugary substances - birthday sleepovers are part and parcel of growing up.

10 things ...

It's the 10th of the month and today over on Shimelle we list 10 things.

Garfield is no fan of getting up or starting the week with Monday - I can relate so as I'm feeling lighthearted today I thought I might share with you 10 of my personal favourite Garfield Monday/morning wallpapers.

 

LSNE - 9th September

Today my baby turns 13 (and yes I wonder where the years have gone).  We didn't do a cake today as we are having a sleepover party with all his friends tomorrow but we couldn't let the day pass without some candles and the obligatory Happy Birthday song.