Come On Get Scrappy

Scrapping.....

I have lots of scrapping I have done lately, and not taken pics of - so I remedied that on the weekend as the sun was actually out!  I'll just post some, as I have lots.

Does anyone want to design a new blog banner - because I suck at that.  I will give a very generous RAK!

So here they are....

These first three layouts have photos by Renee and the first two layouts were for the Scrap Needs newsletter.  The Long Lashes one was just for fun!

These photos were on an old, daggy layout I pulled apart - it was hard to make the oval cut photos look any good, and I think the layout still looks dated because of it.  Will have to try to find the negs and reprint the photos.  Sophie's first haircut - she looks very concerned LOL.

Jacob's first haircut - he also looks very concerned - his was on his first birthday.  This was also a layout I did for Julie's Scrap Your Stash challenge at Scrapbook n bits.  Quite fun to do.

This was one I did for the June Guest DT comp at Scrapbook n bits. And I won! 

This one, I  fiddled with the photo colour on this one, as the photo came out a bit weird, and I have overexposed it too much, and Sophie looks like she has purple bags under her eyes - well at least they match the layout LOL!  If you click you can read the journalling which is amusing.

This is another one I did for the Scrap Needs newsletter.  Once again, photos were on an old layout, and I pulled them off to redo.

That's it for now - I think I still have some I haven't uploaded!  Soon..

Birthdays...

Been a big week for birthdays in our family.  FIL on 7th, my brother turned 30 on 9th.  Jacob turned one yesterday. Yes, I am feeling a little sad, because he is not going to be a baby much longer.  He is at such a cute age.  And then today is my cousin Jake's 21st birthday. 

Here's my brother Matthew with the kids on his birthday.

Jacob had his first haircut on his first birthday - that was a fluke, only appt I could get.  But now he looks even more grown up without his baby fluff curls.

He looks impressed with the whole thing!

Some photos from yesterday - blowing out the candles, and just hanging around.  Where did this last year go?

So, at one, Jacob has been walking for quite some time, he took his first steps nearly 2 months ago.  He is saying a lot of words - Mum, Dad, Pa, Gan (for gran), gone, ball, bounce, phone, bath, more, apple, and many more that I can't even think of.  I say to him, "where's Mummy's little lion" and he does a cute little roar!  He can woof too and does an ee ee sound like a monkey.  He is a gorgeous little boy - well except that he is still a very bad sleeper.  The last couple of nights, he woke nearly every hour between about 2 and 6am.  No wonder I have wrinkles and bags, no, suitcases under my eyes.

Matt is nearly finished the website for the CF fundraiser - it has been a much bigger job than I anticipated because he has written the whole site from scratch, where I assumed he would use software he had previoulsy written.  But he didn't want it to be in php (old format) wanted it to be in dot net, so had to start from scratch.  We still have to load the classes on and test it and test the payment system... so hopefully another week.  I have a couple of other sponsors of prizes I have to upload too. Don't forget you can register to receive updates www.scrappingforcf.com.au

I (stupidly) decided to give Masters a go again this year.  I wasn't going to, as I didn't like the challenges, but then I came up with ideas, so I'm going to give it a shot.  Lots to do, not much time to do it.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos of the kids that Renee took a couple of months ago.  They were for presents for our mothers for Mothers Day.

Scrapping for CF

The website is up, although the classes aren't quite ready to go yet.  You can register on the site now to receive updates. 

www.scrappingforcf.com.au

Cystic Fibrosis Fundraising

At the bequest of many, here is an update re the CF Fundraiser I am organising.

SCRAPPING FOR CF

I am organising online classes, generously donated by the lovely and talented Marion Werren, Jen Hall, Chris Millar, Roz James and Janine Kaye.  Matt will hopefully have the home page for the website ready in the next couple of days, with info about the classes on it - and then we should have it all ready to go shortly after.

The classes will be downloadable and ALL monies made are going to CFNSW (who I might add were very excited by the idea!). 

65 Roses Day

Friday 23rd May is 65 Roses Day and if you are near an LJ Hooker or Big W, please purchase some Red Rose merchandise.  CF does not have the support or the awareness of some of the bigger charities, and yet it is the most common genetic disease in Australia.  If you would like to learn more about CF, please go to Cystic Fibrosis Australia and click on About CF in the bar at the top of the page.

The term 65 Roses, comes from the song by The Wolverines who are the CF ambassadors - the song was inspired from a true story of a boy who thought his parents were saying his sister had "65 Roses" instead of Cystic Fibrosis.  Here are the lyrics....

Wolverines- 65 ROSES
When I was just a small child, my mum and daddy came to me,
They sat me down and told me of the flowers my sister received.
Sixty-five roses with yellow and red,
Made her so tired she had to stay in bed.
I just couldn't believe the flowers my sister received,
Made it so hard for her to breathe.
Why did she have sixty-five roses?
Must be her birthday today.
She must have been good to get sixty-five roses,
What can't she come out play?

Sixty-five roses, with yellow and red,
Made her so tired she had to stay in bed.
I looked all around, but I couldn't find,
The sixty-five roses were all in my mind.
I've thrown up and I see that,
The only one thinking of roses was me.
And the reason that the sixty-five roses came,
Was because I was too young to understand the name.

Sixty-five roses, cystic fibrosis,
Made her so tired, she had to stay in bed.
Sixty-five roses, cystic fibrosis,
I wish she had roses instead.
Sixty-five roses, cystic fibrosis,
I wish that she could come out to play.
Life, one suppooses, is no bed of roses,
I wish she had roses instead.

Wish she had roses instead,
(Sixty-five roses, sixty-five roses,
Sixty-five roses, sixty-five roses).
Wish she had roses instead,
(Sixty-five roses, sixty-five roses,
Sixty-five roses, sixty-five roses).
Wish she had roses instead,
(Sixty-five roses, sixty-five roses,
Sixty-five roses, sixty-five roses).

I'll be back with an update on the fundraiser soon - please support it if you can - CF is a nasty disease.  A lot of the money that is raised is mostly by hardworking parents of CF children, and will help with research to improve and lengthen these kids lives. 

The sun is out at last..

It seems like it has been raining for a month, well at least the whole of the school hols.  Sophie has been to the movies twice with my Mum and Dad, to the Newcastle Show a couple of weeks ago, to Tuggerah one day, to Lollypops, and several excursions to the major shopping centers for school hol activities.

Jacob is now 10 1/2 months and took his first steps last week.  He can now walk about 5-6 steps all up.  He is so happy about it!  He wants to walk all the time, and climbs up on Matt or I while we are doing things, and then we walk around really carefully with the little attachment.  He has also discovered he can stand and walk around and spin when holding onto the office chair!

Dad is good, and although we thought he was considering medical retirement, we thought wrong.  He is going back to school on Monday.  I don't think he made a wise choice here.

Here are some layouts - some I did a couple of weeks ago, some this week.  I have been on a bit of a roll and churning them out a lot faster than usual.

Here is Jacob at 10 months.

Here is one at 3 months - I pulled apart a layout that I didn't like and redid this one.

Matt and Jacob at Jacob's naming - he was 4mths old (Jacob that is - Matt turned 40 the day before).

   

I set a challenge to use old and new products on a layout - and these are some that I did - Daddy's Boy is using some old Heidi chipboard letters for 'boy', "ten months" is using some old Heidi plastic alpha.  I have done another one too, but have to get permission to show my friend's daughter on my blog first.  This one, "Us" I used more of my Scarlet Lime kit.  I am still using it and have done about 6 things with it so far.  I have two new ones that arrived and I have used a little bit, but they are very bright, and I know I am going to struggle with it.  Oh and the 3 months one is using the new MM Animal Crackers range.

STAY TUNED:  I have come up with a fundraising idea for Cystic Fibrosis as May is Red Roses month, and I have secured the assistance of some very talented scrapbookers to help me out.  Just putting together the details at the moment, and then I'll announce it.

Have a great weekend. 

April Showers..

It's cool and rainy here - perfect weather for sleeping.... but..

in the last month, there hasn't been much sleeping going on here.  It's hard to accept that we went through sleep issues with Jacob when he was little, and then he slept 12 hours every night, to what we are experiencing now.  On Saturday night, he was awake crying more than asleep - I think he might only have had about 4 hours sleep all up.  So yesterday, he has two 1/2 hr sleeps.  This is not enough for him, us or anyone!  We have tried everything.  Last night, I let him cry for 5 mins and he threw up!!! It's amazing how depressing everything can seem when you haven't slept well for about 3 months.

Dad is in to have his heart surgery today.  Hopefully they will be able to fix his blockage with the stent as planned, otherwise, it will be bypass.

Matt hurt his back on Easter Sunday and was in bed for 3 days.  The poor bugger, he was in so much pain!  It was a difficult few days for me - I felt like i was a single mother of 3.  He has gone back to work today, but he is still in pain and not back to normal as he can't sit for long periods of time.... this makes it hard when his job is sitting at a computer all day.

Here are a couple of layouts I did about 5 weeks ago - I didn't take very good photos of them!

   

Just realised that I didn't put a title on this one!

and here are some i did a week ago at the last crop.  I know I spelt Cutie wrong - will fix later.

                                                      

This one and "Generations" were using my March Scarlet Lime kit.  I also rescrapped a frame with it, that I haven't taken a photo of.  Loved this month's kit - full of MM 5th Avenue.  I have been madly in love with the last three ranges of MM.  Can't wait to get my April kits now.

"Real women don't have hot flushes. They have power surges."

Jacob was 9 months old on 12th.  Time flies... when you're sleep deprived. 

Here he is on the day, with toast crumbs all over him.  He is a gorgeous boy, and a Mummy's boy.  He is standing and walking around the furniture now - I wonder how long until he walks.

We decided to give him a bottle of formula before bed to see if that would help him sleep.  He has improved, so it might be a good thing.  Matt keeps suggesting I wean him and put him on a bottle, but I'm just not ready yet.  I enjoy breastfeeding, Jacob enjoys it.... it's not like I'm working and it's inconvenient.  Going to persist until he is 1. 

My Dad has had some issues with his health, and about three weeks ago, was taken to hospital with chest pains.  After a stupid nurse gave him too much Anginine and his heartrate dropped so low he had to be resusitated, he was released from hospital after 24 hours and told it was probably not his heart.  Then after a stress test which showed a blockage, and then an angiogram last Wednesday, they found he has a 60% and an 80% blockage in the one artery.  This is the same artery he had a blockage in when he was 38, 19 years ago.  Back then, they gave him a balloon plasty.  This time, they are going to put a stent in.  He is very lucky that he hasn't had a heart attack, especially when they were overseas in January!  He has to wait two weeks for the die from the angiogram to get out of his system, and then the heart surgeon is away on hols, so it might be nearly 4 weeks before he has the surgery.  In the meantime... he is on blood thinning meds so that the blood can pass more easily through the artery, and he is therefore not allowed to drive.  The meds make him feel woozy.  And he is on a strict diet and no exercise in the meantime. 

Glad I have decided to do something about my health as I have the same problem as Dad - high triglycerides, high cholesterol and low good cholesterol.  I really should have been on medication for about 4 years, but I kept ducking it.  After I finish feeding Jacob and have lost some more weight, if my cholesterol is not down, I will be.

Have a couple of layouts I've done, but not taken any pics.... will do so soon. 

Happy Easter everyone!

"I want it all.....

And I want it smothered in whipped cream and chocolate."

Here is a layout share - usually mostly Making Memories products - Noteworthy and Love Story lines.

Sorry, bad photos of them, taken in poor light.

Some more scrapping

Gosh, I'm really into the scrapbooking lately, and getting a lot done.

Here they are

A canvas of Jacob

About his love for the bath

For our calendar for the year

I have done other stuff too, but haven't quite finished or taken pics.

Quiet week here, Jacob and I have been staying home a lot.  He is now crawling - well, just about... 8 months old yesterday. 

"Nothing gets me in the mood like a man doing my dishes"

I have been doing even more scrapbooking, after spending a gruelling week or so tidying up my room first.  When I put together all the alphabets, and all the papers etc.... I realised what a sh**load of stuff I have! I'm giving some away.... yes, I am..

So, I have done some scrapping, and some things are in not quite finished as I am waiting for new photos to replace the ones I stuffed... but here is some stuff.

Firstly, the Scrap Needs newsletter is out, and here are a couple of my creations..

And here are a couple of others I did...

  This was for a challenge using blue/yellow/orange and buttons.

This was a challenge I set using computer title or journalling.

One I did for fun - the brown is our floor, not the layout

One of Sophie to go into a frame on our wall .. hmm,and I've obviously forgotten to take pics of the other two that are going up there to match.. next time - I know you can hardly wait.

AND, here are some pics of Jacob I took to compare to my baby photo.. I didn't remember until Jacob was born that Sophie used to spread her big toe, and J does it too... well, looking in this photo, I was the original.  What a trait to inherit eh?  I can't get over how much he is like me, and since Jacob and Sophie are alike as babies, she was obviously like me too, although not so much now, thank goodness. People like to say they look like Matt, and I just can't see it at all - I look between them and can't see it.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want them to look like me, but there is undeniable evidence that they are my children LOL.

Me - in my Nanny's backyard - Mum said I was fed on Carnation mik and that was why I was so chubby!  Better lay off that Carnation milk now I think.

     

Oh, and our boy is still beautiful, smart and the apple of our eye.  He is just about crawling, well, really has been just about for a month or more - he just doesn't want to.  Gets himself up on his hands and knees, and then launches himself forward as far as he can go.  Does a bit of commando crawling.  He pulled himself up on the edge of the lounge the other day - with no help, except me waiting to catch him.  He would rather walk I think - he is happiest standing.