Scrap the Girls January entry

This is my entry for Scrap the Girls this month, the criteria for this was easy, "No boys allowed" which is funny that I should use majority blue colours when I had the perfect opportunity to use the girly ones I always say I want to use, but these Rouge De Gurance papers just seemed perfect, I have added the journalling under the pull out number 10 playing card. This is dear Jan, she is 60 just today and she is so dear to Nate and I, she is for all intense and purposes "Nana Jan". She only lives 8 houses up the road and fortunately we get together to get creative almost every day. This is a photo of us at Yarraman, Qld. We went for our Good Friday drive with her husband Col, we go somewhere different every year and this is our tradition.

2010 Big dreams

This is my entry for the SCRAP HAPPY KAT blog site it was a sketch and it challenged me a bit, I used the beautiful KI Memories background paper added an onion bag just to add a little texture but when I had finished I found I had a fair chunch of my Sass Lass paper showing, I received those beautiful butterfly cut outs in a RAK from a dear friend so I coloured them with ink and stuck them on, this made me happier, I usually do not do layouts on myself so this was a perfect way to relay my hopes and dreams for 2010 in a layout. Thanks Kathie for the inspiration.

Out of the Hat January challenge

This is my January entry for the "Out of the Hat" January challenge, I am so enjoying these challenges over the last few days, dearest Jan is on holidays and Melinda is enjoying some time with her partner so I have had some quiet days. This challenge had some criteria, 1. Use striped paper - I actually used some Heather Baily paper in the circles and criss-crossed pattern on the Hambly transparencies. 2. Put circles on the page somewhere and use 3. Just one word title.

This is a picture of Chester (1 of the Dulux dogs) I met him when I was visiting Josephine in Sydney and we visited a Bunnings store in Campbelltown. He was there and I took out my comb keeping my hair up and gave it to him, he was so gorgeous and I terribly missed Stanley and Maxi who were at home with Col & Jan. I enjoyed this challenge and it gave me the opportunity to make a girly page.

arTISTIC challenge blog entry

This challenge from the arTISTIC challenge blog really excited me, a gorgeous painting by Pro Hart so bright and random and the challenge was to design a layout inspired by it, you get 2 extra points if you 1. add a cluster of flowers or 2. add a bunch of flowers to your layout. This photo of Nate has been sitting there, I love the photo but it is not one with his face in it, so I guess this is a bit out of the box for me, but I do want to show him what a little monkey man he was when he was little. I used Rouge de Garance papers and some older Pink Martini ones, I just love their bright colours. I love how the layout turned out, I really like white space but somehow never seem to end up with any so this was nice. Thank you so much for looking at my layout, this is MY LIFE.

Screen to Scrap

This is my entry to the blog "From Screen to Scrap". A poster of a movie is given and some criteria and then you give your interpretation of it through a layout. It was a heap of fun to do and really boosted my mojo. The criteria was to make a black and white layout with another colour and use 3 or more b & w photos. These were the only photos I could find in b & W but it still was great because it portrayed what I wanted to say. Gee I have to say it took me 2 sittings over 2 days whilst little one was sleeping but I am very happy with the result.

Mums little gardener

Nate loves to rummage up the back of Aunty Jan's house, I am so glad I do scrapping so that one day he will look back with so much joy. He won't believe how cute he was, I wish he would stay this age forever, .....well sometimes...

Merry and Bright

This was a beautiful kit from The Scrappin Kats, probably my all time favourite, I love this picture of us too, the papers really had to have just one photo though, it's a simple layout but looks really embellished.

When you have one hand left free and you have to take the photos this is how it works, we just have a ball taking random photos, Nate has the most beautiful smile, so I think all the photos I take of him are to be scrapped, there in lies the problem, just so many days in one year to do the layouts. So multi photo layouts work for me, not always the most embellished but simple reminders of great times together.

I love these photos of Nate, he was sitting in the pram, (which is probably some of the last photos in it) we have now bought a stroller and he is just so independant, thank goodness for Coles at Riverlink, they have little kids trolleys, he runs around and puts heaps of things in it, but just wants to run around, so the confines of the big trolley are too restrictive too apparently.

When dad and mum moved to their new house, they kindly left Nate and I in charge of this one, I also inherited some old orchids of dad's, he said just throw them out, but with some TLC they have turned into such beautiful plants when they flower, Nate helps me water them about 2 times a week and at the moment they all look beautiful. These two are my favourites. The red plant is so amazing in full bloom, and the orchid just cheers you up with its bright fushia colours, I have to repot them all soon so that is a big job. Spent all yesterday springcleaning the kitchen and lounge rooms, walls and on top of cupboards. Feel so good it is all done for Christmas here at my place.

The Christmas tree

Putting up the Christmas tree was so much fun, Aunty Jan came down we shared a bottle of emery sauvignon blanc and put on the christmas tunes. This is a wonderful tradition we have made for ourselves.

The wedding

Good friend Tracy Firth took this gorgeous photo of our family minus Stanley the other poodle, what a great photo of us, Nate has chocolate milk around his mouth which is very normal and it was just a random "quick come here" type of shot and you know I love these the best, so mum and dad are getting one for Christmas too. I will miss my friend when she relocates to Melbourne to be with her in-laws and mum and dad but thank goodness for the internet and cheap phone calls I say. Nate has really made a great little friend with Zoe (Tracy's daughter) and she even told her mum she was going to marry Nate which was so funny, I told Tracy I only have to pay for the drinks so she had the bigger amount to spend. Then we started to encourage them to elope as this was even a cheaper wedding option. This conversation happenned after we were driving back from Indooroopilly in November '09 and we had the best time.

18 October 2009

This is Nate at his Christening, he was having so much fun, drawing under the pews, climbing them and then when the procedure started, he didn't want to participate at all, but the day was so wonderful, I feel so much more relieved his has had this big day. Just puts my mind at ease. He looked so gorgeous in his little suit. I was so proud of him.

Feed the man Soup

In this layout Nate is eating the soup I made, I always tell him it is hot but of course he always has to check for himself, this occassion was no exception, but capturing this photo is precious to tell this story, priceless actually.

This look

I just love this look, wow could not have taken a more Nate Turramun shot if I'd tried, you can be so coy and cute and handsome and then in the blink of an eye can change into a boisterous, rough, loud BOY. I just love your little quirks, you have a mainly fun loving personality, but boy you love the attention, when Aunty Jan came down last night you just kept saying Jan Jan Jan louder and louder to get her attention, but in the end we had to subdue you with a DDD (DVD) as we weren't getting any of our card making and scrapping done. You are now 2 years and 9 months old, growing so very fast, and such a gorgeous little man, you are my best friend.

Dinnertime

Why is it that I can almost bet that I am going to need to change your clothes after dinner, lunch, actually any meal for that matter, I love it when you are at the table for tea - all clean, nice fresh pj's and then dinner is served and well there goes that. lol. I love being a MUM. I love this layout, just so bright and cheery, just like the smile you give me every morning when I wake up next to you. I love you bubba.

Holiday Antics

I love our days away with Col and Jan, they are just the best friends, this particular trip we went to Caloundra and enjoyed some shopping and had lunch in a gorgeous coffee shop and Nate and I got up to our usual antics in the back. We fall asleep every trip on the way home, so nice to sit in the back and let someone else drive. Great times and great memories.

I love this face

This is the layout that gave an accurate portrayal of dinnertimes for a while with my baby, he uses utensils very well now, and sits on his own chair, cannot believe how fast he is growing, but the mess is indescribable. But I love every minute and lets face it, gives me lovely memories to scrap. The photos date back to about Dec 08 so just before he was 2.

Christmas Ideas

I think someone mentioned that there is 18 weeks until Christmas, so time to get creative and think of some ideas, I will definately be doing more of these diaries, they were a hit, I also decorated calendars as well. Gee I hope my mojo stays a bit more consistant for me to finish them. Not going to leave it to long to get started. I have got all Nate's pressies so just have to get my family.

Freedom

I just love this shot of Nate, he probably won't when he gets older, lol, each Saturday we go to Jodie's house at Walloon and Nate and Cooper have a great time with each other, they are only 6 days apart in age, watching them develop thear friendship has been so interesting with both boys having the opposite personalities. This particular arvo we let them run around with no nappies on. They both ran crazy, They were free.

Best Friends forever

Kat has these headings from My Minds Eye and they really suit my layouts at the moment, I like them sometimes as a change to using chipboard alphas, I really am enjoying scrapping at the moment and actually liking what I accomplish also, seems for me with a little organisation can actually successfully finish a layout a night or about 4/5 a week which is a total record since it used to take me ages to work out just the papers, but now I get papers together beforehand and although there is not a photo in mind at this stage, it doesn't take long to find one in the 3 full shoeboxes full.

Little Ghangis Khan

He looked so cute dressed up, lucky it was winter though because it was almost too hot to even wear it for the short time he did, he certainly stole the show for best dressed 2 1/2yr old from a very biassed mum, I couldn't stop taking photos of him, he didn't seem to mind though, I cannot wait for the photos to be developed so I can create some layouts of him, I cannot believe I look at this boy hundreds of times a day and cannot believe the love I have for him, I am just besotted. He is my best friend. Hence the layout "Best Friends Forever".

Mud and mess

With all the rain we have had here the backyard gets to be a bit messy and muddy, well this attracts Nate like bees to a honey pot, I literally had 4 changes of clothes on him in a 3 hour period, because he just couldn't stay out of it, so I am trying to keep him upstairs and having fun here until it dries up, I made this layout using reminisce paper, I love the bright colours and the stickers are too. Nate has a cold at the moment so downstairs and out in the mud is out of the questions, so the wiggles and maisy mouse are playing regularly. We had a sunny day today and I say please give us a few good days like this.

Nate and his monies

I bought Nate a money box from our bank, and he has so much fun adding money to it, I told him that once the monies were in there, they couldn't come out and this has worked so far, he actually in these photos got into my wallet and took out a $5 note and $14 in $1 & $2 coins and added them straight to his monies box, he just has no idea about it and it makes me laugh, he gets just as excited about a 5c coin that he does about a $2 coin. Wow I love these naive times and although I want him to continue to learn and grow, really wish these times right now could stay longer, he has just started watching dvd's and his talking is coming on strong and I just hope it doesn't go too quick.

Me and Uncle Col

I have been finding on nights when I have limited enthusiasm I just get out every embellishment (they are in 3 baskets) and just put the photos down and just add anything that I like, the page seems to come together quite quickly for me, there doesn't seem to be any particular colour scheme or limitations on anything I do this way and well, I love busy layouts as well as the opposite extreme the neat & tidy.