A day of mixed feelings

Today is Matt's last official day of High School. Last night we had the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, a marathon effort that I am sure is only there to make sure parents and boys are sick o the sight of the school so we aren't so sad today. Yep a marathon 6 hour effort!! First 3 hours was ok - we had chapel, where the chaplain spoke so well about the journey the boys were about to begin (more of this later..) .

We were fed and one of the many ambassadors that hang around Canberrra spoke of her life experiences. To be fair she spoke well and her son is in Matt's house and Meaghan plays soccer with her daughter so maybe I was just used to her being around.

More speeches from the acting head and from a couple of the boys, all good.

And then the presentation ceremony began. 140+ boys all had to be presented with a bound book with their achievements and any awards that were honoured as well. Matt was second last (2 hours later...). A couple on the table next to us happily slept through the whole event...

And that was the last we saw of Matt as he went off with a friend to prepare for muck up day today. Which was good as we would have had to get up at 6am to take him to a breakfast this morning , I know laziness before parental duty but I am happy to hand some things off to other parents...

Tonight the new phase of worrying begins as he ventures off on a scavenger hunt with P platers, an allnighter. sigh. But I suspect that whatever Matt gets up to won't be anywhere near what we did in a country town Year 12 farewell...

Anyway, back to father Nickolai's sermon, he ended it with a poem, some classic you would think. But no he chose good old Dr Seuss, from the book, 'Oh! The Places You will go!! How cool is that!!

This is a book that should have been handed out to the year 12 with their CV's I think.. It talks of doing whatever you want but that troubles will strike along the way and you will get through them. I have just taken some of the stanzas that were highlighted during the sermon.





And I have been wanting to enter in a challenge at My Favourite things for a while now (Julie is so enthusiastic about everything, just love that!!) and this poem is now a firm fav.


We are very proud parents at the moments.xx

More from the Cocoa Daisy Kit

I am loving the September Cocoa daisy Kit. I mean, HOW COOL are those colours. Totally yummy.

These photos are from the day after the tree went down, when we had the chain saw out and {SHOCK HORROR} we made the kids help clean up!! Henry lasted about 5minutes then apparently his legs were falling off so he went for a swing. Matt and Meaghan had suitably grumpy faces on until Geoff bought our his skiing helmet (health and safety issues - don't ask...) and the nuf nuf ball was introduced into the mix. All sorts of fun was to be had then.

Anyway The Paper Variety challenge site has just started up so thought I would give their sketch a go. Perfect for multiple photos.




Oh and if you look at the crocheted flower on the pinwheel, that is part of my very yummy prize from Scrapping The Music a few weeks ago. Have lots more to show you from that prize soon.

Have a good day. Off to Meaghan's soccer presentation tonight, did Matt's hockey last night and his year 12 valedictory dinner and chapel service (6 hours!!!) on Thursday night. Could be a very long week. xx

Time for a breather

On Friday afternoon, I figured that I had a nice relaxing weekend at home, maybe get a bit of gardening done but that was it. Today I am struggling to walk up stairs, and have a very rosy complexion (inadequate sunscreen application..) and lots of photos to scrap, as well as having a little boy home with me who was too tired to even talk this morning. Last minute (as in Saturday night) we decided to go skiing for the day with some friends. Up at 5:30 am (ha, I had forgotten such an hour existed!!) and off to Perisher with Henry in tow.



It was a glorious day, but as I hadn't skied for 10 years, it was an exhausting day. Henry went into lessons and I skied with Michelle, Pete and Duncan. Geoff took Jasper off for some harder runs. Worst moment, falling over under a quad chair and being completely unable to get u[p - the bindings on my skis didn't work properly so taking the skis off wasn't an option. So after a very classy relaxation period (ie laying flat on my back, maybe flayling around just a bit, hoping nobody would drop anything on me) I rolled, oh so elegantly and managed to find my way back to a less scary place. But my knee wasn't the same and i retired (quite eagerly) after one more run.

Henry enjoyed his lessons and is keen to go back and on days like today it's hard not to be happy just to be here.



if only I could walk today..

Before all this happened I had a phone call from mum saying that Mick (big brother) was going to be in town. He was organising some sort of bike ride for police (details were sketchy at this stage). So Meaghan, Henry and I went off to the police memorial to check out the action. I told the kids there might be anywhere from 20 to 80 bikes coming. I had no idea.

Turns out that this was a ride to remember all those police who had lost their lives in the call of duty. Over 600 riders from around the country turned up, along with most of the police commissioners. Mick was loaned a brand new Harley to ride for the day and thanked all the riders in the official memorial service. The kids (and myself) just about burst with pride. It was funny watching those around the lake who didn't know what was happening because a huge bunch of bike riders is an intimidating site.

Anyway as I was completely unable to do much today i got to scrap this and will soon attempt some skiing pages.

The first is for Scrapping the Music, using the Daydream song. This is Henry playing on the Memorial with the other kids before all the bikes arrived. I wasn't sure if this was respectful so i stopped him, but it is a lovely place for kids to come and run.

The next is using Design Dollies sketch for the week. This shows Mick at the head of the pack (just behind the official police bikes) and then when the kids met up with him and his shiny bike.


So from a quiet weekend to one I am just starting to recover from - All good though.

xx

A couple of new challenge sites

Well, they aren't that new but new to me. I received the September Cocoa daisy Kit today, so yummy I just had to use it.

The first challenge is Papercraft Star with this sketch, and you know I like a good sketch.


Matt had just been to a talk by one of his fav authors, Matthew Reilly at the National Science Festival. Geoff and Henry went to pick him up in order to view the Delorian (like the car in 'Back to the Future') but unbeknown to me, Daleks were also in the building. And I missed out on seeing them - so jealous. I don't think Henry was as keen to see them up close, I know when I was his age I would have run a mile!!

The second is for a Scrap it with a Song. The song is 'upside down' by Jack Johnson. Lots of different lyrics to scrap with this one but I went with the Curiosity theme.


Off to watch the footy now. Have a great weekend. xx

childhood memories...

of standing at the counter our local bakery, picking out individual lollies for your little white lolly bag. Musk sticks were a must and the smell of them sends me straight back to that time. I have, disastrously for my non-existent waistline, rediscovered these treats.

This is a hybrid Lo (yay for new things), I have discovered a new line of digi designers called Kitschy Digitals and have used one of their old frames on this photo,they have loads of fabulous products suited for this era feel Lo. Love, love their stuff, must use more.




For the elements challenge this week, Design Dollies this week wanted us to come up with an ATC and then use it somewhere else. And then they came up with this sketch

... which screamed ' use your ATC on me - now!!'

OK then - I will.

And I am quite pleased with the result . Here is my ATC -




And here is the resulting Lo -



And then for a Sketchy Thursday Lo with a different feel, a completely digi Lo about the tree that fell in our backyard last week. We had booked someone to get it taken out, when the week before, a windstorm wedged it onto a neighbouring tree. We had a look and thought it was pretty well stuck as long as we don't get any more high winds. Of course we had one of the biggest windstorms a couple of days later and with a rather load bang, it came down on the kids swing set (only slightly dented, still usable). So when the tree man came on Tuesday he only had to trim around the power lines and take out a bush at the front. I think that means I can use the savings on buying useful scrapping supplies, right???




and On a final note, I was given the second series of True Blood for my birthday - I am so very completely addicted. Unfortunately Geoff likes it as well (I know quality time with him is good...) which means we have to wait until the kids are in bed And on the proviso he hasn't got work to do, so we only get an episode or two a week in. I, on the other hand would happily sit down to a marathon and watch in two sittings - max. I guess this draws out the pleasure a bit longer...

Oh and I just finished the first two books in The Hunger Game series (young adult but sooo good) . Another addiction, but at least there is only one book to go.

have a great day...

Southern Girls goes LIVE

The first challenge is up, hooray. i have loved getting to know the team over the past couple of weeks, a very friendly group I have to say, I am looking forward to getting to know them better and see the responses to the challenges. The first challenge is Anything Goes. Show us what you've got, time to showcase you're favourite style.

We have prizes for two categories, as this site is about encouraging Aussie and Kiwis without wanting to exclude the rest of the world. The prize for the Australian and NZ entrants is from The Scrapbook Outlet NZ who has supplied a scrapbooking kit and for the International prize some Digi Stamps from a new digi company wink wink ink.

For mine I have taken inspiration from wink wink ink and used one of their very cute images, Outer Space. Henry loved the little alien so much I had to print one out and it is now on his bedroom door.

I took all the quotes form this Lo from a book that has been at my bedside for a while now. How to be a world explorer by Keri Smith. Love this book, full of ways to free your artistic mind. It seemed very appropriate for Henry in his current mood of constantly wanting to know about stuff.


Anyway come and join in, go check out the other girls wonderful work here, and check out thier blogs for more wonderful stuff.

Look forward to seeing some entries.

have a great day
xx

That's what I like about you

AKA - I hope you have the time of your life (part 2).

Not much more to be said since the last post. Only a quick Lo about three of the men that have a huge influence on Matt's life so far and I couldn't wish for better role models (outside the family of course).
They have given the boys a strong sense of what is acceptable, the high standards expected within the school and how to behave appropriately is all situations. On top of this the respect the boys have for each other and the teachers is wonderful to see. Al;l the while they let the boys be boys, a tricky balancing act. I am so grateful to these me and those who helped them.


Using the Design Dollies latest sketch

And lastly a musical note. Each year all the houses compete for musical domination, Not all the boys play or sing well so the challenge is to come up with a group effort all the boys can compete in (as well as a number of individual and small group presentations, one of which can be seen here, love this). This year Edwards House swept away all the opposition, taking out all four major categories, which has been unheard of before.

The boys spent a lot of their lunch times putting together and practising the House Shout which all the boys can compete in, the results can be seen in the clip below - it isn't very good quality but the boys enthusiasm and singing can be heard very well. Matt is at the front left, the only one wearing long sleeves. And it the only time he has worn jeans in the lst 5 years I believe, that's commitment...


enjoy

A little Studio distraction

Ok, have been meaning to get a couple of cahllenges from The Studio dome this week, but have been a wee bit busy. However the deadline looooms, so as a birthday treat to myself (and with the aid of some lovely steady rain meaning no soccer this weekend) I have managed to get a couple doen - to varying success.

The first I actually finished earlier in the week but hadn't gottten around to posting about it yet. the rather talented Amanda had produced a vitage wall hanging which I have tried to reproduce, somewhat poorly in the end.

Next is a fabric challenge for Tessa. I love this idea and will use it again soon when I have a suitable theme. This one turned out a bit heavier looking (and feeling for that matter!!) that I envisioned but it was fun playing. Tessa has a DT call for her lovely Perfectly Precocious products so go check it out. I love the clean look of her scrapping, I wish I could do that occassionally...

Finally , Anna's DIY challenge. She made some gorgeous flowers as well as one of my favourite embellies this year, pinwheels. So cute. I made a few little pinwheels and strung them in a banner (another fav) across the top of my Lo. I really like the way this one turned out. I seem to have chopped off the top and bottom in the scanner as well - sorry, the scallops go all the way around.


Ok off to barrack for my lovley hawthorn boys (that's aussie rules) in an elimination final, surely it's not too much to ask on my birthday for a win??

Have a great day xx

I hope you have the time of your life (part 1)

This has become the song the boys play most years, a damn fine song I have to say (I know Lisa will enjoy it..).Press play then read,thanks ;0)




It was our last House dinner for Matt on Wednesday night. The year 12's officially hand duties over to the year 11's and their high school lives are commemorated by their house.


(using a Sketchy Thursday's sketch)


The house system at CGS is the strength of the school, they are their families during the day, they do everything with their house. I have always thought Matt was lucky to get into the relatively new Edward's House. Because it is so new it is set away from the rest of the school, someone during the night compared it to Tasmania. But with the tyranny of distance came a closer unit of boys that support each other across the year groups. They started out with a dust bowl to play in, now they have undercover picnic tables, artificial grass and a huge vege patch with lots of room to throw or kick a ball (or hold their annual ironman event).

During the night, many of the boys expressed their goals in life. The school has always encouraged the boys to do what they love as it follows they will do well, and this has been the case. One of the boys couldn't be there because he was in camp to train to get into the London Olympic Road racing team, another was at a cabinetry course he was doing on top of his HSC studies. A couple of the boys who had expressed interest in being full time musicians performed and another wants to be a dance professional. Others expressed interests in teaching, stand up comedy and being a writer (that's my boy). I love that they were all encouraged to beat their own paths.

The boys were happy to sit with their parents and teachers for the night. This is so different from when I was an 18yo. They are respectful but still willinhg to have some fun (who knew 18yo's still love to play with balloons??).

The last speech of the night was Mr Dunkley and he only had one piece of advice for the year 12's. 'Always love your parents as much as you can because they love you very much.'. How cool is that - and the boys didn't scoff either.

Can you tell I'm a bit proud of Matt and his friends??

Tomorrow, another musical interlude, this time supplied by the boys. xx

More Design Dollies

and some of The Studio as well.

The colour challenge for the Design Dollies is Green, white, black and pink. I thought I may struggle with the pink element in a LO about Henry. But I think it worked Ok. This was his outfit for the book week parade last week. just about all the kids in school dressed up (Harry Potter, Wally and pirates were favourites this year). The kindies and Year 1 were esp cute because they can still fit in their dress up outfits and happily don the superman suits and fairy/princess dresses.



The last challenge for August at The Studio is to document a local landmark. Although we have many notable buildings and the odd, giant water fountain, Telstra Tower is so obvious for us because you can see it just about everywhere. It is the landmark we always look out for on trips home and the competition for spotting it is fierce.



Be prepared for tomorrow as I will be raving about my 18yo. We went to his last house dinner and it was wonderful, the boys are talented, lovely kids. Just a warning.

have a great night. xx

Happy First day Of Spring

...and it is actually warm (and very windy) here today. 17 degrees already!!! So good to have the smell of spring in the air, good for the soul.

Finally got to go out with my friends last night to celebrate a few birthdays (Jo's, Jodie's and myself). It was a great night, full of laughter as usual and a bit of dessert swapping at the end, always the highlight of the meal. I love the whole present thing (getting is good, giving is better). This year I haven't made anything for the girls so I have put some effort into the wrapping. This time I was inspired by a Webster's Pages photo on face book. I used their papers as the basis and added some skeletal leaves and prima flowers. Glue dots hold all of it together (far less messier that glue, I discovered that the hard way...).

This box was for Jodie -
This (Claudine Hellmuth's Collage book, may have to order a copy for myself) was wrapped in white tissue paper, with the flowers (not actually Prima flowers, not sure who made these ones) attached to the patterned paper.
I saw the book in Borders for what I thought was a highly exorbitant price, so I came home ordered it from The Book Depository, located in the UK (love that place, free postage worldwide). The funny thing was, Jo did exactly the same thing. She got me a gorgeous book binding book from the same place - talk about great minds.

Ok onto my LO of the day. This sketch is from Twisted sketches with the twist being a tree. I took this photo with my new mobile phone camera and I am quite pleased with the sharpness of the picture. Inside, not so good but I will mostly use it when i am walking and can't be bothered taking my normal camera.Not my usual style of LO but that's OK.

Off to put some more clothes on the line, 3rd load today, perfect drying weather.

have a great day xx