Learning Journey

It was Henry's learning journey on Wednesday. This is where the parents come in and admire the terms work and the kids show us around the school. This is always an interesting morning, and good to see what Henry has been up to. In theory..

After having a slight teary minute because he didn't have the agenda, we worked our way down the list. And it was mostly "oh, haven't quite finished this one.." or "mine has fallen off the display board.." and lastly 'oh, I've forgotten my password for the schools computer" so we didn't actually see much of Henry's work at all. And apparently he hasn't had a pencil case all year (supposed to be supplied directly to the school), has broken his ruler, used up all his glue and lost all his coloured pencils. Sigh.

But he is still happy at school and is keeping up with every thing. So we just have to work on the concentration thing and the whole getting stressed over little incidents thing as well.



If you look closely you can sort of see that I have used this sketch -
from The Paper Variety, if a little more messy...

And then we had Meaghan's parent teacher night last night. I think we could have just recorded the first interview and replayed it with small variations depending on the subject. "she is a lovely girl, very quiet in class, great bunch of friends but could do much better if she applied herself consistently..."

In fact I think this has been the same from day one of her schooling career...

Anyway, they will get by and I really don't have anything to complain about.

Back tomorrow with the latest Another Freaking Scrappy challenge, very similar theme to today.

Meaghan's 15th Birthday

I know I mostly say that time is flying but it really has felt like Meaghan has been 15 for an age - certainly older than 14 anyway.

So she had her birthday yesterday, I have been so far behind this month that I nearly missed it by a day (thank you radio station for reminding me of the date the day before, phew - somehow I had it in my head that her birthday was on Wednesday - doh). Anyway a quick shopping trip to purchase an i touch and we were all set.

A nice early start and she was rapt in her present. Off she went to school (after already being flooded with texts and facebook messages), and afternoon at the shop with friends and then soccer presentation with more friends later that evening. Perfect day for a 15yo!

(using the sketch from Get Creative)

I am so pleased with the way she is growing up - her friends get frustrated with her because she refuses to be bitchy about anyone - amazing for a teenager. If she would stop stirring up her brother (and maybe put a bit more effort in at school..) then all would be perfect. But perfection can be a pain so she is fine the way she is. x


And as a bonus for her birthday, the teams hoodies arrived (with one for the coach as a thank you. He was so pleased as he is leaving to join the army - everyone is devastated..) and she received the coaches award for her team. So proud of her.

(using the latest Sketchy Thursday Sketch)

And one last Twinery goodie (a direct copy from one of their design team members - polka dot prints gorgeous..) . Very simple and cute. Just need some water balloons and clag/paste and twine of course. I think the round ones look more effective than the egg shaped ones, but Meaghan liked them so that's all that matters.

off to clean up my mess now, bye xx

We have a winner

The Southern Girls have chosen their winners for our massive birthday blog hop. Thansk to all who wished us well and participated in the challenge.

My sponsor was Mad 4 markers - with the prize being -

 A pack of Xpress A5 Copic blending paper, a copy of Copicendium and one 'Some Odd Girl'stamp.

 and the winner is

SCRAPPY JACKY!!

She posted a very cute birthday card that you can see on her blog here.

Congratulations and please contact southerngirlschallenges(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize.

thanks again everyone and if you want to particpate in our latest challenge (anything goes - how easy is that??) then check out our blog here.

xx

twinery yummyness

look what arrived in my mail box today!! I am seriously in love...
I have only recently discovered The Twinery and what could I do?? I couldn't decide which colour pack to get and the new 'get all our colours or you'll be really sad when you go to do a Lo or wrap a parcel or just sit and look at your new glass jar that isn't full of yummyness when it could have been... ' pack was too tempting...

{Ok, so it may just be named the Ultimate colour sampler pack but I can read between the lines...}

I think the honeydew and the Maraschino will get a severe workout in the next few months...

Every time I think I should just go purely digi and cut down on the amount of stuff that is overflowing I get something like this (or indeed the latest Cocoa daisy kit - oh my) and I realise that I need dirty, sticky fingers.


SO I had to scrap today and this is a combination of some Cocoa Daisy and a bit of twinery (lilac).


The quote in the corner is from Scrapping the Music's 4th birthday song - also their very first song (Like a Star). This is My Meaghan giving me her teenage "I am only just tolerating you taking my photo look'. They won there last game, a really good year for the girls. Many of them will be in the futsal team over the summer months, really pleased about that.

I am also channelling Sandi in this Lo - Ok trying to scraplift her style which I am also in love with but I haven't quite got it. But I think this is a nice compromise between her style and mine (I may have a go in digi which I think will work quite well, sorry about the stalking Sandi...).

I will be back in the next day to let you know the winner of The Southern Girls birthday blog hop - thank you for all those lovely girls who left comments everywhere.


Ok, off to face the vile weather here to pick up Henry, luckily we decided this morning not to ride - it is really windy and a bit rainy today. Happy to be tucked up at home.

xxx

PS Matt is apparently in Poland now after a few days in Lithuania. Hoping to nag him into more blog posts soon. x

Friends

Sketchy Thursday is in partnership with scrap fit this week and have combined this wonderful sketch with the Scrap Fit challenge F is for Friends. And as I had just been out or a celebratory dinner with some of my closest friends, it is a match made for me!!! I have been keen to give scrap fit a try for a while so very glad these challenges overlap nicely!

I have flipped the sketch and used a digi sunburst pp from Little Dreamer Designs which is no longer available. I am really enjoying digi at the moment - I suspect it has a lot to do with the fact my normal scrappy supplies are piled high on my desk and the effort of sorting is too much at the moment....

We had the best night out, had the restaurant to ourselves and the waiter was hilarious. The food was yummy and well priced and the company was spectacular and amusing as usual. And I got presents - bonus!!

And I finally got to give Louise her present (she was sick for her birthday dinner so this has been sitting at home waiting...)
I would love to claim that I did all the stamping and attaching the key but it came like that (from Domayne). I did add the little handle and the hessian and string wrap and the little notebook - very pleased with that.

Just a reminder that there a few more days to enter Southern Girls blog hop- so many very cool prizes.

And Another freaking Scrappy Challenges Exotic Lo still has over a week to run so go check it out.

xxxx

An exotic day

Over at Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge, it is sketch day! Hooray - I love a good sketch and this one is good, seriously!!
How interesting is that sketch?? And a theme to go with is as a bonus. Makes me have to think (scary!!). We are challenging you to scrap something exotic for this sketch - it can be an animal at the zoo, a dancer, a food item, a location, a photo or souvenir from a trip - how about exotic you!!! You can make a card, a layout or an altered (off the page) item. If you can't think of something exotic - just play along anyway!!

So here is my little effort. I wish I had some richer papers for the back ground but I couldn't find the ones I wanted -isn't that always the way- or is that just me?? So I made do with some lovely Jillibean cardstock and lots of sparkles.

This is from our first overseas holiday at the end of 2007. We spent a few days in Cambodia, with the highlight being Angkor Wat. Photos do not do this place justice. It is enormous and the carvings so clear. It was built over 1000 (!!!) years ago and there are many, many other smaller temples in the surrounding countryside. One of the older temples was once covered in polished brass, others, including Angkor Wat had intricate river systems around them. We were there during the dry season, incredibly humid still but no rain. I would love to have seen these places when they were new and had vibrant communities working within them.

Sadly Cambodia is still a very down trodden country. The poverty is overwhelming and getting your children educated is still an expense that many cannot afford and so the poverty cycle continues. Many rely on begging esp away from the main towns. Siem Reap (the main town near the temples, is being run by foreigners. We stayed in one a the very few locally owned hotels (Palm Village) and the large chains are changing the face of the town. We found Laos, although reported to be more poverty stricken, to be a much more hopeful country. The children are being educated and the locals are learning from the foreigners and applying it for the betterment of there communities.

If you are ever in SE Asia, make the effort to see Angkor Wat - you will not be disappointed.

OK, travel thoughts aside, pop over to the challenge site and check out the absolutely amazing DT offerings this week. Stunning!!! Can't wait to see what you come up with for this challenge.

On a quick note, for those of you interested, Matt has stared to blog about his trip - no photos up yet, just some impressions of Moscow,

Tales of a Geographically Challenged Teenager

a more appropriate blog name I have never seen. He has successfully made his way through to Latvia and is now spending a few days in Lithuania (the coach he arrived on had electrical outlets, wifi and a coffee machine, sounds better than the odd hotel we have had..). I am loving skype and I suspect it decreases significantly any feeling of home sickness Matt may feel.

My beloved AFL football team is playing tonight, sudden death finals from now on. I wish I was feeling more confident but we shall see.

have a good one. xx

Riding the Komodo

I was going to write that I was officially over visiting zoos. We have been to three in the past 9 months but really I would go to another one tomorrow if the opportunity arose. But only if I could take Henry with me (Meaghan loves going as well but she has to put on her slightly bored teenage- don't you dare take a photo of me- face when out in public).

Taronga zoo in Sydney has the most spectacular location for anything let alone a large zoo. It is on the side of a hill overlooking the Harbour, every time you turn a corner another spectacular vista plays out in front of you. Just getting there (ferry across the harbour, past the Opera house and the bridge) is a treat. It must be the best place to work.


Henry was more than happy to climb aboard the fake Komodo Dragon, the real one was, quite frankly, terrifying!!

When we asked Henry what his favourite animal is, it was most unexpected - "the dwarf tree frog' apparently took his fancy - The rest of us fell in love with the mountain goats, Taronga has a great fake mountain for them to play on. Highly recommended zoo to visit!!

Ok, used the latest Sketchy Thursday sketch, love using the strips of paper, good fun. Pretty quick Lo as well, love that!

If you are here for the Southern Girls blog Hop, check out here - We have had so amny enties already, thank you all!

Off to tea with close friends tonight- should be fun.

And of course the only night I have been out for an age is the same night Meaghan has an information night about an exchange program she is very keen to go on next year. Yep she is keen to experience the exotic nature of New Zealand for 3 months!! Don't get me wrong, love to visit NZ but I would have thought that a student exchange would be more beneficial to visit somewhere that is completely different to where you currently live... Anyway won't complain because it is also much cheaper to send her there than Europe and she is keen.

and we would have to visit - only a few hours away...

ok have a good one xx

A new class

I have just started a new class at Jessica Sprague.

Digi In Deep .

I have just finished the first lesson and realised that my knowledge of photoshop is more limited than I thought. Boy have I learnt so very much already. Making your own masks and drop shadows, so much fun.



Not my usual style I'll admit but I love the end result.

Can't wait to get stuck into more. Hmmm, who knew learning could be so productive??

Ok so you still have a few days to enter Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge, we will have the next one out on the 15th.

And if you after the Southern Girls blog hop post go here. Still over a week to put in an entry for lots and lots of very cool prizes.

And Lastly, Matt has hit Latvia. He loved Russia and wished he could have spent a lot more time in St Petersburg (very hard to get extended Visas in Russia) so that might be a return visit one day. I am enjoying the fact that he can email us most days, lessens the stress considerably although I am still waking up at 5am to check my emails...

And on a bizarre note, as I was cleaning out his room I found a 2.2L bucket of Nandos salsa!! He used to work for them and I think this was one of those bizarro going away presents - luckily it didn't require refrigeration (don't even want to think about the presevatives required for that!) but it was just past it's use by date so I have left it out for the possums - maybe it will keep them away from my garden.

Ok have a good one. xx

Happy 1st Birthday - Southern Girls Blog Hop

I cannot believe it has been a year since Lou and Trace started up Southern Girls Challenge. I was so thrilled to be asked to be on the team and feel very lucky to have been on one of the best and friendliest design teams! The challenge has been a great success thanks to the hard work of the DT and the best group of sponsors you could hope for.

In celebration of this, we have an amazing blog hop with some of our fantastic regular sponsors giving away fabulous prizes. You should have arrived from Trace's, if not, head back to www.southerngirlschallenges.blogspot.com where a full blog hop list is.

My sponsor is Mad 4 markers. Sammi has generously arranged for the following prizes to be available to one lucky commenter -

 A pack of Xpress A5 Copic blending paper, a copy of Copicendium and one 'Some Odd Girl'stamp.

So, to recap.... the rules are simple, make sure you make a card or a Lo, and enter on Southern Girls Challenges, also leave me a comment, and on the 20^th of September I will draw a random name, that will be a winner of the sponsor that I am showcasing. Now you need to head over to Kirsten's blog (and Oh My - it is worth visiting for the eye candy - must see more Eric...).

This is a rare moment of affection between Matt and Meaghan, Henry gives out hugs to his big brother, Meaghan usually isn't so keen...

And for those of you wondering this weeks challenge is all about layering. OK I admit I haven't layered much on this Lo, but it is there (layered pp and flags), not that hard is it??

Julie
Kazza
Bettina
Viv
Nik
Marie
Lou
Alicia
Autumn
Tracey
Karen (me!!)

Kirsten
Sue

So for your chance to win,
1. enter the latest Southern Girls Challenge and
2. leave a comment here.

and there are different prizes on each blog, lots of very cool prizes to be won.

So off you go to Kirsten's blog have fun!! xx

Matt is now in Moscow!!

Last week was a bit of a blur. I struggled to do or think of anything that was not related to Matt's trip and in many ways I am glad he is safely on his way and I can resume my normal life for a while (with a little time for worry here and there...).

It was all going fairly smoothly. We had everything packed, tickets, passports, visa's etc were all in order. We were headed across to the coast on Thursday night to see Geoff's Mum on the way to Matt's plane which left on Friday afternoon. Long story short, his travel laptop blew it's hard drive on Wednesday night - aarrrghh and he has elected to take his old, much, much heavier laptop. So we have had a few emails from him already and he seems happy enough. Apparently it is Moscow's birthday this week so many celebrations to attend - he was quite impressed with the Russian ABBA band.

Here he is leaving us-

(using the latest Sketchy Thursday sketch).

I'm pretty sure he didn't look that happy at the end of a 24 hour trip - gotta love living at the other end of the world from just about every where else!

and here is Henry's last few minutes with his already much missed big brother (although it is equally possible that Henry is sad because Matt is taking the 3D gameboy with him..)

And I think I got this months Black with Two challenge right (black with yellow and blue) after misreading last months requirements. Still love black as the back ground card!

So I wasn't too teary at the airport and I was thankful that a last minute check of his passport - all OK - also discovered that somehow my passport had also ended up in the document wallet he was taking - that could have been bad...

and to finish here is a photo Matt has sent us from Moscow.
I think I will be torn over the next three months between missing him, glad he is having such a grand adventure and completely jealous I am not there to see all these wonderful things.

have a fun day. xx