challenge me happy: challenge #45

the current challenge for the challenge me happy blog 

a word challenge this month - which i think is fairly obvious!

this is a photo i took on my point and shoot of mr scrappy photographing our 2 eldest girls at noosa beach on the DSLR camera

i then played around with the saturation and got a few enlargements printed.

a simple layout, but it works!

if you build it, they will come

i am absolutely LOVING my new scrap space

(almost as much as mr scrappy is loving his man cave!)

in the week since i've had this new space, i've been scrapping up a storm

a couple of [challenge] layouts for a blog i follow

a 2012 layout MEME that finally got finished

another UFO of the layout variety that had been sitting around for faaaaar too long!

so looking forward to scrapping more photos from my 50th

and a couple of washi tape cards

as you can see, once i hit on an idea, i like to run with it!

fun and easy to make

a 'right now' layout

(if right now is this time last year!)

ahem.....

another washi tape card

and speaking of washi - how you like my new washi tape storage 'facility'

a $3 fruit bowl found at a local thrift shop

chucked it in the dishwasher - and VOILA!!!

the next layouts are from my recent weekend scrapbooking retreat AUTUMN ESCAPE

so many good things to say about the whole weekend

the love, care and attention to detail from the TEAM that goes into putting on this amazing weekend

the talent

the overseas tutors

the CLASS KITS!!!

this double page layout was from a JENNI BOWLIN class

as a fellow 'clean scrapper' - i LOVED her classes!

this was for the crazy monday sketch challenge at autumn escape

i'm actually quite enjoying journalling the story behind the photos a couple of years down the track (as is the case in the layout above).  photos from winter 2011.

of course you come home with as many UFOs as classes you attended, but i'm getting there!!!

photostory friday: the change up : the scrapbooking edition

some time back in 2009, i commandeered our dining room for my scrap room

as you can see, i'd already taken over a corner

it's a great spot, although i wish my neighbour would CUT DOWN her BLEEPING TREE!!!

note the accumulation of 'stuff' over the years

 this is/was my office which is a part of the family room

my 'struggle' (if you can call it that!) is that when i wanted to journal a story on the computer, i'd need to move between the rooms, invariably getting distracted

a couple of years back, i moved the computer ONTO my scrap desk

all that happened then, was that everyone sat at my scrap desk and i didn't get any scrapping done

the perfect solution i discovered, was if i could get TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE desks into the scrap room

one for the computer and one for scrapping!

mr scrappy thought that an inspired idea

perhaps because he plans for a 'man cave' after i vacated my office...

we immediately found two identical desks on trade me (ebay) and mr scrappy went and picked them up while i was at zumba (what a guy!)

it was the perfect opportunity for a MASSIVE CLEAR OUT

there was just one small problem

basic math...

mr scrappy to the rescue!

AND he vacuumed up the dust!

and so he got his 'man cave'

apparently there's an invisible LASER that zaps anyone woman that passes over the invisible threshold

(which basically involves him making a loud zapping noise as we females of the house test it out!!!)

and here i am at my new computer desk!

also discovering the joys of my new CANON REMOTE CONTROL

AND a timer app for my iphone.

how did i not know this???

thanks alicia for the tips!

sid's found his sweet spot too by the looks of things

scrap room/home office complete!

i've recently added an office chair with wheels so i can scoot between the two desks!

whaddyathink?

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

challenge me happy - challenge #45

i've been eyeing these challenges up, but finally got around to finishing a layout within the deadline!

the challenge was scraplift a layout from gulla villan i vallen and to use her other layouts as inspiration

i certainly was inspired to throw around a bit of paint - and loved doing so!

this photo's over 2 years old now - taken on my 48th birthday, but i keep re-visiting it because i love it so much!

day in the life: april 2013

i was so happy with my february day in the life, then march crept up and passed me by!

it was easter and i was out of town - that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it!

i guess it doesn't matter if you do it every month or every OTHER month, however i was ready (calendar reminder!) for april and once again enjoyed the process.

the 30th came in the middle of our school holidays, although with the ages my girls are, the school holidays aren't too much different from a regular day - with the exception that the girls aren't in school!

having said that, miss 16 was in france for 3 weeks, and miss 15 had a very social holiday break, so i didn't see much of them anyway!

zumba featured in my day - as you would expect! - and i loved having some of miss 15's friends over 

listening to them 'study' was hilarious

took this idea from ali (the b&w header shot) and enjoyed not having so much detail in the journalling this time.

i possibly included too much in feb!

roll on may - i'm ready!!!

photostory friday: 50 and grateful

if you've been following along, you'll know that it's been an incredible couple of weeks, and i just have SOOOOOO much to be grateful for; so in no particular order...

looking this good whilst appearing, but not actually naked

my parents

 

 family and friends

a warm night in wellington in late march (it's AUTUMN remember)

the most amazing husband and speech writer you'll ever meet

2 weeks on, people are STILL talking about it!

 friends

friends who cook

friends who give you champagne

friends who give you GOOD champagne

friends who will travel almost 40,000 kilometres [there and back] to celebrate with you 

smiles

 

 a personalised mask

 someone who will go the extra mile to be in theme

 zumba

jumping

a fun and willing spirit

 strangers becoming friends

 THIS many people around the dinner table

 gifted friends

CAKE

 THIS girl

 $1 frame

$3 pot of paint

 friends who will do this

a daughter who has NEVER done zumba who learns the moves just for you

 generosity

 silliness

 $8 party shoes

 my awesome new mask collection

 friends who aren't afraid to be photographed doing this

 artistic talent

 knowing that the best gifts aren't always the ones wrapped in paper and bows

 children who welcome others into their home

 friends who will make you front page news

(well, sorta)

 this guy again

 sharing

 taste buds

blue sky

 sunset

 home-made relishes for $2 a jar

 communities where this still happens

 this view

 this woman

 these two

 banana phones as a legitimate form of entertatinment 

 friends who open their homes to you

 BACON!

if you're counting, you'll know that there aren't 50 things on my list, but i think you get the idea...

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli