Naughty blogger...

I've been slack. No other way to put it. Have been sorting out some things at work and getting that nice balance back (why is it that health professionals are the worst offenders when it comes to looking after themselves - we should practice what we preach more in my humble opinion). It's actually been nice to slow down a bit. Today I played on the floor with Samuel (who is now walking and climbing and generally being a bandit). he giggles so much when I play with him. It's beautiful. Life is good. Oh and I have been scrapping!

Last Friday night I was invited along with the girls to the Eureka Tower by the lovely Pam, to scrap in a room with a view (and WHAT a view that was) and be wined and dined by Alex (Pam's lovely new man), Talk about spoilt - I think I counted seven courses and it was yummy. Soovee, Rach, Wendy and Jenny picked me up in the orange Kombi, complete with feather boas and crowns. It was hilarious. I promised Sue I wouldn't write about the RACV man so I won't - oh woops - did I say RACV man? Thanks girls (and Alex) for a fun night. Here's a pic of the great view from the apartment:

Then on Sunday I scrapped with the sensational Sunday girls at Scraptacular and caught up on all the yummy things in the shop - and caught up with Kim who is also on the design team (OMG you should see her work on display in the shop - it's gorgeous). So all up a few days scrapping and a few new layouts. This one's my girlfriend Chris and her gorgeous daughter Hannah (sister to the lovely Sharni from the barbie jeans layout). I took this picture while I was in Perth and it's one of my favourites. Love these K-ology peabody papers from Scraptacular, and all the cute embellishments that go with them. Have you seen those stickers and rub-ons to go - OMG they are to die for.

This one is all about how my hubbie Paul took 3 months paternity leave to spend time with the boys recently and to give me a break. Wanted the boys know how he chooses to do things like that (OK, so I nagged him until he did, but you get the idea, LOL). These are Fancy Pants 'Dapper' papers, which have the groovy matching daisy's.

This last one is from bits and pieces of scrap paper I had left over. This photo was taken by me, but was inspired by a picture taken by Maxine Hazebroek. It's my friends daughter Hannah again. I have emailed her and told her to buy herself an album as I am sending these layouts over. It was just screaming out for pink and black. Great having friends and sisters with girls so I occasionally get to use pink!

Few busy days ahead - I'm co-presenting an education program on lifestyle changes for women doing IVF. It's something I am passionate about, and really enjoy. Session 2 is tomorrow night. Got lots of planning and reading and client catch up stuff to do as well, plus a report that's due in by midnight! Better get cracking on that one!

Did I say life is good? It is. There's so much more to life than working your butt off. If it wasn't nearly time to prune them, I'd tell you to stop and smell the roses. Yep life's good. Night lovelies.

It all started great...

Happy Mothers Day lovelies. Had a lovely sleep in until nearly 10am, followed by two cuddly little fellows jumping into bed for cuddles (while cuddly big fellow made me croissants and coffee). Then I was carefully led out to the back door to view my mothers day present of 3 roses (Julia's, Baronne De Rothschild and Elina for the rose buffs - visit Treloar Roses where you can search by name to see pictures). I was oohing and ahhing over my roses, when Samuel promptly spewed over everyone and everything, and it's been downhill since! All was not lost - while Paul and Josh went off to Nan's to eat seafood and drink wine, I watched over Samuel while he slept / spewed / slept and I managed to scrap. You know what but? I had a great mothers day too. Here's the layout. Loving the new K-ology stuff.

This next LO was finished during the week - this is my gorgeous cousin Cassandra who turned 17 this week. Happy birthday gorgeous. The journalling on this one is the song 'Beautiful Dreamer' by Stephen Foster. Attempts to post it here failed miserably, so rather than typing it out I suggest you visit Lyrics Playground and do a search! It's a lovely song.

Guess what other cool news I got during the week? The lovely Jodie from Scraptacular called to ask if I would like to be on her design team! Woohoo - most of you know this is my all time fave Melbourne store, visited weekly complete with Maccas latte en route. So after thinking for 1/18th of a millisecond, I accepted. I am sooooo excited! If you haven't been there yet you just have to go. It's totally cool and she gets the new stuff in really quick (no, I wasn't paid to say that, it's true).

On that self indulgent moment, I might get back to reading Clean and Simple 2 - very inspiring, but in a different way to the first one if that makes sense!

Have a happy week,

Claire

Girlfriends...

ROCK! That's number one about the things I missed while away. My scrapping buddies, my friend Cath, my poor neglected friend Wendy in Bendigo. Girlfriends just rock.

Last night we scrapped, ate chocolate, talked, laughed, solved each others problems, propped each other up, shot each other down, and just had bloody good fun. I love these chicks so much, they are so accepting of my sometimes loud and crazy kids, comfortable in my home and around my hubby. You know who you are and I would be lost without you! You rock.

Going to have to change the title!

Cos the happy wanderers are home! Sorry have been MIA, just trying to get life and the boys back into a routine. Samuel is teething. Poor baby. Times for some lists:

Fave things I loved about our holiday:

1. Just having time to have fun with Paul and the boys. Play on swings, have picnics, show them new things. Moments I treasure.
2. Spending time just doing nothing but 'hanging out' with my family - you know the stuff, hanging out in your tracky, laying on the couch, drinking wine, laughing, being silly, watching telly. Stuff I miss.
3. Seeing how well my brother is since he has moved into the Quad centre. He's such an inspiration. Positive and motivated and right into life. It was so great to spend so much time with him and see the boys interacting with him. They love him to bits and so do I.
4. Mums place. There really is nothing like this place. It's a bit out of town, huge block, horsepadock in the back, horse that grazes on the front and back lawn, vegie garden (amazing vegies - so yummy), beautiful garden with such healthy roses! And the cooking. Don't get me started on the cooking. Yummmmmmm.
5. Spending time with my girlfriends Chris and Sharyn. We have known each other since high school (OMG - 30 years) and it's always just like yesterday when we catch up.
6. The family get together in Kings Park. How cool that all the cousins made the effort to meet up in one place. It blew me away how grown up they have all become. They are all such nice people and I loved watching them interact with Josh and Sam.
7. Busselton Jetty and beaches. This is so beautiful, especially at sunset. Paul, Josh, Sam, Roly and I went out on the jetty. So relaxing.
8. Augusta. So beautiful. A mother dolphin and her calf were playing around in the rivermouth right in front of us. And...... it's close to Scrapboxx. How cool to meet Maria in real life!
9. The Eyre Peninsula. This is somewhere I have always wanted to visit, and I wasn't disappointed. the little towns nestled in the bays and the spectacular coastline. Wow. had the yummiest local seafood at Streaky bay as well (gee I talk about food alot don't I!)
10. The monster at Murray Bridge. Josh LOVED this thing. It's a mythical bunyip in a cage by the river. You put $1 in and this HUGE thing rises from the deep and makes this almighty noise. Scared the living daylights out of Sam though!
11. The Adelaide hills. I am so going on a holiday back there one day (and throwing in the Barossa and McClaren Vale for good measure!)

It's always nice to be home though, and there was so many things I missed about Melbourne as well. But that's another list! Instead, here's a few layouts to peek at. First one is my friends gorgeous daughter Sharni. Second one is bubs at 1 year.

 

More later today. So much to say!

Claire