Goodbye 2007 ....

I can hardly believe its the last day of the year .... even tho so much has happened this year, it still feels as tho it has gone so fast! I guess it highlights the fact of embracing each day and making the most of each week, month, year! A friend of mine once said "you only have one monday this week - it has to be the best monday" which goes for each and every day - its so true tho, and i've been trying to remember this especially on those days when i'm grumpy! lol!

This year has been so fun ... i have had a few amazing things happen this year ... and it certainly will be one year i will remember forever! This is this years page in the Santa album ....

I do like the new start that comes with a new year. I like making new goals and having a fresh start especially after the madness of Christmas! I had Gary helping me glue together the pictures for my christmas tree for the table .... i stole the idea from Kathy .... and it turned out so cute!

We have had a fun few weeks, although i have to be honest and say i am happy Christmas is over .... i was hanging on by a thread at the end! lol! my girls woke up at 4.45am on Christmas day .... phew, that is super early! i love how excited they are and how much Christmas is about the kids! we had an awesome day. We went to Mass on Christmas Eve, the girls were angels in the "live" crib! i really love it ... there were so many people there ... its just a wonderful experience with the camels and sheep etc ...

Christmas morning we had here at home together, we had a nice breakfast and opened presents, then went to my Aunty's for lunch ... its always fun when our family gets together! always good food to be had ... food is a major priority! lol! then our best friends from Melbourne came up at 4pm in time for Christmas dinner at our place and more presents. They have 3 girls and our girls just adore each other! it was really special!
they are still with us, so we have had a fun time ... ten pin bowling, movies, lawn bowls of course shopping. ... its been wonderful. (do you like my bowling action)

I will leave you with my deck of me cards for this and last weeks. Last weeks prompt was "made me think of you" when i thought about this, i have different things for different people and i couldn't narrow down who i was going to use ... then i realise how i remember things and people and events by the music that was playing. so that is what i chose.

this weeks prompt ... week 52 and the final week is "art" i used heidi swapp masks and tim holtz ink, basic grey paper and making memories shapes.

I have really enjoyed this challenge, and i love looking in my little box at all my cards!

happy monday ...

its monday night, i have just finished my deck of me card for this week ... and vacummed and mopped my floors before that ... i love it when my house is clean! especially at the start of the week ... sort of sets me off in the right direction!

we had a fun weekend, gary was away on a boys weekend .. so it was just me and the girls ... we went and saw the Bee Movie ... so cute and funny! on Sunday after church we swam in the pool and i did some cleaning up (it never seems to end) then went to a Christmas party which was fun. It is a fun time of year ... lots of happy things going on! gary didn't get home till late on sunday night ... he bought us home a present from the property he was staying at in the bush ... a scorpian! LOVELY! so now we are the proud owners of a pet scorpian ... her name is Samantha! how i know its a she is beyond me! lol! so i have a few pics from tonight when they all made her a habitat! oh my .. .talk about a nature study!

I have a couple of projects to share ... i made this clock for Gary's dad for Christmas, and also this decoration for his tree!

My deck of card this week is actually week 50 ... i got it wrong last week! ops! this weeks prompt is "greatest gift" I find that when i read the prompt i go for the first thing that pops into my head ... and my greatest gift i feel is being able to give new life. It is such a miracle making a new baby and i had the privilage of making 3 beautiful girls. it amazes me what my body went thru to do it, and how it bounced back again ... how they are now growing into young woman .... they have truely added so much to my life .. and i will always be greatful for that! The photo is when gianna was only 1 day old

i am so excited too ... my sister and her boys are coming to stay in Jan .... i can't wait!

finally .... i blog!

honestly, every day i've been meaning to blog ... and then the day has gone, and i flake ... and another day rolls on!

Big major tonight tho ... finished my Christmas cards - i am so happy! i have been trying to do them all week, and obviously didn't get there ... so i bit the bullet tonight, and yay ... they are done. fingers crossed they arrive in NZ and overseas before Christmas .....

I will post a pic of my card, it turned out so cute ... it was one of heidi's ideas she gave us for the Y2R class (this card has a clear accetate top and the card is stapled underneath to show - i used basic grey paper too - which i am in love with) ... i only send Christmas cards to those people i cannot say "merry Christmas" to in person .... otherwise its such a major! so any of my local friends reading this, i will give you a hug and you will get a personal Christmas greeting!

i have just found the funniest website ... seriously you have to check this out ... its a crack up! a couple of friends sent me their version ... here is our one! they only had space for 4 (so heidi your family won't fit in! lol) http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1419993090 so gary missed out! i may have to do a version just for him! LOL!
I know i have some creative stuff to share ... i just need to remember what i've done! that is the problem when you don't blog regularly enough! sigh! last week was our final art challenge for the Y2R class. This month we had to use a family photo (which was an event in itself trying to get) i used the self timer on my camera ... and we took about 100 photos before it started looking ok ... we also had to use some things that were at home, so the top right hand corner is a bow and star from a Christmas packaging from last year i'd been saving ... the sliver card was a scrap lying around ...

i have been so slack updating you with Daisy .. she is now 5mths old, and getting alot bigger. She's such a good puppy ... we are training her to do things, and she's catching on really well!

I took the girls to see Bee Movie tonight ... its so cute, and funny ... alot of things that went over their heads! i was laughing out loud! Gi was not really into it ... so i guess 3 was a little young. I savoured the frozen coke i had ... i just love frozen coke at the movies!

I must photograph our church this week too, they have done the church up in Christmas lights and won the Brisbane competition ... it looks amazing! will post photos later in the week!

Last weekend i was down the Gold Coast for my uncle's 40th birthday party. It was really fun ... and nice to have a night at a hotel by myself! gary bought the girls down the next day and we spent it at this cool lagoon which is part of the beach. It is right outside a fish shop, and they feed the pelicans every day at 1pm ... it was amazing being so close to these big birds, i took lots of photos of them! the girls were amazed!

the school holidays are so great. .. i am loving the change of pace and not having to live to time ... also being more spontaneous about dinner etc ...

so i have to go quickly do my Deck of Me card for this week ... as i still haven't done it. The prompt is "time flies" which is totally relevant considering how fast this week has gone ... and how quickly Christmas is coming! so i'll be right back ....

ok i'm back ... here is my card ... i have been using this cool Christmas paper all week ... so had to keep going with it!

last week of school ...

i can hardly believe it - school is finishing on friday! it doesn't seem real!

i already feel like i am winding down, its great ... the girls had their dancing concert on Saturday, it was awesome! i am so proud of them, and i just felt like my heart was going to burst watching them all on stage. Gianna was too cute for words ... and the other two are dancing so beautifully ... it makes me melt! i think cause i know how much they love it! it has been a busy few weeks tho ... 7 dancing costumes to get ready - phew! no wonder i feel like a load is off! LOL!

so dancing has finished now ... and no more homework, so i already feel like things are more relaxed, i am enjoying it already! YAY!

We had our final freestyle designs class today. We finished off our Christmas projects, its always such a fun morning and we have a great group of girls who come along! This is the banner i did ..

and these bags were one of the ideas Kathy did ... i love them, i was on a roll when i started making these ones! so cute!

we have lots of fun things planned for next year already!

It was hot here today, so gi and i went for a swim when we got home ... so nice!

I made this clock for the girls dance teacher on friday. Also did this LO of Gi, i am really into metallics and seem to want to spray paint everything gold or silver right now!

the Craft Online Design Team is up .... here is my Santa Photos Album i did. I like how i have a place for all my santa photos now!

and this weeks Deck of Me week 48 ... the prompt is Ideas! I guess i get ideas from many places, i have a few people who i really love their work and they always inspire me, and i find i get lots of ideas there ... sometimes fashion - esp for colours, or magazines - cool ads! sometimes scrapbooking magazines can unlease ideas. Often once i start creating they sort of flow out ...