Whatcha doin????

Here's what I've been doin'....
Bon's Colour Challenge for the July CC. Still time to upload. Closes midnight Tuesday.
don't call me baby - colours BLACK, WHITE, RED, CREAM;

this quote;

finger painting...the background pp (Graphic45) originally had cream flowers that I smeared with red paint, then wiped off with a baby wipe;

and this detail, just coz I was feeling clever *snort*.

and then you turned 9 - charm's CC sketch challenge; had to scrap in a size you don't normally do (hence 8.5x11); an ampersand in the title; using a tab and circles or spots, but not polka dots.

I won an award...from the delightful Paula Perry.
Thank you Paula.

Here is the rules that go with this award...
1. Put the Swap Sisters Bonny Blog Award on my blog.
2. Share 5 thing about myself.
3. Pass the award onto 5 other Bonny Blogs.
4. Add links to my 5 chosen Bonny Blog winners.
5. Let them know they have been chosen to win the Swap Sisters Bonny Blog Award by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, 5 things:
1. I have an Open SCUBA Dive Licence. Probably expired now but wish I could do it more often (damn you children!!)
2. I failed my Collage Unit in Year 12 Art (bahahahaaaa!!)
3. I much prefer public transport or walking than using a car. Better still, a horse will give you something back that you can use in the garden.
4. I adored studying Theology and Religious History/STudies at Uni. An even bigger challenge as a teacher was getting teenagers excited about their faith...yar, big challenge!!!
5. No matter what, family first....no wait - to preserve thine own sanity!!!

Now to nominate ONLY 5 chikkies....
1. Renee Dowling
2. Kerry Murray
3. Raquel Pert
and the 2 freshies who are just awesome fun....
4. Catie Unger
5. Chantal Vandenberg (even though she does girlie layouts LOL)

and another award to YOU, dear reader, for making it to the end of another mammoth post xoxo

Hold on....

....have been doing some major scrapping!
enough - with Bon's Boy Kit

so very lucky - with the Boy Kit

watch me grow - another with the Boy Kit

which came first - some left over kits combined

sweet january - another with left overs

ponderland - the July Sketch challenge at Bon's Scraps (courtesy of Nic Pomeroy)

for yourself - some girls' paperie pp from Bon's shop. The cut out frame inspired by Ngaire Bartlam's class the other week.

and that would be all for now.
I have a couple more here but I think I need a lie down LOL.
Would love to know which you love and why *wink*
YOu never know, I might be inspired to run another online class, but I need to know what you like!!!
Till next time...xoxo

Happy 7th Birthday Rainer!

Here's my baby...all grown up and blowing out his candles *shriek*

And there was no birthday cake this year. Instead I made a HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOX so all the presents were inside. I pushed the candles into a piece of styrofoam, then placed it on top and hoped it wouldn't fall and set the whole thing on fire!!!!

Rainer got a whole NEW set of Bob the Builder toys, plus Buzz and Woody. We still cannot find a new Spud, who has sadly lost a leg in an unfortunate accident with an esky {insert sad face}.

And of course, the traditional post lunch cricket match. Rainer is a much better bowler than batter.

So what does turning 7 mean??
It means we've been on this journey to healing for just over 4 years now. To say you've progressed is an understatement.
What most parents take for granted,
I take
and CELEBRATE.
You are more aware of the world around you;
you want to be involved in life;
you enjoy playdates;
you discriminate by choosing toys to play with, by setting up your environment for your scenarios, by selecting a few toys from each box and creating a world, rather than simply recreating a DVD scenario.
When you saw us struggling to unwrap the Bob toys from their packaging, you ran inside and brough the kitchen scissors to us --- WOW!!

I still cry each day, but more from sheer RELIEF than grief.
And to think, if I'd been satisfied with what some doctors had said all those years ago, you would not be the beautiful, energetic, delightful boy you are today, and are still yet to become.
I see your potential and I'll bloody well fight for it!!!

Happy Birthday my sweet Prince Rainer. xoxo

Post-Apocalyptic Mojo-ness

Sometimes I don't know what's worse....school holidays, or the post-holiday-trauma-in-my-house days!! Yay verilly, we survived and achieved a whole lotta "firsts".

But first, to the Mojo that arrived these last few days (thank goodness)
Just the FACTS {ma'am} - the July challenge at Scrap The Boys

Couldn't decide which boy to do, so bung them both on a layout....Mumma can't play favourites ;)

 Wanted to mix some real soft elements with more edgier ones. Think it worked. Me likey likey.

 Mackinley's stats..........

 Rainer's stats..............

M.W.A.H. (Mother Warriors Are Here) - for Bon's Write Now challenge, thanks to Skye xoxo

 The crux of this journalling challenge was to write in a Fairytale style.....and I obliged in true epic proportions.

 Am sick to death of my crappy white StazOn ink pad, so I've switched to acrylic paint....bahahahaaa

I'm pretty sure I saw this groovy rolling technique on the Prima blog. Needed to steal that one!!!!

Finally,
TEAS-day - Charmane's online class page at Bon's Scraps

She shared loads of very cool techniques. Glad I joined in. Every Tuesday, since earlier this year, is now a TEA ONLY day. I found these teas already blended at one of my Organic Grocers and picked one up for Mackinley as well. He no longer has night terrors and is a little nicer in the morning.
Me? Well, I've been sick twice in one week and have bounced back quickly (like a 20-something chikkie-babe LOL).....so I'll credit the tea drinking for that one.

And some boring family bits....
Rainer made it through 2 "first" appointments - the Chiropractor and the Dentist without incident...woohoooo!!
Mackinley made it through the holidays without being suspended from all electronic privileges *snort*
Hubby and I went to the wedding of Rainer's God-Father last Sunday.

Had a lovely relaxing time, but was as sick as a dog much later that night. Have no idea why. Everyone says "stress", I say "der!!!" but was coping well by Monday afternoon. So nice to be out with my Man.

Happy July!!

Yes, it is a happy month, already!!
Happy I have a new banner this early in the month....

Happy that the 123 Challenge for July is up...
RED
PASSION
GRUNGE

Happy there are new challenges posted at Bon's Scraps.....

Happy that Scrap the Boys are BACK!!!

Happy that the first week of school holidays are ooooo-ver ... only one more week to go!!

Happy,
so
so
soooooooooooooo happy
I am now a
SCRAPBOOK CREATIONS **DESIGN DIVA**

congrats also to the following who are with me for the next 12 months...
Natalie Perks
Angella Peardon
Lisa Warren
Suzanne Tonga
Gillian Lester
Naomi Cox (yipeeeee)
Renee Iveson
Jodi Dolbel
Renee Dowling (yipeeee)
Kim Arnold
Geraldine Pasinati
Louise Williams

I'm reinvigorated and ready to begin another awesomely fine chapter in my creative life (oh so corny, but oh so true). I've turned a monumental corner, and it began with submitting my Design Diva application.