Exciting news!!!

I am so excited to be able to share some exciting news with you!  I have been selected to be on the Design Team for FrostedDesigns!!!  I'm going to be sharing challenges with you every other Friday so be sure to check back to see my projects.  Click on the Frosted Designs link (above) to find out more information, details on the challenges, and how you can play along!
Ooooooooo.......I'm Soooooo excited!!!!!  **happy dance**

Design Dollies...

I had started this layout yesterday when I heard (and felt) about the earthquake.  Today in between catching up with friends in Christchurch, running errands, and getting some computer work done, I was able to finish my layout.  It feels a little selfish to be able to scrapbook knowing my friends in Christchurch are trying to figure out what's next in their lives and deal with the effects of this earthquake.  Right now all I can do is pray and wait.  Wait to see if we are needed in any way.

This layout is for the current challenge over at DesignDollies.  For some reason, the stripes don't seem to be photographing straight even though it is in real life.  Loving these flowers from Kaiser Kraft!!

Well, I'm off to get my boys from school, get their hair cut, and figure out what's for tea tonight.  Life as a busy Mum!  :)

Another Earthquake and Sketchy Thursdays...

Yesterday a massive earthquake hit Christchurch.  This one was a 6.3, 5k deep (not very deep means extra hard shaking), and only 10k away from Christchurch.  Having moved to Dunedin, we felt this one but as a 3.3, which felt like a big truck rumbling by.  Our family is fine.  From what we can tell by facebook posts, our friends in Christchurch are fine.  There are a few we haven't heard from and of couse we are concerned.  If you are reading this and happen to be a person who prays, would you please offer up some prayers for the people of Christchurch?  I know they would be much appreciated.  The city will have a massive clean up and rescue mission ahead of them.  Many are without water, power, phones, and even homes.  Many people are still missing in the rubble.  My heart is breaking for the city of Christchurch.  I remember the feelings of helplessness we had after the earthquake we experienced.  I feel even more so now being far from Christchurch.  This is a link that is updating all the events surrounding the earthquake www.stuff.co.nz

Last week I was able to get my layout done for SketchyThursdays.  Aron loves to start fires but in a safe environment.  This particular day, he asked if he could use this pan for one.  He knew I would probably let him if he would stay safe while doing it.  So he had his bucket of water ready and was on the driveway.  Smart boy!  And with me right there....camera in hand....he was ready.  I think both he and I were suprised that he was able to get one going so quickly.  We've promised Aron that we would take him camping over night somewhere and that he would get to start the fire.  Of course that made him very happy and now he can't stop asking when we will go.  :)

Play time...

Yesterday was a great day for me.  I had my new friend Lynne over and she taught me to come out of my "clean" scrapper's box.  I have often seen "grungy" looking tags, journals, and even layouts and always wanted to try it.  But as much as I like the look, I've always thought I couldn't do it.  Thanks to Lynne I now know that I can!  And its not nearly as hard as it looks!!  Thanks Lynne!!!  :)  So this is my first attempt at a tag.  I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  And now I'm hooked!  I'm ready to make some more.  :)

I also made a layout for the element challenge over at DesignDollies.  This time around the challenge was to encorporate "love" into your layout.  Immediately I thought of these pictures of Aden and Ian licking icing from when we frosted Christmas sugar cookies.  I just love their expressions of "yummmmmm.....".  Here in New Zealand, a tub of Betty Crocker icing is almost $6.  I'm missing the $0.97 tub at Walmart!  It was quite the anticipation to be able to lick the end bits of the icing.  The sketch is from the gals over at GetPicky for this page.  I used paint on this page thinking it looked like icing that had been spread.  Overall I am pretty happy with this layout.

After my day of playing, I super cleaned the house last night so I could play again today!  But first is my Weight Watcher meeting and lunch with Bryce and our teammates.  Then its play time!!  :)

Filling up and Sketchy Thursdays...

As I type this, I'm listening to my 3 boys and a friend of Aron's playing upstairs.  Its fun to me to hear the mix of American and Kiwi accents.  I was telling my friend Jess that I can tell I'm settling into Dunedin being "home" as my weekly calendar is filling up with events, meetings, coffees with friends, and play dates.  That tends to happen when I find routine and get to know people.  Its a good feeling.  A very good feeling.

I was a little stumped by this week's challenge at SketchyThursdays.  Don't get me wrong, I think its a great sketch but I was having issues finding just the right pictures.  I think I pulled out 5 sets of possibilities.  I finally settled on these of the boys at the park.  When we were house hunting for our friends, they got quite bored of waiting in the car as we saw the houses.  This park was the perfect reward for their waiting.  I would say patience but I'm not so sure it was patient waiting!  :)  The boys LOVED it when Bryce pushed them around this flying ring thingy.  "More!  More!" was what we heard over and over.  I have to say, it was pretty fun but I couldn't hang on as long as they did.  We've visited this park a time or two since and this continues to be their favorite thing about it.  Even more fun than the little stream flowing through it and if you know my boys, you know they love to play in water!  Funny thing.....we almost rented a house in this same neighborhood.  If only it had a dining room.  But instead, we are about 10 minutes from it and its a great "treat" for the boys to play at.  I think its about time for a trip over there!

Sketchy Thursdays...Guest Designer Challenge

I thought the sketch over at SketchyThursdays for the Guest Designer Challenge was a great one.  These pictures of Aden were just perfect for it!  The requirements this month were to use....

*Pink and green or red and turquoise
*hearts
*a list about something or someone you love
*their provided sketch

Check, check, check, and check!!!  It would be a thrill to design with the gals at SKT for a month!  Crossing my fingers!!!

Daily routine

Last post, I had many comments wondering where I found the time to get all those layouts done.  I have no idea if any of those ladies will be back and even read this post but I thought I'd give a little insight to my day for those that do visit my blog regularly.  I wake up around 6:30 and try to be out the door by 6:45 for my 3k daily walk.  I throw in a load of laundry before I leave and its usually finishing up when I arrive back home.  The art of laundry is something that I have worked hard to perfect here in New Zealand.  See, it rains almost every day for at least a part of the day here.  They don't call it the land of the long white cloud for nothing!  If I wake up and there are no clouds, no grey skies, and chances for afternoon rain, I get right on my laundry.  I can do wash 3 loads in 90 minutes but the drying time depends on the weather.  On sunny and slightly windy days, one load dries in about 45 minutes.  On not such great drying days, it might take most of the day to get dry.  And thats provided it doesn't rain or I get them inside and onto my drying racks before it rains too hard.  We do have an electric dryer but it would only hold about 2 pairs of jeans and takes over an hour to dry those.  Not very practical for a family of 5!

The boys head to school just after 8:30.  Bryce and I take turns walking Aden and Ian to their primary school just 2 blocks away and driving Aron to intermediate school about 2k away.  Most days, my day consists of running errands like grocery shopping, cleaning house, stopping in at the local scrap store or having a friend over for coffee.  We are just beginning to get involved with our son's schools as well by volunteering.  That particular day, I just happend to have already cleaned house and had a free day.  It was so refreshing to have a day where I could just sit and create.  The boys all get out of school at 3 so one of us does the walking and the other the driving.  The boys get changed out of their uniforms and have afternoon tea (snack) before playing outside or watching a cartoon on TV.

Typically I try to squeeze in some scrapping time before tea (dinner), about 5:30-6:00pm.  I am fortunate enough to have a space to call my own and I can walk in and out to push embellishements around or add something here or there to my layout.  The boys do homework right after tea and get their lunch boxes ready for the next day.  Reading happens about 7:30pm and bedtime is at 8:00.  Sometimes I will work on a project after tea or just hang out in the lounge with Bryce watching some TV or blog hopping on the computer looking for inspiration or emailing friends and family.

So, there you have it a little peek into my daily routine.  I hope you've enjoyed hearing about what fills my day.  Oh, and just for fun, here's a note I found from Aden's Kindergarten days.  I love it that he wouldn't trade me for a goat.  A goat???

Scrapbook day...

Yesterday I had fresh vacuum lines on the carpet, 3 loads of laundry hung, boys off to school, kitchen cleaned up, and it was time for me to get reacquainted with my paper and glue.  Every once in awhile a girl just needs a day to herself, a day to enjoy my creative side.  I had a lovely day just scrapping away, along with the occasional break to bring laundry in and fold it.  (and I did get that all done before the rain started again!!!)

This first layout is for the challenge over at DesignDollies.  The challenge was to use purple, ivory, and green.  I thought "oh my....for my boy pages??"  I was so suprised when this page came together in less than 10 minutes!!  Talk about happy that my scrapping mojo was in full swing.  I have held onto this Cosmo Cricket line "Snorkel" for a long time and it was perfect.  The boys love this park in Timaru on our way to or from Christchurch.  This big hampster wheel is one of their favorites.  Needless to say, I was very happy with this good start.

These next layouts are for the weekly challenge over at SketchyThursdays.  I made the second one first and liked it but couldn't decide if I wanted to submit it or not.  So I made the top one with the same sketch but flipped the sides.  They are both unique in their own way and I ended up liking them both.  We had a favorite wooded park in Christchurch that we would visit often.  I always try to get some pictures of me and the boys every once in awhile.  Since I'm behind the camera most of the time, I feel its important to hand it off and get in the shot too.  In the top pictures I was really after a nice smiles, staying still, all posed shot but instead got the mix that you see.  But I realized that those photos were actually a perfect reflection of the boys.  They are busy, goofy, and yet I love them dearly.  Such perfect photos.  I also like to get pictures of just me and each boy.  This is Ian, my middle, sweet, tender hearted boy.  I love these pictures of us being goofy.  Even though my hair is in this yucky growing out stage and boy...that angle doesn't compliment my chin well, does it?  :)  But I love the emotions that are shown in these pictures.  Ian, I love you!!  :)  So, Sketchy Thursdays Girls....I'm submitting both for this week.  Crossing my fingers that one is YOUR favorite!  :)  Still working on the finishing touches for the Guest Designer spot.  Loving that challenge and my layout too!

This layout is for the color challenge over at TheColorRoom.  The theme this week was "whitewashed" using all the same color pallet and white.  Green....oh how I love green!  I was really happy with the way this layout turned out.  These pictures were taken at the same park as the above pictures.  The boys were walking the rails that ran around the park.  Boy, they have great balance!!

The Gals over at Scrapbookers-Anonymous had quite the challenge this month.  Since they are all about using up your stash, it was about using up your "x" letters.  Well, lucky for me with Aron, Ian, and Aden...I don't use those x's much!!  I had an idea in my head for this challenge and it didn't translate very well onto paper but by the time I had all those x's in place it was a little late to change it.  So, this is my X layout.  I do have to say that it helped me get rid of many of the x's in my stash!  Yay!!  Thanks Ladies!!

This last layout I did just for fun.  No challenges, no submissions.  I love these pictures of Aden.  He is my fun loving, cracks me up every time, full of life boy.  Again, that Snorkel line just seemed right for this layout.  I'm sure glad I pulled it out.

Well, that's my scrappy post for today!  One more later in the day when I get my other layout finished.  I better sign off as the washing machine is singing my song.  :)

Beach Day and Design Dollies...

Today was the first really "hot" day we've had since moving to New Zealand over 8 months ago.  It climbed up to 31*C (about mid 80'sF) which felt pretty hot!  I took advantage of the heat to get some laundry done.  It was drying in less than 30 minutes on the line!  Nice!!  We also took the boys to the beach.  They love going on a less sunny day so this day was perfect in their eyes.  I have to say, the air might have been warm but the water was still FREEZING!  All the boys now have wet suits so they thought the water was just fine.  Well, sort of.  :)

When we got home, the boys ran off to play with the neighbor girl.  I brought in some of the laundry and then pulled a few weeds.  I decided to come inside while everyone was away and sneak in some scrapbooking time.  :)  I got this layout done for DesignDollies.  I'm new to Design Dollies but I'm gathering they put out 3 challenges in a month and then at the end of it, you are to use all 3 to create a "trifecta" layout.  The elements this time around are their chosen colors, this sketch, and to freehsand something...writing or embellishments or whatever.  I used my embrodery thread to make the word "beach" for my title Beach Boys.

I would say its been a good day for all!!!  :)

School and scrapbooking...

This is Aron looking oh so cute in his new uniform!  He was excited and yet nervous about starting Year 7.  A new school in a new city.  Now that all 3 boys are back in school, I've taken some time to just sit at my desk and create.  It felt so good to have my hands back in paper and glue.  I've also been getting to know the people around me more mostly neighbors and the ladies at the scrapbook store.  Moving to a city and knowing NO ONE is a very strange feeling.  We have enjoyed having our teammates around and currently living with us though.  That has been nice.

I also found a few new to me sketch sites.  This layout is for pencillines.  I found this site by doing a little blog hopping.  You never know what hidden treasures you will find that way!

I love these pictures of Aden.  He was singing with his primary class (and other classes) during Christmas time at the Cathedral in Christchurch.  He was so funny!  What a performer!   I did ask him afterwards if he knew the words to the songs they sang.  "Well.....some of the words" was his answer.  Too funny!  

Won't be long now until they are all home from school so I'm going to dive into another project!