Living my dream

Finally a share

This is the one that has been on my desk for a week. Goodness me. LOL. Its based on this months Prima BAP.

I tried to do some journaling, but couldn't find the right words. To be honest, I think the photos speak for themselves.

And a couple of close ups..

Check out that gorgeous clock from Dusty Attic!

 
 

I love Tuesdays

Yep, Tuesdays are wonderful. LOVE Tuesdays.

I get to wake up late (7am), not 'have' to do any exercise, all the kids are at school/daycare, I can scrap all day or sit on my butt (LOL), and then Tues night telly is pretty darn cool.

Did I say I love Tuesdays? yeaha. Its Tuesday.

Well,

I've had the same LO on my desk for a week now. Maybe longer. Its not that I'm 'stuck'. I know what I want to do, but just don't seem to get around to it. I've been doing everything but. Talk about procrastination. I just need to go do it. Maybe I should stop blogging and finish it off. Now there's an idea. Later.

Sunday inspiration

Hmmmmm, I need another name for these Sunday ideas/challenges. Really. Help me. LOL.

So this week, I'm gonna challenge you to grow something. Yep, get a wee pot, put some soil in, some seeds in, water it, put it in the sun, then, give it away.....

To someone who needs to see the hope in life. To someone who needs to see the beauty in growth, to someone who needs to be cheered up. To someone who you just want to say 'hi' to.

Its easy, fun, and above all cheap.

Dare ya.

T

Saturday Sketch Day

Here is today's sketch.

Its been quite a big couple of weeks for the McClunes. This week with Matt in hospital and then I was sick too. Kinda self inflicted (but not in the 'standard' drinking way), one day when I'm a bit braver I'll tell you more. But I'm hoping this following week brings back a little bit of mundane and normality.  

Starship Hospital

Well, it had to happen at some stage, but I think we've got off pretty lucky for our first visit to be 6 years after we started having a family!

Yesterday we were there for the first time ever for Matt (had to be a boy! LOL). It started at swimming lessons where Matt asked me to look at pieces of his anatomy because it was sore. I did and my eyes nearly fell out of my head. Very very red and hugely swollen.

We went to my GP and she took one look and phoned Starship paeds surgery and gave us a letter to go see them.

When we got there we were immediately seen to and the surgeon she spoke to was with us in minutes! I've never had such great service.

But after hours of poking and prodding and an ultrasound, we were finally sent home being told that while it was a rare condition, it does happen and will remedy itself. Take some antibiotics 'just in case its an infection' and come back if it gets worse.

Matt had a ball once the pain relief kicked in. He had to pee in a jar (his best part of the day!), got to draw (and created a book about his visit), I read to him, and he got to ring his Dad and best friend James. I finally got him to sleep around 9pm, only for the doctor to tell us around 9.15pm that we could leave. LOL.  

Thankfully all is well now and Matt is enjoying a day at home with me due to Drs orders to rest.

Monday monday

Just catching up on a few things around here....

On Sat Dan went to a party and played on some trikes. For the first time he actually peddled the trikes. It was great. As he has one of those bikes without peddles, he's struggled with peddles in the past. But not on Sat. So of course, I decided he could then use the little bike Vonny gave us without training wheels.....

First on grass

Then on the concrete

The twins were so encouraging. And Dan while tense was pretty good. He still needs someone around, but he rode all the way home by himself. So we were pretty impressed by that. I mean he's only 3.5!!!! WTG Dan the man!

And yes, that little bike is PINK, but we think it'll be just fine to get him started. LOL.

So what else happened this weekend? We went fishing. And again caught nothing we could keep. I of course got a name for catching the teeniest, tiniest snapper around.....

Yes, it happens when I use the small rod! LOL. But I couldn't go home without catching something.

Oh, and talking of animals. One of our chooks (Bob) is sick. Like really sick. I found her yesterday on her side. She couldn't get up or anything. We isolated her and put her into a cat cage with straw, water and food, but its not looking good. Andy refuses to take her to the vet, which sadly I kinda agree with, and so its looking like she might have to be put down, to be kind to her. We don't want her to suffer, but we're also aware that we want to give her a chance. I'm hoping some kind of miracle occurs in the next 12 hours. Wish us luck.

And finally we've got some monarch caterpillars. In fact I was so relieved the wasps hadn't got them yet, I brought them inside. And yesterday the one huge one and two littlies, ate about 6 small (tiny) plants! And this morning we started them on another. We are now sharing our kitchen with 3 caterpillars and a small swan plant! Watch this space for photos.

Lastly, check out my breakfast this morning.....

All grown in our garden and hand picked by myself. I then added some chia seeds, seasame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, a few chopped up nuts, and yoghurt to create a healthy tasty (super yummy!) start to the day. 

Andy watched me pick it all and had one of his silly grins on his face as I proudly showed him my haul. As he is the gardener in our family, he was super proud that all of these items were my choice. He was pleased we had done something he wouldn't have chosen to plant. It just shows what a great team we are. Strengths and weaknesses balanced out by each other.

And yes, I've been scrapping. Lots and lots. And its a shame I can't show it here. In fact I hate saying that. So just know if you don't see any LO's. That they are being created and I'll show you asap. In fact it'll probably end up a big dumping session. LOL! Nevermind.

Have a good Monday. 

Sunday inspiration

Did you know that if you smile when you're not happy, you start to feel a little bit happier? Yep, its true. Believe me cause I've been doing a lot of fake smiling this week to make me feel that bit happier. And those times when I've split wide a grin have indeed made me feel better.

So my challenge for you this week is to smile. LOTS. Especially if you catch the bus/train/ferry. Smile at those other people who are looking gloomy.

I remember I used to do it in London on the tube. I'm sure people thought I was mad. Everyone keeps to themselves over there and no one acknowledges anyone else, let alone smiles at them.

Do you remember that ad? It was about a smile being passed around. One person smiles at someone else, who smiles at someone else etc etc. It was a lovely ad and an idea that can be started by you. Hey just imagine if that smile you start say down in Wellington ended up here in Auckland? How cool would that be?

So apart from making yourself happier. You just might make someone else happier too.

This is my challenge for you this week. Dare ya.

T

Saturday sketch day

Here is this weeks sketch.

 

Enjoy.

Have you ever wondered

what people would say about you at your funeral? I ask this because after Kirsty's funeral today I realised that I would be proud to have people say wonderful things like they said about Kirsty. 

She was obviously loved and really made a difference in peoples lives. I came away from her funeral sad, but enlightened. Pleased to have met such a person. And that's pretty cool.

Kirsty also inspired my Sunday challenge last week. Ensuring that I have photos of my kids and I. And as Matt wasn't in the photo last week, I decided tonight would be as good as any to take one or two of Matt and I. Here are my favs .....

This was the first photo and Matt was trying half heartedly to get away. LOL.

Kisses are much more his style.

Gosh I love these kids. Isn't it amazing how the parent heart can keep growing and growing? I'm constantly amazed by my capacity to just love these kids more and more.

Speaking of which, my two oldest kids decided they were grown up enough to walk into school by themselves (second time ever). They were so cute. They weren't holding hands, but they were walking shoulder to shoulder all the way in. If one moved sideways, the other followed. And vice versa.

Before I got back in the car, Matt came running back. "Can you tell Linn to meet us at the gate please?" They wanted to come out of school by themselves. Oh my goodness. When did they grow up so much? So proud, so sad, so excited by it all.

Ahhhhh.

Exhausted now. Off for an early night I think. Have a good one.

 
 

And the reveal

Sorry about keeping secrets. Hehehe. Well not really. Grin. So the DT I've been asked to join is

DUSTY ATTIC.

DA is a fantastic new chipboard company based in Australia. They create amazing lazer cut designs which make finishing off your LO soooooo easy.

You'll have noticed I've been using them a little bit lately. I was first introduced to them last year when I used the most gorgeous tree on my Cairns mini album.

Well I've just finished another LO. This time using an incredible decorative scroll #1 (DA0213)

Check it out....

And a couple of close ups..

Isn't that scroll amazing? In this instance I've sprayed it with glimmermist to colour it.

Make sure you ask your LSS about Dusty Attic.

I feel very priviledged to be working with such a great product and with such amazing designers. You can check them out in my sidebar links.

T 

Catch up - photo heavy, news heavy.

I've got a lot to catch up on, but to be honest, the last couple of days have been awful. My mind feels like its in a fuzz. All I can think about is a friend who is no longer here. And how are the people who surround her coping and what can I do to help? Right now, there isn't a lot. But I know in the coming weeks and months, we can be there and hopefully help in whatever capacity we can.

So for now, I'm going to try and do some of my 'normal' stuff to keep my mind off things.

First. Wanna see the baking we did on Sunday? We doubled the batch to give away. And it is so yummy.

L-R Scotts Farewell Square, shortbread and Nainoma bars - all from 'Ladies a plate'.

On Sunday afternoon we decided to 'seize the moment' and we had a family water fight. It was heaps of fun. 

 Sneaking up on Dad. Little did they know that Andy and I had set this up. He went outside for a 'rest' on his chair, and I gathered the kids together and said, lets go get Dad. The rest as they say, is history.....

 
  Gotcha.

 
Sarah getting Dan getting Dad. 

The joy of it all.

SCKC LO's - some information - if you're making these, I've spoken with the organiser and confirmed we can make them 6x6". This means you're getting more bang for your bucks on those pages. Yeha! 

My sketches - every now and then I get an email from someone saying something like. 'Thanks for the sketches, I've created this with them'. It truely makes my day! I love seeing something made, having been inspired by my sketch. Here is something Raewyn sent me using this weeks sketch. Just adore it!

Thanks for showing me your LO Raewyn, and allowing me to show it on my blog.

Autumn Escape - Am so looking forward to this. I didn't realise just how close it is, but was talking with some ladies this weekend, and seeing some excitement and its catchy. I can't wait. Check out their blog for updates.

Nic will be teaching at Big Picture Scrapbooking - have you seen this yet? The class is called: Dimensional details. It is going to be an AMAZING class with lots and lots to learn. Loads of dimension, loads of techniques. Go check it out here, and join in. Will definitely be worth it.

I have joined a new DT. Yay. I'm super de dooper excited about this. Like OTT excited. I love their product. Love their style. I'm half way through a LO using said product, so I'm gonna keep you in suspense just a little bit longer and announce when I've got something to show. In the meantime here's a clue..... DA

Have a great day. I'm off to finish that LO.
 
 

In memory

Today I was finally going to do a whoot whoot post about something I've become involved in. But, and its a big but, I've just got off the phone from a friend who has told me my friend/acquaintence died this morning. So that other post can wait.

Just a week ago I found out she had cancer. And now she is gone.

I made a memory book for her, but didn't get a chance to give it to her. I spoke with another friend about this over the weekend, when I heard how bad she had got and she suggested I still give it to the family to fill out. One day I think I will. But for now its all to raw. Too sad. Too much.

Kirsty, I didn't know you very well, but you were the most incredible women. So positive. So alive. So full of life. I'm sorry we didn't get to know each other better. You will be sorely missed.

Sunday's challenge

Ok, so today is a little bit of inspiration for you. Yep, you.

All you have to do is take a photo of yourself WITH your children. If you don't have children. Then take one with someone you love.

Then, if you scrap, scrap it. If you don't, put it in a frame and put it somewhere in your house where you can see it and know that you are loved and have someone who you love.

Too often we're the ones behind the camera. We take lots and lots of gorgeous photos of our loved ones, but not many of ourselves. This challenge is for you.

If you do this, leave me a link. I'd love to see your gorgeous photo.

Here's mine....

Hmmmmmm, Matt is away, so just trying to get S&D in the pic and my goodness. This is the best of about 8. And I look terrible. LOL! At least we had some fun, and they will remember that.
 

Saturday Sketch day

Here is this weeks sketch.

Have a good one.