My Bad

No, i haven't blogged this last week... but i have scrapped!

Bit of a mixed bag kinda post really, so i thought i'd start with this...

... the last washing of the bibs.  The soccer season is finally over {{big sigh}}!!

oh, i love that the kids are passionate about it...

and i love the camaraderie that they experience from it...

and i love that it keeps them fit and active...

and i love the social interaction...

but i also love that we get a break from it for a little while too! 

The big trips to attend carnivals and the constant pick ups and drop offs and training for

three out of the four kids do take their toll.  Just last weekend Troy traveled 2.5 hours

to get to a carnival with 2 of the kids, refereed and watched games all day,

then had to drive the 2.5 hour return trip at the end of the day.

Big Committment!

But it hasn't been all work and no play this week   :)

Over at the Boxx, we played a bit of a game with a 'Scrap Build'.

A group of 10 ladies progressively added one element or 'step' to complete a page.

Each time a step was added, each player posted a photo and instructions for that step.

It was really fun to play and amazing to watch all the different lo's completed,

especially considering we all had the same instructions!!

This was what i came up with...

go and check out the amazing range of lo's for yourself.

The fortnightly challenge over at the Boxx was to use up your scraps.

Absolutely no fresh sheets of patterned pp were to be harmed in the process...

which was really easy for me!  i could use scraps on the next 20 lo's and still have mountains left... :)

Here is what i did...

... and finally...

i just scraped in with the second Scrap the Boys lo this month...

a lo using ribbon.  I scrapped an old pic of my eldest boy Cooper...

(can't believe i've never scrapped this one before).

Not wanting to take anything away from the blue of his eyes in this pic,

the only other blue i used was a little cluster of ribbon at the top left and bottom right of the lo,

using the ribbon and Coop's pic to create a visual triangle with colour.

Hope it worked  : p  ...

oh .. and i'm not sure if the 7Gypsies Gaffer Tape counts as ribbon, but i accidently

ripped some to start with, and i quite liked the effect... so i just went with it  :)

hope u like:

... and the journaling up close...

thanks for stopping by ... 

jules

x

Bit & Pieces

Yep... I've been doing a little blog tinkering of late.  It's a bit of a work in progress, but I'm pretty happy with the changes.... LOVE my background!  ... really happy I found that.  Hope you like it!

Nothing I had planned to do today has worked out for me... but I am trying to turn it into a positive.   My funky black and chrome office chair that I bought home from Mackay yesterday turned out to be a not-so-funky grey and chrome office chair!! {{sigh}} .... trying not to swear at myself... :))

So....... instead of assembling it while Lachie had a nap, I did the next best thing ... I scrapped!

I've been meaning to do an IB sketch for ages now so, today being the deadline for Sketch #52, I decided to finally give one a go.  Aside from the orange fibre {YUM}, which I bought during my shopping spree yesterday, literally everything in this layout is a scrap.... even the photo!!  I printed it out for a crop a while ago and never used it.  I love that feeling ... using stuff instead of tossing it out (or adding to my bulging-at-the-seams scrap folder)

For those who have seen a few of my recent layouts, I promise to get over this orange fetish soon ... maybe  :))  The same goes for the new Basic Grey booknote range of pp's ... I just LOVE them.  They are perfect bg pp's.  I'm also getting the hang of these quick layouts too.  I actually completed this one in one sitting!!  I love to fiddle, but sometimes it's nice to just get it done!

Ok ... enough waffle... here's the sketch and my take:

...hope you like ... have a great day!

New Trick

Funny how loud the TV is once all the kids have gone to bed... no music, no arguing, no giggling or shouting to be heard above the constant {but somehow comforting} din.  Time to turn the telly down and take a deep breath!!

What a day.... a trip to 'the big smoke' today entailed a 4.5 hour drive {in total}, a 1/2 hour orthodontic appointment for dd.... and 5 glorious hours of shopping!!

I'm exhausted.... too tired to assemble my new office chair!

Had to share my darling little man's new trick though.....

Nothing is safe any more.... no frontier unexplored!  Not yet 2 and he has engineered a method for:  emptying the soap dispenser.... patting the goldfish.... reaching big brother's precious lego men and helicopters and the like.... and tasting big sisters moisturiser!!  We simply pull out the bottom drawer and step up to 'bench height'.  The same principle applies to the kitchen, bathroom, sisters' bedrooms and brother's bedroom.

I took these yesterday...

How can he be so clever, cute and naughty all at the same time??

Finally

Yay!!

Have just put a roast in the slow cooker and Lachie to bed

{being very careful not to get the two mixed up} .... lol!!

Now I can finally get back into some serious scrapping

after a two week forced hiatus.

{insert sigh of contentment}

See you soon!

:)

So Everyday

Big weekend in the garden.... so overdue it just wasn't funny! Amazing what a difference a couple of days can make in the garden though. The fact that my parents and Aunty and Uncle are visiting for a few days this Friday didn't provide any impetus at all ..... much!!

I have so much to do this week ..... aaaargh!!

Maddi snapped a pic on Friday night as we were heading out the door for soccer. It struck me as so totally typical..... so completely us at this moment..... it's what I do several times a week ....it was just so everyday. I love it!

I especially love the blur in the background .... Cooper is always a blur in the background! : )

Love this....

Little Athletes

Phhhew! Day one and two of the Athletics Carnivals are over..... and I'm led to believe that it is no longer cool for mum to attend Athletics Carnivals when you are in Year 9 ... so I think I am done for the year!! :) ..... at least until the the regional level of competition that is. But just let me cope with one week at a time .... please !!!

The kids gave it everything as always.

Claire won the 800m very convincingly. She ran a really clever race and I was so very proud. Her sportsmanship when she finished made me even more proud... personally congratulating every one in the race as they crossed the finish line {gave me goosebumps}.... where did she learn that ... must be from me... right?? :) hehe.

Cooper achieved gold level in all of his events {love his enthusiasm!} .. and I did not know that poking your tongue out for an entire race actually makes you go faster!! Our kids teach us so much ... lol.

... and of course... there is no show without punch!!

Tomorrow is another day, but for now ... just let me rest!

Serves Me Right

Ok ... so that's what I get for trying to steal 2 minutes of time for myself and print out some photos while Lachlan was still awake. I literally turned my back for no longer than 2 minutes while he was playing with cars on the coffee table in lounge .... seemingly content and oblivious to what I was doing. When I 're-engaged' with him, I noticed him rubbing moisturiser all over said cars and coffee table!!! Moisturiser he had somehow snuck past me to retrieve from his change table. Whilst I sat him down and proceeded to clean up the mess, he miraculously picks this moment to learn the art of making no sound whatsoever, sprouted wings and {no doubt using 'the force'}, reappears in the bathroom...... where he decides it would be really cool to empty a new bottle of bubblebath all over the floor and then skate Tom-Cruise-style through the hysterically funny, slippery stuff!! {sigh} lesson learned ..... no more scrapping unless he is securely ensconced in the cot.... and very.... very .... asleep!


The Discovery


Sk8er Boy

Lady in Waiting

On my return from the {awesome} Scrapbooking Expo in Brisbane last weekend, I was greeted by dd#1 with "Mum, I need a Medieval costume for Friday!!" ... {this was on Tuesday!!!} Needless to say, it was not greeted with much enthusiasm, given that we do not have access to costume hire... or a fabric/haberdasherie shop for that matter!!

After a somewhat flustered search of the fabric bin and with the aid of an old evening gown of mine... we managed! This is what resulted and I must say.... she was the most beautiful Lady in Waiting. Well worth the effort! ...

... of course a layout will follow ... watch this space!

Addendum

I'm so excited i could burst!!... Maddi made it into the Cap Team!!! She just came second at the trials {same as the Mackay team trials.... and the same girl beat her!} ... so now it's on to Brisbane in September for a chance to compete for Queensland in the National Titles ... :)

Claire Bear came 14th in a massive field of competitors, and she gave it her everything... i could hear the disappointment in her voice though. I'm just so proud of them both for trying sooo hard!!

On the Run

Here they go .... yesterday morning my girls took off with dad to compete in the Capricornia Cross Country Trials. It's happening today!!! If they are selected into the Cap team.... then it's off to the State Titles in September in Brisbane!!

Win or lose though, they are both already champions in my eyes. They have been training so hard and diligently.... their tenacity and determination has been so inspiring... cold early morning starts and all!!

Love you girls .... we are so proud!

... and of course, no proud moment is complete without a scrap page dedicated in it's honour! It is part of a scrap whisper though ... so here is a sneak ...

R & R

Nothing like a bit of R & R to re-invigorate your 'everything'.... yep OK, some would argue that camping with 4 kids {one of which is a toddler, unable to keep still and drawn to the water like a magnet} is not considered rest and relaxation... I accept that criticism. It's more a case of having a break from the everyday I guess!! : )

There is still something very peaceful about camping right on the water, with no TV or music playing... and kids entertain themselves all day long without complaining about being bored or hungry... well - bored anyway!


The outlook


The typical campfire .... roast on a spit and veggies in the camp oven


The master of the spit in action


DD admiring the wildlife

... and I'm hoping those creative juices will also be rejuvenated!!

Vintage Blackboards

I'm on the hunt for a vintage blackboard for my kitchen wall to scribe all of my reminders on in order to keep track of who is doing what and when ... it might have to be a big one! I just love the look of them, but can't seem to find a retail outlet in Aus.... any hints will be gratefully received! I can see myself having to make one ...

7

My big boy turned 7 yesterday ... : (

My little boy has definately disappeared!

Go Girls

The same competitiveness that prompted this Boxx Challenge layout...



has seen both my girls qualifying to compete for inclusion in the Cap Cross Country team for State Titles ... woohoo!! So Proud. Another trip away ... overnighting in Rockhampton this time. Story of our lives. Would move mountains to make sure the kids were involved in sport and keeping active though, so it's all good.


Maddi and her bff

Meanwhile... Lachie continues to be a fabulous spectator and cheer squad all rolled into one. For now! Love this little guy....

Coffee Break

My 'special' coffee arrived this week ... woohoo! Where we live anything remotely indulgent has to be ordered in.... consequently, the internet is my best friend.... next to my coffee!

The Camera Loves Him

I snapped this beautifully candid and genuine smile of Cooper's the other day as the kids were out in the yard playing after school. His photogenic little smile always blows me away.

The Runaround

There is some friendly rivalry going on in the Winks household around times for a 5km run. We wonder where the kids get their competitive streak from.... it's a no brainer really! This morning I did a 22:56. Yay ... first time under 23min. Not at all comfortable with blowing my own trumpet.... the first thing I did was email Troy with my time!! : )

Maddi recently competed in a May Day Fun Run and won her age division {pocketing a crisp $50.00, which was just as exciting for her as winning}.

Of course I didn't point out that I have just beat her time of 23:16 ........ much.

With Maddi competing at the Capricornia School Trials for cross country next week in Mackay and Claire doing the same the week after in Rockhampton, I guess mum and dad had better keep up the training also in order to keep up ... you know ... lead by example and all that!



The start ....



The middle...


The finish line ..... go girl!!



And of course all of this getting fit and reaching goals has prompted layouts in this theme ...

A Little Bit of Silly

What our kids teach us .... I think we get too busy and tend to forget to put a bit of silly in our everyday. Good thing I have four little reminders who can't help but be silly...

Easter Break

Having a week away at mum and dad's with no plans or running around was just what we needed. A chance for the kids to just spend time with nanny and poppy without an itinerary. I don't think we have ever had a trip to Brisbane without plans and 'catching up with people'.... it was really lovely ... notwithstanding Lachlan getting stuck into some prednizone tablets that I had in my handbag for my chest infection. Luckily no harm done, but a really big scare nonetheless

Obviously easter sunday morning was a big highlight, and it was a thrill to see Lachlan participate in his first 'I am allowed to eat chocolate' easter! I think the other three were just as amused by his excitement as we were.

Here's the evidence...

!!

The preparation while they sleep



The frantic searching



The sharing?



The amazing combined haul



The best part ... the eating!

Hope you all had a fabulous easter with family : )