Happy 50th...

The buzz around here today is that a significant birthday has arrived.

Erin was very busy with some food dyes & toothpicks to make this tribute for Chris.

After dinner all I wanted was one decent photo of the old boy & I took about 15 of him on his own & he kept pulling silly faces. Finally I got one that is good of him amongst the kids.

Happy birthday Chris...the boy racer is growing up.

This is our front yard in November 2007 just after we finished the front.


And today...

What a difference.

Despite my brown thumbs, some water & time have improved the picture.

Poor Cal...

can't take a trick at the moment.

Was off to start with an insulation installer just as the scheme was scrapped. Hopefully he will get a call when the work starts up again.

So close...

Summer sunday...

The weather has been much more bearable than last summer. No extremes of temperatures & a good amount of rain. I usually dread February & any day when temperatures go over 36 degrees. This kind of summer I can cope with, & I am a much nicer person to be around.

2 summer layouts to go with my summer mood

from our Port Fairy holiday

Here's to more good weather

Helpful...

Callum has to do jobs around the house...empty the rubbish, wheel out the bins, tidy up, folding, hang out washing...you get the picture.
Sometimes I have to resist the temptation to take over or re-do the job but today I had to fix up his handiwork at unstacking the dishwasher

I know I have a few cups, some might say too many but if you sort them in rows they fit much better than this higgedly piggedly effort! I think he needs a lot more practise.

The reason I have too many cups is these cuties I picked up at christmas, but I just loved their pastel colours.

Cuppa anyone?

St Whosatine's Day?...

Happy Chinese New Year to you, looking forward to a great Year of the Tiger.

Also Happy Valentines Day if you do that sort of thing, no flowers, chocolates or secret admirers around here though.

It looks like I have been really productive today, but I have been working on these layouts for a few days now.

This one from our anniversary dinner

This one also for our anniversary

A page for my album about the mystery (thriving) plant that always brings memories of my mother {Louise I found that embellishment!...it says mum}

Another for Erin's album of her graduation night

And finally a whimsical one for Erin who is not always sunny, smiley & co-operative!

I was going to say...

...look how good my plant is doing. With our warm weather & regular water it is really blooming! I have never had this many flowers on it before.

But instead I'll tell you about the 77mls of rain that dumped down on Bacchus Marsh this afternoon causing flash flooding, rooves to come down (including at the hospital & the pub & the supermarket) and roads to be awash or closed & very dangerous.
We had a subsidence in the front yard near the driveway before Christmas & whenever the rain comes down heavily like today a bit more sinks down. It is caused by all the drought conditions seizing up the clay beneath.
I will wait a few more days to see if it gets any worse before we fix it.

Because it is still raining!

Scrapping sunday...

It's a hot day...

Callum's jaw is very sore, but being a Sunday we will have to wait til tomorrow to get an xray, icecream is looking good...

I have a huge basket of ironing to do but it will wait til tonight...

because today I scrapped, while the inspiration is flowing.

I turned this lovely combo

into this

and this

and I found these on the computer & now the printer is inked up I printed a few more

A good days work!

What a day...

My day didn't turn out like I planned.

Instead I spent 2 hours in the emergency dept of our local hospital with Callum who had split his chin open doing a flip on a mate's trampoline. Two stitches later he is feeling a bit sore & sorry for himself as his jaw is aching particularly when he eats.
Maybe being 6 foot tall & under the influence can skew your judgement - lesson learned? ...we'll see.

I did get into Erin's room to clear out lots of rubbish & find the missing school shoe. How can a girl lose a shoe for 2 whole days in her own bedroom?...how can 3 adults search & search & not find said shoe...easy when your room is crammed with stuff. At least I can relax about the whole shoe thing now, & the room better stay tidy...we'll see.

Schools back in...

Erin started a new journey today...and got a blister.

She doesn't look very excited does she???


I guess nerves were playing their part & she was antsy to get going, not to have a photo session. We should have set out earlier as we got very caught up in the back to school first day traffic jam. Every kid in Bacchus Marsh was being driven to school this morning & every parent was going to get that perfect car park so as not to have to walk a step further than necessary with an overloaded school bag.

I could barely get to the school let alone get a remotely good car park.

But we managed & I was able to stay for a short while as they were allocated their classes & houses. Erin is not with Tayla for Tutor group but they are together in Braeside house.

She was full of stories this afternoon & after a good feed (she was starving) we had a giggle together about the silly things she had done during the day...turning up in the wrong room etc. She wasn't fazed about any of it & seemed to cope pretty well.

I was able to do a little scrapping today (finally) but was hampered by low ink levels in the printer...why does cyan always go first?


a little christmas layout to get me started.