{ A Christmas Birthday }

As a kid, having a birthday on Christmas Day really, well there's no other way to say it, sucked. Big Time. I only ever remember having one party. And while my parents tried to separate it, Christmas in the morning, Birthday in the evening, there really is no getting away from the fact that you share your special day with everyone else's special Christmas Day.
The last two years there has been a bit of a turn around though, and while it has been a long time coming, I have noticed a benefit. Mostly, when people find out when my birthday is, they groan and say "Oh no, I suppose you get combined presents?". Well as a rule I usually didn't, but the past two years I have and they have both been the BEST presents EVER!
If you are a regular reader of my blog (all 10 of you ;) ), you will know that last year I got a Nikon D70s Digital SLR, no complaining about that! Woohoo, I just love it!

Anyway, this year I got.....

A 30gb VIDEO iPOD!!! Yay. And I am loving it! I have already filled 10gb with music and a good handful of Photoshop TV Video Podcasts, so I can watch them when I do school pick up or take the kids to Tennis Lessons etc etc.

I am already almost half way through my first Audible Book, called Water for Elephants which I am just loving. I thought my mind would wander while listening but I just get lost in a new world! It's great.

We had a lovely, but very hectic Christmas Day, having both lunch and dinner here. The morning started early, which was OK, because for a change, we weren't up until 3am wrapping presents. Brian and I have both decided that Christmas should be on a Monday every year. Girls came hurtling down the hallway at 6am, but were coaxed back into bed with us for another half an hour. They got stuck into there presents as soon as we said OK... they had a good day, present wise, a little too good, we think! Both getting, from us, MP3 players, iDogs, Doona Covers, gorgeous Clocks which I bought at Southbank while on the MAC conference, a portable DVD, with two separate screens for the car ( I like this one, because they can't nag us to watch it, I don't like them watching too much TV and they can't really use it unless we go on long trips, sneaky I now), they also got a Netball Ring, a ridiculous amount of clothes from Pumpkin Patch.

From Santa they got an array of things, mostly from the Australian Geographic Shop I think, the elves must pick up stuff from there too...) from, Spyrograph Machine, Kaleidoscope Makings Kits, Fibre Optic Torches, a watch, booklights, even a pedestal fan each for their rooms (Santa obviously likes to keep them cool, fun and practical! LOL), also Squiggle notepads (they are great, think Mr Squiggle), and Nipple Balls The family got a MP3/Stereo radio for the family room, and a Stunt Kite. Brian got an MP3 player and Travel Scrabble too.

So we are a very happy little household here!

As the year ends, and a new one is about to begin, I realise what a big year this has been for us.
I started teaching Digital Scrapbooking classes and had the great pleasure of meeting some fabulous people through that, who have become very good friends.
I started a new and very rewarding job and look forward to developing that in the future as the girls get older.
We moved into our new home, which we just love, and I don't believe there is a day goes by that we don't thank our lucky stars for it.
I got to meet the BEST bunch of MAC girls ever, these girls have made me laugh, given me cyber hugs when I needed them and have just been there always, and make they make their presence felt in sometimes copious amounts of emails, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have felt fierce support and friendship and getting to meet them was a privilege and one that I hope will happen again next year, but this time with the lovely Karen also!
I have met some lovely new cyber friends, especially at Pickleberrypop and via blogs too. This Art that is digiscrapping is a great one and I am glad that I do it, along with all these talented girls, I look forward to continuing these friendships and making more.

Lastly is a list of Movies that Suzy and I saw this year. I know I have missed a few and in 2007 I intend to keep a proper list. Can't say that any of them was bad, in fact, I really loved them all, in varying degrees. If I had to pick from the list though, I would say that "The Departed" and "Little Miss Sunshine" were the standouts. Although I could barely pick between the two, you could not get two more different movies.

Before I list them, I am putting a layout here so that the big white space is filled LOL.
This layout was done from pics I have wanted to use for ages of Quinn trying to help Bronte climb a tree. Background by me, flower brush, Rhonna Farrer.
Journaling Reads: If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again. Click on the image for a larger view.

Anyway, here goes.
*Beyond The Sea
The Lakehouse
*Walk The Line
*Capote
Failure To Launch
*Inside Man
Poseidon
*Brokeback Mountain
Kokoda
*Little Fish
Pride and Prejudice
Proof
Pirates of The Carribean 2
The Da Vinci Code
Seperate Lies
*Wah Wah
*The Departed
*Little Miss Sunshine
Thank you for Smoking

OK as I typed, I realised there were some "must sees" in there, I have put an asterick next to them, so try and see them if you can!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a New Year filled with love, laughter and happiness!

Happy New Year!
Edited to add: As you can see, I have done yet another makeover on my blog, the credits are in the side panel! Feedback welcome.

{ On A Roll or not? }

Yep I think (fingers crossed, and everything else ;-) ) that I have broken my layouts drought! At least I hope so! Here are a few more I have done lately....

On "Magical" I used various brushes from Scrapartist, Anna Aspnes and Rhonna Farrer. On "Elvis" I used star brushes from Anna Aspnes. And on "Delight" the flower brush is by Rhonna Farrer. All 3 layouts are of Bronte. (Much to Quinn's disgust).

It looks like we are not heading away now, the fires are just too bad both there and here. Our camping friends live in the bush on the edge of a National Park and they have had an arsonist lighting fires out near them, so they can't take the chance. Also the place we go to, have put in place a no fire policy, which is completely understandable, but something we would miss terribly, no marshmellows, no camping! LOL Also we are on the edge of town and while I doubt we are under threat of fire, the embers are a worry.

Just wanted to spare a thought for all of the fire fighters, it has been more than a little uncomfortable for us here, so what they are living and working in everyday must be horrendous. I hope that due to the weather most will get to spend Christmas with their families now, but no doubt their job is not over yet. Stay safe.

We will still maybe do a few smaller trips, but I am going back to work a week earlier than I had planned and will save my holidays for Easter. Brian will now work between Christmas and New Year but will still take two weeks off, so we have a week together and then he will have a week with the girls. I am sorry to miss out on camping, but we have so many little (and big) jobs to get done around here, it will be nice to have some time to do them. I feel, at last I will have some time to breathe, it's harder than I thought working 4 days, but as hard as it is I don't think I'd go back. But I am still looking forward to getting a good rest in and catching up with some things that I love doing. ie DIGI SCRAPPING!!! ;)

I had a great end to the year at work, with a lovely gift from my boss and lots of appreciation, it's nice to be appreciated, and I must sound like a broken record, but, I love my job!

Almost done on the present front, just one more present to make and that's it, now for the wrapping....groan..

We are having Christmas lunch and dinner here on Monday, thankfully it is supposed to rain, I know most people don't want rain on Christmas Day but we desperately need it, and while I don't relish the thought of all of the kids not being able to go out and play, I'd rather the rain! (am I mad?).

On the house front, the deck still isn't finished *sigh*. Looks like it won't be done, but because of the weather we probably won't be using it anyway. But we didn't get all our living areas fitted with Roman blinds. We were going to wait until winter but decided to go ahead now, just waiting on the outside awnings for the west side of the house and the blinds for our ensuite. Our ensuite is set out like a feature and is very open to our bedroom which means it's very light in here at 5am! Sorry we over looked them now! It wasn't so bad in winter LOL. Anyway the blinds were ridiculously expensive but they are beautiul and I am glad we didn't get the cheaper ones we almost ordered...what another couple of years on the mortgage???? Urrrgghhh!

Merry Christmas to every one, I hope all your wishes come true and that you have a wonderful day with your families and friends. Here is a small gift from me.



Christmas Mini Kit


Happy Christmas :)

{ Yumm and Congrats }

Congrats for the 2nd time within a month to the lovely Judy! Yep Judy is a Mama for the 2nd time to the gorgeous Ella Rose, congrats to Anna and Ross and the rest of the Dr Tax family!

Also a huge Happy 21st Birthday wish too the GORGEOUS (see left) Deb, I hope your special day goes off with a bang and all your wishes come true!! I also hope your party is better than you ever dreamed!

Oooh now I had lots to say, but can't remember any of it! Let me think... ummm, I am not quite organised for Christmas yet, but getting there slowly, need to pull my finger out and organise all the food for Christmas Day since we are having it here this year, which brings me to the deck...groan...still not finished! Those boys will need to put a few solid days to get it done by Christmas!

I have been in an internet ordering frenzy lately, ordering some gifts via eBay, also ordered a new flash for my camera (woohoo) and a Lightsphere for my flash (double woohoo), which I got on Monday! Now all I have to do is figure out how to use them! (everything crossed ;-) ).

Also ordered some fabulous dressing via email, from the Yumm Dressing Company. Yes dressing, salad dressing. And YUMM is the perfect way to describe it! We bought it early in the year at the Red Hill market on the Mornington Peninsula, if you ever have the opportunity, get down there, it's very foody, with something for everyone. Anyway, we used up the 500ml bottle we bought in no time, and have been craving it ever since. Finally got around to emailing and asking if we could order some. We now have 4 bottles and have almost had 1 bottle already! Many thanks to Tarryn who got us our fix again!

In regards to my previous post, Angela suggestion about where my emails are going was the following:-

Maybe they started digiscrapping, joined a yahoo group bought a laptop and then couldn't be bothered going anywhere!

LOL isn't she FUNNY! (Even funnier than Wayne) ;-). I thought of another good one and laughed when I did, now I forgot! LOL I knew I should have written it down!

Also had a suggestion from Mad Mick, he thinks it's got stuck in the big Echelon computer (the one that spies on us all) because it has suddenly developed a profound interest in Digiscrapping! LOL

Check out the new MACdigiscrap Blog, a place for all the MAC girls to post their challenge entries too. The current challenge is Christmas pics, so head on over to see some, comments welcome, and if you have some pics to show us, leave the link in your comment, we'd love to see!

Layouts are few and far between at the moment, but I did this one about a week ago, all about the feelings I have being a Mum.

Lastly, to my friend, who has recently suffered a devastating loss, you are in my thoughts, and I am here for you.

Have a great day everyone :)

{ Freaky }

OK, stop razzin' me, I know it's been a while! ;-)

This is just a quick random thought, oh and a layout.....
Where do my emails go, when they don't go to our group??? Several emails have come through to MAC in the last couple of days which were sent by me on the 4th of November, my thoughts are they have been either:

* to an Email Conference
* to a support group for Emails that have lost their way
* drinking Pina Coladas on a South Pacific Island
* got mugged and it has taken this long to get through the red tape at the Email Police
* in a coma
* sitting in the Lost Email Department at Yahoo
* completely distracted from getting to their destination because they went past the Creighton's abode and were distracted by the dreamy tones of Mr Hot Voice (aka Mad Mick) ;-)
* cracked the sads because it missed out on the MAC conference
* off having a fling with a hot little email, dressed in a tight, red font
* got dragged, unwittingly, into some email scam by an email from the wrong side of the tracks
* got dengi fever in Asia somewhere
* got stopped at email customs and was caught with 2 kg of marijuana in it's surf board case
* got caught up in schoolies week and fell off a balcony
* got slipped some GHB in it's drink and woke up on a beach in Surfers Paradise
* inadvertantly got on the same plane as the Primeminister and single handedly saved the day, Bruce Willis style, from a madman, and has since been recovering with the token blonde air hostess that helped save the day....

If you actually KNOW where my emails have been, please tell me!!!

Oh and I revamped this LO too....
Edited to add...Brushes by Anna Aspnes