"Life begins when you accept that you are responsible for your own destiny - take charge now"

And thanks to the new forum Chat with Charm that has been set up with a huge number of blog challenges and the great inspiration that is available in one spot - I've scrapped!!!!!! The first one is for Scrap the Girls and I just loved the "She" quotes that Kate has listed on the site and couldn't wait to get stuck in and scrap this gorgeous photo of Jessie :). Using lots of new stuff that I've recently received from Scrapboutique, where Chelsea has been getting in some of the yummiest products around :).
and this one I finished off after the Donna Downey classess I attended a few weeks ago now at a local shop - it was a super, duper UGLY piece of paper and I've added lots of layers of paint, glimmermist, ink and more paint - I think I've made the ugly paper look heaps nicer :).

"simplify your life - it will reduce stress and give you more time to be joyful"

how true is that quote, but easy to do????? perhaps not. Life certainly has gotten busier here with me working a few days a week ontop of all the usual stuff that still needs doing, but I'm happy, super happy so all is good for now.

And check this out Nic Pomeroy is having a massive giveaway (check it out here http://nmpomeroy.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-75000-hit-giveaway.html - and just check out her scrapping/art/inspiration, always love visiting her blog to see what she's been creating.

And I've not scrapped much since my last post ...... but I was super lucky to attend a couple of Donna Downey's workshops at the Pages 2 Scrap shop at Tuggerah last weekend. To say I was inspired would be an understatement, just loved her enthusiasm and the incredible amount of talent she has - I'm busily working on finishing off the projects we did, but so far not much luck, between work, school open day, trips to Sydney, Newcastle Show Day and the everything else I'm only now sitting down to have a play - wish me luck!!!!!!!

"take advantage of the healing power of laughter"

and wowsers in January I managed to complete a whole 8 LO's!!!!!! YAY ME!!!!!!!.

This first one is Week 3 of my 52 weeks album, we spent 5 days in the beautiful Jervis Bay and the kids swam, some canoeing, some sailboarding for Tim, some scootering for Pat, and more swimming, was the perfect little getaway before the kids had to head back to school.
and this one is Week 4 of - using the sketch for February over at Scrapboutique. We had a super fun day over on the lake for Australia Day - great way to spend it too.

The kids have all eagerly returned to school with Jess starting Year 6, Pat in Year 5 and Drew starting Year 3, so that's it for the infants department for us :(, all too quickly!!!!!!

What a week, floods in Qld and bushfires in WA, and now also flooding in parts of Vic and Tassie, what is happening with the weather, it's all so sad and horrific and heartbreaking. But it's been great to see the fantastic Aussie spirit shine through and people helping out in whatever way they can :).

And inbetween ferrying kids around I've managed some scrapping, both are for challenges at Scrapboutique, and both are for the first two weeks of my 52 week album - great start, hope I can keep up with it :). The first one is about my word for the year "balance" I need to find a better balance between work and "play" and kids and hubby and life in general, fingers crossed I can achieve it throughout the year.

And this one using lots and lots of numbers, as I've watched my odometer tick over and over and over with all the trips this week :) . Lucky kids and the great social life they all have!!!!!!

Please may this week be full of good news and sunshine.

"View every life change as an opportunity to make your life more fulfilling"

So here's my first ever entry for Stuck Sketches, gee it feels great to be plowing through all our holiday piccies :). Used up some more bits on my desk ranging from October Afternoon, Basic Grey, 7 Gypsies, Maya Rd, etc, etc, etc. At least it's a few less things I'll have to pack up one day :)

And I think I've made some sort of record - I've done 4 LO's in 5 days - crazy huh!!!!!! This last one is for the Savvy sketch challenge for the month :), lots of leftovers again, some paint, some bling, some stamping and some really old Fancy Pants papers and ta-da :) GO ME!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

it's been so long since I blogged last that I thought I had forgotten my password, but the old grey matter can remember some things - LOL, and better late than never so .........

I hope everyone has had an awesome Chrissy and fabulous New Year - we sure did :). And I've been re-invigorated to scrap, had a few very unmotivated months there!!!!! But glad to say I've found my groove again and I'm all excited :).

So here's one I completed yesterday, just because I was in the mood - one of the billion of photos I took while we in WA last year!!!!! Used up lots of scraps and bits and pieces just sitting around on my desk.

and this one I finished off today for the most recent Bons Room of the Month Challenge - just loved the room and the colours depicted so couldn't wait to get stuck in :). Once again lots of different products that happened to be cluttering up the desk so it was about time I used them up.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully I'll be also re-invigorated to actually blog a little more regularly this year too - but don't count on it - LOL!!!!!!!!

"take time out to follow your dreams - your life will be immeasurably richer"

and we're back!!!!!! we've been off having the most wonderful adventure :). We have spent the last 3 weeks in wonderful WA living life and having a blast. On Saturday, 11 September we flew from Sydney to Perth where we picked up this little beauty to be our home for the next 11 days, and then proceeded to travel around south-western WA trying to squeeze in as much as possible so here's a very small "snapshot" of where we went and what we saw:
Fremantle of course, just love the place and could spend longer wandering around, of course had to visit the goal which was only closed in 1992 and the markets and other "old" places

Then we travelled onto Bunbury, where we visited the Dolphin Center and wandered around a really gorgeous town, onto Bussellton and the jetty (which unfortunately was closed for refurbishment - next visit we'll get to walk it!!!!!)

Of course we also had to stop at Margaret River, I had to sample some of the local wines :) and of course Tim had to see Prevelly Beach, it's one of the places he's always dreamed of sailboarding at - again next time when we drive over we'll take all the gear for him to do that :). And of course we had to visit some of the beautiful caves too:

Down further to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin and the lighthouse, Tim and the kids went inside and up to the top :)

Around further to the Gloucester Tree which once again Tim had to climb a straight up 72mt (I think) to the fire lookout platform at the top!!!!!!, no safety gear or anything you just climb on up!!!!!! and of course also onto the Valley of the Giants and the treetop walk (which I even managed to do even though it was blowing a gale and I'm terrified of heights - yay for me)!!!!!

Off and onto Albany a gorgeous old whaling town, where we did see whales in the bay, magnificent, amazing, beautiful animals, it's crazy to think that not long ago they were nearly hunted into extinction:

and of course the wonderful landscape down there, natural bridge, the gap, the sheer coastline, the wind!!!!!!

and then back to Perth, where of course we spent one day pottering around the city and the other over on Rottnest Island, cycling around and checking out these cute little quokkas:

From Perth we flew up to Broome, where we had to go to Tim's brothers wedding, and I have to say if you're getting married than Broome is one of the most gorgeous places to have a wedding :), David and Ange walking down the isle:

The wedding reception was held at Eco Beach Resort, so after the wedding we had a nearly 3 hour catamaran ride over to the resort, what a gorgeous way to spend a wedding day and the next couple of days we resorted it up, drinking, eating, partying and watching the most gorgeous sunsets you can imagine:

After the wedding we bused it back to Broome for a couple of days of the sightseeing (in 38 degree heat!!!!!!) and of course more sunsets off Cable Beach:

we also saw the staircase to the moon while we were there, but the tide was a fraction too high so it wasn't the best viewing, but it was still amazing to watch. And of course we had to go to Malcolm Douglas's crocodile farm, particularly after his sudden death :(, where the boys got to hold these baby crocodiles:

and then last but not least we drove all the way from Broome to Karratha (in a mini-bus) with the newly married couple to spend a few days with them in their home, so a big day of 8hours of driving, the kids were amazing for the trip and we got back to Dave and Ange's place all intact!!!!!! We visited the Burras' (actually at Dampier), but just down the road and Woodside gas mining and did some more swimming

Before finally flying home again so Pat and Tim could compete in the State BMX races held at Tamworth on the weekend - Pat came an impressive 19th in his age group and Tim came 7th - whoop whoooooo!!!!!!!!! all that with no training for nearly 4 weeks!!!!!!

Now we are finally home and I just loved sleeping in my own bed last night :), back to reality and the washing, ho-hum!!!!!!

Hope everyone has been happy and well.