The Everyday and Extraordinary of 2010

So, in 2008 I joined Nicole and did 52 weeks (which isn't really finished yet - but I do have all of the photos, just need to print the journalling - so, so close!), and for 2009 I am doing a best of (will share that process soon) and 2010?...

Nicole again prompted me - she is doing a week to a page using divided page protectors (her example below)

Brilliant idea, but I know I would struggle to finish it - I think I would get through to the end of January...but instead!  I plan to do a MONTH at a time! I got myself some of these same page protectors, made myself a little template in Elements so I can get printed 4x6 photos that have two little photos on them, and I also made some monthly title blocks to go.  To fill any empty pockets I will use scraps of paper to suit the title block, and journalling if needed. 

And if I have LOTS to share, well I can do another page if I want, or simply do my own collage of photos (the way I have so far) have that printed and slip into a standard page protector within the album.  I have a AC 8.5x 11 album not being used ready for this project.

I even thought I could include 2011 in the same album, using the same format, or whatever brilliant idea Nicole comes up with for then. ;-)

This should be so easy! Here are the little monthly title blocks  - will get them printed monthly with my photos.  Crop and slide into the pockets.  Quotes from quote garden on the net.

Here are some other ideas of how you could capture your year....I am particulary taken with the business card holder and the page inserts (but I've already got my A4 sized pages...) Cute and concise!

The two items above I found at kikki k, but I think you could source the same thing at a lesser price at office works or the like.  The same with these A4 sized business card holders - perfect if you take landscape photos more than portrait style. (or you could chop a full sized portrait 4x6 in half and just slide each half into the appropriate pockets)

A blogless reader of mine (hi Kathy!) showed me the brilliant way she put together Project 365 this year.  She bought a photo box from Kikki K, and simply slipped her photos in the standard photo holders.  But doesn't it look great? Simple and effective and easy on the eyes.

As you can see, the lid flips around and it closes up like a normal stationary box file. This same concept could be used to catch a few photos from your month, with title blocks slipped into the pocket to divide your month. No fiddling around to crop photos, journalling could be printed on a 4x6 block as well, or like Kathy did, printed directly onto each photo in your editing program of choice.

So there you have it, how I plan to capture our 2010, and some other ideas to hopefully inspire you.  Good luck on your journey...

And another thing

This is the third and last of the mini posts I have for today - a little gap between posting as I had visitors arrive for "smoko" which, really was lunch!  Good times, we are off to celebrate New Year with the same people tomorrow, at their property. Slip n slide down the hill for the kids, watching in the shade with a cool drink for the adults!

Anyhow, just had to share these photos of my boy and his muscles (which are apparently located in his elbow!) 

I love the look of concentration on his little face, as he puffed up his muscles...

And yes, it was me who pulled his pants up that high...why do mothers do that?! 

At least one of these photos will make into my "best of '09" album that I am planning - more on that later.  After tomorrow I will be able to finish gathering my favourites and start on the design, which will be a photo book, probably from snapfish.  More details later!

The girls room

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...love the doona covers, but I love the patchwork pillow with its combination of fabrics even more.  The covers have brightened up their plain little room immensley...when I gather enough motivation I might paint one of their walls green too.

Now if only I could get them to keep it tidy and make their beds every morning....

Swoon

Before I go any further, I must share these with you...I discovered them on Rachel Richter's blog - she has fast become my photographic idol..... all of her portrait sessions seem to produce such stunning results, and this one...well, just look for yourself. (and I hope she doesn't mind me sharing these...)

 How gorgeous was that? (and love those sticks and baubles!)

Go and check Rachel out....!

Some more

Ok, so its feast or famine around here scrapping wise, but that's just the way it is. You'll just have to put up with the flood, and I promise that I will soon show you my lovely new, green, and decidedly non-daggy looking camera bag.

But for now, here's some more pages.  I think I might be venturing into the territory of LAZY rather than SIMPLE, so need to stop and go away and read a book while the kids play in the pool. And get out. And then get back in. And get out again, where I then yell at them to stop walking puddles in and out of the house.

 But I digress.  I've been working on Georgie's album, still back in '07.  I think 2008 will have a few summary type layouts, and be done, so I can whip through 2009 (none of which are printed) with some quick collage layouts.

I like this one, even though I've used my own handwriting.  I drew some straightish lines using a marker (orange).  I wrote little captions on the photos as I didn't give myself enough space journalling wise.

Another handwriting one, but this time messy :-( I don't do the Ali E type scrawl well, it always turns out messy. I might try too hard...but in any case, I am not going back, its done.  In hindsight, it would have been so easy just to type it up and crop, but I had the poops with the printer.

Love this photo, of my grubby faced little girl.  Seems so long ago....

This one, now I think its missing something? Any ideas what it needs...?

Divided page protectors! Bloody photos didn't print true 4x6 (grrr) so I've stuck a little bit on the end, which so does not work.  (and one of the "lazy" pages!) But otherwise, I think they are fantastic!  So quick and easy to use.  You'll be seeing more of these babies....

Last one, of the boy this time.  This was a 6x8 (the red and the patterned paper all part of the print).  I think this needs a little chipboard house thingy on the title, but I don't have one so will have to go without!

Thats it for today, folks. Off to start reading my new Cecelia Ahearn novel, and turn a blind eye to the fact the kids appear to be doing their best at emptying the pool of water with illegal jumping....

Collage Layouts

You'll remember Nicole got me hooked on creating photo collages, of which I did quite a few, and had printed ages ago.  What I had't done of course, was stuck on them down and put them in my albums.

But guess what? Now they are.  Here's what the finished articles are like - some nowhere like the digital version I had planned, mostly becuase I decided to lift my own words off the blog and add to the images, so more space was needed. I should talk/write less, I suppose!

I apologise in advance for the flood of {poorly edited!} scrapbook pages....

I like the effect of printing on the patterned paper here - collage printed 6x8.  I think I will use 6x8 more often, as it is easier to deal with, unless I have a LOT of photos I want to show.

The journalling and the photos were all printed as one 8x10 on this one, it seems to work. Like how this one turned out, even if that startled owl is covering a slight measuring error?!

Finished size 12x12 double pages. Ended up being a bit different to the digital version I did....

A 8.5 x 11 double page, using a 6x8 collaged photo.  And the journalling straight from my blog, about my truck driving adventures....

I don't think these two pages look like they belong together, but oh well, its done. Love that paper, which came as a pack from DCWV from Big W of all places.

I've also done some other "normal pages" but I'll save them for later...

Favourite Christmas Photo

This is my favourite photo from Christmas Day.  Not sure why, but I like it! ;-) The table set for a yummy breakfast, lights twinkling, kids playing with their new toys, rain falling on the roof, family around.

Hey, Amy - see that bokeh?!  ;-)

As I have decided that I am "on holidays" like the rest of the nation, I've been doing some scrapping, while the kids have been busy playing and watching new dvd's (Hannah Montana wasn't as good as I thought it would be?!  music is good though). Anyhow, I've some layouts to show you, that I will share later on today.

Hope you've had a relaxing and wonderful Christmas Break.

Happy Christmas Eve Everyone!

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the yard

He was digging and cursing, and trying very hard

To make the biggest mess possible, with holes and much dirt

Was it a leaking pipe or toilet? we suspected the worst.....

Actually, this happened just on dark last night, but  is SO not resolved.  The lawn, right near the back patio, (so visible to all visitors) looks like a war zone.

On the bright side, the poddy calf thinks its wonderful that someone built him a lovely little waterhole (full of water of course!) right on the lawn, and right near that lovely cement area that he loves to camp under.....

Merry Christmas all, and thanks for your visits, comments and friendship throughout the year.

Off to vacuum, and make some rum  orange flavoured chocolate balls (s-i-l doesn't like rum!)

Christmas Message

So there's, what, two more sleeps to go? Til the wrapping paper starts flying and the oohing and aahing and the  "its just what I wanted!!" starts (well, lets hope that's how it goes!)...and hopefully at a respectable hour.  We've been lucky so far - our kids are pretty sound sleepers, once they're asleep, and don't tend to wake up too early, unless there is too much ruckus in the house (that only happens when we happen to get an early morning visitor calling in for coffee at 6am. Yep, 6am visitors.  Normally just to see Trevor, but if they want to see me, they have to take me in my jarmies!)

Anyhow, I know you've probably had quite enough of my kids photos lately, but I have just another two to share - this time the REAL ones, by Mel.  She was kind enough to email me two, as she is flat out editing other photo shoots, and recovering from our wild night on Saturday (ahem - two? glasses of wine, but laaate to bed...like 2am?!). Anyhow, without further ado...

I can't promise this will be the last you'll see of the photo shoot, as I haven't seen the rest as yet, but I'll try and restrain myself and post about something else.  I'm hoping to get into the holiday mode and do some scrapping (or perhaps tidy my desk so I can SEE it!) after Christmas, so hoping I have something more exciting to share then.

Not sure if I will be back here to post before Christmas (though I'll be checking on who else might have posted on their blogs), so if not, have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas, full of good food, waaay too full bellies, and lots of love and laughter. And a few pressies and happy kids thrown in as well.

Outakes

Nothing much to tell, big day out shopping with the kids yesterday at the nearest big centre (4 hour round trip).  Much shushing and secrets as they bought little gifts for each other (the last of the big spenders at the $2.50 shop!)

More playing with templates today, not really feeling the vibe, so am going to walk away.  But I always have to test run them, so here's how it turned out.

Hearing some thunder this afternoon and some little splats on the corrogated iron roof, so here's hoping we get SOME rain before Christmas - some stressed and tired spirits around the north, busy pumping water and feeding cattle...and some shooting the ones too weak to get up.  Yes, its that bad in some places, mostly the ones that were over inundated with water early this year.  There's no goodness left in the grass, just dry straw...so bring on the wet.

And for the kids? Bring on Christmas - only 3 more sleeps, they can hardly handle it (especially the boy!)

Photoshoots and Templates

So, yesterday evening my lovely friend Mel and her husband came over for a bbq tea, and Mel came early to take our family photograph.  First time ever, apart from me always snapping away at the kids, as we have never had an all in mum and dad AND kids photo before.  And I tell you this:  I much prefer being behind the lens!

So as Mel is snapping away I also had the camera out doing the more candid shots when I could - I can see the difference in my style and Mel's when she was doing this...I was itching to catch the moments in between the shots that she was taking - like the little brother doing silly things and one of the girls cuddling dad's leg.... I've always loved taking candid shots, so I guess that's MY style!  But  I cannot wait to see what Mel has done, because she set us up so well, at a great little location just behind our house.  Perfectly rustic.

Anyhow, in the meantime, here are a few of my own happy snaps (not as well exposed as Mel's, I can bet my bottom dollar!) using Amy's new templates (from my recent 200th post giveaway) that I made for her.  She asked for a template instead of an overlay and a header, so I have had great fun making these two up for her....and had to test drive them of course....

I had a couple of old chairs over the shed, retrieved from the rubbish dump, and they have finally found their purpose in life.  They made the perfect prop, sitting on the lawn.  They'll be coming out again, I'm sure!

 Mel brought the Christmas hats, and the kids couldn't wait to get them on...I very quickly made Georgie's little flower clip, I should have done something different for Kate, but she was happy with her big white flower.  Angus was just pleased he had his "good" shoes on BUT we weren't going anywhere!  That really had him confused!

Amy has already posted using one of her new templates, so do go over and check it out.  Looks so lovely and DIFFERENT, doesn't look like its come from me!!

I'll share some of our family shots when Mel has had time to look at them.  We had a wee bit of a late night last night, what with playing Balderdash and laughing hilariously at some of the answers (warning, this game is best played with adults only, because some of the men's answers can be a little....creative, and not for childrens ears!). So none of us are in top form today, that's for sure! 

PLaying with Paint

So I am struggling to get in the Christmas mood this year, but I made some time yesterday, while the kids were away at Granny's, to get started on a name canvas for each  I wanted to make them for Christmas.

So I cracked open the paints (some of which were in quite a sorry state) and had quite a lovely time painting these up.  Mind you, the green one has about four coats of paint, but that's a story for another time about my lack of brains. :-)

So, obviously the blue and red ones are for Angus (5 15cmx15cm mini canvases, one for each letter).  I haven't any letters for his yet - I'll try and find some wooden ones on Monday and spray paint them white, or failing that, cut out some felt letters in red and blue. I think this will end up standing up in a row on the dresser, or perhaps even bluetac'd onto the top of the blind valance thingy in his room.

Kate's is the pink mini canvases, with white wooden letters to go in the middle of each canvas and a spare one for a pretty flower (see the middle photo above - they are thick cardstock "wall art" stickers that I found at the discount shop for $4 a 30cm x 30cm packet. they are very cute!) I think I'll use the one with the blue button, and chop off the flower stem. Hers will hang vertically (as much as I would like it horizontal, it won't work!)

Georgie's is the green one, and its going to be tricky.  Her name is too long for the mini's but I had one of those "kids art" pre drawn canvases hanging about, so I painted over the drawing (see note above about lack of brains..undercoat first might be smart).  But because its so big there is plenty of "white space" once the letters are in place - I planned to have the pink butterfly (in the middle pic) hovering over the I in her name....but - do you think this will be "enough" or perhaps be underdone....perhaps I need to add a flower as well...or two as things look better in threes, dont they!

I'll take some more pictures later (once the kids are in bed) to show you and get your valued opinion !

Georgie and Jezabel

Note:  the last two posts I had set up so they would post automatically at a set time early this morning....the only thing is...they didn't.  Any tips?!

Anyhow....moving on:

Not sure on how long this one will be around, but she sure is cute.  So is the kid!

And I don't mean she is off to the big cattle yards in the sky...she's a "difficult" calf - was named Jemima until I spent five minutes wrassling with the little sod, and quickly renamed more appropriatley - she thinks that milk coming in a bottle is the devil incarnate, but will suck my fingers. And our neighbour's milking cow, with enthusiasm.  So I guess she'll probably be a n early Christmas present to them! (Donna's cow is famous for raising many an orphaned calf - and for raising the calf, she gets to keep it) 

Its a pity though, Georgie seems to like her...

Around the House

The branch tree that I made last week?  I found some pretty bells I had stashed away, and went crazy with them, and then put the whole thing on a table stand thingy in the corner near the front door.  I can see it when I am working in the kitchen, and when I am sitting at the dinner table.  It makes me happy!!  I think I'll leave the branches around after Christmas (minus the bells of course).

Bad photo, because its right beside the door, and I couldn't move it again after making it "just right". 

And here is my boy's room, with his new "pretend" cowhide rug.  It is so fake, but actually looks great!  He has, obviously red and navy on his bed, and I thought my idea of the red and navy bandana bunting would go with the colour scheme, but also go with the cowhide rug as well.  Sort of cowboyish...

Angus loves the rug, in fact wanted me to put his pillow and blankets down there for the night (its a very touchy, tactile rug).  I know this though, I think that white is going to struggle to stay that way....

CHristmas Colours

I should have wrapped some kids presents last night, while they were all having a sleep over at Granny's.  But instead I played with photos to post here.

Love these papers!  AND - it seems that the more expensive paper from Target IS of superior quality to that from  Crazy Clarkes!! So lovely to work with.

And someone can't remember where she put the gift tags left over from last year, so got out her round punch and made some simple tags from white card and scraps of wrapping paper (I only added the patterned paper to those wrapped with unpatterned paper, the rest got a plain white tag. Which I didn't take a photo of, apparently!)

I ended up with two "co ordinating" patterned papers, and got some plain coloured paper - aqua and lime -  to match them (can be used year round!)

I know...small things amuse small minds.....!

Bokeh - my way...

So Amy got talking about bokeh, and as I downloaded my camera this evening, I came across a few examples of my own, (well I think they are sort of bokeh-ish anyhow!) so I thought I would share...

Fairly ordinary photo of my biggest girl, but note the light shining on the balls and tinsel in the background.  That's bokeh.  Not the best, by any means, but still....

I like to call this one "windmill bokeh".  Actually, not sure that it comes under the heading of bokeh at all, but I just needed any excuse to share this photo, becuase I think it turned out pretty awesome. Even if I do say so myself!

I think this will be my favourite "non person" Christmas image from this year....and notice the small bokeh in the background, in this case the light bouncing off the christmas bells.  Of course, I totally planned it that way...not.  I did set up the photo and play with apeture (the lowest number I could get), but the result was just how it happened.

So there you have it. Bokeh.

Winners Are Grinners! and other matters.

and guess what?! Kirsty, Jo, Amy and Shannon - you are all getting a blog header and overlay (if you want them of course!) email me > over there somewhere, with ideas that you might have....

Jaki & Mel I've excluded because 1. Mel has already gotten all I have to offer ;-) and Jaki isn't into all of this sort of fun yet - but Mel's working on her! :-)

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OK, onto other matters - the plethora of idea and internet goodness that I have been saving up... there's a few, so this could take awhile!

another cute pillowcase dress, with the most divine material....I haven't made mine yet...anyone else?

The cutest little felt owls - free pattern available here.  These would look just as good made flat appliqued to a book bag or something - or even made out of paper on a canvas OR...felt on a canvas or in a frame!

Cute hairties that come in a matching little bag from madeit.com.au  - perhaps an idea Dani could add to her little shop Di? (though I don't like the big label on the bag!) Great little girl gift idea...

Love these crayon and drawing rolls and wallets. Brilliant idea (again you can get similar on madeit if you don't want to make it!)

And what a super simple idea:  plain wooden coat hangers (seen 'em on sale at Bunnings) gussied up with some bright coloured spray paint!

LOVE this name idea!  wooden letters on little square canvases.  Brilliant, super simple idea, and just another excuse to go crazy with some spray paint.

The bunting thing has been around for awhile, but I recently had a revelation when I found red and navy bandanas for $2.00 each at a discount shop. Didn't get enough, but want to so that I can cut them in half and make my boy a bunting thing for his room. In red and navy of course.

this one: cute use of yummy scrapbooking papers, in this case on thin mdf board.  Now do we know anyone that might have a few spare sheets of paper in their possession that might be applied to this sort of simple project?! :-)

Are you still with me?  Pin cushions...I need some if I am ever going to get sewing those dresses...cute aren't they!

Button bracelet - now you know about me and buttons...need I say more? and in black and white? 

I have saved the best for last!  This brilliant idea, originally from bakarella, christmasatised by Leanne (she's over there on my blog roll, and her surname I get wrong, so its easier if you just find it for yourself!)

I love this idea!!  Plan on doing some of these myself, though perhaps slightly changing some ingredients to suit what I have on hand or is available.

Though I really need to get into some Christmas Spirit to do so...not feeling it at the moment.

Anyhow, there you have it. Hope you;ve found something to inspire you!