Frog Lover

The page below has been based (loosely, as it turned out!) on a sketch challenge posted by Nicole.

I've done it digitally, as I haven't had the time to clean the cr*p off my scrap table, let alone the chance to play with card and paper (which does take me some time, I have to admit!) My intention is to print off these digital pages (constructed deliberatley so I can print the main part 8x10 and then add card and paper as necessary). Its quite liberating, doing things this way, as normally I am a slacker at printing and photos are quite "old" by the time they hit my desk.

Anyhow, here is the sketch:

And here is the finished result! It's rare that a page turns out exactly how I imagined to start off with, or exactly like a sketch or other layout that I might like. That's the creative part, isn't it?!

I also dont' normally mix black and white and colour photos (my brain can't handle it!) but this time the frog on her head didn't really stand out, but does when I left it colour and the rest of her in black and white.

I have no idea why one would place a frog on one's head, but I made her take it off, and put it in the garden in a "nice place".

I like these green frogs, just not under my feet (eek!) when walking around at night, and definatley NOT in my toilet (bigger EEK!) where they can put their cold little paws on my unsuspecting bottom.

There's times when a frog-lovin' and touchin' child in the house comes in mighty handy!

Off to have a hot milo before bed...and tomorrow? I have a job of disinfecting my office floor where the cat (Sooty) kindly left for me a stinky dead rat. I had Trevor remove the body (he was overjoyed, I can tell you!) but there remains an odour...dettol here I come!

A Note About Gardening

This posted is prompted by the kind comments left about my poor frangipani tree. Thanks girls, and here's a few things that I have learnt about them, which might help you guys out with your slow growing trees (apart from the fact that you are a fair way south and its much cooler than up here)

1. No matter what they say, Frangipani's DO like water, and once I started watering mine more often, they started to grow big time. Again, hot weather helps. Don't saturate them though.

2. They are heavy feeders - ie they draw a fair bit of nutrient from the soil, so the application of the right sort of fertilizer regularly will help (ie Osmacote etc).

3. You can get an evergreen frangipani - it's the sort with the big white flowers with yellow centre. Well, up here they keep their leaves year round, whilst the other ones tend to drop their leaves gradually as it gets cooler, and altogether if we get a frost. (grr). I've just found them available here at Garden Express which is a great Australian garden mail order company.

4. They will grow in a pot and grow well! I took some cuttings and shoved one in a big pot that was empty - its grown so well that I don't want to take it out of the pot! It also is in a spot that gets really hot for a couple of hours a day (against a corrogated iron wall). I think that it gets watered twice a week and fertalized a couple of times of year with all of my other pot plants has aided its healthiness.

I'll take some photos of my frangi's in pots one day and share.

Hope this has helped you! Oh, by the way, the blood pressure has receded now and I have gotten over (well, until I look at my wounded tree mournfully!) the tree accident, so now I can look forward to have LOTS more of the same tree around the place, if I can find enough bigger pots to put them all in!

A Typical Afternoon

The kids: "MUUUM!!!" from the garden, followed by unintelligable shouting.

Me: " Come here if you want to tell me something!!" Sorting and paying bills in the office (whilst simultaneously blog surfing).

Oldest child: " Mum! a branch broke off the tree, by itself!" (should have pricked my ears harder at the end of that statement!)

Me: "hmm...which tree?" not really paying close attention

Oldest child: " The one with the flowers...over there."

Me: "OK, I'll look in a minute" and continuing with sorting bills. Oh joy.

Me, five minutes later, at the scene of the crime:

"YOU KIDS GET HERE RIGHT NOW!"

{insert appropriate cranky mother look and tone, complete with hands on hips}

"You didn't just break a branch off, you've broken off HALF THE BLOODY TREE!!!"

One of my precious frangipani's (which had grown into a small tree) had been effectively broken in half.

Kids, grouped at the scene. Oldest one is crying as she appears from her hiding spot. No guesses needed to identify who was swinging off the branch! ("by itself", indeed!)

Stern words issued about playing in my garden beds and wrecking my plants, as well as the dangers of swinging on branches. Water off ducks' backs. sigh.

So now it appears that my garden resembles the war zone that is INSIDE my house. You can most certainly tell that I haven't been home much in the past ten days, even for my rather slack housekeeping standards!

On the agenda for the afternoon: chopping up half of a fallen frangapani tree/branch into cuttings. Might as well salvage something from the poor thing!

Hoping to be back with more interesting matters soon!

Internet Goodness

Hi there, good people!

I haven't been home much the past few days, its been a whirlwind of driving, mustering, drafting, more driving and getting home in the dark. Tired kids, finding something to eat, cold mornings.

And you know what? Not one piece of photographic evidence. Slack, aren't I?

I wish I had my camera, ANY camera, when the girls (in turn) came mustering on Ben the horse, and had a ball, and got confident enough to ride by themselves (without me having Ben on a lead rope). They got to ride two days in a row, and the ride was just the right length for each that they didn't get tired and bored and hungry.

I wish I had my camera, ANY camera, when the girls yarded the weaners on foot by themselves (well, I was behind them in the Buggy) just on dark yesterday. They chased them in, and shut the gate, then helped roll round bales of hay into the yards to feed the weaners with.

All of a sudden my little kids are growing up, and becoming useful - and loving what they are doing. They had a ball !

The little man stayed in the buggy, snuggling his mum. It was getting cold, and he was tired. There's only so many cows a baby boy can take you know!

Its times like this, when the whole family (well, minus their dad, he was busy driving the cattle truck) can be happily involved, that I really love and appreciate this life we have in the country.

Though, I wish it were easier to get that bloody new couch that I've been waiting for!

Anyhow, didn't I call this internet goodness?

I stumbled across this cute and practical free pattern HERE. I think I will make a few of these, when I get a spare hour or three. I'm so sick of looking for school hats and reading books, and socks and hair ties...they look so easy to make! Wouldn't they also be a fantastic Santa Sack, hanging on the door knob or bed end (or birthday sack!) Possabilities are endless!

Have you noticed that handcrafted things are really IN right now? (well, I should also add WELL MADE!) with etsy and the like. I've also noticed paper flowers in scrapbooking, something like this below:In other news, check out these great new WRMK divided page protectors. Finally vertical 6x4, and a mixture of both!

I've been putting off scrapping our wedding photos (from 8 years ago!)... and had decided on using divided page protectors, combined with an odd 12x12 page for any enlargements. These new protectors offer even more choices, and I am so glad that I hadn't ordered any yet, these will be going onto my shopping list. These were from Scrapbook City, for $12.50 a 10 pack, though I would imagine they will be available elsewhere, I just haven't checked yet.

Simple scrapping at its best...

Have you scrapped your wedding photos? I would love it if you could share a link or photo, or hey - post it on your blog!

Thats about it for now, off to do some more cattle work again tomorrow after Kate goes to school. Then I had better clean this house that is hiding under piles of stuff that has been just dumped here and there over the past week.

Odds n Blobs

I'm mentally preparing myself for the next few days: mustering (yes, MORE) at my parents place, where I have my own mob of cows. We're doing a big shift around, taking away my cows to Trevor's parents property (where we have MORE cattle...yes, it can get terribly complicated when trying to work out where we've put a certain mob of animals!) and replacing them with younger steers (male castrated cattle) so they can fatten up.

Anyhow, enough of that boring stuff, onto the good stuff, before I get back to the phyiscal reality of all of the folding and other mundane things that have been neglected while helping Trevor with the weaners this week.

Who said country life was idllylic and slow paced?

My Mum had a birthday on the 14th, and I can safely share with you what I have organised (belatedly) as her gift, as she doesn't read this blog, and is quite technologically "un-savvy". I was at a loss as to what to get her, as she's at that stage in life where she has everything, and if she wants something, she gets it herself!

I went to my favourite Australian site for all things handmade and crafty - madeit. This is what I have coming for her: (check out the sellers blog oddsnblobs)

A cute little zippered pouch to put in her handbag (got myself one too, in a gorgeous floral fabric that I could eat!) for all of those handy odds and ends that float around the bottom of the bag and are impossible to find when you need 'em. I badly need one of these, my bag resembles a garbage bin, and I can never find my keys or my phone, or anything else of importance for that matter.

Then I got her this matching passport and document holder. Mum and her sisters are planning a big trip over to Scotland next year (my great grandmother was Scottish) so I thought this would be great to keep all of the important bits in one place.

Also coming, though I don't have a picture, is a notebook cover for one of those spiral flippy notebooks. Mum uses one for her shopping lists; it will be out of the apple fabric but with spotty binding or something. Not too matchy-matchy, but bright and cheerful and easy to find in her handbag.

I'm missing my Canon DSLR today, I lent it to a friend. She's photgraphing a wedding in the city {today} and needed a back up/ extra camera. I really would have loved to gone with her and helped out as second snapper/bag carrier to get more wedding experience, but didn't really organise myself.

Anyhow, that's all in my part of the world; Nicole has issued a challenge to do a page with pink, white and blue combo. Hoping to get a chance to whip one up tonight - it will be digital as I have some more collage-y pages to do (and my scrapping desk is hidden under a pile of crap that I don't have the motivation to remove!). I'll share when I have it done!

Words Fail Me

A story for you:

The kids and I were all showering together the other night - they all needed their hair washed. One of them had decided that putting mud in their hair was a great idea, which led to all three having various amounts of crap in their hair. It's far easier to wrestle with those reluctant to go through the hair washing process whilst IN the shower with them, than outside and getting water all over the floor.

Anyhow, all heads were washed, apart from mine, and I was rinsing my own hair whilst the kids played around me in the shower cubicle. Georgie pokes me in the bottom. It obviously amuses her. I can HEAR her thinking.

"You know, Mum?" she pauses. "You know, your bum isn't FAT....its just BIG!"

I honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I think this photo says it all.

Internet Goodness Day

I haven't done an Internet Goodness post for awhile, as to be frank, there hasn't been much of the goodness flowing into my inbox lately (Pottery Barn, has thou forsken me?!)

Non the less, lets have a gander at what's gotten me excited or inspired lately, in between wrassling ungrateful poddy calves and poopy kids bums.

Ah, the camera strap. I've been drooling over these for awhile, but so far I haven't been able to find one that's made in Australia. Perhaps I should dust off the machine, and go into business myself! {This one is a full on strap, as opposed to the slip on cover that I may have shown before.} What an excuse to go shopping for delicious fabrics!

Cute handmade flower/brooch thingy. This was from a Heather Bailey's blog, which looked really interesting and full of gorgeous things, but I didn't have time to investigate fully. Its on my list, don't worry!

More cute flowers - this time a posy made of felt circles, and pinking shears. Might have been a do-able project for older kids for mothers day! Or what a great little decoration for a beautifully wrapped gift, tucked into the ribbon/bow!

I have been yearning for a butterfly punch or die for ages, the one used here is apparently a Stampin' Up die. I wonder if this would work in my little used Cuttlebug, and if its available in Australia? I'll have to ask Anita . Any other butterfly suggestions anyone? (card NOT made by me)

And finally, this colour inspiration from Dawn. Oh, yummy!

And that's it - no Pottery Barn today! :-(

Oh before I go - check out these two sites I've stumbled across for all sorts of creative inspiration. Living Creatively amd One Pretty Thing

Til next time!

Thank You Letter

I had my girl write, or rather copy (she's only year one, and obviously so far they haven't been working on correct handwriting formation!) a little thank you letter to the little girl that gave us the three bin bags full of lovely clothes.

I love her cute handwriting...Kate is not naturally inclined to neatness in her work, and I had to remind her to slow down and do it neatly. She's also more inclined to prefer quick, mass production with her artwork and drawings, as opposed to her younger sister. Georgie will spend ages on a drawing, and will put great detail in her pictures. I suspect Georgie takes after my very artistic youngest brother, Kirby. Even his signature is a work of art!

Here is my big girl, out and about this past weekend. I think I may have overedited this photo - taken on a very overcast afternoon, but oh well.

She's at that funny face-pulling-silly-posing for the camera age. Plus those two front teeth are missing...I hope they come before Christmas. Actually, I'm forseeing some big dental bills with this one. I'm bracing myself... {hee hee, get it?! oh I am SO funny!}

I want to use the picture of her letter on a scrapbook page, not quite sure how to go about it. Ideas anyone?

Speaking of ideas, and kids handwriting, look at this little project that I found.

Not exactly re-inventing the wheel, but just the right thing at the moment, something that I think that both she and I could handle {patience NOT being one of my strongest virtues!} This came from Aby Garvey's blog, one that I have only just discovered. I haven't worked out how to put a downloadable thingy on here (help anyone?!) but here is the link to the project, which includes the different questions on a 6x6 page as shown above. I'll probably change the questions to suit our life, and I was thinking I would do it in one of those pretty little 4x6 slip albums that are everywhere in the shops.

Georgie will probably want to do one too, but I guess instead of writing in it herself (though she might give it a go, she's quite good at writing a random series of letters independantly - usually in places that I discourage - like the walls, parts of her body or brother's body!).

This is something like the interview layouts that Nicole has done in the past, just in a mini format.

Anyhow, best go and check this little boy here for a poopy bottom. You would think it would be greatly uncomfortable to get around with poop in your pants, but apparently not. The only one discomforted about it is ME! {and his father on the rare occasion that I am not around to clean up the mess, but that's a whole other post about weakly constitutioned fathers!}

Another Day of Dirt

Ah, home, hot shower. Tired body, tired kids.

We spent the day at LC finishing off the cattle we started processing yesterday - drafting off the weaners (calves big enough to be removed from their mothers) and branding a handful that we missed last time.

Today Georgie and Angus came along for the ride, and I was expecting there to be many tears and tantrums...and not just from them! But I was pleasantly surprised, they were excellent and were happy to play in the dirt, and climb fences, and eat from their little esky of snacks.

It helped that it wasn't hot today, rather pleasantly cool.

Georgie declared it a Good Day Today. She fell asleep on the back of the four wheeler when we went to follow some cows down a laneway - she was flat on her back sleeping on the back cargo area, whilst her brother was sprawled asleep on my lap. I don't have a photo, wish I did. Their father thought it was hilarious when I {quite slowly!} drove back to the hut with snoring children all over the bike. He stopped laughing when he had to go a finish my job off!

Anyhow, we again had a long day, brought home FOUR new poddy friends for Patsy and Bruno, who have made themselves quite at home {to the extent of finding new and numerous ways to break into my garden}. Their new friends are: Clyde, Roger, Hugo & Humphrey, who all for one reason or another, find themselves without a mother and need some tender care and tucker. They are now residing in my car shed, as its raining (RAINING!) and as they aren't all that user friendly just yet, need to be locked in a pen until they stop trying to run away from me. And then when they work out that I am the giver of food that is yummy and delicious, its ME that does the running. I'm not a fan of calf slobber on the back of my knees!

Off to bed for me now to rest my weary body. Quite happy to be just doing housework and office work tomorrow...and dealing with my new arrivals...hope they settle in quick!

And Jo.A? No I am not fit, rather the opposite -that's why I am so knackered now after two days of not overly hard work....

Sorry for the picture-less post. I will try and remedy that soon!

Tired, Incredibly Dirty

and quite possibly, just as cranky.

Or I was until 20 minutes ago, at which time I put the kids to bed, and had a wonderful warm shower. I've been mustering cattle and working in the yards all day with my beloved, and its been a loooong day. And with more fun to come tomorrow! oh joy!

I heard a rumour somewhere that it was Mothers Day today? :-) My mum looked after the three kids for us today (thanks Mum!) while we were at LC.

Mothers Day wasn't entirely forgotten - I did get a card, and an early bunch of flowers yesterday (the second bunch ever in ten years!) - there is quite a story attached to the flowers. He left them in the sink at work - forgot them and drove home the 40kms to our house. But because they were very expensive (though not flash - no florist here, so a the local pony club "imported" flowers to sell as a fundraiser) we had to go trekking back to town to collect the flowers. But to make the trip worthwhile, we also did "work" stuff whilst there...ever practical, my husband!

Anyhow, I am not sounding terribly cohesive, even for my usual rambling self, just wanted to pop by to share my weekend fun. Need to go to bed to rest up for the continuation of drafting, branding and then, joy of joys, moving them all to another paddock a nice 10km stroll away, tomorrow. With two of the kids in tow for the day (no babysitter tomorrow, nor Big Girl to go-fer, as she will be at school!) its sure to be...interesting!

Just had to share this gorgeous ring, which i don't own, but wish I did! Its only costume jewellry, I saw it or one very similar on the australian etsy like store www.madeit.com.au And you know what? Loved it at the time, but now - can't find it there anymore..etsy have them (US sellers, which is no good -exchange rate too high!)...I want to find one in Australia! Anyone have any ideas, apart from ebay?

Til next time, when I might be able to string together a decent sentence! And sorry, no action shots from my adventures today & tomorrow, too dusty for the Canon, p & shoot is flat, and not really the time to spend in taking snaps.

I did it!

Can you see? It might actually be different on your screen, but on mine, finally! The header is the same width as the two columns... (hallelujah chorus!) I did this by editing the html and changing the width. I don't want to do it again, its a bit like going to the dentist!

This is where I found some helpful info: blogbulk . Hopefully it might help someone else too!

Now, how do I get the photos bigger? hmm, back to research.]

Let me know what you think!

New Header

You would have noticed the new banner (some of you the instant I loaded it! - Jo and Shannon - gee you girls are QUICK!) and also that I have been playing about with the blog template.

I can't get it to where I am happy, but then I am not at conversant with HTML editing, so some research is needed.

It is also known as PROCRASTINATION....I have a car load full of groceries on my kitchen bench to put away, from a day in Charters Towers yesterday. I took the big girl with me {gasp - a day off school!} to get her new school joggers that fit. She has been proudly wearing them around all of last night and this morning {and she even slept with them, didn't take a photo, too tired!} - gorgeous pink and white and silver ones. I hope they last as long as the last pair did!

I said I was going to be away from the computer, but just couldn't...and the fact that its turned COLD here (for North Qld) has encouraged me to play on the computer!

Jo, also I converted the images in the header with an action (pse friendly) from E-Z Actions called Rustic Charm. It suits quite a lot of my images that are taken in the yards or paddock moodwise, especially when the light is really harsh or bright.

Here's one of my Favourites of 2009 photos, with Rustic Charm run on it, as the original is a bit cool {taken in the shade in the late afternoon} and the original for comparison. I could have boosted the colour, but as I am feeling COLD leant towards the warming action!

Anyhow, hopefully I will get the layout of this blog sorted out today - I want to have the header all of the way across the page, not all squished up, the same with the text. Oh well, after the groceries are put away, and Big Girl is home from school.

Thanks for the comments, and I hope to share some more Favourites of 2009 soon. {having also realised, when looking for a photo of Kate, that I don't have many nice, natural ones of her - she's going through a posing stage - especially since she's at school now!}

Long Weekend and warning LONG post!

It was Labour Day weekend here in Queensland, but the only thing significant about that in our household is that Kate had ANOTHER long weekend. It will be hard to go back to full weeks of school, though we still have Queens Birthday long weekend a few weeks down the track.

Well, there was one other significant thing about the weekend: Trevor spent the day at home on Saturday (ALL of the day!) which is rare indeed. Saturday involved odd jobs around the house yard and the collection of a load of "Mothers Day Dirt" - my list included a load of manure for the vege garden. Sadly, I don't think we got enough, and I might be waiting awhile to get the rest. The weather has turned cooler here, and I really should have my seedlings in now....sigh.

Sunday involved a Family Day at Lyons Creek, which involved all of the kids in the cattle yards while we drafted up a small mob and branded a few stragglers that were missed earlier in the year. Now lets just say the combination of this Mum, Dad AND kids in the yards is not normally a good one, but due to a little esky full of drinks and snacks, and strict instructions to GET OUT OF THE WAY immediatley when told (due to those straggler calves being big and feisty!) it all went reasonably well.

After branding, we had to do a lick run (Lick= mineral supplement for the cattle, which is like vitamins - they don't get enough of the right stuff from the grass in our part of the world, so we have to help them out. There are few parts of the country that don't have to supplement in one form or another, at certain time of the year). All five of us were jammed into the front of the toyota trayback, which was quite cosy and involved quite a bit of negotiation and power struggles. And a snooze by a couple of the kids.

Anyhow, it was dark by the time we got back home to our house, and everyone was quite grubby and quite cranky (including their mother!) The kids did declare the day " A Good Fun Day" - including the bit where we towed two not-so-fresh-smelling dead cows away....I wish I had taken a photo of their faces when they got a whiff of the stench, but I was busy avoiding the smell myself, and one can't hold a camera and try not to vomit at the same time!

Here's a collage of of photos from the weekend. Its on an A4 sized canvas, with a tiny bit trimmed from the side and the bottom. I should have done it 8x10 to have printed, so I don't know what I was thinking at the time. I'll have to fiddle around and resize it.

Oh, look at that Happy Husband. You would think he would have gotten over having a camera in his face a good nine years ago. It came as part of the package, love. Learn to live with it.

I edited all of the photos, and made them all Rustic. It seemed to suit!

The finished 12x12 {digital} layout. Journalling similar to what I have described above. You can't see it, but this is matted on white around the brown and paper.

On another matter, a few of these have pics have made it onto My Favourites of 2009 list. I've decided that rather than do a 365 or 52 project this year, I'm just going to gather together my favourites (as they come off the camera, but after editing) into a folder. I could end up with 50, or I could end up with 80. Who knows?! I haven't quite decided yet, but I think I'll have them printed into one of those little books that are popular and plentiful at the moment - one great and economical place being Frog Prints. I think I'll go large for impact...might add a little journalling strip at the bottom of each photo, or even put the text straight on each. I want it to be very graphic and clean and magazine like.

I might start posting my favourites here to share. Some of them you will have seen already...

Also might blog the 52Q that Emily Falconbridge has on her blog. I don't think I'll ever get as deep and meaningful as she does {nor can I do her style of art! oh, not enough Straightness! OCD much?!}

You would think someone with an obsession with straight and clean would have a much tidier and cleaner house.

Maybe its my obesession with straight and clean in my scrapbooking is a way of compensating for what is NOT so in the rest of my world?!!

Sorry for the long post, it will have to do you for the next few days, as a fair bit happening - mammoth grocery shopping trip tomorrow, followed by fancy dress night/dance at the local picnic race meeting, then a weekend in the cattle yards (again, sans children).

Love to hear from you!

ho hum

Not sure about this one... got a circle thing happening. And a little naked sleeping boy on my lap so typing one handed.

Not sure I like it at all! another blah instead of simple and stunning.

Design makeover needed please!

welcome to my world

Just substitute COW, or HORSE or CHOOK {and sometimes...shudder...even Angus!} as necessary in the last frame. You know which word I'm talkin' about!

Another quality Keepin' It Real post.

Living with a {little} boy

As opposed to the big boy...they come with a whole other set of tendencies!

Anyhow, I did this as 8x6 - probably will print this as is. I found this gorgeous free wall paper from American Crafts, and waddaya know, its good enough quality to use in PSE! (yay!)

Not terribly profound, but I did just this when getting pj's out for the little man the other evening. He also loves to find sticks and wanders around waving them about and whacking things (often sisters!) ...and shooting things (he even sights up along the stick - that little bright blue eye looking along the length of the stick at me was nearly my undoing!) There are no toy guns in the house at all (what with two older sisters!) so I don't know where that has come from!

I have to credit this postcardy type layout to Melissa Deakin (her blog address eludes me, anyhow I had this in my ideas folder) Here is what I lifted (nice quote too!)

So then I decided to turn my version into a 12 x 12 layout. I have trouble converting my collages into a digital layout that I will easily repeat on paper - I guess its because it's always so flat. They always look a little plain, as opposed to Simple and Stunning.

This was Blah until I decided to add the circles. I love that "paper" - so yummy!

If I can't print the AC paper out clearly, I will make cardstock circles instead, with plain blue, green and raspberry, drawing colours from the paper.

I'm loving doing different sized pages, even if it is digital, at the moment. I can't wait to start putting them onto paper and into albums. I am planning on getting each of the kids a new 12x12 "patches" d-ring album {I bought some earlier in the year - normally sell for around $24 which leaves more change in my pocket than the AC ones!} in a DIFFERENT colour each (I know some of you out there with OCD tendencies wouldn't be able to handle that! But they will all line up the same height, and they will all have a nice little label thingy on each with colour co-ordinating text).

But seeing as how I just ordered myself a push bike {on sale from good ole' Target} for Mothers Day, I think I'd better hold off on any more purchases for a little while.

I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was twelve...over 20 (shh!) years ago! But its all part of the New Me. I just need to find a wider, cushioned seat.

Oh, fyi: I will not, under any circumstances, be wearing BIKE PANTS during this new sporting and fitness move.

Thanks for calling by!