Pirates and Bratz

My kids have saved up their pocket money and had a wee spending spree. Lucky things took full advantage of the big Toy Sale at The Warehouse and Josef has gotten himself The Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean. He loves these movies - we all do, they are such good fun to watch and me personally - I just love the character of Jack Sparrow ( I have always liked Johnny Depp's work - even way back in the 21 Jump Street days). Josef has spent hours playing with his ships (he has 3 now) and he has big battles and plays out scenes from the movies.
Jess on the other hand scored herself a new Bratz Princess doll. Her bratz dolls have taken over her Sindy dollhouse and moved in! I'm really impressed with how the kids saved their money - and they work hard for this money with their jobs they have to do. Then they spent ages browsing the toy catalogue that came out to work out the best bang for their buck.
With the weather packed up and the kids inside all day especially for the next 2 weeks during the school holidays I'm pleased they can use their imaginations and play with their toys. I dont mind the tv on yucky days but I'd rather they would play. Its quite fun seeing Jessica play 'offices' that takes me back, I used to play that - and schools - LOL!
I only manged to complete 2 layouts this past week. its a little difficult to find a healthy balance and get things done!! I'm enjoying working, but when I get home all I want to do is curl up with a good book and a hot drink in front of the fire. I'm thrilled though with what I have been creating. 2 layouts sit on my desk right now - but its freezing in my scrap room - LOL!!!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Maraud and embezzle and even high-jack
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We burn up the city, we're really a fright
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho

Pirates of the Caribbean
Theme Park Song

OMG It's so COLD!!

No joke! The temperature has just plummeted and my toes are ready to leave me and move to a warmer climate! It tries to snow but it gets all mixed up with the wind and rain and becomes a cold, mushy slush. But when it hails - it hurts!!! Its quite difficult to decide what to do when the weather is like this, it will actually clear for a while - lovely patches of blue sky and the ground dries a bit and you think "Yes! I'll just pop out" and as soon as you get where you were going the skies darken and the wind picks up (the wind at the moment has a direct line from the Antarctica) and I'm running through a slush storm or a hail storm or something!! I have noticed a tendency of Mother Nature to put on really spectacular displays of terrible weather at 3pm - when I really need to go out!This layout is my take on the challenge at Jack Me Up. I'm a scraplifter from way back. But I very seldom lift an entire layout, usually it will be something on the layout that just appeals to me or is perfect for a photo I have. This layout is a bit different from my normal 'clean and simple' style but I really enjoyed doing it. And LOOK!! Miss Brooke is sitting! All by her little self! And so gosh darn proud of herself. Of course there were three pairs of hands (Ashleigh's, Steven's, and mine) there to catch her if she fell. But she was so excited she could do it.

Winter clutches at me with greedy fingers of glass;
Half forgotten dreams of summer are just beyond her reach.
Still she stretches, reaching out with icicle hands
Keening and wailing for lost bright beach days
and red hot nights.
Desperately grabbing for some vestige of a season gone,
She lets loose a mad flurry of pristine white anger...
As it settles she realizes what beauty there is in herself.
Winter
And finds solace in the crystalline perfection of
Freshly fallen snow.
Julie L (from dMarie)

Fast Five

Colour: Green

Food: Salmon
Magazine: Simple Scrapbooks
Song: The Power of Your Love
Movie: Whats Eating Gilbert Grape.

What are your favourite Fast Fives?

I completed a layout this afternoon for Jessica, after reading the Hannah and Debbie's comments I don't feel so bad about seeming to scrap a certain person for a while.I just love the way this page turned out. I am really in love with those paint daubers - I've used raspberry and espresso to colour just about every edge seen - LOL!

I was reading this weeks issue of Womans Day and came across a very provoking article on The Surrendered Wife. I was a bit concerned at how it seemed the woman in the article had become a living doormat. I admit I'm uncomfortable with the theory that the woman must always defer to the male and never question him at all. It all seems very one way street to me.
I talked about this with Leo and while he said he would love to have me be a little more 'subservant' (note: he said this while backing out the door - with a huge grin on his face), he thinks our marriage works well because we are partners. We each have our own 'jobs' to do but we also have no problem helping each other out if we need. We discuss things, we have rules and we respect each others decisions. We have the occasionally blow up but we always sort it out.
My religion teaches me that my husband is the head of the household. I have no problem with this because he cherishes me. Leo can be a cave man in his mentality some days but the bottom line is he really doesn't think he could cope if I was to suddenly become a 'surrendered wife' - I think he'd kinda prefer more "Desperate Housewife' diva ;o)
Okay if this 'surrendered wife' works for some people - wonderful. Each to their own.
I just personally believe it takes 2 to make a marriage work. Marriage is a blessing, it can be hard work but each day is one more block in building a solid foundation. Having a healthy sense of humour helps as well :o)

Did you miss me?

Its been so long since I last blogged! I have to say this is the worst I have been since I started blogging (shame). I do have a good excuse though :o)
I've been so busy and so tired and so sick! Honestly I had days where one wonders why one gets out of bed!? I caught the humble cold, not so bad? It evolved!! It became an infection in my back muscles. The pain was so bad I couldn't even sit at the computer and type!! And that is like a cruel and unusual punishment. On top of that I started a new job as a personal caregiver, it does not help your way in life when the first week you start your job you have to turn down work or wear a face mask to the jobs you can go to! By the time my cold cleared I was able to accept more work, but then I was coming home shattered. I would flick the computer on, check emails, read a couple of blogs, and check on the SE forum to see what I have missed. I am in the process of answering emails so if I owe you one it will come! ;o)
But I have gotten into a routine now and managed to get caught up on some scrapbooking. I tell you, one can easily go into withdrawal when the scrapping seems to dry up!These 2 layouts are for the latest monthly challenge over at SE. The challenge put up by Neen was "Lets get Lyrical" I found the photos of Donna when she left New Zealand way back in 1998 when I was cleaning out my photo drawer. They really took me back, I can still remember how incredibly sad that who moment was, how so very, very hard it was to say goodbye! Neen has also gotten me very keen on this little (big) venture called Jack Me Up - basically a New Zealand website for New Zealand scrappers - where they "jack" a layout - or 'lift" a layout and then you use that layout as inspiration! Now how cool is that?
This layout was entered in a fortnightly challenge - "No kids allowed!" I printed the big photo onto green vellum and was really pleased with the result. It all goes so well with me word of the year "LIFE".Jessica has pointed out to me that I seem to be scrapping more of Josef lately so my next few layouts have to be of her! I guess I should be very pleased that they like my work enough to want me to do more on them.
The photos taken on the Kepler Track were taken just 2 weeks ago - in fact the day after my last post. We love the Kepler Track and wanted to take a day walk in. We took Josef and Leo's mum. Josef thinks it 'might' be okay to go back in the tramping season and stay overnight.

If at first you don't succeed...

• ...destroy all evidence that you tried.
• ...do it the way your mother told you to.
• ...do it the way your wife told you to.
• ...failure may be your thing. (Warren Miller)
• ...see if the loser gets anything.
• ...maybe skydiving isn't for you.
• ...there's always next year.
• ...YOU DID IT WRONG!
• ...you'll get a lot of advice.
• ...you're running about average. (M.H. Alderson)
• ...try, try again.
• ...try, try again. Then quit. There's no use making a fool of yourself. (W. C. Fields)
• If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished.

Got Spots?!?

Poor wee Brooke has the chicken pox. She didn't seem to mind terribly much when she was but has been keeping her Mum and Dad awake at night with the grizzles. I had Brooke in my scrapbook room and I was playing my new CD - 80's on your Radio - Brooke was actually kicking in time to the music - it was so cool - she was swinging those wee legs flat out, she really liked Final Countdown and Lets Hear It For The Boy - LOL.

Chicken Pox Poem
Oh, look at all my horrid spots!
I think I've got the chicken pox.
They're on my arms and on my nose;
They're even in between my toes.
They're on my chest and in my hair
These chicken pox are everywhere!
They're on my feet and elbows, too!
I don't know what I'm going to do.
Twelve new spots appeared today
I wish that they would go away
So I could go outside and play!

Shel Silverstein

Leo had a birthday last week - for the next 5 months I can tease him about being 10 years older than me - he hates it as much as I love doing it!
Last night he had the brothers Hank and Herman over - they don't get together often - busy lives etc etc - but when they do - they talk well into the wee hours. Leo and Hank grew up together and Hank was the MC at our wedding. Herman drove the wedding car I was in and took me to the wrong church - LOL!! Leo, Hank and Herman have a lot of history and I'm so glad that they have managed to keep the spark of friendship going all these years when sometimes its easy to 'get wrapped up in your own life'.I have completed Level 1 and Level 2 of Care of the Elderly. The week was long and ....well LONG!! I learnt so much but I really felt they dragged the course out far to long - what we studied in those 5 days could have been taught easily in 2 or 3! I am really looking forward, though to actually working with clients.

Popped out to see Michelle today - I hope you are feeling better soon! Michelle has had a health scare that none of us ever want to experience. I admire Michelle for keeping that sweet sense of humour while telling me what happened. Only Michelle can tell a story that will, while making me cringe in horror will have me chuckling as I picture her doing her 'thing' as well!

Home Remedies That Really Work

• If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto! The blockage will be almost instantly removed.
• Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.
• High blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for awhile, thus reducing the pressure in your veins.
• A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep when you hit the snooze button.
• If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
• Have a bad tooth ache? Hit your thumb with a hammer and then you will forget about the tooth ache.
• Finally...be really good to your family and friends. You never know when you are going to need them to hold the vegetables.