did i do that?

enough about me...

Lets talk about him...

you just know...

• you need to diet when you have a self shot photo shoot and it isn’t pretty… oh my wordy, Lordy no… it’s just BAD…
• you need to diet when you clean out your linen cupboard and when you kneel and go to sit on your feet your butt doesn’t touch your heels.
• you need to diet when you are trying on clothes and your daughter says in a very loud voice “Mum, is that going to FIT?”
• you need to diet when everyone in earshot bursts out laughing when some well meaning person suggests you put your car keys in your back pocket and you reply “No. It will make my butt look fat!”
• you know you need to diet when every bra you own creates an extra four boobs.

And… here is the clincher….

• YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO DIET WHEN you are walking to your laundry and something is touching you on the back so you turn around and see what it is. Nothing. So you keep walking and it does it again except this time, it’s on the other side. You turn to see what it is… and to your complete and utter HORROR you realize that the thing that is touching you on your back is..............…….your BUTT!!!!!

Sooooo! In less than TWO MORE DAYS the year of the 'boomdada butt' will be over.

The Year of the Bunions will be over. The social frivolities, the eating, the culinary festivities and the passive exercise will be over!

YEP! 2008... What a year that will be! I will officially name it 'The Year of Tony Ferguson'. Tony is going to help me on my weight loss journey. Tony will be there, on my shoulder morning, noon and night making sure my calorie and water intake is what it should be. Tony will be my conscience. Tony is my hero. I love Tony. Tony & Lynette 4 eva!

• I will dust off my treadmill and start pounding away to the beat of my iPod.
• I will supplement my food intake twice a day from a delicious assortment of thickshakes.
• I will buy a new pair of gym shoes and get my stiff, recently underwent surgery feet into a pair of covered shoes.
• I will get back into those favourite pair of jeans.
• I will not have myself tap me on the back when I’m not looking AND
• I will not look like a 'boomdada butt' in photos!

I tried to do a photo shoot yesterday for a scrapping project I’m working on. It was blowing a gale out there (there is a cyclone brewing off the east coast of Australia) so I was a bit wind blown. And check out the multi-coloured hair! …and all of that face…

Anyone who has ever been obese will know exactly what I mean when I say that I just don’t realize how bad I actually am until I see myself in photos! No one ever tells you that you look like THAT! Except of course your darling children. Even the darling husband isn’t brave enough to broach the subject. Mind you, he has his own demons to deal with when it comes to weight gain.

Over the past few months I’ve been fairly inactive because of my feet so I’ve had the expected weight gain because of that. It is just that now my metabolism is well and truly comatosed and I really need to poke it out of hibernation!

So in an effort for vanity, health and that when I meet my skinny American friends in 2008 I don’t want to be the HUGE one, I am going on a mission to save myself.

May the force be with you... err... ME!

come on over!

OK! That's right! You are all welcome to come over and look in my fridge!

As of this morning there are no greebles growing at the back of the bottom shelf, no beetroot juice splashed up the sides of the walls and no dried up lettuce stuck to the bottom of the crisper. Yes folks, you can all come over and visit now. We could make popcorn and stare at my spotless fridge. Next is the pantry. It'll be hors d'oeuvres for that and sparkling wine and boy oh boy just you wait till I get around to my oven!!! It'll be black tie so bring some cushions 'cos the tiles can get a little cold on the butt and remember what grandma used to say about hemorrhoids...

I just thought you'd be intrigued, enthralled, interested and fascinated by this wonderful, wonderful news. I have HUGE plans for cleaning over this summer break! ...when I'm not scrapping, that is...

Speaking of which, I have done a wee bit of that already. Children, housework, husband and fridge/pantry/oven cleaning have all taken a back seat to the obsession. After not doing anything for what feels like weeks, I can now relax and let the juices flow...

Here's a couple...

I've also done one of Peyton's classical performance but I don't want to post it on the blog, just in the gallery so go there if you want to peek.

I'll post again later this week when I've finished with the oven and send you all another invitation!

Pip Pip!!!!

now I'm DONE with the Christmas thing!

It is all over and done with! The food has been eaten and the drink has been drunk and the gifts have been gifted and day has been did!

It's now Boxing day night right now and the weather has been perfect all the day. That's not to say that its been warm and sunny! Oh my wordy Lordy NO! It's been raining. A nice warm rainy day when its perfect for veging out on the couch watching DVDs and eating ham and leftover turkey and Christmas pudding... love it!

The kids have played with all of their newly acquired toys and eaten all of their newly acquired chocs and are wearing all of their newly acquired clothing and I am enjoying all of my newly acquired 'me' time.

Yes, people! I scrapped my day away. It could be for a class project, it could be for a submission. I have yet to decide. The photos are from Peyton's recent concert on the 21st and 22nd December. Holy dooly! Did I have a hard time taking those pics! Most of them turned out blurry. I took almost 300 and I got about 15 decent shots... Anyway, on layouts 'blurry' shots add character and movement so I did it on purpose. Yeah, on purpose it was. I'm good like that.

I took pics of most of her dances but I didn't get pics of her first one. Her costume was too dark and there was not a whole lot of light reflecting off it so it had a profound effect on the camera. The photos resembled something like a marble cake. Yeah... So, without further adieu, here they are in order of appearance...

This was the classical ballet 'Wings' for obvious reasons.

This is the tap performance to Christina Aguilera's 'Candyman'.

and...

...and just before they exited stage left. Or is that right? Anyone? Snagglepuss?

and the Finale...

Onto Christmas day and I finally got a couple of things I've been wanting for a long, long time. Not gifts. They were some nice pics of my eldest son, Zane and his girlfriend, Cassie. Although I still had the camera set onto the settings I used for Peyton's dark concert, they still turned out ok albeit a bit grainy...

I have no idea what they were doing to cause this outburst but I like this photo and I believe it WILL be scrapped!

Here is a nice one. Pity Cassie isn't looking at the camera... Anyway! I still like it and I do believe it will be scrapped as well!

These things that Santa made a frantic effort to find for these children on the 23rd December proved to be quite the hit! Peyton, as feminine as she is, has never really been into dolls. She doesn't play with them as I used to and has NEVER asked for something like this so when she asked Santa for this on one of our Christmas shopping trips, I eavesdropped and caught onto her request... Thank goodness Santa rang around and drove all over south east Queensland to make the acquisition because it sure has gone down a treat! Here is one of many pics I snapped of Miss Peyton and her roller skating 'Kennedy'...

Now, some of you may or may not agree with this type of purchase and I can totally understand your reasons to feel that way but this Santa HAD to find something that would spark some interest AND generate some exercise and outdoor activity in these boys because soccer balls and tennis rackets just don't cut it any more. Ever since the paper was torn off the gift in one fell swoop, this toy has been a hit!

Short range darts are shot at your opponents vest and there are points targets to aim for. Thats great if you happen to WANT to hit the targets. These boys find more pleasure in trying to hit the safety glasses. The closer to the nostrils you can get, the better. More points for snot!!! Not that it ever reaches that far because the velocity is fairly pathetic but it keeps them amused for hours! Here is Tyler decked out for combat...

If you want to check out the layout go to the gallery...

Bedeh... Bed deh... bedeh.... thats all folks!

not quite done with the Xmas thing yet...

Something just keeps popping up and why do it today when you can put it off until tomorrow? My tomorrows are running out! I still need to finish things up and then start planning menus and supermarket visits.

I know that a lot of you mothers will know EXACTLY what I am talking about when I say "So when am I going to get the time to enjoy this season?" It's usually on Christmas day AFTER the Christmas dinner has been eaten and the dishes are done. AFTER the guests have left and you can take a nap or sit down and watch the kids play with their presents.

It's all so overwhelming and year after year it is left up to us, as Mother's and Wives to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Kids are happy and fed, house is clean, presents are bought, wrapped and discretely stowed all while running a house as usual.

On the days leading up to Christmas day things are often in a bit of a tizz and then all of a sudden... its Christmas Eve. So, in keeping the magic alive you help the kids lay out the cookies, milk and carrots then kiss them goodnight with promises of Christmas angels and flying reindeer coming to visit. Not to forget the big guy with his sack full of goodies. Then, when you are confident they are almost asleep, you do two laps of the outside of the house with the Christmas bells (just for that added touch). You check that they are asleep and begin the sprinkling of glitter dust that comes when the Christmas Angel checks that they are sleeping so Santa can unload his cargo. You know you are going to have to find the time the next morning to clean it up between opening presents, preparing food and organising yourself for Christmas dinner but as tired as you are, you get a kick out of keeping the magic alive.

Then out come the presents. You attach the beautiful bows and arrange the presents under the tree for maximum effect all the while snarling each time you hear the snoring coming from your bedroom ....RRRRRrrrrr...

You then turn to the milk and cookies and carrot and nibble messily at cookie and carrots not forgetting to grate some outside the front door (reindeer are messy eaters you know). Making sure to spill a little milk you then sprinkle a little Christmas Angel dust around the side of the glass because she gets thirsty too, you know! (knowing full well you are going to have to add the clean-up to your 'to do' list in the morning).

Already planning food and the day ahead you retire to bed and fall into a deep sleep only to be woken up what seems like 2 minutes later by excited children.
"Mum! Santas been!"
"Mum! We got kissed by the Christmas Angel!"
"Mum! Get up and come see!"
"Go back to bed! It's too early!" you grunt from under the covers.

Then when the sound of children rummaging around through Christmas presents for something with their name on it greets your weary ears, you tell your darling husband to get up too and you drag yourself out of bed carrying your eyeballs.

"Can I open this one, Mum?"
"Wait for Dad to come out."
"Is that big one mine?"
"No."
"You've got more than me!"
or "Mum!"
or "Can we open them now?"
"Wait for your father!"
You call him three times and just when you are about to commit blue murder, he emerges complaining about the time. .....RRRRRrrrrrr....

So once the room is completely filled with ripped paper and new gifts you decide to clean up your glitter, milk, cookie and carrot frenzy from the night before and get started on the rest of the day.

Husbands don't seem to notice that food magically appears on the table in front of them, kids are wonderfully surprised at the cool gift Dad has given them and that he has no idea how on Earth it got under the tree, let alone out of the shop or how he even remembered to buy such a thoughtful thing in the first place! "Thanks, Dad!" ......RRRRRrrrrrrr....

I know this post is all over the place but I'm pretty positive that this will be the scenario playing out in our home this Christmas. After all, its happened for the last 20 Christmases!

Here's the sneak peek and the layout I did a couple of weeks ago.

Off to bed...

christmas carols

As I'm sure you've all gathered, I am a lover of classic carols. Not only the oldies but also the newies and the childrens choirs ALWAYS make me weep. I'm a huge sook.

Check this out. I discovered it on my stalking rounds this morning...

How fabulous are these kids?

Tell me if it brought a tear to your eye. Give me the comfort of knowing I'm not the only one whose skin tingles when children sing.

so, you liked the Christmas photo huh?

I received a few emails regarding the photo of my boys and the Christmas Tree all asking how to set the camera.

1. Firstly, you must have it on a steady surface or on a tripod.
2. Increase your shutter speed to around 5" using the 'Tv' function.
3. Change it to full Manual mode 'M' function.
4. Set the timer so you are not touching the camera when you take the shot. If you have a remote, better yet.

Keep playing and eventually you'll get the hang of it. Also, change your white balance from Auto to Tungsten so the shot isn't as yellow unless of course you like it that way.

These settings are also used for 'city lights' photography.

I finished a layout today of dd Peyton. It's a double. I don't like doing doubles and I don't even think I should even be posting it here NOW and if I should get caught, I can look forward to a terse little reprimand from Lyndal. And if Lyndal is stalking this blog, speak now or forever hold your peace. Melissa?

Hee hee! I just LOVE drawing out stalkers! Come out, come out where ever you are!!!!!

I've used BG Periphery and Hambly on top of Bazzill and those little brown flowers are the ones our adorable Janette sent me earlier this year in a RAK! See, I finally got around to using them, Janette!

Now I'm off to bed to rest my weary body.

'feeling' Christmas...

As a child Christmas was singing carols at school, the sparkle of tinsel, the smell of pine trees (I lived in New Zealand) and the anticipation of 8 weeks of summer holidays and swimming and playing outside until dark. Smells, laughter, visiting relatives and running under the sprinkler. It was big, bright red, deliciously tasty tomatoes. It was cashews and walnuts and pavlova and fruit salad. It was the most exciting time of the year where all of my senses came alive!

I think the Christmas carols and tinsel were the most Christmassy things. The oldies like Silent Night, O Come All ye Faithful, Noel and Away in a Manger to name a few. My entire school would gather each morning and sing the carols for the upcoming Christmas concert and the classrooms would be filled with paper chains, tinsel and paper lanterns. The teachers would hang decorations off their blackboards and the windows would be covered in stenciled Christmas shapes and cotton wool to mimic snow.

How I miss that! I try to instill a sense of tradition in the kids, on Christmas Eve I will boil my plum puddings, roast the turkey and bake all day. I love the smells and hopefully the smells alone will bring a sense of Christmas to them when they are older and have families of their own. I'll put on the Christmas carol CDs and play them loud as I'm cooking. They all complain about the 'old fashioned' music but I keep on! Hopefully some of it will stick! (It's all done in air conditioning too because it is hot and very steamy outside. Downunder, 'cozy' IS NOT welcome!)

I don't feel it as much as an adult and I miss the spirit. I miss those old carols. I miss being a kid at this time of the year!

I sat in front of the tree a couple of nights ago and I stared at the tinsel. Oh how I loved tinsel! I would stare at the way the lights reflected off the little strips and think it was the most beautiful thing in the world (apart from glitter and holograms of course).

For a brief moment there, I felt it. I got the pang of excitement and anticipation. Then POOF!!! I'm back in my old stretched, dimpled and weathered body again.

These days I live the Christmas season through my kids. That's good enough!

Anyway, on a different note... I finished this today!

Back to the Christmas thing again... it really REALLY irks me that because it is a Christian holiday in this world full of political correctness and multi-culturalism, the minority groups have successfully 'bullied' the major department stores into NOT displaying their traditional Christmas windows! Appalling!

Also, the traditional Christmas Carols as I mentioned before are not being sung in some public schools because of this multi-culturalism and the schools are choosing instead to teach the children to sing songs about Santa instead of Jesus! Not that I have anything against Santa carols, I just think the true meaning of Christmas should be celebrated!

I feel like Kendra must have felt when her bloom dropped off her cactus! ...well, OK... its not quite the same... but I still feel like crying!

i keep forgetting...

to show the full version once the classes are over. These are for our 'Product Pick' classes for November and December 2007. These monthly classes use a specific collection of patterned papers and a couple of embellishments that are to be used on the page in any way we see fit.

Remember these snippets?

and this one too...?

Well, here are the full versions.

In this first double layout we had to work with the brown papers used along the bottom, the Heidi Swapp acetate hearts (outline and block) and the chipboard index card. I love this colour combo and I've used it for a few of my layouts and off-the-page projects.

Here, I've used that favourite photo of Peyton... I know it just looks like I've slapped everything on the page and said "BE DONE WITH YOU!" but I can assure you I placed it softly and said "be done with you..." Quick layout. Can you tell?

The coloured patterned papers and the Heidi Swapp black mask were part of the 'Product Pick' kit as was the bling.

Well folks, I'm off to perform motherly/wifey/housewifey duties for the next few days... please pray for my sanity... and my feet... and, well... my poor spreading butt and greying hair and drooping boobies and well... just put in a good word to the big guy and ask him if your dear friend Lynette could PLEEEEASE have a faster metabolism... and nicer feet and Brad Pitt and... a winning combo of lotto numbers... savvy? <--- I've been watching 'Pirates of the Caribbean'...

this kid...

cracks me up!

He is only 12 years old, has started shaving (YES! and needed to), has the voice of a man and has hair growing everywhere!

He also has a great sense of humour and I am fortunate enough to be thoroughly enjoying his company at the moment. I'm sure there will be wild waters ahead but for the time being I will enjoy every minute of him.

He starts high school next year and at the moment I am SO in mourning...

No longer will I have access to parts of his school day and nor will I have the opportunity to speak with his teachers with the familiarity that I am used to. He will be a virtual 'dump at the gate' kid. He will be encouraged to pursue interests all of which I will have no jurisdiction or control over. He will meet girls and boys of the same age who have not been nurtured in the same environment that he has been used to over the past 8 years and so will learn a different 'uncontrolled by mother or church' culture.

I fear that he will meet 'Butch' the guy who takes pleasure in beating up younger kids. I can imagine Jayden coming home with a fat lip only to have me follow him through the gate the following morning with my hand bag swinging!

I also fear that hormones and common sense will not meet on the same level and I will lose him in the consequences.

What will his future hold if he doesn't pursue a degree in any particular field? What if he wants to be a professional dole bludger with a private education?

All of these fears are hounding my conscience now and as a mother, all I can do is hope that I have taught him to recognise good choices from bad and that he can come to me for help and guidance on anything.

Wish me luck...