being creative in other ways, lol

Well I still have done no scrapping and I think I might not until well into the new year - just too much else going on. (I am going to make some cards tho - need a stack of thank you cards plus our xmas cards) ANYWAY, today Leroy had to go to school dressed up as an alien. They have been doing a unit of work this term about Space and today was just a fun day for them. SO this is what we came up with...

For the top I took an old T-shirt from his cupboard and glued pom-poms all over it with Power Pritt gel (handy stuff that!) and also did little 'eyes' all over it with blobs of Kindy Glitz. Also made the collar out of stiff felt and stapled the tulle fabric on (which Leroy chose himself from Spotlight - he thought it looked like alien eyes) and then added some leftover Fozzfelt to finish it.

Pretty pleased with himself don't you think? :)

He then decided that it would be better to wear the hat backwards as he already had his own eyes at the front to see things, lol. He thought how useful it would be to see behind him.  :)

Gotta love pipe-cleaners.

He had a great day and was still wearing the shirt when I picked him up even though I gave him a replacement  :)

thanks for visiting

look what I got

remember this gorgeous babushka from this post? well she arrived today in the post (I took my sweet time paying - so slack) and she is beautiful. can't wait to frame her and give her her own special home in our new home  :)

we are moving house!!

yep we are moving again!! less than 6 months since last time.... but this time we are moving into our very own home! no more renting!! woohoo!! has been a long road to get here but it's all good. so 26 sleeps till the settle date, and a massive to do list to get thru before then (including selling some furniture so if you are in Darwin area or know anyone who is let me know!!)

Here is a few pics I pinched off the web of our new home  :)  it's a 3 bedroom townhouse with open plan living/dining/kitchen opening out to a courtyard on the ground floor and upstairs has 3 bedrooms (main with WIR & ensuite) plus the main bathroom of course. First thing I'll be doing it getting new window furnishings for the whole house  :)

poor old ducky

We are a bit sad in our house now... my mum bought Leroy a special little cheeping duck toy from french toy maker Moulin Roty for his first birthday. He has adored him ever since. He has been mended many, many times, given haircuts, and mended some more just so Leroy could continue to love him. About 3 or 4 weeks ago he went missing. The sad thing is Leroy was throwing him around being a naughty 5 year old boy and now we can't find him anywhere. I know this is very odd me talking about a toy like he's a member of the family, but frankly he is!!  ;)

Leroy is beside himself at the moment, crying himself to sleep most nights worrying about Ducky. Some nights he thinks Ducky ran away because he has been so naughty :(  then we talked about that maybe Ducky went to visit Santa to get fixed up like all those broken toys on the Polar Express train.  We have also talked about that maybe, just maybe, Ducky went away to grow up into a bigger boy just like Leroy. (This is my desperate attempt to have him love a new one when I buy one - the original one is no longer available)

Just for memories sake here are some piccies...

This was Leroy at 12 months.... clutching to Ducky through gloved hands on a cold morning

a daytime nap with Ducky before his haircut

having a ride in the remote control car - he loved this! lol

Some mending... you can see how loved he was

awwww.... placed on the telly by leroy so they could watch it while he ate lunch or something, lol

I have contacted the owner of this gorgeous online store in the UK, who ships Australia (and hopefully by xmas!!!!!!!!) asking if she might know how to get an original Ducky otherwise I am going to order this guy and tell Leroy that Ducky has grown up now (and grwon legs!! lol) I think he'll be happy with that! Oh the things we do!

Please come home Ducky!! we miss you!!

happy anniversary to us

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary. Here's a few piccies from our big day...weren't we looking hot?? lol  :)

here's me just before the ceremony - this was not a posed shot, I just looked over my shoulder at the photographer and he snapped this. one of my very fave photos from the day, just love the little peek of my shoes.

and the newlyweds just after the ceremony... made for a good photo but I thought I was going to blow off that boardwalk into the water!!

and our wedding cake that my very clever hubby made.... it was yummy choc mud cake, we make it every now and then still.

I still have not scrapped our wedding photos but maybe might get time to do that in the New Year (and sorry for the dodgy shots here - these are photos of photos, it was pre-digital!)

thanks for visiting  :)

out of wild blue yonder I emerge...

wow I have been MIA for yonks haven't I? well all is good in the Top End. the reason for falling of the face of the earth was my pc died and it toook 3 weeks to be repaired in syd by manufacture then 4 days after I got it back it dies again (same problem - good repair job hey??!!) but got it repaired locally this time. just got it back yesterday.

SO lots going on here.... here's a breif look at my life over the last 2 months
* I made the very decision to resign from my DT position at LSBS. I totally lost the passion to scrap at all and really just needed to take a step back. Was a wonderful 2+ years on the team and I will miss it but also really looking forward to just scrapping for me.
* I also have resigned from my spot at the ARTastic challenge blog for all the same reasons.
* We have been madly house hunting for a few months now - looking to buy our very first home. We finally found a lovely townhouse within our budget and fingers crossed the finance will all be approved by the end of next week for settlement mid dec - so all moved in by xmas!!!
* kids are well - crazy busy as usual but well. both are enjoying their mumma who has so much more time for them now. can't believe I put sitting in front of the PC before my kids for so long (hanging head in shame)
* hubby is busy at work but doing really well, so well that he is now going full time up here. we will re-assess in 2 years and decide whether to head back south then. but for now the top end is home and we love it! even the heat!!!!!
* I have not scrapped for a couple of months now... starting to feel the niggles of wanting to again. must get some new photos sorted.
* have done re-think of my weight loss will update my weight loss blog in a tick (which I'm going to make public now)
* my SIL who lives up here had a gorgeous baby boy called Jake on Nov 4th. he's divine  :)
* I have gone gluten-free after months of not feeling great (read: crap!!) and I feel great as a result. have cut my pain meds in half!!!!!!!!!!! so awesome!!!!!!!!!

let me know by leaving a comment if anyone is still out there reading. thanks for visiting  :)

my creative little man

With the imminent start of the school holidays upon us I've been giving a little thought about what quiet activities Leroy and I can do while Isaac has his sleep each day. (The rest of the time will no doubt be spent going to the Water Park etc etc!!) It reminded me of these fantastic cards Leroy and I made together a while back now... he just loves the Cuttlebug and runs lots and lots and things thru it whenever he gets the chance. The day we did these he had a wonderful idea to add some colour to the embossed surface so set to work with some paint and a foam brush. Once dry we cut them up and make these simple but colourful cards! Cool huh?

If anyone has any tips or links to cool blogs who do craft for kids please leave me a link here. Thanks!

ETA: I also tought I would share what I have done with a lot of Leroy's school craft. We all gets stacks of things home I know and I for one feel very guilty about chucking it away, especially when I finally get the guts to do it only to have Leroy see it in the recycling bin, lol! So when we moved house I photographed everything he had in his room - heaps of heaps of 3D things he had made at preschool (they did a unit of work all about australian animals) Then I cut out the photos and popped them onto a layout. There - memory recorded! (and the originals in the bin one day while he was not looking!!) Will definately be doing this again. And it made Leroy's day when he saw I had dedicated a whole layout to his artwork (and he didn't even ask where the 'real' ones where)  :)