Cardmaking class - Christmas

In late October I headed to my friend's house for a Kaszazz cardmaking class. This time it was Christmas cards. Here's what we produced:











This one is also a Kaszazz card and is the card I am making for Christmas this year:

Book: No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club

Summary: Don’t harass her about parasailing or taking Italian language courses. Forget about suggesting she join a gym. Marie Sharp may be a little creaky in the bones as she heads toward the big 6-0, but she’s fine with it. She would rather do without all the moving-to-Florida-bicycling-across- Mongolia-for-the-hell-of-it hoopla that her friends insist upon. She’s already led an exciting life: She came of age in the 1960s, after all. Now, with both a new grandchild and a new man on the horizon, all she wants to do is make the most of what she considers the most interesting stage of her life. In this wonderfully astute novel based on the author’s own experiences, No! I Don’t Want to Join a Book Club is the funny—and often poignant—fictionalized diary of an older woman . . . a decade or two past her prime and content to leave it all behind her. So don’t tell her to take a gourmet cooking class, and whatever you do, don’t you dare tell her to join a book club.

This book was actually really funny. I know a few ladies who have recently turned 60 so I had them in mind when reading. This was a great light read and I've recommended it those 60 somethings!

Book: Size 12 is Not Fat

Summary: Heather Wells Rocks! Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two -- and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft.

I really enjoyed this book. Light and fluffy with a bit of crime thrown in. Looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Rachael Treasure talk

Back at the start of October I was lucky enough to go to one of our local bookshops to see Rachael Treasure talk about her latest book. She is one of my all time favourite authors. She writes about farms, outback and rural romances. Just love her work. It's all very Aussie which I love. Anyway, she has just published a short story collection which I am currently reading now. I love listening to authors read their own words and just listening to them discuss how they got into writing, why they write, when they write etc. The bonus of going was that I also got to be a groupie and get her to sign all my books that's she's written!

Cardmaking class

Sometime in late August I went to my friend's for a Kaszazz workshop. Basically we made Father's Day cards and male cards. Here they are. The shirt folding one I replicated for all the kids at Mother's Group to give to their dad's:

Book: Noah's Law

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Noah is a troublemaker. His father is a hotshot barrister.
This is not a good combination. When Noah gets caught mucking up at school, his dad sends him to work at his aunt's law firm during the holidays to 'learn responsibility' and 'fix his attitude'. There he meets Jacinta - the cute intern who knows her way around a photocopier, and Casey - the wicked witch of the firm. Noah becomes involved in a case where a woman has been killed during a mugging gone wrong. There's a grieving husband, a guilty employer, and an open and shut case involving lots of money. But right and wrong, and crime and punishment are soon entangled as Noah realises that things are seldom what they seem.

I really loved this book. At lot of it was a bit far fetched but still enjoyed it. There is just something about the law that fascinates me...

Book: Heart of the Dreaming

Summary: At 21, Queenie Hanlon has the world at her feet and the love of handsome bushman TR Hamilton. Beautiful, wealthy and intelligent, she is the only daughter of Tingulla Station, the famed outback property in the wilds of western Queensland. At 22, her life lies in ruins. A series of disasters has robbed her of everything she ever loved. Everything except Tingulla – her ancestral home and her spirit's Dreaming place. An extraordinary tale of one woman's courage and her determination to take on the world and win.

Oh my, what a romping great read. Outback romance at it's best. Will have to borrow the sequel now. Just adored this book and the characters in it. Trashy rural romance, handsome farmers, determined women.... Bliss!

Paperific

In late August (I think) I headed to Melbourne to catch up with the lovely Tania, Rebecca and Rachel to attend Paperific. WHAT FUN! Sooooo many scraping and cardmaking products. Just boggling. I spent about $150 which included buying a Big Shot machine (which is still all wrapped up but will be unleashed this week). Plus lots of embellishments and stamps and other bits and pieces. Just insane what you can buy though. I'm still very much a newbie to this hobby. Anyway, one of the best things was the "Make and Take" demonstrations. I got to make the following cards and a few other things (scrap pages and tags which I don't have pictures of). Anyway, Paperific is definitely on my to attend list every year!

Book: Fly A Rebel Flag - The Battle At Eureka

Summary: "We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties!" The diggers' oath, 30 November 1854.

The diggers were fed up. Ever since the gold rushes began, the police had hounded them, forcing them to show their licenses like common criminals. At last the diggers of Ballarat made a stand. They would pay no more licence fees. They took up arms, built a stockade, and swore to defend themselves against the authorities. When government troops stormed the Eureka stockade the battle lasted just twenty minutes, but it changed Australia forever...

I read this one basically because I live in Ballarat and often forget the wonderful history of this town. Was OK. Great for school kids.

Cardmaking

I often have my friend's daughter over for a sleepover if they are out for the night (as Miss 9 is the best baby sitter EVER, my kids adore her). Anyway, tradition is that when the kids go to bed we sit up and make cards. Here are some of my creations from one of those nights. I think it must be when I got some new chalks for my birthday!

July Scrap Challenge

Back in June I did a 30 day card challenge. July's challenge was to make a scrap layout per week and incorporate the theme. I only managed to do one. The concept of the week was "7 things I love..." At the very end of my kids albums I plan to include a page like the one below. This page now lives in Adam's album which chronicles the adventures of him as a one year old. Love my little man to the moon and back xoxo

Tuesday Night Bookgroup: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Summary: Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. Routine, order and predictability shelter him from the messy, wider world. Then, at fifteen, Christopher's carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor's dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents' marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn into the workings of Christopher's mind.

What a fabulous book. Highly recommend.

Book: Where The Streets Had A Name

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother's ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab's life. The only problem is the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, as well as the check points, the curfews, the permit system and Hayaat's best friend Samy, who is mainly interested in football and the latest elimination on X-Factor, but always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on their side. Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel to Jerusalem. However, while their journey may only be a few kilometres long, it may take a lifetime to complete.

Again I really enjoyed this. Makes me feel so very special to live in Australia where we are free to do as we please. Others live such very different lives...

Book: Ten Things I Hate About Me

Summary: For the past three years Jamie has hidden her Lebanese background from everyone at school. It's only with her email friend John that she can really be herself. But now things are getting complicated: the most popular boy in school is interested in her, but there's no way he would be if he knew the truth. Then there's Timothy, the school loner, who for some reason Jamie just can't stop thinking about. As for John, he seems to have a pretty big secret of his own...

Really enjoyed this. Am a big fan of teenage fiction and I read her first book years ago and just stumbled across this at the library. Oh to be a teenager again and have all that angst!

Book: Last Mile Home

Summary: It is 1953 in a small Australian country town, a time of post-war prosperity and hope. The Holtens are wealthy, yet austere, graziers who have lived on the land for generations. The McBrides are a large and loving shearer's family who are new arrivals to the district. When the McBrides eldest daughter falls in love with the Holtens only son and heir, it seems impossible that they can have a future together. As conflict and tragedy confront them, it is only with great determination that their love can survive.

Loved this! A beautiful country romance full of drama. The McBrides remind me of the family from the Darling Buds of May! I've started to become a major fan of Di Morrissey.

Book: The Silent Country

Summary: TV producer Veronica Anderson travels to the Northern Territory to retrace the journey of an expedition that had set out 50 years earlier to film the outback, but which mysteriously ended in tragedy. Of the group, led by the eccentric Maxim Topov, few are still alive and they are reluctant to talk about the intriguing events. It is through the help of local NT Park Ranger, Jamie McIntosh, that Veronica begins to piece together the puzzle and discover the answers...

Really enjoyed this book. The way she writes about the outback really is like you're there. Such magnificent places I have yet to visit. One day...

Monday Night Bookgroup: Spare Room

Summary: Helen prepares her spare room for her friend Nicola, who is flying down from Sydney for a three-week visit. But this is no ordinary visit—Nicola has advanced cancer. She is coming to Melbourne to receive treatment she believes will cure her. From the moment Nicola steps off the plane, Helen becomes her nurse, her protector, her guardian angel and her stony judge. The Spare Room tells a story of compassion and rage as the two women — one sceptical, one stubbornly serene — negotiate their way through Nicola's gruelling treatments.

I wasn't keen on reading this one as my mother-in-law died of cancer last year so really wanted to stay away from the topic. However, this was an amazing book. A brilliant insight. I really gained a lot from reading it. Highly recommend.

Book: Lucy's kiss

Summary: Lucy never forgot 'The Kiss'. Or the bad boy she shared it with. Now, 17 years later, he's back - and, dammit, he's still sexy as hell… As owner of The Book Spire in the sleepy town of Cypress Hollow, Lucy Harrison isn't used to too much excitement. But in one night all that changes when Owen Bancroft walks back into her life and sparks - quite literally - fly.

I enjoyed this but not as much as her first book. Think it was the farmer (cowboy) who sucked me into the first one! LOL. My life is trashy sometimes!

Blog Everyday of June

OMG - June 30th is finally here and I have managed to blog everyday. I am so proud of myself! I have really enjoyed the experience. Not only have I enjoyed sharing the more personal aspects of my life with you all BUT I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts and learning more about you all.

So what now? I've lots of challenges coming up in the next few months and before I know it I'll be back at work where I will have to refocus and learn lots of "library stuff" again.

Looking forward to catching up with you all in library land (whatever form that takes) in the near future...

Cardmaking Challenge, the Final Two!

June 29 – Make a card using a border punch.



June 30 – Make a card with some sort of folds or folded paper on it.



I am so pleased that I managed to make all 30 cards from scratch in 30 (well 29) days. I have had such a ball doing this challenge and have learnt lots along the way. Think I'll keep uploading them from now on!

My bookshelves

I always love looking at bookshelves so here are a few happy snaps of mine. These of course only consist of my "reading books". Mine and hubby's uni books are in the study, cookbooks and mags are in the kitchen and bedroom and all my scrapbooking mags are in the bedroom too! But I love to look at these shelves everyday. It's my favourite room in the house. Just need more time to read!

Cardmaking Challenge, Week 4

June 22 – Make a Christmas themed card in non-traditional colours.



June 23 – Make a card with some embossing.



June 24 – Make a card using your coloured pencils.



June 25 – Make a vintage inspired card with lace.



June 26 – Make a card with torn paper.



June 27 – Make a card with hand made flowers.



June 28 – Make a card with some fabric on it.




Only two more cards to go!

Looking ahead to July...

Stealing Retrokatz post and looking ahead to the future. In July I want to...

UNI - Make a start on my Uni reading for HR. I am organised and contacted lecturer early so I know what I have to read. I even ordered the book through work. I unwrapped it today - now I just have to start reading...

Tax time - Get organised and do return in July!

My birthday - Enjoy celebrations. Dinner with hubby, Daylesford retreat...

Movies - Off to see Harry Potter in Gold Class. Bought my tickets weeks ago. Have never been so really looking forward to it!

Read more - Haven't finished a book in over three weeks! Gotta get back in the zone!

Continue blogging - just because June is almost over it doesn't mean I have to stop blogging!

Scrapbooking - start new scrapbook challenge (a double page per week) and also take part in the Week in the Life challenge. Make more cards and sell some.

Family - Spend quality one on one time with both the kids and hubby.

Sleep more - Is that really possible with two small kids??

Bonfire Night

There's nothing better than a bonfire with friends.

My house

We live just out of town between Ballarat and Creswick on 5 glorious acres. I love having the space. There is always lots of fun activities to partake in such as swimming, car racing and like tomorrow night - a bonfire!




Side view. Couldn't be bothered moving two cars to get front shot! Is a beautiful house though. Old station house which is about 130 years old but has been renovated and extended a fair few times!




The dam. Good for swimming in and for catching a few redfin too! Lots of ducks also!



We need lots of wood to heat the house. Lucky my hubby is an arborist so the wood is free - just lots of effort to prepare it. Love my heater though!




Fresh vegies! We have about 5 different vegie patches and we've planted an orchard too.




Adam loves the sandpit and his trucks!




Ah, paddock bombs - gotta have a few of them! And yes, paddock bombs have been driven into the dam, then winched out and have still been drivable!

Kid 2 - Luke

My gorgeous baby boy is almost 5 months old now! Boy time goes fast! He is such a good little bubba. He dropped the night feed at about 13 weeks but still needs to be settled once in the night. So waiting the day he drops this! But he is starting to get to that good age now. He babbles away to himself, loves his play gym and loves his big brother even more. His eyes follow Adam around the room constantly! He can roll from his tummy to his back and is almost there on his back to front... He has such a cheeky little smile. You go into his room once he wakes and there he is smiling and giggling up at you from his cot. Enough to melt my heart. Love you Lukey xoxoxo

Kid 1 - Adam

The above is a photo of me and Adam taken a few months ago when we went on the steam train for Heritage Weekend. The train ran past our property so it was fantastic to see the place from a different angle.

Adam turned 2 in March. He is such a wonderful little boy. Don't get me wrong, he is a NIGHTMARE to take shopping (grabs everything off the shelves, hates getting in his car seat etc.). BUT, he is wonderful in many other ways... He is so brilliant to his baby brother and loves him very much. Ads (or Addy as he is commonly refered to) is just starting to string sentences together like" I love you mummy". He has such a cheeky smile and is always the life of the party. He loves to sing and dance, and he loves his dogs, especially Jules (who is extremely patient with him!) He is a really laid back kid who plays well with others, and generally shares... He is obsessed with trains, cars, trucks and buses. His other passion in life is Toy Story and Shrek! He loves animals too - cows, sheep, dogs, fish... Just love him to bits and can't wait to watch him grow in a young man... Love you Adam xoxo