I hate moving (warning - text heavy post)

Oh Yeah - that's right moving is truly awful, and this time we couldn't just up and leave and have all our mess smushed into a bazillion pieces - so that meant some intense cleaning - and more cleaning and then more cleaning - sigh...

We got the  keys on Friday, had the movers Saturday and picked up most of the rest on Sunday. Inspection was Tuesday morning and I spent much of the intervening time and my hands and knees, scrubbing. It wasn't even that dirty but I didn't want to miss anything. Tuesday night I came home after 9:30pm and collapsed in a blubbering heap in bed...

Our manger was only young but any dusting, cleaning I may have missed, he either pointed it out for me to run a cloth over or he did it himself. Last inspection (granted it was 20 years ago), we had a cow who pulled out the white gloves as soon as she walked in, didn't bother checking the pre rental condition report and tries to charge us because a couple of light fittings were dusty - which was an improvement on the greasy state we found them in).  

We are still waiting to see if we get our bond back, there was a big water leak a couple of months ago and the carpet in Meaghan's room was pretty much ruined - not our fault and we rang our property managers many times, so Geoff will hit the roof if they try to pin that on us.

The new rental is about half the size of our last one and we were feeling quite depressed about squeezing in here at the start of the weekend (and the fact that one light was permanently on, several lights were blown, the garage with 70% of our belongings were stored didn't lock as promised and the laundry door didn't have a key). But now that some of the boxes are unpacked, I put my own lock on the garage - go me -  I am more than happy at it's smaller size - less cleaning at the end and easier to heat over the next few months.

And Meaghan is walking to school and it only takes me less than 5mins to drive Henry, I am enjoying it.

So now, we are having a procession of tradesmen through this house to fix the problems and I am slowly unpacking, and getting rid of more stuff. And the Internet speed is faster, so am a happy camper for the most part - although I still need to spend half my day resting, still getting over the weekend...

Ok, onto the good stuff - two challenges began last week.

first Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is another good one - tripping down memory lane -

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

 A doctor? A fireman? A nurse? An astronaut? A mummy??

I of course wanted to work with animals. I didn't know girls could be farmers then, otherwise that's what I would have wanted, although in hindsight, I would not have made a good farmer - I hate mornings..

And Child's Play has a skipping rope as inspiration this week. None of my children skipped (the thought of Matt attempting anything as coordinated as skipping would have been amusing to watch - does that make me a sadistic mother??) so I just used a skipping girl image.

Now I just have to work out how to get our digital photos etc photos from our off computer storage, it's not letting me at the moment. My plan to spend the day  digi scrapping could be somewhat hindered by that...

have a good one, back to normal blogging soon. xx

Old and New

Get Creative's latest challenge is to redo your earliest scrapbooking efforts - same photo   

but updated LO. As all my photos and pages are packed up, I went to my first Digi attempt. I didn't know how to resize anything but I must have known about layers and stamps and that's about it. This one was done in 2006.

 And my updated version. Coincidentally, both Lo's were done entirely with freebies (although The Lilypad's Freebies, Jump for Joy, from their Facebook hop are just superb, love them, all still available if you follow their designers on Facebook)

 My latest style is a bit (lot) messier then the original but lots more colour and movement. I have done some Project Life Lo's, week by week for the start of the year (God bless Digital photography for making that easier) and they are much more structured -

 It's harder than it looks ( that's a slight lie, I used a template, so physically it was dead easy but mentally, being tidy - such a stretch for me...)

We finally signed a lease for our new rental, lots closer to both kids schools and bus routes - all good (ignoring the fact that Geoff will take longer to get to work..). Only for 5 months fingers crossed.


It's finally starting to feel cold here, had the heater on for the first time this weekend, love that dusty smell first time they are fired up. Our next rental will be over winter so hoping the heater works well. Seems to be ducted to every room, so vital in Canberra's winters.


Ok, back to sorting more junk to be thrown out - how do I accumulate so much stuff?? Getting easier to get rid of things now, Hopefully by the time we move into the new house, the Purge will be complete.

Have good one. xx

A couple of template/sketch challenges

Things are staring to get busy here, so what do I do? Sit and play at the computer of course...

actually taking advantage of the time when
a) the monitor is working, very slow to fire up each day now, I fear it is on it's last legs; and
b) the elder two aren't  home, as both their laptops are in the process of being fixed (or not in Meaghan's case as it will cost more to fix it than to replace it - luckily it is still usable).

Anyway, Anne has another wonderful sketch up at Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge - this time challenging us with circles - love what all the girls have come up with. -

and here is mine -

 this photo is taken at Canberra's latest attraction - The National Arboretum. They have planted a gazillion trees in different forest types, will be truly a great place in about 20 years... In the meantime, they have put a couple of sculpture on the couple of hills within the forest as well as a couple of interesting buildings and a large amphitheatre - such a good use of public space.

And just for fun, the have their monthly freebie template over at the Lilypad -

More circles which I have conveniently ignored -

and this was part of the festivities at Easter when we all went camping at a friends house for his 45th birthday. Lots of highly flammable vegetation was piled up and went up a bit more vigorously than expected. No damage done.

Ok, back to packing. have a good one. xx

Mary Poppins

I will admit that this was one movie I could never get into as a child - I was more of a 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks" Disney girl... (and somewhere along the track, Mary Poppins merged with Peter Pan, always get them confused)

But having said that, I would love to see the musical.

And yes, these musings are leading somewhere -

At Child's Play the latest challenge is to base your work on Mary Poppins

I went the Umbrella route -

Luckily for my instant gratification fix, Splendid Fins at The Lilypad was selling an appropriate kit and I am so pleased with the way it turned out.Old photo of Henry looking very pleased because this was after a very long drought and rain was such a welcome sight. He has only owned one pair of gumboots in his time as a little boy as they just weren't needed for so many years... But he still loves his umbrella.

We have had an up and down week. I have struggled to get rid of a cold, Geoff hurt his back, Mum had a bit of a health scare, we had a few issues with the builder (nothing too catastrophic but really annoying) and we still didn't have anywhere to move to. Come weeks end, all issues with builders resolved, the scaffolding came down

Isn't it pretty?

and we now have a place to live, much closer to our old place and very close to Meaghan's school, Henry's school and Matt's girlfriend, so all happy. (well further away from Geoff's work but we can't all be perfect).  Mum is recovering from a mystery illness but all  tests negative.

And I survived two parent teacher nights with mostly good reports.

So currently in happy place - hopefully my lovely hawks will beat the nasty magpies today (AFL talk, my first love) and all will be well in the world! (just don't think about the packing..)

Hope you are all in an equally good place. x

Challenges

Yep, we all go through them. At the moment, it's all about housing here. New house not being built quickly enough (instant gratification junkie, need what I want - NOW!!) and the added complication of finding a new rental as the owners are moving back here in 6 weeks. sigh. Convincing landlords that they really want someone for four or five months isn't easy territory but fingers crossed we will get something.

Anyway, my life is good, kids are good, husband has work and I don't - what could be better than that (and my beloved football team had a good win on the weekend). So again, time to stop complaining.

Should mention at this stage the latest challenge up at Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is about your personal challenges. The girls have exceeded themselves this month, go check out their pages, you will be impressed!

House is only slightly further advanced than this, but work continues. Having a few issues around costs but I guess that is normal.

Not much else happening at  the moment, camping over Easter was enormous fun, will post piccys soon.

have a good one xx

LilyPad Pages

Just a few of the challenge pages for The LilyPad this month

use the word 'you' in the title

 This is one of my favourites - it's a scraplift of one of the girls there - Sucali

 

and this is using new releases this month - love the border art esp -

 

Am now starting the joyous task of finding the next rental, hopefully somewhere either closer to Henry's school, or maybe close to where Geoff works and Matt goes to school. Am sick of battling the major roadworks they insisted on starting as soon as we moved between here and Henry's school every morning

Am now officially sick of waiting for the new house, it has reached the point just past excitement onto just finish it - and that is on a site that is going to plan. I would hate so much to be one of the (seemingly  common) builds were lots of things are held up. 

anyway, I am now packing, again. 

yay.

I am so Glad

....that my daughter is not in  the "Populars". You know the girls I mean (and in a private school, they are well funded, over the top populars)

Meaghan called me over to show me a photo one of the girls from her year had put up on facebook. For a party idea, she had chosen , wait for it - Victoria's Secret as the theme. They are 16. The girls were all wearing bustiers, one piece lingerie, french maids outfits and six inch black stilettos. Meaghan was gobsmacked and I was horrified.

 I am not a conservative parent, Meaghan has more than her fair share of very short dressers and shorts but to be honest, these girls looked like high class hookers.  Part of me thinks that it is good they are so confident but it was such an inappropriate way of celebrating this confidence. If they were a couple of years older, then yeah, go for it but 16??

Meaghan was most intrigued with the fact that the girls' mother and grandmother were happy to post these photos up as well. And the big question is - where do they go from there? Next party has to be more shocking - so glad Meaghan has wonderful friends.

I have used a sketch from Get Creative and lots of Boho Bliss from The LilyPad. Gorgeous girls.

Sigh, I now feel like an old woman.

have a good one.