!!Warning:- the contents of this particular post might shock some of you!!

Well miracles do happen! You might wanted to make sure you are sitting down and don't have a coffee in hand when you continue reading on.

Guess what? I actually did some traditional scrapbooking yesterday. Yes I know, such a big shock to the system! Especially mine! LOL!

Yeap no digital, just plain old fashioned touchy feely scrapbooking layouts. And here is the next surprisingly shocking bit.

3 double page layouts, and

6 single page layouts

Complete, all in one day! I need to say again completed all in one (1) day. I know, what goes on there? Well I will tell you.

After spending last weekend at the SWS Retreat, I thought I best start using up the many many supplies I have for traditional scrapbooking and besides I was in the mood!!

Amy-Jane went to one of friends house for a sleep over. Troy and Matthew went trial riding up the Cookbundoon Mountain range. So that just left little old me, alone at home, to yes you guessed it, scrapbook!

And I didn't even have to stop and feed children, run them around to places, go to sports, provide entertain to anyone, except for me! Hooray! I even had tea in the slow cooker - BBQ Beef Ribs - Yummy (thanks Carol for posting that receipe on SOF). All organised. So off I went. OMG - how productive was I. I am still in shock, I think!

I even rewarded myself after the vast amount of LO production with some Mercy Valley Sweet Chilli Cheese, Menindee Seedless Grapes, a little bit of Cabo, rice crackers and a glass of Cab Sav. This was well deserved!

Wow! I achieved, I produced, I didn't procrasinate! LOL!

I couldn't be bothered scanning in the layouts so I just took some photos of them. If you may notice that the Lusi Austin "Freestyle" effect is on just about every single one! See what you have now create Lusi Lou!

No staples on this page, just lots of Artline Marker pen, Lusi!

Yes Aunty Ro I tried to cram every photo onto the pages! LOL!

Lusi this photo doesn't do the LO any justice for the Artline Marker! But please take note!

Scrapping with Soul - Scrapbook Retreat - Hey What an Excuse!

Yes I truly don't need an excuse to get away and spend time with girlfriends and the occasional bit of scrapbooking! :)

Scrapping with Soul had their 3rd Scrapbooking Retreat from Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June at Waterslea, North Nowra. It is such a beautiful place to go and just sit and relax and watch the dairy cows on the flat and the occasional boat go by.

This years theme was "Love". The girls always organise such a great weekend. We are so thankful that the SWS team are so organised and ensure that all those who attend have a great relaxing time.

Once again this year I took the trusty laptop to do lots and lots of digital scrapbooking! Ha! I did manage to unpack the laptop and set it all up, but completing lots and lots of layouts didn't happen. Oh yes I did a couple but that was about it.

I did more talking than anything and really I knew that was on the card for the weekend. So I thought I best do a couple of the workshops that the team organised so that I actually had something to bring home completed. You know, something to show productivity to the family!

The first workshop I did was an OTP (Off The Page). It was basically covering a recycled coffee tin with gorgeous paper and blinging it up! My type of project. The wonderful Gail Combers was our instructor for this and she just loves all and anything OTP. She is one of those extremely crafty and wonderful natured people who also loves a conversation or two.

So here is the final product of my attempt of Gail's OTP project! Dar Dar! It is now on display in Amy-Jane's room where I will endeavour to do the little book that Gail had provided the instructions for.

The second workshop was a grunge layout. Oh, a bit scary! Freestyle scrapbooking, no conventional way to scrap, no lines of symentry. It just wasn't me! I even told Ro that I was seriously thinking that I won't do the workshop and will pull out. I even forgotten to bring a photo for it, no harm lost I thought. Anyway then I thought "why not, you should atleast have a go and if I didn't really like it that I just won't do it in the future"! The SWS team had a printer and laptop set up at the retreat so I quickly printed out a photo on cardstock, which didn't look to bad for the project.

But guess what I did enjoy it! The very funny and talented Lusi Austin was the instructor for this workshop. Now how crazy did I think she was? Fancy using liquid paper on a LO (layout), and not to mention the amount of staples this lady uses. OMG! It first appeared to me that anything is fair game to use on a LO for this chick! CRAZY! What goes on in her mind???????

So we did a layout using what ever we wanted and using her new range of stamps. Well now featuring on my LO is the use of stamps, Artline markers, finger painting, a bread tie, torn bits of paper, staples, buttons, chipboard and lots of scribble! Honestly it was quite releasing! And I must say that it doesn't look to bad.

What has this girl started with us?

Anyway, Lusi showed us how to be less conservative with our layouts and spread our wings (so to speak). I can guarentee you that Lusi is quite a sane person and has given me such a different perspective on scrapbooking. As she mentioned in the workshop she doesn't have time and wants to be productive.....like the rest of us! As well as appreciate your own hand writing.

So now I am definately looking outside the square and instead of booting up the laptop to type up some journalling I just get the Artline marker out and journal away as well as doodle on the LO somewhere. I am getting that was now that it is starting to become compulsive to use that Artline marker. My nature I suppose.

On Saturday the SWS team organised a romantic, intimate dinner for 70 odd ladies. Just beautifully decorated. We were all spoilt and received at our place setting a gorgeous china cup as our little present! The tea cup has a beautiful phrase about love. You chose well ladies!

During the evening we heard Red Fulton speak on "Love Actually". She is such a wonderful speaker and I truly enjoyed listening to her. I also loved her sense of humor that she added into the talk. What a character!

Lou, Carol and Me enjoying our romantic evening meal with just 70 odd other ladies!

Photo's of High School Musical On Ice for my AJ!

Well I have finally got around to uploading the photos taken from the weekend AJ and I had in Canberra were we went to see HSM On Ice. Next I will endeavour to get all the photos developed for Amy-Jane to use in her scrapbooking. Baby steps Leisa!

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Over a month since I have posted. Mmmm! Finding the time these days is very hard indeed.

We have been busy here and lots to tell and no time to tell it. Lots of photos and no time to upload them! Lately this is the story of my life.

Let's see what has been happening in the last month? Amy-Jane and I had a girls weekend last weekend in Canberra. We went to see Disney on Ice....High School Musical. It wasn't a bad show at all, but I truly loved watching AJ watch the show. She was truly amazed by it all and that was the best.

We stayed at the Hotel Realm in Barton (pretty swish ooh). We had a suite on the top floor. King size bed, which was great for bouncing on for Mummy and Daughter (don't tell management). A huge big spa, gowns, slippers all the "bells and whistles" so to speak! We ate dinner in bed and watched two movies.

AJ thought that one of the many highlights of the hotel was the indoor lap pool, spa and day spa. She is me in training! And not to forget that it was exciting to order room service (extra pillows)as well as ordering breakfast to be brought to our room!

One of my highlights was that on the bedside table of the suite AJ wrote a little note saying that she went to HSM and most of all enjoyed spending time with Mum. Now that was the best to me!

Life has been busy just doing the Mummy thing, housewife thing and the work thing. Just not enough time to do the Me thing except for yesterday.....Mothers Day where I was treated with a gorgeous breakfast in bed consisting of Bacon, Poached Eggs, Salmon and Avacado. Should have taken a photo but couldn't be bothered to get out of bed! AJ gave me a handmade box filled with chocolates and lollies. Matthew made a beautiful card and Troy allowed me to stay in bed till 11.00am reading the Sunday Telegraph.

Can't get any better than that....just being totally lazy and self indulgent for a change. AJ also brought in a bell to sit beside my bed. I did test it out for another cup of coffee.

Have another busy week ahead of me this week. Going to Menagle this afternoon til Wednesday, teaching in Moss Vale on Thursday and Friday. Then on the weekend run kids around for sports, try and get a game of hockey in on Saturday afternoon, then spend Sunday catching up on everything from the week.

Never a humdrum moment!

Do you every ?????

Do you every have those days where you start to think why? what if? what is going on? why me? why now? why not? what happened? what did I do? what didn't I do? blah! blah!

Well I think today was one of those, I mean to say was one of those days!

Tuesday's are a great day. But today it was a challenge, at the very start of the day. Challenging is a major understatement! BIG TIME!

I was woken up by my daugther to inform me that we had no power! Just what you needed to hear at 6.20 am in the morning. I had been sleeping on and off during the night and had last looked at the clock at 5.00 pm. Good bye great sleep time!

Husband off to work! He would not doubt be able to have a nice hot cuppa! Children running around the house stating the obvious! DAR! So I thougth I might wait it out and have a cuppa....opphs...no power for the electric kettle! And just the start of the day. How will I survive!

After 7.30 pm the power come back on and normal activities when about this household!

Off to work we go!

Tuesday I have a great day, great classes! Except for today, there was something extremely challenging about it. I have two ladies in my class whom are seeming NOT to grasp the concept of MS Excel, even with 1 on 1 instructions.

I just don't know, maybe it's the end of term and all over run teachers are needing a serious break! But I truly just felt that I could ram my head against a brick wall and not feel a thing. I just don't know how to get through to these two ladies the concepts that I have been teaching them, other than talking through the steps one by one! Arrgghh! It is so frustrating!

My class was from 9.00 am to 12.20 pm this morning and it is now 8.30 pm and I still feel frustrated! So brings me to the questionings of why? what if? what is going on? why me? why now? why not? what happened?

I think this is one of God's challenge's in my world to try and find a solution to this problem, to be tested! To be challenged! Which unfortunately has played out onto my family. But as usual they just think I am a tired cranky old mother/wife who just wants to make their life a living hell.

Mmmmm! Problem! Seriously NO!

But I must admit, I do wonder why God does this, especially when he has challenged me in other areas of my life which are far more challenging than this.

At this present time I must admit that I feel totally frustrated, undirected, unmotivated, blah, blah, blah. But then I look at my children and think how wonderful they are and what would I do without them. There is that unconditional love that you can always fall back on when you are unmotivated or need motivation!

Life is a constant challenge and you either sink or swim or just float by for a while until you have the energy or the drive to go for what you want!

Hopefully most people do end up finding the energy/drive to go for what they want and take that chance no matter what the odds are and find happiness amoungst the challenges.

Yeap! Today can now be put down to one of those frustrating day! Done Deal! Bring on Wednesday!

Really???????

Wonders will never cease!

Yes that is right! Wonders will never cease in my world.

I actually found the motivation to do some scrapbooking yesterday! Yes that's right ........ scrapbooking. Well actually it was an OTP project that has been in the back of my mind for quite some time now.

But this week enough was enough! I have been sick and tired at going to our address book and finding that the alphabetical tabs were tearing off. Kids rating through it and adding their friends numbers in it and always finding it in condition that it shouldn't be in.

So yesterday after watching the latest "Scrapbooking Memories" DVD I found the motivation I needed to do this. I had alread brought quite a few hard covered spiral bound note books to do something creative with. Out the supplies came and crafting away I went.

Even my children were quite surprised and offering words of encouragement. I forget how much I enjoyed doing traditional scrapbooking, but also forget how messy it can be. As well as how inconvient it can be, especially when you get motivated just before tea time when the pressure is on to produce something healthy and substaintial and wholesome for the family! Blah!

But anyway I am now very thankful that I have produced a very nice address book to be at the sacrificial hands of this family. Lets just see how long this one lasts! And here is proof that I really trully did some traditional scrapbooking for a major big change!

I am still around - sometimes????

Lots to post but as usual no time to post them all!

Have had a very quite and enjoyable Easter weekend, just spent at home doing great fun things like catching up with all the clean, ironing, dusting, etc etc.

Have also been spending time in the kitchen this weekend which isn't like me (due to the time factor). So far have made tomatoe relish, from the abundance of tomatoes growing in the vegie garden. Did some semi-dried tomatoes in the oven and they smell delicious. Have also been baking. Like I said I have really enjoyed it, probably because I know I have had four days off doing just what I want.

Even starting to feel like doing some traditional scrapbooking which is a really big surprise as I was thinking that traditional scrapbooking was going to move to the "To Hard" basket. But I did only said "starting to feel like it". Especially after I keep looking at Lusi Austin's blog. Wow Girl! You are so talented.

Well best get back to work. I am conducting a workshop this coming Thursday and best do a quick powerpoint on the subject matter.