Reflections

HOT & 'Best Blogging Buddy' Award

It's another hot one today - they said it actually got up to 43.1C - 109.58F - but our thermometer read a little higher than that so we're not quite sure? All we know is, that it was indeed HOT!

As you can imagine, not much has been achieved today - just lots of action in the pool and then staying inside by the air conditioning!

I just couldn't resist capturing some of the pool action - this is the result of two boys and their father all being on one side of the pool and kicking their legs in the water - ahh - the photo looks so cool and refreshing!

On a completely different note, fellow blogger Linda has given me the 'Your Blog Rocks & You're The Best Blogging Buddy' Award! Thanks so much Linda - this was such a lovely surprise!

With the number 9 being my favourite number, I'd like to pass this award onto the following 9 people - Paula, Suzanne, Mandy, Sharon, Trina, Jill, Toni, Penny and Shanna!

Until next time,

Hot Hot Hot Summer!

Well, it's official! Some parts of southern Australia, including where we live in Gippsland - Victoria, yesterday experienced the hottest day in over 100 years and for some places it was even the hottest day on record!

With 41C forecast, that's 105.8F, we ended up exceeding that by nearly 2C with a top temperature of 42.8C, or 109.04F at about 4pm yesterday!

Phew! No wonder we spent so much time in the pool (which has a lovely shade cover over it) and inside playing games in air conditioned comfort - sorry to add that last little detail Paula!

Speaking of the pool, the boys had actually commented on how hot the deck surface was as they walked - or rather ran - to the pool, so I decided to place the thermometer on the garden (just so it didn't get stepped on) and in full sun AND I couldn't believe the reading I got!

70C! That's 158F for those of you who don't work in Celsius! No wonder the deck felt a little hot underfoot!

So - with another day of 41C forecast, we are all wondering what will eventuate - both in terms of the actual temperature that it will climb to AND more importantly, with the high risk of bushfires that we are all enduring as well. There were a number of blazes being fought yesterday and with high temperatures forecast, all areas of Victoria are once again, on high alert today!

Until next time,

What's In A Name?

I came across this on Toni's blog and thought I would play along too! It's all about your name - actually, now that I think about it, the answers would make a great scrapbooking page too!

• What's your full name? Shirley Anne Fyfe

• What do your parents call you? Shirley

• What do your grandparents call you? They used to call me Shirley

• What do your friends call you? Shirley, Shirl 

• Do you like your name? I didn't like it when I was a child growing up because I always got called 'Shirley Temple' BUT to me, it always seemed to be more of an 'older persons' name. Now that I'm older though, it doesn't really worry me.

• If you could change your name, would you? Nah, I don't think so.

• What would you change it to? N/A

• Do you like pet names (sweetie, honey, babe, etc.)? Depends who is saying them - *grin*

• Does it bother you when people use your middle name? Nope! They never do!

• Who named you? Mum & Dad both liked the name Shirley BUT they have told me it wasn't anything to do with 'Shirley Temple' herself.

• Are you named after someone? Nope!

Until next time!

 

Rasberry - 'Rocket' Mini Album

Here's what I made last night using up some left over cardstock for the inside pages and some plain chipboard for the covers! I do so love my 'Bind It All' - it means I can make Mini Albums in any shape or size that I so desire! Yeah - I know - I'm bragging once again - *grin*

The album measures 16.5cm x 9.5cm - including the wire spine. The cover has been decorated with more of those gorgeous Rasberry 'Rocket' pattern papers - I just love those little rocket/spaceships!

I've used a combination of the matching Rasberry 'Rocket' Rubons and more of the pattern paper on the inside BUT have left plenty of room for photos and journaling to be added as well!

The wire spine has been finished off with some organza ribbon and a cute little metal star charm as well! So cute!

Now - for anyone that is interested - I've actually listed this album in my 'Made It Store' - so if you think it would make the perfect gift for a special little guy in your life, now's your chance to grab it!

Until next time,

 

Magazine Requests - *Sneak Peaks*

Boy! Is it warming up in our part of the world - it reached 40.2 degrees Celcius today - that's apparently 104.36 degrees Farenheit (according to this site) and it's tipped to be 41 C for the next couple of days as well! What a way to end the school holidays for the boys - they're back to school next Monday - we had planned on going to the park later this week BUT that's certainly not going to happen with temperatures like that being forecast! We might just spend it at home playing board games, swimming by the pool and doing creative stuff I think!

Speaking of being creative, I've been working on some more magazine request projects - YAY! - but whilst I obviously can't share them all with you now, I thought I would give you a little *sneak peak* of just a few of them!

I just those KaiserCraft pattern papers - the colours and prints are just so soft and feminine!

On this next project, I got to play around with a little of the new Basic Grey - oh so very nice I must say - and of course I couldn't resist adding some KaiserCraft pearls and some hand stitching as well!

Until next time,

 

Scrappit Design Team Challenge - Sassafrass Lass

Time for another Scrappit Design Team Newsletter Challenge contribution and this week we had to focus on our favourite things - the things or people we hold dearest to our hearts. Well - with a challenge like that, what else could I choose but the love of my two handsome boys!

It's a little hard to tell in the above image and the scan colour is a little 'off', but I've actually added some hand stitched detail to the background pattern paper and then lightly inked around the whole page with a little lime green ink as well!

I must admit, having always been a 12 x 12 scrapper, I'm really enjoying working with the 8.5 x 11 inch size at the moment. I seem to be able to get my pages completed a little bit quicker too, so that is certainly an added bonus! It made me wonder though - what size do you scrapbook? Do you tend to mix-up your pages in your albums or do you only use the one size? I'm looking forward to hearing what you do!

Until next time,

   

Melbourne Hot Rod Show

I haven't had a chance to share yet, but on Saturday we took the train to Melbourne so that we could go to the 44th Hot Rod Show. Thankfully the weather was somewhat cool compared to what has been tipped for later this week! We also managed to fit in a visit to the Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Docklands and some DFO - Direct Factory Outlet - stores, so needless to say by the time we boarded the train to come home, we were all totally worn out! We have to admit though, it sure was nice and relaxing - it certainly made a change from having to drive in all that hustle and bustle!

As you can probably guess, lots of photos were taken - James especially took heaps with his camera and it is certainly interesting to see the Hot Rod Show through 'his' eyes too! Both the boys are keen for me to make a mini album featuring a great number of them, so it looks like that's another couple of items to add to my 'Creative To Do List' - *grin*

The Hot Rod Show itself was held in the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens, and I have to say that I've always been very taken with this now listed National Heritage building. Built in 1880, the attention to detail both inside and out is just amazing!

Isn't the building just beautiful?

What would a Melbourne Hot Rod Show be without a few photos of the 'favourite' cars too! *grin*

Until next time,

 

Australia Day!

To all my fellow 'Aussie' readers, happy Australia Day to you all! The boys and I have had a nice lazy day at home, whilst Stuart took a couple of blokes from work out fishing in his boat - we had our fingers crossed that the fishing would be good BUT unfortunately, it just wasn't the case and the only ones caught were all undersized - oh well - that's fishing for you!

Until next time,

Step-By-Step - 'Magazine / Book Mark'

I saw this idea online some time back and whilst there weren’t any instructions for how to go about making one – they certainly aren’t a hard thing to design yourself!

 

 

It's a Papercrafted Magazine / Book Mark!

 

 

See how it has some elements from it's design which protrude beyond the pages of the magazine so that you can easily find where you are up to in your reading!

 

 

 

You can find my complete instructions for making one of these here OR by scrolling down in my left-hand menu to the 'Inspiration, Techniques & Projects' section and finding it listed there.

 

Until next time,

 

 

'Sassafrass Lass' - Happy Birthday Cards

Today I thought I would share some greeting cards I have made using some of the January 'ScrappIt Now' Sassafrass Lass pattern papers and some cute plain chipboard flowers that I coloured with a swipe of an inkpad or two!

As you can see, the cards themselves are quite simple in design AND I could have dressed the flowers up more with some bling or something BUT I decided the bold colours just said enough.

Until next time,