Sunday, January 01, 2012

Happy New Year!!

Image courtesy of Pininterest ;)

Bye Bye 2011
Hello 2012

Image courtesy of SayingImages.com

I love making New Years Resolutions.  I keep them small, very specific and do-able!  I seem to manage to get most of them done by the end of a year.  I always write them down, somewhere where you can see it on and off through the year as a reminder.  It feels good, giving yourself challenges and actually achieving them.   Like crossing things off your bucket list slowly :)  Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

Mine for the year 2012:
* Go some place I've never been before
* Sew at least 5 dresses for Dresses for Africa
* Attend at least one cooking class
* Compelete the Couch to 5K program
* Join a social club of some sort or get back to Dancing classes, something where I can get back to meeting new people.
* Find a new hobby or re-discover a love for an old one (I'm sick of spending night on the couch in front of the tv)
* Save $xxxxx for our new home :)

That is it, all achievable right??  I think so!!  And I've already started on a few of them!



Saturday, December 31, 2011

End of the year!

  The end of 2011 is here!  It has been a good year!  A beautiful year!  Lots of obstacles and lots of challenges, but when I look back, I smile :)

I barely did any scrapping this year!  It was difficult to find a good balance between being a single mummy together with being a high school teacher!  My girls had a time and a half with their adjustments to school/daycare life in regards to their health and we spent most of the year having some disease or other!  We have settled into the Sunshine Coast beautifully, finding peace here in this beautiful part of the world!

To finish off my year, I found some time and sat down and scrapped with Katie-Lee.  Being on holidays, my whole house seems to be so much more peaceful, content and happy.  It is a good feeling looking at my girls and seeing them shine with joy.  It makes me feel like somewhere along the mess of my life the last few years, I have done them proud.  And after all, what is more important in this world than being the best parents you can be.  These kids deserve that much, they deserve the best start to life and have the best examples they can fall back on when life throws lemons at them too.

So to finish off the year!  Which I'm doing with a smile on my face!   I'll leave you all with two pictures!  One of the layout I did, based on a sketch by Anna's Craft Cupboard.  And the other, a gorgeous quote appropriate for this time of the year!

Best wishes to you all, finish off this year with a smile and start the next one off with a feeling of peace and happiness in your soul!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!



Thursday, April 28, 2011

Beautiful :)

 Been loving pininterest lately, and found this one that just felt oh so fitting in my life right now :)  Isn't it beautiful??? :)

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Don't fall off your chair :)

I scrapped!!!  Yup, it actually happened!!  And I enjoyed it ... but just like that the bug is gone again haha.

AND of all things I actually went with a yellow layout!  My least favourite colour, but I do like the layout :)  This is Katie and me on her very first day of school, she doesn't mind challenges and tackled the nerves of going to school without even blinking about it.  She was so keen to get there and see what her classroom looked like.  She loved getting all dressed up in her uniform and she smiled all the way through her day!  She is an absolute 'go-getter' in life and I know that that attitude is going to get her to reach her dreams one day!


Katie was doing some scrapping with me and got lost in her own layout!  She is always so proud of herself when she finishes her layout and i'm still in the process of shuffling papers.  She is a competitor, eveything is a competition here, even eating dinner is always noted by who finishes first.  Didn't she do an incredible job!!!!  She placed the layout next to my bed, standing upright against my bedside light, and when i went to bed that night my heart just absolutely glowed, she loves doing that, leaving me little 'suprises' of drawing and letters and things next to my bed for me to discover.  How much sweeter joys in life can you get than that!!!! :) :) :)


And just something beautiful from Melody Ross.  I'm focused on seeing and being thanful for the miracles in every single day!  Cause you know what, i'm lucky!  I have the most amazing family, the most amazing kids and some of the most incredible friends one could wish for.  Mix that together with the fact that beauty surround me every single day in simple things like nature and weather and colours ... lucky.  I might not have in all together all the time, but together with these people who love me .... together ... I have IT all ... lucky :)  And well ... I'll let the future suprise me with any extra little gifts it might chuck my way, until then .... life is beautiful and perfect in its imperfectness ... just the way it is.  Enjoy the quote, enjoy your week :)

Monday, April 11, 2011

Falling down ... but always getting back up :)

Well .... cough cough!  Thanks to those of you who keep emailing me; asking me if i'm okay.  To be honest, ever since my move to the Sunny Coast, I have been on a ride .... a rollercoaster ride ... not a fun one either. 

I keep tripping, stumbling or stumping my toes.  I feel like I keep going in circles, not finding the exit to creating a stable balanced contented life.  In about 2 months time I will have been on my own with my girls for almost 2 years!!  In some ways it feels like much longer, but in most ways it still feels like it just happened recently. 

We are doing well :)  We really are :)  Sunshine Coast is treating us well and the lifestyle here reminds me of so many miracles and delights every single day!  But sometimes little things make me hiccup.  Last week around 6pm'ish I was sitting on my couch, I heard a car drive by and glanced out the window.  I watched the car pull up to the house accross from us.  I watched as the husband/dad got out of the car.  Watched the front door fly open as his kids came running to meet him and saw as he walked up to his wife and gave her a kiss.  I miss that ....  so much ... I think there are some things in this situation you will never get around to being at peace with .... best to just not think about it and just keep on going ... but every so often I notice things that makes my heart ache, things that make me feel empty ... even though I am blessed in my life beyond belief.  Sometimes little things make me loose balance and sometimes it takes me a while to get up again.  I'm very hard on myself and when I struggle I get angry at myself for not coping better ... which doesn't really help in the long run cause all I do is manage to be dissapointed with myself when really i should be giving myself a bit of a break.  I had a gorgeous friend recently remind me that sometimes it is okay to fall down, to stumble and to just stay there for a little while, to just let the aches soak in, to just feel.  She shared this with me and I thought it was just beautiful :)  So I fell, but .... I got up, and am soooooooooo looking forward to everything life has in store for me ... for us :)  Life has been good lately, just gotta make sure it stays that way now :) Cause every day is a blessing and I want to make the most of it and be in the best place emotionally to enjoy everyday :)  Anyways here is that little poem for anyone having a hard time, for whatever reason

It’s okay to fall apart.

You don’t have to know the answers.

All those pieces you’ve been holding for so long while you raced around your life looking for the last roll of scotch tape, go ahead, let them fall.

Let them fall.

Every last piece.



It’s okay to scramble.

You don’t have to be calm now.

All those plans you’ve been stringing together like a macaroni necklace in kindergarten–

every last one is beautiful, so beautiful, so go ahead.

Keep grabbing at everything you ever wanted and always feared you’d never have.

Every last beautiful dream.



It’s okay to hope against hope.

This is not a time to be reasonable or rational.

Run, run as fast as you can against the tide that is crashing down now.

When the last wave sweeps over you

and every hope has been dashed

You will still be here, right here

and you will not be sorry you tried to make all your sorrows disappear.



It’s okay to cry.

Even if you are a man. Even if you are a mother. Even if you feel each tear

as an accusation against your strength, your resolve, your natural equilibrium.

Cry in the car. Cry in the shower.

Cry in bed when no one is listening or looking.

Cry when you kiss the kids goodbye for school.

Cry when you do the dishes.

Berate yourself for not being able to get it together

and then cry anyway.

How else will you know you lived, if not for these tears

reminding you were not made of metal, wood or steel

after all?



It’s okay to be lost.

Throw away the map. Leave the keys in the car.

Get out and walk.

Forget about everything you ever knew.

Crumple up those directions and move now from memory

The memory of your heart

The memory of your breath

The memory of that one time you laughed so hard you cried

The memory of that one kiss, the one that left you longing

to be loved for ever and ever.



At the end of your unraveling,

you will look down and see your own feet

that have carried you so, so far

and you will decide for once that it is okay

to sit down

to rest

to hold out your hands

to lift up your head

to open your heart

to the possibility that you were never alone after all

not for one minute



That Love was right there

in her terrible silence

not quite sure how to say it so you would believe her

that you were a thing of rare beauty on the earth

That She still has your macaroni necklace

That She’s been following you around,

making maps of all the places you’ve been lost,

so you’d know how to get back when the time came

to put it all to rest.



Go ahead, be disappointed.

Nothing turned out how you hoped.

Sit under a tree and tell me the whole of it

and I won’t say a word.

I won’t say a single word.



This is the secret nobody knows.

All these days Love carried my heart in her heart.

I was her favorite, even as I cried,

and now I am sitting under her tree

listening to you

the way she listened to me

while I swore she was never ever there.



It’s okay to feel lonely.

At the end of your wanderings

when there is no more scotch tape

and you can’t find your macaroni necklace of dreams anywhere

your heart will trace an unpredictable path

to this place and you will have just enough courage

to let Love tell you the terrible beautiful truth

of how loved you were

and how even now, at the end of everything

it’s not too late.



ANYWAYS, now that you all now where I've been haha, let's move on to other topics :)

This little girl of mine is turning TWO in two weeks time.  It blows me away how much she keeps changing and how fast she is learning.  Her vocab is starting to broaden out, her favourite words must be 'Yea' and 'Mine'.  Other words include, 'bottle', 'wata'(water), 'juice', 'car', 'raining', 'flowa'(flower), 'huggie', 'bye', 'hallo','doo-doos', 'toes, 'dog', 'cow', 'all fall down', 'ouchie', 'mum', 'katie', 'funny', 'see ya', 'bubba', 'toys', 'lily' ... i'll have to add more as i think of them haha.  She is a proper stubborn two year old, she doesn't understand the concept of sharing or not being allowed to have something she very obviously NEEEEEDS.  So tantrums we have, together with lots of tears, but overall she is an incredible sweet, love-a-bug, happy girl.

Just the other day we were blowing bubbles



And we were as happy as can be :)


But unfortunately mummy asked Lily to share, cause Katie wanted a turn blowing bubbles too


but in Lily's world everything is "MINE" and she told me 'MUMMY, MINE, MINE, MINE'



And the cying continued very loudly all the way through Katie's turn ... and then it was Lily's turn again .... so she was happy again.


That's life here by us, the extreme of extreme emotions of a 2 year old haha :)  Lucky she is adorable!!!

That's the news from me, look out soon cause I actually have a layout to share with you all !!!  So I'll update soon again, promise :) xx

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Power of One :)

Christmas was a gorgeous day!  We even had some beautiful sunshine to brighten the day.  I love the busyness of the day, the excitement that comes from kids, the wrapping paper that fills a floor :)  We had a gorgeous yummy lunch and some scrummy desserts.  It was just nice to hang out with all the family :)


And since then I have just been in complete and total laziness mode :)  It has been gooooood :)  I'll worry bout being busy again after new year, until then I'm recharging my batteries, spending some time thinking, doing lots of reading and just enjoying each day :)

I am still thinking bout my new years resolutions ... Have come up with ONE so far haha :)  Maybe it is just cause I'm so content with my life atm, but really I like challenges, it keep me going, keeps me motivated and on the go, so need to come up with some gooooood challenges for the new year :)  What are your new year resolutions??

Talking about One, I found this gorgeous poem on a gorgeous blog.  I thought it was beautiful, so simple, but keeping that in mind, would be a good positive way to start a new year.

The power of One...


One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true,
One life can make a difference,
You see, it's up to you!

:)

Two last shares before I go :)  This one was done ages ago for Stamp and Scrapbook Madness :)


And a card I have made for Websters Design Team Call :)

I am childfree for a few nights while the girls are visiting their grandparents, am enjoying time to just 'breathe' and be me, so am off to the world of reading and might even do some scrapping later tonight :)

The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance.

The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect,

as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life.

You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.

- Arnold Bennett
Laters Alligators :)  Don't forget to tell me what your new years resolutions are :)  Think I just thought of another one :)
 
xx









Monday, December 20, 2010

I've been thinking lots lately ...



You know it happens this time of the year.

Your brain ticking over, wondering if the year almost past was one well lived, wondering what all you want for the new year to come!

I'm a sucker for New Year goals, it gives me something to dream for, something to work for, something to aim for.  I did good this year past, I got every single goal except for one crossed off my list, it has been a hard year, but you know what; I did goooood and all in all, it was a gooood year! :)  I feel a sense of success and proudness knowing that I did so many things I wanted to do!

But now I'm starting to wonder what else I want to achieve, what else I want to learn, what else I want to challenge myself with.  I'm still thinking ... new years ain't here yet, I have time :)

 In the meantime, I'll just enjoy the beauty of xmas :) 

We have been busy busy here, with the move to the new house and setting up everything that goes with that.  But of course we found some time to just enjoy being a family while decorating the xmas tree ... or trying too, Lily decided that while she couldn't hang up the baubles, she could instead rip them from their base instead, but we got there, tree is up and looking pretty in pink and silver :)






On other news, I was very pleasantly suprised when I received my latest copy of Australian Scrapbook Ideas and saw a layout of mine on the FRONT COVER :)  I also have a 5 page article in there, with plenty of tips on taking better photos. So if you are keen to have some time to relax, go and buy the magazine and have a cup of tea.

Here is my page that is featured on the front page!  Seems like ages ago that that photo was taken, life was very different back then, think I was about 4 months pregnant with little Lily Belle.  Amazing how quickly life can change, treasure each day for you never know what tomorrow has in store for you :)



Well I really just came over to my poor abandoned blog to wish you all a
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Keep safe and enjoy the beauty of xmas!



Tuesday, October 19, 2010

House is under contract!



Well I'm over the moon excited as my house is under contract!!  Hopefully all will go well and the house sale will go though without any problems along the way.

Along with the sale, i'm busy trying to get rid of some things I'm not using as much. 

Let me know if you would like to purchase any of the following, payment through either paypal or direct deposit or cash on pickup.

SOLD - FOR SALE - CUTTLEBUG PLUS EMBOSSING MATS  - $80 plus actual postage costs to post.

Cuttlebug in really good condition.  The plates have been much loved, they are still the originals that came with the machine.  They have plenty of cut marks on them (which happens every time you use a diecut)  but they are not warped.  The one plate has had the front bit snap off (somebody was trying to get the 'sandwich' through the machine but it was tooooo thick), so the front bit is snapped off but it is still perfect to use, have been using it without any worries at all.  The extra embossing mats is for when you use any spellbinder shapes so that you can emboss with your little machine as well.



Here you can see the bottom of the 'c' plate that has snapped off.


Pickup of actual postage costs will apply.


FOR SALE:  CUTTLEBUG SWISS DOT EMBOSSING FOLDER - $6.50 plus $1.90 to post



FOR SALE - CUTTLEBUG DIE CUT AND EMBOSS - DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE - 3 x3" - $13 plus $1.90 postage



More to come, just got to work out what size the circle and scallop spellbinders are that i have ;)

Let me know if anyone is keen for any of these, otherwise I will send them to the Ebay slaughterhouse hehe :)

Monday, October 18, 2010



One of my favourite stages of toddler-hood is when they start saying some words.  I think it is the most adorable thing!  I love the way they over exaggerate the shape of their mouth to make the sounds!  It is all sooooo cute!



Lily is a CHATTERBOX, she has the longest, most complicated stories to tell.  I'm glad I don't have to talk like her cause it looks like super hard work to put all those letters next to each other that really never go together, but it is so cute!  And usually because she is a 'pointer' you can figure out what she is going on about by following the points of her fingers.



She is coming along really well with words, although I'm not doing a good job of keeping her words in one language, bit of English, a lot of Afrikaans, whoopsies.

* Mamma (she has this one perfected)
* Tatie-Lee (katie lee)
* Li-ly
* Ball
* Toe (which is afrikaans for close, think it is cause I'm always telling her to close drawers, cupboards etc etc.)
* bere (which is afrikaans for 'put it away')
*ou-PA (afrikaans for grandad)
* Pappa (afrikaans for daddy)
* Tikkie (grandparents dog name - she adores dogs)
* na-na (for either banana or for sweets and lollies)
* goo gil (good girl)

She also understand what I"m saying alot better now!

She is a serious mischief maker, on the trip to the Sunshine coast recently she figured out how to open the electric windows and she also opened up the door .... on the highway!!!!  My bad for not having the kiddie thingo on, but seriously, she is only 1 year and 5 months!  She is always running, she just about never walks.

And she is doing some awesome full on tantrums!



She knows where her noes is, but instead of pointing to it she squishes her nose up and sniffs hah!  She knows where her tummy is and is getting there with her ears.

Awesome stage!  Terribly busy but I love it!!!

:)

Friday, September 24, 2010

Class On Sunday




If you are in the vicinity of Hawthorne on Sunday, join me for a class?? :)  At Stamp and Scrapbook Madness :)

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Okay .... hold on to your chairs!



Yep I actually did CARDS, and enjoyed them tooo!!!  Not sure what happened there hehe, thought it might be good to start using my scraps instead of chucking them, aren't I a gooooood girl :)  All Fancy Pants themed just for good measure!






And in other news!  I'm still alive after my divorce court case .... barely but alive.  That was incredibly hard and incredibly painful.  Just gotta wait out the one month and one day till I get my divorce certificate now.

My house is in the market, if anyone is after a little house in Eagleby or an investment, I wanna sell!!! :)  Buy a new house that I can create some new fresh memories in :)  So here is hoping, the market is a bit dead at the moment, but one can only try.

New week!! Let's make it a goooooooood one!

''Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Designing with Fancy Pants



My latest Fancy Pants Designs layout!  Talking bout Fancy Pants, have you applied to be on their design team??  You would be crazy NOT TO!  Applications close today though, so hurry and apply, it is sooooo easy, what is there to loose??

Good luck ;)


Have a good wednesday!!  I have a date at the divorce courts in Brisbane!  Today is the day, BIG day, TOUGH day, HEART WRENCHING day!  But the last big hurdle!  Thursday = Fresh new start!!

But today??  Today I'm allowing myself to fall into a heap and just crying!  I think I'm allowed that much, i'll brush myself off tomorrow!  Wish me enough strength to get through the court case before loosing it ;)

xx
Jolene

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

And just like that ... she is FIVE!



 
And she is 5!



 
At 5 she:

 
  • Loves Kindy
  • Loves having friends
  • Loves playing boardgames
  • Can count to 20
  • Can kinda write her own name
  • Can recognise numbers
  • Can recognise alot of the alpha letters
  • TV shows she loves: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dora, Diego, Little Einsteins and Jungle Junction
  • Favourite colour is still Pink
  • Wearing size 6-7 clothes
  • Wearing size 12 shoes
  • Sleeps with a variety of soft toys which include a Mini Mouse, a Unicorn, a Pink Teddy bear and a tiger.
  • Goes to bed around 7:30 and usually sleeps till 7ish.
  • Likes staying busy, she gets bored easily 'Mummy what can I do????'
  • Loves to help, she doesn't care what it is, washing windows, cars, dishes, making food, she just wants to help.
  • Is super caring, looks after her mummy and her little sis.
  • She loves going to Sabbatschool
  • She loves going camping with her Daddy
I just can't believe she is 5, not long now and I will be doing the whole uniform thing booooohooooooo :(  But I am mega proud of who she is and how she copes with life!

Love you Katie-Lee!!!!!!

xx
Jolene