It's been a long time coming, but I've finally scanned some of the layouts I completed at our last Get Scrapped Getaway, which was over the Anzac Day long weekend.

First, a year in review layout for 2009...
next, a layout of sweet Charlie...

then, one for the photos I took while on North Stradbroke with the Dodd's...

since I was sick for the majority of the weekend, when I did get around to finishing these layouts at home, I took advantage of a few things in my stash.  One of these was the title for the next layout, which I've had for ages, and this was the perfect use...

and finally (for this post), my favourite layout of the weekend.  It's quite different to what Caitie had in mind, but when I had all these photos together, I was sparked with inspiration for a title page for my 'Animals We Love' album...

Hopefully I will get to finish the remaining layouts, and have them scanned for next week.  Until then, happy scrapping.

The inspiration for this recipe comes courtesy of the Heavenly Tiramisu site.  My sister has been making this for years, and it is delish.  Don't bother making it if you are watching your calories, or don't like making a mess in your kitchen.  If neither worries you, then go right ahead.


I had to poach a photo from the web, since it was gone way too quickly to take a photo of the one I made.

You can check out the recipe [here].

a few things that have caught my eye this week:

This post from sfgirlbybay showcasing dog images using a kodak duaflex camera.  Never heard of this type of camera before, but I love the grainy images it has produced.


Why have I never heard of a National Stationary Show?  Sure it's in America, but how cool is that.  I could definitely spend a few days checking out this stuff.  DesignGuide has had a few feature posts on the show. 


A great use of die cuts on this card, from {capture the moment}.


These cool blackboard-look canvases from DesignAglow.


Kristina Werner always makes the nicest cards, and I would love to try the idea behind this window card for myself.


and finally This post from mnmlist.com, which reminds me of one of Grandma's favorite sayings "God grant me the courage to change the things I can, patience to bear the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference".

Caitie has just unveiled some very exciting news on her blog.  Not only is she enjoying the sights and sounds of Europe, but she's coming home with one beautiful rock...


Congratulations guys.  I am so happy for the two of you.

It's been a while since I've done any review at all, but it's also been a long while since we've been to the movies.  So, with that in mind, I thought I would review Iron Man 2.

If you're not into the boy-themed, action hero stuff, then the title alone is going to turn you off.  But if there is only a sliver of doubt in your mind, I strongly suggest you check it out.  Other than the superhero stuff, Robert Downey Jnr is brilliant.  His Iron Man character is witty, buff, and downright funny.

This time around Mickey Rourke plays the bad guy, and very believably I might add.  The amount of plastic surgery that guy has had constantly amazes me.  Sometimes you're worried that his face might actually fall off.

Gwenyth Paltrow returns as Iron Mans assistant, Pepper Potts.  She is great, and her hair (even if it is a wig), is fantastic.  This time, Scarlett Johanson also appears, but I won't go too much into her character, just in case you are going to watch it.  The director, Jon Favreau, also had more of a role, as Tony Stark & Pepper Pott's bodyguard/chauffer.

My only disappointment with the movie is the replacement of the actor for Colonel James Rhodes.  Last time it was Terrence Howard, who has been replaced with Don Cheadle.  While he did an ok job, I much preferred the original actor.

If you do go and see it, make sure you stay until the end of the credits.  Like the first movie, there is a clip which alludes to another movie to come...

Star Rating :: 4.5 out of 5

1.  We celebrated our anniversary by going to see Iron Man 2 (romantic? yes I know).  Great movie.  I love all of those superhero action movies, and Robert Downey Jnr was brilliant (again) as the lead in this one.  If you go, make sure you stay until the end of the credits.  All evidence points towards another movie to come.

2.  For dad's birthday I headed over to the parents' van for a homecooked meal of chicken schnitzel, and this amazing bacon bread that mum makes, followed by grandma's caramel tart.  Mmmmm so good.

3.  All this great food, combined with a lot of inactivity, has meant little progress on the running front.  I have to pick up my act, especially with the 5km corporate run at the marina in less than 2 weeks.

4.  Dad is releasing another album shortly, and mum asked me to do a photo shoot for the cover.  The idea is to use images of his favourite guitar on the outside cover, and the cd itself.  I took the opportunity for some practice at different types of shots and I'm pretty happy with how they've turned out.  Final images for the album are yet to be sorted out, but there should be something useable amongst the ones taken.

5.  I've been appreciating a good red wine lately.  Must be the cold weather.  This is also not helping with Number 3 above.

6.  After lunching with Bev at Satchmos the other week, Emma was keen to head out there for a coffee and some churros.  Kirsty joined us for our version of a Sunday session.  Angus came too, so the camera came out for a bit.
This is my favourite of the batch.  It just screams "what you looking at".

7.  The scrapping bug has bit me again.  Expect to see a post of completed layouts coming this way shortly.

8.  I saw an ad that had True Blood Season 3 starting on HBO mid-June.  Yet to find out what that means for Australia.  Waiting sucks... (get it).


9.  Speaking of True Blood, I received my long-awaited final birthday present from Jason.  He ordered a t-shirt online which has a pair of collie dogs on it, and the line "Can you spot the shapeshifter".  If you don't get it, then I suppose you're not a True Blood or Sookie Stackhouse fan.  Needless to say I am, and I love the shirt.


10.  Planning the USA trip has begun.  I now have a huge map on the wall above the computer, with sticky arrows stuck on the major cities we want to visit.  Now on to the detail...

Guess who's going to see this cutie, and guess who has VIP tickets...


...yes, you're right, its ME! (and my sister).  Can't wait for February.

1.  Today is our 8th wedding anniversary.  Happy Anniversary babe.  I'm looking forward to many more to come.



2.  Relay for Life was on Saturday night.  Our team was the Aurecon team, again, but probably for the last time.  The majority of the team's members don't even work for them anymore.  Looking back to the first time we relayed (approx. 5 years ago), we were a lot more relaxed.  No more walking rosters.  We enjoyed wine and cheese, walked a minimal number of laps (my count was a dismal 6), and left before midnight.  We figure the important part is the fundraising.  All the money hasn't been totalled yet, but we think we've done alright.

3.  The reason for the early night from the Relay, was three members of our team were in a team triathlon on Sunday morning.  Leah, Allie and I were supposed to be as well, but our swimmer decided to swim for the boys team, when theirs pulled out.  Not that I was upset in the slightest, to not be able to run the 5km Mt Basset course.  The boys did great, and the annual memorial event had a really supportive atmosphere.  Maybe next year, the girls will challenge the boys.  If only we could find a swimmer...

4.  Wine the night before, and the big breakfast on Sunday morning (eggs bene at Traffic) took their toll by Sunday afternoon, and I had no choice but to snooze on the couch.  This meant, that my long to-do list, remained quite long after the weekend.

5.  I caught up with Bev for a beautful lunch at the local tapas bar on Friday.  Beautiful food (can't beat churros), great company, and glorious weather.  Just can't top that.


6.  Broncos won again!  I can't believe it.  To top it off, the Roosters lost.  This is the second weekend in a row (for both).  Fingers crossed this form continues for many weeks to come.


7.  Congratulations to our friends Adam and Carlia who have announced their engagement, and are due to be married in April next year.  Looks like we are off to the Hunter Valley, before flying out on our America/Canada trip.

8.  Dad's birthday today (as well as our anniversary).  Happy Birthday Dad.  Looking forward to dinner in the van tonight (including Grandma's caramel tart...)

9.  Leah and I got together again for our own version of a boot camp session.  We pummelled ourselves (as Jason would say), with beach sprinting, pushups, hovers, and lunges.  Unfortunately we forgot that the actual boot camp meets down the beach on Saturdays, so they were treated to watching the end of our session.


10.  Currently reading the next installment in the Bernie and Chet Mystery series by Spencer Quinn, called "Thereby Hangs a Tail".  Written from the mind of the dog Chet, it is seriously funny, and clever, and a must read for dog lovers.  I am really enjoying it and I'll write a review once I'm finished.

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts.  Going through my starred items in Google Reader, I realise it's been a very long while.  Here's a few things that have caught my eye of late:



Everyone seems to have done Ali Edwards' "Week in the Life" project.  No one, in my opinion, does it as well as Ali herself.  Check out her completed album here.


I'm not usually a fan of orange, but I do love this workspace's use of orange, grey and white.  It's the office of a Michelle Carr Photography, and you can check out photos of their amazing premises here. 



Ella publishing has released a new digital guide for tricks with text.  This layout (by Sara Winnick) was featured on their blog.




I would love one of these machines.  Cheeky Kitchen did a feature on her blog.  Oh how I love icecream sandwiches...




Cathy Zielske is always inspiring to me.  I especially like the way she incorporates her weight/fitness goals into her blog.


If I had the opportunity to 'do-over' my wedding, I would steal almost all the details from this wedding.  Classic black for all attendants, amazing red details, and are you kidding me those beautiful red shoes...




and finally, I really would like one of these.  Actually I saw that Spotlight sell them now, so I may have to pay them a visit.

1.  I am loving the new little chill to the air first thing in the morning.  And the sunny days have been glorious.  I've been tempted not to go back to work after walking around town at lunch.  Autumn and winter may actually be on their way.

2.  My work mates are obsessed with Survivor.  Most Wednesdays are taken up with a deconstruction of the previous nights' events.  While I do like the show (if and when I watch it), I don't really get the obsession.


3.  It wasn't until this year that I found out I share by birthday with 'International Star Wars Day'.  There really is a 'day' for everything isn't there.


4.  A pair of kookaburras continue to battle with their mirror images on the balcony at work.  One morning this week when I had gone in very early, I was treated to the two of them 'laughing' their hearts out while sitting on the railing.  It was pretty cool, but I couldn't help but wonder if they were laughing at me, having to be at work, while they were out enjoying the fabulous weather.

5.  I usually flex-off on Friday afternoons at lunch time.  Due to having a fair bit of time off lately, I decided to work all of Friday.  Well, it damn well near killed me.


6.  My cousin's daughter, Lilly, turned 1 this week, and of course there was a birthday party.  The theme was 'fairies', and the cake (made by my cousin's mother-in-law) was fantastic.  It's always such a shame that cakes like that have to be cut and eaten.  After the cake. lemonade and Grandma's marshmallow cookies, I'm pretty sure I was on a major sugar high.

Lilly was spoilt with presents. We gave her this awesome board book called 'Dog'.  It's probably more for when she's a bit older, but I couldn't resist buying it.


7.  For Mother's Day, we invited mum, dad and grandma over for one of our famous cooked breakfasts.  This is probably the fifth or sixth time we've done it, and I probably enjoy having people over for breakfast more-so than dinner.  Mum and Dad got to see the few changes we've made around the house, in regard to furniture and appliances (ie new fridge), and Mum loved the new craft room.  Especially because this means she has room to actually use the large format printer now for dad's cd covers.



8.  On Sunday night Jason and I went to see Diesel at a local club.  He was brilliant.  We were front and centre for the majority of the concert, which was a mix of originals, and covers inspired by Otis Redding, Neil Young and Hendrix.  I ended up buying a live dvd so I could relive the experience at home (possibly while doing the housework).  The support act, Kim Churchill, was pretty amazing too.  He's a surfer from south-east New South Wales, who writes his own material, and is able to play a gazillion different instruments at once.  For the majority of the songs, he was playing guitar, singing, playing harmonica, and using two different bass drums with each of his feet.  The beats and flow of his music are quite different and original.  I ended up buying one of his cds, also.  Since he was standing near his cds, I asked him to sign my copy.  He was a bit taken aback at first then thought it was pretty cool.  It started a bit of a rush for him, actually, when everyone then started asking for signatures.

9.  I was pleasantly suprised to receive a bunch of flowers from my hubby yesterday, when he picked me up from work.  It happens so rarely, that I had to mention it here.

10.  Back running this week, and it feels good.

I haven't posted any recipes of late, mainly because I haven't really tried anything new for a while.  This recipe caught my eye, in one of the latest issues of Notebook magazine, and I decided to give it a go last weekend.  It is really yummy, and the bonus is that is freezable, which means it will make it into my lunches rotation.

Go here for a PDF copy of my recipe card.

I have been waiting for the release of Basic Grey's new Max & Whiskers line for ages, and my parcel of goodies arrived this week.  I also ordered some of (ok, a lot of) their Basics line.  Love, love, love all of it.

So I finally got my butt into gear and took some 'after' photos of my studio revitalisation project [check out the 'before' photos here].  My excuse is that I've actually been using it.  So the results are pretty good.  Here's the proof:

...and a final photo of the inside of the wardrobe, where I installed some Elfa shelving, which has become the new home of my Clip-It-Up.

A while ago Ali Edwards showed a collage frame she made using a butterfly punch and some random papers [check it out here].  Inspired, I made one for myself using a dragonfly punch [check it out here], and it is proudly hung in my main bathroom.

My sister-in-law, Linda, has commented a number of times, saying how much she loves it, so I decided to make one for her, for her birthday.  They have just moved into a brand new house with a black, white & red colour scheme throughout.  With this in mind, I made:

I bought the frame, with double matt board from Target, but I'm a little disappointed with the obvious marks on the bottom of the frame.  In future, I will have to be a little more careful in my choice of frame.
 

Are there somedays when you feel like this...


I think I need a bit of an attitude adjustment today.  Waking early, not going for a run, and starting work early has got me off on the wrong foot.

A little while ago I read a blog post where the author had decided to compile a list of things that they would like to have done prior to their next birthday.  I think it might have been Kelly Purdy, but for the life of me I can't find the post [Edited : found her recap post here].  Anyhoo, I've decided to do a similar thing.  After turning 32 yesterday, I've decided to compile a list of 33 things I would like to have done by the time I turn 33 next May.  I have tried to make them realistic, but at the same time, a little challenging.

1.  Read 33 books [fiction or non-fiction, and includes re-reads of Twilight series]
2.  Travelled around USA/Canada [or in the process of]
3.  Keep my workspaces clean & tidy [at work, craft room, home office]
4.  Complete our tax returns before August [sick of doing this the day before they're due]
5.  Exercise a minimum of 30min each day [even if it means playing on the wii]
6.  Attend 33 boot camp/boxercise/strength training classes
7.  Complete 33 layouts
8.  Submit at least one photo for competitions at monthly Photo Club meeting
9.  Develop a budget plan for the new financial year (and stick to it)
10.  Donate or raise over $500 for charities [Relay for Life, RSPCA, Leukemia foundation, etc]
11.  Complete a 5km race [already scheduled for 6th June]
12.  Be under the 65kg mark
13.  Try to practice a little meditation/yoga every day
14.  Compile a digital album for 2009 and 2010
15.  Complete the Great Whitsunday Walk in the 6 hour cut-off
16.  Spend a minimum of 4 hours each week keeping the house clean
17.  Go on 33 photography-specific outings
18.  Go on 3 mini-breaks [already one planned for June, in Melbourne]
19.  Ride to and from work twice per week
20.  Cook 33 new meals [just call me masterchef]
21.  Complete an on-line course to learn more about Adobe Illustrator
22.  Declutter each room in the house [in process of]
23.  Send out Christmas cards/postcards
24.  Post 33 blog posts
25.  Play a little guitar hero/wii every week [something I enjoy but always feel too busy]
26.  Complete a 10km race
27.  Complete my childhood album
28.  Complete the gift albums I've promised [one of my new year resolutions]
29.  Keep a gratitude journal [an app I've downloaded on the iPhone will make this easier]
30.  Build up to my weekly long run being over 21km [this will be tough]
31.  Take the stairs at work (and not the lift)
32.  Go on 33 date nights with Jason
33.  Practice patience and consistency on a daily basis

Whew!  That is one long list.  I'm going to print out the list for inclusion on my inspiration board, as a daily reminder of what I would like to achieve.  I might even post quarterly updates on my progress to keep me accountable.

1.  Mum and Dad are back from their latest grey nomad wanderings around the country.

2.  I have tried to stretch my birthday out as far as possible.  The plan was to have a 'birthday week' starting on Friday (inspired by my sister-in-law Karen).  But still feeling off- colour from being sick earlier in the week, things didn't go as planned.


3.  Leah, Allie and I went to the "Old Bags Lunch" organised by Variety Club at the MECC.  It was a great lunch, with awesome food, goodie bags, a photo booth (which we took full advantage of), and the ability to purchase handbags.  Can't get much better than that.  I went home with three new beautiful bags. 

4.  My birthday officially started with morning tea at Emma's place.  I made choc-pineapple muffins, Emma supplied the candles, and Charlie sang me Happy Birthday.  According to Charlie I needed 'heaps' of candles.  Way to make a girl feel old.


5.  Since Jason was going to aikido on my actual birthday, we decided to celebrate a day early and go out for tea.  The only problem was that everywhere was closed, given it was a Monday, and a public holiday.  Our options were Cactus and Montezumas, so we went to Cactus.  Definitely not my favourite meal of the week.  Don't get me started on the cosmopolitan I had, which I'm pretty sure was made on red cordial, and not cranberry juice.

6.  For my actual birthday, I celebrated with a girls-only lunch at Hogs Breath (much to dad, and Frank's disgust), followed by Baskins (of course), and then dinner at Mum and Dad's van.  All that food did not sit that well with me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

7.  Due to being so ill, I worked only a day and a half all of last week.  Can't say I was disappointed with that effort.  It did mean I also missed out on attending my nephew's confirmation.  I'm hoping that this run of sickness is over, well and truly.

8.  The long weekend did give me plenty of opportunity for scrapbooking, and I had no excuse with my beautiful and inspiring craft room.  So, I worked on (and finished) some of the layouts from our Getaway the previous weekend.  I only have three of the layouts to finish, and then I'll scan and blog them.

9.  Our house is in a little disrepair, and I seriously need to get some cleaning done.

10.  I made these brownies to share with my co-workers on my birthday.  They are sooooo good.

April 2010 in review

Books and/or magazines I read:

• "Grave Secret" by Charlaine Harris
• "Asking for Trouble" by Elizabeth Young
• "Guilty Pleasures" by Laurell K Hamilton 

Movies, television shows, plays, etc I watched:

• Greys Anatomy
• The Biggest Loser (the finale was awesome)
• MasterChef
• Castle

Fun things did I do with family and/or friends:

• Karen's birthday dinner at Montezumas
• Good Friday breakfast with the Dodds, Gordons, and Roberts
• Linda's birthday dinner at The Austral
• Stayed with Tamie & Daniel in Toowoomba
• Cuddles with Mel & Sam's new baby, Joshua
• Lunch with Aunty Karen at Waggamamas in the mall
• Dinner with Bryde & Matt at their place
• Dinner at a vietnamese restaurant with Rob & Dian
• The Get Scrapped Getaway (even if I could only attend half)
• Variety Club's 'Old Bags Lunch' with Leah and Allie

Best meal or food eaten in the past month:

• Best meal would have to be the dinner at Viet de Lites with Rob & Dian.  Specifically the satay chicken, which I think is the best I've ever had.
• Best steak I think I ever had was a porterhouse at The Austral
• The catering at the Old Bags Lunch was pretty good too

Gifts I gave and/or received:

• I bought my birthday present early, and used it early.  It's a Garmin Forerunner GPS watch that I can use for running.  It can tell me pace, heart rate, elevation, and even what time sunrise is!

Special or unusual purchases I made:

• I made my sister-in-law Linda a heart collage, similar to a dragonfly one I did for myself a couple of years ago
• Reed loved his Thomas the Tank Engine viewfinder.  So retro, but it was a winner

The most challenging thing I did:

• Chopped my hair (but chickened out, and only took off a little of the length), and regretted cutting any off
• Travelling on planes and buses (in Brisbane) is always challenging for me

Something I learned or tried for the first time:

• Leah and I conducted our own boot camp.  Given the muscles soreness for the next couple of days, I think we were extremely successful in replicating Damien's training methods

Anything else noteworthy:

• Attended dawn service on Anzac Day

One thing I would like to repeat:

• Cuddles with Fletcher and Josh

Something I’d prefer to erase:

• Being sick with the flu all Easter weekend, and then sick with some sort of stomach bug Anzac Day weekend

Training summary:

• Starting weight :: 75.9kg
• Ending weight :: 75.4kg (loss of 0.5)
• Total centimeters lost :: -3cm
• Total number of training sessions :: 6 (definitely not good)
• for a Total distance of :: 21km
• and a Total time of :: 3 hours, 52 minutes

Things to aim for next month:

• Training for 5km race
• Declutter laundry and the wardrobe in the second spare room
• Finish one of my gift albums
• Practice photography, by going on some quick outings
• Finish the layouts from the Get Scrapped Getaway, and post on this blog
• Raise/donate more than $250 for Relay for Life

Favorite photo:

• This month is noticeable devoid of photos being taken (at least with my good camera), so I have to include one I took on my iPhone at the dawn service

 

I haven't done a weigh-in post for a couple of weeks, and it's hard to believe I'm at the end of Week 12 already.  So for this post I thought I would recap as to how far I've come in those 12 weeks.

Total weight lost = 4.9kg (so tantalisingly off the 5kg mark)
Total centimetres lost =36cm

No. of training sessions completed =56
Total distance covered =161km
Total time spent training =38 hrs 35 min

My goals for the next 12 weeks include:

• running a 5km race
• training for a 10km race
• losing more than 5kg

Probably my biggest change so far has been a mental one.  I am a lot more focused on consistency, rather than adopting an 'all or nothing' approach.  And I think in the long run, this will be a very good thing.

OK, so this book was different to what I expected.  I was probably foolish to expect anything like the Twilight series, or even the Sookie Stackhouse series, just because the general theme is vampires.  This book is a vampire (and all things supernatural) novel, but that is where any similarities end.

Anita Blake, the main character, is in fact, a vampire hunter (for the police), and an animator.  Don't know what an animator is?  Well, as it turns out, it is someone who can raise people from the dead.  That right there told me this was going to be a little more supernatural than I usually like.  But I do really like the Anita character.  She is brave, independent and plucky, whilst at the same time admitting to her fears and weaknesses.

The story finds Anita trying to help the police and the vampire community (who have gone public), find a serial vampire killer.  At the same time she is trying to protect herself from the vampire master who is trying to kill her.  The mystery part of the story is really quite good.

This is the first book of a series of 18 (to date) written by Laurell K. Hamilton.  While it wasn't as good as I had anticipated, I have been told that they get better, and I already have the next two in hand.  I'll see how they go.

Star Rating :: 2.5 out of 5

If you would like to purchase my copy (or a brand new copy) from Fishpond, you can check it out here.