30 Pages in 30 Days. A project.

I'm not a 'scrapbooker', but I have made a couple of scrapbook albums in my time.  The paper and stickers and printed photographs kind of album, and the digital photo glossy printed book kind of album.

I'm not a 'scrapbooker' but I know a bit about this craft/memory keeping craze, it paid my salary for almost 12 years. But there was a time, not so long ago, when I never wanted to hear the word 'scrapbooking'. Ever. Again. You could say I was over it. Just a bit.

So no-one is more surprised than me, that in a moment of insanity, driving home from work yesterday, I decided to make a digital photo book of my recent (April this year) road trip through Victoria.  What can I say?  I think all the photo collages that I have seen on various blogs of late have inspired me to release my 'inner scrapbooker'.  Or maybe I've been away from the scene for long enough to feel I can dip my toe back in.  Or maybe I'm just mad.

Whatever.

But because I am the queen of procrastination, and I know that despite all good intentions creating my book would probably take longer than re-writing Gone with the Wind, I've decided to give myself a challenge. And make it public.  My previous project, an album for my baby son's 18th birthday, remains unfinished. He turned 21 three weeks ago. So you see what I'm up against!

Blogging about my new project isn't going to make it happen. I'm not that daft. I tried the 'public commitment to a challenge' thing once already. I jogged. Twice. Last year.  But let's not talk about that anymore.

Today is a new day.

My mission, is to create 30 Pages in 30 Days, commencing 1 July and have my completed digital photobook ready to print by the end of the month. I plan to share my pages, and my progress through regular blog posts (only if I'm winning). I took over 500 photos on this trip, so my preparations will include selecting the ones that will make it into my book.  Tonight!

I'm breaking into a sweat already...


Joining in with Grace and all the floggers for FYBF!

Blogopolis Metropolis

Like many other Lil' Aussie Bloggers I'm going to Nuffnang's Blogopolis this Saturday.  I'm swinging between excitement and terror. And giggles.  For some reason the name Blogopolis makes me want to giggle. It rhymes with Metropolis and reminds me of Superman.  Strange, I know. But surely I'm not the only person who thinks like that.  Hopefully.

I am excited to be attending my very first blogging conference. I've learned heaps in my 18 months of blogging, mostly learning through doing and watching and reading. I expect I'll learn heaps more at Blogopolis from all the fabulous presenters. Deciding which break out sessions to attend is tough though. But walking into a room full of people I don't know will be tougher.

Earlier this week I was horrified to realise that Blogopolis commences at 8am on Saturday.  8am people!  Saturday is my sleep-in day. Given I have at least 45 mins in travel time to get to the city from my home, it looks like I'll be up before the sun. On a Saturday! In Winter!

So I won't be arriving with perfectly blowdried hair and carefully applied make-up. No siree!  I'll be the lady hiding her bed hair under a big hat, while wiping the sleep from her eyes with one hand and juggling the biggest takeaway coffee money can buy with the other.

Oh, and my top probably won't match my bottom because Saturday is wash day and therefore my choice of clean, dry garments will be extremely limited, along with my vision at that ungodly hour on a Saturday morning!

If you see me, it is safe to approach and say hello. I might look strange, but I won't bite. I'll be too tired.

Wordless Wednesday: In Memory

Lisa-Jane
24 March 1964 - 27 June 2011

Thinking of you, darl.  xx

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday

Moving and cleaning go together, like peas and carrots

In a flurry of activity and topsy-turvy upheaval, my first-born moved out of home last week.  In the first stage he moved all of his possessions (as it seemed) into my loungeroom and set up camp, sleeping on the lounge.  God only knows why.

In the second stage he took a car load of 'stuff', shoved into boxes and black garbage bags down to his new home. Late in the evening, after work, when I was trying to sleep.  The next night it was his mattress, for which he enlisted the services of a mate with a ute, for a $20 fee.

On Saturday it was my turn to get involved. First I cleaned the room he vacated (he tells me he was going to come back to clean it - that's safe to say after I'd already done it!), I washed all the dirty clothes he left behind (so he didn't start out with a mountain of dirty washing!) and then we packed my car with clean clothes, and a few bits and pieces previously left behind. I finally got to see his new digs.  It's nice and I hope he'll be happy there, happy enough to not want to come back home!

Moving and cleaning go together. Like peas and carrots...

...so, on Sunday I tidied and cleaned the entire house. It's amazing the difference it makes to have one less person, and that person's stuff! Especially if it's the messy person.  He is the one who leaves a trail of his belongings from one end of the house to the other.  I think every family has one of those.

I cleaned every room, I even cleaned out the bathroom cabinet and washed mildew off the ceiling.  Ben got in on the act and cleaned out his room too. A serious clean. He moved everything out, vacuumed, bagged up things he doesn't need/wear and set his room up again. Clean.

This week we're clean, and tidy. For as long as it lasts!


Joining in with Jess and all the cool kids for...

The. Shortest. Day

For those of us in the southern hemisphere, yesterday was Winter Solstice. Yipee! I'd been looking forward to that day since March.

Every year I count down to Winter Solstice with greater anticipation than the count down to Christmas.

To me it's a milestone.  We're past the shortest day and on the way out the other side! We may still have two more months of Winter ahead of us, but from here on in we're getting more daylight in our days, once again.

I realise it may only be a few seconds each day, but every additional second gives me fresh hope for the end of Winter. Spring is on it's way.

The only good thing about Winter is snowboarding, and I get to do that in about five weeks! That's another 'count down'... 5, 4, 3...

Flying the coop, again!

Image source

My eldest son is moving out of home this weekend. Again.

He has moved out on two previous occasions, and moved back home again twice too. They say boys do that. I've been telling people that this time I am renovating his bedroom... into a bathroom. Just like that ad on TV.

This move is different though. He's moving out because he chooses to. He's almost 23 and all grown up. Most days.

The last two times he moved out because I asked him to. Back then he wasn't so grown up, and probably wasn't ready. I was. Both moves were necessary, and he was welcomed home when the time was right. Both times.

This move is a lot less stressful. At least for me. He is moving into a rental property with three friends so has had to view properties, complete lease agreement applications, organise bond money and pack up his room. At least he will pack. Probably on moving day.

I'm not sad to see him leave. In fact, I'm happy to see him start this next phase of his life. It is time. I'm not worried about him coping without mum to look after him. He managed ok before, when he was less of a grown up. I know he'll be fine, probably even flourish. That's what all parents hope for, don't they?

The question on everyone's lips is "Will he move back, a third time?"  I don't think so. Not unless he wants to sleep in the bathtub!

Home-made Pizza!

Home-made pizza is the bomb!  It is one of my favourite choices for easy dinners. Well, easiest dinners because if it ain't easy I don't cook it. Ever!

Some months ago I won a $10 Baker's Delight voucher in a giveaway from the lovely Miss Pink at The Mummy Autobiography. I love Baker's Delight, don't you? And I love winning, particularly because it very rarely happens. So thanks again, Miss Pink!

I knew I wanted to spend my voucher on pizza bases, because the Baker's Delight make the best pizza bases on this earth.  Better than any I could ever make myself. Of course making your own pizza bases defeats the purpose of the 'easiest' of easy dinners. Right?

Anyhow, last week I finally remembered to take my voucher with me to the shops, and I came home with a packet of two pizza bases, two loaves of bread and two blueberry and white chocolate scones (the best scones on this earth!) All up I spent about $3.  Nice!

In the space of a few minutes last Thursday evening I turned this...

Ready to dress

 Into this...

Ready to bake

And into this...

Ready to eat

And it was very good!

Do you have a favourite 'easiest' dinner?

Oh, and writing about it wasn't a condition of winning. I simply wanted to share my dinner with you.

Oh, the things I can do now I don't have to study!

Image source

In case you missed it, which if you've visited here before is completely unlikely because I've harped on about it almost as much as I did about this, I had my final uni exam on Wednesday. Yay!

Over the past 4.5 years I have attended classes part-time, while working full-time, to complete a Master of Business Administration.  And I'm not quite sure why, yet.

I've spent countless hours reading text books, researching, writing assignments and studying for exams.  Much of the rest of my life had faded into the background. Until now.

I'm finished with text books, classes and assignments.  Apart from the huge chunk of each week that I spend at work, my time is my own once again! I am excited, and relieved, to finally have time to do all these things that I haven't been able to do while sudying...

1. Clean my house, it hasn't been cleaned properly in 4 years. I'm telling you, that's a lot of dust behind the bedhead. I think that is a job for next week.
2. Finish my floor, it's been over 12 months since I pulled up tiles through my family room and hallway and the bare floorboards still have holes in them. It's cold in here!
3. Wash my car. After all the recent rain my car looks kind of clean, until you get up close and see the white paint is a shade of grey. Although I have to wait for the rain to stop.
4. Tidy my garden. It's a mess, and that's all I am going to say about that.
5. Paint my bedroom. Over four years ago I had a wardrobe built-in, and the cornice between it and the ceiling is still virgin plaster. Yep, it's been four years and it still doesn't even have undercoat!
6. Clean out my laundry. I have quite a large laundry, with lots of drawers and cupboards. It is wonderful, except it collects a lot of junk. Whenever we don't have a place to put something, it goes in the laundry. Not anymore.
7. Read the unread books on my bookshelf. I promised myself I would buy a Kindle (or other e-reader, recommendations are welcome) after I have read all the books on my bookshelf. I'll be reading for quite some time.
8. Join a gym, for the first time in my life. Next week.
9. Read the weekend newspapers. Every. Weekend.
10. Visit my hairdresser more than once every 6 months!  Today. I'm booked for a cut and colour.

I've finished studying, finally, just so I can keep myself busy with all this, and more!

What is on your 'to do' list?

Wordless Wednesday: Light reading

Some of the texts I've had to read over the past 4.5 years, no wonder my brain hurts!

Today I head off to uni for my final exam for my MBA. Lucky it's 'Wordless Wednesday' because I have few words. Except for the 1000s I will have to write during my Law & Management exam.  Let's just say I'm saving myself for that.

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys, and everyone else who is playing along, for Wordless Wednesday.

Avoidance

Over 4 1/2 years of part-time study I think the one thing I have perfected, above all else, is the art of avoidance.  It is amazing the lengths one will go to in an effort to avoid doing something one doesn't want to do.

This week sees welcomes the end of my course of study. Yay! So naturally I have been feeling a bit nostalgic, reflecting on the past few years and all I have endured learned. I think it started with this post, and more recently continued with this post.

How great is blogging?!  When I forget how much I have accomplished and feel like a total tool (which is often) I just have to flick back a few posts to remind myself how amaze-balls I really am!  If you are a blogger, you know what I am talking about. Anyways...

I've always been rather adept at procrastination, and the past few years have given me plenty of opportunity to further hone my skill. For example, some of the urgent things that I found I must do instead of research for assignments or study for exams are:

• Sweep the kitchen floor.  I just can't focus when there is dust and yesterday's cat food on the floor!
• Hang the washing. The cycle finished and the sun is shining. I have no choice. Really.
• Make a coffee. No excuse required.
• Call my mother. There is always something I need to talk to my mum about.
• Call my dad. Without a doubt I'll be on the phone at least twice as long as I would if I called mum.
• Blog. Write a post, read all the posts in my feed. I'm not fussy.
• Check Facebook. Every five minutes.
• Go to the bathroom.
• Make a coffee. Again.
• Go to the bathroom. Again.
• Pluck my eyebrows.
• Clean the bathroom.
• Clean out my inbox.
• Check Twitter. Check it again.
• Make a cup of tea.
• Make a sandwich. (A girl's got to eat.)
• Go for a walk.
• Check the letterbox.
• Weed the garden. (This sometimes happens when I go out to check the letterbox and get distracted.)
• Watch a movie.

If my final exam was on procrastination, I reckon I'd get a HD.

Linking up with Jess at Diary of a Stay at Home Mum for I Blog on Tuesdays

Grateful for an extra day

I love a long weekend, don't you?

I know not everyone has one this week, but much of Australia does. I also know that many people work weekends, and public holidays, I'm glad I'm not one of them.

But this weekend I'll be using my extra day off to study for my final uni exam. Final. As in FOREVER (or at least until I get bored and decide to study something else).

My exam is on Wednesday, so the Queen couldn't have picked a better time to have her birthday*, at least this year. Thanks queenie.

Do you have a holiday on Monday? How will you be celebrating the Queen's B'day?


Linking up with Maxabella and Kidspot for 52 weeks of grateful. Pop on over for a visit!



*I know tomorrow isn't really her birthday

Morning Madness

No, I didn't make these. Image from here

Mornings are hectic in my house. 

I know... I no longer have to prepare small children for school or day care. No dragging sleepy kids out of bed, no lunch boxes to pack (although I often do make lunches, because I'm a sucker), no school books to retrieve from under the bed.

And I don't have to go in search of missing socks or a misplaced shoe while screaming, "Get your act together, the bloody bus won't wait for you!"   I never did that. 

These days my boys can manage to wake up, get dressed and get themselves off to work. On time. Most days. But here's the problem...


Three adults, one bathroom, three trains and two cars to transport said adults to said trains.

Someone is always in the bathroom when someone has to brush their teeth or hair, and someone always has to drive someone to the train station before they themselves are ready to leave. That someone is mostly me. I can often be found in my car in the train station carpark at 7:20am, applying my makeup.

The kitchen is a crowded hub of activity during the morning peek. Three adults, sandwich wrapping, breakfast scoffing and coffee gulping (mostly me). Lucky we have a big kitchen, but there never seems to be enough bench space, especially around the toaster and the coffee machine!   

I find myself wondering if it will ever get any easier...   And yes, it will. Soon.

Someone is moving out in 2 weeks, so morning rush hour will involve two adults, two trains and two cars. But I'll still only have one bathroom!

Wordless Wednesday: The birthday wrap up

Balloons to fill my car

Baking

Cupcakes

A moment in time

The Master

This is my final post about The Birthday - I promise!

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday

The end of an era - no more birthday parties

Ben (Jedi Knight) and some of his cupcakes

In case you missed it, my baby son turned 21 at the end of last week. The weekend involved lunch with the extended family, a 'space' party to celebrate with his mates, a fabulous slideshow, and cupcakes. Lot's of cupcakes.

In a moment of insanity I decided that cupcakes for 60 guests would make a great birthday cake. They are easy to serve, easy for 'kids' to eat (while balancing a bevvie with the other hand) and are just the right size. Further to my insanity, I decided to make said cupcakes myself. Never. Again. I spent Sunday morning cleaning up the mess I had left in my kitchen. (Although despite a couple of near-disasters, the cupcakes were a hit!)

It was a lovely weekend. I enjoyed catching up with my former in-laws, who I hadn't seen since my eldest son's 21st 18 months ago. It was lovely to see my mum, dad and brothers together in one place. That hasn't happened since by eldest son's 21st either!

But I think it's going to take me a while to get used to the fact that my baby is 21. Already.

All in all, the weekend went by in a whirl and I think the guests at both events had a great time. I know the birthday boy did. He spent half of Sunday getting over it.

And now the curtain is drawn on birthday parties for my kids. My job is done. Maybe. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Linking up with Jess at Diary of a SAHM for

For Ben, on his 21st birthday

Birthday Boy!

I know you know that I love you, I just haven't said it in a while. Somehow, as you grew older, the words "I love you" became infrequent. Perhaps in the busyness of life, we neglect the simple things that matter most. Or maybe it's just that you're not a little boy anymore. Either way, I know I don't say it often enough.

I love you, and I am so proud of the man you have become. I love your funny faces, your sense of humour can brighten the toughest day. I love your kind heart, you will do anything for the people you love. I love that you are so responsible. Most of the time. I love your generosity, you share without expectation of return. I love to see you smile. Happy kids = happy mum, regardless of your age.

It's hard to believe 21 years have gone by since I first held you in my arms, and yet at times it seems so long ago. A lifetime. Back then I was younger than you are now. Isn't that a scary thought! I can truthfully say that it's been a pleasure to be your mum, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I will always be thankful for you and the joy your life has brought me.

And as you launch into your adult life, there are a few things I want you to remember:

• Always be persistent, never give up. You have to go after what you want in life. It won't just come to you.
• Always be honest. Nothing good comes of lies, they just come back to bite you.
• Keep calm, and be in control. Every situation will be easier when you maintain your self-control.
• Know when to say no. You don't always have to say yes, be prepared to walk away if necessary.
• Be true to yourself. Don't try to be someone or something you are not. The real you is the best you. Always remember that.
• Never be afraid to take a (calculated) risk. If you never try, you'll never know.
• Never stop learning and growing. It's what you learn after you know it all that counts (I 'borrowed' that from Harry Truman)
• Always be kind to women/girls. Remember that every woman is somebodies daughter/sister/mother and they all deserve your respect, even those who don't appear to respect themselves. Especially them.
• Don't take yourself too seriously.  Laugh at yourself, and others will laugh with you. Or maybe at you, but who cares?

And lastly, you will always be my baby. Whether you like it or not.

Happy Birthday Ben! Have a fabulous 21st birthday weekend.

Love always,

Mum xx

P.S.  I'm still sorry for the time that you rang me from the hospital with a broken jaw and I didn't believe you.