Ros Davidson, Independent Stampin' Up!® demonstrator, Melbourne, Australia

Magazine and workshops...

I got a new magazine on Wednesday, well I already had this copy (as I brought it at the newsagency). But look at the state it is in when I received it. It wasn’t even encased in plastic. I e-mailed the company and I hope they do something about it. I don’t pay good money for a subscription to be treated like dirt, just because I am in Australia. Edited to add: still waiting on hearing from the mag. company

Last night I had my doodling workshop with Karen Ridgeway http://paperfantastic.blogspot.com/ and it is way easier than it looks. My page isn't finished yet, I have some hand sewing and beading to work on still. Hopefully, I will get it done today but I don't like my chances of taking a photo of it till tomorrow. Edited to add: Layout all finished now and I am late for work... Opps

I have a full day of stocktaking today (does anyone else know how painful it is to count hardware like, nuts, bolts and screws? Each individual tiny little one! God, it sucks. I hate stocktake.)

On a positive note to the end of the day I have my Emily Falconbridge class at www.bluebazaar.com.au tonight. Going to be yet another late one for me. The class runs from 9 - 11pm... After getting up at 5.45am to the kids this morning, uhhh I will be a little tired and cranky. Good thing it is an online class.

It is a week of firsts for Miss Nikki. First it was pooh on the toilet and wearing big girl undies sometimes but not it is a big girl bed! She had been crying after finishing her milk the last couple of days and we couldn't figure out why. She is really good settling and going to sleep. Yesterday she went to the bed and wanted to hop in and when I asked her she said "yup" in true Nikki fashion. Not one to do things by halves she now has 2 beds in her room (compared to a bed and a cot) and Drew is in the cot in Josh's room. Drew slept well in his big cot (was in a porter cot in our room) so great progress happening here this week.

Gotta go to work but going to sneak in 10 minutes of scrapbooking!

See ya!
Ros

P.S. How could I forget, I got Krispy Kremes! Nat got them yesterday on the way home from work... So yummy and I think I like the normal ones best so far. Haven't tried many of the assorted pack Nat brought but have screwed my nose up at a lot of them.

Lurkers...

Just found out that some of my high school friends check my blog out. Leave a comment guys so I can acknowledge you instead of lurking and me having no idea… Same goes for those of you that aren’t my high school friends.

Josh just ran into the study and said “I show your freendz mummy… Come on, I show you!”
He took me to the table in the kitchen where I have some scrapping stuff and said “look mum, your freendz”

How cute that he recognises my high school ‘freendz’ and that he has to show me… LOL, on Sunday he asked me if my ‘freendz’ were coming again? I think he had fun, especially being allowed to stay up till late when Nikki and Drew were in bed.

I went to Scraptacular today and the thing I went there for (it was behind the counter for me) I forgot to pick up! I even looked at the item in the store and said to myself, mine is behind the counter! How dopey am I? I didn’t realise until I was on the freeway home (which is more than half way home) so I called them up and they are going to post it out (express) as I need it for Karen Ridgeway’s doodling class tomorrow night. I checked out Robyn’s album whilst she was there and it is amazing. So much work put into it. It looks absolutely awesome!

I am finished my single for the masters today. Like it much better than my monogram. Might have a think about it (monogram) some more. Need to get started on my BTP. Picked up some things for it today whilst running errands. Nothing beats doing that alone without kids whining!

Hopefully my boys sleep better tonight. Drew didn’t settle until 9.45pm last night after falling asleep in my arms 6 times but waking up every time I put him in the cot. Josh wouldn’t stay in bed and I let him fall asleep in my bed because it was hard dealing with boys on my own.

Big news, well for me. I think Miss Nikki is ready for toilet training (unfortunately it is winter!) She did a pooh on the toilet this morning and then a wee tonight when she was wearing her big girl knickers (she was so proud to be a big girl!) All day at childcare apparently she spent a fair portion of it watching the kids sitting on the toilet.

Drewie is asleep right now, he fell asleep sitting up in the kitchen on the tiled floor. LOL, was quite funning watching him rock forward and backwards. I would have taken a photo of him (and Nikki in her big girl undies) but Nat took the camera to work tonight.

Cheers,
Ros

Random bits and pieces

I just ordered a mini iron (Heidi Swapp) at SAM. I hope I get it and they aren't sold out by the time my order is processed. I sooo need it so I won't burn my iron ons again (that is what I am telling myself anyway!) I am guessing it won't heat up as much either compared to my normal iron.

Progress is going good on my masters (well today anyway). I have finished my monogram and am about to start working on the single once all the kiddies are asleep. Photos for the double were posted yesterday or today so hopefully they will arrive tomorrow.

Going to get a white gel pen in the morning for my class on Thursday night. Can't doodle without it. I have a white gel pen, but it is crappy. Stop start stop start. Get the picture?

My Emily Falconbridge class has been moved from Wednesday to Friday night, good but bad. Means I have more time to shop and scrap tomorrow with no kids, but means I will be up late after stocktake doing a class. Runs from 9-11pm! Two classes, two nights in a row. I asked Nat for permission before having to re-book. Not 100% happy (Nat) but it is not like I would be watching Lost or 24 with him anyway.

Worked today for a small amount of time, left early to come home and sleep. The boys were up playing at 4.30am. What is wrong with their body clocks?? I also had a huge headache that didn't go away until 4pm and didn't want it to turn into a migrane (sp.) especially with Nat starting night shift tonight.

Cheers,
Ros.

P.S Congrats to Robyn Kyle for her A-Z winning entry. Awesome work and Sarah always did say her work was a winner.

P.P.S Sarah, are you physic? LOL... Predict the masters winners please so I know whether to bother or not! LOL!

Update...

Just ordered some pics online for my masters double entry. Managed to do something with the photos. Hope it works when I actaully get it all happening. Did a test run but pics too small. Damm A4 printer!

Thought I would update with a cheerier (sp.) post.

Ros

A nite with friends....

Dot points post... Too tired to write properly!

- Had a good night with my high school friends and their partners though. Quite tired by the end of it all as I had spent the whole day cooking and cleaning.

- Kids were well behaved all day and nite *bonus*

- Some photos of Josh and Nikki taken yesterday. Josh being silly (photo taken from inside) and Nikki being her typical grotty self.

- Took some photos of the girls (none of the babies or partners) and Nat took some group ones.

- Unhappy with photos Nat took. Looked alright lighting wise on the camera, too dark on the computer.

- Disappointed as they were for my masters entry. At this rate, won't be entering yet again.

- Nat got some work done outsite yesterday and today. Putting seat on top of retaining wall. Progress, definetly good. Slow going though, retaining wall been up for 2.5 years.

Going now, cranky re photos. Best left to stew over.
Ros

Not a lot...

The counter is nearly at a 1,000 hits... Woo hoo... (It is at the very bottom of my blog if anyone is wondering.)

Nat and I went for a drive last night to Narre Warren to see if we could get some Krispy Kremem doughnuts... Who were we kidding? They had police blocking off a section of the 'road' in the shopping centre, a hug marquee filled with bodies and a line that was snaking around forever! And we saw all of this from the car on the Narre Warren - Cranbourne road. I told they kids we were going to get doughnuts so we had to stop off at Coles and get them some. Josh thought he had been a naughty boy because he wasn't getting any doughnuts... How could we not resist. Has he got us all figured out or what? LOL!

I only worked half a day today (and have wasted the other half) doing not a lot. Went out for lunch with Nat to the Cove in Patternson Lakes. I have a lamb shank rissotto (sp.) and it was yummy! (Or nummy as Josh said to Drew last night when he was feeding him whilst I cooked dinner. "Is it nummy, Drewie?")

I have my girlfriends from high school (and their partners) coming over for dinner tomorrow night so tomorrow is going to be spent cleaning and cooking and aiming for the kids to not make too much mess. I am going to start cooking some of the desserts tonight so make it easier (and less mess to clean up tomorrow). I can't really start cleaning much around here with the kids coming in and making a mess all the time (well they are kids!) but I did do the study and Nikki's room on Wednesday (at least that was a productive day!)

Hope you all have a good weekend. I am really stiff at the moment, not long back from the chriopractor and I can barely more some sections of my lower back etc... Ouch... Off some a nice long hot and peaceful shower (kids at childcare.)

Bye

Cleaning and Drewie!

My latest layout of my little man… I used Jen Hall’s sublime fabric pack and way too many alphas. A girl can never have enough can she? LOL…

I have had yet another clean up today (after working this morning, and on my day off too!). I cleaned up a little in the study. You can now see the main computer desk, LOL and I can probably scrap on it when doing online classes. See below.

Lately I am dropping off garbage bags of stuff at the local brotherhood bin like there is no tomorrow. Up to 5 plus one huge nappy bag so far. I brought some space bags the other day and organised the baby clothes some more (and decreased the amount even more too). Space bags are good but not without the hassles of the suction thingie going up the vacuum cleaner. At least my vacuum has a nice empty clean bag in it now.

It must be the season for online classes. Next week I am doing Emily Falconbridge’s one on BB, Karen Ridgeway’s doodling one and then in July I am doing 2 Kim Archer ones. One on the first week (I think) and the other on the 3rd week… So exciting. Not the best way to be getting your masters entry done, but we need a distraction and something less stressful at times don’t we?

Also, can anyone explain why brilliant ideas that must be worked on there and then always happen to me at 9.45pm! It is like the time I really should be packing up and getting things ready before going to bed. Nah uh, that is when I tend to be most productive. When I am really tired and it is getting later and later.

My cards are published in Creative Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. It is a 3 monthly (can’t think of the correct word…) magazine for those that asked.

Best be off. Just re printed a photo for my single, changed my mind (yet again) on how it was happening.

Cheers All,
Ros

Emily Falconbridge

I left a comment on Emily Falconbridges blog the other day about going to Boston and she replied... How cool is that! I love how free how work is (not that I can do it myself) but I am just rapted she replied... I called my SIL to share the news and her mobile is turned off! How dare she be in a meeting! LOL, so I had to post and share with you all.

so cool!!
you MUST find me and say hi, i will probably cry when i hear your accents!!!
i miss them so much.

i am from perth myself!

are you guys taking my class? if not, lets make sure we meet up...i'm sure i will be easy to spot (i am very tall, with dreadlocks!)

email me again closer to the time so we can hook up!

(and can you please bring me a pack of tim tams?? hehehe)

e xx

We were going to take tim tams and carmello (sp.) koalas over to give with our swaps so I am totally happy to get her some tim tams... I am going to request a card/tag from her for my rolodex.

I got an e-mail about my cards that are published and in the next issue I only have 3 cards but they take up 5 pages... How cool is that! They can restructure the magazine again... LOL, the last 3 issues I have had 5 pages in but some many more cards... Gotta love that, I just wish they paid quicker than 45 days after publication.

Dinners cooking and it probably needs some attention *giggle*

Ros.

P.S. I got my fabric pack from Jen Hall today. Will finish my Drewie layout and share.

P.P.S. I got my Tarisota ribbons today too and no bills. Good mail day!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh....

It’s been one of those days… The kids have been oh so delightful (not!) and one in particular! I have threatened that he couldn’t go to a friend’s birthday party this morning (not that I carried my threat out, I am not that mean to my kids or that rude to the host) but if it hasn’t been one thing, it is another. Josh wouldn’t sleep once we got home from the party, Nikki slept only for an hour and then to top it all off just then, they flooded the bathroom. Josh put a bowl in the sink and left the tap running and the bowl acted as a plug. It took me all the towels in the bathroom, ensuite and the tea towel to mop up the mess. Nikki was in her element though… Since she split water on the floor and I made her clean it up, if she has a bottle of water she spills it on purpose to clean it up!

I rang Nat to pick up take away for dinner as what I thought was the roast chicken in the freezer, was drumsticks. Too late to marinate them or cook a casserole now… Just another thing to top off the day (plus side is there will be no dishes for the sink, only the dishwasher and no cooking required by me!)

I took the kids to the local shops before looking for a fake flower and did you think I could find the one I was looking for? No, of course not. I wanted it so I could work on my masters stuff whilst Nat has booked the computer tonight to finish off his game (damm him) and he reckons it will only take 2 hours (ha is all I have to say about 2 hours!)

Off to sulk some more and try to get some craft happening whilst the kids are pleasantly watching Finding Nemo.
Ros

P.S. Just so everyone knows, I hate it when Nat works his 3 day weekends!

Bottle rolled...

Isn't it nice have some quite time and a glass (or few) of wine without the kids bothering you... Gotta love that, but not when the bottle is empty... Uh oh... I guess I won't be driving anywhere tonight... LOL, would look pretty damm funny too as I am in my elmo pj's!

I will leave now with that glamorous mental picture!
Ros