A Creative Life

My Baby Turned 1

I can't believe that it has already been a year since my beautiful baby girl entered the world on the 17/7/07, what a cool birthdate.  I know it is cliche to say that each year seems to go by faster!  but in this instance....it just has...OK!!  As much as I adore watching Kaitlyn grow and develop, I am grieving loosing that tiny little newborn.  I don't think I have ever felt that way this strongly before.

She had a lovely day, surrounded by her devoted brothers in the morning, then add the cousins into the equation in the afternoon, and then add all the family in the evening!  It was a full on day for a little princess!

We decided to only give her 1 present (we have a house full of toys for the boys and she really doesn't fully understand presents just yet).  They had told me at childcare that she loves to push around a toy pram, so that is what we got her!

So here she is opening her pressie, with lots of help from the brothers!

Of course it had to be a pink pram!!  She was so posessive of it!  If the boys tried to touch it in any way shape or knowhow form, my goodness she squeeled at them in protest!  Even when they were just trying to get it unstuck!!  Temperamental little miss!

Her cousins (my brothers kids, Emily and Ben) gave her this cute little doll, complete with bottle!  It was also a great hit with her.  She was totally adorable, trying to feed it a bottle!  It warms my heart to see evidence of a girly girl!!  YAY!!!!  This will be nurtured and Mummy will play babies with her!!

I decided to just have pretty pink helium ballooons for decorations and pink cupcakes for her birthday cake.  As we were having over 30 adults and kids (all family) for her 1st birthday party I thought it would be easier than trying to make a cake big enough.  I took Kerry's suggestion (I'd put a link in if typepad would let me....grrr!) and used the packaged icing that you roll out!  Thank you so much Kerry as it turned out so beautifully!  The cake part of the cupcakes I had made the day before were just delicious, so it was even more pleasing to be able to decorate them to look really professional.  Thanks also to Karen for lending me her most divine cupcake holder.  So here is Kaitlyns cupcake 1st birthday cake... And the birthday girl having her cupcake and eating it too!!!  We were not able to get a pic of her trying to blow out the candle as she went troppo trying to grab the flame!  We decided on grounds of safety issues, her brothers could blow it out for her to prevent candle burns on her sweet little hands! 

At the end of the night, she crashed!  Too exhausted to even drink enough milk to get her through the night!  Yep, she was awake again shortly after to get her fill of milk! LOL!

Free Online Class

I am running a free online class at www.scrapbookstation.com.au and am attaching the PDF's here along with class dates and requirements.

Download online_class.pdf

Download online_class_templates.pdf

You will need the following:

1 sheet of cardstock

4 (or 5) patterned papers that co-ordinate together.

lettering for title.

ink for edges

piece of chipboard to cut out bird or butterfly

cutters, adhesives, sharp scissors, etc.

Optional requirements:

Heidi Swapp Edge Distressor, sand paper, photo corners, decorative border punch.

 

DATES:

Tuesday 15th July - 1pm and 8.30pm (please note the two different times on this date)

Monday 21st July - 8.30pm

Wednesday 23rd July - 8.30pm

Friday 25th July - 8.30pm

Saturday 26th July - 8.30pm

Hopefully this will be enough dates for everyone.

Once you have completed the class it would be great to photograph your LO and upload to the gallery!

Weekend at Whalers Class Sneak Peek The retreat is on the last weekend of August.

In other news....I have been madly creating for the Scrapbook Station retreat at Whalers and I have to say I am in love with the LO's I have created!   They really are very girly and pretty, even if I should say so myself.  I will also run this class once at the shop in the next schedule.  So........here is a little sneak peek to tempt you...

This is the Carefree LO from 2 different angles

The other LO is my fave.   I think it is just the divine combo of pink and teal!

Hope you like! TFL!

Unusual Pet!

I had to share this little story about Ethan!  He has found a new pet!  It isn't like he is pet starved, he does have a kitten that is rapidly growing into a cat, but obviously that wasn't enough for him!  He has resurrected the bug catching device and now is the proud owner of a pet cockroach!!  Surely in the whole backyard, which is in such a state that it would be considered a haven for insect and other wildlife to dwell in, he could pick something a little more...likeable than a cockroach!  On the brighter side it should be a bit harder to kill......hmmm did I say that was the brighter side??   So here is the proud owner and his pet!

Such is his devotion to this little pet of his, at 8pm last night, he realised that he had left the little bug house down by the trampoline and insisted it had to be brought up inside!  My reluctance for 'roach' to come inside was met with great persistance so we made a comprimise and he was left by the door. In the morning I was being blamed for the creatures demise as he wasn't moving!!  I then had to relent, and allow the roach house indoors, where I have to say the little pet is roaming around quite happily inside his cage as I type up this post!  If they can survive a nuclear bomb, I am sure a little frost bite wont kill them!

I had to share this pic of E and Lachlan.  How similar do they look?  Last day of school tomorrow and I think my kids are well and truly ready for the break!  Lets hope they behave!

Creating and More Cuteness!

So, I created on the weekend!  Oh, I love it when I get a chance to create at home!  I've felt a great need to do more lately, but alas I have been way too time deficient!  So I will settle for creating this little 8x11.

I made the modpodged heart ages ago, but it didn't work on the LO it was created for so I used it here after it sat on my desk for 6 months!

I also took more pics of Kaitlyn on the weekend!  I just love to get pics of her in new outfits!  OK I will admit I am a little obsessive!  But I love new inspiration for LO's.

She most definately has my eyes and my hair!  She really has me wrapped around her little finger!

I also got to catch up with my best friend Kym on the weekend as well.  I love the way we can just sit and chat for ages!  Her little boy Madi is growing up and is just too cute!  Quite the spunky little fella!  Kym and I went shopping and I realise that there are way to many beautiful things for the home, if only I had the money and space!  Kym got to witness how OCD I am about buying napkins as well!  She probably thinks I am a little twisted!  Oh well, it is easier than buying clothes for myself! LOL!

More to Share

My kids just love pasta.  It is one of their favourite meals and it looks like little miss Kaitlyn is no exception!  I had the camera sitting on the end of the table and it reminded me to take some shots during dinner!

Yes, that is pasta in her hair!!!  She loves to take it all out of the bowl and spread it around the high chair and a little bit on the floor for good measure!  These pics also show Miss K with her hair down!

Did I mention that all the family enjoy pasta!!  Cameron having a good slurp on his pasta!!

We caught up with the BB girls yesterday at Debs place.  Only a small group of us but we had a great time.  It was great to see you too Nic and finally get sweet Jacinta cuddles!  She is just beautiful!  While we were there Steph and I tried to get some more pics of our two girls together, but now it is quite problematic with Kaitlyn being well and truly on the move now!  I got a couple of cute pics of Miss K on her own, but only 1 slightly funny pic of the 2 of the girls together.

This is my little "snake tongue" daughter!  Ethan thought it would be fun to give her a lolly!  All I can say is it is kinda cute while in her mouth but it ends up one sticky, big mess!!

OK, its not a 'perfect' pic of them both, but it is quite funny!  Seriously was not a good photo shoot of the two of them together!  Kaitlyn just wouldn't stay near Madi at all!!  This is as close as they got and poor Madi didn't seem to like it at all! LOL!!

DH also had his 35th birthday on Monday.  It was a bit of an anti-climax as he worked overnight and the kids and I didn't see him in the morning, then the 2 older boys had a choir party so I didn't get to see DH until 8pm that night and he was gone again by 10pm to go back to work!

To finish off I will share the LO I created yesterday.  I just love the colour yellow, but very rarely get to use it.  When I do, it just makes me happy!!

So We Went Shopping!

Well we had to celebrate her new found ability to take steps!!  So here is the evidence!  Just had to take some more pics!

I even had a shot of her in mid step, but of course it ended up being blury!!!

So Soon!!!!!

We didn't expect it for at least another month!  We thought she was way too wobbly! But she had other ideas!  Miss Kaitlyn has taken her first very wobbly steps!!  Determined little chickadee, wouldn't stop until she got her wish, to walk like the big boys!  First 1 step, then 2 and then she managed to take 4 in a row!

Now I will not stand for any talk that she is a toddler now.  She is still a BABY.....a BABY I tell you!  She will remain a BABY until I determine that I am ready for her to progress to Toddlerhood!

Had To Share

Don't you just love girly clothes, and a good Pumpkin Patch sale!!  My friend Miranda emailed me a link to Pumpkin Patch 50% off sale!  So naughty of her as that is just disaterous for me!  Well I couldn't resist the little skirt shes wearing in these pics!  Not to mention 4 or 5 other items as well but they are all a bit big for her still. Isn't she a cheeky little monkey!!

OK, you get the idea!  I just think she is so adorable but I can't believe she will be 11months old this week.  Time just rushes by so quickly.

Baby Talk

Well, it looks like I am back to my old bad habits of taking ages to update!!  Since my last post, Lachlan has had his 10th birthday!  I cant believe I have a child this old!  What freaks me out more is how quickly 10 years has passed and the thought that the in less years than he has been alive he will be legally considered an adult!  Oh that is just to scary to contemplate!

Kaitlyn has cut 2 more teeth (around the time of Lachlans birthday) and now posesses 8 cute teeth in her mouth!  Lets hope we get a bit of a break before those nasty little eye teeth poke through!  I'm not a fan of sleepless nights while she cuts her teeth!

She has also begun talking more!  Previously I posted that I was sure she was saying bye, bye.  Well that is definately true and just 3 days ago she added hello to her repitoire!  She said it at exactly the appropriate moments 3 times in 1 day!!  She is trying to copy so much of the tones of what I say now, it is just too funny at times!  Last night when I picked her up from Childcare she turned around and waved and loudly proclaimed bye as if she wished to dismiss them all for the day!!  Everyone got a bit of a laugh as I wasn't even walking out the door yet, I was still chatting to the staff!

On the scrapbooking front I received a parcel today that contained my threading water punch!!! I have been waiting for a while to get this little beauty!  I seem to have quite a punch obsession atm.  Mind you, I think I have OCD tendancies where scrapping supplies are concerned.  I have a list as long as my arm of other punches that I want to get.  I will probably have to ration out my purchases due to financial constraints!  I think I need to win xlotto!!  It would probably help if I purchased a ticket! ROFLOL!!

I had Kerry and another friend, Hillary,  around last Friday night!  Have to confess that not much scrapping occured but we had a good night chatting, guzzling hot drinks and eating chockie bickies! Thanks girls for a great night!  I also promised to share the mini albums I made so.....Here is a link to the mini album I made my MIL for Mothers Day.  I'm just too lazy to upload all the pics here!

OK I started this post a couple of weeks ago and have still not finished it!!  Today, we made the most of a public holiday and began dismantling Pauls office so Kaitlyn can have a room of her own.  Oh my.... my poor house looks like a bomb has hit it!  I have no idea when he will have enough time to finish cleaning up all his stuff (please insert my interpretation of MESS! into this place).  Hopefully over the next few posts I will have a lovely girly room to post about....I HOPE!! 

Have you Tried....

Have you ever tried photoshop actions on your photos?  Oh my, they are so much fun!!  Considering I am completely useless in photoshop, these actions mean that I can change my pictures easily and get great results!  If I had to do it all myself....well I'd never be able to do it, but with one swift click of a button (after they have been installed) they work their wonder and I have fabulous photos!

I had seen several scrapbookers using them and always loved them,but never knew where to get them from and I didn't really want to pay heaps for something I didn't know if I would use a lot.  Well.... Steph was over on Friday night (she felt sorry for me cause DH was working until midnight) and I was transfering pics I had taken on her thumb drive.  While doing so I noticed she had altered some pics with an acid action.  Needless to say I begged and pleaded with her to share the action with me (she actually was more than happy to share!) and now I am obsessed!  I found a site that had heaps of free actions here and I am having fun.

This uses the acid action.  Just love this picture.  I also tried a colour pop action on it as well.

Then I had to do some more...

This one is black and white with spot colour.

This one has a barely vintage action....

Once again the acid action.

See I told you how cool they are! 

I have also been working flat out on a couple of mini albums for my Mum and my MIL for Mothers Day!  I am finished!! YAY!!!  Will share another time!

Finished a layout last night.  Not entirely happy with it as I find the background colour is a bit sickly but I tried so many different backgrounds but none of them wanted to work for me, so I finally settled for this one! Till next update....