This Saturday just gone I meet up with some of the local Chookscraps girls for a day of scrapping and fun.
Staring left to right...Kathy, Lorraine, Nicole, Jo, Myself and Ally (we also got to meet Melody later in the day)I am just a little excited here! I got an email yesterday morning to say that my application to become a Chookscraps Design Team member had approved!
I was a little hesitant to apply at the start, having done so once before and been turned down. As you well know my self esteem has taken a battering again recently and I wasn't sure weather I could handle another "Thanks but no thanks" letter. If if wasn't for a certain few of you I doubt I would have even applied, I got sick of you all constantly nagging and did it to quieten you all. Never believing that I would actually get in.
So this is for you all.....
Thank you all for your constant support...for believing in me...for keeping me focused and grounded. Thank you for being there when I lose it...for sharing in my ups and downs...THANK YOU!
Happy birthday to you.....happy birthday dear Crocket....happy birthday to you....
1906 - The International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin adopted the SOS distress signal that means "Save Our Souls."
1910 - Arthur F. Knight patented a steel shaft to replace wood shafts in golf clubs. 1917 - The National Hockey League (NHL) was officially formed in Montreal, Canada.
1928 - In Paris, "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel was first performed publicly.
1935 - The first trans-Pacific airmail flight began in Alameda, CA, when the flying boat known as the China Clipper left for Manila. The craft was carrying over 110,000 pieces of mail.
1942 - During World War II, the Battle of Stalingrad began.
1943 - U.S. President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek met in Cairo to discuss the measures for defeating Japan.
1950 - The lowest scoring game in the NBA was played. The Fort Wayne Pistons (later the Detroit Pistons) defeated the Minneapolis Lakers (later the Los Angeles Lakers) 19-18.
1961 - The film, "A Man for All Seasons", opened in New York City.
1963 - U.S. President Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, TX. Texas Governor John B. Connally was also seriously wounded. Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson was inaugurated as the 36th U.S. President.
1967 - The U.N. Security Council approved resolution 242. The resolution called for Israel to withdraw from territories it had captured in 1967 and called on adversaries to recognize Israel's right to exist.
1972 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon lifted a ban on American travel to Cuba. The ban had been put in place on February 8, 1963.
1974 - The U.N. General Assembly gave the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status.
1975 - Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain upon the death of Gen. Francisco Franco.
1975 - "Dr. Zhivago" appeared on TV for the first time. NBC paid $4 million for the broadcast rights.
1977 - Regular passenger service on the Concorde began between New York and Europe.
1983 - The Bundestag approved NATO's plan to deploy new U.S. nuclear missiles in West Germany.
1984 - Fred Rogers of PBS' "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" presented a sweater to the Smithsonian Institution.
1985 - Anne Henderson-Pollard was taken into custody a day after her husband Jonathon Jay Pollard was arrested for spying for Israel.
1985 - 38,648 immigrants became citizens of the United States. It was the largest swearing-in ceremony.
1986 - An Iranian surface-to-surface missile hit a residential area in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, wounding 20 civilians.
1986 - Mike Tyson became the youngest to wear the world heavyweight-boxing crown. He was only 20 years and 4 months old.
1988 - The South African government announced it had joined Cuba and Angola in endorsing a plan to remove Cuban troops from Angola.
1989 - Rene Moawad, the president of Lebanon, was assassinated less than three weeks after taking office by a bomb that exploded next to his motorcade in West Beirut.
1990 - U.S. President Bush, his wife, Barbara, and other congressional leaders shared Thanksgiving dinner with U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia.
1990 - British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced she would resign.
1993 - Mexico's Senate overwhelmingly approved the North American Free Trade Agreement.
1993 - American Airlines flight attendants ended their strike that only lasted four days.
1994 - Inside the District of Columbia's police headquarters a gunman opened fire. Two FBI agents, a city detective and the gunman were killed in the gun battle.
1994 - In northwest Bosnia, Serb fighters set villages on fire in response to a retaliatory air strikes by NATO.
1998 - CBS's "60 Minutes" aired a tape of Jack Kevorkian giving lethal drugs in an assisted suicide of a terminally ill patient. Kevorkian was later sentenced to 25 years in prison for second-degree murder.
2005 - Angela Merkel was elected as Germany's first female chancellor.
2005 - Microsoft's XBOX 360 went on sale.
I found this list on another blog that I read and thought it might be fun to check off all that I have done and then tag all of you.
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (umm we don't have 50....)
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111.Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life
I tag anyone that wants to do this...in particular Kandle, Angel, Bluegirl, Nat and Jini!
I REALLY HATE THE INTERNET!
Yes I do...really! As some of you know I have been having trouble for the last few weeks with my modem not being able to hold a connection. Well after many phone calls (and a few swear words) some bright spark at AAPT finally told me what I already knew....my modem was cactus!
All say hello to my new little friend....
He has saved me from the next stage of internet withdrawals! His official name is D-Link DSL-502T but I shall call him MASTER!
BTW...do you have any idea how early you can get to work when you don't spend the morning chatting on the net?
I seem to be spending most of my time lately scrapping for competitions and other people...so this past weekend I made a point of doing a layout for me!
I am really happy with how this layout came together. I found a sketch for it on an Amercian scrapping site a while ago. They had used different coloured cardstocks and while I liked the look of it...plain cardstock is just not doing it for me anymore!
I am so loving the new Fancy Pants papers and I think this sketch has worked fantastically using them. I was surprised at how quick this all came together...the most time consuming part was sticking all those jewels down.
I love this photo of Lolly, she is changing so much at the moment, and while I can see my little girl slipping away...I love catching glimpses of the teen she is rapidly becoming.
I also used the leftovers from my Scrap Therapy pack to create another LO. It's a little funkier than what I would normally do but once again I am happy with how it came together.
The flowers on the Chloes Closet papers were just screaming to be cut out and the colors matched her shirt perfectly!Nat tagged me with this little meme on her blog today..so I guess I had better do the right thing and reply....
1. NAME: Susan
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? an ex-girlfriend of my fathers
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Oh I cry allllll the time (just ask Kandle and C). The last real good cry was a few weeks ago when I was stressed near to breaking point with a situation I never asked to be in but had no choice.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I'm liking it better now days..I've realised that it is a part of me and therefore I need to be using it in scrapping more. I do however cop a great deal of flak from my little people at school about my "funny" way of writting.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Cold roast chicken
6. KIDS? 2 daughters
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Of course!!
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I scrap which I think is like journalling, and of course this blog which is like journalling
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Never!!! (Stop choking Kandle and Angel)
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope they went AWOL at aged 5
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? ARE YOU INSANE? DO YOU KNOW HOW HIGH UP YOU HAVE TO BE TO DO THAT???
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't do cereal.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? you can do that?
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY? Physically...I could hold my own. Mentally....pffft!
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Not really and ice cream fan...I don't mind Baskin Robbins Choc Peanut Butter though
16. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Eyes
17.RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My severe lack of self confidence
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My mummy and Kandle (hurry back girl!)
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? yes of course
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? No pants...wearing a denim skirt today...barefoot
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue...navy blue
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Johnsons Baby Soap
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Kandle, from my home phone...C on my work phone.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Oh yes...very much so. She is a new friend..but I can tell she is a keeper!
26.FAVORITE DRINK? Diet Coke
27. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Ugh...do we have to watch it?
28. HAIR COLOR? Brown
29. EYE COLOR? blue with little brown flecks
30. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
31. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate....oh hang on you are talking real food....BACON!
32. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy endings
33. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Devil Wears Prada
34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Hot Pink
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who is giving them
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Hmmmm....not fussy. It depends on how I am feeling at the time
38. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I am hoping Angel and Blue will add this to their blog..but any one that wants to do it....I tag you too
39. MOST LIKELY NOT TO RESPOND? not sure
40. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Shell Seekers - Rosamunde Pilcher
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Keanu Reeves
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST ON TV LAST NIGHT? TV...oh you mean that big black thing that sits in the corner of my living room that Crocket and the girls fight over?
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My kids laughing
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Daintree in the North and Mt Gambier south
46. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Not that I know of
47. WHEN WERE YOU BORN? 2nd May
48.WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Rockhampton Hospital
49. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Live it to the fullest!
I did it ok? I submitted an application for the Chookscraps design team! I'm not to sure that I will get in, but hey...at least I tried. The application is below if you are interested...
These past two weeks have been spent catching up on circle calendars and journals with a little scrapping thrown in for myself. I'll share the LO's that I have done for me as the circle calendars are surprises for their owners.
SHE: This LO was done for a challenge at EMM. You had to use hand cut patterned paper as a feature on the page. The Basic Grey Gypsy range is the perfect paper for this sort of challenge.
The title and journalling on this LO are taken from the Elvis Costello song "She". I love this song...it reminds me of how I feel about these two wonderful girls I share my life with.
Laugh: This was another challenge at EMM. You needed to use at least 10 different ribbons and the word laugh somewhere on the page.
I love this photo of the girls...last October I started a tradition of photographing them in black and white wearing plain tees and just being themselves. Trying to get them to have a photo taken together though is a real challenge. One of them is always being silly or frowning or something. The quote...that is what it's like in our house at the moment!
Memory: This LO covered two competitions. I have used one of the beautiful September Chookscraps Packs to complete it, it was a LO that I was struggling with, until the EMM crop. You needed to use a photo that was more that 10 years old and a tag. The photo is of Crocket and his sister K, it was taken at our wedding all those years ago. I was really struggling with scrapping this photo as it was the last time we saw Kelly. I wanted to journal but couldn't, but trying to find a quote that fitted was hard too. I'm happy with this though, and Crocket likes this page, and thats what matters most.
Make Each Moment Count: This is my Chookscraps Survivor LO. We had an ad that we had to take inspiration from. This was my take on it...I'm not sure I am entirely happy with it. To me if feels like something is missing from the page, but I am not sure what. It took me a long time to do..and I put it down and picked it up a few times.
I am not sure I will get to much further in this competition....actually I'd be surprised if I made it through this round. If not, I've had fun doing it and it has been a challenge.
How did you and Crocket meet, and how did you know he was "the one"?
Do you all believe in fate? Well this story has a lot to do with it.
The short version is this...I met Crocket at work and I knew he was the one after about 3 or so months of dating...but you don't want the short version do you?
I really did meet Crocket at work, I wasn't attracted to him at first though. I was attracted to his friend (and later our best man) Ken. Ken was a flirt and very easy on the eye...and sadly engaged.
My best friend at the time Anita told me that her b-i-l (Steve) had mentioned that one of the guys he worked with was interested in me. Steve also worked for the same company as we did. When she told me who it was that was interested I was shocked. This was the guy who each week when I handed out pay slips never spoke and barely made eye contact.
Antia passed my number onto Steve who in turn passed it on to Crocket. He called, arranged a date and then promptly stood me up! He claims that he got lost and didn't have my number with him. Pfffft!
By this time my curiosity about this guy had gotten the better of me...he had the most gorgeous blue eyes, and a rare but beautiful smile. I decided to give him a second chance. I asked him to be my date at Anitas wedding, and this time I picked him up.
I don't remember a great deal about that night (we all got fairly drunk) but the one thing I do recall is Crocket singing to me. Sure he was drunk...but who could resist a man who will sing a rousing rendition of Bette Middlers "Wind Beneath My Wings" on your first date?
As it turned out, Crockets and my paths had crossed a lot of times that we didn't really know about. His stepmothers parents lived two doors up from me, his cousins were best friends with good friends of ours growing up, one of his best friends dated a girlfriend of mine at school, and his grandfather had a fruit van that used to deliver fruit to my mum. Being seven years older though I hadn't really noticed him.
How did I know he was the one? I'm not sure....being with Crocket has always felt like coming home....being safe. Sure when we first started dating there were lots of butterfiles and sparks, but that quickly wore off to an easiness that we share. He's not one for showy displays of romance and affection, but I know. As I said...his smiles are rare but true, same with his words and actions.
He is the one that is there for me at the end of the day, with the kind words and the silent hug.
He is the one that sat with me through the nightmare that was Lolly birth and despite his own fears kept telling me that everything was going to be ok.
He is the one that holds me and lets me cry when my depression takes hold.
He is my rock....my strength...my gorgey boy!
At school which "group" did you fit in with and what was your fav subject and what was your worst one?
I went to Rosewood State High School...which at the time was a relativly new high school and quite small compared to most others around here. I was not part of the "in" crowd, I wasn't one of the sporty kids, I wasn't a geek (well not back then), and I certainly wasn't one of the dead beats. I was somewhere in that murky inbetween area.
I had a group of about 6 - 7 really good freinds (I have only kept in touch with one of them) and we would cause just enough trouble not to get ourselves expelled. We never played hookey, but we did drink during our lunch break (many thanks to A's dad for "lending" us the scotch).
My favorite subject was horticulture..it was a class that most of my friends took and a complete bludge lesson. I didn't learn a great deal but I had a lot of fun doing it.
My least favorite lesson was Ancient History! Ugh! The teacher was a complete air head and we made her life hell. Looking back now I sort of feel a little sorry for her.
I sometimes wish I could go back and do high school all over again. You know...the right way...study hard, get good grades, all that stuff...you know maybe go to uni and become a teacher. Then again there is nothing stopping me from applying to uni now and doing the same thing. Is there?
I've been telling you all the boring, inane bits that happen in my life for a week or so now...and I have been chatting on IM with most of you a lot longer than that. Now it's your turn! Is there anything you want to know about me?
Heres you chance to ask away...leave your question in the comments and I'll answer them tomorrow.
Ok...enough with the nagging me about my DT application already! I am having real trouble deciding what three LO's to offer up for consideration so you lot are going to decide for me! Go look over there just under Bret and you will find a poll...you need to look at my slide show find three LO's that you like best and then go and vote on the damn things!
Please?
I love this time of year...I love the thought that Summer is on it's way. The days are getting longer and the nights warmer. I love sitting here in the early mornings listening to the sounds outside my window (and from inside our house). The sounds of cicadas, crickets, the geckos that have taken up residence in our kitchen, the kookaburras when the sun rises and the frogs croaking and chirping.
We aren't into flower gardens, we have a very natural bush garden with a lot of natives. We don't use chemicals of any sort and we rarely prune anything. In return we have a lot of wildlife in our yard. Blue tongue lizards, legless lizards, skinks, lorikeets, scaly breasted parrots, native doves, fairy wrens, and we won't talk about the snakes, but my favorites are the frogs.
We are very fortunate to have a large population of green frogs living in our garden (Sorry Nat), and at this time of the year they start coming inside to feast on the bugs that the lights drawn into our house. They love to sit on the window sill in our toilet, on the window sill in our kitchen, and on the side of the bathtub...I don't have a problem with them...unless the kitchen ones jump on you in the dark...and that is more the surprise element than anything else.
This scene always makes me smile......
There is just something so appealing about them...look that happy smile...the lovely shade of green he is...and those ever so sweet toes. No wonder they are my favorite animal.
A few years ago now my mum started buying me frog things...mugs, little figurines, and tiny unusable teapot (my other obsession), magnets, and a tshirt or two with frogs on them. Last year Kandle brought me this gorgeous green glass frog that now sits on the end of my scrapping desk. This morning though Angel sent me this link.... http://www.frogmanart.com/frogman/index.html Look at them...oh how I wish I had the money and the space to store such gorgeous works of art! I have seen these in jewellery stores here...the frogs and the geckos...but I have never checked out the prices...until now. Man are they expensive! But still....oh so beautiful!
Maybe one day.......
