Mammoth Month!!!

So it's been madness like most families for some reason at this time of year!  For us, well me really, it's a happy kind of chaotic delight that sometimes overwhelms me, but it's all good.  I would rather be busy than bored and bored is something I haven't been for a long time!

The start of this month saw us finally get some snow.  This photo is a couple of weeks old now but this is from the front of our home.

On the clear days it's gorgeous.  We're hoping to get up there in the next couple of weeks - yay!  There's heaps of snow up there now!

Our baby girl Madeleine turned six at the start of this month.  Poor baby must have felt like she'd been waiting forever.  Hers and Alex's birthdays are a month and a day apart with his first so she has to wait knowing it's so close yet so far!

All she requested was a Baby Born that swims and a Mermaid party.  She got both. :)

It was freezing but she wanted to be a mermaid.  We had her party at a florist here that does kids' parties.  Normally fairies but they did the mermaid one just for Maddy.  She wouldn't let me take many photos, but her other Baby Born doll had to go along dressed up.  Love the huge smile on here face - she wore it ALL day!

Pick the scrapbooker's daughter - lol.  The ribbons woven into her plaits are from Simply Said and yes the braid around her forehead is Making Memories Noteworthy - lol!

The party was really sweet.  It was hosted by Tallulah-belle the fairy and her special mermaid friend Pearl.  They did a wonderful job with the little mermaids.  They made mini clam-shell books, had stories, danced, played games and of course ate cake!

Her cake was exactly as she requested (phew).   She wanted a love heart cake and a mermaid on top and it had to be pink and purple inside.  I managed to make the heart into an island and make icing water and add a few coloured shells and a new mermaid Barbie on top!  Well, she was so very happy she squealed!  I love this photo from the day -

Of course it was strictly 'girls only' so the boys stayed home and we had the all-important family photos in the afternoon.

So a very happy birthday was had by our girl.  Amazing how the time has flown! (Don't we all say that?)

The following weekend was my guest teaching gig at Scrapbook Sinners in Traralgon.

I can honestly say it was one of the best days of teaching I've ever had.  It was a long day - we left at 8.30am and didn't get home until close to 11PM but the time just flew.  I taught three lots of doodling classes and had a blast!  Mind you by the end class I had forgotten things that I'd told them but they were all a good humoured bunch of ladies in and out all day and very forgiving!

One of my favourite parts of the day was catching up with my one of my oldest (as in had longest lol) friends Dominique.  Dom and I went to Art School together which seems like an eternity ago yet only yesterday.  Dominique is one of those friends that I can not see for years yet when we see each other again, nothing has changed.  It's perfect!

Yes that IS a bottle of Passion Pop in my hand and YES I won it in one of the fundraiser auctions that Teresa ran on the day.  It came with a yummy woolly scarf too.  Mind you I paid $10!!  I thought it was steep for a bottle of our old favourite "2 buck chuck" lol but it's now $5.95 per bottle!!!  What the?  How do all the young kids afford that?  Anyway the old Passion Pop has spent some time with Dom and I in the past, but we refrained this time!

I was also very happy to catch up with this scrappy chick again who I haven't seen for ages - Naomi!

Naomi inspired me heaps last year by her persistence with blanket stitch.  She found it difficult in the past to get the hang of, but she kept trying until she got it  For the amount of time it took her, she has far more patience than me, I'd have thrown it but watching her patience as she tried again until she got it was amazing.  Mind you, she's the blanket stitch queen now!

It really was an awesome day.  Teresa did such a wonderful job of organising everything!  And best of all she took heaps of photos.  I have to admit in the past, I have forgotten but we are scrappers - der, take photos - roflmao.  I'm so glad she said now because now I have these wonderful memories.  I haven't seen her photos yet but I'm sure we all will soon!

Now speaking of scrappy chicks and stuff, I'm now working at Simply Said as well as teaching there.  The management has changed so I'm giving Marie a hand and LOVING it!  I'm so enjoying being back behind a scrappy counter and helping customers and meeting people and I'm really enjoying making displays and sharing ideas and and and......lol...even though I was incredibly busy having worked just about every day last week, I've found it all invigorating if that makes sense.  The upcoming plans for there are just so exciting that I can't believe I get to be a part of it but I'll keep you posted as I am!

Here we are in our photo for the local paper this week looking as spunky as ever - lmao!

Marie is having a HUGE sale on Thursday - 30% off EVERYTHING!  If you were thinking about visiting the store that would be the day to do it!!!

Here's the last class I taught there - the next Book of Me - "How I've Changed..."

I think it gets bigger if you click on it!  It was kind of a pain searching for all the photos but in hindsight now it was an interesting review!

I have heaps more scrapping to share but it will have to wait for now I'm too tired!

In amongst all of my madness, I joined some friends and auditioned for Deal Or No Deal yesterday - lol!  What a hoot.  We went all the way to Melbourne to fill out a form, have our photo taken and have a quick group interview.  I think we were accepted and now just wait to hear when we're on the show - woohoo!!  Here we are outside the audition - brr it was cold!

We had coffee and cake afterwards at a gorgeous cafe so it was a good excuse to get out for the afternoon.

Now, I think I need to leave it here for now.  I haven't been to bed before 1 or 2am for about 5 days now. I'm sure I'm running on pure adrenalin - lol!

Comments

[cindy]

WOW what a post Nicole love the mermaid party photo's Maddie looks so cute. The snow photo yay can't wait we are going again this year dragging Jen along she will be my snow bunny (just picture her a bikini and bunny ears)
Congrats on working I think us girls will have to do a road trip lets us know what days you are working. Hope you get on Deal or No deal my kids love that show.
Cindy

[tanya (Apron chicky babe)]

Hey Gorgeous, I love all your pics of Maddy mermaid, shes a spunky chicky. Looking at your doodling pix, I sooooo want to do that, hmmmm when am I in warragul again? So deal or no deal huh? my girlfriend and I went for an audition recently too, hope we get to tape on the same day! Love to hear about your new job and 30% off at Maries shop, I will have to ring and put my order in LOL xxxxx

[Petrina McDonald]

So glad to hear I am not the only mother who gets nervous about whether everything is right for the DD!!!
I only wish mine would let me put so many gorgeous ribbons in her hair. For a mother who is so into ribbon my daughter is so not! Disappointment big time.
Looks like you class was fun :)

[Na]

I'm a star I'm on your blog YAAAAY! love ya lots spunkbubble so cool to think I inspired YOU when normally it is so the other way around :) xxxx

Love Na xx