Everyday Insanity and Delight

Getting a freshie...

Did you ever say that at school when someone came in with a new haircut? "Such and such got a freshie.  Hey freshie"  So dumb, but I still say it and it still amuses me along with more immature words like rubber (yes Suz I know I'm not alone :P ) and dinghy, and wang.  I digress....

Anyway I feel like I'm going through this massive shift - mentally, emotionally and even physically.  It's my birthday tomorrow and I'm a year closer to the big 4-0, so maybe that's why I feel the shift, or maybe it's because I'm moving house in a  few weeks, or that my son is off to high school, or my masses of psychotherapy, or maybe there's just no answer unless it's to to with the El Nino caused change in ocean temperature or maybe the moon is aligning with Jupiter.  Clearly I have no clue.  So I'm feeling the need to jump off the round and round and do some shifting of stuff, and stuff.

Yesterday I cleared out some of my craft storage and a HEAP of scrapbooking stuff.  My sister was pretty pleased with several large boxes of scrapbooking stuff including two large bags of glimmermist. I love the stuff still but man am I feeling lighter letting it all go.

Not scrapbooking for a "job" has been ace.  Actually scrapbooking for my job was ace too but now if I go back to it I can do it how I started I guess.  Simple. So that meant the great offload of stuff that was covered in dust.  And now I know it's being used.

I was directed to this blog today - Home Life Simplified

I like the 52 week thingo.  I know there's tonnes of different takes on this theme, and I'll most likely stick to none of them but bugger it, I'm having a crack for now.  Also doing a photo a day but slacking off using my iPhone and Facebook.  Here's the link if you wanna see - Facebook POTD

This year for me will be full of art and photography.  And blogging the SYL Challenge.  And hanging with my kids.  And smooching my hubby, and facepalming my hubby, and sorting my new workspace in our new house.  And sewing and stuff.  Maybe even cooking (gasp).  Hmm we'll see....

Here's my first SYL post.  Read it or don't but here it is anyway.  I'd love to know if you join in too.

Week #1 Challenge: Create a list of everything that went “right” in 2011

What energised you?  Heaps of things energised (and drained) me in 2011, but that's life isn't it?  Here's a few I can think of immediately...

• Singing loudly in the car, with and without my babies
• Taking time out with girlfriends for a good old natter and a cocktail or two
  
• Sunshine
• Painting and drawing
  
• Going to my shrink
• Knowing I have genuine friends
• Photographing moments
  

What made you feel happy? 

• Holding my newborn nephew
• Morning snuggles with the family
• Winning an art prize
• Anti-depressant drugs
• The process of photographing made-over pin-up chicks
• Witnessing and photographing people marrying
• Seeing a young family in the front yard of a house I used to live in playing with their child just like we did when we lived there.
• My new tattoo
• Being able to afford some things we've not been able to before.
• Getting my hair undercut and listening to my husband loving it.
  

What made you feel at peace?

• Going to my shrink and resolving some stuff
  
• Having my emotional anguish being taken seriously by my husband and doctor and just accepting that this is who I am and to quit being embarrassed by it.
  
• Finally getting help from specialists who deal with my "condition" and also being told I am a "text book case" of PTSD
• Xanax
  
• Yoga
• Letting certain people in my life "go"
• Saying NO
  

What positive people lifted you up?

• My friends, some old, some new, some nearby, some online
• My kids and husband
• My family
• My incredibly spunky clients and photo subjects
  
• Victorian Police Deputy Commissioner Keiran Walshe
• The art of Mike Adey,  amongst other amazing artists but his work makes me smile.

What filled your “tank”?

• Pretty frocks.  Wearing them anyway instead of stressing about being too fat, too overdressed, too different.  Who gives a shit?
• Singing in the car, badly.
• Going to galleries. Over and over.
  
• Bubble baths
• Getting my first pedicure and having my nails done.
• Seeing new places, even if it was alone.
• Taking an art class.
• Painting, and painting for others.
• Live music
  
• Laying on the trampoline with and without the family, looking at the sky
• Watching trashy reality TV
  
• Weekends away with the girls where I did NOT have scrapping deadlines to meet

What worked to bring your family together?

• Nerf guns
• Monster High
• Drawing
• Buying books
• Gallery visits
  
• Eating dinner outside
• Afternoon tea
• Weekend sleep-ins all together
• Getting the kids to help with washing and dishes
• Taking Maddy away to my exhibition opening and staying in a fancy motel for the night
• Laying on the trampoline
• Inventing the "private chat"
  

What is something that made you feel excited to dive right in?

• Being the photographer for Fatality Free Friday
• Creating art that is in my head
• Photographing weddings
• Travel
  

What did you learn (positive things)?

• To take a "mental health day" every week for the sanity of myself and those around me.
• it's okay to outsource the ironing
• I'm not pathetic having not dealt with my PTSD
• I love the smell of apple/cinnamon candles
• My parenting is okay
• How much I value my marriage and family
  

What are you grateful for?

• Being alive and healthy
• My shrink
• Head medication
• That my kids are good people
• Nice smelling washing powder.
• My friends
• My abilities

Geez that took forever...

 

 

 

Merry

Christmas in our household came and went quickly.  I hate to admit it but I find Christmas to be somewhat of a nuisance given that it falls within my busiest worktime - wedding season.

There's so many damn things on that I'm expected to attend, the kids get busy and the bit I really loathe is the fake cheer and crap that comes from advertising.  I feel pressured to create some amazing ambiance at home and wear emotions of peace and goodwill when I'd really like to shop with a cattle prod and roundhouse kick every battery operated singing Christmas decoration in the country.

However......this year I was kind to all of us and I did most of my shopping online - hooray! eBay, Dick Smith, Big W, Toys R Us, Fishpond, Red Balloon and Readings were a few of the sites I shopped at and everything except for one gift made it well in time.  I live nowhere close to any of these shops so it was well worth paying their delivery fees to save me the petrol and incidental extras I'd incur shopping PLUS - no crowds or exasperated sales assistants. 

So our Christmas was quiet as usual with both kids telling me it was their "best Christmas ever!"  This reminded me what it was all about and ignited a spark of spirit when i found it Christmas Eve with Santa's drink and biscuits...and seems that Miss M was pleased with what Santa left behind :)

Our Alexander-Panda got the gift he thought he wouldn't when he opened this - THE Panda iPod docking station that he desperately wanted along with a pile of all things Nerf

They had HEAPS of presents and I adored being able to give them lots this year!  The nicest part was when Alex hugged me and said he couldn't believe he got EVERYTHING on his list and more.  Nice.

The morning looked much like this before lunch at my youngest sister's house with her husband, bubba, our Dad and my other sister and her kids. 

We all cook something and take it so none of us are stuck with all of the cooking.  It was great but so damn exhausting!

We headed back later for dinner with our Mum and her partner.  Amazingly my scalloped spuds and dessert for lunch were awesome.  My pav and spuds for dinner were meh.  Pasta salad on both counts was pretty good though....

The nicest part of the Christmas was that it was my nephew Rajeev's first Christmas.  I just love the look of "What's this all about?" on his face and then he was so exhausted he couldn't fight the sleep any longer. Any time with him is amazing and happy and lovely..

All of the kids got along nicely and it was relaxing and lovely out on my sister's deck looking over towards the mountain range.  Mother Nature was stormy and rumbly and looked spectacular!

When I look at these images, of this amazing Christmas Day sunset, it reminds of the amazing sunset and light at dusk last Christmas Day and if I were a religious person, I'd look at this heavenly light and well, I'd wonder what made it so ;-)

spunky subjects & another pie...

I really don't know how I have managed not to steal anyone's babies so far.   I mean really, I just adore them and every bubba I photograph makes me CLUCKY! 

I really loved it when my kids were babies.  They were so much hard work from one time to another but it's a really lovely time having a baby in the house and often I miss it.  There's something so amazing about new life and their lack of being able to talk back, their gratitude for even the tiniest gesture, and as a parent, you're made to feel like a hero rather than an idiot who knows nothing.  Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the pre-teen phase in my household mostly but OH how I love babies!!

And how could I not when they are as adorable as this?  It would be completely understandable if I took her home right?  Of course....however...watching her beautiful Mum and Dad in the phase of new baby smitten-ness, I'm thinking no-one could love this baby more than they do...

  And I want to share this spunky family with you too.  This is actually a pre-wedding shoot for Mum and Dad but we couldn't leave out their adorable girls.  Aren't they going to be the cutest flowergirls ever?

I have a stack of different pregnant tummy shots to edit and another pre-wed session.  Bliss.

I also FINALLY opened my online store choosing Made It over a self-hosted store.

I registered the domain cherrymumma.com.au some time ago and have been mucking around building an online store but to be honest, this is all I need so I went with it and made heaps of sales on opening night last night.  Find my store at www.madeit.com.au/cherrymumma .  I'll be adding all sorts of bits and pieces as I create them.  I'm planning on more hair accessories and some sketch books, fabric jewellery and some homeswares using my artwork.  I've been selling these hair flowers and headbands at a hairdressing salon here recently and will also be at the Rosedale Maker's Market on October 23rd.  I can't help but make stuff, my hands don't enjoy being idle and while photography is my main passion, hours at the computer can drain me.

It's been a bit tricky to juggle everything of late as I've had Alex home for TWO WEEKS off school with a pesky ear infection.  I cannot believe the stubborn germs that we are all dealing with this Winter, grrr...

He's going back to school tomorrow no matter what.  I'm so stressed this time away may have affected his learning.  He's had around 40 days off this year with different illnesses.  Not only is it awful for his education but honestly, it's a pain for me too just quietly....

I'm still struggling on and off with my "stuff" day to day but still have an unwavering determination to beat it.  Still.  My shrink has set me a couple of daunting tasks to complete before our next session which I'm trying really hard not to dig my heels into the ground and avoid it like mad. Sucking it up and just gonna do it.  Yep really I am. Yep...

flying bunny & matching frocks

I've been sewing this week while we're all still on holidays.  I haven't gotten anywhere near as much completed as I'd hoped.

I've spent a lot of time refereeing squabbles, catching up on housework and just doing things slowly.  It's been nice. The slow, not the squabbles, they're doing my head in!

Madeleine has been nagging and begging me to make a dress for her fluffy Zhu Zhu plush.  I was excited to think she wanted to learn how to sew. Um no.  She just wanted to tell me what she wanted and then wait while I miraculously created these imagined designs just the way she wanted them.  Yikes!

I ended up making a dress for her Zhu Zhu pet but didn't get a pic oops and later these matching dresses for both Maddy and her favourite Bella-Boo.  She picked the fabric out of my stash, I've been hanging onto it for ages.  Isn't it gorgeous and cheerful!?

Could I get her to give me a "normal" photo?  Um NO.  She's mad! All she wanted was to throw Bella-Boo into the air and have me photograph her in the air.  I thought she was crazy but humoured her.  Looking at the outcome I think they're pretty cool.  Maybe she has an "eye" for a good photo :)

Don't forget you still have a couple of days to enter my giveaway!!

Happy New Year

So.  It's New Year's Eve 2010.  For the first time in forever, we are having a quiet one.  If we stay home we normally have friends over and drinks and the kids go mad squirting water pistols and I drink way too much and spend New Year's Day mildly hungover! 

This year we were invited to go away with friends.  We took too long to decide, the place booked out.  We were half-assed inviting friends over.  Nothing eventuated and when we finally got together to decide what to do, everywhere local was booked out!

We were invited to have dinner and drinks at someone's house.  We never committed.  Ah, they changed their plans.  Sigh. So here we are, home with the kids.  To be honest, I think I'm loving it.  I've had a huge tequila-fuelled margarita, apple pie and ice cream and I'm feeling FINE!

So 2010 has been an interesting year for me.  Not a bad year, but an interesting one.  My business has grown rapidly, my husband and kids have had a great year, it's mostly been fairly routine and okay.

I've been to some awesome concerts this year starting with Jimmy Barnes.

Seriously one of the best nights of my life! 

I've also been to Pixies who I have ADORED since forever,

and was completely gobsmacked at the amazing talent of The Eels.  Awesome!

Then of course I cannot forget taking my babies to their first live concert, seeing The Potbelleez.  SO cool!

I was incredibly lucky to be in Brisbane to witness the art by the amazing Ron Mueck.

And smaller exhibitions along the way.

My baby sister got married in an Indian-Australian ceremony and I wore my first (and I honestly hope LAST) sari...

I got to tour with Wendy Senger and Heidi Swapp when they came over from the USA to run their Mistified tour in Melbourne and Sydney. 

And then in their classes at SIA and also on the Aussie Scrap Source booth.  I got to hang with some old friends and met lots of gals I'd only known online.  I love that!

I got to do all that with my best scrapping, travelling sidekick Suz

Unfortunately we had to finish up our little Budget Scrapbooking business, but not before our last hoorah at the Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo in Brisbane.  It was a great show, and we got to see more scrappy gal pals but OH they are SO much work!!! :)  The shows, not they gal-pals!

My baby boy turned 11.

My baby girl turned 8.

I lost my beloved Grandpa and his funeral was one of the most awful experiences of my life :-( Having said that though, I was glad I didn't let certain *ahem* people walk all over me.

I won a weekend away in the city, just me and my gorgeous hubby.  We saw "Fame" the Musical and stayed in a swish suite!

We were so lucky that the next morning was Buddha's Day in Melbourne. It was an amazing cultural experience, I found it quite emotional and beautiful.

 

I FINALLY gathered the courage to join Road Trauma Support Services as a volunteer speaker and have spoken at several Road Trauma Awareness Seminars over the last few months.  I KNOW I have made a difference, even if only a small one.  My biggest achievement with it this year is speaking at Victoria University at an enormous Trauma symposium.  There were SO many faces looking at me, silent, engaged, some crying...it was amazing.  Afterwards many of the participants hugged me, talked to me, shared their own stories with me.  It was an amazing experience...and so cathartic. 

I like to think now that while my experience has been horrendous, it may have or may still prevent others being hurt on our roads.  After speaking to 100-200 people in a room too, I don't mind saying I left feeling like I could kick anyone's or anything ass!!!

And in light of this achievement, I got my first (and definitely not my last) tattoo.....

The photo is a phone one, pretty nasty pic, it looks better in this shot of me with my sisters...

It's just sort of over my heart.  The cherries are to remind me to stay hard on the inside, to stay strong and tough, to remain sweet and approachable as I can be but stay strong in my core being.  And I love that they're red and funky and the amazing tattooist at Warragul Tattoos convinced me to use my own drawing which she tweaked a bit until I loved it.  Tez is her name, shame she's not on the website because my inking is really fine and she rocked it and NO it didn't hurt. (Keep in mind I'm pretty fleshy right there)

I've photographed some amazing relationships, beautiful children, the miracle of pregnancy, couples tying the knot, nurtured my love of capturing connections between people and finding their true beauty, not just the cosmetic kind.  Aww makes my tummy so mooshy!

I got to shoot many images for this publication, the Tipping Foundation Annual Report.  I'm so proud to be associated with these guys, I NEVER tire of meeting their clients, and most of all I LOVE hearing their stories.  I find the clients here teach me SO much in such a short time about appreciation for what I have, appreciation for my children and most of all I love to witness their true beauty, their true love and joy of little things I take for granted.

On the scrapping front, this year I have been a bit slow.  Earlier in the year I was feeling seriously burnt-out creatively.  I'm currently on a break from my commitment on the Aussie Scrap Source Design Team.

 I am honestly starting to miss it now though.  I am glad I had the break though as I was really starting to hate it and that's the last thing I wanted. 

Here's my last few Aussie projects though...

I've done a bit of sewing, done some drawing and even sold my first piece on RedBubble

Right now though I'm feeling like I'm in a total creative funk.  In fact, it's scaring me because being creative is WHO I AM.  I have been since I was little, it's so much a part of my identity that without it I don't know who I am.

I've had a few margaritas for New Year's so I'm rambling a bit but of you'e the creative type you will know exactly what I mean when I say you tap into the "zone".  I remember watching a documentary on what makes people creative and someone described creativity as a direct line to god.  I'm not quite "there" but I'm having great difficulty tapping into THAT right now.  Sigh. 

So, anyway, instead of moping around whining, I've joined in with this starting tomorrow, erm today -

The details are here if you want to join in too.

Maybe it's my lack of ATTENTION to just being freely creative that is blocking me.

Maybe it's the silly "what's the point of making this stuff?" voice in my head.

Maybe it's the lack of confidence I have at the moment.  Grrr self-confidence is a fickle thing.

I dunno but I'm changing this in 2011.  The New Year has now ticked over and it's time to get my creative dacks back on.  For real.  Watch this space...

beginnings and endings

Here are the photos I tried to post last post of my Miss Moo acting as my guinea pig :)

This week has been a surprising week full of unexpected endings and beginnings.  There's some interesting changes going on in our little bit of the Universe.  Nathan has been home recovering from surgery and will be back at work in the next couple of days. 

Feeling better he decided to tackle taking down our old cubby house in the backyard.  I didn't know this though until I headed outside.  I knew it needed to come down but it was REALLY confronting...

The little building was rotting and full of spiders and the kids hardly ever played in it.  What was confronting about it though was facing how fast the time has past.  We acquired the cubby house when I was pregnant with Madeleine over eight years ago.  Alexander was only three and all I kept thinking about was taking Alex shopping to find fabric with cars on it to make little curtains.  Sniff.

Alex spent hours in the cubby and later Maddy did too.  They fought out there, they hid out there, they played drive-thru restaurants through the windows, they cleaned the floors and the interior, they joyfully painted the walls, Nathan and the kids painted the roof and the walls, they bought and fitted a gargoyle for the doorway, they made an antenna, Maddy learned how to crawl and walk out there, I hid inside and snuck the odd cigarette (oops) and both cats that we've owned hid inside it.  Sob.  It is the end of an era, the symbol of the end of me being Mum to little kids.  It's over. Sigh.  It's not a bad thing, it's just change...a bittersweet change.

And part of this change as my babies grow older is me deciding to work more and get serious about our financial future.  It's been easy up until now to just keep saying that money doesn't matter, we'll manage on whatever blah blah blah but right now both kids need braces, we have debt, we want to buy new furniture, a house etc so I have to make the most of whatever little time I have spare right now.  So I've been super-busy taking photos, and may I add LOVING it.  My little business keeps growing and growing with my wedding season officially kicking off today.

I photographed the most perfectly elegant wedding today, the wedding of Emily to Ryan.  Here's a few images from their pre-wedding session a couple of weeks ago....

I love these images, I love how they wore their gumboots and stayed true to who they are and what they're about and their wedding was no different.  It was beautiful and made me misty-eyed and teary like all weddings.  *big happy sigh*  Can't wait to show you their gorgeous images, so far they look fab!

Speaking of fab images, here's more of the delightfully adorable Beth, Kiwi and Charli.  I'm still in awe of how beautiful Beth is at 37 weeks pregnant and again, warm fuzzies over all of the love within this home :)

I haven't heard any baby news yet, hopefully everything is still going well.

Now back to my changes, I applied for a job last week, something I haven't done for well over ten years but I thought it sounded like it could fit around everything else I do and well...I got it!  I had the interview yesterday long with all of the other candidates and they told me I'd hear Monday.  Lovely people put me out of my misery last night with the news that made me happy happy happy!

I will be an agent for a fabric wholesaler travelling around selling the most lush yummy fabric that had me drooling just over the samples.  Yum.  Hard life eh?  I love that the hours will fit around my photography and my kids and most of all, it allows me to bring in more income without having to make my photography business grow too big.  I want to keep it smallish because it feels more personal.  And I love that. I love that I can do both.  And do the mumma thing too.  And scrapbooking?  I have some balance to work on....

I also agreed to run/walk in a fun run with a friend next year.  Me.  Seriously.  I haven't got my fat ass out exercising since I had my wee roller.skating accident last year.  Ouch.  It's pretty shameful actually so this has been motivating me to move.  Kind of.  I'm still spitting my roller derby career was so short lived but meh. That's it for now, I've had a wine too many, mixed with a gloriously exhausting day and now I'm very very sleepy :)

 

ta-ta Winter

I love Winter, I really do but even I am tired of the miserable light and gloominess this season brings.  I love using electric blankets and slow cookers, the smell of washing tumble-drying and Sundays snuggled up inside in slippers and trackydacks.  I love wearing boots and tights and OH how I love to see snow on the mountains around us.  The air is crisp and clean and it's easy to sleep.  Ahh Winter I {heart} thee, but I NEED some sunshine.  Please.

I'm tired of the grey skies, this Winter has seemed long.  I'm tired of mud and the lack of sun-dried bed-linen.  We had a mild day and instantly the offspring were outside on bikes and scooters and enjoying each other's company.  I miss that.

He really was having a good time until Mum pulls out her damn phone and starts snapping pics - grrrr...

My hubby Nathan is out of hospital and recovering nicely.  He has 5 holes in his tummy and two weeks off work to spend at home with me...

Stupid thing about that is that while I've been looking after Nathan I got sick.  Urgh....being sick is the PITS!  And such a waste of flipping time!  I have SO much editing to do and cannot stay at the computer for long, it's so frustrating.  I won't bore you with details but I have girls' stuff going on.  I've had many tests that found nothing serious but have to wait until October to see a gynecologist - grrrr.

So we've been a great pair lazing around moaning about pains all day - sigh...

I did a fabulous engagement session on the weekend at a most gorgeous location out in the country.  Gorgeous couple, lovely location, it will be DIVINE and the way they've planned to wed is just perfect for them.  I can't wait to see them get married and even more exciting is photographing it!

I was on my way home when this little lady or fella looked up from the road's edge and was very happy to continue to stare at me until I clicked the shutter on my camera when it high-tailed it out of there.

I was so excited that my car stopping and even the sound of my window didn't frighten it but my flipping camera did. :( Cutest baby wombat - aaaaw!!

I also snapped these on the way home with my iPhone.  Man I love Hipstamatic.

The road where these photos were taken intersects with the road where I live.  I can't believe how fab it all looks taken with this app...

When I've felt well, I've been scrapping, drawing, cross-stitching and editing and nothing is finished for me to show you.  Yet.  I shall keep plodding away at everything though =)

Soon I'll be sewing this as well!

Lucky me I WON this pattern from the Oz Material Girls blog.  I can't wait to make this for my divine Miss Moo, she's SO excited!

I'm off to wash a mountain of dishes and muster the spawn off to bed!

yabbering between yawns...

Ah can you hear that?  Yes, it's silence, the silence of my "everyone-is-sleeping home" Hooray!!

I've been having a few "moments" tonight, you know the kind, the IF-ONE-MORE-PERSON-WANTS-A-PIECE-OF-ME-I-MAY-SPONTANEOUSLY-COMBUST kind of moments, the type that feels like you're being pecked to death a wee bit at a time, slowly, painfully until you give in a collapse in a heap - urgh!  Okay I may be exaggerating a little but honestly grrr...

I often wish I could grow really enormously tall and scream very loudly lording it over who or what is failing to recognise that they're really annoying me.  Actually I'd be somewhat satisfied with an Incredible Hulk type transformation also but really now I'm just babbling and you really probably don't need to read that.

So anyway, I've been busy of late.  Busy in both my personal life and work life.

Some good, some not so good but meh, that's life isn't it?  I have been somewhat overwhelmed by some of the stuff that's been going on but feeling quite philosophical about it all.  Sort of.  Anyone who knows me well knows I am a sap and I wear my heart on my sleeve.  I stupidly trust people and I let things they say get to me.  I hate that.  But the opposite of being too soft doesn't appeal to me either - bah!

Balancing out the gobsmacking ugliness of interhuman behaviour has been some amazing client experiences.  I've been meeting LOTS of wedding couples and seeing the stars in their eyes as they plan their gorgeous nuptuals is something I will never get tired of.  Even more exciting is the venues I know I'll be visiting over the next few months - bliss...

I've also been shooting quite a few delicious subjects, including these adorable guys and their lucky lucky baby-to-be!  This bubba is going to enter the most amazing family, I can tell already and looking at it's gene pool already, it's going to be one spunky bubba!

It was a total pleasure to photograph these guys on what was possibly the most miserable weather day of the year - not that you can tell :)

Next up was a fabulous farm-inspired shoot of another spunky couple out in the country.  I love where I live, green hills and the smell of cow manure always reminds me of my childhood and this place had all that and more.  A DIVINE location, lush green paddocks surrounded by native bushland, puppies, calves, cows, chooks and baby lambs - awwww and mud glorious mud!

They made so many amazing images it was really hard to narrow it down to even these.  Aren't they gorgeous??

Also this last week on another miserably cold wet and windy day was this yummy Mummy Beth, her spunkalicious Kiwi and divine cherub Charli.  I'm still working on their session but here's one of Beth.  Have you seen a more AMAZING 37 week pregnant woman?

More of this session VERY soon!

I've also done photo shoots for a brochure and have events and engagement sessions this weekend!

In leisure news, the lovely Suz arranged a fabulous night for her and I seeing The Eels live in concert!  I had no idea who they were until Suz and I spent a weekend locked away in a country cabin trying desperately to catch up on our scrapping commitments and there was no stereo in the cabin.  We ended up with Suz's limited playlist from her laptop and the odd few cds that were kicking around in my car.  Lucky for us we have similar taste because I think we heard each song about 127 times each.  It wasn't bad though because I realised that I love the Eels and have done ever since.  And live, they were AMAZING!

And....unfortunately, just like The Pixies concert we went to some nasty cow had to get all pushy and rude.  Had I blogged this closer to the event, it would have been VERY nasty.  A woman pushed into Suz's spot beside me and I jokingly said that she might get squished when Suz comes back as she'd be standing with me.  Grr she went nuts about not being able to see etc.  We would have helped her out but no, when Suz got back she started going on about people being childish etc.  We were both gobsmacked, she was clearly just some sour trouble-making mole.  There I said it, the epitome of 80s bogan teenage girl.  Mole.  Best bitch-word ever.  Mole mole mole, yes lady *cough* you are a nasty mole.  Right.  That feels better.

It took me all of my effort not to cause a repeat of the TOO-CROWDED-TO-MOVE  bitch-fight of 1993 when a nasty sourpuss in a crowd called my sister a bulldozer when she was pushed from behind.   Everyone was pushing it was crazy and some cow said it loud and clear and I said, "I beg your pardon, who DO you think you are?" or something like that and I continued to tell her how rude she was and that everyone was stuck in the crowd and she should keep her nasty opinions inside her forked-tongue-containing mouth. Or something polite like that.  And then it got awkward because after my outburst right back at sourpuss I couldn't storm off in a huff.  We just had to stand there eyeing each other off.  Eek...

The "woman" at The Eels concert may very well have even been the same one.  Anyway, the man she was with came and took her away.  I amused myself with thoughts of him shaking his head at her and saying what an embarrassment she was but I imagine it wasn't that way.  I like my made-up her being scorned for ugly behaviour better.  She was the only ass in this crowd that we came across though...

It was a pretty ace crowd full of gorgeous outfits and funny hats.

My hubby Nathan has been in hospital for part of this week having surgery and I thought it would be nothing, it has ended up being more of an upheaval than I anticipated.  I was SO worried about him when I thought I wouldn't be and to our kids' credit they both patiently waited for him to come out of surgery despite the fact that the hospital was boring and they were hungry.  They insisted on waiting and Nathan said as he came out of anaesthetic, the first thing he remembers is seeing us waiting for him.  That was important to me and it happened.  Happily.  Both kids coped really well and managed to moan and fight as much as they usually do so all around it's been an okay experience.

Charming isn't he?

I have been quite drained emotionally since joining in on the Road Trauma Awareness Seminars as a volunteer, but I'm still pleased I did it.  It's just taken a bit out of me and I went to dinner the other night to sort out the next round with the organisers, and kind of debrief I guess but the circumstances ended up being awful and it's made me question WHY things happen the way they do.  It doesn't matter how much I work to block certain elements from my past they still come back to purtrify a fabulous existence from time to time.  Why is that? Why is it that some negativity and ugliness can't just keep to itself?

So when I feel a bit icky I escape into my sketch pads and draw.  I've been working on this but it's not finished yet, excuse my phone photo...

I hope to finish it some time over the weekend.  Maybe.

I'd love to show you wnat else I've been creating but i can't yet.  Some has been magazine commissioned and some for Aussie Scrap Source, so you'll just have to wait I'm afraid! =o)

Starting next month I'm also returning to teaching, starting at Fat Cats Scrappin' in Warragul.  You know it's amazing that the two girls that run the shop were my students two years ago and now they've just gone OFF and have a gorgeous shop and much enthusiasm, it's been great to watch!  More info on that soon.  I just picked up the stuff to make a sample and I'm busting to get started!

Right, well, I have a brand new lambswool electric blanket on my bed tonight and can't wait to try it out.  It's also the first night I get to sleep with my hubby since Tuesday and I intend to make the most of all that heat so I'd best get off this computer chair and off to bed. Night!!

spin until ya spew!

I'm a few days behind posting this and if you're a friend of mine on Facebook you'd have seen these already.

Monday was a student-free day for the kids and the most gloriously sunny day we'd seen in ages!  Cold breeze but still enticing enough to get us all outside and off to a park.

Both of my offspring love this spinning thing and they see how fast they can go before they throw up!

It's really gross; last time Maddy was quite sick but this time they both managed okay despite the fits of laughter which was lovely to see between them!

I parked my tush in a sunny spot with my iced latte, iPod and cross stitch.  Bliss.

Before I go to tidy up my scrapping and write my client notes for this week, I want to help those of you that struggle for meal ideas at night...

Source 

Mmmm yummy NOT.  

kicking the proverbial...

You know, for once in my life I don't mind saying it - I'm feeling WAY chuffed with my own actions right now.

It may be egotistical but on the weekend I achieved something that has taken me a long long time to do!

I spoke publicly about my car accident.  The accident in which I was a passenger and my best friend was killed.

Anyone who has read my blog for a long time will know about it and anyone who knows me personally will know that I have had a very long battle with PTSD for my entire adult life, which incidentally is half of my whole lifetime. 

But on Saturday I started my volunteer position as a speaker with Road Trauma Support Services Victoria. This is an organisation that I wish had been around at the time of my accident but nonetheless my initial contact with them was priceless to me.  It was one of the counsellors there that took the time to support me, listen to me and understand.  It was her that sent me to the right counsellor for my needs and effectively learn to manage my symptoms and FINALLY face my demons!

So anyway, I attended a Road Trauma Awareness Seminar where people who are traffic offenders attend for whatever reason, to face what sent them there and to drive home the reality of road trauma.  I commend them for showing up, it can't be easy to go and face it.

I was so very nervous but well supported and I can honestly say that every single person in that room listened to my every word and a couple even cried along with me when I finally cracked and had a little sook.  Even the tougher cookies softened and I think I managed to keep myself fairly well composed considering I guess and some of the attendants told me that my story instantly changed their attitude.

That's all I hoped for, to hopefully prevent any of those people going through it and hopefully contribute toward the prevention of any more senseless loss of life.  It has to stop, it's crazy!

So I did it.  And it went okay.  And I'm okay.  I've been a little jumpy but I'm okay.

And from where I'm standing - THAT KICKS ASS!!!!!

Happy days people, happy days...