Hi there guys~

Are you well? I've been just great in case you were wondering why I've been so quiet on the blog front!

We haven't been doing anything earth-shatteringly interesting of late. Although we did go out for a family supper to the Spur steak ranch tonight...& I suppose in the family of a 3.3/4yr old, that is pretty interesting stuff.
T & I actually had eye-to-eye time for a change & enjoyed our food hot,which is unusual. Normal protocol is: gobble whilst trying not to choke, as you swallow chunks whole or send your food back 8 or so times during your stay, while you chase him around the restaurant.....all because tonight Max was on his own private mission. He didn't need one moments minding. He did pop in to touch base with us every so often & to stuff some more toasties & fries in his beak...and then he was off again to play. At one stage we saw him sitting comfortably at the table of some perfect strangers. He was swinging his legs and chewing, which was a bit of a worry at the time, seeing as it wasn't his own food he could have been eating. I opted to remain ignorant at that stage :o) . He happily chatted up a storm with them...our boy the socialite LOL!

This is a pic of him giving me a puppet show...he's the
doctor & she's the nurse...complete with nurse voice.

I am scrapping like mad for Friday's Becky Higgins sketch deadline. I am even attempting a double page L.O & actually loving it. JO! no finger pointing please! I know, I know, I did say @ one stage, that 'doubles were out'....forgive me I was wrong. Are any of you submitting too?

I have a question for you...what size L.O do you prefer scrapping???

* 12x12
* 24x12
* 8x8
* 6x6
*8x11

I'll leave you with this adorable pic of Max doing what he does best....looking darn CUTE!

Have a great day where ever you find yourself because the Lord came to give us life & life more abundantly! So have some fun will ya!

XX

Not much!

Don't have much to say today. Although I have been scrapping like crazy to finish some L.O's due for page calls by this arvi. I am relieved to say I made it just in time...the cut off time was 6 a.m their time. I have no idea why I leave everything to the last minute??? The pressure somehow gets me motivated to get stuff out. Wish I could show you the L.O's....but I can't due to their strict, 'never seen before' policy. If I don't hear anything from them in the next couple of weeks, I will post them on my blog, OK.

Well I am going to plunge my lazy carcass into the pool to cool off.
See ya!
XX

Oh well!

Naaaa, I didn't get the DT. Oh well, there will be others, all the best tho' to the very talented girls that made the team. Label tulip still has the hottest kits I have ever seen....together with Poppyink. Maybe if I ask DH nicely, I can organize a little subscription because I can't see any other way of getting my hands on cool stash like that.

Have a super Sunday everyone....off to church.
XXX

Cool kit company!

Have any of you guys heard of Label tulip? It is the hottest kit site I have seen in a really long time. I heard about them last year when they had a DT call. Sadly I missed the call due to work commitments...& was seriously bummed out about it. Well, I noticed a week or two ago that they were having a DT call again and I applied. Today is the day that they make their announcement. I haven't heard anything as yet but is is early on in their Saturday, so you never know maybe I still crack a chance at being selected. I am soooooo anxious to see the results.

I am finding applying for DT positions really tricky because my online gallery is never completely up to date. With page submissions having to be exclusive & secret, all my latest work can't be posted anywhere. How do I show companies out there what I am capable of I wonder? I suppose I will just have to scrap more.... can't see a problem there :o)

I am also finding that people are reluctant to look at DT members from SA because there is a misconception that we are miles away from anything. I wonder if they realise that we are as far from the USA, as Hawaii is. I dunno, I'll just have to wait and see.
Pop onto their site tho & have a look at their AMAZING kits. Ohboy....I would give my pinky finger to work with stash like that.
I will keep you posted.

Pic's of the patient!

Max... leg up...with frozen peas on his wounds! Please note the plate of 'comfort' food next to him...... hot fries & veggie nuggets. He ate a bit.... but I think the shock was just too much for him. Poor little guy! Today however he is just fine.....other than horrible bruising all up his right side. Our God is very gracious...

Going a-partying!

We are off bright & early this morning, to the other side of the world (boerie curtain) for Maxi's cousin's 4th birthday. It should be fun...I know Maxi is SUPER excited about seeing everyone and the distraction from yesterdays DRAMA is a good thing.

Last night our orange drawer unit fell on Max. Some how he unbalanced the unit by opening too many drawers......and CRASH! it landed on top of his legs...his right leg took most of the weight & he has a very swollen right foot &knee. I got such a fright & so did Stef who was on the phone with me at the time & heard everything....thanks for your prayers my friend. Max, once he had calmed down, was so good about sitting still with frozen peas on his leg, to reduce the swelling.....@ 10 minutes he announced that he was 'all better' & that was the end of that. It is amazing how resilient kids are.....the Mama on the other hand buzzed from the adrenalin rush for hours afterwards. I haven't downloaded the pic's of the boy & the peas yet...I will post them later when I get back.

Stef, your new blog header ROCKS! girl. You sure learn quick...a 10 minute tutorial on the phone & it's done. I am impressed!

Have a super Saturday.
KJ~x

Just not cricket!

Are you ready to be grossed out?

Here in the Cape we have been experiencing very unusual weather patterns...making this Summer the wettest & most humid, we have had in years. The result, other than being unbearable hot, is the infestation of insects that is plaguing the entire city. We have had a list a mile long of different critters (I won't mention the types, lest I freak my neighbours out), move into our home. 6 years in this house & I have never seen x1 cricket......This year...well, I have lost count at how many we have caught & destroyed. YuCK!!

Last night I was getting some serious scrapping done....out of the corner of my eye I noticed something black sprint across floor. When the realization dawned on me, that is was one of those disgusting singing nasties....I grabbed the closest thing to me....a CD I had on my scrap table. I lunged & squashed it. The blighter got itself firmly wedged in the center hole of the CD...& that's where I left him, until this morning. After breakfast, I thought I'd better go tidy up the squished bug ooze before someone stepped in it; that's when I thought I might as well immortalize him. I grabbed my camera & Clayton Cricket the 30th became my latest photo subject, as well my deep & meaningful post for today.

C.C, may he rest in peace......(golly it is disgusting isn't it?)

XXXX

Zoo!

We went to the zoo the other day....not that is can really be classified as a zoo but rather a sanctuary for rescued animals. It is privately owned & funded....so even though it is rundown and a bit ratty, we like to visit & do our part to keep it open. It wasn't a planned trip, we sort of went for a drive & ended up there. It ended up being great fun.

Maxi got himself organised for the drive....book on animals....sunglasses for the 'bright light'....Whiskers the cat for company & snack box.....heaven to a 3yr old.

The big cats were fantastic.... & HUGE!



And then we saw this baby.....aaaaaw!
There was a whole litter of teeny-tiny wild cats, it is hard so to believe that
this adorable ball of fluff grows into a huge cat.

This pic is for all those Jungle book fan's out there....

And then there were these animals......Oh! is us....haha!

On the way home the sky behind Table Mountain was amazing!

Have a great day everyone! XX

So slow!

Is it just us or is your internet, seriously slow too? (talking about us SA-ians here). Even with the fastest ADSL line 'Helkom' has to offer....we crawl....we hang mid-download...we get sidetracked in cyberspace. Ag! I get so frustrated that I sometimes just walk away from my laptop, embarrassed by the wicked thoughts going through my head, about our ridiculous country where nothing works! I know I have so much to be grateful for & things out there in suburbs, not too far away from mine, are hugely worse...but it just gets to me sometimes. I got a taste of what satellite internet was like in Canada over December....oh my...it just flew! I want an internet connection like that...waaaaah! OK now I sound like an imbecile~ hahahahaha!

Other than twiddling my thumbs waiting for the internet...nothing too exciting happened today. I had housie/admin chores to do...usual boring stuff!

But just before I sign out...just because I can.....another pic of my boy!

Sometimes Maxi is just extra sweet...today was one of those days.
What's not to love in this cute face hey?

Over & out!
XXX

No time like the present!

Have you had any projects lying around that you just haven't gotten to or have been putting off, like for ever?

This is where i put my hand way up high!

I have......so on Tuesday after I finished putting in my application for at DT position at this really cute site Alley Scraps (pray I get it, won't you!); I decided there was no time like the present to tackle our honeymoon album. Yes, yes! I can hear the raucous laughter......I know it was 6 years ago...but I have a legit excuse.....Ummmmm! I do really, I do.

Anyhow moving right along....the point of the matter is that I did it; I finished the album. And I LOVE it! Now, those scrapping buddies of mine out there, who know me well, have heard me bleat on countless times about how :' I don't have any clue how to do mini albums', well the corner has been turned, I can officially say I finished my very own mini album. The great thing I have discovered about mini albums is that their size determines the width of the photo's, so sorting, re-sizing & printing out (using PS) is a breeze. I also had such fun not following 'the rules' by inserting momentous, extra photo's, notes etc I love the eclectic mix of bright colours, printed papers & odd embellishments. I was an incredibly fun exercise to do.

I must WARN you though, that sheer or clear albums are NOT for the feint hearted or those in a rush. It has to be carefully planned because what you do on the one side, can be seen through the page onto the other side & there fore has to be covered (exactly) underneath. Double sided papers make life much easier but you still need to plan it well. The cover with the tiny pic's was inspired by a page done by Caroline Ikeji. Please note the AL stamps :o)

I will stop yakking now & show you the album.

Well that's all for now folks...have a happy family, scrappy weekend.
XXX

Capturing the moment!

I love my camera....so much so, that whenever I go anywhere, I take at least 20 photo's of the moment, as a reminder. I wonder if in the far distant future, when my kids are old enough to appreciate my obsession, if they will in fact relate to or have any inclination at all to open CD #1001 marked....{September 2007...kids in pool}. Why is it again, that we take so many photographs? Is it for us or for them? I don't know I've forgotten, do you know perhaps? I know I have really good intentions about attempting to try & scrap them all, but the reality is, I will NEVER be able to do that even if I had 3 sets of arms & 24hrs in a day to do it in. There are just too many.
In a moment of {in}sanity I did think I'd go through them all & throw away most of them, only keeping the perfect shots that epitomize the memory. I opened the first file, selected the ones for deleting......my finger sat poised over that delete button for what seemed like forever......I began to perspire under the immense pressure of my imminent action......I couldn't do it, I just couldn't! So the CD's of photographs will continue to accumulate......Hahaha! I'm such a pixel horder!

I just hope Cas & Max actually look at them in the future! Otherwise I will really have some serious time management issues to explain to the Lord one day!

Talking about capturing the moment....these are why I love photographing my family.....

Just some visual snippets of our life.....hope you like them as much as I do.
Cheers for now!
XXX

Jo, some were taken with the point & shoot but then again some weren't! :o)

Weekend fun!

We had a great weekend....even tho' the weather was more than weird! It was so hot & humid, it made everything damp & sticky. The endless rain made matters 1oo times worse too. Not the sort of weather we are used to here in the Cape but it didn't put a dampener on things {haha!}. We woke up at sparrows on Saturday morning & went to watch Scott {Jo's son} play a water polo match at his new school.....Scott you looked like a pro out there & made the other guys look like they could hardly swim! Max thoroughly enjoyed himself & told anyone who'd listen :

' There's my friend Scott in the pool!!!'

....we spent loads of time in our pool at home too, in an attempt to get away from the hideous creeping heat. The kids had a ball especially as they couldn't believe it when we gave them permission to swim in the rain. That then gave us a little more time to do some tiding & rearranging in the house. The lounge/dining room area are looking spotless...just the way we like it. How long it will stay like this I have no idea :o)

Cas had her friend Taylor over to swim.....Cas was so full of mischief tho' & was always looking for opportunities to dunk Taylor under....this is Cas's reaction after having 'caught' her unawares again! I happened to have the camera out & caught her in the act!

They are 2 grades apart age wise but are the greatest of friends!

The balls in the cozzie thing, was obviously Cas's idea...Taylor played along reluctantly. My camera pointing in their direction didn't make things any easier for poor Taylor either. Cas on the other hand is never fazed, she is a complete act & loves the camera. Her most fav thing to do, is have me photograph her striking a super model pose.

Cas has a school oral about her family tomorrow & needed a family portrait shot to show her class. So we dressed up {well sort of} & had such fun horsing in front the camera {even Max which is quite something}....I was finally able to get a half decent shot of all of us, where we are looking at the camera & smiling. For the couple of shots I got, it was so worth the heat & eyeliner.

Cas & I posed for this Mama & daughter shot, which turned out quite nicely...I must wear make-up more often I think.........NOT! hahaha!

Anyways have a great Monday everyone....XXXX

P.S Stef, I think you are a STAR for making the Journaling Junkie DT!

Lost!

My laptop went in today for an overhaul & more RAM. I can't believe just how much I use my laptop during the day....I was completely LOST without it. I think I have a problem.....I love blogging & scrapping far too much {if there is such a thing}. I think I am going to start having a designated...NO COMPUTER day, at least once a week.....No Laughing! It is worth a try, I say. Lets see how long I can keep it up? I'll keep you posted

Our weekend is looking relaxed & uncluttered.....just the way I like it. Hopefully the wind will abate a bit & we can spend some time outdoors. Freaky hey? saying we can't be outdoors because of the wind...40+ knots is just too much for Max...he hates the wind with a passion.

I did this L.O a little while ago...it is totally one of my favorites. My kidlets look just too beautiful for words.

Have a great weekend with your families.

XX

It's finished!

Max's playroom is finally reorganized, tidy & neat. For the longest time it has been such a jumble, that Maxi has found it hard to play in there but with the arrival of the new shelves....his room is looking AMAZING!! Everything has been sorted together with similar toys, into colored bins, so he knows where to find whatever he is looking for. There is now room for his little table & chairs, his TV, video machine & DVD player. In the one corner we even managed to put up his little house/tent his Gramsy sent him.

Playing on the floor with his 'Cars' cars is now even more fun with more room.

All the DVD's are on top of the shelves with bookends to keep them out of the way.

What is it about tidying that is so refreshing....I feel lighter somehow...& all it took was getting rid of 2 bin bags full of older toys. Had I have know, I would have done this a long time ago .

XXX

Have you seen?

Have you been to Ali's Edwards blog site lately? She has been involved with this really cool project, together with Shutterfly, it is an every life book that she put together & had Shutterfly print & bind it. They have appropriately called it a Photobook......it is SO cool!!
Oh, to have access to facilities like this locally :o( but nothing stops us ordering from Shutterfly, I suppose if the postage doesn't 'break the bank' first.

Ali's life book.

Jessica Sprague did one too.

Comfort in the 'usual'.

Normality is a blessing sometimes....

My day is nothing short of normal...the usual routine......no special incident worthy of mentioning. Except that maybe, that that in itself, is worthy of a blog post. My life is good, I have no strife & at last I can truly say I am happy & at peace, with the turn my life has taken over the last couple of months. I'm OK with making school lunch every morning, dressing Max....trying to get him to sit still long enough to brush his teeth etc, blah, blah! The normality of that is sobering after speaking to Sarah about the poverty & need in the suburb of Lavender hill, which is a mere 7 km's from our home. I am in the process of clearing out all my cupboards, in the hope that I will be packing for Canada within the year & it is great knowing that we too can help that community, by passing all our extra over to the families there. Sarah was saying that even the smallest thing is a blessing to them, with so many families in dire straits as a result of aids. So, any local-yokels reading my blog, who feel the urge to contribute anything they might want to get rid of...give me a call & I can make a plan to get it from you.

I am reminded, that it is in this way, we can be Jesus' hands to a broken planet...............XXX

Weekend photo post!

Hi there folks! Hope you are well & rested after the weekend? We had a real good one, with loads of time spent together, swimming, pottering at home, with the occasional outing thrown in. The highlight of my weekend was seeing Max draw properly for the first time. As you already know he is NOT crafty in an manner. He enjoys painting at school & gets involved with whatever they are doing but at home he chooses not to do any of the above. This weekend I saw him pick up the pen & perfectly {well as perfect as possible at his age} trace pictures, numbers & letters in his wipe books....I was astounded! It was almost like it just twigged in his brain somewhere, that he could do it........so I proud to finally say....my son drew this :o)

We visited the park a couple of times too....ate ice lolley's & felt the sun on our backs.

And spent quality time together horsing around at home. This is us messing around with the 'instamatic' point & shoot camera...we all took turns holding the camera above our heads......even Maxi had a turn.....it was loads of fun.

Well guys, I must get back to my Digi project I am doing for a local mag. It is taking a little longer than I expected because my lap top is behaving hormonally today & giving me loads of jip. Thankfully I have booked it in to the PC doc on Friday for an overhaul. I wouldn't be a happy chicken if anything had to 'go wrong', lest I actually say the words....if you know what I mean. I don't want to invite any sort of PC trouble before then......look what happened to Joscie....heavens!!

Have a super rest of your day...I will chat soon.
KJ
XX