It's All Good

Love the fact that tomorrow is Spring.

Love the fact that life is good....

A word of advice

Jillian's advice for grown ups...

" All you have to do is think with your heart that you can do it"

A picture speaks louder than words. Either that or I'm just being slack.

Who says a dog is a man's best friend?
Top Quiz Kids

Mother's Day Breakfast
7 is a magical number

Backyard Blitz

Grandma Love

Briohny xxx

p.s Yes my husband still exists... 30 days til he can surf again.

Susannah, if you are reading this, email me at briohny76@hotmail.com

For No Reason in Particular... just because I like them.

Are you partial to collecting something over the years for no reason other than you like them? Me, I've been collecting advertising postcards since year 12. You know those free postcards with the cool images on the front of them?

I don't do anything with them, in fact they've been sitting in the same box for years. I love it when I find one of these postcards with a truly cool image on the front.

I think I'll start a new series of blog entries dedicated to some of the favourite cards from the years.

Next time you're near a City Beach, duck in and grab a postcard. Trust me, it'll make you smile.

Layouts, Shoes and Bags

The pizza boxes in the top of my cupboard had become full which meant I had to either a)

buy more pizza boxes, b) pile LO's ontop of pizza boxes c) ignore it and find somewhere else to begin piling or d) organise.

Option 'd' saw me empty my albums and the pizza boxes and decide on some sort of organisational / filing process. I ended up going by person and age, except for the family pile the christmas pile, the Tony and me pile and the my favourites pile.... The kids, for the first time, actually browsed the piles of memories.

Whilst on a role I thought I should organise my pile of shoes and bags. So we did something completely unrelated and went shopping at the Billabong factory (love that place)... stay with me, there is a connection.

I found myself another bag to which my lovely husband replied. "Great, why don't you get two and then you can put all your shoes in all your bags!". Got to love his way of thinking. I ignored the sarcasm and informed him that was an excellent idea.

Do you think this replaces the "Oh, this old thing, I've had it for ages" excuse?

Aim Straight

This entry goes out to my lovely Aunty Chrissy. The goddess of 3 teenage boys and a DH.

I Spent all day in a spring clean. Without the 'spring' and the supposed joy that comes from such a clean... the worst job... the toilet! We have one nearly teenage boy who can't / won't / too lazy to aim straight. After gumption, bleach, spray and wipe and boiling water my toilet still doesn't look like one of those glamorous white bathroom tv ads.

How does the afore mentioned goddess manage it with three boys using the one loo?

Today is a Good Day

"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." ~ Winnie the Pooh

Sometimes all you need to put a new perspective on things is a bit of girlfriend time.

Once again feel all happy with the world and with my scrapbooking.

Thanks lovely ladies
B xxx

Why Do You Do It?

Scrapbooking for me has become somewhat of a 'sigh' event. You know those things in your life that you sigh when you are doing them? Dishes, dinners, cleaning the house... scrapbooking has become that for me. Don't get me wrong I still LOVE LOVE LOVE scrapbooking but I'm not lovin so much doing the scrapbooking. Make sense to anyone else but me?

Maybe I analyse the process to much, maybe I've lost my mojo, maybe time is a factor. Tell me, why do you scrapbook? Do your kids look at the pages you have done? I read the articles and blogs that talk about creating family heirlooms and wonder if that is what I am really doing. My kids show a vague interest in the pages.

Maybe I scrapbook knowing that it will be my great, great, great grandchildren that will look at the pages and reminisce what life was like 'way back then'. Is that what it is? Do we scrapbook not for our immediate families but those that are to come?

So in an attempt to not be so analytical or critical I am exploring other crafts. I've got the trusty sewing machine out all inspired to create something all Etsy. Here and Here are my sources of inspiration and the multitude of links attached.

I'm hoping from here, that my love of 'doing' the scrapbooking will once again be rekindled. I'm off to refamiliarise myself with my grass roots, a bit of Ali and Elsie love I'm thinkin....

Bridges to Cross

One of our family traditions began at the beginning of 2006...and stopped at the end of 2006... only to be re-ignited again in 2008. Kangaroo Point was a place, where at least once a week, our family (mum and dad incuded) would make our way to the river level, exercise and follow it up with a BBQ. In those days I would do the 8k city loop run with a dear friend of mine, hubby and dad would run 12k+ wherever the path would take them and mum would sit and read a book, mind the table and watch the kids, the result was obvious, great fitness, weight loss and happy times.

Today, in an attempt for everyone to 'get back into it', we made our first trek back in. Needless the say things have changed. Mum is 25 kilos lighter (I KNOW! SHE ROCKS!), Dad is still running half marathons (yes, yes he rocks too) and well Tony and I are 10 kilos heavier and substancally less fit.

Do you like how my 50 something year old parents are thinner and fitter than us 30 somethings?

The result was I still held my head up when the Lorna Jane clothed running bunnies 'jogged' passed, I was insipired by the sweaty, well toned men when they ran by and I was proud when my husband met me at the bottom of the Goodwill Bridge.

Happy Running

Briohny

Happiness is....

Taking the lid off a brand new tub of icecream after you have been shopping and eating the melted creamy bits around the side.

Gentle Reminders

So last night hung out at a staff scrap with these girls. Trying to get class samples up and running. The ol' blog topic came up followed by "gees, it's about time for you to update your blog". I like these gentle reminders. It lets me know that my cyber ramblings are not falling on blind eyes. Speaking of blog readers.... Lorna, if you are reading this, post your blog link in the comments. We'd all love to read how our own 'Kath and Kim' are travelling.

Considering the boys have gone to the cricket and Jillian is with friends, I thought I'd create a to do list. Got the house to myself for a while....

• Sleep in
• Once again begin my 'lose weight get fit' resolution (doesn't help that I have a bag of pods beside me)
• Finish Emily's challenge from last year
• Begin Emily's challenge for this year
• Finish class samples for the Princess
• Sloth in front of Foxtel
• browse ebay for I don't know what
• update the songs on my ipod

Here's my not to do list

• Eat the whole bag of pods that are beside me
• vaccum the floor
• complete none of the scrapbooking projects above
• sit and watch repeats of friends/sex and the city/will and grace all afternoon

Happy Saturday to you all.

Appointment Reminder

"Mummy! You're growing something!" Jillian exclaims a few centimeters from my face.

"Mummy! You're growing a Moustache!!!" Jillian exclaims while touching my 'upper lip'

"Mummy! You're turning into a man!" Jillian exclaims horrified.

Much more subdued now...

"Mummy? Does this mean I have to start calling you Daddy?"

Meet my verbal appointment maker reminder person.

Nothing Says "I Love You" Like Sharing Left Over Pizza

When it's love you give, then in love you live.

All for Love, Bryan Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart

Today is Tony and my 6 year wedding anniversary. YAY for us, yes congratulations and all that jazz. The day was 'nice' and typically us; not making a big fuss with 'special days' just hanging out at home, enjoying the simple things like cricket on tellie, jigsaw puzzles, cordial, good company and left over pizza. Anything else would not be being true to ourselves.

Our wedding day was true to our sense of being and true to who we are as a couple. Hence, the above wedding photo. We had a 5pm wedding down in Coffs, ended up with 3 photos of the kids with us (my only regret), Tony had an eye infection that was made worse by the antibiotics he was allergic to, I forgot to change my earings and mixed gold and silver (Shock horror for some), I wore bright blue, Josh stood beside me for the ceremony, we wore no shoes, had no speeches or bridal waltz, guests took home lollipops from the centre of their table, my husband and his mates continued the party on the beach while I chatted with a girlfriend in our room, and we played in the pool/beach/sand for our wedding snaps and we would not have had it any other way.

I had to add this photo in, purely for Jillian's hair. Check out our little Mowgli, oh, and you can get a look at Tony's eye too.

I hope your memories are filled with the simple joys of cordial, left over pizza and great company.

Briohny xxx

What's Your Year?

Love, Love, Love this book, this woman's work and reading her blog. Each year, this post gets me thinking. What's my word going to be? I wonder what direction other people would like their year to go in, Was I true to my word last year?

Peace was my focus for 2007 and I believe it to be a year that I learnt more about my inner peace and harmony than any other. So yes, I was true to my word last year.

At this moment in my life I feel a little like Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (save for the crazy father and robot friend). Frustrated at Yoda for trying to teach strength, perseverance and self belief when the impatience and sense of defeat often overwhelms. Yoda's words of "Do or do not. There is no try" form my foundation for my 2008 focus; take control.

No more excuses, poor time management, excess 'playing' in front of the computer, obscenely late nights, buying that 'must have' item, no more of those little, but significant bad habits. It is time to take control.

Kath's blog had a quote which I love.... "There are years that ask questions and years that answer" What word will be your focus for 2008?

Peace and Love to you all

Briohny

xxx

Turn Your Head Sideways

Tony here...

Check out little surfer girl. Not bad for only having ridden a skateboard on the road. Looks like santa will be bringing two surfboards next year...one for him and one for his little surfer girl.

My Slice of Heaven

Every year we try to go to Emerald Beach for at least a week of camping. Unpowered sites, campfire cooking, gas lights for the table at night. L-O-V-E it!

I could live here...

Love This Gal

Oh I do love this girl. Meet Miss Amy. Uni buddies we are. In what seemed like forever Amy and Steve finally got married. It was truly one of the bestest weddings I have ever been to. Her dress was gorgeous. All hand sewn beading on the bodice (can you see those flowers). The ceremony was low key and delightful. The reception was at Eves at Tennerieff (spelling, I know!) with finger food and no formal seating. The gifts for guests were help yourself lolly bags. You know old style when you use to go to the corner shop and ask for "$1 worth of mixed lollies please"? that's what we could do, fill a bag with mixed lollies. YUMMO!

Such a wonderful, happy, proud day.

xxx

Forward Planning

"I can get my learners in five years mum"

"mmmm, that's good"

"Hey mum, who's going to take me for driving lessons when I get my learners?"

"That's six years away Josh!"

"Five mum, it's five years away"

Short Break and a Long Blog

Spent a week with the year 7s up at Cool Waters (near Yepoon). Apart from the nightmare train ride up (note think vommitting and migraine with 60 kids) the rest of the time was a blast. The kids were super well behaved, lots of fun and we all came back feeling like we had had a mini break. For privacy reasons, I can't show you camp photos, but I can show you my feet at Great Keppel :)

I miss scrapbooking too. Sigh... I always look here and would love to have the time (and the skill) to be able to do something like this. I miss scrapbooking with these guys (separate link for each of them). I'm hoping we can all catch up soon for a good old crop and chat.

Completed this layout with NO PATTERNED PAPER!!!! All stamps and cardstock.

One thing I love about scrapbooking is the permission to get all arty with paint, ink, sandpaper and so on, had a good time with the Heidi Swapp mask. I really wanted to scrap this story.

Nearly up to date on Emily's card challenge. Challenge is an understatement. How's yours going? These are the moments that I wished I had a little desktop photo printer.

Did a little gratitude box for the Scrapbook Princess. Filled it with little quotes as to reasons why we should be grateful. It's a happy reminder.

Got this idea from here. I love her products. So bright and happy. So easy to use. This little book has a random selection of photos with a little bit of heart felt journalling. Great idea if you want to scrap photos and not the event.

On the countdown til holidays and then we are off camping to one of my favourite places in the whole world.

luv 2 u all

Art Therapy

...That very night in Max's room, a forest grew...

We all need a space to go to play, retreat, read, drink wine... I'm fortunate enough that my husband lets me indulge in my 'art therapy' and doesn't mind if I paint a wall here or there.

Some of you may remember my journey of the yellow wall.

I've since painted another wall, well two actually. One wall inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Starry Night

The other wall, inspired by my spiritual values, is there to remind me of the balance and harmony that is so important to remember for our fast paced, technology driven, instant response lives that we lead.

The 'harmony wall' has recevied mixed responses, but that's what I like about it. It is art and as a result is up for critique. It's not so much that people don't like the painting, but more of the fact that I painted a wall in the dining area. My response is simply that it is paint and it can (and will) be painted over when the day comes.

It's interesting that 'my space' has become the central spot for the rest of the family to play.

What would you paint on your wall? p.s. Feature walls don't count :) p.p.s the yellow wall is still there.

love to you all xxx