stephsjoy

new experiences

2011-07-01T08:45:00.006+10:00

M finished term 2 of uni - so we had planned to head north to QLD, however with the volcanic ash closing down sydney airport - our plans changed and we had a staycation instead.

We played tourist in Sydney and took L to a fancy restaurant - Bistro CBD in the city. I say fancy as the restaurant was filled with suits... the staff were good, but it really wasn't a kid friendly place, they did not offer to give us a high chair. L did eat well - he had roasted veges off a silver spoon - what more could one ask for. It's really nice now that he can eat most things that we can get out a bit more!

It was such a beautiful winter's day - the sun shining and blue skies - so we headed down to the Opera House, and then for a long stroll through the botanic gardens - hoping to lull the little man to sleep, but alas not to be...

My baby

2011-06-15T14:37:00.006+10:00

turned one this month. We celebrated this milestone with a party more for his parents than for him. Actually - i don't think he really knew what it was about, though we all had a great time. It meant mummy could try out her baking skills, albeit limited. I broke a stick mixer in the process, burnt the cake so had to make another but the final result was worth it i think.I made hoot the owl from ABC2 - giggle and hoot show. I even got into trouble with our friends for feeding their kids too much sugar!

a whirlwind

2011-05-15T14:30:00.011+10:00

wow! what a week - L and I have been in 3 countries. Last sunday little man and I jetsetted across the oceans to Malaysia to visit my rellies. I have to say that the flight across was not so pleasant as the little man - got 30 mins sleep all day on the flight - which meant a very ancy boy all day!

We flew on Singapore airlines and i have to say that if you ever have to travel with kids - they are excellent - they were just so accomodating and even reserved a meal for me..

We arrived in balmy 33 degree heat, and were picked up by my cousin.

The next morning we went to visit the rellies.

The rellies were so pleased to see DS and were absolutely besotted with him, and boy he lapped that up.

In KL we stayed at the Park Royal Serviced Suites in a studio apartment. It was very well furnished, and very central to Bukit bintang - about a 10 min walk. And even had a sky pool - very nice for the adults!

Even though i had a fully functioning kitchen, we had all our meals out. My aunt and I went to Madam Kwan's - for dinner one night to try the famous nasi goreng. I thought that it was going to come with ayam goreng, but came with a curry instead. it was very yummy and not overly spicy. We also tried the chicken satays - big fat sticks of chicken which were nice, but not as nice as the flavoursome satays we have had in malaysia by the roadside. Still i cannot complain - dinner came in at just under AUD$15

Our trip home included a stopover in Singapore. Now if you ever want to stay somewhere close to the heart of orchard road, I'd recommend the Mandarin Orchard, it is right in the thick of it, just across from takashimya. The rooms are large, as is the bathroom, but the combined shower bath area is tiny in comparison.

Still awake

2011-05-08T02:19:00.002+10:00

it's way past my bedtime, but i am wide awake. L and I are travelling tomorrow, and i never seem to want to go to sleep before a trip. Crazy on my part - as I will be the sole carer for L for the next week - sleep not guaranteed.

Today - we visited my brother and his family. It was my nephew's birthday yesterday and we forgot to call. Anyway we dropped in to give him his present. I call him my boy and my boy is so grown up now. It was really lovely to see him, and watch him and J - his brother play with L. Such a precious afternoon!

the saying goes ..

2011-04-28T08:15:00.002+10:00

time flies when you are having fun, so true. each day goes so quickly from the time i wake till the time i go to bed. the scary part of it is that it runs from about 5.30am till about 11pm, and i still don't seem to be accomplishing much. Am loving being a SAHM though!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T18:45:00.004+10:00

Jesus is risen today! What wonderful news - that because of this we have the promise of eternal life! Am so very thankful for this. What about you?

Land of the rising sun - Part 3

2011-03-26T21:15:00.008+11:00

Japan continues to be in my prayers..

During my visit, I spent some time visiting the Tsukiji- fish market and the nearby produce markets.

I did not get to Tsukiji in the wee hours of the morning, but did get to see a lot Tuna being carted around to be sliced and diced for sale. Lots of exotic sea creatures also to be seen. It's a humming place, with carts zipping in and out at lightning speed, quite amusing to watch - as long as you are out of their way

The produce market too was interesting It's always fascinating to me the things you find - like different grades of wasabi - for 22000 yen (possibly by the kilo), but that is approx $220 - very EXPENSIVE!

Other foods like cherries and mangoes were also pricey!

Other highlights included a walk to see the imperial palace, ginza and shibuya.

Getting around was quite easy- i saw everything using public transport and walking - everything is well signed - though i have to admit, you forget how populated Tokyo can be, can be quite overwhelming

This is the pedestrian crossing at Shibuya.

Still I love the hustle and bustle of this city.

Sydney Theatre Co

2011-03-16T20:09:00.007+11:00

This year my girlfriend K and I decided that we'd be theatre partners together. It's been a while since i've had a subscription to the Sydney Theatre Co , so it is a real treat.

We had dinner before the play at the Hickson Rd Bistro. I had Crisp Skin Ocean Trout, Crushed Potatoes, Seared Scallop, Basil & Ramesco Sauce - very enjoyable - particularly the ramesco sauce , but i would have like the skin to be more crisp.

K had the Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli, Baby Peas, Lemon, Almond, Parmesan & Sage Butter - which she said was quite nice. Nice restaurant that i'd go back to.

We finish dinner about 15 mins before the play starts and this is when the fun begins - we discover that the play - in the Next room - was not on where we were - we were down on Hickson rd and the play was at the Opera House. Panic sets in and we head down the street - i suggest to K that we should catch a cab, it would have taken us 25-30 mins to get there on foot. Fortunately for us - we make it down to the Drama theatre with a minute(literally) to spare.

I have to admit that i don't recall reading the blurb about the play - though parts of it would definitely make one blush. I really enjoyed the story line - but felt that there were overplayed too many times. Not a bad start to the theatre year!

If you read this K - i had a memorable night - and very funny! :)

Land of the rising sun - Part 2

2011-03-15T09:27:00.002+11:00

What a terrible past week for Japan - praying for the people of that land and remembering those in NZ as well!

My birthday

2011-02-26T08:19:00.003+11:00

- a milestone birthday was last week.

I was very spoilt - my MIL and SIL came and took me out for lunch at a local cafe.

M had been away - at a uni residential and got back the night before. He organised for us to have dinner out and our friend Judy to baby sit. It was our first time out together alone without the baby!

We dined at Rockpool Bar and Grill in the city. The restaurant is set in an old building in Sydney and is well decked out. We shared a lovely octopus entree - flavours were great. My waygu steak had too much salt on it and was over salty! should have sent it back to the kitchen..

the handcut chips were nice! Service was a bit lacking for an expensive restaurant - they got our main cutlery setting wrong. But all in all a good experience.

Land of the Rising Sun - Part 1

2011-02-23T10:00:00.008+11:00

2010 was a year of lots of travel - such a contrast to this year so far.

In July, i had the opportunity to travel to Japan again for work.

I must say that i really do like Japan - it's mostly quite easy to get around. I usually stay in Shinjuku.

One of the things i love to do when i travel as I love food is that i usually try to find some good restaurants to frequent. Tokyo did not disappoint.

One of my favourite meals was a at a tonkatsu restaurant where the crispy crumbed pork fillet melts in your mouth. The fillet just so tender that little effort is required to consume it. It was served with fresh cold crisp cabbage - a perfect marriage of textures! It's a restaurant chain - well worth a visit.

Tasmania break

2011-02-10T21:08:00.004+11:00

Sharing some of the highlights from our trip to Tasmania last year.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a visit to Cradle Mountain.

If you have never been to the Apple Isle, you should try and visit. It is such a beautiful place, and the air is so clean and fresh. We hired a car to travel to Launceston and Cradle Mountain.

First stop Cradle Mountain. A note on micro climates, we did travel during Winter, while the weather in Launceston was clear - beautiful blue sky, crisp clean air and sunny day, we were not quite prepared for the "blizzard" that we hit in Middlesex Plains on route to Cradle Mountain.

The snow and rain was coming in so hard horizontally, the sky was dark and the landscape was so bleak. And yes it was snowing!

That night we stayed at Cradle Mountain Lodge. We had a lovely room - not great view but we didn't stay here for that. The bistro was good value and meals were nice.

The next morning we decided to hit the road and hike Dove Lake. We should have held off doing this till later in the morning as the weather cleared up a lot more, but we weren't to know that.. It was cold and an extremely interesting hike as around the lake we walked through different microclimates - including some rainforest. We had an excellent time trudging through the snow and walking in the rain.

In the evening after dinner - we headed off to a tassie devil sanctuary. It was cool to get up close and personal with these marsupials. We learnt some interesting facts about them and the dangers that they face at the moment.

The next day - we head off back to Launceston - on route we stop by some of the wineries in the Tamar Valley to find some very lovely pinot noirs. We are certainly expanding our palates.

After checking into our B&B - The Terrace - we head off to see Cataract Gorge - seems like a nice spot particularly with the sun around.

Final day - we cannot resist a visit to a winery - we have 30 minutes before we are due to the airport -- so we decide that we'd stop in at the Joseph Chromy winery. Now - this is our favourite winery in Launceston - the cellar door staff are charming and it's in a beautiful setting with a neat little restaurant! We unfortunately did not have time to indulge - but hope we can come here again!

days behind

2011-02-08T09:56:00.003+11:00

in everything. The very hot weather in Sydney meant - limited sleep and overtiredness for all in the household.

Here's the post on the joy of love -

Day 2 - How they look..

Day 1 - what they do

2011-02-02T20:03:00.002+11:00

Joy of Love

2011-02-02T09:48:00.002+11:00

Working on this for the month of Feb..

Check it out here http://www.willettedesigns.com/?page_id=2780.

the whirlwind of 2010

2011-01-29T10:08:00.006+11:00

what an insane year was 2010. Aside from the hectic work life, we had lots happening on the personal front - Our big news was the arrival of our son - we adopted him from Taiwan and brought him home on Christmas Day! The best Christmas gift ever! The little guy is just delightful and we are just overjoyed at becoming parents

With his arrival - brings more changes - i am now a full time mum! What a privilege!
My new photography subject sleeps mostly well and is generally very happy - what more could i ask for..

With that in mind you will likely be seeing more of the the boy. I am planning to document some of the other events of 2010, i have tons to share - as they say better late than never. till the next post

2010-10-11T20:52:00.000+11:00

ok i have to admit i have been very slack at blogging. Not that i have not wanted to keep this"journal" up to date, but life has simply had to be lived rather than written.

the past few months have been jam packed with actvities from travelling for work to travelling for pleasure. I will try and record some of the most memorable events in the coming weeks.

Let me start with our most recent trip to the US. My first tidbit - is a meal that we had in Disneyland - the happiest place on earth - so they say. I would have to admit that this is one fun place - even for us big kids.

We had a ball - for five straight days! This included the meals too!

if you are ever in the US and need a decent meal - the cheesecake factory is a good bet. They even have great happy hour deals. And for us The Cheesecake factory at Anaheim Gardenwalk - a five minute walk from the maingate of Disneyland was just that - reliable food.
What surprised us was the nutritional guidebook on every item on the menu! I'm not sure knowing the number of calories we were consuming was helpful or not. Our favorite part of eating out is always dessert - and the Chocolate Tuxedo was amazing.. chocolate mousse and mascarpone cheese! I leave you a pic to savour!

In Singapore

2010-05-11T22:27:00.000+10:00

it seems to be a recurring theme. i am sure you have heard it before - time flies, so where did it go.
honestly i don't know, every weekend seems to come and go quicker than the one before..
life is busy, work is busy with travelling involved. I do have to admit that I like travelling for work, but eating alone can sometimes be fun. I get to choose what i like and have it all. some would call this gluttony. I decided while in Singapore to head to a restaurant that I had been before with my colleagues. The restaurant is smack bang in orchard rd at the paragon ... named

Choosing for one does have it's limitations you can really only have one or two dishes max in a chinese restaurant. First up on the menu was bbq honeyed pork belly - if m had been dining with me i would have had to fight him for every piece. The flavours were perfectly balanced - not to sickly sweet and overpowering of honey and had just the right amount of charred crust. As i have been watching my carb intake - i didn't order any rice, but the sauce with hot steaming rice would have been a treat!

My next course arrived shortly and was a dish of plump fresh scallops, stir fried with broccoli. It was a simple dish that was perfectly cooked.

The restaurant is worth a visit if you are ever in this neck of the woods.

hello foodies

2010-04-18T16:52:00.019+10:00

Do you know the famous chorus that is sung in the musical Oliver -"Food, glorious food..." Well - i might say that indeed was my experience yesterday as I participated in a food photography workshop with a http://www.atablefortwo.com.au/- Billy Law at MUMU Grill Tapas Bar in Crows Nest. With my love of photography and of food - it was the perfect combination. Not only did i get to partake in a lovely meal - eight courses, i got to shoot food and meet a number of other food lovers including some famous sydney food bloggers.

So to share the food - as encouraged by new friends. Our first course was house baked breads and dips which were lovely and followed by a selection of olives.

Next to come - 15mth serrano jamon on catalan bread - this one i enjoyed

Followed by a very yummy grilled chorizo & eggplant relish. The chorizo was quite mild, but the eggplant relish was stunning. I could just have the relish alone and this is from one who doesn't really like eggplant. The next course was asparagus with spiced black beans - i didn't actually have any of this, but it did look very fresh. Then came the T Bone tagliatta with Duck Fat Potatoes together with a lovely cherry tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella and fresh oregano. This i have to say made my lunch - I love red meat and this i would certainly have again with a glass of red in hand.

To round off the lunch - our final course was a selection of desserts of which included a chocolate raspberry mole with hazlenut icecream. This was my favourite! I will certainly come back here for the food!

On the photography side, Billy shared with a number of his tips, some i knew, others were new - i learnt a few things about composition in food photography, sparked me to actually take a bit more time on processing my photos as well. I had a lovely afternoon of being in the company of like minded people - who like food and also like to share it. So thanks Billy!

farewell

2010-03-10T23:16:00.002+11:00

march came around too quickly and sad news followed with the passing of JJ last week. tomorrow we say farewell to him. i am thankful for having known him. whilst our hearts ache and is filled with much sadness, we have hope in the knowledge that death has been defeated in Jesus!

loves Feb...

2010-02-24T21:41:00.002+11:00

why you may ask..

valentines day ... not a chance

chinese new year.. nope

my birthday.... YES!

i love birthdays - so happy birthday to me!

happy...

2010-02-14T17:13:00.003+11:00

new year if you celebrate Chinese new year. hope it's a good one!

full of firsts

2010-02-07T18:58:00.007+11:00

Every year seems to go faster than the last. And 2010 is no exception. Our January was filled with much activity - all which was good.
It was also filled with firsts - i made my first pavalova - with many thanks to Stephanie Alexander. I actually ended up making two - one which was used for australia day celebration and the second for M's birthday.

I have now created a tradition for M's birthday by taking a photo of him on the day with a glass in the air. I think i am getting better at this. We actually went away for the week - really only a few days to Mollymook. The house we rented was close to the beach, the weather was so so, but M and his parents got to get into the water each day we were there. I on the other hand only got in to my ankles. This is the second of our firsts - we went specifically on holidays with M's folks.

this comes to the final firsts for Jan and 2010 which was i actually make a card. hooray for me!

This was for M's birthday - was fun and quick - which i think i like the most about it.

on the photography front - have already fallen off the wagon, will keep perservering and see how i end up. on my bible reading front am a little behind but still making progress - am reading the gospel according to Mark at the moment. worth a read if you haven't read it. Later..

Australia Day

2010-01-26T07:38:00.006+11:00

Australia Day! Late january 2010. where has it all gone?

We've had a busy start to the year, we missed first night of the sydney festival - can you believe that we were both too tired? M and I, went to see Wicked and had a wicked time! It was lots of fun. We hadn't seen any musicals for a while in Sydney, but this really was worthwhile, the leads were both fantastic - so i throughly recommend this if you get the chance.

We celebrated my in laws 25th anniversary, and this past week have had lots of opportunities spending time with friends! Feeling very blessed!
on the photo front have been playing with my new lens! and leave a couple of my favs for you! on the bible reading front am making progress i have missed a couple of days but still going strong just finished Nehemiah. This past week at Church was reminded that we need to pray continually, so have added that to the list of things that i need to do - some thing definitely to be considered.

I leave you with some of my favorite photos from the last couple of weeks.

Enjoy Australia Day!

Week one down

2010-01-09T10:26:00.002+11:00

365 Project Day 9 - Rose
Originally uploaded by StephJefferson

Sharing my favorite photo for this week. I have enjoyed the process thus far. Happy to say that i have continued to keep up with my bible reading too!
today is going to be hot in Sydney, so we are staying indoors and i will attempt to do some cleaning as well as upload a whole bunch of photos of our trip from the US in September. We're also going to head out to the opening night of the sydney festival so should be fun!

2010

2010-01-02T09:39:00.005+11:00

Happy New Year from Sydney! we watched the sun set over the bridge and waited for the sky to be lit by the huge fireworks display. it was a display of vivid colours, unfortunately i didn't bring my tripod - so no photos to share.

New Years day was spent around the house - M working on a jigsaw puzzle, me trying to sort out our photos from our last trip.. and planning for the next. Have also started on two 365 day projects - reading my bible and taking a photo daily.. fingers crossed for me! Will be updating my progress here.

We hope you have a great 2010 filled with much peace and joy!

countdown to Christmas

2009-12-20T17:06:00.003+11:00

only 5 days to Christmas. Today i was reminded that what Christmas is all about. Not the presents, not the family, not the parties or the food, or the holidays - but about the birth of Jesus. It is so easy to forget the reason.

We put up our very first nativity set this Chrismas - grandma organised one set for each grandchild. how cool is it!

Praying my friends for you this Christmas that you come to know the reason for Christmas!

introducing my new nephew

2009-11-29T07:33:00.003+11:00

TJ. He is so tiny but on all accounts is growing very quickly!

another month

2009-11-28T10:44:00.002+11:00

So really someone please tell me where the last couple of months went..
Well work has taken a large portion of my life, and have been travelling a bit.. i did have the opportunity to acquire some new toys - like the fuji instax.. have so far only taken two photos with it, one of DH and the other of my new nephew !!
Am saving the rest of the film for a instax christmas shoot.
Have been taking lots of photos - am doing another class, and will share later.
Other than that am gearing up for Christmas - looking forward to remembering Jesus's birth!

more pics to share...

2009-09-23T08:10:00.003+10:00

Here's a few more pics from the Grand Canyon South Rim, Flagstaff and Las Vegas!

news

2009-09-16T20:54:00.002+10:00

ok, so have tried to post on my blog at least once a month, but i seem to have fallen behind. Well let me say that it has been an eventful few months.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary in June with a little trip to Melbourne. unfortunately we happened to be there when Melbourne was the swine flu capital of the world. I fell sick with some bug and was subsequently on self isolation. Let me tell you it wasn't fun to have not to be able to be in close contact with DH. Thankfully i didn't get swine flu, but was nevertheless still quite sick

The other reason with being busy has been that Ihave also been taking a photography class and spending more time playing with my camera. I really have been having lots of fun with my camera!

This month we had our annual vacation and headed for the US. We had a great trip, we were amazed at God's magnificent creation of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National parks. Simply breathtaking. We saw deer, a large elk, condors, chipmunks, squirrels and DH saw a bear!
We are hoping to get back to see these parks again, who knows when ... but one lives in hope. We ate very well on this trip, the most memorable for me was our last night in San Francisco - at Nopa - the service was great, the food was great - we had a fantastic feed. Highly recommend it, if you are ever in the neighbourhood. I've decided that San Francisco is my kind of town, i just loved the quaint homes - though i must admit that the freeways and interstate highways do nothing for me!

It is nice to be home though, living out of a suitcase is only fun when you have clean clothes. Anyway loads of photos to process...

another month

2009-05-07T21:14:00.002+10:00

goes past. and what have i to show for it...
It's been a manic few weeks. I feel like i have been burning the candle at both ends.. and feel it too. Am glad to say that I have a week off scheduled soon..am planning to clean out the box room. fingers crossed i will make at least a dent in it.
In the meantime not much scrapbooking going on, though i continue to accumulate supplies.

This week i started a photography class, which i must say has helped crystalise some of what i know. Am glad to have taken the plunge. hopefully we will get to see some improvement

It's also been a week for birthdays
Happy birthday this week to dear S - i know you sometimes read this - so hope you had a great day. My nephew also had a birthday! so happy day to T!

Good Friday

2009-04-10T17:37:00.003+10:00

Where did March go... i seem to have missed it... or it just flew by.. just another busy month again. Happy Good Friday, not really sure what the salutation is for this day, but it is Good Friday. Good to remember the good gift of Jesus dying on the Cross for me and for you if you trust in him. Am humbled by this amazing act!
Quiet weekend for us !

Can you believe it..

2009-02-28T08:09:00.004+11:00

it's the end of Feb... i had my birthday and looking forward to the next one...

haven't had much time to scrap at all with work and all, though i am thinking I need to try to finish one that has been half done for a while.. got to make a start some where, have way too many taken already this year. Anyway will see how i go today, might even get 2 done.. that will be a feat.

Leaving you with a photo on how M and I celebrated my birthday together!

Valentines Day

2009-02-14T19:52:00.003+11:00

so what does one do on such day, it is not something we normally celebrate.
Today we celebrated as one should with loved ones, both m and my family came round to our home for birthday lunch. Given that M and my birthday are so close albeit about 3 weeks we decided it was easier to kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak. It was so lovely to see the kids play together, can't believe how grown up they are getting! The weather though miserable stopped long enough that they were out in the garden playing what's the time mr wolf - very cute!
As usual i over catered! We had so much food, MIL baked a pav and SIL a very yummy chocolate cake - there was a reason that i asked for her to bake it!!
a lovely day all in all, M and i were both spoilt rotten. I am in love with the gloves that i was given, cannot wait to use them! We are both so blessed and thankful for what we have!
This evening we are both just relaxing M has made us lychee daiquiris! more yumminess so just enjoying a lazy evening ahead.

catching up

2009-02-08T07:14:00.002+11:00

Jan just disappeared so quickly. We had such a busy month with so many activities. We went to the opening night of the Sydney festival, which was a bit of a blast - saw a giant pyrophone, went to see the Blues win the 2020 at Homebush, I went shopping with the girls, saw my very first ballet Morpheses - and was impressed! Celebrated M's birthday 3 times - i love birthdays... Celebrated CYNE with my extended family... And now I am wondering if February will be the same?
Leaving you with some of my photos from the month as no scrapping was done in Jan!

happy new year again!

2009-01-28T07:55:00.002+11:00

i know that i can say this .. cause it's happy chinese new year! the year of the ox! Trust it will be a good year! We had a family dinner on NYE - not very traditional - a barbie in fact, but loads of food as to be expected! It was great to spend time with the family though. There were piccys but i haven't had a chance to load them yet, will get to it on the weekend.

happy new year?

2009-01-11T10:24:00.002+11:00

ok so what is the protocol for this. when is it too late too say this?? anyone know?
oh well, i have no issues with breaking convention. We had a quiet NYE, stayed up playing lego star wars whilst polishing a bottle of sparkling white and a block of lindt chocolate so that we could see the fireworks. We were planning to head out to see them in person, but ended up watching the telecast on tv. I have to say it was the best telecast i have seen for a while! Am thinking it might be nice to see them right under the action - at least that is the plan for 2009.

This year i decided that i would write down some goals that I want to achieve, i didn't write any down last year and completed a few things so figured that if i wrote them down i might achieve more. i think it makes sense. My word for this year is grow! Grow in godliness; in my faith; in my marriage; in fitness; in my relationships so i think it is appropriate. 2009 is my year of Growth on all fronts.

I have also started a new job this year which is quite exciting, am looking forward to the new challenges ahead.

We had a lovely Christmas, with three days of celebrations that started with Christmas eve with my family, Christmas day - M and I went to church and had our own celebration, and then boxing day was with M's family. All in all very civilised with not too much overeating. Lots of lovely gifts including a voucher for a gourmet safari walking tour!!

M had time off between Christmas and new year's, he went to the cricket and also had a great day canyoning, which looks like something he will do again soon!
Over my break, i had some time to scrap and have finished some lo's that were started a while back. here's two that I finished.

it's Christmas eve!

2008-12-24T08:10:00.003+11:00

We had a few days down at Callala Beach last week, the weather wasn't great but it was lovely to chill out and do nothing for a few days.

We haven't even put up the Christmas tree, but all the gifts are wrapped and maybe we might get into it. We will have a quiet Christmas day just M and I, which will be nice, hopefully the weather will improve. I still have a couple of things to do, am not happy with the kris kringle i bought so need to sort that one out. The house is still a mess, but we will just live with that.

I am reminded of God's grace by a friend this week, Christmas to me is about God sending Jesus to save us. Life may not be all we want it to be, that is a reality, life can be hard, that is a reality but we can have peace with God through Jesus if we trust in him. Hope you all have a lovely Chirstmas as we celebrate Jesus' birth. Merry Christmas!

crazy month

2008-12-06T07:36:00.003+11:00

The last few weeks have been crazy, with work, travelling for work and personally.
My grandma passed away at the end of november, which prompted me to reflect on my life and relationships. My grandma was 92, from what i know she lived a rich life. But the big thing for me is that she was a Christian and has gone home to be with the Lord. So I know that she is hanging out with my dad and cousin!

On a lighter note, i have been able to get some scrapping in the last month. The first made with the studiocalico nov kit and the other from scrap with v.

passing an exam!

2008-11-05T21:59:00.002+11:00

i have been learning to play the piano this year and was very excited to pass my exams last week! No more playing the theme from Inspector gadget - which DH is very please about.

yesterday

2008-10-19T07:19:00.003+11:00

went on a gourmet safari walking tour of Marrickville and found some great gems. So much fun exploring with Al. Anyway ate up a storm, particularly some sausage to die for! maybe not to die for but very very good.
Off the church this morning and then the neighbourhood fair. why do weekends go so quickly?
leave you with a card made on Friday.

for WCMD

2008-10-10T10:09:00.002+11:00

i made this for my nephew's upcoming birthday! Have the day off work so going to do some serious scrapping!

World Card Making Day

2008-10-04T11:50:00.001+10:00

Today is World Card Making day!! In celebration of this, I have put a challenge up on the ScrapwithV forum. Check it out! There's a RAK to be won!

been hiding

2008-09-20T08:14:00.004+10:00

It has been a while since my last post, so i thought i'd bring you up to speed on what's happened, not much really just work. Though there has been one bright spark in our life and that was a short holiday in Hawaii.

We had a FANTASTIC time in Hawaii. We did all the things that we don't normally get to do back here, like sleeping in, having cocktails in the middle of the day! hanging out and the like.

the holiday went so quickly, but we both agree that we want to go back. And I highly recommend Hawaii as a holiday destination - we LOVED it!

September is panning out to be another busy month. So i got to get going much to achieve today. It's also my Dad's birthday, so i leave you with a LO that I did for ScrapwithV about him. Trust you are well!

Can you believe its' August?

2008-08-04T17:21:00.003+10:00

Where did the last eight months go?? Please tell me?

Today I had the day off and i realise that I REALLY need a holiday!!
It's been an action packed day, I had a session at the Gym ad went in to Paddington for a facial. Very civilised.

Last night we hung our with A & R plus the kids. It was heaps of fun, especially when Sing Star was started. Maybe I just have secret ambitions? We are seriously thinking of buying it. Watch out!!

On the scrapping front, Scrap with V has a cybercrop on this friday so check it out.

And S if you are reading this did you cave into Heidi Swapp??

I leave you with a LO completed recently!

share my favorite

2008-07-12T08:41:00.004+10:00

photo i took during June.

it was a cold morning in the blue mountains, but the results are worth it!

June was a busy month and it appears that it will continue to be so until August. I really need a break. One of the highlights was spending a day and night with my dear sil!! and a new tradition has begun!

Got some time set aside today to play, so will share some of my LO's later in the weekend.

i was there

2008-06-19T20:16:00.003+10:00

waiting in the rain.... but a memorable experience ..

the opening of the apple store in Sydney.
This is the photo i took using iphoto on the mac!

Live in concert

2008-06-01T20:36:00.003+10:00

We celebrated our anniversary this weekend. One of the highlights was spending time with DH, the other was to see Michael Buble in concert. He has a great sense of humor, and we had a great night!

a big week

2008-05-24T06:18:00.004+10:00

we have had a big week.

time to move on

so i joined the gym yesterday

And thank you S&R for the flowers - i thought you'd like to see them.

this weekend

2008-05-18T19:04:00.005+10:00

It's been a busy weekend This morning we went to church, the sermon was on Luke 5 - Jesus having a meal with the tax collector and healing the paralytic man - that Jesus came for sinners.

In the afternoon I planted some freesias in the garden... hopefully they will grow.
Yesterday i went to the produce market with A, we found some very yummy treats. I got something for DH as he was taking his exam. DH was suppose to share them with me at least so i thought just because i said it was a gift didn't mean he couldn't leave me a piece. I guess the upside is that I did try some at the markets.

Here's some photos of our time at the fish markets for fish and chips in the afternoon to celebrate two weeks off studying. The calamari was excellent!

And finally, here's a LO that I did last weekend for scrapwithv cybercrop, unfortunately photoshop wasn't cooperating with me so I couldn't post it.

been over a month

2008-04-25T11:19:00.002+10:00

This is what I have been up to over the past month - travelling around asia. Here are some of my fav photos from the last month, if you know me, my camera is never far away..

good friday

2008-03-21T06:07:00.003+11:00

today is about remembering that Jesus died on the cross for us so that we can be reconciled to God. How deep is the love of God that He sent his one and only Son to die for me!
May you know God's love this GOOD friday!

sharing

2008-03-12T20:49:00.002+11:00

this is a layout that I did of my nephew Lachlan this past weekend during the crop.

He is so cute!!

this weekend

2008-03-08T05:50:00.003+11:00

there's a cybercrop at scrap with v. Check it out.
I have been sick, i finally went to the doctor's as i had a nagging cough that kept me up for most of the week and picked up a different bug. Now I am all stuffed up!!

I have not been bored though, i have worked from home, and made some cards. So here's to sharing... not my cold that is.

to share...

2008-02-27T18:05:00.003+11:00

perhaps not the horrible cough that hasdeveloped over the past few days, but
here's the card I made for lois.

On the news front, I am on the Design team at http://www.scrapwithv.com.au/ for this year. I am very excited to be part of the team, the girls are so talented!

Making a difference

2008-02-23T09:45:00.002+11:00

Check this out, and participate if you can.

http://wilnaf.blogspot.com/2008/02/biggest-rak-ever.html

Wilna is planning to surprise her friend Lois!

Happy birthday ..

2008-02-22T22:08:00.002+11:00

to me! Is it sad to sing happy birthday to yourself?
Well I did it anyway. I have been away this week and am pleased to be home.
DH is away tonight, so it is good that I like my own company!

can't sleep

2008-02-16T05:35:00.003+11:00

so i am blogging. Thought i might share some layouts of the birthday bash as scrap with v.

and the winner is ....

2008-02-14T20:06:00.002+11:00

The winner has been picked through random org. Thanks for leaving me links, i have enjoyed them! Sorry i took so long to respond!

NicoleL said...
Congrats on the 500 hits!! This is my friends blog, she's my inspiration and the one that got me hooked on making cards and stamping! http://kellysartjournaling.blogspot.com/Thanks for the chance at winning!Nicole L.
February 7, 2008 7:13 AM

Nicole please send me your details and I will get this in the post to you!

Check this out..

2008-02-11T21:53:00.000+11:00

http://www.craftcritique.com/2008/02/ki-memories-love-elsie.html#links

How nice are these!

celebrate ii

2008-02-09T09:35:00.000+11:00

Here's the candy!There's still time to join in just make sure you post a comment which includes a link to a blog or website that inspires you!

I didn't take a great picture - so there's some making memories sheer frames and tags, hero arts present stamps and clear buttoons and a bitty bag of prima flowers

Today

2008-02-07T21:31:00.000+11:00

I started piano lessons! It was fun! I am looking forward to this little adventure!

Celebrate!

2008-02-06T21:17:00.000+11:00

Well, i have almost reached 500 hits to my blog. So i have some blog candy to celebrate this milestone - i am not sure what yet i will work that out over the weekend.

If you want to play then leave me a link to a blog that is currently inspiring you!

"..slack ... "

2008-01-20T10:39:00.000+11:00

I was told that had been slack with this blog. So this is for S.........
Here are some cards i made over the weekend for some birthdays coming up and needing to replenish my stash of cards.

This one i used BG chip, stamped with Autumn leaves swirls, and birthday message.
This one was a bit of fun! Used qeen & co felt borders, AL stamp

This one using sketch this cards #36 - i used BG pp, doodlebug paper frills , AL stamp again. Nice and easy.

Below is a minibook i made for a friend this month, they haven't got it yet, so please don't tell them!

been on holidays

2008-01-05T14:34:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a good break! May 2008 be filled with great joy!

We saw the fireworks on Sydney Harbour and didn't get home till quite late.

Anyway I have been on holidays and have had some time to scrap! Yeah for me!

I am sharing one of my favorites. it got accepted on the Basic Grey gallery too!!

New Year's Eve

2007-12-31T09:51:00.000+11:00

I cannot believe we are at the end of another year again!
Here's one of my favorite layouts for the year, don't you think it is appropriate for NYE.

high five

2007-12-26T12:12:00.000+11:00

I baked on Christmas eve and made my first batch of gingerbread. Well as the cookies spread alot more than expected as I ended up with some gingerbread men high fiving each other.

e christmas card

2007-12-21T08:05:00.000+11:00

For all my friends, I'm sending you our love from the Great Barrier Reef. Merry Christmas to you and your families! May you know the peace and love of God through the season!

ps Matt took the photo above!

the last few days ..

2007-12-11T20:45:00.000+11:00

i have scrapped a little in a cybercrop and become an auntie again. Welcome to the world Lachlan! We met him tonight!!

i've been scrapping...

2007-12-03T22:24:00.000+11:00

thought i might share some LO's that I made this weekend...

i made this

2007-12-01T15:30:00.000+11:00

a gingerbread house with my church last night. Can't believe it's almost Christmas - time to celebrate Jesus' birthday!

fun with making memories

2007-11-21T19:53:00.000+11:00

i made this card for a DT submission and it didn't take very long! Sadly i didn't make the DT, but I had fun and that's important.

Redraw

2007-11-17T08:51:00.000+11:00

As I haven't heard from Bluemoon. I've redrawn another winner.
So Elaine is the new winner! Please email me your details!

Please...

2007-11-14T20:54:00.000+11:00

this is a message for bluemoon - could you please send me your details so that I can get the candy to you !!
Thanks

and the Winner is .....

2007-11-06T07:19:00.000+11:00

Bluemoon!

My hubby drew your name out! Congratulations! Please send me your postal details and I will get the package to you in the post!

birthday card

2007-11-04T14:02:00.000+11:00

here's the card i made for my mil this week. We had a bit of a party for her yesterday, afternoon tea, very civilised. Guess what milestone she was celebrating??

Today

2007-10-26T17:11:00.000+10:00

Since I had some time today I took on the challenge on the Daring Cardmakers blog. It was fun playing with my circle punches!

I've also been working on some cards for the Pink Card Drive on http://www.thescrappersstash.com.au/. I've pledged to make 40 and have made 20 to date. The cards are to be distributed women suffering cancer. Here are a few examples:

Candy!

2007-10-26T12:35:00.001+10:00

Here's the candy! I thought it was appropriate to include some KI gel candy!

100 hits

2007-10-26T11:10:00.000+10:00

This little blog has over 100 hits! So to celebrate this I'm giving some blog candy away. Haven't worked out what it will be, but it will be nice. I will draw a winner on Sunday 4 November.
To join in the fun just leave a comment including a link to your blog.
I'll post a pic of the candy later....
Thanks for dropping by.

Sharing a favorite

2007-10-13T09:06:00.000+10:00

It's been a few weeks since my last post. Work has been hectic, and I've not had any time so I thought i'd share a favorite LO. I'd love to see one of your favorites too. So post a link in the comments section. Thanks for dropping by!

another two

2007-09-23T18:10:00.001+10:00

cards made this weekend. This one was for Beate's weekend challenge. I am liking Daisy D rubons.

this one for my brother's birthday!

2007-09-22T08:37:00.000+10:00

I found this blog this morning http://createdbycourtney.blogspot.com/. Anyway, there's a story on Victoria who has cancer and her teacher has asked if people would send a card or letter to her. So here's my little contribution, that will shortly be on the way. If you have a card already made why don't you send it to Victoria too - the details are on courtney's blog!

Yesterday

2007-09-21T21:30:00.000+10:00

I went for a run! Ok, maybe mostly walking, but a fair amount day 40% of running. Not bad, considering i haven't done much exercise for a while. All this before 6am. I even had time to read my bible! My friend Anne will be proud of me

The past week

2007-09-15T18:14:00.000+10:00

I have been really busy at work, so last night for some R&R I made some cards.
The first is a birthday card, the bon voyage is for a new card blog that I have found -http://copycatcards.blogspot.com/ and the last one is CPS#30.

My Joy

2007-09-08T08:12:00.000+10:00

So what is one of steph's joys - making cards.

And a favorite place that I like to visit is Card positioning Systems.

Here are some cards I made using the latest sketch #29.

What do you think? I had some fun making them.

Thanks for coming by.

Hello World

2007-09-04T20:53:00.000+10:00

This is a new beginning for me! My space in the cyberworld!