Still waiting....

100 YEAR HEATWAVE

Well it's certainly a talking point!!! We had the car read 50oC at 3pm last week as we were collecting the kids from school *eek* When you step outside it's like someone has just opened the fan oven door on full blast in your face! I am determined NOT to be a whinging Pom so have not said a word about it, although the Aussies are making up for it with their whining!!!I saw our first bush fire on Australia Day - in the Onkaparinga Hills (Isn't that just a fab name?!) We live in the city of Onkaparginga so it was a bit worrying watching the massive plumes of black smoke billowing in the sky as we were on the beach, but apparently after 3 helicopter and plane water bombs and lots of firefighters it was controlled swiftly.

Kids started school on the first day back from the hols on the 26th Jan which was great to get straight into a routine. No jobs as yet though. DH is flying back to the UK on 5th Feb for a month so I will be out here alone. I want to study midwifery I have decided so need to research that and in the meantime get a job which would ideally fit in with the school hours.

Best go and do some ironing now though - I am round Lorraine's house again borrowing her PC and as our belongings are coming until th 5th March :( I am still on the scrounge!

I will post photos just as soon as I am on my PC, and can't wait for my scrapping stuff to arrive...I miss my art :(

Made It!

Well, 3 days ago we arrived in Adelaide - totally jet lagged but happy to have made it. Ours friends' house is so amazing and the kids clicked again as if they hadn't been away. 2 parties later and we have caught up with the sleep and are now starting the hunt for a house. Hallett Cove is beautiful, although not really for us as it is exceptionally hilly so everyone overlooks everyone else. We are looking into a couple of places called Flagstaff, Aberfoyle, and Happy Valley (not sure about this name though - they must be on the Prozac!) which are more extablished so are very green and luscious.

The weather is fab although it's going to be a whopping 41oC tomorrow so we will be inside! Oh, and have already seen a craft shop in one of the towns...I will have to investigate further when we have our own place.

My buddy Sarah made me a journal to record everything and so far have kept it up to date...just hoping to get some photos put in when I get on line properly (this is our friends PC so I cant download pics).

Year 1 Scrapbook Pages

A little while ago I put a wish on UK Scrappers for any old stash that the members had finished with as I take my Son's art class on a Thursday morning. I was totally overwhelmed by the kindess from so many ladies who sent me the most amazing papers, cardstock and embellishments for my project....so much in fact that what was to be a project for 1 class ended up being for both year 1 classes! And what's more, Mrs Fuller is going to repeat it with her next class in the new school year :)

The children all had their photo taken and printed in school, then they got to choose a backing paper, a mount for the photo, some ribbon, and loads of embellishments all to tell the story about themselves. I think they all did a superb job, and you never know, a few may even take up our hobby!!!

Here are just a small selection of layouts the children did of themselves, which were then turned into calendars for their parents.

I've been looking through my photos to find the couple of layouts I created for my LSS as they wanted to do 2 Christmas kits, but I must have forgotten to take photos :( They were created with the beautiful SEI Christmas papers and lots of embellies. I hope that the girls at the crop enjoyed them.

This layout was created using Prima papers, stamps and chipboard swirls covered with a large helping of distress paint :) Very dimensional and textural. The large flower was cut from the patterned papers, inked, curled and layered. I think it works.

Flights are booked!

Yes, finally, flights are booked for the 7th January. One way tickets for all of us, and Mark will have to come back in Feb to (hopefully) finalise the house and ship his tools out! Can you believe that we have over a container's worth of stuff?! Mark would tell you that most of it will be my art and scrapping supplies lol and between you and me he's not wrong! (Well he's got his tools and I've got mine!)

The kids are really excited now as they know that it is finally happening and are counting down the last couple of weeks of school.

So it's full steam ahead here with packing and clearing...wish me luck.

No Christmas Tree :(

I have been formally told that in no uncertain terms that I will NOT be purchasing a Christmas Tree this year :( Bah-humbug I say, although the miserable buggar does have a point about "wasting" £25+ at a time when we are counting every penny and meant to be packing for our holiday to Oz...but how will I feel without my beautiful glass ornaments to ooh and aah over, no flashing twinkling coloured lights that sparkle in the dark, no angel to watch over us during the festive period :( Oh, how sad is all that?