I just love the holidays for the opportunity to relax, get creative and catch up on my Project Life.  I have managed to get two weeks completely finished and in the album this week (including the one I am here to share this evening...), and have photos edited and placed for a further 3 weeks - just awaiting all the fun stuff that bring pages and images to life. I am hoping to be caught up by the end of this coming week but not sure how I will go as I have a busy week ahead of errands and catching up with friends before heading back to school the following week. I guess only time will tell...

Well let's explore the week that was for Week 12... It was a busy week at school with lots happening and a quiet one at home with K away for work.  I chose to work with a new collection from Mari Koegelenberg Creations called 'Oh Happy Day!' which is available from The Digital Press, and decided to complement the fresh colour palette, patterned papers and journal cards with some further cards, papers and embellishments from an older kit from my stash, 'Hello Sunshine' by Pink Paislee available from AC Digitals.  The two collections work so well together due to their similar colour palette.  I loved drawing from both new and old additions to my stash and plan to try and do this a bit more often.  It is always so tempting to play with the most current releases and forget all the awesomeness that is sitting on my hard drive - a bit like all those physical products and papers that are sitting and collecting dust in my craft cupboard.  So I am hoping to start going back and using some of the 'older' digi files from time to time....

Here's the left hand side....

With Easter only weeks away, I had become rather addicted to the humble hot cross bun!! I have to admit I am now missing them post-Easter as a quick, tasty and maybe not-so healthy breakfast and mid-morning snack.  They were never really on my radar until this year.... but I certainly made up for it and figured it needed to be noted.  Oh they look so delicious in this photo - my mouth is watering just looking at and writing about them...

Tuesday of this week was 'Harmony Day' at school and as always, was a great fun day of fostering cultural diversity, understanding and acceptance - something that is becoming so important in our current social climate.  I love these hands that all the children made and then installed around the perimeter of our school hall area.  My kindy's did theirs with our older buddy class, which in itself was a fun experience and relationship building - all in the spirit of working together in harmony.....

This photo does not do full justice to the beauty of the sunrise on Wednesday morning upon dropping Lilly off at before school care.  The carpark of the school has the most awesome viewpoint from which to take in our own section of the Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains, and the sun rises of late have been spectacular.  But I never seem to be able to capture their true beauty.  But I guess when it is a photo of a photo, some of the beauty is bound to be lost - so you will just have to take my word for it.  I also love the cute cloud and sun embellishments I was able to layer from both the collections used this week.

Now for the right hand page...

How can I not choose a photo of my Lilly as one of my favourites on this page!?!? The journalling says it all....

When you find your parrot inside the rabbit cage eating the rabbit's food - well what else can you do but take a photo!?!? And as I type, this young fellow is sitting behind me chatting and talking up a storm as he does when he thinks no one is listening.  We are quite outnumbered by our furry, feathered and reptilian family members but we would not have it any other way as they bring us such joy.... And this guy definitely thinks he is the alpha male of the family with the rest of us, simply members of his flock!?!??!

And lastly I have included this one as I love how the diagonal journaling turned out on this striped card - which is actually a patterned paper clipped to size.  I have seen lots of physical PL'ers do this diagonal journalling and always loved how it looked.  So this week I decided to give it a go and so glad that I did!!! Get ready to see it on future pages...

And here is the completed spread as a whole....  

I love how it all came together!! I also love how I can create a different look for each week by using collections from all my different favourite designers and new ones as they come onto my radar.  Working digitally allows me such endless possibilities and an ever increasing world of awesome collections, which can work solo or be combined seamlessly with other collections. And those weeks where I want to also play with physical product and become more hybrid, the fun increases even more....

As always, thanks for stopping by and I would love to hear from you in the comments below!!! 

Until then,

After finding out this morning that my car has been written off after an accident I had last week and subsequently spending the day on the net looking for a new 'second-hand' car, I need a much welcomed distraction from everything car related and so have decided to share my Week 11 with you, which I finished last night... Dealing with insurance companies, car dealerships and an internet service which is frustrating at best, PL is a much nicer thing to occupy oneself with!!

In putting this week together, I started with the photos as always as they are the core of what PL is all about.  But I went with a different approach in selecting the designer and collection I wanted to use.  Usually I will look at the photos and then through my digi stash to find a collection that complements the dominant colours in the photos.  This can be a long process at times as my stash is quite extensive and just seems to multiply before my eyes at times (one should not sit on the net into the wee hours of the morning as a bit of cyber retail therapy can be dangerous!??!).  Instead with this week, I chose the kit before even looking for and placing the photos as it was Just Jaimee's March Storyteller Bryce collection which had been sitting in my download folder crying out to be used.  I had already decided it was an awesome kit before playing with it but fell even more in love once I started creating my pages!! The colours are some of my favourites - especially the dominance of red - and the elements are just divine with perfect journal cards, word art, washi tape and other embellishments.  I love how the kit just works with my photos and this is definitely one of my favourite layouts for 2015 - well until another takes its place.... but the bar has been set rather high....

So lets begin as always with the left hand side page...

You will have to excuse the filler card placed over the upper right photo as it is of me enjoying an outdoor activity with my class so for obvious privacy reasons it cannot be displayed here.  But the photo has lots of yellow, green and red in it and so is the perfect inclusion and was a lovely moment with the kidlets.

On Monday of this week, K surprised me with one of our much loved twilight picnics at one of our favourite local spots, Wentworth Falls Lake.  It was a lovely mild afternoon/evening and a lovely end to a hectic Monday at school.  Not having to cook was even better as I was not feeling well.  I love this photo of my two beloveds being silly as per normal.  I am so glad that they have both simply accepted that photos are a part of our daily lives and that it is easier to go with me than fight against me.  And the chosen embellishments were just perfect for how this photo makes me feel and the moment it captures....

And just a gorgeous snapshot of the lake itself.... just so peaceful and beautiful!!

And for the right hand side page....

I decided with this week to play with more product and be a little more 'scrappy' than I normally am with incorporating my images.  I love how this and the card above turned out with the cropping of the images and added layering of elements and journalling.  Being a digi-gal, I do sometimes miss the creative process of playing with paper and physical product, and so getting more 'scrappy' with the digi supplies, certainly helps overcome this longing.  And let's face it, it is much easier, faster and less messy than if I did actually play with similar physical product.  I also love the spider web in this photos as it was just stunning with the covering of dew drops and how they glistened with the morning sunlight.

Sunday of this week saw K depart for Auckland, NZ for 12 days on work commitments.  To say that this was going to present me with some challenges is and was an understatement.  I am definitely not made of single parenthood despite having a thoughtful and well-behaved daughter.  I knew I would certainly miss his presence and support.  So it was hard to say goodbye at the airport gates and walk away.  I love this image as it captured these two having one of their in-depth chats - I cannot remember the exact topic but I do remember how much I enjoyed just sitting back and listening to them share and chat - something we would all miss over the period of time he would be away...

And this is just a shot of the planes awaiting departure.  I took this photo with negative space in mind, knowing that I would want to journal directly onto the photo as I have.  I like when I can do this as it frees up the journal cards for extra details and stories.

And that brings us to the layout as a whole....

But the week does not end there.... On the Saturday we had a family day out at Featherdale Wildlife Park.  It was a lovely day out just the three of us and a bunch of amazing animals.  The park is more interactive than traditional zoos and parks, and so we got to interact with many of the animals, and the weather was perfect.  All of this adding up to lots of photos shot on my trusty iPhone 6 and therefore a Design G insert for the day.

The insert came together so easily with great photos and the awesome 'Bryce' collection by Jaimee.  I especially love the selfie of the three of us that we randomly snapped.  These selfies are very quickly becoming my favourites for their spontaneity and the fact that the three of us are present and accounted for.

Well that's enough from me for now... Thanks for stopping by and checking out my pages.  I hope that you have enjoyed looking at them and possibly even inspired with your own PL - if you have, I would love to hear about it in the comments below.

Until next time....

Well if you are on a roll, you should just go with it..... So here I am on what has been a very soggy Easter Saturday sharing Week 10 of my PL journey which I completed this week.  Like Week 9, it was another hard slog getting the pages to come together but I do believe that this was once again due to me overthinking every detail in the pursuit of perfection.  But once I let go of such a need, I was able to see the process to it completion and be happy with the final product.  I have to continually remind myself that perfection is not the ultimate goal - rather it is the captured moments, stories and memories....

Once again, I am truly blessed to be working with some awesome designers through my PL journey.  This week represents such a privilege as I got to create with the newly released Pocket Starts: Explore collection by Becca of Tickled Pink Studio.  Becca's collection are always defined by beautiful colour palettes, simple embellishments and clean designs.  I also drew upon her Everyday collection for extra inspiration and embellishments.

I found that with Week 10, as with previous weeks, I was light on photos and therefore did not have as many as I would have liked to choose from.  But lucky I had enough and the ones I did have were of the key stories and moments of the week.  In such light weeks, I have had to embrace the 4x6 filler card as an acceptable and viable option.

Without further ado, here is the left hand side/beginning of the week...

I love this image of my daughter, Lilly.  She has recently rediscovered her love of all things little and compact, and is more often than not found playing with her Little Pet Shops, Shopkins and the like.  I love sitting, watching and listening to her play, witnessing her own creativity and imagination at play.

I have included the next two images as examples of what you can do when you cannot find the exact journal or filler card that you are looking for.  Both the 'so fun' journal card and the 'be true to you' filler card were created using different digital elements - such as papers, word art elements and other cards.  I love that when working digitally, the creative possibilities are endless and you can combine as many different elements as you like, and never exhaust the supplies or options.  

I also love the 'retroness' of the green floral design on this filler card - not to mention the awesome quote reminding us of the endless possibilities that life holds for us...

Now for the other half of the week....

Such is my life of an afternoon.... I think I need to clean my windscreen though!?!??

Some much needed fresh air family time on Sunday morning!!! K has spent quite a bit of time away with work of late so it is nice seeing these two share time together.  There was much laughter coming from the backyard during this game of 'tennis' that I just had to go and see what the fun was all about.  I even joined in but of course as the photographer of the family, it was not captured - probably a good thing as I am not overly gifted in the coordination stakes.... but it is after all, all about enjoying the little things!!!  

It was this theme of enjoying the little things which drew me to this quote that I stole off a filler card in Becca's 'Everyday' collection.  This idea of the little things being truly big things is something that has resonated with myself and K of late - especially where Lilly is concerned as she is growing up too quickly and things such as family tennis in the backyard will lose their appeal before we know it.  I have to constantly remind myself that we truly must enjoy our now so that we don't live with regret in the future....

And that brings us to the final layout as a whole....

Another week of our lives captured in all its glory, stories and moments - be them of the little and everyday.  It is these moments and memories that will be lost and forgotten if not recorded, captured and celebrated.  This is what I love most about PL and something that never ceases to lose its importance and significance, even during the busy times when creativity wanes.  

Thanks again for stopping by.....

Until next time,

Oh school holidays how I love thee!!! And oh how I need you!!! Term 1 has been a full on term and I am so looking forward to a fortnight of sleep-ins, pyjama days and lazy days at home - along with much overdue time catching up with family and friends.  It is also a great time to catch up with all things PL - both the back log of pages and their sharing here on my much neglected blog....

So let's explore the week that was Week 9!!  It was a busy week at school but also a week of some lovely moments with my family and friends.  I used the lovely 'Hello Crafter' collections by Miss Mint of Peppermint Creative to put the week together - another gorgeous collection of elements, cards and digital goodies.  I love the colour palette that runs through all of Miss Mint's 'Hello' collections - its so clean, simple and fresh, and her collections are always full of quirky goodies that make me smile.

Here is the left hand side of the spread: - 

I love this photo of my beloveds - both human and feathered - enjoying a lazy dinner of pizza after a busy day of work and school.  I swear Oscar - the feathered one - believes he is human or alternatively that we are simply one of his flock and therefore he should simply eat what we eat.  He is a huge fan of pizza crust which is definitely a sometimes food for him as well as us....

Oh the joys of nits from school!?!?!?! NOT!!! I had hoped for another year without them but it was not to be... I guess having a year of no infestations was pushing our luck as far as we could hope for.  At least Lilly handled the whole affair much better than previously and even volunteered to allow me to take a photo of her mid-removal. Definitely a good photo to save for future 18th or 21st birthday embarrassment...

Laminating has definitely become a nightly duty for me... one of the joys of teaching!!

Now for the second and generally more fun half of the week: - 

I love this yet another family selfie taken by our local lake on Saturday afternoon.  I have recently got myself a selfie stick so that in future I will be able to get us all in the shot better but I do really love this one for all its imperfections and poor composition.... and even the no make-up!?!?!?

And this is our beautiful lake on a late summer's evening.  It was such a mild night and everything looked especially lovely and peaceful as twilight descended upon us.  I love the sky in all its sunsetting beauty and the reflections of the landscape on the water - along with our lone duck....

Don't you just love this filler card??? I love it!!  Creativity is just so important in all areas of my life, and even when I feel like my mojo is gone, I know that if I dig deep enough I can find that little spark to keep me moving and creating.  From such a spark, the creative juices usually start flowing and my mojo comes back with renewed vigour.  This certainly has been true of late due to many weeks without PL or other such creative pursuits...

Finally the layout as a whole..... 

I really like how it turned out.  I am finding that my pages are taking longer to put together lately and I often find myself sitting for hours playing, tweaking and moving things around in the search of perfection.  More often than not, I have to simply call it a day and walk away but in doing so, I come back with a fresh perspective and find that the pages are just what I wanted them to be.  Thank goodness time can overcome my perfectionist tendencies.... 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my pages.  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below...

Until next time,

Its pretty sad when it takes a sick day on the lounge to find some time to share my last completed layout... After a morning of sleeping on and off, and the effect of some cold and flu tablets, the head is feeling sufficiently clear to share these pages that were actually completed, photographed and uploaded for sharing over two weeks ago.  I do apologise in advance if I stop making sense at any point in this post - blame it on the Codral?!? Well that's my excuse and I am sticking to it....

Back in January I was completely honoured by being contacted by Becca Bonneville of Tickled Pink Studio, inviting me to be part of her new hybrid pocket scrapbooking creative team who would be working with her monthly Pocket Starts collections.  Of course I jumped at the chance to use and play with her gorgeous goodies!!  The first collection for 2015 - Pocket Starts: Flourish Edition - was released two weeks ago in her Sweet Shoppe Designs store, and certainly did not disappoint and suited my Week 8 perfectly.  I have to be honest that at first look I was a little concerned that it was not my usual colour palette, but after playing with it, I fell in love completely with the dark chocolates, mint greens, oranges and mustards.  And how could I not love the clean simple designs and gorgeous mix of stripes, dots and chevrons!!! I love how the page came together.... 

So without further ado, here is the left hand side of the layout: - 

The beginning half of the week was a simple mix of everyday, routine moments involving work and family - except perhaps the most exciting moment being the signing of my 'temporary teacher engagement notice'!!! This basically means that I am a full time kindergarten teacher for the whole year!!! This is a dream come true for a relatively new teacher such as myself as up until now, I have not signed on for more than a single school term at a time.  So to know that I have a class for a year is a huge relief and exciting prospect not only for me as a teacher but also for us as a family, as we know we can plan and budget in advance for things such as larger purchases and even a family holiday due to security of income.

And the teaching duties don't end when the bell goes as I often come home and work with Lilly on her homework and any areas she is having difficulties with.  She is usually keen to sit and do work together and it is amazing how much more fun it becomes when you introduce a whiteboard instead of pen and paper.... it works the same in the classroom!! I love that she has a love of learning and so hope it continues to develop throughout her life....

Wednesday is swimming lesson day for us and it makes for a rather long day for all concerned, and often ends in tears due to overwhelming tiredness.  It was certainly the case this week as the journalling records.  We sometimes forget in our own busyness, stress, workload and resulting tiredness, how the world can close in on our kids just as it does for ourselves.  Yet they do not have the experience and resilience at times to deal with it like we adults do most of the time.  I also love this card for the layering of the simple elements, patterns and embellishments.

And now for the right hand side of the page and second half of the week....

As a teacher - especially one on a new class of newbies in the world of school - it is nice to know that you are making connections.  I am always my own worst critic in many areas of my life and my teaching is not excluded from this, and so often worry that I am not doing a good job, or doing things the right way.  I often doubt myself and feel as though I am failing. But then you get small gifts and notes such as these, and know that connections are being made and that my students are feeling safe and happy - even if its only one... Such connections and a safe learning environment are prerequisites for teaching and learning.  So to receive these small token mean the world.... and of course must be photographed and stapled into my diary for those moments when self-doubt comes creeping in.

This photo is a favourite as it not only captures the loveliness of a lazy sleep-in as per the journalling but also the beauty of new crisp linen which we purchased while doing some shopping just the two of us after a delicious lunch together at a local cafe.  Also the lazy sleep-in took place on Sunday morning when we were woken by the sound of rain on our tin roof - a sound that I love not only because of the actual sound but what it means, which is a lazy day inside doing what we want - such as scrapping, watching movies and playing games as a family.  It never ceases to amaze me at how many wonderful stories, memories and moments one photo can capture and represent.....

I love how this card simply sums up the highlights from the week as a whole.  It came about as a problem to be solved in that I was short on photos once again, and so was looking for an alternative to a photo.  But soon developed into a lovely snapshot of my week, capturing moments that were not necessarily captured in the form of photographs.  It is also an example of the joys of working digitally as it is actually a predesigned 3x4 journal card which I enlarged to fit in a 4x6 pocket after layering it on a pattern digital paper, and then I simply added a wood veneer heart once printed.

I simply just love the sentiment of this filler card... Growing in unexpected places is something I would definitely like to focus on this year.

Finally the week as a whole...

As I said at the outset, I love how this week came together - the colours and simple designs of Becca's collection, the photos and the journalling and stories captured.  Hopefully Weeks 9 and 10 will come together as beautifully.....

Thanks again for stopping by and until next time....

I am back with the Week 7 in my weekend mini blogging marathon!! It is nice having some time to catch up with sharing my pages that I have been working on in the past few weeks.  My family are all blissfully sleeping and so the house is lovely and quiet!! I love being a night owl and having the house to myself - oh the solitude and peace!!!

Week 7 was a big week of awesome moments and developments in various facets of my life!! I chose to use Mye De Leon's newest release in her I Collect Memories collection - 'Love Lives Here'.  It is a perfect collection for capturing family moments and time at home but also a week of big developments and weekends away with good friends as per my week.  I like collections that are thematic while also being generic and flexible at the same time.  The family focus of this collection also perfectly lended itself to a super fun weekend away with some girlfriends, as let's face it, they are family!!!

The beginning of Week 7....

And it certainly was a week that began with a BANG!!! What started out as a normal Monday at school on what was supposed to be my last week of a 3 week block quickly became a day of dreams coming true... It was the day when I was offered a full time year engagement on a Kindy class!!! WOOHOOOO!!! It is the first time I have had a class where the 'B' in the name stands for 'Barnard'!!! It is certainly turning out to be an awesome but massively exhausting experience....

So by the end of the week I was finding my feet in what is to be MY classroom!!! After 3 years of being a temporary and casual day-to-day teacher, it is a huge opportunity and honour to have my very own classroom to do with as I desire.... It was very much an empty shell upon walking in and is very slowly coming together.  I cannot wait to have it looking how I imagine it in my head, and bring it to life as an inspiring and fun place to learn in.  It is going to take time and money to get there but it's a fresh start, an empty slate and an exciting adventure!!! Stay tuned for progress reports and images.....

Don't you hate it when you look back on your day and wish you had taken a photo of a particular moment... This pavlova represents just this.  Before taking on my new Kindy class, I spent 3 weeks with a lovely Year 1 class which I quickly became very invested in.  During our time together, we read and studied one of my favourite Australian picture books, 'Possum Magic' by Mem Fox.  In this story, the main characters explore various iconic Australian delicacies with one of them being pavlova.  I soon discovered that many of the kids had never tried pavlova and so we decided I would make one and share it with them.  We did just this at the end of the week, the day after I moved onto my new class.  There I was surrounded by a bunch of precious little people at lunch, while we enjoyed a pav together.  It looked and tasted sensational - even if I say so myself!! But unfortunately I was so wrapped up in the moment that I did not grab a photo of the big event - instead only having this image that I snapped at home upon taking it out of the oven... I guess it is better than having no image at all and the story and moment is still captured!?!??

Finally it was time for the much anticipated Scrap Retreat at Kiah Ridge Christian Conference Centre organised by a close friend, Beth Jarrett.  Oh how I needed this weekend away with a super awesome bunch of like minded PL devoted chicks. It was so lovely getting away from everything that is our lives - school, family, household responsibilities, etc... Not much sleep was had and while I did not get as much done as I thought I would, I did have an awesome time chatting, creating and chilling out. And I love how the wood veneer letters look against the panoramic pic of the 'scrap room'.  

And then we get to the weekend.... What an awesome one it was!!!

Look at these super amazing, awesome and gorgeous chicks that I got to spend the weekend with!!! Sadly there is one person missing from this photo as she sadly could not join us for the weekend and was very greatly missed - next time Agnus!!!!  I am truly blessed to have such amazing women in my life, coming together initially through our shared love of PL and scrapping but now after over a year of friendship, sharing so much more.... I would be lost without them!!!

This is the spread as a whole.....  I love how the gorgeous aqua colour weaves its way through the photos, journal cards and embellishments along with the other primary colours.

But it does not stop there as a big weekend of fun calls for an insert....  It is a Design H insert which is basically half of a Design A - so you are seeing both front and back here.  I like to use this insert as it seamlessly blends with the Design A pages, to the point that you don't immediately know that it is there.  The front of the insert (left hand image) is perhaps one of my favourite moments of the weekend where we got a little silly with our tiny attachers and attempted a Charlie's Angels style photo shoot.  But looking sultry and sexy is rather difficult at the best of times but especially when everything descends into hysterics!! I have not laughed so hard in a very long time.....  Laughter is definitely good for the body, mind and soul!!!

And that is the week that was Week 7!!! Thanks again for stopping by and letting me ramble and share my life and PL pages with you.  It is lovely reliving the treasured moments as I look back and share - so is the power of words and images, which is the very essence of what and why we do what we do as Project Lifers....

Until next time....

A late Saturday night at the laptop after spending a lazy day playing with paper and glue in my planner after a long sleepy slow morning and a twilight family picnic dinner by the local lake.... does life get any better than this??? I so needed a day such as this, after a super hectic week of teaching Kindy!!  It has been a super busy couple of weeks with school starting back and securing a full year's teaching on Kindy - a dream come true - be it an exhausting one....  I certainly feel as though I have been living and sleeping school?!?!? Having said this, I have ensured that I have managed to squeeze in some PL creative time to keep life in some degree of balance, and so while I am a few weeks behind here, I am up to date in my album.  I am hoping to have a mini blogging marathon tonight and share weeks 6, 7, and 8 with you....

So... Week 6!! I love this weekly layout and how it came together.  I used Just Jaimee's 'Quinn' Storyteller collection for February.  Jaimee's Storyteller collections are now available as a monthly subscription for $6.99, which is an absolute bargain considering the amount of goodies that you get.  I love the quirkiness of this month's collection - especially the Willy Wonka inspired cards.  Due to the busyness of life, I was very light on photos for this week but thanks to all on offer, I was able to still put together my usual double page spread.

Here is the left hand side of the week...

The first thing that you might have noticed is that I have changed my weekly title card... I had wanted to do this from the beginning of the year but could not find the perfect substitute to my usual design that I have used for the past couple of years in different manifestations.  I had been looking for a calendar-design card for 2015 and following a suggestion from a friend and subsequent stalking of her blog, I was able to grab this simple but lovely design for free from Erica Gibson, which she released at the end of January.  I have gone back and created new title cards for weeks 1-5, colour matching the weekly highlight to the colour palette of the spread.  

I have become a huge fan of the television show 'Big Bang Theory', with it very quickly becoming one of my must-watch shows each week.  It very much offers some respite to an overworked and tired brain, and given how much I craved such respite at the beginning of this week, it seemed fitting that I pay homage to it this week.  It also filled an empty pocket due to a lack of photos.  Oh how Google images is a saviour in such weeks!!

This is a quilt I am making for my daughter... it is a massive undertaking that has been a year in the making and will very likely be at least another year before its likely completion!??! And that is being rather hopeful... I made the somewhat insane decision to hand quilt the queen-sized task - all 63 squares plus borders!?!? But I have to say that I do love how it is coming together and hope that it will become a much loved family treasure and heirloom.

Just some Wonka-inspired quirkiness which I just fell in love with...... I have been a fan of the Willy Wonka story in all its manifestations since I was a child.  I also love this card for the possibilities it offers if we only come to see ourselves as the music makers and dreamers of dreams.

This brings us to the end of the week with all that the weekend offers....

Oh the numbing and relaxing effects of an alcoholic beverage at the end of a long week... I love the match of the image and the perfect quote as although the mind and body were exhausted from the busyness of life, it is a life that I love and choose to live, and I do indeed smile at the thought of it.  I have to admit though that after only one of these I am gone and fall blissfully into a deep sleep...

This next image is a favourite simply due to the gorgeous eyes of my sister's new addition to the family.  I simply love the way 'Tanzy' looked at me as I took her photo - such amazing big green eyes!! I did initially include the photo as a 4x6 image but those eyes were just so dominating and overwhelmed the entire spread - so cropping and resizing it down to the 3x4 was a much better option and allowed me to include her in the layout.

Finally, I have never been one to use or include 4x6 filler cards in my layouts - primarily due to having too many images to choose from and not wanting to give up valuable photographic real estate.  But as I mentioned previously, this week was very light on photos and so there was some vacant spots.  I love how this card looks and the cuteness of the typewriter.  I can definitely see myself becoming more open to the inclusion of the 4x6 filler card when necessary and the possibilities they offer...

And that brings us to the spread as a whole.... As I said at the outset of this post, I really love this spread and it is perhaps one of my favourites for 2015 so far. 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my PL pages once again... I will be back shortly with Week 7 and possibly even Week 8 later tonight.  I have made a deal with myself that I am not allowed to start working on Week 9 until I do and as I do love my PL time, it is definitely working as a good incentive...

Until later.....

Well my goodness!! Twice in one weekend!! Yes I am back - just as you thought it was safe to come out of the water.... I had the luxury of enjoying a quiet weekend at home where I was afforded time to scrap and finish Week 5 of my PL.  I love such weekends - especially after a busy first week back at school and teaching for 2015, which I have to say was a rather nasty shock to the system!! 6am is a very unpleasant hour of the day to have to get up and face the day!?!??! I am definitely not a morning person.....

This week saw the release of a new Hello collection from Miss Mint of Peppermint Creative, and of course I just had to use it!! It is called 'Hello Me' and is MM's usual gorgeous collection of colours, design and quirky goodies.  I will definitely be returning to this one for a new project I want to work on this year - an album all about me - recording stories, experiences and tit bits about me throughout my life to date, including my childhood.  But as usual, I digress.....

As mentioned above, Week 5 was a busy week and therefore I was a little light on photos - something I have not experienced in a while and especially not the last few months with a busy December, Christmas and holidays.  But the photos I did have from both my DSLR and iPhone were able to capture the week for what it held and offered.... Here is the left hand side: - 

This week was 'Back to school!!!!' week for NSW, and of course meant the annual 'first day of school' photo shoot was required.  Yet again being a teacher myself meant that I could not take Lilly to her first day of Year 3 and that I had to be out of the house nice and early - so the poor little poppet had to be up super early and ready 2 hours ahead of time so we could get a photo together.  K was also with us, so we were able to get a photo with all three of us - thanks to the aid of the trusty tripod.  Sadly the weather was not obliging or in our favour so the photos are not super fabulous in quality nor did I have the time to tweak the setting and lighting as I normally would.  Also it is really hard to get a photo of one super tall person and two shorties!! I must remember to remind K to crouch down next year!??! But I still love the photos for what they represent and the story that they capture....

I love this collection for the sense of fun and humour that Miss Mint has woven throughout the cards and simply loved this one and wanted to use it.  It was perfect for capturing the story of the horrid migraine that hit me on Thursday.... And the stitching from a Traci Reed Pocket Life collection just added a little more interest to the card.

Then we move onto the right hand side: - 

I am working for the next 3 weeks at a new school and therefore had a new class of children I had not previously met, which is always a little daunting!!? But I was able to make a connection with some of the students in the three days I had them before they were assigned to their permanent classes for the year.  It is such moments and the accompanying momentos that remind me of why I became a teacher.  I love that I can build relationships with children and hopefully have a positive impact on their learning and their lives - it is not all about reading, writing and counting - it is about nurturing, encouraging and fostering the potential in every child regardless of where such potential resides.  It is so heart warming when students take the time to make you pictures and notes, and certainly remind me as to what is at the heart of teaching....

Friday night was our Project Lifers Crop Night - oh how I love these nights and look forward to them every month.  I love getting together with like-minded ladies, sharing and inspiring each other on our PL journeys.  I have been blessed with some amazing friendships from this Crop Night!! One such friendship is with the amazing Agnus Kasprzak who I gave a shout out to in my previous post, and we were able to surprise her with a small birthday celebration for her impending birthday this week.  Happy birthday Agnus!!!  And on the off chance you live in the Sydney area and want to join us for our awesome Crop Nights, you can find our event details in various FB groups such as Project Life Australia and Project Life Junkies.  

Lastly, this week I have experimented with some new ways to include and incorporate my journalling.  I am a big journaller and always have too much to say, having to edit it down most weeks.  This week I chose some untraditional journal cards in the triangular design title card and also the striped patterned paper.  I wanted to challenge myself to think outside the square and I am really happy with how they turned out.  I especially like how the triangular one allowed me to journal about two differing photos on the one card.

Here is the double layout as a whole.... 

I love how using a different designer each week allows me new and different creative opportunities in capturing my stories and memories each week.  I am definitely not one who can stick to one kit or even one designer for a set period of time - well beyond a week.  The world of digital scrapbooking and especially pocket scrapbooking, certainly indulges me in a world of endless possibilities.....

Thanks again for stopping by and indulging me twice in the same weekend.  I hope you have an awesome week full of wonderful everyday moments, stories and experiences that are uniquely yours....

Until next time,

As I expected, school is back and life has taken over once again!?!??! I actually had these pages finished at the beginning of the week but being back at school and teaching full time after having 5 weeks off has been a big adjustment for everyone... So it took until the weekend to have the time to sit down and share my pages with you, while also working on this week's pages.

For this week, I used the newly released collection 'I Collect Memories: Here & Now' by Mye De Leon.  I love this latest collection as it has a lovely eclectic feel to it, while still working as a cohesive collection.  The colour palette worked so beautifully for this week's photos and stories, and the collection was jammed pack with papers, elements, stamps and cards so no other collection was needed - always a good thing in lessening the creative decisions to be made...

Week 4 was our last week of holidays (sob! sob!) and was full of last minute school preparations and play dates... Here is the left hand side page: - 

Some highlights..... Every time I have come home recently I have looked at this front door mat that K got from his parents for Christmas, and thought I must take a photo of this.  Well I finally did so this week after being out all day doing errands and being struck by just how happy I was to be home.  I do love home....

 Lilly had a couple of days of playdates with friends after we realised that it was our last opportunity to do so.  She was so excited when the invites came through.  I love the joy, excitement and happiness that this photo captures when these two caught up - it happens every time they meet up!! I love their friendship and hope that it is one that lasts a life time - starting in kindergarten and going on into adulthood...

Our kids definitely grow up way too quickly for my liking!! This photo of Lilly getting her hair cut was the suggestion of her hairdresser who could not believe how much she had grown... Lilly has definitely undergone a growth spurt lately!! Her hairdresser commented that this is the last time Lilly will be able to wear the 'kiddie's' cape due to being too tall and that mum should take a photo - so of course out comes the iPhone which is always at the ready.  It is a classic example of why I love PL so much - as small everyday moments such as this are captured and remembered for all their details and stories....

The second half of the week continued in much the same manner....

I hate doing the groceries!! There I said it... I hate having to do all the work of buying them, unpacking them and putting them away, all so that they can be taken out, cooked and eaten!! And then have to do it all over again!??! I had been putting off doing them for days and days but finally had to give in due to having nothing in the house.  Upon getting them home, I decided to take a photo and practice using my newly learnt manual shooting skills, and upon flicking through the images, I found this one... I have titled it 'Groceries Selfie' and love it as not only are the groceries captured but so am I in the reflection of my oven.  I love fluke photos such as these.

On Sunday K, Lilly and I headed to the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour.  This 'cut out' was in the lobby and I so wanted to capture Lilly in it... Enter the wonder and beauty of Photoshop!! I was able to combine the three different photos into one and just LOVE it!! Not only because it is cool, but because I actually managed to work out how to do the combining process in Photoshop and have it work. 

Finally I have included this one as it highlights some hand stitching I did on the page.  I was inspired to do it by the always gorgeous work of scrapping extraordinaire and close friend Agnus Kasprzak of 'A Place in my Dreams' - you should totally check out her blog and lovely PL pages.  I love hand stitching and forgot how much I love how it looks on my pages - providing a greater sense of tactileness and dimension.  I also continued the red stitched stripes on the title card which can be seen in the page photos.  It was done using a paper piercer, stitch guide and embroidery thread.  I must remember to do it more often.

And for the double spread as a whole.....  

I love the eclectic yet cohesive look of the page!!  Thanks for stopping by and checking out my PL pages and journey.

Until next time....

Welcome to Week 3 of 2015.... I am loving being up to date but fear that this might soon change as we enter the last week of the school holidays and life as we know it changes back to one of school routines, prepared lunches and work for me (well hopefully!!??). So we will simply enjoy this time for what it is and welcome the new experiences that going back to school will bring for everyone...

When creating Week 3, I decided to use a more muted and less colourful colour palette, pulling back from a rainbow palette to a much more neutral and restricted one - just to mix things up and challenge myself.  I have continued with using Just Jaimee's Storyteller collections but going much more current with her 'Hunter' collection released for January.  As with all her collections, there was much to choose from and I like the black and white palette with splashes of red, green, aqua and yellow.  I have used much of the collection as offered, with a few alterations and tweaks here and there - so is the joy of working digitally!!

So as always, here is the left hand side....

The beginning of the week was quiet and pretty much spent at home enjoying simple pleasures such as getting creative, having lunch with K and Lilly, playing with friends and enjoying time with the cousins.  So my favourite images reflect my love of such simple pleasures - beginning with some phone photos taken of K and Lilly being silly as only they can during a spontaneous lunch date.  I love capturing their unique connection!!

You know those photos of stunningly organised and decorated craft spaces that you see on the net and all over Facebook... well I do not have one and often can be seen turning various shades of green when looking at them.  My creative space is the dining room table and sometimes the lounge room floor when needing more space.  We live in a small cottage which I love very much but we have quickly outgrown it, and dream of the day when we can extend it to fit.  In the meantime, this is my happy space - lucky for me, much of my supplies are neatly stored on my laptop and various external hard drives.... 

Lastly, a digi-playdate to warm the creative soul!! Nothing nicer than sharing the fun playing with friends.  I love sharing my love for all things digital with like-minded people and helping people discover the endless possibilities that digital scrapping allows... In fact, once you get me started, I am hard to stop!?!?!

And then we move onto the right hand side of the week....

As the word art on the photo states: 'little moments captured'... I love capturing and witnessing Lilly when she becomes engrossed in her favourite activities, one of which is her recently expanded Lego collection.  I love just sitting and watching her create and enact her chosen stories and characters.  Lego brings back such wonderful memories of my own childhood, and I love that despite technological advances such as computers, iPads and Minecraft, it has stood the test of time and continues to entertain generations of children in creative play.

Once again, be still my beating heart with yet another awesome photo of my beloveds while on a bush walk on Saturday.  Its always nice to enjoy the joys of home, but the walls can start to close in by the end of the week.  It was such a lovely time on a beautiful sunny day in the mountains with stunning waterfalls, cool reptilian friends and fresh air.  I got so many lovely photos that I think I will have to include an insert for the day.  And I love that Jaimee included an alternate version of her stamp with the correct spelling of 'favourite'....

Finally, one of my favourite photos from a day of photography instruction in shooting using manual mode on my DSLR.  Local onlookers must have thought we were going mad when we ventured out and about with our rubber duckies and proceeded photographing them in different locations.  The rubber duckie is another timeless character that never loses it's appeal... And the quote which I stumbled upon in an email was perfect for summing up not only the day's focus on photography but also my philosophy for taking pictures thanks for Project Life.  I now see my everyday life as worthy of being captured and remembered in all its routine and mundane glory!! It is about changing the way we see the world and our lives... Looking at everything with a new perspective!!

And here we are at the end of the journey with the spread as a whole.  I have to admit I initially missed my bright colour palette from previous weeks and needed to walk away and just let the layout sit for a night to stop myself of changing it.  I am so glad I did as I really like it with a fresh vision this morning.  Have you ever had such a moment when you start doubting yourself but with some time and separation, things look very different??

Thanks again for stopping by and sharing Week 3 with me....

Until next time....