So not good...

...at being the centre of attention! Let me start off by saying that I really feel uncomfortable being the centre of attention. Im one of those follow along, go with the flow, types of people. I really dont like having to get up in front of groups of people, public speaking scares the sh*t out of me, I just like my quiet little life! So today put me breifly right out of my comfort zone, and let me say there is probably some por lady out there that now thinks Im a complete idiot!!!!

After I picked the boys up from school we popped into the newsagents to see if THE (you know..MY...LOL yep still excitied!!!) magazine was there yet. As soon as I walked in the door I was greeted by an excited owner (she said)..."did you know....your on the cover" I explained yes I knew, but I hadnt seen it. By this time Caleb had gone down and found the said mag and was holding it up yelling "can we get it? can we get it?" (Like there was any doubt, OF COURSE we are going to get it!!!!!!!!!) anyway there was another lady in the scrapping mags section giving him the once over. We got the mag upto the counter, and ripped it out of the plastic so the owners could check it out - he (owner) says to the young girls next in line, these are local lads on here, I just smile, while starting to blush a little and say "yep this one when he wasnt so hairy" (note to self....must book them in for haircuts - urgently!) Anyway the next lady in line (the one that was giving Caleb the once over, and is now standing there with a scrapping mag too waiting to pay) looks quizzically at me and says excitedly "are you Nicole Wood?" I nod and smile and turn a little redder "I finally get to meet you" I turn a deeper shade of red and laugh it off a bit,I try to grab my stuff and make a quiet exit, she then looks at the owners who I know, and I am sure were giggling at me starting to squirm, and says "shes my hero". Well that was the end of me, Im not sure what else was said, but Im pretty sure I looked like a complete numpty as I high tailed it out of there as fast as I could.

Hero?!!? I know this is a relatively small town and all, but come on!!!! OK I was a tiny bit chuffed at some complete stranger recognising me, but believe me, it was way over shadowed by the horror of being thrust into what I percieved at the time as the limelight! Must work on a musch more gracious way to deal with compliments me thinks!!!! Im used to being the one standing there while people recognise all the scrappers around me, not being the one recognised.

To the poor lady, whom Ive never seen before, but am sure I will see everytime I drive down the street now...if you ever happen by here, or if you mention your bizzar encounter with the psychotic scrapper Nicole Wood to another person who might LOL (mmmm dont think people actually talk about me that much - oh well!!!!) Im really quite a nice normal person (well kind of), Im not usually the embarrased bumbling weirdo you 'meet' today - Im sorry, and Im flattered that you did recognise me, and even more flattered that you like my work!!!

To everyone who left message of congrtulations on the cover. Thank you so much.

Ill post some more life journal pages tommorow too!

Super Dooper Mega excited....

My secret is out!!!!!





It hasnt hit the shops yet, in fact I will probably have to wait another week before it gets to my newsagents, but I just got a phone call from an excited friend who recognised my gorgeous boys on the cover of the latest SM when it appeared in her mailbox this morning, and also took a pic an emailed it to me (thanks Michelle! ) !!!! Im SO thrilled!!! Its also fantastic to see them using some LO with older boys on the cover of mags lately too!

Oohhhh did I mentioned how excited I am about this LOL

I think I also have a telling tales article in this issue as well as a product challenge and another LO of my niece Georgia........I want a copy NOW!!!!!

This is like the buzz from my first ever acceptance -so cool!!!! This is also my all time favourite photo of Caleb & Nathan together, so that makes it even a little more special!

Life Journal

Here are the first of my life journal pages - some of the little snippets that make my life unique & special! I love the freedom this is giving me. So quick, so easy, so much fun! I can record all those mundane/odd things that run through my mind and my life...many of which would never be scrapped or recorded otherwise.
The other great thing with this is that its giving me the oportunity to be able to use up some REALLY old stuff, and play with other bits that I might not otherwise use on a full LO.

Wild Ice

Caleb standing at the back door at 7.45am -
"check this out mum, I found some wild ice!"
(No he hasnt brushed his hair yet, and yes he is in desperate need of a hair cut - he doesnt think so though!)

We had our first frost of the season this morning. The older two couldnt resisit going out and dragging their feet through the icy grass, and checking the trucks in the sandpit for 'wild ice'. Apparently the ice that you freeze in the freezer is very different to the wild ice that appears outside when its really cold LOL who would try and argue with the logic of excited boys nearly 9 & 10 years old! Isaac even got to touch the ice!
By the time I grabbed the camera Nathan was already inside sitting in front of the fire warming up LOL. Caleb was wearing his new fingerless gloves...which I suspect he may even have slept in last night ***rolls eyes*** but only his thin school shirt. Apparently he wasnt cold, only his hands were from touching the ice! BOYS!!!!

We rugged up and walked to school again this morning. It was a divine morning. The sun was out, the frost was still on the grass, the air was freezing, and their wasnt a breath of wind - truly beautiful!

SC colour competition

Congrats to the winners of this comp. There were a few new (well new to me LOL) names in there, and some that I recognised. Cant wait to see all the winners entries. Since Im not one of them, I thought Id share my LO here...

I think perhaps I choose the wrong colour combo - three of the five runners up were the pink & green combo! Not sure what the winners LO was though. Not to worry, I created a LO I love, and thats what really matters! I had been wanting to scrap this photo for ages, and for some reason when I was looking through my photos for inspiration for a green & black LO I kept coming back to this one. Dont you just love those chubby bubby baby hand dimples !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

its your birthday

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my gorgeous friend Kathie
Happy birthday to you

I hope you get spoiled rotten today!!!

Nic xxx

PS ooohh I nearly forgot..a huge happy 7th birthday to Zali as well !!!

slipping away

All those that pop by here regularly know I have a bit of a liking of eBay, and a lot of a liking for pumpkin patch clothes for my little man. Yesterday I decided that I would start culling some of the clothes I haven't been able to bear to part with.

They don't fit any more, but its just another bit of that little tiny baby, quietly slipping away!!! and they are so darn cute.

Its hard to believe that he actually fit into all of those little clothes -

I remember him propped up on the pillow, ready to come home from the hospital, looking a bit like the saggy baggy elephant. The waist turned over, legs rolled up, hands disappearing inside the sleeves, and socks pulled up to try and keep them on those tiny little feet. To think that was over 18 months ago. It seems like yesterday.

I never sold on eBay before...Ive bought quite a bit though ;) so I'm hoping it goes well. I cant wait to get my very first bid on something!!!

I went through ALL the boxes of clothes and have decided to give lot of it to our local op shop, there is just so much of it, and I would go around the bend trying to photograph and list all of it, plus it feels good to just give some of it away - I hope it all finds a nice new home!!!!

OK just one more photo to add. The most recent shot I had of Isaac on the computer. He is starting to wear size 2 tops now - eeekkkk. Lots of his size 1 stuff was just getting too short! LOL back to looking like that cute little saggy baggy elephant for a couple of months. Not a great photo LOL but look how much my baby has grown up :( He is so proud that he can clamber up onto the lounge by himself now. He gets up there and perches the edge with his legs dangling precariously beneath him, and the cheekiest, proud look on his face. I quite often find him up there, arm outstretched, TV remote in hand, pushing the buttons....sigh...yet another male in the house with a thing for flicking through the channels...whats a girl to do ?!?

Check this out!

Just a quick post this morning. Wanted to share this photo of Caleb helping cook breakfast on Sunday morning. Bacon & Egg 'Nc-muffins' are a bit of a Sunday morning breakfast treat every couple of weeks in our house, piping hot bacon and eggs and a slice of cheese on freshly toasted wholemeal muffins- Yummo! Much healthier than Mc muffins!!!! Short back bacon (no one here eats the fatty bit of the bacon, much to the rest of my families disgust!), wholemeal muffins (cause they are just yummy!) and low fat cheese of course! I could almost trick myself in to believing they are really healthy if I keep going LOL. The kids love to help, and are quite good at cracking the eggs and cooking everything up now. Just have to work on getting them good at the cleaning up after!!!Anyway... did you have a good look in the pan? check out one of the eggs...a double yolker....I havn't seen one of these since I was a kid. He was so eggcited (LOL I crack myself up...hehehehe, sorry!). They were shop eggs too, not even yummy home grown free range ones!

My Monday MoJo

For some reason I always feel really creative on Monday Mornings. Maybe its the fact that I'm so relieved to have everyone back at school and work, and have some peace and quiet again.

There is so much to do though. A house to tidy after the weekend onslaught, washing to do, floors to wash, plus I look after a friends little one Mondays and Tuesdays from 10.30am.

This morning as I surfed my list of updated blogs, I was really inspired to begin this journal. I love looking at this girls work, she has such a wonderful sense of fun in her work, and always that quirky little twist...it makes me feel happy, and I love visiting her blog! Ive never met her, in fact I suspect she wouldn't even know who I was LOL, but that's beside the point. Anyway loved her life journal pages, such a simple idea, and it really inspired me to do something similar. I followed the link to her original inspiration and was blown away..stunning. Its just what Ive been looking for. Some where to play. No feeling the need to get in looking just so. Somewhere to record what ever I feel like...childhood memories, what we did today, inspirational anythings, funny things the kids did, the nitty gritty bits of life, that are so often hard to complete a whole LO on...especially when many don't have a gorgeous photo to go with them.

For the first time ever, both the bubs went down for a sleep at the same time (they are BOTH still asleep, bless their little hearts) SO....I went for it.

Ive had this 7 gypsies journal laying around for years...perfect. I wanted it to be pretty and girly...its not something I get to do often LOL.

Lots of flowers, some bling, kindy glitz and pretty girly colours.

Ive put tabs on every page...just cause I can. Anything I could find in my stash became fair game to be converted into a tab...it was so much fun!!! I cant wait to start filling it!

Feeling better...at last

Today is the first day in the last week Ive actually felt 'normal' (OK well as normal as I get LOL) What ever it was that I had really knocked me around, Im glad its nearly gone now!

Finally got a chance to sit down and have a look at SM last night. Ive got three LOs in there. Bit of a suprise considering I only knew about two of them LOL The winter one was accepted ages ago, Id just about given up hope of it actually making it to print...then as I flick throught the mag, there I am looking at myself LOL.

The final one I have in this issue is the LO I did using my home made fabric paper. It also contained snippets of an article I originally wrote for a Scrapbook Station newsletter about making your own fabric paper. Ive included the full article below for anyone who is interested.

Did anyone get the number of that truck?

I mean the one that it feels like must have hit me a couple of days ago. Ive got some sort of fluey thing, and I feel like crap. If I keep up the panadol its not too bad, but Ive just got no energy. I think Im feeling OK and then go do something and Im exhausted in no time!
The youngest two kids also have colds. I suspect Isaac is feeling abit like me, he is sleeping lots, which is probably the best thing for him. Nathan is just really snuffly, although he does seem a bit flat this morning.

I got some SUPER exciting news yesterday, but I have to keep you all hanging for a bit longer on that one LOL I will share really soon though! ( and NO Im not pregnant Janine :0 )

Ive done nothing but clean up this morning, now I just want to go curl up in bed! except I have to take Nath to footy in about 1/2 hour. At least its a home match and only 5 min away.

Enough of my meaningless ramblings for this morning. Have a good weekend everyone!

I will leave you with a quick LO...still more of the mothers day photos. Had fun creating the journaling box with black & white pens. Love the result. Might make some more different ones!

STOP...slow down...please

18 months..wow..happy 1 1/2 years sweetie!

I know I say this every single month, but where is time going, it seems like every month you grow so much, you learn so many new things, its hard to keep up.
You are running everywhere these days. You wave madly, hug us, dance to music, climb onto the sofas all by yourself, and most of all LOVE being outside.
You understand everything we say to you, and are getting really good at following directions. I made you a special book with photos of you and the family. You love to read it all the time.
You want to play with what ever you see Caleb & Nathan with, you have little interest in your baby toys, you constantly have a matchbox car or motorbike in your hand. "Monkey see, Monkey do...and your the monkey" is what Caleb always says to you.


You love to help put away your toys, put cups in the cupboard, pieces of rubbish in the bin, and STILL are forever shutting doors! You imitate constantly. You take your little watering can and 'water' the plants. Its so cute to see you only go to the plants that Daddy usually waters with his watering can. You perch yourself up on the chair and point the remote control at the TV as you push the buttons, and you run the boys 'scanners' toys along the floor and cupboards just like they do as they scan the bar codes on things.

All four of your eye teeth have finally come through. You are still a fussy eater through. Bananas are your firm favourite, and you love your weetbix for breakfast. You whizz through three with warm milk every morning. You sometimes even have them for tea. If I ask if you want something to eat during the day, you head straight for the cupboard and pull out the weetbix packet. You are a funny little thing sometimes!

Tonight you layed in the big bed in your room and had a story with Nathan while you drank your bottle. I brushed your teeth, washed your face, and you trotted off to complete your bedtime routine... good night kisses & cuddles for everyone. As usual you grabbed Teddy and dummy, but instead of going over to your cot, you decided to climb onto the bed. I humored you and tucked you under the covers, whispered our usual "night night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite..love you Isaac" and sealed it with a kiss. I walked out and pulled the door across, fully expecting that gorgeous cheeky smile to pretty much follow me straight out the room. You stayed there. I checked about 15 min later and you were still wide awake, laying on the bed.

You eventually fell asleep.

Dwarfed by the size of the bed.

So cute.

So not my tiny little baby any more.

So begging for a photo or five!!!

I would leave you there all night except for two things.

1. The fire is on and I'm not comfortable with the thought you could stumble out near it if you wake.

2. I'm just not ready for that transition. Not yet. Its one of the last tangible links to you being a baby that remain and I just need time to slow down a bit while I catch up.

STOP...slow down...please don't grow up to fast my little man, Mummy's just not ready yet!

*****the next morning edit******I was heading of to bed just after midnight and flicked the bathroom light on to move Isaac into his cot. I decided to go to the toilet first quickly. I could hear what I thought was Caleb rustling around in his bed. As I came around the corner, there was Isaac riding his little bike out his bedroom door! SO cute!!!!! So not staying in the big bed!!!! LOL

Winter is coming

Its cold and wet, and Im lovin it!!!!!! The fire is going, Ive got a big pot of chicken soup started on the stove, the carpets was steam cleaned yesterday, as well as the sofa in the play room (thank goodness, cause it s a blue & white mattress ticking type fabric and it looked filthy and was driving me crazy!) the bathrooms are sparkling clean, Ive nearly caught up on the washing, & the new dishwasher is fantastic. Its amazing what a relatively clean house can do for getting you in a good mood! Ive still got LOTS of folding to do (its all over the sofa, so I have to get it done LOL) but I feel happy and content today!

We have a busy weekend. Kids football tomorrow, then out for dinner with my best friend at one of our favourite swishy restaurants. Sunday is my neices first birthday party.

I had a peek in the latest CK at the newsagents yesterday and I have this LO in there. I still love this photo of Isaac!
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Mothers Day

I hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day! Mine was pretty good. The kids showered me with sweet gifts and cards -some homemade, some from the Mothers Day stall at school, as well as a photo frame with my favourite pictures of the boys atm (OK I had to organise this for myself!!!) and some pansy seedlings they are going to plant out into some hanging pots for me. We had lunch with Craigs family, checked out the local market and then came back here for coffee and desert.

Since it was mothers day, I took the opportunity before we went for lunch to get some pics with each of the boys. Caleb took some with Nath in them, and Nath took some with Caleb & Isaac...unfortunatley the 'little' camera is a bit sensitive and they often move it to much, so the pics are not as sharp as I would like (even with some extensive computer tweeking LOL) but I love 'em anyway!!! Nath was the only cooperative one. Isaac looked everywhere but the camera, and Caleb pulled every face he could think of, as well as shut his eyes intentionally (ggrrr what is it with boys and cameras!!! and they both thought it was hillarious) The only one I really like of him is when I thought I would join in and pull a face too - of course he decided to smile nicely at that moment! It was fun though, and Nathan was laughing so much some of those photos are SO blurry !

In the afternoon I got SIL to take a few shots of the boys and I as well ;) throw all three into the mix at once and what a joke...this is about the best of them. I also got a shot of the boys and their cousins - it was fun (well I had fun!!!), but J & Caleb were on the bottom and kept whining the others were heavy, or rolling them off, or burying their faces in the grass...did manage to get this one though!Tea was supposed to be here with my family but Mum and my littlest sister both came down with gastro over night so we canned that idea. Poor Vick, last mothers day she was hanging around waiting for Georgia to arrive (she went in to be induced the next day...only two more sleeps till little miss G turns 1!!!!!!!!!!)) and then she spends her first real mothers day in bed sick...hope your both feeling better!

Oh, and just to top it all off, our dishwasher decided to pack it in. Craig is picking up a new one tomorrow thank goodness.

Isaacs 'special' book

Thanks for the lovely comments about the book I made for Isaac. Ive had a couple of questions about how I made it, so I thought Id post here.

It is an old kids board book that I altered.

I cropped & resized the photos to just bigger than the actual pages and added some text to each page. (I didnt want to add any pieces after that could be picked off by little fingers!)

I printed the photos on thick, slightly glossy photo paper (It was a cheaper brand

I adhered the photos to the pages with a strip of wide double sided tape right around the edge.

I trimmed and sanded the edges of each page.

Because of the spine of the book splitting further after I made it, I decided to take the book apart, punch holes and join it together with a couple of hinged rings. (mmmm yeh I know I said I want going to be pedantic about it, but it was messy and driving me crazy everytime we read it!!!) It seems much more durable this way too.

For those of you who wanted a better pic of the pages...here they are a little larger.

If anyone does make one, please let me see!!!! Either post me a comment here with a link, or email me a pic if you dont have an online gallery or blog!

Im planning another one with all of Isaacs family and friends, and another with things like car, banana, bed, teddy etc.

Have a nice weekend!

Time to share

Ive got a few layouts to share today. The first is for this fortnights Scrapbook Station portal, which was stitching. Kathie commented on my beautiful neat even stitching. Thanks for having that much faith in my sewing ability...I use the machine to punch the holes and then hand stitch through them...easy to get it neat that way! The second one is in the latest Scrapbooking Memories. This must be one of the most published photographs going around LOL so many of the girls have scrapped it, and had it published. All very different too.
The last is the LO that I did on Saturday night at Scrapbook Station. We had a great night. It was fantastic to get together with all the 'local' girls, and meet acouple of new freinds as well. I was so inspired with all that talent..Kates divine mini albums, Janines stunning art journal, beautiful LOs everywhere, an array of gorgeous paper napkins...oh yeh and of course Kates bits ;)

I also got these little post it note covers done for the mothers day stall at school. I will wrap them with one of the cute litle spoon magnets that you can see on the second pic.

I came home inspired and ready to scrap. Ive completed two more LOs since then! Im going to keep them under wraps though. If I can manage to get together five decent LOs I might put a portfolio into the FK awards for excellence. If I get enough I will enter, otherwise...oh well!

Today i finally got around to something that has been on my to do list for ages. I wanted to make Isaac a special little board book.

I want him to be able to drag it round the house, so I wasn’t to pedantic about it. I managed to break the spine of the book when I had to cut the double page photo (so it would close!) so all the centre pieces look like crap...but in the grand scheme of things Isaac really doesn’t care.

He looked quite concerned when I first gave it to him, but it soon turned to great big smiles, laughs and pointing at all the pictures. He isn’t a real book boy unfortunately...probably my fault, as baby#3 there isn’t a lot of time for a good bed time reading routine...especially when you go to sleep at 6pm...right in the middle of getting everyone else’s tea, homework etc etc!!! So coupled with the fact he really isn’t talking much yet either, I thought this would be a great way to encourage both things!

GRRRRRR blogger is being VERY, VERY, VERY painful today. It ate part of my post yesterday and again today, wont save or upload... Third time lucky...fingers crossed

Random Facts

I've been tagged by Kathie.

Here are the rules:
Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged need to write down their seven facts and copy/paste these rules.
You then need to tag 7 people.
Don't forget to leave them a comment on their blog telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I am the eldest of three girls. There is only a 15 month age gap between me and my next sister and then a year except for four days between her and the youngest. We were all pregnant at the same time in 2005...for a couple of weeks, and had our latest additions with in 9 months of each other.

2. When I put things on trays to bake etc I HAVE to have them lined up neatly....even things like hot chips!

3. I still have a stuffed dog called patch that I bought with money my Nanna gave me for my eighth birthday.

4. Ive only been overseas twice, once to Thailand and once to New Zealand

5. Ive had the same best friend since year nine at high school. I couldnt imagine my life with out her in it.

6. I dont have a middle name. I think it took mum and dad a while to do the middle name thing. I dont have one, my next sister has a hyphenated first name, and it wasnt until child #3 that there was a middle name given.

7. I have a Bachelor of Teaching ECE...I would fondly refer to it as a degree in finger painting whilst I was studying at uni.

I dont think there is anyone left to tag....if I pop by your blog and you havnt done this tag yet, consider yourself tagged, you better get to it!


Done! Not very exciting though!

Blog challenge # 3

Kathie has set the latest blog challenge on the SS forum. It is to post a pic on your blog of your favourite place to be in your home.

Mine is curled up on my favourite couch with a nice hot mug of coffee, listening to the rain on the roof! The only thing that would complete this senario is if it was a little colder and the fire was going as well!

at 17 months

You….
…Wrap your arms around us when you hug us (and we all love it!!!)

…Are still always opening and closing doors
…Don’t like holding my hand when we are walking
…Are a fussy eater & carry on shaking your head, and whinging every night at dinner time until you get the first taste of your food…if you like it you eat happily, if not there is no convincing you otherwise
…You can ride your bike properly
…Love climbing up and standing in the window sill in your little play corner
…Point to the sky when you hear a plane
…Still grunt more than speak
…Sleep through the night
...Don’t get a bottle in the afternoon anymore – you definitely don’t eat your tea if you have one
…Havnt learnt to pucker up when you kiss – you come at us with your mouth open wide! …LOVE doing what ever Daddy or your brothers are doing …LOVE your bath or a shower with Daddy
…LOVE your dummy

...LOVE being outside and love wearing your new gum boots …LOVE your Teddy
…Have an amazing comprehension of what we are saying to you
…Pick up how to do things very quickly
…Can reach the door handles …Squeal {VERY} often
…Still have two sleeps a day
…Eat two weetbix & a banana for breakfast, although I usually still feed it to you! …Would rather play with big boys toys like your brothers
…Have no interest in TV

...went hunting for easter eggs...lots of times!…Like to dance to music
…Have a sweet tooth
…Can climb onto the lounge chairs
…Point and laugh at just about everything
…LOVE going for rides in a nappy box
…Are starting to get a bit rough with other children – too much time with older kids, not enough time with kids your own age
…Go to playgroup sometimes
...went to the zoo for the first time …LOVE having horsey rides on Daddy’s back
…Have started frowning (very cute)
…LOVE helping to taking your nappies out to the big bin outside, and get cranky when you can’t

…say “Ta”
…have shown an interest in sitting on the toilet, but havn’t managed to actually do anything while your there
…Can be so silly you make me laugh till I cry!
…LOVE playing peek-a-boo
…need another haircut ...are fascinated by the remote controls, and like to leave them in special places for us (read ..we can never find where you have put them LOL)
...Have found the on/off button on the TV
...LOVE playing with cars and trucks and anything with wheels really! ...have a thing about shoes - always wanting to put on your own, or anyone elses!
...are just so darn cute, & cheeky, and are loved to bits by your whole family!