There IS a movie with Russell Crowe and Leonardo Di Caprio in it!

OK, so I can’t remember all the details of the plot,but I do remember watching almost the whole way through without realising it was Russell Crowe, and I call myself an Aussie? Oh well.
I did enjoy Body of Lies but then again we watched so many espionage style movies while I was expecting Emily, I can’t say I’ve kept all the storylines straight in my head. But for the record there IS a spy movie with Russell Crowe and Leonardo Di Caprio in it!
My family always likes to jump onto IMDB to satify their curiosity about actor, tv series and see from where we recognise that face.
However did we survive back in the ‘old days’?
Melissa

Blogging Away

Today I was thinking about why I’m writing this blog. I guess I always enjoy writing and showing off my creative work – scrapbooking and cardmaking seem to be the latest fashion around here.

Perhaps I’ll write more about our daily lives? I really enjoyed doing that in December, it made my December Daily a viable project to complete. I used to write about events in my life when I started my blog back in 2002. Well actually it wasn’t a blog then, it was actually a web-site that I created using Dreamweaver.

Which reminds me. I did actually study Web Design at Uni. Hmm. I did a lot of different subjects, covering graphic design, management, web design, programming, project management, databases, plus all of my library, records and archives stuff.

In my work over the years I’ve been able to use my IT skills, even when working in an unrelated field. For example:

• when employed as a desktop publisher, I edited a FileMaker Pro database
• while a classifier (records management) I maintained a website
• while a senior records officer, I created a timesheet system
• while a university tutor, I did help desk support for an online database system
• while a Mum I provided help with video format conversions.

Have your skills learnt in the dim past helped you in unexpected ways?

I’d be interested to hear.

Melissa

Lego–Many memories

I had to laugh when Emily’s Lego Club magazine arrived with the Spinjitsu logo on the envelope. It reminded me of my dad who did jujitsu for a short while – he made it to a half-yellow belt. (I’m sure ScrappyJedi will be giggling at this point!) My dad also had an infatuation with Ask a Ninja. Maybe there’s a theme here?
My brothers have a huge collection of lego they’ve collected over the years, and I got my fair share too, I like anything that include mini-figs with hair! Castle, Ambulance and Bellville sets amongst them.
I can’t tell you the countless hours we spent playing with Lego, creating scenes, trying to make something useful out of helicopter windscreens, sorting them by colour and size into margarine containers and hardware drawers, and even once washing ALL of our Lego and Duplo in warm soapy water – after our blocks were getting dusty. It looks like new! and then Daniel also worked on creating 3D renderings of our models in POV ray and we’d visit Myer’s Lego Action shows when we could (photos here from 2003 and 2005).
Some of our earliest digital camera photos are of Lego scenes via Dad’s work’s camera. In October 2000 I created a sea-themed library display at a local boy’s school as an assignment for uni and Michael supplied the Aquanauts, boats and various bits and pieces. The boys at the school were keen to join in, and brought their models in to school too.
More recently my brother’s have collected all the Lego Bionicle movies and even got a game or two. Phill loves his Lego Starwars game. There seems to be no end to their branding opportunities, but I truly prefer the unbranded, multiuse sets, where your imagination can run free and you can match up the colours of the bricks! There used to be only one shade of each colour back in the day!
I guess we are starting Emily a little early, but I’m sure she’ll love Lego too – just so many imaginative possibilities.
Do you have a favourite Lego memory?
Melissa

Log your Memory–50% off today only

As you know I have been using my Memory Logbook for well over a year now. I know it it's March now, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to start recording your memories. Whether you use it a scrapbooking prompt, a journal or an day planner, the fully customisable Memory Logbook will work for you.
So why am I harping on about Log Your Memory? Because there’s an awesome sale on today!

One Day Sale Today!

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day ... Share a little good luck with your friends and followers by letting them know about our special one-day sale to be held this Thursday, March 17th!
Every download in the store will be 50% off with the use of our special St. Patty's Day coupon code. This is a great chance for you to share your love of Log Your Memory, let your friends in on a great discount and earn a little green for yourself at the same time!!
We don't have many sales of this magnitude at LYM, so don't let it pass by!
Coupon Code: LUCKY4me
Good for 50% off ALL downloadable items in the Log Your Memory Store
This includes...

• Memory Logbook 2011
• 2010 Real Life Scrapbooking Yearbook
• Scrapbooker's Travel Logbook
• DESTINATIONS Travel Template Album Set
• Baby's First Year Memory Logbook

                  ... and more!
Expires: Midnight (MDT) on Thursday, March 17th, 2011

I’ve just completed my monthly checkups for January and February – I’m planning to use them along with Katie’s roundup prompts for a quick and simple overview of our year.
Melissa

Get-it-done Guy style wardrobe organisation for small spaces

After 6 years of wearing uniforms (aka prison clothes as Phill fondly referred to them!), Phill’s finally wearing office clothes regularly which is great, he enjoys being able to avoid work boots and thick cotton fire-retardant clothing for a change. The only problem is the in our ‘apartment’ we don’t have a lot of space, and the hanging space is in Emily’s room.

I remembered a tip from the Get it done Guy on how to organise your clothes. His example below.

So how could we implement this in our room? I thought what about hanging them on the back of our door? So we headed off to Kmart and bought an over door hanger. Then we just spend some time on the weekend planning his outfits and hook the shirts over the top of the matching trouser hangers. I can even clip the socks onto the matching trousers to avoid Phill hunting around in the dark. Works for us!

Thanks Get it Done Guy!

Related articles

• Project: Simplify - Hotspot #1 (allfivehorizons.co.uk)

Shutterfly Coupons–10% off Everything

Image via CrunchBase

I just got my December Daily photobook printed by Shutterfly and along with it came a few coupon codes to share with my friends. So here they are!

You just enter one of the promo codes below at the checkout by 30 March 2011 for 10% off your order!

R56T-155F-X20D-RFTR62

R56T-5T2C-APVF-XFECWS

R56T-BENV-TRYY-2GRKP7

R56T-BF1H-DYZA-5NR2NB

Please comment if you use a code – thanks!

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*

Bible in 90 Day–Back on track

I’ve really struggled in the last 3 weeks to keep up with this challenge, I’ve been reading every day, just not enough. Psalms and Isaiah I found really tough going. Maybe next time I'll grab the official Bible to help me with staying focussed. But this week I’ve been reading 2 days at a time, and reading the minor prophets has been really interesting, and all going well I’ll be up to date over the weekend.
I’m starting to think about my next devotional, perhaps Cover to Cover or God's People? I'd love to read the prophets, Kings and Chronicles interspersed. Or perhaps something like Denise Glenn’s Restore my Heart– I enjoyed that one immensely. Do you have a study or reading plan you’d recommend?
Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*

Related articles

• Tips for Reading the Bible in a Year (or so) (momdegg.wordpress.com)

Friends

Friends a photo by mshanhun on Flickr.

I scrapped this page in 2008 and just felt to share today as the prompted fitted with Celebrate Monday over at Simple Scrapper.

Journalling
Miss Okely, Miss Loneragan, Miss Dodd. friends for 15 years are now Mrs Shanhun, Mrs Turner and Mrs Hampel. Melissa and Shani at Suzie’s Wedding
Credits Kiss n Tell by mgl scraps (no longer available)

The photo was taken on the 4th of May 2008.

I extracted us slightly and blurred the background - if you want to know how - why not ask me a question.

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*

New52- Watching Playschool

Emily is really starting to enjoy Playschool, plus since she’s now sleeping later in the morning she actually is awake for it to come on at 9:30am. Today she sat in her Bumbo chair and watched the whole episode.
She commentates on the introduction “balloon, Teddy, Mima, Humpty, door” and then sits with a look of great concentration and occasionally joins in with actions and songs. I will capture it one day I’m sure!
Other times during the day she says “plays” and is keen to watch the afternoon edition too if Mummy remembers!
I have watched Playschool for too many years – probably over 20! Even when I was too old for it, I enjoyed the stories, and following the antics of the presenters. One thing that does bug me is that the presenters don’t always introduce themselves any more. I wonder why? I spend the whole episode trying to pick up on their names! Aah well, I’m sure I’ll know them all in no time!

Learn more about the New 52 challenge here. I’m finding that looking out for new experiences is helping me appreciate that my life is full of variety. What new things have you tried this week?

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible –thanks for supporting my blog*s

Yesterday and Today–Day in our life

This week Ali Edwards encouraged us to document a day in great detail as part of the workshop Yesterday and Today Class over at Big Picture Classes.
In the spirit of not waiting for the ‘perfect day’ and we are currently sharing a camera, I decided to document Monday, when we had our tiler’s meeting for the house, and I’d have the camera there already. In my usual style I ended up with 4 pages. I never could keep to a word limit!



Credits:
Ali Edwards Template from the Yesterday and Today class
CVW SupplyTracker 
Garden Whimsy Kit by Flergs and Sugarplum Paperie
Here’s the journalling:

5:45 Heard Phill’s alarm. Phill jumps in the shower and I snooze for a couple more minutes. Then I get up and quickly dress. Ate my porridge (Phill makes it for Emily and I each morning)
I wrapped up some pita bread chips and some vegemite bread to eat on the way up.
Woke Emily at 7:45 – she was fast asleep. “Wet, Suit” – so we changed her nappy and popped on the dress I’d promised her she could wear the night before. She loves to choose what to wear.
Couldn’t convince her to eat porridge, so she had her Brownes Deluxe Mango Passion Yoghurt.
Off to our new home at 69 Timberlane for the Tiler’s meeting with our Building Supervisor (Vince) at 8am. The traffic was slow up til Perth – Canning highway is always bad with drivers pulling out without indicating etc as usual! I remembered I wanted to document this day, so started to take a few pictures.
The Mitchell Freeway was quick and we arrived at 7:38 tiler was there already. The house was cool (even without insulations) we looked around for a bit – the bath was in. Emily loves running around and checking out all the cupboards and doors. Meeting with Vince to check all the cabinetry, paint colours and tiles. The border tiles weren’t the one from the board we selected but they were the ones written on the addenda. Vince to follow up with tiles, and also check about our electricity meter number so we can get the solar panels in.
A bit before 9am Philomena from Solomon’s carpet came to do the check measure and for us to sign the paperwork for the carpet for out new house – she thought Emily was teething looking at her pink cheeks – but she was just hot! I was so tired from carrying Emily but she kept trying to run around in the garage (the grano was in) so I had to hold her. Phill was hot too. I told Emily we could have an ice-cream.
After signing off on the meeting we went to the nearby BP, must have sold out of most icecreams. It’s been so hot in Perth lately. Bought two icecream sandwiches.
Drop Phill of at the “kiss and ride” at Whitfords Train Station a bit after 9 Emily is upset Daddy is leaving. Puts her icecream on the car seat Informs me that her “inger” is dirty and wants it wiped. Calms down and eats her icecream after a while.
Arrive at Sherwin Rise, move the car under the garage, unpack and sit down. Mum, Lauren, John and Cait home. Lauren doing Uni, Cait doing school.
10am Emily had a dry nappy and did a big wee on the potty! Emily and I ate some fudge brownies leftover from Lauren’s lifegroup meeting on Sunday night
11:10 Put Emily down for a sleep, after Mum reminded me we needed to drop John off. Nursed Emily as she’d missed out on her morning feed in the rush.
Dropped John off at YouthCare for work experience. Went via Bishop Rd to the Galleria, saw big huntsman spider on my window. Freaked out a little. Phill had noticed it on Sunday, but forget to get rid of it, I was surprised it was still there.
~12pm Parked close to Myer, after fitting into a spot next to a concrete pier. Got Mum to check before I got out but spider now safely on the boot. went in and noticed 50% off marked down clothing, so mum looked for dresses for Cait’s ball and I went to the Clinique counter and got some Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel and my gift. Had a look at Forever New and saw some beautiful dresses Cait may like took photos on my phone, forgetting I had the camera in my bag!! I noticed that a couple of my older dresses are now in fashion again and Mum said how Cait is now reusing some of my old outfits. I bought some size 10 shorts from Temt and a little tatted/lace vest. Mum got milk from Coles then we went back to the car – checked for spider and didn’t find it. Drove home. Saw Commitment = Satisfaction on the water truck at the Reid Hwy/Alex Driver overpass construction site.
1pm Arrived home, ate salad roll on multigrain bun. Had a cup of tea and a muffin. Chatted to Cait, Mum and Lauren about various things. Did some reading of Isaiah.
3pm A storm came up – a little bit of rain. Emily woke, Mum, Cait and I got her up and changed her nappy. Mum read her books and we watched a video of Emily playing on my iPod while feeding her lunch and calling Phill to check arrangements for tea. After 2 nights out we decided to go home for tea.
3:15pm left Mum and Dad’s – Emily wasn’t impressed by the traffic on Hepburn Ave (it was really slow due to roadworks, and demanded I put on “This Little Light of Mine” rather than
3:45 Saw 3 trains waiting between the stations on the freeway. Listened to 4pm news of ABC Perth (720 AM), nothing on the trains. Damage to Ellenbrook and Midland from the storm. Emily was wanting her music on
4:20ish get home to Foss St. Say hi to Grandma & Grandad. Grandad, Grandma and Emily all sit on the bed and read from her favourite “Monk” 5 Little Monkeys Book
Read emails and RSS reader for a little while. Emails from Dale Alcock confirming the change to the tiles (no cost to us thankfully!) Took screenshots of arial pictures of our house under construction from Nearmap.com. Took some photos of the sky.
5:06 Phill rang and said he was walking up from the bus. I grabbed Emily’s shoes and headed over the road to meet Daddy. Phill asks if I can make hime some bread, so I put on a white loaf.
5:30 Dinner is t-bone steak, potato salad, fried pumpkin and onion with almonds and balsamic vinegar, coleslaw.5:20 Start Emily on leftover patties from Friday. She wants to go outside with Daddy. It’s hot but I let her go out. She does the watering and plays with Daddy. I sit on the hammock for a minute.
Dinner was BBQ sausages, t-bone steak, potato salad, fried pumpkin and onion with almonds and balsamic vinegar, coleslaw. Delicious.
6:45 As Grandad is taking over the dishes, Emily calls “Ray” for Grandad to clear up her plate too,. Grandma and Phill think this is hilarious and keep encouraging her.
7:10 Bath, Emily loves drawing with her bath crayons. Daddy teaches her to smile for the camera. Wants Mummy to do everything.
7:30 Emily in jammies for bed, “nap , suit, dummy, bunny”. I nurse her (“hair” she likes to hold onto my hair lately while I feed her) and then she settles to sleep herself. “Bank, teddy bank” wants her two blankets with her in bed AND a quilt. I decide to let her have them and work on getting rid of them later in the week.
We sat and relaxed with some ice-cream topped with Cherry ripe bits and watched the Valentine’s episode of Modern Family and finished watching an episode of NCIS:LA. Have my vitamins, magnesium, ginkgo.
9:15 Bread is ready, but a bit flat, I forgot the bread improver! Never mind.
9:30 Shower and bed.

What a day! I feel tired just reading it! I think looking back I would have like to capture more of the conversations of the day, and perhaps next time I’ll capture a more normal day. But then I’m sure it will be interesting to look back on this time living in the ‘apartment’ and waiting for our new home.
Melissa
**Disclaimer: For each new account created with my Registration Code as a "friend", a 10% off code will be issued once the new account has purchased one class. Code will be available under "My Rewards". 10% off code can be used towards Self-Paced classes and Workshops. Code cannot be used towards gift certificate purchases. Melissa’s registration code is D952F179 - or click on http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/register.php?refer=D952F179

Mum-mium-mium

Mum-mium-mium a photo by mshanhun on Flickr.

Just a quick post to share a recent page I created for the Daily Digi for their Challenge.

This is the song I hear from you everyday lately. You are talking so much now and can say most one and two syllable words so that we can understand you. You are stringing words together. You are learning new things everyday, like how to sleep in the car (first time in over a year you’ve done that!) and how to blow bubbles. You love animals, love seeing all your extended family. You love swimming, and you love to wear ‘pretty’ clothes. You have lots of dresses and you like to tell me if you decide you need jeans or shoes or a clip in your hair to complete your look. You are amazing!

Ella Publishing Deal!

I just had to share this awesome deal with you!

Ella Publishing has beautifully designed scrapbooking and photography ebooks.

Get a $20 gift certificate to ellapublishing.com for just $15! Use code 20GIFT15 by March 15, 2011. Use the gift certificate yourself or give it to your favorite scrapbooker.

Melissa

Handmade Card–Girl’s first birthday card

This is one of my all time favourite cards I’ve made.

If you want to follow along here's a link to some equivalent products. As I make cards from my stash, quite a lot of items are discontinued.

• Pink A5 scored card
• Pink cardstock
• Baby theme paper
• Clear embossing powder
• Tsukineko Orchid ink
• Pinking shears
• Fiskars Easy Press Clear Stamps alphabet – Script font
• Heat gun

Make the Base Card

1. Freehand draw or print out a large number 1 and trace around it onto a patterned paper you love. Ink the edges.
2. Cut a strip of patterned paper with pinking shears

Make the Rosette

1. Create the rosette by cutting a 5cm wide strip of pink cardstock, about 20cm long. Ink the edges
2. Fold the cardstock backwards and forwards ever 5mm. Glue the ends together.
3. Cut a 3cm circle, stamp with an initial.
4. Cover with embossing powder, shake off the excess and heat with a heat gun until smooth.
5. Ink the edges.
6. Glue over the centre of the rosette.

Glue the rosette onto the number 1 on the front of my card.

There you have it a gorgeous card!

Have you made a card lately? Stay tuned to my blog for more step by step card making instructions!

Melissa