Sigh... does it ever get easier?

This year Kel started High School... new change, new opportunities, fresh start. Academically he's all over the place but has made VAST improvements. We've gone from 2/10 in a Yr 8 spelling test to 10/10 doing Yr 9 work in a matter of weeks. One of this weeks words was onomatopoeia {I had to google that one to learn both what it meant and how to say it}... personally, I think he's doing so well.

Today I had a meeting with the school nurse, chaplain, year co-ordinator and psych... oh yes, that felt uncomfortable being under that microscope! I have learned that while I have a child who is doing much better with his school work in some subjects, in others the teachers can't control him and he often refuses to do the work and walks out of class. How does a child have such a vast change between classes! At home I have a vibrant happy child who makes me laugh everyday, who gives me hugs and says I love you, at school he has no friends and isn't trying... he isolates himself but is so very lonely but doesn't 'get' how to make friends with the kids that are trying hard to make him feel not so alone... it's like he's happy to stay the 'victim' because that's his comfort spot, he knows the boundaries there. It breaks my heart...

So we have agreed we have some problems to deal with, the first being trying to get him to participate with activities involving others... we discovered he's only happy in the classes where he has little team work {again isolating himself}. Then we need to find a way to help him learn to be not so socially awkward, and that's going to be the hard part because he's always been that way, it's a part of who/how he is... he's going to need some professional help again, because he needs to help himself break free of the world he's put himself into before we can all help him build on it, and I don't have the skills to get him there alone. I hope once we can do that and build his confidence again that he can be happy and enjoy school, it's such a precious time in our life.

In the meantime... here we go again, ready for another roller-coaster ride!

Take care of you.

ChookScrapping...

This weekend just gone I left the boys all alone and went on a retreat with Jules, Chrissie and Lisa with the ChookScraps girls. Really... I don't think I could have scrapped with a more gorgeous bunch of women. It was a truly wonderful weekend full of sharing, laughter, food {GREAT food}, more giggles... a good weekend. We stayed at the Avalon Homestead which was a the perfect spot for a scrap retreat, the owner operators were more than accommodating, friendly, fun and the perfect hosts!

And amongst all that... I even created!

Twiddleybitz Shadow Box with Dusty Attic Bird Cage and Filigree Trim, Lindy's Stamp Gang Filigree Gates, Prima Papers, Gabrielle's Dodgy Dog Roses, Prima Bling.

Reverse Canvas with Texture Pasted frame, painted in Lumiere Paints and covered with Stickles. Creative Imaginations Paper, Prima Bling, Dodgy Flowers, Dusty Attic Dress Form, Phone and Border Flourish, Twiddelybitz Chandelier, Watch-Piece from Barbara's Stash {thanks Barbara!}

Dusty Attic Ornate Frame Shadow Box, with Ornate Frame & Picket Fence, Dodgy Flower, Prima Bling, Websters Petite PP, Stickles, Collections Butterflies.

Model Material, photos from Tina Dalton

Licky Loves

Mine

Dreadlock Ted

HighSchool

Proof

So today I am recovering! I have booked in Darren's car to get the radiator looked at tomorrow {he has the keys today so can't run it up there for a quick see today, derr}... so hopefully we can get that fixed tomorrow as well, even more hoping it doesn't cost us a small fortune.

Take care of you.

Playing...

Last night I made some new dodgy flowers, I love these. Very vintagey, like old fashioned roses.

I found them while drooling over one of my favourite blogs Such A Pretty Mess, the tutorial for them is here. Gabrielle's are much more 'pretty' than mine, I have such a heavy grungey hand... but I am loving them and getting the hang of making them look faux real! Can't wait to make more and use them on something!

Take care of you.

Prima'licious... designs for 3AS

Yumola... this month I'm only about 2 weeks behind, ooops! But I am up to date now with my DT projects!

I love LOVE love these Prima Tropics Collection papers, even though the colours aren't quite in my comfort zone, the patterns and the worn look is... and I had a ball working with them!

Take care of you.

Giveaway from Sweet Vintage

Want a chance to win some stunning handmade embellishments? I know I do!! Aren't these divine!

Pop over to Sweet Vintage, leave a comment, add to your blog and you'll be in with a chance to win $50 of these yummies!

Image Source: Creativity & Love

Take care of you.

Sharing... is caring...

I have been playing more! I've had much fun... I created a blog background for Tina, but it was too purple for either of us. Here it is if you want to use it!

It's set for a 3 column width blog, using a minima template.

Header

Here's how to add a Header to Blogger:

1. Click on the pic to make it large.
2. Save the pic to your computer.
3. Go to your blog and click "Customise"
4. Click "edit Header".
5. Upload the image from your computer.
6. For placement, choose only "Behind title and description"
7. Save.

If you have editing software you can add your title to your pic, then save. In that case choose "Instead of Title and Description" when adding the Header.

Background

This is how you add the background to Blogger:

Copy the code posted below your chosen background.

1. Make sure you are logged in and then click "Customise" at the top of your blog.
2. Click on "Add A Gadget"
3. Scroll down the box and click on "Html/Javascript"
4. In the "Content Box" paste the Html code you copied.
5. Click "Save" and your done!

<style type="text/css">
body {background-image: url("http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/MissyMoo_20/General%20Pics/Tina-1.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }
</style>

{Thanks Duncan for the coding help, got me in the right direction}

Ok... so this is hosted at my Photobucket account, if you prefer to add to your own, save it and then get the html code and replace the URL html code above between the " and the " where it starts http: with your own pic link.

Don't forget to go to the "Fonts and Colours" tab as well to change things so that they match your new colours.


OK... this design is also set for my blog, which I have made the columns a little wider than the usual minima template. Here's how to change that:

Before you make any alterations ALWAYS save a backup copy to your hard drive. You can do this by selecting the “Layout” option in Blogger, then the “Edit HTML” option, then “Download Full Template.”

Select first Blogger "Layout" option and then "Edit HTML."

1. Scroll down until you find #header-wrapper, change the width show with red (660 to 910):


#header-wrapper {
width:910px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:0px solid $bordercolor;
}

2. Scroll down until you find /* Outer-Wrapper, and you will find this following code, where you should make the changes shown with red:

#outer-wrapper {
width: 900px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:$startSide;
font: $bodyfont;
}

#main-wrapper {
width: 600px;
float: $startSide;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

#sidebar-wrapper {
width: 226px;
float: $endSide;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

OK... so anyways, that's a crash course on doing your own stuff, I'm very new at this so I hope that's all clear and correct - just remember to SAVE everything before you change things!

For more "How To" help... pop over to Cute n Cool Blog Stuff here, she has all the explanations and has helped me understand how this all works a little clearer! She also has some fantabulous backgrounds you can use!

Take care of you.

Time for change...

... just a wee one to start with.

You may have noticed I've been playing! I'm changing the look of my blog, playing around, learning how to change backgrounds and hopefully make my own. I've made a new header, changed the name... maybe 'scrappy' was too close to 'crappy' in the scheme of the universe, so I'm going for scrap'ilicious and scrap'tastic' now... fun and positive words have to help somewhere! Hope you like the Pink... and the yummy rose, that I must credit where-ever it was I found it, one of the printable download places somewhere on here, another thing on my to do list!

I've got page tabs up the top there now {oooh la la}, only took a day to work out how to use them, doh! But that's where most of the links that were filling up my side bar have gone now, in their own homes!

Take care of you.



Edited to add: I did it, I created my very first background. OK, so it might be a little full on, but for now I'm LOVING it!

A BIG sigh of relief...

OK... let me tell you a story that had our emotions all over the place over the last few days, it has a happy ending though!

Darren lost his job because of a gross misunderstanding on Thursday, which being in such a financial mess atm after the last few years of let downs was quite a shock. But he had a meeting with his boss on Saturday to try and sort it out, but no answer as to whether they would reinstate the contract. Anyways, on Friday he applied for a job in the same field {as you do when you suddenly have no paycheck coming next week} and he had an interview that same day, fluke that the 1st job we see was in the industry he's in and a by far easier role than what he was doing. Both we were waiting until 'early in the week' for an answer to see where our future was going.

Well today he got a call about the interview he had on Friday with the other company, and was offered the job!! We are so excited as this one really sounds just right. It's less pay, but also a heap less stress, it's a family run business and finally out of the world of corporate bullshit and shareholder kowtowing... it will suit Darren down to the ground. He starts on Wednesday, luckily I get paid Friday so we're ok. This job is also permanent so we can look at either selling and buying elsewhere, or remortgaging the home we have, to get us out of our mess. We see a nice big light at the end of that tunnel now... life is good! I hope it all works out for him, I just want him to be happy at his work... most of us have to work at something somewhere these days and we all deserve to be happy doing it!

In the meantime though I've come to realise that job or no job... own house or renting... as long as we have each other, have our family unit, have our health... we should be eternally grateful, the rest shouldn't be stressed over, the rest is the little stuff by comparison... isn't it?

Take care of you.

More 3AS CC Layouts

and I kept creating... so happy I found some mojo I was happy with. Now I just have to lend it to Josie tomorrow, but only for a day! LOL

Susanne's No People Challenge - Spring Time Babies

Jo's Packaging Challenge - Laugh

Design Credit: Inspired Blueprints



My Card Challenge
{LOL, yeah, the cardly challenged set a card challenge}

I had fun creating, the challenges were just great! There's one more to do, Susan's Embellishment Challenge, but as I said - I had to pack my mojo up to send off to Josie.

I spent the arvo driving out to the Spud Shed, got a lot of groceries for only $100 - hopefully enough to last us the week, hard living atm but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Then watched UP on Box Office, talk about sob... and then watched Benjamin Buttons... more sobbing. I was sobbing so much I couldn't breathe out of my nose for about an hour!

So... that's the weekend gone again, darn things fly by so quickly.

Take care of you.

3 Angels Scrapping Cyber Crop

I'm having some fun with the 3AS CC Challenges - we've got HEAPS of challenges happening, games too! I am so proud of me, I've actually completed 4 of the challenges, just 1 more to do and I'm up to date until tomorrow's ones are set! I think I must have picked up some mojo at Inspired Crafts last night, phew!! Oh, which brings me to sharing that I went to a crop night with Tina at Inspired Crafts and it was lovely... the owners are gorgeous happy people, so chatty and friendly and helpful. I am amazed though at the different dynamics of different crop groups... the girls at IC are Cricut mad, there were 3 Cricuts there being shown much lovin! But Tina and I had a lovely night and I can't wait for next month's one!

Anyways... here's the LO's I have done so far:

Susan's Sketch Challenge

Design Credit: Susan Longman

Mel's 12345 Challenge

Nat's Colour Challenge

My "Green Day" Title Challenge {thanks to Sarah for the idea}

Design Credit: Pagemaps

We've had a rough couple of days in our household... will tell you all about it later, we 're waiting for some good news early in the week and then I will tell the whole story, tragic start to happy ending.{like the positive vibe I'm trying there}. Don't worry, in the scheme of things it's not the end of the world or our health or anything but my hands are too tired to type it all right now... LOL honest... they are struggling to type correctly atm, hmmm although that could be the Mersyndol effect, maybe...

In the meantime, come play with me at 3 Angels Scrapping... scrap play is the best kind of play don't you think!

Take care of you.