Domestic Goddess....

Have been busy all day today cleaning and scrubbing. I spent 4 hours in the garden, weeding and repotting shrubs- I really don't know how my mother managed to weed all her life so efficiently with 4 kids- gruesome labour!! I had some really ripe bananas so I whipped up a banana cake and some spicy banana muffins as well as some rissoles for the better half when he gets in from work.

It is like I simply don't have an off button today- scrubbed out the laundry- made my own washing powder and boraxed all the floors. There is something so utterly satisfying when your house is sparkling and the smells of home cooking waft through the house. Nothing left to do now except have a nice soak, boil the kettle and have myself a muffin or two......

Green Thumb??

Here are a few pics of my first ever vege garden!! It really is something just to be able to walk out into the backyard and pick some lettuce, rocket or some fresh herbs whenever I feel like it. Mind you a vege garden is doing battle with the noisy minors and magpies that want my produce just as much as me and to say nothing of my first casualty- the savoy cabbage was simply no match for the white cabbage butterfly- such a sweet looking creature who would have thought it would simply leave me with moth hole ridden cabbage!!!! Alas I press on- I will not be defeated.....

Creativity abounds...

My husband is back!!!

Finally, Stu went and had a haircut yesterday and got the rest of his " peroxide" tips cut out- when he walked in the door I couldn't believe it, my normal husband was looking right at me and all was right with the world- I'm all for change ( as long as I have prior warning!!)....

Laman Street Art Bazaar

I headed on down to the arty district of inner city Newcastle this sunny saturday morning to have a squiz at some local artists and their work, lots of ceramics that don't really appeal to me but amidst all the tie- die and beaded jewellery I found this lovely piano teacher who does beautiful paintings/ inks- I couldn't resist this one but I am going to look her up on the internet to see if she sells anywhere in town......

Mixed media work out

Found some old texture paste, a pear stamp and thought why not???

Found-one way out photo of my husband

I have not seen this photo of Stu for absolute ages!!!It was taken in front of Cradle Mountain, Cape Town in South Africa on our first trip back there from the UK to meet his parents. We both looked like hippies with our long curly hair and carrying a few extra pounds from thr London winter....

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Originally uploaded by michellefield39

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Originally uploaded by michellefield39

Third layout of the evening...

Well, twas real late at night when the rest of the house was sleeping, when I decided to delve into my scrabook supplies and to my surprise another page was born...

My Beautiful Baby Girl....

I just adore this photo of Jessie I took late this afternoon- she was being sooky and whimpering to go for a walk and I was playing around with the camera when she turned right around and looked at me with those gorgeous big brown eyes!!! Who could resist!!

" noteworthy" class with Jen Hall

Another fab class with Jen Hall- I think these would have to be my favourite papers to date!!! Very vintage very me...

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Originally uploaded by michellefield39

Altered Art

I am really loving this gel medium stuff- adds a real glossy dimension to the page- I used the modge podge matt on the butterfly page to make better use of the pastels..

Filagree...

I thought I would get in the mood for Sydney and the 7 Gypsies by indulging in gold and ephemera- my stash is so getting a workout- who ever said that scraps were cheap!!

Creativity....

I love this photo of Stu because it shows him outdoors ( hardly happens with his business) really enjoying himself- Grant, Maria and the kids were over and we were out at Newcastle Baths for a dip...

And so the art journal continues...

Day 2 just got home and had 40 mins before I had to shoot out with the girls for dinner.....

Art Journal - The very first day...

Well I cannot believe I am embarking on this but it was Deb's idea of a challenge..... I can only begin to imagine what this completed book will look like and how long it will take to fill it- but I know I have to stick with the rules- a double page of something every day as per our little friend suzieblutube.........

Mixed Media Art

This was a bit of a dare from Deb really so this will be her chrissy pressie- Etsy.com look out there are two new chicks on the scene!!!!( HA HA )- I cannot bring myself to write LOL...

Crop and Shop workshop

Last Night I did a fab class at Scrap and Crop with Jen Hall- A week in the life!! These are a just a couple of pages out of 15!! I plan on giving this to Alina for Chrissy, hope she likes it...

ATC

I cannot believe I finally found a craft that puts to use all my " collections" stash!!! This artist trading card took me all of 10 mins and I got to stick, stamp and chalk- just a few of my favourite things.......

Watercolours!!

I bought these really cool vibrant watercolours so just couldn't help myself, had to try them out. This layout took all of 20 mins so I was pretty darn impressed with that!!!

Jorja's 9 month photoshoot

Alina and I took JOrja to Civic Park in town to shoot off some digi pics- if this had of been film it would have cost me an absolute fortune- ahh technology!! She really is a cutey, never cries, always happy and eats like a horse, a chip off her mother really!!!

We are Family.........

Yep, this is the awesome foursome!! My three brother's and I at Paul's ( far right) 40th birthday Party. David the middle brother is in the red and my youngest brother Scott is in the checked shirt. As families go we 4 are pretty close we all live in Newcastle, see each other regularly and ne're a harsh word is spoken!! The Mckay sense of humour is rife amongst all of us in varying degrees. We are all quite different in personalities and there is only 1- 1.5 years between us- yep I don't think my parents could afford T.V!!

These are such cute pics of Charlotte all dressed up on Sarah's 5th Birthday... She was neat as a pin for exactly 5 mins before reverting to her usual gorgeous mayhem!!!

Quick crop.....

I just had to scrap these pictures of Stu with his peroxided hair for posterity!!! When he is old and gray I want to see his reaction to his moment of madness....Blonde or not he still is to "dye" for ( ha ha)..

Happy 6oth Birthday Crunch!!!!!

Can anyone believe that this fine figure of a man is 6o today??? There is a deafening silence out there in cyberspace as everyone declares how can this be?? Is it Barbara's fine food?? Is it that he is a runner?? Yep you guessed it- it's those rejuvenating trips down to oz that keeps him looking youthful!!!!

Stu and I are both thinking of you today and as always really wish we could be celebrating it with you but when we next get together we'll just have to celebrate in style for all the christmas's, birthdays and other special days that we have missed being together on. Happy Birthday Crunch from Stu and Michelle xxxxxxx

Sarah's 5th Birthday

Sarah had just finished getting dressed for her birthday part- A disco no less!! There was strobe lighting, streamers, the all important lollie bags , loads of food and the dreaded pinata, that caused a mini mosh pit!! All in all a lovely day for kids and big kids as well!!

Catching some rays....

Princess Jessica lazing around in the backyard last week getting a little sun. It really is a dog's life.....

Early mid life crisis?????

Words really do fail me although unfortunately at the time Stu came home with this shocking look, I actually could not stop them from falling out of my mouth!! Shane Warne perhaps// I'll let you decide. Fear not Barbara- he is going to shave it off soon and he will be back to normal, well you know what I mean!!

Missing You.......

Well Grandad, you died only 3 weeks ago but you have left a gaping hole in the lives of your family. We loved you very much you have been a part of my life for 39 years and I have to say I have been blessed to have you in my life for so long.... although it never seems long enough. It is only now that you are gone that everyone realises just how much you did for grandma, she really isn't coping with being alone- she misses you terribly, but she has an amazing family who have gathered around her to help her through this time. Time certainly waits for no one but the memories linger on forever, and I am eternally honoured to have called you Grandad!!!

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to.....

It's hard to believe I am 39 and let's just say from here on in that's how old I'm always gonna be!! I'll be walking down the street with cane in hand and I'll still be saying 39!!! The photo with the cake is with two of my nieces and one of my nephews who dropped in unexpectedly with cake in hand, the only candle I had left in the house was one my friend Chris gave to me years ago- couldn't get over the fact that it lit straight away....

The other photo was taken just before going out with some girlfriend to celebrate at a new restaurant in town " Baachus"" really old play cinema that has been decked out with chandeliers, velvet drapes and fireplaces, quite the business!! The only disappointing part of the day was that Stu and I were going out for a romantic dinner but he had to work because one of his chefs called in sick ( groan.....) He's promised to make up for in NZ next week!!!!

Missing in Action

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I last made an entry into this blog!! I have been to Adelaide all of last week for a work conference which was quite interesting- funny how Adelaide really reminds me of Newcastle , just a big country town really. Had to go to sydney for work again as well- quite the jet setter at the moment. Just a statement I would like to add re. public transport, namely trains. Why is it do you think that every socially challenged individual seems to travel by train??

Coming home from Sydney on Fri night was one of our indiginous people sitting in the seat behind me, downing beers , as you do, illegally, yelling obscenities at all of us lucky individuals who happened to win the jackpot in sharing his carriage- it went on, and on and on threatening to kill us all, blah, blah blah. When I got off the train I looked behind realised he wasn't getting off and reported him to the guard- who knows whether the overworked guard really cared, even made the call I don't know, but gosh I wish these people would not use public transport like their own seedy lounge rooms. The lesson- drive in peak hour sydney traffic and put up with the carbon monoxide!!!

Princess Jessie

Good Friday

It always amazes me how Easter is the beginning of Winter. I cannot remember a Easter where it hasn't rained!! The winter P.J's are on and the doona is pulled up and the hot milo is about to be made.... the perfect winter evening. I scrapped this photo of me on my wedding day - it is still without doubt one of the most happiest days of my life!!

Reilly's 3rd Birthday

I love these pics of Reilly on his third birthday- It was a close family affair and I am proud to see he is taking after his godmother in the chocolate stakes!! The cake was so impressive, all ice-cream with coloured sorbet balls on top with a wrap of chocolate that Reilly ate the whole lot of!! Deb really does go all out for the kids so as to make sure they have a special memory of special times even if she is dog-tired!!!

Paul's 40th

The whole family got together to celebrate my eldest brother Paul's 40th birthday- how amazing it must be for my parent's to see their firstborn celebrate such a milestone, let alone my grandparents, who are in their late eighties see their grandson turn 40!!!

We had dinner at club Macquarie out at the lake and Leanda really went all out with the cake which had a photo of Paul in Thailand hugging a tiger-NO THANKS!!