Oh...Memories...

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Wow, what a busy couple of weeks I've had.

Sharon and I are launching Creatively Inspired tonight and the first offical class goes ahead on 3rd May so we have been madly getting ourselves organised. I've got a sore neck from the amount of computer work I've done setting up the website, blog and emails but am about to hit the email SEND button and send out our first email blast, so now I can concentrate on the creative side!!

Steve, the girls and I have been travelling back and forth to Newcastle every other week to see my father-in-law who has been in and out of hospital after his heart attack. A couple of ops to put stents in and now a couple of medication adjustments and hopefully he is on the mend.

Wow, after losing my mother-in-law last year at age 66 and now this with my father-in-law, aged 65, it makes you realise how short life can be and how important it is to live it the best you can.

As I near my 43rd birthday in a couple of weeks I realise that my mid sixties are not that far away and it will probably fly faster than the last 20 odd years have.

Actually, talking about the last 20 odd years - I am back in touch with some old friends from school via Facebook. I'm not hooked but gee I've had fun catching up. I created a page for our Year 12 class and some of the photos that have been posted on it are hilarious especially as they are sooooooo 80's. I left school in 1984, smack bang in the middle of the 80's and we have had such fun reminiscing about the bands we would listen to, our fave teachers, what we used to get up to (actually alot of those memories are quite scary) and what we used to say back then and after looking back it is so different to my teenage daughters "talk" of today! They both think I am quite mad!!

Oh...Memories....

Recipe Album Idea...

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With the Basic Grey Nook and Pantry Collection I am planning a major scrapbooking project that I would like to share with you.

A few years ago my Dad gave me a recipe that he had found tucked away in one of his cookbooks. It was hand written on lined note paper by my Mum (who passed away when I was 16) and although I remember the recipe as one I didn't particularly like as a kid, the fact that it was written by my Mum brought back so many memories of her.

The paper is almost falling apart so I immediately put it into an acid free album to preserve it. then I got to thinking...I would like to scrapbook an album of my families favourite recipes - the ones they are known for Eg: my mother-in-law's caramel slice which everyone loves, Steve's Nonna's spaghetti which, forget seconds, we all go back for fifths!!

I have asked different family members to HAND write their recipe and then I have chosen a photo of them and I will scrapbook an album for each of my girls using BG's Nook and Pantry. I will then give the album as a gift to each of them when they leave home.

Some of the photos I have actually had the girls pose with the family member just to add a difference to the photos.

This idea has been simmering in me for years but I obviously was waiting for this beautiful paper range to come along to get it started.

Of course, there was one little dilemma, as I have been able to have each family member write their recipe out twice - one for each of my girls, I only have one of my Mums receipe - who gets the original??

Easy - I do!! I will photocopy it for the girls recipe album and keep the original myself. Just so i can hold on to my memories -Love you Mum xx.

Why don't you have a think about doing a family recipe album - it would make a great heirloom.

Now to get started....

Birthdays...

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My busy couple of weeks are now over - Dad's 70th birthday was fabulous and he was so surprised that my brother and his family had flown in from Noosa. We had a great sit down family dinner on the Saturday night and a picnic at Rouse Hill Regional Park on the Sunday which we all enjoyed.

I took Dad and his 4 granddaughters down to our local park for a "photo shoot" - it was quite difficult to get just the right photo with all the girls smiling etc (of course my Madi was in a "mood" but she eventually came good) and here is one that I took.

My brother-in-law's 18th went really well and he loved his cake. All his family and friends were there to help him celebrate. His Dad cooked a lamb on the spit and we had all the great salads, desserts etc that goes with an Aussie backyard celebration. It was great!!

I finished his 8x8 album and it was a hit - I did all matching paper throughout the entire album to make it easier and then I put the photos in chronological order. Steve and I then put little humourous notes etc throughout.

Of course, with all the running around all week I forgot to take a photo of it but I will next time I go to Newcastle and see them.

Then finally, last weekend Steve and I finally got away for our 20th wedding anniversary.

My parents came down on the Friday and looked after the kids and we had a lovely relaxing weekend at our van at Anna Bay.

On the Saturday we went for a drive to Morpeth and wandered along the old fashioned street - visited the teddy bear shop, the old lolly shop and the ginger beer store for tastings. We then drove into Nelsons Bay for fish and chips. YUM!!

A weekend without kids is recommended every so often to unwind and just be a couple for awhile. Although when we arrived home on the Sunday we were very quickly reminded what our life is like with one 15 year old girl and one almost (only 2 months off) 13 year old girl and all that goes with the attitudes of teenagers!! Yuck - but I love them and I missed them and I wouldn't swap them for the world (only sometimes!!).

Happy scrapping to you all and I hope the wind has now removed itself from Sydney and stays away for good.

Kylie xx