Happy 17th Birthday Emelia

Today my baby turns 17!!!

What a better way to spend her birthday

than the best place on earth!!

Kibah Cross Country Course!!!

She had a great day!!!

He jumped this first go this year!
Last year he had several failed attempts before he got the courage to go over...

Its a scary jump ok!! lol

Just enjoying the sunshine and entertainment...

This one had him a bit frightened at first,

but then mum yelled at him!

The down hill is always scary!

But didnt they all love the river!!!!

They tore through it...

Came out soaking wet,

horse, kid and all the gear!!!

Solo being as short as he was

saw him getting quiet deep!

Didn't worry him at all...

And see the looks on their faces!!
These kids and horses are in heaven!!

A lovely way to spend a birthday!!

The Colour Room Palette # 25

Here is this weeks Palette

and my layout

"Purity"

Ruby Tuesday - Red Seed Pods

I love these little seed pods that come on the tree every spring..

So vibrant and against the green backdrop of the garden!

Layout Featured on Inspire Me - Websters

How exciting!
Ive had another layout featured on Inspire Me!!!

Teddy's Garden Chair

Here is another project i did while i was at Emerald...

You know those avid bear collectors?

I have 2 of them,

my daughter and my mum.

They are going to have to fight over Teddy's Garden Chair!!

Might have to make 2 of them!! lol

I painted it with brown paint, added a thick layer of crackle

and then painted with brown and cream paint.

I didnt bother mixing it, just stroked on the different colours..

I added some black ink around the edges to add a vintage feel

Straight out of the Camera Sunday - 98

There was just something eery about this photo.

It was taken out at Emerald last week at the lake...

They have had heaps of rain, so the damn is over full and dumping water.

But because its been so dry there are trees sticking up all through the lake..

This was one on the foreshore, and with the rocks

and the muddy water and overcast day,

its looks really spooky!!

Out at the Dam.....

The Dam is chocka blocka and ditching the excess water...

This photo doesnt really do it justice

but the water is really hooting out of it...

All the rivers are full!

The Lake is MASSIVE!!!
And here is Stu...

Occupying my Days.......

Ive been doing a bit of scrapping while i have been here in Emerald..

Im so pleased i stacked the back seat high in supplies!
Ive used everything i bought!! lol

Here are some photos Ive been meaning to scrap for a while..

Its Emelias Miss Showgirl Photos

"In Show 2010"

This layout is for the

Prima BAP Challenge this month...

"Secret Whispers" This layout is for

Colour Combo #160

"Love of my life"

This one was just for fun using heaps of photos

"Keepit Retreat"

Here is another fun layout..

A Double! Havent done a double in ages...

"Doof Doof"

And Mums Birthday Photo

"Celebrate"

The Colour Room Palette #24

Well its a good thing i bought my scrapping gear with me to Emerald...

the shopping is way too tempting!!
Who would have thought there would be so much shopping

and so much to do in Emerald!!!!

I did google it before we left and they so have to work on their online presence...

i didnt find much at all online

and then i get here and there is all this stuff!!!!

But that means spending money, and i dont want to do that!
So its reading and scrapping

the exact same thing i would be doing at home!!! lol

But when Stu arrives (This afternoon sometime)
We will go tour the saphire mines and have a look a the damn and things...

But in the mean time ive been scrapping up a storm..

Done 3 singles, 2 doubles and nearly completed a

Words or Whatever Chair!!!

(Its so cute, just wait and see!!)

So here are two layouts for this weeks

The Colour Room Palette #24

The first features Emelia as usual...

"Shine"

Using MME Lost and Found range, loving this paper!!

And also handmade flowers!!!

And then i thought i would do something different!!!

This one features all kindas left over bits and peaces

and its called

"6 Seconds"

This is Jesse Stear Riding at the Upper Horton Junior Rodeo..

Touring around Emerald

This is a HUGE painting that is featured at Emerald.

The park is

Emeralds Centenary of Federation Mosaic Pathway.

Its an awesome place,

with a pathway featuring Mosiacs based on Emeralds history...

The BIG EASEL

features Vincent Van Gosh's Sunflowers..

Done by Cameron Cross.

Its the largest painting in the Southern Hemisphere...

Awesome hey!!

I decided to take a walk in the Botanic Gardens...

OMG this was beautiful!

It poured rain this morning, so is till quiet wet and meant that there was hardly anyone here.

So i wandered around all the paths

Looked at the different features...

I loved these...

They are the Federation Pillars

and the Yarn Pit

Had to do the selfie!!!
And i walked across this little rickedy bridge
which reminded me of the rickedy bridge in Vampire Dairies!!
I was waiting for Stefen to come out and take a piece out of me!!
But he didnt.....:( lol
I managed to get a little bit lost....
A found my way out of the mazes that were there...
I followed the yellow brick road!!
And made it back to the car with aching legs after about a 10 km walk!!
Thats the most exercise i have had in i dont know how long!! lol

We've Arrived.....

Well, it was a HUGE day of driving!!
Not hard driving, all back and country roads

we didnt get any traffic until Emerald..

But we are here!!!!

We left at 5.45am this morning

and got here about 4.30pm!!

We shared the driving,

Emelia probably drove nearly four hours!!
Got some rainy weather practise

and she overtook for the first time in pouring rain

and on a thin road!!!!

Had a bit of a play with my Ipod Hestpanic Camera...

We saw some hills, we're expecting any of those!!!

We also saw some cows... typical,

but not so typical were:

An ostrige standing on an upturned water tank

A goat up a tree

A black swan

Four Camels

A dead ichidna

Heaps of dead foxes and roos....

We did a drive by when we got here this arvo

and it looks awesome...

So tomorrow, she will rock up with her bag her swag

Jesse's cowboy hat and her old hightop boots

and see what this college thing is all about!!

Emelia got a bit bored....

ROADTRIP

Emelia and I are taking a road trip..

Leaving tomorrow and driving straight through to

Emerald Queensland....

12 hours away!!!!

She is attending a week long "TASTE" course

at Emerald Ag College

This is just so she can have a look around

do some of the work

and generally see if she wants to spend the next four years there....

While she is there, i am staying at the Caravan Park in a Cabin

and will be indulging myself

in a Lone Scrap Retreat!!!

Packed up my scrapbooking stuff and a couple of Vampire Books

and just chill for a week!!!

There are a few toursity things to do in Emerald,

so i will have a look around...

Should be a nice break!!!

(Wish i was going to Ag College though, how much fun would that be!!!)

Damn kid has all the fun!! lol

Ruby Tuesday - Riding the Gate

I found another website

for photographers...

Ruby Tuesday is about Red

This is a photo from maybe 1976

Its a photo of my little brother Gary..

My family was friends with a group of guys, one of which became a famous Bull Rider

who went to America to make his mark in the Rodeo scene.

So these guys used to gather in our backyard

(And i never figured out why our place.... My brother were very young Gary was 3 and Mat was 7, and these kids were teenagers....)

But anyway gather they did.

And they fancied grooming Gary to be the next big thing in Rodoe.

He had to boots and the hat

and mum made him his shirt, complete with tassles.

In those days they were thrown on Potty Calves at this stage.

I think he had a couple of rides, but his career didn't last very long.

The guys got older, and playing with the little kids wasn't as much fun as chasing the girls...

Macro Monday - Yellow in the Wild

I took my camera out and went for a bush walk yesterday

and found some wonderful photo opportunities...

A couple that suit Macro Monday...

Here is a little yellow wild daisy

Its incredible how they grow in the rocks!!

And we have so many different types of wattle around at the moment...

Here is one that's a bit different i found yesterday..

Check out other Macro shots here