Book Reviews - Hush Hush & Crescendo by Becca Fitxpatrick

This book is a teen paranormal romance thriller kind of story featuring Nora a young human and Patch a faller angel. Really great read, thoroughly enjoyed it.

And Crescendo is its sequel.

Started off a little slow, but really got exciting and then ended on a cliff edge!!!

I have to wait till October now until the 3rd book is released Silence....

Another Update on Matthew....

Ive had lots of enquirers about my Brother Matthew

so i thought i would just update things.

As I mentioned last time, his recovery was much better than they expected.

But he had a serious fall from his bed and landed on his head where the skull bone has been removed

which left serious bruising on his brain!!!

(Here is a photo mum took last week, that lumpy head is his swollen brain)

So where before it looked like he may have eventually been able to leave hospital and live independently with some care, now it looks like it will be fulltime care.

They will try to get him somewhere closer to us for rehabilitation, but recovery to any extent doesn't look good. They are talking Nursing Home placement at this stage.

They are still marvelling at his will to live.

Twice over 6 weeks we have had the call to get to Newcastle as it looked like he wouldn't make it, and now twice he has fought to live.

Matts memory has lost a number of years. And thats probably a good thing really!

In his mind he is back when he was a strong minded independent person spending his days working, fishing and hanging out with his little brother. This was around that 15 years ago or so in Narrabri.

Being in bed all the time is frustrating him. He is dying for a smoke poor Man!

He has no feeling at all in his right side. He cant feel your hand in his or move anything.

He is getting his point across with his speech, but its still very mumbled.

Its going to be a long slog for the poor bloke.

But even like this, he is still alive and enjoying interaction with the Nurses. They all really like him.

2011 Debutante Ball

As alot of you know,

this last 8 weeks or so have had me consumed with organising 

the 2011 Catholic Debutante Ball.

As a Conveynor

it was my job to organise the event from start to finish.

Its a huge job

and the final week is hugely intense.

Let me just say ontop of the worry of my brother

and trips to Newcastle

it very nearly did my head in.

The Theme this year was

"Catch a Falling Star"

It was my job to pull the theme together so it really shone through....

The tickets looked like this:

These were designed by a local company and i think are divine,

it really set the tone for the event.

And this is how it looked on the night.

I love how the same tones are in the tickets and through out the hall.

This is what i set out to achieve.

This is the stage.

We used the LED fairy lights draping the stage.

One of the Mums made all those starts that were stapled to the stage back

and another very clever Mum & Daughter made the cloud.

The Moon is a helium Balloon.

One of the Dad supplied the steel and the design for the Stars which Stu welded up.

We then put rope lights around them.

The Special Effects lighting was done by a local company

and this was his first function.

He did such a great job!

And notice the custom gobo on the floor

it says

"Catch a Falling Star"

in the same font as the tickets.

My dear son Josh got up in the lifter and hung all those fairy lights on the ceiling.

All the chairs were covered in beautiful purple organza sashes.

The centrepieces was a design that one of the girls found on the internet

and i sent it on to Suzanne at Words or Whatever

She stamped them out of chipboard

and i glued them all together and painted them all.

I didnt get a chance to get all the photos that i wanted on the night....

So i dont have any close up photos of them.

But they did really suit the theme.

Then i made up these balloon columns that were dotted throughout 

the hall and in the entrance area,

And them also the falling star

at the bottom of the stairs...

The boys wore the black suit with silver vest and cravat

and white gloves.

They looked really handsome!

Here is one of the gorgeous Debs after being presented...

And the sweet flowers...

All tied the to theme

Here is one of the girls that are being presented...

See the balloons on the stage?
They are all clouds!!!

And when the boys came in

they all layed out the big black star in the centre there.....

The cake was made by my bridesmaid Jo from Narrabri!
She did an awesome job!
Dont you love all the stars!!!

Then i had to get dressed up and do the official thing on the night....

But i certainly wasnt going to do it in heals.

But i found these adoreable "I love Billy" brand shoes..

They are low heal with the cutest little flower at the toe.

I had the hair done in a side piggy.

And then just wore a black shift dress with a black jacket type thing and this cute little necklace that a local lady Diane Finlay made.....

And now its clean up time.

The back deck is chocka full of chair covers and ties.

The table cloths have gone to the dry cleaners.

Everything has been rolled and folded and ready for the Easter long weekend!
I have 5 weddings next month!!! Eeekkk!

Weight In Day - 5 Kilos Scrap Challenge

Ok I have alot more than 5 kilos to loose,

but i am joining in with a few other girls and hopefully find inspiration to

give things a good nudge.

Im not sharing my weight loss struggles with the wider community on my scrapbooking blog

But i do have another blog where anyone interested can apply to view it.

Here is the link

A New year Challenge

Wish me luck

Birthday Party No 3

How lucky was i think year

to get 3 birthday parties!!

The third one happened yesterday when Mum & Ken came over

with a yummy Lemon Merange Pie

(I spelt that wrong hey)

(Arent they cute!!!)

And my pressie.......

 Can you guess what it is?

Its a miniature Parasol

Mum & Ken make these...

They made one to put in the show with a bed doll

and i thought, that will look totally awesome scrapped!!!

And begged them to make me one too....

And here it is!!!

Its totally PERFECT

Its made from skewers..

And Lace!
So adorable!!

Thank you Mummy & Poppy Ken!
Mwah!

Scrap With V Sketch Challenge - 15th March

Here is my layout 

for the Scrap with V Sketch...

"Together"

I love these photobooth photos

that are taken with my iphone 4 App.

This is me and Stu

Here is the original sketch

To join check out the Scrap with V blog here

Update on my brother Matthew

Its funny isn't it.

Your baby siblings will always be your baby siblings

even when they are all grown up and tower over you!!!

It was just me and Mat for a few years...

I think i was 5 or 6 when Gary came along.

So Mat & I spent a few years playing together...

These are the years i try to remember him by...

I like how the dinkies and pram are lined up!! See I was always like

 "Everything has to be this way!!"

Those are chook houses in the background and that door in the middle was the old dunny!!

We went to Newcastle on Thursday

and were shocked to see his looking right at us and saying

"Hey, how ya goin"

It was the hugest shock!!

The last i heard about it, he wasn't coming out of the enduced coma well

and i was waiting on a phone call from the Doctors.

The call didn't come, and i didn't want to ring

having been up there and seeing how busy they are looking after everyone

you dont want to interrupt them when there are no changes anyway.

And the Doctor was going to ring, so i didn't think anything of it.

Then i just got this feeling that we should head over there.

So Mum & I headed over for a day trip.

You can imagine our surprise!!!

I rang the family straight away and when i rang his daughter

she was like "Yeh have they moved him yet, they said they were moving him to General Ward"

What?? How do you know?

They told Mum!!

I was so shocked!!!

No information had been passed onto his family at all about this!

But a good shock!

So anyway, he is now moved to general ward. 

The 52 staples that were in his skull have been removed.

His memory is ok, and he can get across what he wants.

On Thursday his speech was a little muffled and hard to understand.

But im sure that will improve with Therapy.

He has some slight movement issues with his right side.

But other than that, they are calling it a miracle.

Honestly, this boy is part feline, he has 9 lives!!!

I know i am so hoping with every fiber of my being that he turns his life around now.

We have come together to help him and we promised ourselves we would never do it again...

I so hope he does...

He had a visit from my Nanny Job while he was in the coma.

So we are hoping that she might have kicked him in the bum while she was there.

(Nanny Job passed away some years back, but is never far from our hearts)

Mum showed Matt some photos, just seeing what his memory was like.

When she showed him Nanna Job;s photo, he said

"She came to talk to me"

Mum asked "Who is it?"

He said "Nanna Job".

So heres hoping that he is on the mend, his body and his heart!

(Here were are at cuppa tea time)

Im the cute one in the dress and pants hehe

Book Review - The Replacement

This is Brenna Yovanoff's very first Novel and its brilliant!!!

The Replacement is deliciously dark and spooky, with a sensitive hero and absorbing story.

Mackie Doyle just wants to fit in, but he’s a replacement – left behind in the place of a human child.  It’s kind of an open secret – Mackie’s family and close friends know what he is, but it’s never talked about.  In fact, the whole town of Gentry has an open secret they never speak of; every seven years they must sacrifice a child in return for the town’s prosperity.   Then Tate, a girl from school, comes to Mackie after the death of her baby sister.  She wants to talk to him because she believes the baby who died was not her sister, but a replacement – and her sister was the latest sacrifice.

 Mackie is a really sweet character that alot of people could relate to.  He is a stoic, sweet soul who tries to go unnoticed in a town where “others” like him are hated and feared.  It’s hard to fit in when he is so unusual – so allergic to iron that even the smell of blood sets off an attack, unable to walk on consecrated ground, eyes that are almost black.  When he meets one of his own kind and gets an introduction to the world he came from, he is repelled but curious.  Does he belong with them, or with the humans in Gentry?  The scenes involving the fairy courts under the slag heap are super creepy.

His family knew he was not their own flesh and blood, but raised and loved him anyway.  He and his sister Emma share a strong bond – so strong that when it becomes clear Mackie is dying (poisoned by the iron in the modern world), she goes to a fairy to find a cure.  

I couldn't put this book down, it's the same fanciful work that is Young Adult Fiction, but the story line is something we haven't seen before!!!

The Polka Dot Place - Morningside Drive Kit

Here is the latest delicious dish from

The Polka Dot Place....

Totally Yummy!
There is so much about this kit i just LOVE!!!!!

Bridge let me buy my kit early so i could have a play with it!!
Here is what i did!

"Birthday Photo Shoot"

I made a little pompom daisy from the pompom ribbon!!

"Yum Yum Chocolate Cake"

The little blue flowers are made from the gorgeous fabric in this kit...

If you send me a message with your email address

I can share the technique with you!

See the yummy creape paper ribbon at the bottom?
This is just a rough gather stitch and then i just roughed it up a bit.

This was the recent Sketchabilities sketch

"Camel Rides"

The banners have been cut from patterned Paper in the kit.

And the brown shapes are the journal squares and things with the center cut out.

This was also a Colour Room Challenge

"Start Living"

This one was a Scrap the Girls challenge too.

Using those cute little blue fabric flowers...

Glimmer Mist background.

Gotta get in soon though

this kit wont hang around for long, its way too yummy!

Sketchabilities Sketches - 28 Feb

I loved this sketch from

Sketchabilities 

"Cake"

Featuring photos of Zane...

Isnt he getting big!!

Scrap the Girls - March Challenge

Ive only ever done scrap the girls a few times

but thought this challenge looked interesting....

Here is the challenge

and here is my layout

Start Living

Note:  Do you like my handmade flowers?
They are the cute little blue ones..

Not Another Year Down!!!!!!

Dont you just have a love/hate relationship with Birthdays!!

Last Thursday 10th March

another one bit the dust for me!

43!!

But its always lovely to celebrate it with Family & Friends....

On Wednesday I went to lunch with Jack & Bridgey

we went to "The Verdict"

They spoil me and make me feel so special 

(Brenda got called to take her son to Rep Cricket so couldn't make it)

Then on my real birthday Thursday

Brenda & I attended Quilting Class....

During the quilting class i was so surprised when at

10.30 i was delivered a beautiful bunch of flowers...

Arent they divine!
These were from my son Josh!! Naw.....

Then at about 11.00am another bunch of flowers arrived....

These were from my husband...

Ok, someone is having a go at me!!! lol

(You see, i reminded Josh earlier in the week that "someone" was having a special day this week and that someone would be very happy to get some flowers for her special day!!!

then at 11.30

you guess it....

More arrived!!!

These were from Emelia.....

What a lovely surprise!!!

And not only for me, but also for the other ladies attending the quilting class!!

Here is my quilt so far..

Im so happy with it

Then Brenda and I went for lunch at the Thub Thim Thai Restaurant.

Ive never been there before, and ive been craving it ever since!
It was so Yummy!
And such a gorgeous setting.

It reminded me so much of Bali.

They have an adorable outdoor area that so relaxing, clean and beautiful!!!

Here is Brenda & I

and this is a photo of the cute little decoration that was on my plate

I still haven't worked out what the green stuff is...

When i got home at about 2 or so, i had some deliveries to do

and then Stu called out from the Kitchen

The boys had also arranged birthday cake!!!

Arent they good boys!!

This was the first birthday wihtout Emelia to rely on for all that other stuff

and Mum was in Newcastle with Matt,

so it was upto the Boys to pull it off and they did a wonderful job!
I had a very special day....

and to top it off

Stu & I then went to tea at the "Wild Orchard"

It was a perfect day...

Thank you to my wonderful family and friends...

Some shocking news....

This is my brother Matthew

He lives in Port Macquarie.

I had a phone call on Tuesday Night from John Hunter Hospital telling me that they were taking him into surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain.

We had no idea that anything had happened.

Despite the fact that his family in Port had my phone number,

no one felt it was their responsibility to let us know what had happened.

So the first idea was this call from the surgeon.

(I am also his next of kin, so I should have been informed when its life threatening!!)

He was taken to Port Hospital unconscious and then he went into a Coma

so they sent him onto John Hunter after scans revealed the blood clot.

Anyway, he has been in and had the clot removed

and there is another clot deeper in his brain that they wont worry about at this stage.

If he recovers, they will go after that one later.

He is yet to regain consciousness from the first instance of the attack.

But things are kinda at a stand still at the moment,

its all just wait and see.

I went down there on Friday and there is nothing you can do.

He is under sedation and on life support.

This all came about cause he had been targeted by a group of men.

The first attempt on his life was made two or so weeks ago when three of them bashed him and left him in the camp fire.

This latest one is still being investigated by the police, but without speculating, we know he was knocked off his push bike either by a person from a car, or by the car itself, they are looking into.

So things aren't looking good for him at this stage,

If he does come out of it, recovery and rehabilitation will be months and months.

But we hope for the best outcome for him. 

Thats all we can do at this stage..

Gingerscrapstreet Article for February - Go Girly

As you may know, i am a story writer for Gingerscrapstreet. March Edition is available on line now here So I can now share February's Story with you Go Girly Go Girly Jodi Dolbel 21

“Sugar and Spice and all things nice, that’s what little girls are made of.” Girls are just so easy to scrap aren’t they? There is just so much scope for creativity with the products on the market. The only restriction is your imagination! There is no end to your imagination with digital. All those little things that might seem impossible with physical product, all of a sudden work really well with Digital! There is no end to what we can use too because with little girls there is no limit, no limit to colors and styles and no limit to the embellishments we can use. Little girls are just so easy to scrap. Color is one of the best things about scrapping for Girls. There are no taboo colors. This alone gives us so much freedom. I love the soft feminine feel of the layout Beautiful which you really couldn’t create this using traditional scrapping. I love how the muted colors blend through out the page with little hints of flowers. Then looking at that gorgeous little cherub featured in the layout, all the colors in the layout are perfectly matched to the photo really making the photo stand out despite that it is surrounded by embellishments. I cant help but smile when I look at that adorable piggy-tailed princess in She’s A Hoot, and yes it really looks like she is a hoot! The colors really jump out at me in this layout. The mix of pinks, brown and green is so complementary to the photo. Then we can use bright colors, the whole rainbow of bright colors on our layouts. I love all the pink, turquoise and green on the Happy Summer layout. It really does create that Summer feel doesn’t it, bringing to mind the smell of freshly cut lawn and the sounds of beetles in the garden. Colors can really conjure up moods and memories from our past and take us to our own happy summer. Beautiful by Amy Martin Digital Supplies: Kit:  Somewhere in Between by Marta Designs and Starlight Designs (After Five Designs), Wordart: CD Muckosky, Software: PSP X2, Font: Typewriter. Design Notes: Lots of soft elements and flowers were added to this layout to enhance the soft feel of the photo. Sometimes you can use the same photo twice to fill space if your layout needs it. She’s A Hoot By Shannon Grover Digital Supplies: Kit: Meghan Mullens: She’s A Hoot Sweet Shoppe Designs, Software: PSP X2, Font: Cupcake. Journaling: She will fill our lives with sunshine and She our hearts with love. Happy Summer by Tracy Kosofsky Digital Supplies: Kit: Summer Days Noon Picnic and Summer Days Carefree Afternoon by Mari Koegelenberg (The Digichick), Software: PSE 5, Fonts: Pea Rebecca. Design Notes: I added custom shadows throughout. Journaling: This year we invested in a swing set for the kids and it is a huge hit! They will play outside together for hours! June 2010. The other really awesome thing about scrapping girly layouts are the flowers and the bling!!! Making our little beauties shine on our artwork is pure pleasure, because we get to play with all those pretty little things that makes us feel good. I’m a flower girl myself and there is nothing better than getting a new batch of Prima flowers. The smell of them is so intoxicating, it just takes me away to my creative place.  Actually that sounds like a bit of a confession. Hello my name is Jodi and I am a floweraholic!!! Although, not only flowers, I also love bling and we can use both of those to our little hearts content on our girly layouts. There is no better way of celebrating our feminine side than by surrounding ourselves with delightful flowers and sparkly things. The following hybrid and traditional layouts show us just that. The subjects are surrounded by beautiful floral clusters and sparkling gems and are really the epitome of all things girly. Daughters by Kerry Murray Supplies: Paper: Heidi Grace Designs, Rub Ons: Kaisercraft, Flowers: Prima Marketing, Chipboard: Scrapmatts, Journaling Spots: Heidi Grace Designs, Other: transparency. Digital Supplies: Prima Marketing, Software: Adobe Photoshop. Design Notes: Print swirls to transparency and use as hybrid that way you can place then where you want to them to go. Journaling: Mikayla you have just been to your friends party Glenelg Nov 2010. Sunshine by Julianne McKenna-De Lumen Supplies: Paper: Sassafrass Lass, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Alphabet: Zva Creative, Alphabet Stickers: Carolee's Creations, Flowers: Zva Creative, Transparency: Hambly Studios, Bling: Zva Creative, Pearls: Zva Creative, Brads: Zva Creative, Glitter Glue: Kindy Glitz, Ink: Staz-On (Tsukineko), Specialty Ink: Maya Road, Markers: Sharpie, Other: gold leaf pen. Tools: Border Punches: Martha Stewart Crafts, Stamps: The Girl's Paperie. Design Notes: Use foam dots to layer and add dimension. Add rhinestones to the centre of ink splatters for added sparkle. Journaling: She brings sunshine and lollipops to my world. My Beauty by Jodi Dolbel Supplies: Paper: BasicGrey , October Afternoon, Cardstock: Stamp It, Alphabet Stickers: Prima Marketing, Rub Ons: Fancy Pants Designs, Flowers: Prima Marketing, Tags: Maya Road, Charms: Maya Road, Pearls: Flourish with a Bling, Brads: Craft Affair, Pins: Maya Road, Glitter Glue: Kindy Glitz, Ink: Stamp It. Tools: Border Punches: Martha Stewart Crafts. Design Notes: Typing out journaling and printing onto card stock is a neat way to say allot in a small space. Cut it into strips and ink the edges and the layout keeps that neat clean finish look. Journaling: Emelia, my beautiful daughter. How you have the world at your feet. You have beauty, you have a petite little body..... You have an amaising personality. You can be anything and do anything you want to. It’s up to you.