Monday 23 February 2009

Time flies




















and these are some scrappies that i have done in my blogland absence.....they are from "a picture a day" minis that i have been working on here are some from January......























































This is the cover for February..........













































This is a little kit from Little yellow bicycle......thankfully I managed to find some pictures of Christian riding his first bike summer 2008...as i managed to erase all photos from May 2008 to October 2008...I still haven't figured out how i managed that!!!!..


































Back cover.....




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This is the little man himself dressed as a magician for his carnival party at kindergarten he was extremely cute.....I even attached some hankerchieves to his magic wand so that he could pretend he was doing magic tricks it was very cute to watch......... ha



















this weekend we went to the opening of the annual Athens Wine festival which was held at the Zappeio megaro we had a fabulous time we went to the opening on the Friday evening and on Sunday we took C3 with us and he was fascinated with the whole wine tasting process he even tried some himself (of course he did not swallow) he is a red man...well that is what he claimed!!!
Isn't it a beautiful building?????.............













Later....................................

Thursday 12 February 2009

"Sweet dreams are made of these......

who am I to disagree"............I don't know why but this Eurythmics song has been invading my brain space this morning and as there is not much space in there any way I am pretty much consumed.

Where did the week go i was supposed to post my last 20 seriously riveting things about me!!! on Monday......have i been asleep all week and just woken up this morning??????

As you can tell my brain is not behaving normally this morning (what as opposed to other mornings there is a difference?????????) I swear there are two of me in here.........right now that explains the weight gain!!!!!

Here they are............ better read them before you and I lose interest...........

80. I crashed into a police car that was waiting at a red traffic light, a very embarrassing moment in my life.

81. I was intorduced to scrapbooking at a 'Stampin up' party June 2003

82. I bought and hoarded scrapbooking supplies for a couple of months as I was too inlove with the pretty papers to use them!!!!!!!!!!

83.I have a passion for tea pots. I have a small collection which is growing dangerously.

84. I prefer to drink tea that has been poured from a teapot because i love the whole tea making ritual. Warming the pot preparing the tray with cups and saucers, sugar bowl ,milk jug etc...oh and a couple of biscuits.

85. During the summer months here in Greece it is stinking hot!!!!!!!!..I for some strange reason go through this crazy phase of drinking diet coke in tall glasses topped with ice.......with the first cool winds of I hate the taste of it...........I def need therapy.

86. For years i wore chunky Doc Martins........you?????????

87. Thanks to my mother being a hairdresser and my desire to change my look often I have had
-blue black hair
-blonde
-purple black

88. I have had all different types of hair cuts and fair share of terrible perms.The most extreme was back in 1998 where my super hunky hairdresser (I am secretly in lust with him..still 11 years down the track) decided to cut my hair very very short more like shave my head because he said I have a beautiful shaped head!!!..well it was fabulous not only did it look good I didn't need to buy hair shampoo or conditioner for a few months!!!!!!!!

89. If I am allowed to read...(from constant interjections from Christian..such as Mummy why this ...mummy why that????).I feel Iam on holidays it is a luxury to read. No I cannot read before going to bed because i will not put the book down if it is a good book and I will never sleep I am already dealing with lack of sleep issues!!!!!!!!!

90. I love faux jewelry.....

91. I have a hand bag addiction because i never seem to be able to find the right one...and anyway there is no bag that goes with everything...it's all about style a black handbag does not always go with everything...I am sure the style wise and hand bag freaks know exactly what I am talking about.

92. I dream of opening a scrapbooking store come bookshop come cafe/tea house...3 in 1 if you like.......

93. I love road trips, the freedom of going wherever and whenever you want.......

94. I adore sunflowers, daisies and lillies..........

95. I am a step mum to a beautiful, intelligent and talented 13year old girl....soon to be 14.....

96.The part of the day I always look forward to is when Christian has been fed and bathed then we cuddle on the couch and watch a nature documentary before going to bed. Just holding my fragrant sleepy little man in my arms makes the trials of the day all worth it.....

97.I used to play the piano accordian.........what was that noise????? did you fall on the floor from laughter????for your information I was a preteen

98. Gregory and I have given Christian many nicknames in his short life while in my womb.........UFO.....UFAKI at 3 months .......skoulikaki....it means little worm in Greek....why???? as Christian was really starting to move around and wouldn't sit still always wriggling Gregory called him his little worm. When he was 12 months he tried to say his name all that came out was SISSO........it didn't take long for me to start playing with the sound and called him SISSOPOULAKI.......it's a Greek thing!!!!

99. I have never wanted to get married...I was deliriously happy just living together. G proposed to me back in 1999 then again in 2001....poor man...I never said NO i always said YES then promptly filed it away as if nothing happened and got on with our lives. The thought of dressing like a powder puff and inviting zillions of guests which you have to feed and water, preferably with alcohol...and all the while you are left with callouses from uncomfortable powder puffs heels and bad un returnable gifts ARGHHH no way........ I have always personally felt that weddings are for the couple to celebrate any way they want and the baptism of a child is the occasion for a big party with lots of guests....a child becoming a Christian is far more important...you only get one baptism. You can get married as many times as you like.......but that's my opinion...I don't expect people to agree with me.

100. Gregory and i had a shot gun wedding because I was 7 1/2 months pregnant.....I was having such a fabulous pregnancy I didn't want to organise a wedding...I prefered having my teeth pulled out. One thing was for sure since we had to get married for bureacratic pruposes it had to be a church wedding. So in two weeks I organised a party for 14 people. Mind you there was nothing fancy. We got married on the 1st of March 2003 at 11am in a little church at the foot of the Acropolis. We came home to buffet lunch thanks to my mother in law and we drank champagne all afternoon and evening till the last guest left (Eleni our koumbara the translation into English i suppose would by my matron of honour). We managed to have the wedding we wanted small and tasteful we had a fabulous time and we reminisce with a smile still 5 years down the track!!!!!!!!!!

So that's all folks...................................
that was fun..........
back soon as i have been busy with some scrappies.......
Later

Friday 6 February 2009

What??? not again!!!!!!.

Yeah..... I am back with more....LOL....first here is the cover of the mini I am working on..the pic does not do it justice..I have this fabulous sheet of gold Hambly overlay (in love with the stuff) I cut a piece the size of a photo then added jump rings and American crafts white vinyl thickers....loveit........















Ok so are you ready???..............
51. CSI Las Vegas is my all time favourite television series.
52. Weeds has now become my favourite cult series...man the stuff they get away with on that series...not for prudes that's for sure!!!!!
53. I got my nose pierced on my 40th birhtday I kept it in for approx 6 months....I just got tired of the look plus every second woman on the street has one...
54. I hate to look like every one else.......
55. I love black nail polish...NO I am not gothic or depressed I just love the boldness.......what can I say pastels do nothing for me they remind me of fairy floss!!!!
56.I haven't worn high heels since i gave birth 5 years ago.....I tried on some heels the other day and i nearly broke my neck and I suffer from vertigo!!!!LOL have high heels become even higher????????
57.Since having a child I have developed some fears a fear of flying and a fear of death.
58.Since having a child I didn't know that loving someone can hurt so much...........erotic love does not compare to the love for a child...sorry that's my opinion you can always find another partner in life but not another child.
59.The best show on Greek television is 'Radio Arvyla' they comment on life in Greece and politics in their own special sarcastic way and they treat us to unkown or up and coming Greek bands...usually rock bands...great stuff.
60.Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino are my favourite movie directors.
61.I gave up smoking 6 years ago.
62.I wanted a cigarette every day for 5 years. I have not had the desire for over a year now.
63.I adore red wine but the tannins make me swell up the next morning.
64.I can't say no to biscuits and Frech fries.......pretty disgusting uh!!
65.Bill Bailey makes me laugh so hard that i usually end up in a coughing fit.
66.I hate brussels sprouts...
67.My idea of a holiday is of someone else cooking and cleaning for me....
68.I never had a Barbie doll and I have never forgiven my parents!!LOL
69.I had posters of vintage cars on my bedroom wall as a teenager.........
70.I was never allowed to go to camp in highschool, my father thought drug taking and orgies would take place...........he was so wrong, we didn't do any of that stuff in highschool we were innocents.
71. All that changed in university we became degenerates!!! LOl those were the days!!!! LOL
72. I had 2 boy crushes and one girl crush throughout highschool!!
73.The girl crush was not a love crush...for those that are wondering.....
74.I was a vegetarian for 2 years.
75.I love classical and modern dance.
76.I don't have the patience for opera...it must stem from the whole disliking musicals thing
77. our Christmas tree is exclusively decorated with stitched ornamnets
78. I love the festive Christmas season but am so happy when Christmas day is over so I can sit down and relax.........
79.I played squash and basketball in highschool now i just look like a basketball................
80.I crashed into a police car that was waiting at a red traffic light...a very embarassing moment in my life.....they alcohol tested me but it was just that I was stressed out. I was driving a girlfriend home after an exam (at uni) we were discussing the exam and I did not notice...if anything I was high on caffiene from all the cramming that went on before the exam.

Only 20 left.........I threaten to be back tomorrow...probably not as it's the weekend and it's quality time with my boyzzz........
Later.................................

.

Thursday 5 February 2009

Happy Birthday Barbie!!!!!!!

Barbie turns 50 today!!!......pretty amazing I always wanted to own a Barbie doll but never did.....what on earth were my parents thinking at the time??!!???
Anyway.....I am back with a mini I started on the weekend and a little mini that C3 made for me last night...that boy just makes me melt........he told me one day that we will kiss then we will get married!!!!.... it that cute or seriously disturbed?????

My mini is of the kids last summer these were the only pics I could find as I had managed to delete all my pics from May to October 2008 I cried for days as I had some beautiful photos especially of the kids!!
Anyway here it is....the papers are Basic Grey Recess collection and various embellies and rubons....

































































































And here is C3's mini for his mummy.....



















I love this one it is a pic of me apparently and I am thinking of love!!!! C3's interpretation...



















His latest passion is boats........he calls it the love boat...



















The end...his name in Greek in a heart..a rather swollen heart.....



















Now to continue my 100 things about me!!...really useful information!!!

21. I love to cross stitch. I learnt how to on the night shift in the special baby care unit.
22. To earn extra cash for my trip to Europe I did extra shifts at Camperdown Children's hospital.
23. I admitted and resuscitated a 24 week old baby boy weighing only 600gr on the night shift. It was the scariest thing I have ever had to do, it grows hairs on your chest.
24. The worst thing I have ever had to witness is the baby of a drug addict going through withdrawl, it's the saddest..infuriating thing to watch (as I could kill these irresponsible women)
25.I have nursed a 500gr or 1/2 a kilo baby girl to perfect health...mother nature is truly amazing.
26.I unfortunately picked up the nasty habit of smoking before leaving for Europe...nurses and doctors are the worst offenders....well they were then.
27.I loved Tokyo, Japan........it was/is a bright loud city that never sleeps.
28.The best Indian meal I ever had was in Tokyo
29.It goes without saying that the best Sushi I have every had was in Tokyo...
30. The best Chinese meal I have ever had was in Sydney Australia
31.The best Lebanese/Arabic meal I have ever had was in Athens Greece...believe it or not
32.The best Thai meal I have ever had was in Sydney Australia
33. I have backpacked around New Zealand twice...
34. I never slept in my sleeping bag even when backpacking
35.I want to make more time for travel. I am thankful that C3 has the travel bug too......
36.I have taken a helicopter ride over a glacier..
37.I have walked on a glacier @#$%^&* amazing..
38.I have gone whale watching in New Zealand. I was lucky enough to get close enough and see the whale spurting water from his spout then taking his dive back into the sea....
39.The best icecream I have ever had was in New Zealand.
40.I have ridden a horse bare back up a mountain...i cried from the pain for days.....
41. I want to sky dive but I am too afraid thatI might have a heart attack doing it.
42.I hate I mean really hate musicals apart from classics like..the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory (the original not that crappy Johnny Depp film) and the all time cult musical the Rocky Horror Picture Show
43. I have been to 2 midnight showings of the Rocky horror picture show even though I did not het dressed up I had a blast.
44. I'm a bit of a music snob I prefer to listen to classical music, hard rock heavy metal and sometimes a little funk...
45.The best concerts I have ever been to were back in Sydney the last one was to hear "the New Christs" play in a pub (brilliant Aussie rock band)
46.I went to 3 INXS concerts in a row one after the other...
47.I love Australian Rock
48.The most boring concerts i have ever been to were Sade (I fell asleep at the concert as i had had a very long and tiring day at work..i found her music so boring I feel asleep...I am not kidding).......the second most boring concert was Brian Ferry on his own and so was Sting (on his own come to think of it)
49.I admitt i went to a Wham concert back in the day.....fluorescent wake me up before you go go top and all........how embarrasing
50. i read gone with the wind when i was 14. I sat up until 7 am to finish the book then my mum took to see the film a few days later!!!! ARghhhhhhh

That's it no more hope to get back to you tomorrow with more.....basically my bums gone numb writing all this!!!

later..............................

Monday 2 February 2009

Living in the deep freeze........

This is going to be a long one!!.......
It may be snowing in Northern Europe but here in Athens Greece in particular in our apartment building where the central heating is not working we are living in the deep freeze!!!!!!! I am so cold i have been jumping up and down I am wearing lots of clothes i have a little halogen heater and a blow heater but that ain't doin the job!!!!!!!!!!
So of course i woke up this morning with the beginnings of a head cold i can't believe it as i haven't even really gotten over my pneumonia yet.......... something is seriously wrong with my immune system!
Yes i am going into the doctors again!!!!!
I had a great weekend regardless we spent more time out of our house where it was warmer!!!
I went to a new friends place where she held a scrap meeting crop whatever you want to call it.
I actually got some stuff done i will upload them soon.....
here is the most beautiful get well card anyone can receive.........thank you Melenia!!!



















I have caught up with time...........
time for new...........










Time to be...............











Now throughout this week I will attempt to post 100 things about me as I was tagged by Paula...........I will attempt 20 perday just enough to keep you interested and not falling asleep at the kepboard or pouring your tea all over yourself!!!!
So here goes.......
1. I was born on the 23rd of May 1968 in Sydney Australia...Yes I am 40...so what of it???????
2. My brain still screams when I say how old I am it still feels sureal to say 40!!! hey it's the new 30 isn't it????
3. As you can gather I ramble.....
4. My nickname at school was 'bigbird' from Seasame street..because I was the tallest in my primary school classes up until the 6th grade when all the rest of the school midgets caught up with me..
5.I couldn't wait to leave highschool and get on with my life..what a bozo i was!!!!!
6. I worked in an advertising agency before going to university.
7. I realised I had to leave that advertising agency soon or else i would end up with cihrosis of the liver from all the partying!!!
8. I had my first serious relationship in university....
9. My first nursing job after university was on the Melanoma ward...I have been afraid of the sunbathing ever since......
10.I went to the neonatal intensive care ward because i could not cope with young people dying from sunning them selves too long on the beach
11. The neonatal unit depressed me even more seeing brand new tiny people dying...because they were not ready for this world......
12.I was capable of going to house/dance parties (don't forget this is the early 90's the begining of house music) all night till 6am go home for a shower, change of clothes and numerous cups of coffee then head off to work for the 7am shift!!!...just writing about it is tiring I am in need of a vitamin injection.....
13. I thought I was in love with ' the one' at 21.....I said I was a bozo didn't I???????
14. I followed that 'love' to Europe we travelled to New Zealand, Japan and Italy....
15. I arrived in Greece minus my 'love'....the sure fire way to test a relationship travelling on a budget!!!
16. I fell in love with the Greek islands and did of lot of Greek loving that summer...forget Woodstock!!!!
17. I spent all my savings that summer so I found work in Athens for a Gynaecologist, Obstetrician as a nurse/receptionist...mind you everything I earned i spent partying the winter months away....
18. I was very lucky to have a great Aunt who let me stay with her free rent and board!!!!
19. When i moved into my own apartment in the Spring I had a mattress, a gas burner, a fridge that did not work, I could not afford any furniture for months so a friend gave me lots of pillows so i could sit on the bare floor. I did not have a telephone and remember we are talking pre mobile phone era....
20. I was blissfully happy in my spartan apartment.

That's all for today...if you survived my first 20 tune in tomorrow...
Before i forget I have to tag someone else so here goes Xrysa, Roula, katerina, good luck....

later........................................