Have yourself a merry little Xmas.....

I love that song but can't find it to add to my blog so put the frays new song 'How to save a life' on instead, it is one off Greys Anatomy (i seriously LOVE this show) and cannot wait for it to start up again next year....... anyway the countdown is ON for Xmas day, I am actually pretty organised just need to do the big grocery shop for Xmas Day, finish off 4 mini albums and I am done!!!! This year has been particulary manic as I have had the business in the equation but so far so good and I am really looking forward to next year - lots happening!!!! A big hello to our friends Heather and Martin who have officially become their own bosses, if you are ever visiting Blenheim in the South Island and want somewhere yumy to stay then go here and book in with them, Martin will be doing breakfasts and as a chef you are pretty much guaranteed something delish!!! I did an online class last week with the super talented Nik Wilkinson, will post the pics later as Blogger is not letting me upload for some reason :-(!! Am seriously over Telecom, Xtra and any other associated service they provide - our emails have been playing up for over a month now, I ring them, complain, they give me the standard answer of 'spam filters', I hang up even more frustrated!!! Anyway Vodafone are hopefully going to have their broadband available here next March so just hanging out for that really..... Wow there is some fantastic Christmas themed stuff popping up on peoples blogs etc and have you checked out those very talented members on our Design Team and what they created, very impressive indeed and all with the contents of our December kit - wait until you see what they come up with for Januarys which is now available through the site!!! Well had better go and pack some more orders, I will try and post again before Xmas but just in case, have a safe and wonderful Xmas, surrounded by the people you love and who love you, may Santa be generous and hopefully the sun will shine!!! Merry Xmas!!!

I'm not ready..........

for my baby to start school...... Tomorrow is Millie 5th birthday and I'm not ready for her to walk in those school gates and really start to grow up...... this time 5 years ago she wasn't even born and I had no idea that Wednesday 12 December at 12.36 (lunchtime) was the start of an amazing new career for me - being a mum and all the amazing experiences and absolute overwhelming feeling of love I have for her that comes with that role and even though I know she will still need me for a little while yet I can't help but feel she is ready to gain just that little bit more independance. Don't get me wrong, I wish all my children the ability to be fair, positive, self sufficent individuals who will make a difference no matter how small - but I also want them to still be my babies who never discover how tough life can and will be, can't have both though I know! I am so glad that I gave up work full time to spend the last couple of years with Millie and to be the 'kindy' Mum - and be an active part of her life and now it's time to let her venture into the world and see what she thinks, make new friends, experience new things and perhaps try those wings out of hers....... I don't think I will be ever ready somehow!!!
We had her birthday party in the weekend at a cafe called The Sticky Beak - the owner Heather dresses up like a witch called Bad Apple - it was absolutely fab and Millie had the best time - they played games such as Musical Chairs, did the limbo, decorated their own cupcakes and she is the most amazing chef - according to Millie the best bit was when Bad Apple chased them through the garden



Bad Apple and Millie



Witches Fingers made out of lollie cake



Musical Chairs




The Cake - it was covered in chocolate ganache!

So for tomorrow Millie - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, we love you very much!!!!




Sneak peeks for Januarys kit went up today - the colours are yummo and some new products in the kit for you all to play with - last month sold out (I admit we were not prepared for the response we got so apologies to those of you who missed out)!

Happy Anniversary......

This time 3 years ago I was being serenaded by 5 extremely out of tune men at my wedding - my husband and his four groomsmen thought it would be a good idea to sing me a song - lovely thought - sounded terrible!!! So three years later there have been a whole lot of changes - we were a family of 3 and now there are five of us! I think when children come into your lives it seems to speed up for some reason...... but I wouldn't change my life for a moment!! Yes I am permanently tired, and never seem to catch up on things that need my attention but I have a very blessed life! I have an amazing husband who is really supportive of me and my dreams, 3 awesome children who are healthy and make me laugh on a daily basis, great friends, good health, the list goes on! I am so lucky that 3 years ago I married my best friend surrounded by people who care about both of us and for that I am very thankful!
The last 3 years have flown and thank goodness for photos and scrapbooking as a way of recording my life and the people in it! Happy anniversary Aaron - love ya!!

Running.....

I bet you all read the title and thought it would be about exercise....... nope more like the fact that last week , I felt like that's all I did was run from place to place meaning the week was a blur!! Lots of changes to the website to confirm, stock to chase up and children to sort - being a Mum is underpaid if you ask me and under rated! Especially when you think of the skills you develop as a mother including the following

1. Negotiation - especially with a 2 year old far too similiar in personality to
her mother!
2. Budgeting - do the children all need new outfits for Paige's party?? Oh what the
heck, okay!!
3. Chef/ Catering - antipasto platters, salads, desserts and BBQ meats for 25 bday
party guests (who needs sleep!!)
4. Chauffeur/Courier - various trips to collect presents, groceries, guests who are
obviously planning on sampling the liquie refreshments! Then
there are the jazz lessons, hip hop lessons and swimming
lessons for the girls, throw in a kindy play date or two for
fun!!
5.Cleaner - numerous bags of rubbish from the party, not to mention the preparations
from the party and making sure the house is presentable (it's the
control freak in me)!

Thank goodness for my friend Sharyn, organiser and maker of children's birthday cakes extrodanaire!! She helped me (she did most of it to be honest, I made the marshmallow flowers) make Paige's cake, it was very cute and tasted pretty good as well!



Paige's bday party was just wonderful, she had a brilliant time and even managed to stay awake until 10pm for the fireworks without being too grumpy! Here's some pics of her - isn't she cute!! The trike was her present from us.....





The party was a combined one for me (2nd Nov) and Paige (5 Nov) so little did I know that my hubby had asked Sharyn to also make me a cake, it was quite spectacular and I was really surprised!!



I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all the presents, phone calls, emails, texts, morning teas (thanks Julie and Rachel) that I received, I was very spoilt and here's some of the goodies I received...








Aaron gave me a new Donna Karan watch as he is sick of me asking him the time every 5 mins!! So in hindsight, turning 30 wasn't that bad, although I think I am done with birthdays, might just stay 30 now!!!

Birthdays ending with a 0.....

That's what tomorrow is for me - a birthday with a 0! I must admit that over the years birthdays were always something to look forward to, another year older, another year wiser (still made some naff decisions!!), a girls night out to celebrate and a huge hangover the next day from too much wine! But now I am about to leave one decade and enter another, I can't believe how much life has changed and for the better! Looking back over the last 10 years is a bit startling - I got engaged to what I thought was the love of my life (turns out that person was still another 2 years away and I am now married to him), have had 3 gorgeous healthy children who are the lights of my life, Millie, Paige and our wee man Max!!! Have lived in Europe and travelled to some wonderful places, have made some wonderful friends who are TRUE friends, they love me warts and all (I mean that literally, have never had a wart in my life LOL!), now I'm off the topic..... A fab family including a sister who drives me nuts at times (I know you are reading this Amber!!) and a Mum who has over the years been my biggest fan and have a wonderful marriage to the biggest rock of a man you will ever meet - a lot my single friends and a couple of married ones to all want an 'Aaron'!! I have a few regrets but probably the one thing that I wish I could take into the next decade would be my dad - he passed 13 years ago and I wish he could be here to celebrate this next chapter with me - he was a hard taskmaster and I have inherited alot of his traits some good, some which have softened with time (thank goodness I hear Mum say)!!! I would like
to think that the next 10 years are as eventful as the last 10 -so I'm setting some goals for me

1. Get my albums up to date and journal more
2. Compete in a duathalon (I hate swimming)!!
3. Visit Ireland and kiss the blarney stone (many would argue I need no
encouragement when it comes to talking)
4. Play competitive netball again
5. Learn tai chi
6. Have more patience
7. Watch my children grow into the amazing adults I know they will be!

What a serious post - still birthdays always make me reflective!!

Announcing the Scrapbook Essentials Design Team....

Well the decision has been made and in the end we have asked 4 extremely talented ladies to join our Design Team - funnily enough they all received the news with one sentence .... 'Are you serious'!! They all also said yes so without further ado here are the members of the brand new SE Design Team for 2006/07


Megan Renfree


Beverley Warwick


Jo Burney


Janenne Sloan


The decision was a very difficult one as we had so many amazing entries and I had a couple of sleepless nights but we have selected a team which we think all compliment each other and all four of the members bring a different dynamic to the team, and we are really excited to welcome them to Scrapbook Essentials!
I will posting all the entries as well as the new DT members in the Scrapbook Essentials gallery so you can see all the gorgeous work that was submitted and perhaps gain some perpective on how difficult a decision this was!

DESIGN TEAM

Today is the last day for entries for the Scrapbook Essentials Design Team, we have had some amazing entries to date and it is going to be a long weekend trying to decide, a big thank you to all those who have taken the time to enter and for also allowing us a bit of an insight to you and your work, we would love to have you all but there can only be 3........

Tagged.....

Heck tagged for the first time by that pesky American up north (just kidding Christi) so here goes


1.Things that scare me:
- my children getting ill or hurt
- the state of the world we live in today
- dying before I have done everything on my to do list

2. People who make me laugh:
- Paige, Millie and Max
- My friend Sharyn aka Bird
- The girls on the Scrapbook Essentials forum

3. Things I hate the most:
- having to repeat myself
- rude and inconsiderate people ie pushing into queues
- being tired and grumpy

4. Things I don't understand:
- MEN!!!!
- rude and inconsiderate people ie pushing into queues
- how 24 hours is never enough to get everything done!

5. Things I'm doing right now:
- typing on my laptop
- feeding Max
- looking at the new Cosmo Cricket alpsa etc to load

6. Things I want to do before I die:
- visit Las Vegsa and Aaron and I get married again Elvis style!!
- take Aaron to Europe and show him everything I saw when I lived there
- take the kids to Disneyland

7. Things I can do:
- talk!!!!
- make the perfect G&T
- spend money!!!

8. Ways to describe my personality:
- perfectionist
- generous
- impatient

9. Things I can't do:
- waterski
- ride a motorbike
- go to bed early

10.Things I think you should listen to:
- your children
- your gut instinct
- your mother

11. Things you should never listen to:
- insincere people
- negativity
- one opinion

12. Things I'd like to learn:
- tai chi
- how to be a better mother
- manage my time better!!

13. Favorite foods:
- sushi
- cheese
- anything Japanese, especially Teppan food

14. Beverages I drink regularly:
- water
- coke zero
- sprite zero

15. Shows I watched as a kid:
- Playschool
- The Muppets
- Fraggle Rock

16. Persons I'm tagging:
- Tanya
- Delys
- Heidi

Finally

I am sharing a layout with you all of our Max, now go easy on me as I haven't scrapped too many boys pages yet and I just can't embellish like mad like I would with photos of the girls, I love this photo of Max, he's so serious looking in it just like his Dad!! The patterned paper is Denim Dot from the Urban Lily range, silhouette stars are from Heidi Swapp, these are seriously cool and I will be loading this to the site later today, they also come in words etc, the word sweet is a laser cut from Sarah Heidt, very simple but I wanted the layout to be about the photo of Max! It's funny as I haven't really had the time or even the urge to scrapbook that much since he was born but after completing that layout I want to do more!! So looking forward to scrap camp next weekend and being able to scrap away to my hearts content!!
I did the grocery shopping this morning while Max was sleeping and found these - YUMMO!!



They taste kind of like jaffas and the kids totally would have inhaled the pack if I hadn't hidden them, try them if you love choccy, they rock!!
Had more boxes of stock arrive this morning and included was the most gorgeous chipboard in very cute cigar boxes (totally alterable) from Cosmo Cricket,





there is 101 pieces in each box including the full alphabet and extra letters, buckles, punctuation and more, also arrived is their new Xmas papers etc which are also gorgeous, we have something very cool planned for next month using these papers so keep an eye on the website....

Update on Layout

Will upload in the morning, have just tried to take a photo to load it and the lighting is terrible in my scrap room and you can't see it properly, tried using the flash but it makes it worse..........

Bling Bling

I have a lot of fav's when it comes to scrapbooking Basic Grey, Maya Road etc but there is a new one now BLING!!!! I have just had arrive this morning my order of Heidi Swapp Bling, it is COOL!!! There are square frames, oval frames, bling borders, pink bling, green bling....... this will be on the site later today for purchase!!
Now I have had a few of you say that I never show my work which to date has been true, 2 reasons mostly I haven't done a heck of a lot since Max arrived 12 weeks ago and the site is growing so quickly that we have been working flat out behind the scenes to improve the whole experience as well as coordinating a few new things that will be happening soon but just to prove that I am a scrapbooker and not just a shopperholic of scrapbook products I will post a layout hopefully by tomorrow that I have been working on so watch this space......
I have decided that I have to start running again, I have no excuse for not having got back into it, just been really tired and super busy but since we have decided that our family is now complete, it's time to get the baby kgs off and the quickest way to do that is running for me so there it is, I am off to buy new runners tomorrow and then my sister and I are out pounding the pavement, my sister is the most singleminded person I know and a great motivator (I hate the sound of my mobile beeping with her texting me at 5.30am telling me to get up!!) but once I am up and away it's great! Aaron has a dine and dance coming up for his end of year do so that is my goal to have dropped 6 kgs by then - that's the 9th Dec so countdown is on........

RAK WINNER.........

Drum Roll please......... Heidi!!!!! Well done, can you email me your postal address at info@scrapbookessentials.co.nz. Hmmmm, that was quite interesting to see
how many people do actually read my blog, the counter shows me that people visit but until now I didn't really know who!!!! Might have to RAK on a regular basis!!

RAK....

Okay forgot to put this in the last post, I know that there a quite a few scrapbookers that read our blog so I am putting a RAK here - leave your name in the comment section and on Friday this week will pull a name out of the hat - the winner gets this gorgeous chipboard from Cherry Arte.......

How to make a 4 year olds day............

Thank you so much to Lesley C - Millie just loves this wee notebook you made her and has to take it to bed with her at night to write in it!!!
Well holidays are O V E R thank goodness, getting anything done around here has been virtually impossible with three children running around but back to kindy and preschool they go (do I sound a little too enthusiastic??)! Have loved having them home but 2 weeks is enough and I think they are looking forward to it as well!!
Crazy weekend again - boxes of stock to unpack and load to the website, both girls had swiming lessons yesterday morning, then I had to take Paige and Max to our ante-natal group fortnightly get together, then rush home, get Millie changed for a birthday party, then come home and get things ready for dinner as we had 2 lots of friends over and then back to collect Millie from the party she was at, stopping via the supermarket again to get a couple of things I had forgotten, then home with 15 mins to spare before our guests started arriving!!
Anyway we had a fab evening and it was nice to have a glass or two of wine - thanks Lara and Jase by the way for the gorgeous bottles of wine from Waitiri Creek where Jase works, you have a new fan here!!!! Any chance of a bottle or two finding it's way to scrap camp Lara LOL!!!!
Sssshhhh ............... can you hear that............. it's silent here, Aaron has taken both the girls swimming, Max is in bed and I am finally getting some work done!!! Speaking of Max, here is with his Mummy




Can't believe he is 11 weeks on Tuesday - where the heck has that gone!! He's so smiley all the time now, just love cuddles with him and he has that gorgeous baby smell!!!
Sneak peeks of some new product coming, Caroline Lau who co-owns Maya Road with her sister emailed these to me prior to leaving for the next big trade show in the States, very cool wouldn't you agree!



We are having some major work done to the website in the next 2 weeks, the site is growing quickly so we have to make some changes in order to keep up PLUS we are launching something pretty exciting at the start of November - watch this space.......

Monday

and the first day of the school holidays which means Millie is home from Kindy for the next 2 weeks, thought I would be super organised so headed off to $2 shop and went mad buying crafty stuff for her and Paige to use over the holidays - lasted about an hour and then they were bored - and we're only on the first day!!!!
Went for dinner last night for my friend Sharyn's birthday - Lonestar was the destination, the food is so good there but the portions are HUGE so needless to say I didn't finish it and was still full! Happy Birthday Sharyn!!!!!
Weather here today is WARM which is great, washing is on the line - my office looks like a bomb went off, we had a huge stock order arrive from the States so Aaron and I along with a couple of helpers spent a large majority of our weekend packing, one of our forum members on the website Michelle (aka Mrs Frizz) came and visited - I thnk she was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stock we now have!! She did help me make some space though by giving some of it a new home!!!!
A picture of Max and Paige - what is it that each child you have you have to consciously remember to take photos, I think it is more finding the time!!




Here's a pic of the guest designer monthly kit for October full of gorgeous Cosmo Cricket papers along with some of the yummy new velvet ric rac from Maya Road and one of their cute wee chipboard binders! I have decided to offer a limited quantity of these for sale at $44.95 plus postage which is a 10% saving so if anyone is interested in having a box of gorgeous coordinated product arriving on their front door, email me at Scrapbook Essentials.




Right off to check on those children of mine - I hear yelling!!

Ciao
Megs

It's Over..........

Ballet exam all done - don't know who was more nervous, Millie or her mother!
We had to be there an hour early so they can warm up, get their hair done (they all looked so cute). Millie was brilliant, stood really still while her hair was done and then basically chilled out colouring in and chatting with her wee friends until it was time for them to line up and go! Longest 30 mins ever and then it was over, she was finished and ready to go to McDonalds for dinner (bribe for being quiet while waiting for her exam, it was like a morgue in the room where we were waiting)!
Was really interesting watching some of the other mums - there were a couple of 'show biz' mums as I call them, poor daughters being stressed to the max by their mums with one girl in particular having her mother stretching her leg behind to her to the point of almost being in tears and at the same time lecturing her - while I want Millie to do well in life would never ever do anything like that!!! Heck I felt like telling the Mum to leave her alone, but I didn't!
Our wee guy is growing like a mushroom, full of smiles now. He had his 6 week jabs (we were a wee bit late getting them done), he was a bit unsettled last night resulting in me getting about 3 hours sleep, so needless to say I was not looking very glam this morning!



Have been a little slack in taking photos of the girls, here's one of our wee Paige, isn't she pesky looking!!

Father and Son.........

So finally took some photos of Aaron and Max, holy cow they are alike! Max had his hips checked today (we're only 5 weeks late) and he has his 6 weeks jab (1 week late for those) tomorrow! All the other babies when they had their hips checked roared, Max just lay there with a tummy full of milk and didn't utter a sound!

Ballerina

Had to share this pic of Millie at Ballet! Whoa, that 3 posts now in the last two days!

Two posts in two days........

Thought it was time I shared some of the amazing layouts that I have received from the wonderful ladies on our website forum at Scrapbook Essentials they are just gorgeous and means that Max has some layouts to call his own! I admit that since he was born I have achieved zero when it comes to scrapbooking as I never seem to have enough hours in the day at the moment, by the time I sort 3 kids (I do a head count these days to make sure I don't dive off without one of them!), running the business which is growing at rather an alarming rate (a good thing but we are a little unprepared) and then fit family and friends in there's not a lot left!!
Still I am putting a schedule together so that my days start to have a little more routine to them, apologies if you are waiting on an email from me, I am a bit behind on these at the moment!
Right better sort something for the childrens dinner before there is a mutiny!

Ciao
Megan

Smiling...........

That's what our little man is now doing!! Max has shared with us the what we were pretty sure was a smile but last night he went for it and wouldn't stop so I finally had the chance to capture photographic evidence of this milestone in his life! He will be 7 weeks old this coming Tuesday, it has just flown and while life is busier with him here it's also more perfect as well! He was weighed on Tuesday and is 11lb 5oz and a whopping 60cm long, he doesn't fit 0-3 months tops as he is really broad in the shoulders, I told Aaron that the next all black had been born, he rolled his eyes at me!!
We had Millie's acceptance to St John's Girls School last week which was a huge relief as we really didn't have a back up plan if she missed out (there were only 4 places available in the new entrants class next year) and there were quite a few on the waiting list so while I am ecstatic she got in I also feel sad for those who didn't get their first choice of school for their daughter! She has her first ballet exam next Friday which I had been quite nervous about for her but at the end of the day she's 4, ballet is not a career option for her as she likes it but would rather be swimming and will probably not keep going after the end of the year concert so no big deal, her teacher is a bit full on and very demanding and I feel like reminding her that they are only 4!!!!

Thursday

 

Max and his sister Millie............. gave up trying to get all three to look at the camera so went with Millie who at 4 is pretty cooperative and Max, who was a bit cranky as you can see from the photo!
On the Scrapbook Essentials forum a photo swap was started by Kelly (an awesome lady who scraps more than anyone I know) where forum members could sign up to each be sent a photo of Max that they could scrap for his very first album, I received the first one today from an amazingly talented lady - Christi - who simply creates the most gorgeous layouts! Here is the layout 



Am slowly getting into a routine with 3 children, it's certainly busy but to be honest no more so than 2 and Max is such a good baby, mind you it does take a lot longer to do things as people stop you and comment on him, the supermarket took 1 1/2 hours by the time I got around and spoke to all the staff and 3 elderly ladies stopped me, was a bit nervous taking both Paige and Max as our darling daugher has generally had enough of sitting in the trolley after about a nano second, but today she was quite happy to sit in the trolley next to Max and kept giving him little kisses, sooo cute!! Then.............. we got to the checkout and she promptly pulled all the Kit Kats out the box!!!! Oh well, at least she grabbed something I like I suppose!!

Later
Megs

Busy Busy

 

Life is hectic - 3 children, a business to run, friends to keep up to date with, it's a whirlwind at the moment, but I have always loved being busy, Mum has always said I have had ants in my pants as I can't stand still!
The picture above is a sneak peek of the kit that our Monthly Guest Designer, Monique will be working with, it has some of the new papers from Urban Lily in it which are very cool, looking forward to seeing what she comes up with!
We are expecting our shipments of Basic Grey and Scenic Route this week, all the latest releases from both so am looking forward to having a play with those, it seems like an age since I did anything resembling scrapbooking!!!
Max continues to grow, our midwife came yesterday and he is a whopping 9lb 11ozs, considering he is 3 weeks old today and his birth weight was 7lb 15oz, he's certainly a growing lad!
The girls are still smitten with their little brother and fight over who gets to hold him first, am having a wee photo shoot this afternoon so will post the result later - hmmm trying to get 3 children all looking at the camera at the same time could be very interesting!!

Later
Meg 

Due Date............

Well today was supposed to be the day that our wee guy was due to arrive, seems a bit surreal that he has been here 2 weeks now, suppose he gets that from me, always early, he's 8lb 13ozs (fond of his food it would appear) and just awesome!

Speaking of babies, Heidi Swapp is a Mum again, baby girl called Capri - her childrens names are all so different, love that, she has 2 boys Colton and Corey, Quincy is their daughter and now baby Capri!

BIG LETTERS...............

These big 22cm high letters have just arrived in - am thinking that I may have to use some for the girls and Max's room......... they are a good thickness chipboard
so should stick to the wall okay I'm thinking!
Have been busy packing Urban Lily preorders, will be dreaming about their products at this rate, their products are too cute and have cute names too!
Bought Max his first pair of camo pants today from Pumpkin Patch, he looks totally gorgeous and the girls got a new pair of jeans each with bling sewn to the hip, will post pics later!

Later
Meg

Just Had to Share........

Another photo of Max.........


and




this gorgeous tag that was sent to us by one of the forum members on the website, Kelly, thank you Kelly, it's just gorgeous! It amazes me daily how generous people can be with both their time and talent, the tag is only one of many little gifts, beautiful handmade cards etc we have received from people I have never met but talk to on a almost daily basis via the online forum on the website, so a BIG THANK YOU to all of you!!!
Our Urban Lily shipment has arrived in the country finally, am very excited to see this range in real life as it seems an age since I ordered it! This months guest designer has been selected - congratulations to Ruth - click here to see the kit Ruth will be creating with - love the Basic Grey Color Me Silly, lots of fun to be had with those papers!

Two posts in 2 days - bit of a record!!!

Later
Meg

Sleeping Babies.........

 





are always cute - wouldn't you agree! Well our wee guy LOVES to sleep so we are lucky in that respect! He's doing so well, he was weighed on Monday and had put on a whole 300gms in 3 days, the normal weight gain is around 200gms a week give or take so our wee man is doing really well!!! Aaron was so proud when he heard how much weight Max had gained - men and their sons!!!!!
The weather has been great the last 2 days so am contemplating taking him for a big walk in the buggy, mind you now that I have said it it will probably rain!!
The girls are FAB, love their little brother dearly and are adjusting well to having another person around, we had a family dinner on Monday night and it was so BIZARRE doing the head count in the back seat in the car on the way there, 3 little people sitting there looking back at us!
Millie came home today from Kindy absolutely covered in blue dye, seriously she looked like Smurfette, turns out she got into a paint brush flicking play fight with one of the little boys at her kindy - needless to say the teachers weren't impressed but I am just pleased she stood up to the wee boy and got her own back!!!
Paige is well Paige, into everything! Her talking is coming along so well and she has lots of words and can make herself pretty clear when she wants or needs something, such a hard case, Aaron and I often find myself hiding behind our hands laughing when we are trying to tell her off as she is just so cute!

The kit for the Guest Monthly Designer is now on the forum - with the weather warming up am feeling quite cheery so thought I would design the kit to this theme - if you still haven't checked out the site then click here, there is lots happening, monthly swaps, competitions and lots of chatting!!!!
Received confirmation that the new Scenic Route papers will be here in approx 2 weeks, these papers are just beautiful, love Scenic Route!!! The chipboard products etc will be here later in the month! Well had better go and do some paperwork before the children wake up!

Day 5..............

Well our wee guy is now a whole 5 days old and already I can't believe how much he has grown - can't believe that this time last week I was at a friends cocktail party still pregnant and now I am a mother of three! Max is doing GREAT, feeds so well, loves to sleep (just like his Dad on that score) and is spending a little more time awake each day - he's soooo cute! Both Paige and Millie seem to be quite smitten with him and certainly Millie's opening statment to anyone she comes across is 'I've got a brother Max!' which is really great to hear as I think it is natural to be worried how siblings will react to a new addition to the family!
A big thank you to everyone who has sent flowers, cards, gifts etc, it's quite overwhelming and humbling so THANK YOU!!! Also a big thank you to Max's amazing 'cyber aunties' on the shop website forum who are all scrapping a photo of Max each for an album for him - you ladies are just AWESOME and I know that when he is old enough to understand he will really appreciate it! A big congratulations also to our friends Mark and Shanelle who got married yesterday in Te Anau, sorry we couldn't be there with you guys, look forward to seeing the photos!

On the business front, wouldn't you know it but the very week Max arrives we have our busiest week ever! Murphys Law! Our Urban Lily shipment has left and should be with us in the next few days, these products are just gorgeous and extremely popular!
We are also expecting in August quite a few shipments of new product releases from the recent CHA Trade Show held in the States which debuts all the companies new product releases! So it's going to be a very busy time for the next few weeks!

Introducing Max...............

 

Hi everyone - very quick update on our beautiful wee boy who arrived 2 weeks early on Tuesday 25 July 2006 at 2.25am weighing 7lb 15ozs and was 54cms long.
We are at home and everyone is fine, if a little (okay who I am kidding) tired!
Will post more photos and details tomorrow!