Posting on Lauren Reid’s CT blog this morning. Head on over there and prepare to be inspired by some amazing artwork.
http://www.laurenreiddesigns.com/teamblog/
Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.
Nicole
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Big day in the Ishida house!
My baby turns two tomorrow. I really can’t belive it. He is growing up in a blur and I need to stop and watch him more often so I don’t miss anything.
The BIG news… news that he’ll be mortified that I shared with the world in 18 years… He peed on the potty for the very first time. I was doing a jig in the bathroom. So exciting!
It all began when we were when he asked for a big sticker – we give Thomas little stickers for sitting on the potty but he has been told that he only gets a big sticker if he pees. I am all for bribery if it means Thomas is out of diapers more quickly. 🙂 Anyway, he sat on the toilet and then it happened. I don’t know who was more surprised. When he’d finished he said “more”? So I guess it was an enjoyable experience.
Anyway, just had to stop by quickly and share the news. Those of you with children will understand what a huge day this is. Those of you who don’t have children are probably thinking “Why did I just read a whole post about someone peeing?”
A quick photo and LO to close. The photo is for my photography challenge on now at MDM. The topic this month is “3 is the magic number” – Submit any photo where the subject or composition relates in some way to the number three. You could have a photo of the number three, three objects, three strong components that make up your image, three colours, three divisions anything that relates your image in some way to THREE.
Here’s one of my photos (although I took MANY more – just couldn’t stop).
And my latest Favourite LO (Click on the image for credits).
Thanks for dropping by and indulging my excitement. 🙂
Nicole
Totally Ever So Not Fair
Today’s blog post title brought to you by Lola of Charlie and Lola fame. My grammer isn’t quite that bad. Very cute children’s books and a TV show to go with them but I have only seen it once. Thomas likes Charlie and Lola (and secretly I do too).
But that’s not the unfair part. Begin rant now…
I am 32 – not that old, but old enough that I sometimes need to take a moment and do the math to remember how old I am. And old enough that I should not have to worry about pimples any more! I am so tired of waking up in the morning with an eruption the size of vesuvius planted on my cheek, chin, forehead etc. etc. I mean when did the rules change? I was told in high school that I would grow out of it. That Acne is a temporary thing suffered by teenagers (like the teenage years were punishment enough on their own).
I have tried everything – creams, lotions, scrubs. At the end of the day I feel that I am now in my 30s and Acne should be a thing of the past. Come on universe, cut me some slack here. I deserve it.
Rant over.
And, no, I am not posting a photo today. 🙂
Had To Make a LO…
… based on my last post. I love Manda J Designs. She is a new designer at MDM and if you haven’t checked her out, you should. (Click on image for full credits)
Anyway, wanted to post before I go to bed.
Nighty Night
Nicole
So Proud
Thomas got into the cupboard where we keep the pots and pans the other night, pulled out a saucepan, found a wooden spoon somewhere on the floor (no, that’s not usually where I leave my wooden spoons) and proceeded to “cook” something. He was yelling out to me in the other room and saying “Look Mummy, I’m Cooking”.
Of course at this point I’m thinking I have the most intelligent child in the world. I mean he’s not even two yet and he knows that saucepan plus wooden spoon means cooking. Especially impressive since he probably learned this from watching me do it.. oh.. three times in his entire life!
But then the thing that happened next pushed him into the genius category. He looks at me and says, clear as day, “Mummy, take a picture!”. My heart sang with joy. I have a child who like to have his photo taken… at least for now.
Here are the resulting photos. A little blurry, but definitely worth pulling out the camera for this milestone moment.
This is one proud Mama. 🙂
Nicole
Just for Fun
I decided to change up the look of my blog. You like? I was never happy with the all white design. I need color!
A few things going on this weekend. First of all, many many great sales at My Digital Muse. Do yourself a favor and check them out. Tara is taking 35% off everything!
Also, Jen Wilson is taking votes for her attire/accessorize challenge. It’simply a matter of looking through the runway challenge gallery, choosing one winner for each week’s challenge (there are seven total) and sending them to Jen via email. CT layouts are not eligible so I may have 1/2 a chance. (hahahaha). Votes have to be in by midnight Saturday.
And one more thing just for fun. Not my normal style of LO – a little messy and funky – but then what really is my style?? Click on the image for credits.
Journaling:As soon as I say we’re going to stop for a coffee, you yell “muffin!”. I suppose I buy you one pretty much any time we stop for coffee. And the one thing I’ve discovered – you really really really like muffins!August, 2007
Thanks for stopping by
Nicole
Post and Run
Not a lot of time to post today but I did want to stop by quickly to say “Hi” and share a couple of fun things with you.
I picked up this little number online today. No, it’s not a new accessory for a night on the town with the girls – but a rather cute little accessory for a certain soon to be two year old’s Blues Clues themed party. How cute is this! There is definitely a photo shoot planned…
I also simpsonized myself many weeks ago but forgot to post. I’m not sure it really resembles me at all but you be the judge. Here’s the link if you want to Simpsonize yourself.
And finally, another layout to share. This one is for the challenge on Nancy’s blog this week where we were asked to use her horizontal or vertical frames in a creative way. Not sure this is creative enough so I may give it another shot, but I love the LO. I used some of Lauren Reid’s gorgeous products as well as a glitter swirl from Kylie Clark that I have been wanting to use for a long time. Click on the image for credits and a clearer view of the journaling.
Anyway have to run. I need to call someone in Hong Kong for work and then I have to get home. Kei is spending the week at home with Thomas and I have to make sure I get home early enough so that I am still my baby’s favourite person. ; ) Well I guess that goes for both of them.
Thanks for stopping by.
Nicole
A Scrapping Frenzy
I have been scrapping up a storm thanks to some contest deadlines. Jen Wilson decided to make it especially difficult for me by posting not one, but the final four challenges for her attire/accessorize line while I was away. Deadline was today and I was determined to get as many done as possible. I ran out of time for the final challenge but I did manage to get three done in the past couple of days. Click on images for full credits.
I also completed two challenges for Nancy Comelab. The first one is a week late but still counts towards the 20 challenges I am determined to complete. This one is a scraplift of Peta, one of Nancy’s CT team members and a fellow Aussie.
This Nancy challenge is due tomorrow and was all all about monochromatic layouts while I find extremely difficult. I do love a little bit of accent colour but I think I pulled it off. 🙂
Anyway, that’s it for now. Next up: CT layouts for Tara, MDM, Dani and an article for Lauren’s newsletter. Phew!
Thanks for stopping by.
Nicole
Home again
As much as I miss my family (and Aussie winters that are more like spring) it feels so great to be home. Thomas and I survived the marathon 30 hour trek and arrived home late on Wednesday night.
The flight home is always more difficult, thanks to unecessary plane transfers in Sydney and a six hour layover in San Francisco. It’s just painful to be so close to home, yet still so far. In addition to the agony of sitting in an airport trying to keep an (almost) two year old occupied after only 4 hours of sleep, Qantas mnaged to lose my stroller. If you have ever tried to carry two items of hand luggage, pay for food AND keep an (almost) two year old from heading to the nearest boarding plane all at the same time then you will understand my pain. All I can say is thank heavens for portable DVD players and movie length episodes of Blues Clues.
But we are home… (insert big deep breath here). So great to see my husband and my house and my own bed. Not so great to have to return to work while still jetlagged but I am now officially in negative digits with my personal leave time.
I have so much to catch up with. I hear Dani has released a couple of new kits (man she’s been busy!) and I have layouts to do for Tara and MDM. In addition I was not able to announce something before I left… drum roll please… I am on the newsletter team for Lauren Reid. I love her designs and I am just so excited. Need to get working on something ASAP as her first newsletter is due soon. Make sure you sign up to receive it on her blog.
Before I get back to the 1500 work emails requiring my attention (and no, that is not an exaggeration!), thought I’d leave you with some more favourite pics from my trip.
“Helping” Grandpa
This is a fave
Having fun with Uncle Ben. Thomas’ favourite phrase right now is “Right There!” with two pointing fingers. As in “Where’s Mummy?” “Right There!”
Uncle Ben
The horses on the property behind my Mum and Dad’s house were a daily attraction.
Watching Blues Clues with Uncle Ben.
Uncle Jono (a little blurry, I know but it’s the best shot I was able to get. Jono is not very cooperative when it comes to taking phtos.
Thanks for stopping by
Ta Ta for Now
Nicole
Live from Oz
We made it safely to Melbourne with only a minor meltdown as we passed through customs (Thomas, not me). Thomas was so great on the plane. He slept for eight hours, watched DVDs for two and happily played for the rest. It was only in the last couple of hours that he put on his backpack, grabbed his blanket and proceeded towards the exit doors. I don’t blame him though. I was ready to disembark 12 hours into the flight as well.
I will never fly with a US airline again – at least not to Australia. We came over with United last time (two years ago) and this trip with Qantas was like night and day. They are just so much more thoughtful and understanding, which is what you want when you are traveling alone with a toddler. They also provide you with a menu that outlines exactly what AND when you will be eating. I will overlook the fact that the on-demand video system wasn’t working. But a minor hiccup in the scheme of things.
So now that my Qantas commercial is over, I am able to share some photos. For the first few days we spent a lot of time catching up with friends and family in Melbourne, but then we traveled up to Yarrawonga where my parents live to really relax. Thomas is loving the wide open spaces – including the opportunity to get up close and personal with some Aussie animals courtesy of a local animal park. I was born and raised an Aussie and even I have not had the opportunity to experience feeding a joey before. Simply amazing.
I don’t have much time to post tonight because… well it’s freezing in my Dad’s study (seriously – turn on the heat Dad!) and the connection is sooooo slow. I’ll be back to post some more soon and can’t wait to get home to muy husband and back to scrapping.
More soon.
Nicole
Nicole Ishida Photography 