Simply Giorgi

Welcome 2009!!

I love a fresh new year... 

I love having the kids on holidays...

I love having lazy days at home...

I love having busy early start get up and go days...

I love that I have been blessed with another year of good health after my illness...

I love that my life is calm and quiet.....just the life should be.

Bula!! Fiji

Can you tell why this man used to play for the Fijian Rugby team! What a great holiday, great evening this was.

What a wonderful relaxing trip this was, hard to believe a month has passed already. It was great for my recovery and rejuvenating the body cells. Fiji is such a beautiful place. Spent most of the time by the pool and of course photographing the wonderful scenery. Would love to post them all, but at last count iphoto held 4,500 photos.

Note to self, must get an external hard drive.

New Life, New Year, New Beginning

Hard to believe my last post was Christmas. Even harder to believe it is now three months later. I have been away fighting ovarian cancer and am now back home recovering and looking towards a whole new life. My illness has followed me over the past five years starting with my diagnosis of Graves Disease, in actual fact I have probably been suffering for a lot longer but this is when it was diagnosed.

It is hard to believe it is not even twelve months since my last major operation when I had to have a total thyroidectamy, that I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The last few months now seem like such a blur and I know I have been carried through it by a higher force as I don't recall having any strength at all. It is now five weeks since my operation and I feel like I have been given new life.

Everything seems different, the things that worried, bothered, irritated me before don't seem to matter any more and I have gratitude for the smallest things which in actual fact now appear to me as the most important in life.

I am not preaching about new found life, but I am wondering why we can't be born with this outlook at birth and not have to spend years finding it. In saying this, I am the fortunate one who has realised the gratification of such things as many go through their entire life not even realising they are missing anything.

Christmas is Coming

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved. ~Augusta E. Rundel

Check out my Slide Show!

The Secret

Haven't posted for a while and thought I'd better stop thinking about it and start doing something about it. The last couple of months I have been recovering from my surgery and feeling quite sorry for myself to be honest. I started reading this book, and for the last couple of months the book has been "willing me" so to speak, to read it. Someone had mentioned it to me and it was in the back of my mind and then last week a friend I visited had it on her table and mentioned it was on sale at Myer so I thought to myself no excuses go buy the book and see what this is all about. Well I haven't been able to put it down and the only reason I haven't finished it yet is because I have been so busy I have been flaking out at night which for me is a good thing.

Without giving too much away the Secret is basically the Laws of Attraction, meaning your life's outcome is a mind willing process. The Laws of Attraction dictate that what you think and will yourself brings more to you. The happier and more confident your thoughts are draws happier and more confident life experiences.

Sounds far fetched..try it, it works! I'm not saying I have had a total life change, but baby steps, it has been quite amazing.

On another note I was reading Ali Edwards blog the other day about her experience with Hypothyroidism, of course I was intrigued as I have been suffering from Graves Disease for years now. What I really loved about her post was how open and sharing she was. She is such a Real person.

I have basically been suffering from Graves Disease for probably the last five years if not more. Graves is an auto immune disorder which is related to the Thyroid. The Thyroid produces hormones and if not functioning properly causes symptoms like depression, fatigue, cold intolerance, irritability and more. In my case Graves is an incurable disease and I will be on medication for the rest of my life, like Thyroid suffers.

Having never suffered from any kind of major sickness or ever having an operation, when I was first diagnosed I was in a total state of shock and grief. Over the years it has given me great comfort in knowing there are so many sufferer's out there and I am not alone.

Back on Track

Been away for a while working, and also recovering from an operation and taking time out to take my Life Temperature. Spending quality time with my boys doing things I love to do which means taking lots of photographs and and experimenting with my camera.

Have never had an operation in my entire life so I was extremely scared but before I went under the knife I got to have a little fun and attend one of the weddings I had designed all the stationery and bomboniera for, take a look.

School Holidays

It's so good to have the kids on holidays, Mum has now been in hospital for five weeks suffering with her heart and it has really taken it's toll, I am absolutely exhausted, so we are all taking it really easy over the Easter break.

More Happy Mail

Check out this cool Corner Rounder, I first saw it on Heidi Swapp's blog and knew I just had to have one. It cuts through 1/2 inch thick paper, leather and light metal. Great for my chipboard scrapbooking projects and also my wedding invitations where I can cut multiple corners at a time.

Happy Mail

Don't you just love Happy Mail!! Received this from Donna Downey, it's soooo cool and my digital Nikon SLR looks great in it.

Creating & Mailing

I truly love this new adventure I have embarked on. It really gives me creativity freedom and rewards me with appreciation. This order I have been working on for a very special wedding it is the second wedding I have done and am looking forward to creating many more designs. Designs are one of a kind and are created and taylored exclusively for the Bride. Have a little peek, these photos were taken last Tuesday when I was getting ready for mailing. I purchased wedding stamps from the post office which were beautiful roses.

Blogging Again

March 3rd and I haven't blogged since January 20!! Shame on me, the truth is I have been sooooo very busy which is no excuse I know, but my Wedding Stationery line has really taken off and I have been working on Oh 120 Wedding Invitations, 200 Order of Services and Place cards etc., etc., and having a ball love that.

I have also been getting to know my Mac OS X and we have become really good friends, I don't think I'll ever look back at PC. I had been having some problems uploading photos on my PC and wasted soo much time trying to fix it so I really hope I won't have the same trouble with my Mac! So hopefully photos to come really soon.

Time

Have you ever stopped and thought about time. How fast it goes by, the different ages in time and centuries. Time heals everything.

My baby and first born turned 10 years old on the 18th of January, I know everybody says "it seems like yesterday" but it really, really does. I still remember his birth vividly and that first moment that changed my life. I had waited for Joshua for a very long time and was so ready when he finally came, although it was hard being a new mum with a first child, it was all about him now, the sleeping in and the long showers had gone forever, I was lucky if I had a shower and the sleep deprevation was the worst but even through all this it was pure joy. The terrible two's was the worst and Joshua was a terrible two year old, I don't really know how I had another one so close to him.

In saying this through all this joy I'm talking about, there were some really, really hard times too and when I eventually was on my own with a two year old and a new born baby (now that was really hard!) I never really wished time away as I really loved the baby stage, prams, baby bags, difficult breast feeding and sterilizing bottles and all those wonderful toys I could buy them!

Time has really healed as ten years later here I am with two beautiful healthy boys, but if I could have one wish, just one, I would just love to track back to that baby time. It was really beautiful.

Happy Birthday Joshua, you will always be my beautiful boy.

Family

My Word

A favourite Blog of mine is Ali Edwards, not only is she a great scrapbooker, she is inspirational and has really great values which I admire. Last year Ali began a tradition of choosing one word for herself each January, a word to meditate and reflect on, a word to focus on as as she went about her daily life. Last year her word was Play and this year it is Peace.

Here is a little prayer of St. Francis from Ali's Blog, which I loved:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood as to understand; 

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I love and am inspired by being a Life Artist, capturing life in the form of Art, isn't that what Scrapbooking is all about, preserving life for generations to come and expressing life through creativity.

Today I start the same tradition, this year my word is FAMILY.

Family is something I am always reflecting on. What is Family? Is Family always blood related? What constitutes a Family?

I am the youngest of six girls born eight years after the fifth (my poor father, rest his soul) my mum's first born was a boy whom she lost at six month's then six girls! Do you think they were trying for a boy!!

My father passed away when I was seventeen, my sisters are much older, my mum is now 82. My family are my life long friends and their three grown children and we live in harmony (another word I thought of having! so many words to choose from). I am a sole parent of two boys.

So once again I ask "What constitues family?"

Kids Back Home

Nanna brought Josh and Dylan home today after returning the adopted puppy to the pet store. Poor little puppy's probably wondering what he did wrong, to be taken back to the pet store cage!

Well things are back to normal (depending on what you call normal!) Boys are back noisy as ever, getting stuck into their Christmas toys, talking both at once at one hundred miles an hour and expecting me to understand what they are saying, as I do!

It's funny we crave for peace and quiet and time to ourselves and when the kids are gone we feel like our right arm is missing (in my case my right and my left arm).

Well it must be that fresh new feeling of a New Year that's really got me going today, I've heard from friends, got stuck into work and starting to achieve something. Or maybe it is just the comfort of home and family that puts me at ease.

2007 A Brand New Year

Don't you love the beginning of a new year, a brand new start, a fresh new page, the first day of the rest of your life! All those resolutions.

Had a very quiet New Year's Eve, I really hate all that "what have you done this past year" and reminiscing on how fast the past year has gone by, time goes far too fast for me anyway, so I don't want to be reminded of it.

The first day of the new year however, is a very different story, it's all so brand new and full of promise. I just love the peace after the storm of the Christmas rush, and time with the kids!

Kids! Well this year my two boys just happened upon a sign in the pet store window asking for carers for the New Year holidays and as they were staying at Nanna's (who owns two dogs by the way) persuaded her to adopt a white Cavalier Poodle puppy. (He is oh so cute).

But wait there's more! As we have a Labradoodle who is a large nine month old (all black) he had to go to Nanna's too.

So here's the picture, Nanna who lives in a three bedroom villa, has Joshua, Dylan, (Julius our Labradoodle), (Ben & Zac, Nanna's Maltese Terriers) and the new puppy whom we are not allowed to name as he goes back to the pet store tomorrow, (but Dylan has named him Rupert).

Rupert is living the life of luxury for two days but is being torn apart by the two boys!

Thank God for Nanna's!!!

Santa's Coming to Town

What a whirlwind the last couple of days have been! Read this really great poem on Stacy Julian's blog called Funny Funny Mother, hands up all the Mum's who can relate to it!

Well we have been to church for the children's mass which was wonderful, sat down with eleven family members to a feast of Turkey, Ham & Pork with all the trimmings and drank champagne.

It has been so beautifully cozy with the rain falling outside and just towards the end of dinner we had a blackout and sat and talked by candlelight. How cool is that for a perfect Christmas Eve.

Now it is 1:22 a.m. the boys are sleeping soundly, Santa's been and drank the milk and left an awful mess of biscuit crumbs and the reindeer have dropped carrot stalks all over the yard so I guess it's going to be a fantastic Christmas Day.

There is far too much under the Christmas Tree for the boys, Family is coming up for lunch tomorrow and we will all be eating far too much again. Life is beautiful!

Have a very Merry Christmas Everyone!

Funny, Funny Mother!
See Mother.
See Mother laugh.
Mother is happy.
Mother is happy about Christmas.
Mother has many plans.
Mother has many plans for Christmas.
Mother is organized.
Mother smiles all the time.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother smile.
Mother is happy.
The shopping is all done.
See the children watch TV.
Watch children, watch.
See the children change their minds.
See them ask Santa for different toys.
Look! Look!
Mother is not smiling.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother sew.
Mother will make dresses.
Mother will make robes.
Mother will make shirts.
See Mother put the zipper in wrong.
See Mother sew the dress on the wrong side.
See Mother cut the skirt too short.
See Mother
Put the materials away until January.
Look! Look!
See Mother take a tranquilizer.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother buy raisins and nuts.
See Mother buy candied pineapple
And powdered sugar.
See Mother buy flour, dates, pecans,
Brown sugar, bananas and spices.
Look! Look!
Mother is mixing everything together.
See the children press out cookies.
See the flour on their elbows.
See the cookies burn.
See the cake fall.
See the children pull taffy.
See Mother pull her hair.
See Mother clean the kitchen
With the garden hose.
Funny, funny Mother!

See Mother.
See Mother wrap presents.
See Mother look for the end
On the Scotch tape roll.
See Mother bite her fingernails.
See Mother go.
See Mother go to the store
Ten times in one hour.
Go Mother, go.
See Mother go faster.
Run, Mother, run!

See Mother trim the tree.
See Mother have a party.
See Mother make popcorn.
See Mother wash the walls.
See Mother scrub the rug.
See Mother tear up organized plan.
See Mother forget gift for Uncle Harold.
See Mother get hives.
Go, Mother, go!
See the faraway look in Mother's eyes.
Mother has become disorganized.
Mother has become disoriented.
Funny, funny Mother!

It is finally Christmas morning.
See the happy family.
See Father smile.
Father is happy.
Smile, Father, smile.
Father loves fruitcake.
Father loves Christmas pudding.
Father loves all his new neckties.
Look! Look!
See the happy children.
See the children's new toys.
Santa was very good to the children.
The children will remember this Christmas.

See Mother.
Mother is slumped in a chair.
Mother is crying uncontrollably.
Mother does not look well.
Mother has ugly dark circles
Under her bloodshot eyes.
Everyone helps Mother to her bed.
See Mother sleep quietly
Under heavy sedation.
See Mother smile.
Funny, funny Mother!

Christmas Magic

Christmas is not really about the hype and stress we go through, as the name implies it's about Christ, Peace and Children. Took these photos on Sunday and realised there really are angels on earth. I can say that now at 12:47 a.m. while they are sleeping peacefully! LOL

These eyes are amazing. 

See more of my Christmas Photography in the Christmas Magic Album on my sidebar.

Thank You

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to all my friends and customers for your fantastic emails and good wishes on my new website, it's really good to get feedback. A very special thank you to Tanya and her husband Mark, Ros and Dujon who works in the office next door to mine. All these people were such a great help in getting my new studio up an running. Would you believe all the furniture had to be built!! Ros is the new queen of the drill and really good at it I might add.

Thanks guys.

Advent is Here! & Pics of My Studio

December 3rd already! Where has this year gone, the month of December makes me want to hyperventilate, I feel everything goes so fast I can hardly breathe, a million things on my To Do List and as I cross off jobs done more are added on the bottom.

I am really looking forward to the boys finishing up at school for the year, don't you love that feeling of the last day of school, you can finally throw away the old shoes that have been literally hanging on by a shoe string, no more lunches, no more homework, no more being bound by the school clock. Time to chill.

Finally had a chance to take some photos of my studio, as you can see I still have empty shelves, but I am getting there, have a peek. . . See more in the In My Studio Album on my side bar. Click on the images below for a larger view.

Just love this storage system, everything is movable and adjustable to suit size and height of any item I want to store....

These drawers are terrific, there are six shallow drawers perfect for paper and photographs (no wasted space). The filing cabinet has two rows of A4 files which sit side by side. It sits on casters for easy mobility and looks really attractive

A space to be Creative. Check out this great work table, it has a built in light box and storage in the trestle legs....

These shelves fit 12x12 paper trays perfectly (nor more bending for cardstock!). The drawers are movable and can be placed in any formation....

Fire Season

O.K. well I have been a really, really bad blogger! Smack on the knuckles for me. Apart from trying and I emphasise the word trying to get a head start on Christmas, motherhood always sneaks in and takes priority!

Well last night we were having a lovely family dinner, all eight of us when our neighbour knocked on our door to inform us there was a fire in the reserve which is primarily our back yard which overlooks the lake. We all rushed out to find one of our neighbour's videoing the event and most of the others looking very worried. While waiting for the firefighters to arrive two of the older boys went out to try and diffuse the flames. When they finally emerged covered in black soot and two more emergency phone calls later to 000, the firefighters finally arrived.

At 8:00 p.m. what we thought was a small bush fire turned out to be an evacuation, personal possessions thrown in the car and hysterical children not wanting to die!

The firefighters finally saved the day or night I should say, but this morning really showed up the debri left from the falling ash.

Just on a lighter note, I was very impressed with myself and the two boys for the speed and calm in evacuating from the house. We were told to take what we could carry and leave the house as soon as possible. As the boys and I have bedrooms upstairs I felt we were disadvantaged with time!! But after all was said and done and in the late evening whilst I was trying to sleep I thought I was fortunate in what I had managed to get to safety. First and foremost my two boys, although hysterically crying and not wanting to loose their home and toys they were safe. Secondly I was with them and had managed to get my bag of negatives and discs of photographs, my camera, my laptop and my jewellery to safety.

Although a very long, real and frightening night, it was a really good drill for us all if it were to happen again.

It's Here!

Small things hey! Or maybe not so small! Do you ever stop and think about the things that really make you happy, just unpacked my new Cricut machine today (purely for demonstration purposes I assure you!) and It was like Christmas. Seems like yesterday not 2005 I saw it demonstrated at the Paper Crafts Festival thinking I just cannot wait twelve months and here it is.

I have so many new toys and just not enough time to play.

I am really settling into my new work environment, people are really nice and so friendly. Think I am a bit of an unknown quantity amongst all the different business's, I'll soon convert them all to scrapbookers!!.

Penrith Paper Arts Festival

Under the guise of work I get to do what I do best, create, shop and have "scrapaways". Seems like ages since I was at Kiwi Scraps. Had a great time at the trade show and came away with 30 new Chatterbox Bazzill colours to go with the umteen number of Chatterbox papers I have for the new store! Also had a demo on the new Cricut and Cuttlebug machines, I  am soooo excited stock gets sent out on Monday.

Also did some really cool classes with Elsie Flannigan and Carrie Utley from Chatterbox and got some fabulous scrapping goodies too.

Today is Melbourne Cup and I went to the Business Womens Connect Luncheon at the Crown Plaza and got to sport my brand new business cards and new logo. Hot off the press they were delivered to the Concierge moments before I arrived. Guest Speaker was Katrina Blowers, you know from the Merrick and Rosso show. She is so inspirational and very down to earch, makes you feel like to can achieve anything! The really cool thing Is that she asked me for my business card as her best friend loooooves scrapbooking!

PS: I didn't win anything on my sweeps, fun afternoon though.

I'm Back

What a hectic few weeks I've had!! Moving is exciting but certainly not fun, but everything was finally packed and moved. For the last two weeks I have spent my time getting my website up and running but most exciting of all has been setting up my brand new studio. There have been many shopping trips for just the right furniture and there is a definite satisfaction in getting your personal space just right.

Take a peak inside. . .

Introduction

Welcome back to all my friends and customers who have made Picture Perfect Scrapbooking so successful and have led me to create my online store.

I would also like to say hello to new customers from Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, Newcastle, Perisher, Perth, Melbourne and Tassie.

It was really quite incredible how many holiday makers from these areas found my store on their way into Terrigal and became loyal customers, which led me to developing my online store.

Most of you, would know how hectic it has been at Picture Perfect with our huge birthday sale and moving premises but to top it all off in the midst of the rush I have had to contend with a death in my family and my laptop being stolen!

So I hope you will all have patience while I get things up and running. It has been two weeks and still waiting for replacement computer equipment but we will get there in due course.

Sit back relax and watch us grow to cater for your scrapbooking needs.

Ciao

Giorgi