Well, THAT was fun! NOT!

I'm going to remove the pwprotect and the hotlink tonight. And we shall see *g* Think I'll leave the blog at blogspot until it's all sorted though. If you don't want it to happen to you, don't post about namesofcontentmanagemts or they think you use one and try to attack it. If you do have one, read the forums to find out how to protect yourself.

2 hours of my life I won't get back waiting on the phone for tech support.

So, I've been learning the new laptop and Vista while I have been having my sabbatical. Doing the inventory. And redesigning my logo and site. Twill all be shiny and new. And painting and working. So, busy. and tired. and whatever.

Do you know how tiring it is to spend money? Never would have believed it, but there ya go. New fridge, dryer, lounge etc The child about to be kicked out of the nest a second time is in heaven as she gets all the old stuff. House is crammed as we have 2lots of furniture. We will be there by the 17th or earlier.

So hopefully...

this works. I've just switched back to blogspot and redirected the feed to feedburner so at least I'm partially back. Maybe.

Grrrr

I apologise for my sudden disappearance and locking everyone out. My server was kiddyhacked and I am currently offline as a result. Hopefully the attack will soon stop and I can reload.

Mia got accepted to do Visual Art, so we will be moving in 2 weeks. The house we have rented is very quirkily laid out, but we can make it work for 12 months until we decide if we like the city and want to buy. The house has just been renovated and painted etc, looks very nice although the picket fence is pale yellow, not white *g*
The 2 kidlets begged us to find a house in Jackass Flats, alas, we could not, so are living in Kangaroo instead LOL I kid you not!

Got our corp tickets for WSBK, so we move then come back 2 weeks later to Phillip Island. I am spray painting some tshirts to wear as I only have fan stuff in the old colours.

Got the new laptops yesterday, so have been setting them all up, it's been like a production line adding anti virus, firewalls, spyware etc. Everyone wanted a Logitech mini mouse like mine, so we trooped off to Officeworks. No mice were bought but came home with an LCD HDTV for a really good price *g* 34" so it fits into the wall unit nicely. The company has made really good computer monitors for years so we shouldn't have any drama's. It was even cheaper as someone bought it and returned it because it didn't have a digital set top box. They didn't even take it out of it's box. Bonus!

Anyway, I am off to get some sleep. Nitey nite, don't let the bed bugs bite *g*

OMG! Oh the Dramaz!

A big sorry to those who read in a reader. I have been having my images & bandwidth [amongst other stuff] pinched by people. Leeches. I thought that it would be better to put images back up but they were swooped upon again. So now I am trying the Ban Hotlink method. Which, has the obvious drawback of images not showing via the Readers. Le Sigh.

As I said, OMG the Internetz Dramaz!

So, Oh Wise One's... What do you recommend I do?

A/ Remove the hotlink protection and just go with the flow?
B/ Leave it and see how many people complain bitterly that they had to click through?
C/ Give up and don't worry about it?

I've been buying on Ebay for 7 years and never had a parcel go missing in transit until now :-( Bummer. I've never seen this particlar item before either, a miniature replica racing helmet. Seller was great though and refunded straight away, so no probs apart from not getting it. Oh well, maybe I could just buy the helmets blank and paint them to suit.

OTOH, I did just grab a wooden plan cabinet for $31- that matches the new drafting table top and work desk tops that Hubby just made for me. The others were either too large or too small. So,that's worked out well. It has wheels too! I can also plonk my lightbox on top of it and free up some space as well. Bonus!

I also got an invitation from an online Artist gallery which is local, so accepted that. Hopefully we get the new digital camera next week and the photogs in the family can take photo's of artwork to upload.

Well, best get going, I have to get dolled up and go meet a client.

Luvya's!

Zentangles

Here are my first couple of Zentangles. Sorry 'bout the image, my digital camera spat the dummy, so I used my phone.

Absolutely Amazing...

the things you find when you open boxes that haven't been opened for the last 4 moves! [pre 2000 at least] I was just going to chuck them but then thought I'd better see what treasure I had buried in the shed. Wayne Gardner and Max Biaggi stickers and stuff from ages ago as well as some mags that had Wayne Gardner, Kevin Magee and Daryl Beattie articles in them. I can't believe how young they all look. A black leather jacket I wore when I was in my Madonna phase LOL  A pink holden jacket we got in Ballarat while we were visiting friends.

Also in there was a menu I pinched from a restaurant that Zamm and I ate at in Burbank while I was there. I did tip well though *g*  Mickey Mouse ears I got at Disneyland and Lord of the Dance programmes. Weird badges I bought for Gawd knows what reason at the Star Trek casino in Vegas. Along with seventy billion keyrings. The snow goggles I bought immediately after getting off the ski lift while I was still in a state of panic. Because OMFG I can't see and I was in the air and Dad grabbed my backpack tilting me forward and I thought I was going to be a freaking news story. Mum & Dad still laugh at me about that, it's the $200- Impulse buy story.

From my childhood a ten pin bowling badge and softball trophies along with ribbons for 100m and the 4 x 100m relay. Along with photo's of me wearing the neck brace, 12 months of living in the tropics with long hair and a neck brace still makes me shudder.

A kookaburra [stuffed toy] that a friend gave me at least 30 years ago and my treasured Tenderheart Care Bear that I thought I'd lost in a move. I even bought a replacement on Ebay not long ago :-) My wetsuit I always wore while waterskiing[ never gonna fit in that again! LOL] and my gloves from speedway.

So, basically my whole life in a box.

So not chucking that kind of stuff out!

There's a few more boxes to go through now before we move.

Yes. We are. Tomorrow it's official. Hubby got upgraded today and gets out tomorrow TG!

Defining my focus

Sacred Geometry and Sacred Numerology is involved in what I'm working on now as a series. Basically. It's a bit more complicated than just saying it flippantly though. My biggest problem last year was defining what direction I wanted to go in. I got stuck in a loop of my making.

Some pieces will be on kangaroo vellum. Some on modern paper vellum from Spicers and some will be on Arches watercolour paper. All will have gold or palladium, silver sometimes but that will be sealed. Gouache or watercolour depending on the image. I always use watercolour pencils first to do the base image.

A lot of people asked if my art was religious and that had me a bit freaked. Not particularly, but I'm drawn to Iconography and Art before the Renaissance, Byzantine and Gothic to be specific as well as Celtic. I also love Art Noveau and Art Deco works. I love tattoos and in another life probably would have been a tattoo artist.

I'm not discussing my spirituality or religious beliefs through art, that wasn't my focus and I struggled with that. I also didn't want to be seen disrespecting any religion as I am not a political artist either. So, feedback good or bad is welcome, I don't get offended easily as long as it's honest. Art is subjective.

Anyway, images and wip's and parts of my paper process journal will start appearing here again now that I have defined what I'm doing in my head. Once I have it more solidified I'll put it here. I'm redefining myself and moving away from web design, which while more lucrative doesn't call me as much as traditional art. I have one large corporate client site to finish then I can move over completely.

Probably why Zentangles appeals to me as a relaxation tool rather than the scrunched paper method for inspiration. I doodle all the time anyway but Zentangles are more structured.

I tend to perfectionism especially in my artwork. Lines and colours etc have to be right and some pieces have been ripped up and/or done multiple times before it's right enough for me. A lot of people express horror if an artist rips stuff up but a process journal can only hold so much LOL 

Life has been chaotic with all the comings and goings and people's perceptions of me. I am not a cookie cutter Mum. I connect with my kids with the exception of one. I don't know why, but I just don't meet what she thinks a Mother should be. And that makes me sad.

But, I am who I am and 3 think I'm a great Mum. It's taken a long time for me to accept that she'll always be looking for the perfect Mother ideal she holds. She got imperfect me who just doesn't behave the way she wants and I have to stop trying to be that fictional person.

I wrote this to focus myself  and make sure I don't forget the direction. I don't like a lot of chaos, some I can handle but the jumble of life and what other people want me to be or think was too much for me in the last couple of years. So, please excuse the rambling while I redefine and sort my life back out. Thinking about how I feel instead of what I'm expected to feel, say or do.

Anyway, I have to go put my Mummy cape on as D3 is having a friend drama!

The Holiday.

We got to here [ Bridge between San Remo and Phillip Island] and smelt sea!

We stayed here [well, in a cabin to be precise!]

 

and ate breakfast with these every morning

while this lurked looking for his breakfast. Also every morning LOL

 

Then we spent a lot of time watching these guys

 

and these came to say Hi when we went to get lunch at the Visitor Centre.

We freaked out when this guy slithered out of the grass, a couple of feet away from us. [ Eastern Brown]

Which led to this.

 

We also went here

and saw this

as well as this [Blowhole in action]

followed by this sight when we had dinner.

 

and saw this friendly guy

We also went to the Penguin Parade and watched the penguins come in but you're not allowed to take photo's. We came home yesterday and just about melted from the heat!

Now, back to work!

Home Again!

Air conditioning YAY! We just got back from Phillip Island, talk about stinking hot. Had a good time though, took the kidlets to the Penguin Parade and to the Nobbies. Saw lots of motorbikes, penguins, seals, rabbits and a brown snake EEK! Photo's tomorrow as I am hot, tired and sunburnt.

Sigh....

Ok,changed to blogspot temporarily until the drama with the server gets sorted. It's been a couple of weeks already...

So much for my New Years resolution LOL

If anyone wants me, I'll be at Siberia...

well, the corner known as Siberia at the track at Phillip Island anyway LOL

I has been a busy bee. After a loooong time of having lots of people here we are finally down to 5 people in the house. So, I decided that before we go on holiday and then move in a month or 2  to have a huge spring clean and rearrangement of living space. We moved my workroom back to it's original room now that we have space. Ahhhhh, I feel like I can breathe again.

I've been feeling much better recently as I feel comfortable in my own home again and don't have to hide upstairs in our bedroom to get away from everyone. D2 is looking for a flat with her mates, is settled at work and has a new bloke.  I feel much better about leaving her here by herself. She hasn't had any major seizures since she's been on the medication, so one relaunched from the nest successfully.

There's been some developments with the eldest but not in a good way, I am not happy about that. I can't fix it, so I have to let it go. Working on that. Think Britney.

We had the Grandsons come to visit for 5 days, we had fun. Entertaining little boys, they are *g*

Also, the friend that screwed me over last year and to whom I have not spoken too since, sent me a happy happy text message for the New Year WTF??????  Righto mate. Yeah, like I'm going to let you back into my life to be used all over again. No.

We're taking off for a week to Phillip Island to stay in a cabin to recover from the holiday season. I haven't stayed at this place, so hopefully it will be nice. Pretty much the last spaces available due to summer, test days etc

We're doing the penguin parade and stuff like that, I'll get to do the girl on car bonnet pose watching the testing. Sea air, sunburn and windburn all at the same time. Fun.

I have some work to finish off and my Server Host has had some issues over the last month that when I get back late next week I'll  have to go through and repair each client.

I've had time to make some necklaces and beads from polymer clay. It's very therapeutic to knead the clay instead of someone's head. LOL I've learnt a lot of techniques from one lady's blog in particular. She has great video tutorials and her necklaces are easier for me to work out how to make with my stiff joints. If your interested in clay go here I'm mucking around with a variation of her Mokume Gane technique. very pretty.

Thankfully my creative block has lifted and I am painting again as well. Phew. This is the longest period I have gone without being able to finish artwork. Some have been tossed in the bin but I still have a pile that will work and be able to finish them.

I made new cushion covers from felt  and blanket stitch even!

While I'm away I'm working on a new design for the blog to match my site but be different. Yes. I know what I mean. In my head that sentence is fully formed and coherent. Obviously my fingers need to work on their translation skills. heh.

My New Years resolution is to not stress about stuff, Let it go. Relax. Chill. So far it's been working.

I hope 2008 is a great year for everyone!

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

Smile at a stranger, Hug a friend, feed the ducks.



Back in a few days.

Christmas meme

I got sent this via email, so anyone who wants can consider themselves taggee's! leave a comment though so I can see your answers. Yeah, I'm a sticky beak LOL

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper. Lots and Lots. Think I was a cat in a former life, love wrapping paper and hate water.

2. Real tree or artificial?
Fake. We had real one's when I was a kid and then the mad bomber bombed the place we bought them from and it's made bad associations with real trees. Plus they're messy. I have kids to make mess if I want mess.

3. When do you put up the tree?
December 1st, without fail. One year before I had kids to do it, I speed decorated at 11.57pm. Best job of decorating the tree I ever did LOL

4. When do you take the tree down?
January 1st. I can also speed disassemble too. Although it does mean that before I got the new fibre optic tree this year that the lights were always so tangled that I had to buy a new set every year.

5. Do you like eggnog?
No. Raw eggs. Enuff said.

6. Favourite gift received as a child?
My crystal radio with earphones! I dragged that thing everywhere for years until it expired from overuse.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
No, but I have been eyeing off a Santa train track that goes around the bottom of the tree. And a 2 foot high Santa that says Ho,Ho,Ho and flashes his lights at you.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Parentals. GAH! One mob is easier  than t'other mob though.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
The granddaughter. heh. She's 7 months, anything she can safely gum to death is a winner!

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Lime green washing basket.

11. Mail or Email Christmas cards?
Errrr, well, I have to say I normally mail Christmas cards as I am a very competitive person and a friend and I try to beat each other every year. BUT, this year I was a bit cranky and Bah Humbug due to the sudden change of plans until I kicked myself in the arse and so it will be a mix this year. El won this year I'm afraid, so next year I'm sending them out at Easter to be sure I win.

12. Favourite Christmas movie?
The Santa Clause 1, 2 and 3. There was a cartoon I loved to watch every year but I forget what it was called and it hasn't been on that I know of.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Tomorrow. I think.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
heh. yep, but so far I have resisted the temptation to recycle the lime green washing basket. And, so it sits. And mocks me.

15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas?
Leg of ham. Ham thinks it's a bit kinky though *g*

16. Clear lights or coloured on the tree?
Both and with lots of flashy stuff happening.

17. Favourite Christmas song?
Good King Wenceslas.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home?
While we have been in Melbourne we only travel on Christmas Day across Melbourne. It's not a good thing. In previous years depending on where we have been in Oz it can take from 1 hour to 3 or 4 days.

19. Can you name all of Santa�s Reindeer?
Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Cupid, Dixon, Rudolph, Comet, Dasher and my personal fave, Prancer!

20. Angel on tree top or star?
Depends on who has the starring [snerk!] role of putting the ornament on top of the tree. Usually the Star wins as the kids think it's cruel and unusual punishment for an Angel, although sometimes poor Santa gets the honours *g*

21. Open all the presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Due to travel as previously mentioned and me being stressed on Christmas Morning because I have to go over the Westgate Bridge in particular, we are toying with the idea of Christmas Eve being our Christmas Day now the kids are older. They all still assure me they believe in Santa though. Right. LOL

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
All the PC nuts. So, Merry Christmas everyone and I hope Santa brings everyone some happiness. Lime green washing baskets.

23. What I love most about Christmas�
Myer windows.Wrapping paper.Happy excited kids.Summer. No cyclones.

Bloody Hell!

Going on some of the recent search terms people have entered and found my site by, all I can say is....

Your computer needs to have it's cache washed out with soap.

I have some pics to put up but the usb cable is in hiding.  And I'm tired. And now gobsmacked after looking at my server stats. So later. Promise!

Today is really yesterday

[ Should be 28th]

I lost a whole post because my laptop overheated and shut down. Which, I should have known would happen as that has just been the kind of day I had.

So.. in random order....

My drafting table flung me, several glass items, all the clay I was using, a pasta machine, vise and various other painting and gilding items through the air this morning. I ended up covered in clay, glue, paint water and glass shards. I mean I usually am covered in paint, bits of gold and clay but not in such great quantities.

The drafting table's counter balance thingy or something equally as technological became unhinged. Much like it's owner did shortly afterwards when she realised that all the handmade buttons and beads she had just made were covered in glass. *sigh*

And no, I did not have shoes on, so had to sit there and wait until DH arrived back from his run to retrieve me. Yes, he laughed, but only when he thought I didn't know.

Of course, because I now have millions of tiny cuts similiar to paper cuts, it got very hot here and I felt like I was being stung by a million bees. So I cut my losses  and went shopping. Handbags! Shoes! Airconditioning! All at the same time! Bliss.

Youngest daughter passed her VCE and graduated. I know for sure because we went to her graduation tonight. I was so happy I almost hugged the hag who made our life a misery earlier this year. Almost. I didn't though. I am not THAT nice.

Aforementioned Youngest daughter turns 18 tomorrow. Her friends are taking her out to lunch and on a slurpy trail, which means she'll be on a major sugar high. Her sister is making strawberry daiquiri's for her birthday dinner. Which means I'll be as pissed as a parrot by 7pm and snoring 10 minutes later. [ You know I'm joking, right? LOL ]

Her sister is making the daiquiris because she begged me to let her organise D3's birthday cake and then forgot. Which I didn't know until 10-30 tonight when I remembered to ask her. The baker couldn't do it tonight as he finishes early but they will do it tomorrow. Phew.

I'm off to bed. Nite.

Best laid plans...

It's going to be another 4-6 weeks at least before the MOTH retires.

I am not a happy camper.

I think my head is going to explode.

I'm back

Interesting last couple of weeks I must say. Must be something in the water. Isn't it amazing the things that crawl out of the woodwork when they think someone is vulnerable.

Noone is afraid of you. Slink away.

Anyway, enuff of that effwit....

Funniest thing that happened though is my husband squished me with the car LOL Idiot! Accidentally of course, but hey, I get bonus stuff when he's feeling guilty! hehehe

New laptop I think. He only got my knee caught in between bumpers and it was the crappy knee anyway, but I'll run with it *g*  Although, he asked me if I wanted to go to Europe next year and see the pretty paintings and meander to a few motorbike races at the same time. Why, yes, I would! So, maybe.

This would be the idea :

August 3   Great Britain  Brands Hatch*    
August 24     Tba  Tba   
September 7    Great Britain     Donington Park*  
September 28     Italy          Vallelunga    
October 5     France          Magny Cours* 

 

I'm making pretty shiny things at the moment. Might even sell some. or not. I might keep them for me. I guess I better get off my lazy arse and take some photo's of what I have been doing. Otherwise, I have no reason to blog. LOL except make poor unsuspecting cyber travellers wonder how I manage to function in RL.

Luvya's all!

For all the search engine people...

Supernaut's official Myspace page is here

Gary Twinn's is here

Mine is here LOL [ *pout* I'm starting to feel left out!]

I really only use Myspace for musician updates, very convenient.

Wax is on apples to make them shiny and look good in the supermarket so you buy them.

Waxing without wax eyebrows is called threading or plucking *g* Threading hurts more than waxing and slightly less than plucking in case you wondered.

I don't know a place in Townsville that does threading. Your best bet for getting your eyebrows waxed there though is the Willows or Stockland or somewhere like that.

Without Wax means Yours Sincerely according to some definitions. The idea is that the latin sine [without] cera [wax] is the origin of the word Sincere, however that's also disputed by some scholars and dictionary putterer togetherers. It is also based on Roman/Greece sculptors who covered flaws in their products with wax. So basically without wax means no flaws *g*  

Yep, that's me. No flaws. Just kidding. It was my smartarse response to someone who was being a pita and it just kinda stuck.  I may change it at some stage though as I'm a female and that's my birthright.

As for some of the others, the photo's are mine. I took some and my daughter took some at Phillip Island. None were stolen from other sites.

I am tired, granddaughter is in bed so I am going as well.

Nitey Nite!

Naming Day

The granddaughter has a new name officially bestowed upon her by Nana...

 

 

Stinkerbelle

I am verrrrrrry tired!

I forgot how tiring looking after a baby 24/7 is! even if the Mother left me a Nana cheat sheet.

hehehehehehe. yeah. she did. So funny! No, she knows I know how to look after a baby, she has a routine already and I don't want to accidentally change it.

Actually, she's a very easy baby to look after, I'm just out of practice of missing sleep and settling fussy teething babies. I'm glad I had mine while I was younger though. If I'd had my first now, they'd be an only child!

Not to mention all the extraneous crap parents buy these days. I'm gobsmacked at all the *stuff* that is supposedly necessary these days.

Can't have a bath  without checking the temp with a thermometer.

The dummy [ errr no, not me] has to be a special one like a freaking venus fly trap and snaps shut if it's dropped. Of course it was not designed to be easy for idiot grandparents to re-open. I had to read the Instruction book 3 times to get it open again. I should have just given it to the 5 mth old, she'd have got it open again in 2 secs I'm sure.

The bath has to have a ramp thing so the baby doesn't drown. Geeez. Whatever happened to testing water temp with your wrist, holding the squirmer in the crook of your arm and by one leg while you dunk them.

The pram has to be assembled like it's a bike bought last minute on Christmas Eve with a bolt missing. EACH.TIME.YOU.USE.IT.  It doesn't just flip open and it's in 2 pieces. Refolding and disassembling the bloody thing once you got it open and reassembled the bit that holds the baby to the bit that rolls along is just as bad as getting the thing together. You just about need and engineering degree to work it out. Not to mention lots of lego building experience as a child.

I ended up standing outside the bank for 30mins holding the baby. She had a lot of pensioners fussing and making kissy faces at her the whole time. I wasn't game to sit down at the footpath cafe tables next door in case one of them clonked me over the head with their handbags and ran off with her.Bet you think I'm joking!

It's a wonder the change table/bath combo can't bath and change the baby by itself. Although, trying to lift a wet wriggly naked kid out of the bath and flip the change table part back down over the bath while flipping a towel on it to prevent said kid sliding off the plastic cover is definitely an interesting experience.

Toys require more battery power to run them than your average car. Not to mention that they all have to be educational rather than fun. Although it's definitely educational at 2am in the morning when Nana wanders past and sets of the music of the movement activated toy.

She's going to have an extensive vocabulary by the time she's 6 mths old *g*

And please, don't get me started on the capsule/car seat thingymajig.

Back in the olden days.. ROFL
I used to bath all of the kids in the kitchen sink more often than not until they were old enough for a bath tub or shower. Right height for me so I didn't break my back bending down to them. Throw some dettol or betadine on and wipe it down. Simple.

I do have a dishwasher though, so may not have done it if  I didn't.

The pram was one piece that you opened and closed by foot and side clips. When they outgrew it, you bought a stroller that *amazing* worked the same way.

The change table was a mat on the floor or table.

Baby capsules were capsules. Car Seats were Car Seats, neither of them were designed by NASA engineers as these new one's appear to have been.

No batteries were required in toys until they reached at least 2 years old and even then, generally only 2 were required.

The only crying she's done in the 2 days so far, was today when she was assessed by the paediatric physio checking her neck muscles and while she showed me the excercises she needs to have done to correct the problem.

Apart from that, she's been perfect. She even chucked up on Grandads side of the bed LOL

Speaking of which, I can hear my bed calling me.  Oh wait...no. It's not my bed. I forgot to turn off the bloody music motion detector toy!

'Avagoodweekend Mateys! I'm going to *g*

 

Hearin' - baby snores via the monitor complete with lights and battery backup

Readin' - Baby Instruction manuals for pram, bath, car seat and toys.