Me a bad blogger? so it would seem!

I know, it's been ages since I last posted! I must admit I was sort of relishing in the laziness of it all! But you know you've been a bad blogger when you start getting email's "Is everything alright? I haven't seen a post in a while? are you sick?" ha ha. Thanks Em!! ha ha.
So I got off my butt today and here I am!
We've had such weird weather lately. Now, it is supposed to be Spring, by this time last year we were crawling around the floor, tongues lolling out, desperately searching for water and saying "Water-I need water". Get the picture? IT was HAWT. Sure, this year, we've had a few hot days, but nothing that makes you want to strip naked running into the sea! (okay people, I have NOT done this!)This weekend for instance has been one long tedious miserable week of rain, cold, socks and endless cups of coffee to try and stay warm! I don't get it!




Now onto some photos I took recently at our local nature reserve:
This is the little museum and tourist information center.

Some birds. I was fortunate to get these nice shots.

This bird had some bread in its mouth. We were throwing the bread into the reeds next to the river and watching them come swopping from afar to get to the bread.

This is quite a funny photo, I got the bird in a half-flying, half-landing motion. He looks so sweet! Just after I took this, these two had a real "Barney" over a piece of bread! ha ha.

We also saw these tortoises-amazing. I think this was the first time I had seen a tortoise in the wild.

Another nice shot of these Cape Weaver birds-again the one with it's back to us has bread in its mouth. Greedy little fellows! ha ha.

This beautiful bridge with all these lovely purple blossoms.

Me posing on the bridge! haha


I must say I am fascinated with birds and with nature as a whole. I guess I have always been like that, but I find as I get older, I appreciate it more and more and just being surrounded by beauty and nature in its purest form, really touches me on a deep level. I think it is because we are supposed to be at one with nature and it is in our instincts to feel like that. I always try and get the kids to really take a closer look to and like to point out small things like lady birds. They also really have a love for it. Going to the nature reserve is one of our favorite things to do.

Okay well I promise to be a good girl and try and blog more regularly again!

Just to reward you for your patience and lucky you if you managed to make it to the end of this post, cos here is a little freebie for you!
While we don't have snow here in South Africa, well we do, but it never reaches the ground! I wanted to do this for those of you who do and to scrap your winter photos. It has nothing to do with Christmas, since I personally don't celebrate it. It was made purely with winter/snow photos in mind. Thanks and enjoy.

DOWNLOAD HERE
PLEASE LEAVE SOME LOVE IF YOU DOWNLOAD AND PLEASE DON'T SHARE THE LINK OR THE FREEBIE IN ANY PART OR FORM.I would love to hear from you if you download. Thanks so much.

It is called Snowy Days and has 3 papers, a snowman and some snowflakes-brrr makes me cold! We don't get snow here, so it is nice to do something like this!!
The last time I was in snow was about 12 years ago! My kids have never been in snow-arw!
Also if you like this, sign up for the Snap and scrap newsletter HERE, cos Jenni and I have put together a freebie for it!

Thank you Em!

My lovely kind friend sent me a beautiful parcel of goodies all the way from England which I got today! Thank you my sweet friend, I love all of it! She knows my style-vintage, shabby-chic!
Just look:

This beautiful vintage tin

stunning teacup and saucer-Em I can't believe it made it here without even a hairline crack! you can bubble wrap girl! ha ha

This stunning card which the words really made me cry! (inside not on the cover-lol!)

My anniversary card for last month-so beautiful!

Just look at the detail-love the bits of paint!

Isn't this beautiful?

And even sweet little smart shirts for my kids!


I am so blessed to have a friend like you! Thank you Em!

Something exciting coming soon!

I have something so great planned for the next 8-10 weeks!
As most of you know, on a Wednesday at the snap and scrap blog, I host the post (hey that rhymes!) and my theme is arts and crafts. Well I have been doing a tutorial or an idea now each Wednesday for the past 2 months-that is a long time to come up with something new each time! So I thought that I would introduce something new...for the next 8-10 weeks, each Wednesday I am going to be hosting an Interview with a very talented person (a different one each week-lol) and they are also going to share their own tutorial -some will include photos. I cannot wait for this...do you want to see some of the names I have signed up already?

Kathryn Louise - 28 November
Kari Ramstrom (known as Artsymama) - 5 December
One of my best friends Emma - 12 December
Dede Warren- 19 December
Nerissa Alford - 26 December

Also Monica Andrade
Amy Pytlik
Anastacia Christou

Stay tuned!!

Made some stuff last night

I was in a crafty mood last night and made some goodies...some are for Amy who I am doing a swap with.
So Amy close your eyes if you don't want to spoil it!








(I haven't decided yet 100% which ones I am sending to you and which ones I might keep-hee hee, but the collage is definitely for you-see the "A" on her hat?)



I also wanted to share another favorite site of mine..It is Secrets of a Butterfly. Her name is Kathryn. She makes the most beautiful collages!.We email each other and have done a few swaps. Kat as I call her is a very sweet person.
Go take a look at her lovely site.

Here are some cute pics of some birdies I caught in my garden just now. I even got a shot of this one , what looks like , pruning his feather-either that or doing some type of "shake yer booty" dance. Or as Kim says, a dork dance!




see you soon!

blue

I got these gorgeous flowers for my house the other day....I just love the bright color-electric blue!

Beachy times!

You know it's really summer when you go to the beach for the first time in the new season!
It's terrible, we live literally about 5-10 minutes drive from the beach and NEVER go. There are a number of reasons for this:
1) It is ALWAYS windy here. Not just a small refreshing breeze-I am talking "Whip-your-umbrella-up-and-away" kind of wind , the kind that blows buckets full sand into your mouth! The kind that whips up your hair like you've been electrocuted and then back lashes you with it! Very unpleasant.
2) We have two seasons here-winter for 6 months of the year and summer for 6 months of the year-seriously, there is no such thing here as Autumn and Spring! ha ha. (well if we do get them, they are mild and seem to be over when you blink)
3) Hubby hates the water, beach.
4) I'm lazy (there I admitted it!)
5) I hate sand! (you won't catch me dead building sandcastles, I have this thing about sand getting under my nails. I know, so naff, but it gives me the creeps! I am seriously thinking about taking gloves with next time then at least I can build with the kids!

The kids have been begging me and I really have run out of excuses-today the weather is hot, and not a breath of wind so I thought I would surprise them. I fetched them from school, laden with picnic stuff and their cossies and towels (secretly all stashed in the boot) and then told them I had a surprise for them. ha ha, poor tots thought I was taking them to Mac donalds! (*mom is so predictable!*) but not this time!
We really had a nice time....were there for two and a half hours. We went in and the water was divine! Not at all cold like I thought it would be! Took tons of pictures. I was glad to see I wasn't the only mom in the waves, jumping up and down, holding my camera high above my head! ha ha.
so here are some pics from today...






Looking down at myself now..I can see I forgot one important ingredient: sunblock! I look like a lobster! It's already starting to sting....tomorrow is going to hurt!

Monday is here!

Happy Monday!
The weekend was quite but nice.
I am hoping someone can help me out....I am looking for those ticket stubs that say "Admit one"-any color is fine. I would like to trade a whole lot of them with someone for something else of mine for instance some ATC's, cards-(something flat) I can post in exchange. If you can help me..please email me at bouncingbonbon[at]gmail[dot]com, would really appreciate it, thanks!

Here are some new things I am working on lately. Transforming these books into pretty ones with nice covers. They can be used as journals, notebooks etc. Some I did digitally and then printed them out, others are made out of paper and embellishments.
They are for gifts for a few friends of mine-anniversary's coming up etc. Some of them-the ones with real paper and embellishments I might consider selling, but the digital ones I wouldn't as the TOU's of most designers prohibit this. (understandable really, I think mine does to! lol)
The one above I used My sisters FREE doodles on her blog.
I also used a kit from Little Dreamer Designs called Chirpy Days, Some of Mira Designs free little flowers, a writing rub from Amy cheeseman, Retrodiva's-newsprint alpha and a weeds and wildflowers free quote word art.
This one {above} was mostly Traci Sims-Fly away with Me kit. The journal rub is from Rhonna Farrer and the bg paper is from Chasing Rainbows by Michelle Coleman
{above} all paper stuff and lace, rub ons etc
{above} paper cover

I would love to open up a Etsy shop, but I can't due to them being connected to pay pal and South Africa can only send money through pay pal not receive! (so frustrating!) I would have so many items to sell! From bags, cards, beading, these notebooks and stax more! Oh well...maybe one day when pay pal gets their act together!!
Above: the bg paper is from Chirpy Days-Little Dreamer Designs, the rest images and stickers

Yesterday was the first time I made a fire on my own!! Ha ha. Well with the help of some charcoal and fire strikers! lol! But hubby came home from work (yip he had to work all weekend-pretty boring!) to do a braai (BBQ) and the fire was ready-okay...it did go out but that is not the point, the point is I am woman and I made a fire!! ha ha!! I almost did a little dance with some fire sticks and banged my chest and shouted "I is fire-maker" but I thought that might scare the neighbours, so refrained!

I thought I must say that at the moment we are reading a book to our kids..well mostly my son as I think my 4 year old daughter would be a bit scared..it is the BFG by Roald Dahl. I last read this when I was a child myself-oh my word, I am so enjoying it! It is hilarious!! The words in that book are too funny! And the way he speaks...everything is " I is a hunkydoodly sort of gush-womping giant"...ha ha.
It is such fun! We have this thing in our family that reading is very important.
In fact when my I was pregnant (more so with my son as I had more time) I would read to my babies in the womb all the time, I never gave up on it and have read to them every single day since they were in my womb! My son loves it more than my daughter, she seems to have a short attention span! I love reading myself so I am glad to pass on this wonderful way of learning and also fun hobby. Every time we buy a book and read it together every night, then when it is finished we buy another one. I love to read the stories to them I so enjoyed as a child such as The faraway tree (Enid Blyton), The wishing chair, and so many more!

What was your favorite book as a child? Do you enjoy reading?
Would love to hear your thoughts!

To journal or not to journal

I hauled out all my old diaries the other night...a huge pile of them! I have kept a diary since I was 12! In a way i have documented most of my life. I still keep a journal although I don't start off with "dear diary" anymore...lol!

It is fun to page through them, read back on what I thought and felt at 13, 15, 18..Memories otherwise I think I would forget were it not recorded for me to read. Sometimes reading these journals have brought back a memory I hadn't thought about in years. For me, keeping a
journal has been about recording my life, my thoughts, my feelings, my memories. It has been a form of escape, a creative outlet, a vent, a need. I feel fulfilled after making a journal entry. I am sure if someone had to find them years from now, when I am long since kicking up daisies, they will think, "Heck, poor woman, to live in such times!" ha ha! My journals are pretty boring I reckon. Nothing incriminating or overly embarrassing in them! I stick a lot of photos in, pictures, quotes, I draw, doodle, whatever inspires and grabs me at the time. I've told my husband that if I die, he must keep them and pass them onto my children for them to read so that they can really "know" who there mom was, thier lives are recorded in there too, my memories of
them, the funny things they did and said, their growth from pregnancy to now. It would be selfish of me not to share it with them. I wouldn't want eveyone reading them, but my hubby and kids would certainly be allowed to!

So do you keep a journal? how many years have you kept one? What sort of things do you write about/keep in it? I don't write every day, probably once a week or twice a week and then I do a recap of the week. Or sometimes I print out my blog entries and stick those in, espicially if it has been about my day.

I found this top the other day-isn't it lovely? I just love the Japanese feel to it!

Something disgusting: I heard on the news today that over 20 million liters of raw sewage leaked out into three large rivers up country from me, due to the load shedage that Eskom (our main electricity provider) has been doing lately. Every day they cut off the power to certain areas at a time to save power and re-direct it to places that need it more. We've had them here too. In fact the other night I noticed when we were on the way to our dinner, all the lights were out and the street lamps and I was freaking out thinking the restaurant would also be out, but luckily when we got there they had power! My poor sister, Jen has had power cuts up where she is living like the whole day almost now for the past week! (go check out her blog by the way, she has an awesome Freebie on it!)

Make time for youself

One thing that Rhonna's challenge really stressed is how important it is to make the time for yourself. This has always been something quite important to me and something I really strive to do. I feel that as a mom you are torn in so many different directions: your children, your husband, your friends, your hobbies, your home, your responsibilities and duties, that chocolate in the cupboard...Sometimes you feel like a piece of meat amongst a pack of lions-everyone yanking you in different directions!

You meet someone, you fall in love and for a while it is just the two of you. Wasn't it great? Remember the lie-ins, the sleep-ins, breakfast in bed? The "what-shall-we-do-today" whim on a Saturday morning? Remember the times you didn't feel like cooking and suddenly decided to go out for dinner? There was no last minute dash to arrange for a baby-sitter, run around grabbing nappies, bottles {Although thank goodness that is all over with now!} so that by the time you two were ready to leave, you were so past hunger and were on the verge of eating each other!

Now days...being a mom..everything runs according to a schedule {*shiver-I hate that word*}
Planning is required, routines are needed. Budget is a word now in your vocab. In fact, as moms we are so organized we could be the sectary for a small country! Imagine: We can find it, we can plan it, we can make it from scratch (especially if it involves anything to do with cardboard, cello tape and paint) We know how to turn peanut butter, noodles and cocoa pops into a meal, we have eyes at the back of our heads, we can sense impending danger, can foresee spillages and falls, forecast lies and catch out the smartest of cheats.

Yes it is hard work being a mom, it is a challenge, but also a blessing and privilege . Underneath that title though is still a person, a woman. Not someone who sorts colors from whites, unpacks the dishwasher, scrubs play-dough off shoes, holds out her hand when her toddler wants to spit out some disgusting gob-filled green mush. There is the person your husband fell in love with-she is still there, you just have to look past the broom and mop.

What your marriage is, is like the best {or worst} example to your children. How they will grow up and enter into it depends on what they learn from you. So they also need to see mom and dad as two individuals who like to go out and have fun.

I always see these couples at restaurants in their say, 50's or 60's, eating a meal. Even when their forks are down and their mouths are empty, there is no conversation at all. They stare blankly past each other, lost in a world of their own.. Not even attempting to talk about the weather. That scares me the most. I would hate to be like them. I don't want to look at my spouse one day , when my kids have left home and say "So...what do you like? " staying in touch with them is about making the time for yourself to do what you enjoy, what makes you happy so that you have something to talk about.

I guess I am writing about this cos It is something I think all of us should do, more so being a mom when your time is so torn between everyone and everything. and It is my 9th anniversary on Wednesday and we are going out to eat and I love that special time! I am having my hair cut and styled and we have a baby-sitter and I can't wait to drink a glass of wine and hear music in the background not "Mommy, can you come wipe my bum?" echoing from the distance! I don't have to stare into the depths of the freezer and wonder what the heck I am going to make out of a lamp chop and what looks like either a packet of frozen peas or some worms my kids have frozen....bliss!!

Link removed


Enjoy and see you tomorrow and if you read this..tell me how you make time for yourself-whether it is 15 min a day or 2 hours a week?

Days like this...

I love them! It's Saturday, I don't normally post on the weekend (and theres no link today) but I gotta post my LAST page of the 21 challenge! Cos I made it!! Yay!

Thanks Rhonna!!!!
I loved this challenge. It IS true that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit! I proved it! yeah!! Some of the habits were too personal to share but the ones I didn't mind sharing were:
-to work in my garden everyday -which I did unless it rained!
-To create everyday-which I did! This was important to me and something I try to do anyway because I am a firm believer that if you make time for yourself each day to do things you as a PERSON not as a mom, wife or friend, but just YOU like, (and 15 min a day is fine too, it doesn't have to be like an hour or two!) then you will happier for it, you will be more fulfilled as a person, which in turn will make you calmer and more productive in other areas. Less crabby or irritable cos you are getting the things you want to get done-done and in turn those around you will be happier too! Everyone wins! I know from personal experience that if I go for long periods without doing anything for myself, I get moody and take it out on everyone around me ! I become Bonnie the Beast-a fire breathing dragon! ha ha.
-To do something positive and fun with my children everyday-which I tried to do.
(the last one at times for me was the hardest cos I am not really the type of mom that likes to sit down and play Polly pockets or go sliding around on my knees pushing a car around the house making ridiculous brrroooommmm sounds! I love doing crafty things with my kids or playing with them outside or doing puzzles. And I let them bake and make a huge mess cos I know it is teaching them good things.

Thanks to you all who shared your hilarious and embarrassing stories yesterday-oh man I had such a chuckle! You should read some of the comments!
I could write a whole book on the things I did as a child or the things my kids get up to!
{couldn't we all?}

WARNING: LONG STORY
Take this scenario for instance: Going back in time to when I was about 8. ...
I remember it was school holidays- summer holidays which was about two months long.
At the end of the holidays it was time to get all my school stuff together and get my bag ready for school for the next day. I remember I had one of those leather satchels with the buckles in front. I thought it was cool! {could barf now thinking about it!}

Anyway there I was happily hunting for my cool little brown satchel, finding it, opening it....
That's when things go blurry for a moment, the lights go out, utter darkness! {the smell must of been so bad it blocked that bit from my memory}.

I am not sure if I was the inventor of some type of new gas but the smells eeking out of that bag were lethal!! I'm surprised I lived to tell the tale! Now, if you think the SMELL was bad, oh my word, you should of SEEN what was inside the bag!!

Some time of bomb had gone off inside of it-there was green/brown fungi growing all over the inside and my lunch box was bobbing up and down in some type of fermenting liquid.
"WHAT DID I HAVE FOR LUNCH TWO MONTH AGO?" I wonder to myself.
Terrified of the "thing" growing in my cute little brown satchel I wondered what to do!
I had two options:

1) Tell dad about the "thing" in my bag and risk a long lecture and possible punishment-cos really the bag was totally WRITTEN OFF! There was no way on earth I was ever using it again!
2) Dispose of the evidence-claiming the bag was eaten by the dog in a moment of sheer starvation or possible case of rabies.

I went with option 2. I waited until no one was around..put on my shoes, gingerly picked up the bag and dumped it into a plastic bag {whilst holding a sock over my nose} and set off to destroy all incriminating evidence. I went down to the little forest across the road from us and there in the bush, I dumped the bag. I said goodbye to my cute little brown satchel, skipping off happily -already thinking about the cool little pink Barbie bag my daddy would buy me...

By some unknown , amazing and awful chance the bag came back to haunt me!
I still don't know to this day how it happened! But later that evening my bag was there-staring up at me with those scathing satchel eyes "Why??? why did you leave me to rot in the field?!" I couldn't believe it.! What kind of sick joke was this?? Who would do such a sick thing??!!

I don't know what happened after that...I seriously have no memory of it..{must of been pretty bad!} cos I don't remember ever getting that cute little pink Barbie bag!!

more tales to follow another day!

I love Fridays...

Why:
-Cos I don't cook
-I get the kids Mac-Donalds normally on a Friday after school (the only day we get take-outs, that is my rule, the rest of the week we eat healthily, so once a week we can binge! although I wouldn't call a happy meal binging! ha ha)
-It's movie night with Hubby
-Saturdays I can sleep in! yay!

So I'm standing in the kitchen yesterday, minding my own business-actually I was preparing dinner, when I feel what is like an earthquake start to happen! But it wasn't..it was my daughter standing behind me, thinking it would be hilarious to place both her hands on my butt and shake it with all the strength in her 4 year old hands! I didn't know whether to laugh, or grab the custard out the fridge and pour it over my jelly bum! ha ha!!!! Anyway after a few minutes it stopped wobbling (okay so I am exaggerating a bit, but man, I really need to do more butt exercises at gym! ) Isn't it lovely the things our kids do? Or remind us about?
It reminds me of all the times I have been out with them as much smaller toddlers and them saying things like (normally at a busy, packed shopping mall)
"Mommy, look at that man, he has no hair...like daddy" (lol!) DH is a tad bald! He shaves it really short though so you can't really tell! ha ha.
Or in the change room (which I haven't done since then with either of them,-I refuse!!) Once my daughter (she was much younger about 2 and a half) knelt down and peeped into the next doors change room and popped her head back in and said really loudly,"Mommy lady has big bum!!!"
*earth you may now swallow me up!*
Actually speaking of embarrassing moments the other day I took my daughter to a public bathroom at the mall and it is one of those where the stalls walls go all the way to the bottom, but is open at the top and under the door. So we are in there and the bathroom is really quiet, I thought we were the only ones in there. Then I hear this loud splash like a cargo box falling out a airplane and landing in a river. My daughter shouts at the top of her voice "SIS! SOMEONE IS MAKING A POO!!" I nearly fell over trying hard not to laugh out loud. I had to really control myself and say, "Shhh, you mustn't be rude! "I had a choice : either get out of there as quickly as possible or wait until cargo lady had left and then leave, saving us both the embarresment. Thank goodness cargo lady left first!

Okay I am caught up with Rhonna's 21 day challenge! one more day! Just waiting for her to post day 21 today.

Day 14 "It's not that some people have willpower and some don't.It's that some people are ready to change and others are not" James Gordan.Day 15: Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. "
Day 16 "Human beings by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. "William James
Day 17: "You have to have the confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." Rosalyn Carter
Day 18: "It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence to take the risks. Yet most people don't." Philip Adams

Day 19: "The secrets of greatness is simple: do better work...and keep on doing it. " Wilfred A PetersonDay 20 " "We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are." Tobias Woll
I can't believe I have {almost} made it!

HERE Is link 4 { THE REST ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE- will leave link 4 up until Monday}
Enjoy! And have a great weekend! Remember no links over the weekend, see you on Monday for link 5!

Question if you have the time before you go: What is the most embarrassing thing your kids have done {or lately} to you?

awards.

Jen, my sister nominated me for a Thanks Jen!
In turn I am nominating...
Betty from She sew pretty
Twinkle Pink
Sandy from Dream, Create and Inspire
Kat from Secrets of a Butterfly
Amy from Rubymoonart

I love reading each of their blogs, they each inspire me with their different talents and creativity and all are lovely women!
I have made my own award! ha ha, why not right?
But it is a hard award to give! I am starting if off my nominating the following fav blogs of mine:
Kari-Artsymama
Gina from Weeds and Wildflowers
Posie -Posie gets cozy
Kim-KimB's digi-scraps and designs
Natasha -Artistic Creations by Natasha Burns

I read this blogs whenever they post. Cant help myself. I'm addicted! You are welcome to use my blinkie. pass it on, spread the word! ha ha.