Kim Archer | Mindful Living

{julie dared me...}

On Sunday I was chatting with Julie Love and sent her over to check out Tara Whitney's blog. I LOVE Tara's photography and LOVED how she persuaded Kristina from 2Ps to drag her sofa outside for a family photo shoot.

Julie then dared me to drag our sofa outside for some photos. So I did.

The family thought I was crazy but obliged me - to start with. Jamison especially, tired of the whole thing within a short period of time. It is VERY difficult to get everyone to look at the camera at the one time without a dumb look on their face!

I took over 200 photos. So yes, no wonder he was tired of it! Some turned out ok. Nothing amazing but there were some nice ones. Our front yard slopes so there was no point setting us up out there so we sat out the back which wasn't the best out look but it was ok. And the light was coming in from the wrong direction.

But it wasn't bad for a first attempt.

The ONLY half way decent family shot is this one

And its not a particularly good one of any of us - well except for the dog! And Ken's shirt buttons are bursting...great fashion look.

And some more

{book week}

It was book week at school last Monday.

Which means a dress up parade. I was supposed to be blissfully enjoying my weekend in Sydney while Ken and the kids were enjoying a long weekend in Canberra for a friends birthday (hi Lyn:O) Sooooooo I didn't think I had to worry about book week costumes as the kids were going to miss school that day.

Wrong!

As our plans were rudely cancelled there was a last minute rush to try and find acceptable costumes for two kids. Capri is always eager to dress up and we had an old dancing costume from Chelseas ballet concert which was fine as an Alice In Wonderland costume. So she was sorted.

But Jamison was another story. He's not big on dressing up. He's ten. And its not that cool to dress up for book week!

So late on Sunday afternoon we STILL hadn't thought of anything. I had visions of me having to drag out the sewing machine and stitch on something other than my scrap pages.

Eventually Jamison said he could go as Tony Hawk - a skateboard legend (as far as a ten year old is concerned!) from a skateboard book. So as long as he was happy I was happy. And he was happy to wear a baseball cap, skate shoes, long denims and carry a skateboard! He looked very hip and happening!

And there were several other Tony Hawks as well.

After the parade Jamison participated in a netball display. He's been picked for the school team to head to Kellyville next month for a school netball comp.  And the netball pinnie on his head was because he spotted me with the camera!

But the highlight of the entire day was a wonderful ABBA rendition by the two kindergarten teachers. In FULL costume and microphones they grooved and moved to  Mamma Mia and had the crowd rocking and rolling and the kids clapping with excitement.

And here is the star of the ABBA performance - Capri's gorgeous teacher from last year - Mrs Fren. Brandt was fortunate enough to have Mrs Fren in year two before she left with her hubby to teach overseas. And now she's back. And we were thrilled she taught Capri's class last year. It was the perfect introduction for her to big school and sad to leave Mrs Fren behind at the end of last year.

She is one of those vibrant, eternally happy teachers who is constantly active, motivating the kids and making learning FUN. She has breathed some much needed life back into our school!

{procrastinating}

  Last night I was searching for photos of my childhood dog for a class layout for the store (the sample is WAY overdue!)

During my search I came across this photo of Jamison. He was only three. I got very side tracked from my dog photo search and created this: 

{very brave}

Footy fever hit our house yesterday.

Jamison's under 10's league team made the grand final. And it was a HUGE deal. This was the first year the boys have played for points and had semis and finals and all those things that indicate it's nearly the end of the season.

Jamison lives and breathes footy. He is constantly practising his tackling skills - usually on Capri and forever has a footy under his arm. His best friend Jayden had slept over so he could travel up with us to cheer Jamison and his team on. (and thats a mouth guard he's wearing not incredibly yellow teeth :O)

So it was with GREAT dismay two minutes after arriving for the game(an hours drive away too I might add!) that Jamison learnt it was his turn to sit out the game. It meant he couldn't play. At all. Not even for one minute. And not just any game. THE GRAND FINAL.

I was furious. Ken was furious. We have only recently discovered that the Club had allowed six subs in Jamison's team. Footy rules state they can have four. SO that means they have too many players. Too many subs and two people per match have to sit out the game. The entire game. They don't get to play at all.

One boy rarely comes to training and rarely turns up to play. Why was he allowed to play in Jamison's place? Because he was mistakenly promised if he turned up for the last training session he could play in the grand final. And he did.

Why the coach chose to inform them who was sitting out ON THE DAY of the match is beyond me. Jamison should have been told prior to the game. Some forewarning would have helped soften the blow. The coaches son was the other boy to sit out with Jamison. It's tough being the coaches son!

Anyway, we were incredibly proud of Jamison at the match.

He was shattered but sat there bravely with his team mates. He cheered them on. He grinned and smiled and called out encouragement. He turned to me and told me it was 'ok mum.'  He was a great sport. Unlike his mother who had a face like thunder and felt like crying.

Jamison is an incredibly active player. He's not one to hang back and kick up the dirt. He's in there. Boots and all. He finishes each game with dirt covered knees, grazes and scratches. (Much to my horror - I cringe through each and every game and feel sick as I watch them flying around and tackling hard, hitting the ground with large thuds!) Yes, that's him with the ball right in the middle of that tackle.

So to have to sit passively while the game was played out would have been torture for him. But he took it all in good grace.

It was a close game. And they lost. Jamison was thrilled though to receive a runners up medal.  It was a sad finish to the season for Jamison but a proud moment for us.

And the opposition was HUGE so I'm kinda glad he wasn't there amongst the action!!

{thank you}

I have been a bit of a hermit this week.

Still recovering from my adventure last week. And plagued with anxiety attacks which have been so unsettling and sneak up on me before I realise it. I was starting to want to be a hermit forever which is so not like me.

So I visited my GP and he was great. Thinks I still have some toxins in my system and it may take a little longer to get rid of them. And as I am predisposed to panic attacks, this food allergy/food poisoning (whatever it was!) has triggered the panic attacks. So lots of deep breathing, positive thinking and some medication to keep me calm while I get rid of the last of the toxins.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my blog as well as sent me emails to check on how I was going! I was blown away by all your lovely words and some very understanding and constructive advice from lots of you in regard to the panic attacks. Thank you - you know who you are ;O)

One of the emails that has stayed with me was from Ngaire, a lovely friend who has the knack of always saying just the right thing. She told me, (amongst other things) ' a great big belly laugh does wonders..'

And it does.

So I made this to remind me of the fact..

I LOVE this photo. Used it recently in the latest My Reflections on a layout and decided to use it again on my very first altered clipboard.

This is the GIRL sample for my Clipboard classes starting next week at the Scrapbook Megastore. New Wild Asparagus paper - great texture and my all time favourite fabric flower!

And here's the BOY sample.

{what started out as a fun weekend}

As you know I was so looking forward to the weekend away but unfortunately, as some of you also know, it all didn't go to plan:O(

Fiona, Mishell, Jenny and I spent the day at The Stitches & Craft Show at Rosehill which was fun. We bought lots, enjoyed a nice lunch and didn't stop talking and laughing all day!

Everything was fine.

We travelled to the hotel.  Checked in. Marvelled at Mishells gorgeous Chatterbox luggage. Laughed at how many bags we had packed onto the trolley. Asked Reception had Julie Love checked in. Spotted Jennifer McGuire and her mum in the foyer. And checked out our rooms.

We then met up with Kerrin. Debated about where to go for dinner and on Fiona's suggestion we headed to the Marygold Chinese restuarant.

The meal was great. Company was great. Everyone was in high spirits. Mishell enjoyed her Rockmelon Daiquari:o)

What happened next just couldn't be predicted and it was so unexpected and horrible. Shortly after the meal I started feeling odd. I couldn't put my finger on it. I didn't feel sick. Just odd. My head felt weird. I felt like I was going to pass out. I panicked. The room was spinning and going black. I couldn't stop shaking. My heart was beating too fast. I was dizzy and off balance. It all happened so suddenly and initially I thought I must have been having a panic attack. I had this real sense of doom and felt like I was going to die.

The girls ushered me into the toilets.

When the symptoms didn't subside and Jenny came into the toilets with the same shaking and racing heart and funny  feeling in the head, I knew it must have been something we ate.

The ambulance was called. They arrived within 5minutes although it felt so much longer.

The two paramedic guys were great. I felt like i was on All Saints! Here we all were crowded into the toilet block! Jenny and myself having our hearts monitered, blood pressure taken, me on oxygen and people coming in and out of the toilets to check out the commotion.

They couldn't get my heart rate down and as my symptoms weren't subsiding they decided it was best to take us both to Sydney hospital. So here I was, all hooked up to a machine monitoring my heart rate, sucking on the oxygen mask and strapped onto the trolley as they wheeled me through the crowded restaurant! What a sight.

Jenny and I rode in the rear of the ambulance while Fiona enjoyed a front row seat and managed to take some photos! A true scrapbooker. Here's the back of my head and the happy little ambulance man!

Mishell and Kerrin met us at the hospital. No beds were available so I was in the care of the paramedics until there was a bed for me. Jenny was still being monitored as well.

As you can see Fiona was busy with that camera!

The girls stayed waiting for me the whole time.  For hours. FINALLY, after two bags of fluids and some drugs I was allowed to go home.

I still felt so bad but there wasn't anything else the hospital could do. It was a matter of waiting it out and waiting for the allergic reaction to subside. They figured it was an allergic reaction to something we had both eaten. We have both since deduced it was the mushrooms in the chicken dish we had as that was the only thing Jenny and I both had that the others didn't.

I thought it would all be fine the next morning. I would miss the first class and then start classes after lunch. Nope. My heart rate wouldn't settle all night. Nor would the shakes. Eventually I had an hour or so sleep and did wake feeling better.

But I spent that day in bed as the nausea and weird feeling in my head was still there. I missed the first class. Morning tea. Lunch. The next session. It was getting ridiculous. Jenny was also still shaky but she was upright and still got to attend classes.

Eventually Fiona called the hotel doctor. Another needle and more drugs. And a hefty $145 bill later. Meanwhile the convention was going on without me! But I was too sick to even care at that point.

I got to meet the gorgeous Julie Love. Not how we had imagined our first meeting would be but I was so glad to finally get to meet her. She came bearing gifts. A gorgeous pineapple plant. And she generously baby sat me while the others had a class. I wasn't much company though and slept on and off while she was there patiently. Sadly I didn't get to see her beautiful album which I had been looking forward to.

And Rach Greig stopped by and dropped in a handmade card. We had made prior arrangements to meet to sit together for the first class but  that wasn't to be. She created the card after one of her classes.

So, regretfully I didn't see much outside the four walls of the hotel room. I called Ken to come and collect me on Friday night as I just wanted to go home. I had given up the idea that I would miraculously recover for the next days classes. So we headed home.

The positive thing to come out of all this?

The affirmation that I have THE best group of friends.  Supportive. Lovely. Loyal. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.

To all of you who took turns to sit with me. To hold my vomit bowl. To listen to me moaning and groaning. To reassure and be so lovely and kind to me. To cheering me up. To fixing up the bill at the restaurant (yes, they made us pay). To filling my car with petrol (thanks Mishell). To collecting my class kits for me. To offering me their coat (thanks Kerrin).To just being there.

But especially thank you to Fiona who took charge. Who called the ambulance. Who called them again when they hadn't arrived after 5 minutes. Who tied my hair up so I could throw up. Who called Ken to tell him what was happening. Who went all the way back to the hotel in a cab to get my car so I wouldn't have to travel home from hospital in a taxi. Who called the hotel doctor. Who bought me toast. Made me cups of tea. Collected all my class kits and even stamped all my little bits as well as her own in the Postage Required class. Who bought me dry biscuits and mineral water from the shop. Who packed all my luggage up so I could go home. Who kept me updated after each class via phone once I went home and was feeling better so I wouldn't feel like I was missing too much.

Thank you Miss Fiona. You are a good friend!

{one more sleep}

Yay. Almost time for the Kiwiscraps Crafting Connection convention. Am I organised? Nope.

But I will be. Leaving at 9am in the morning. Will tell you all about the weekend when I get home.

You will all be pleased to know I have a new memory card for my camera and can now take 336 photos - which is a vast improvement on 9!

Brooke - it was lovely to meet you and see Sara again the other day. I'll post the photos when I get home.

Enjoy the rest of the week and the weekend girls...talk soon

{meet abbey}

This is Abbey. My cousins youngest daughter. This was one of the photos I took from our Sydney weekend. I was having a tough time getting Abbey to look at me. She was just not interested in me or my camera!

But she did look. Just once. And this is the result.

{shabby chic style CD sleeve}

And my other feature for Scrapboxx this newsletter is the Take 20 project.

The Take 20 project each month is designed to be completed in 20 minutes for under $20. The kit this month is gorgeous. New Junkitz papers and lots of pretty stuff like fabric flowers, ribbons and buttons. Details here.

My project is a CD photo sleeve ready to be given as a gift or added to a page. Inside is a CD of photos of Capri and an extra pull out piece with another photo and journaling.

Full instructions for this project are right here :O)

{boxx newsletter}

The August Scrapboxx newsletter arrived in my inbox this morning. You can check it out  here

I love to see what the team has come up with each issue. We get a sneak peek of most of the projects and layouts before the issue is released but its nice to see them all set out in the newsletter together.

This month we welcome Ali Stafford to the team which is very exciting. Her work is exceptional. Keep your eye out here for more of Ali's work as she adds to her gallery.

This month it was my turn to create an off the page item. I embellished a candle for my work area.

It started it's life as a cheap timber candle from the discount store. I simply wrapped strips of KI Memories papers around the timber (using double sided tape) and added ribbon, a Chatterbox timber frame and pic of Capri & Chelsea. Very easy peasy!

The finished result...

I love candles - all shapes and sizes and scents. One of my favourite shops is Dusk. This candle now takes pride of place next to the gorgeous candle holder and candle set Kass gave me for teaching at her Canberra Crop day in February. (You can see a glimpse of it in the background actually!)