Tagged

Yesterday I got tagged by Petra and I have to admit (like you also mentioned Petra) I'm not a big fan of this kind of things. But since I like to read the random facts others write about themselves, I will join.

This are the rules: Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and link their blogs. Let them know they're tagged by leaving a message on their blogs.


#1: In my previous life ;) I was a research analyst on a laboratory. I studied 'hogere laboratorium school' (laboratory school) specialty Biochemistry . I worked on university labs for 7 years (in Leiden and Rotterdam). I did mostly research for inherited diseases, like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and heart failure. After that I decide to do something completely different and did a retraining (1998) and now I work in the IT sector, first for a consultancy company and now for a energy company. I'm a programmer for the ERP software system: SAP.

#2 I have a title: Ing. (Ingenieur/Ingineer) I think nowadays they call it Bachelor of Science. But I almost never use it actually. What's in a name.

#3 I'm a really chaotic, especially in my head. And it looks like it is getting worse. I want to do so much and in the end I did almost nothing at all. Need to work on that, any suggestions ;)

#4 I always make up songs, especially when I'm busy with my kids. But I don't do it in public (lucky you ;) ) I think Camiel like it, because he starts to join me now and then.

#5 I didn't like being pregnant, don't get me wrong it is something really special (and I can know, because we did so many fertility treatments, so I was longing for for a long time). Sorry I dont want to upset some people. But I was feeling so bad during the whole periodes, it just worned me out (and I'm still not really recovered from the last one). But of course I did it all for the result: 2 healty babies and if I had to do my life over, I would do it all again. But no more pregnancy for me (this life)!

#6 I work with almost all male colleagues, I work in a room for 10 and I'm the only female. But I actually don't really mind. Despite the fact the main subject to talk about is soccer and don't really follow that. I think this is better then working with only females ;)

#7 I just love the beach and sea. I would really love to have a house on the beach (OK one can dream ;) ) Not really for sunbathing, more to walk and play, just looking at the waves and so on.


OK I thought I couldn't came up with 7 facts, but it was actually quite easy.


Now I have to tag other people since most peolpe I can think of are already tagged I don't do that. I invite everybody who wants to do this to join. Maybe let me know, so I can read it, in case I missed it.

Still have to post the LO's I promised last week, but I have no access to my photo's now. So I will do that next time, meanwhile i have created 2 more LO and 1 babycard (which off course I forgot to take a picture of before mailing it).

So no photo's this blogpost, kind of boring.

This morning I had a very difficult start. Camiel was so stubborn and not cooperative. Pfff he was really testing me, I needed to get the boys ready for daycare and of course myself for work. I got so angry, but i could manage myself. But when I arrived at daycare and a few other things had happened meanwhile. I just had a meltdown, not nice... The girls from his group and Tristan's group were really nice, after some talking and a cup of tea, I felt a bit better and decided to drive to work after rushhour, especially with the weathercondition. I got to get myself together and arrived really late at work. This last month of the year is going to be a diffecult time I believe. With school starting for Camiel, his birthday, Sinterklaas, saying goodbye to daycare and so on. He is not most easy going little boy, he can have real moodswings, so that is difficult to handeling sometimes. Of course not all the time, he can be really sweet and happy too (I need to say something positive at the end :) )

Hugs, Astrid

December minialbum

Here are some pages of the decemberalbum I created, based on Ali Edwards project. It was really fun to use only stuff from my stash. In dec. I only need to add the photo's and journaling. December is gonna be a really busy month for us, with lots of changes because Camiel goes to 'de basisschool' for the first time. Well actually he will go next wednesday for half a day to get used (wennen). And the next weeks once a week until 15 dec. that will be his first real week, but is just 1 week for the christmasholiday, so it will be different then normal I think. I'm excited for him, I hope he likes it and everything goes OK. Listening is not his best property ;) But I sure he likes it, although he was sad he has to leave Ketelbinkie (daycare). Yes a new period is starting. Ok I need to get packing, busy, busy, busy.
See you after the weekend and I leave you with the pages of the mini.

I used a mirror album by Heidi Swapp, I still have to decorated the cover, so no picture of that.

Hugs,

Astrid

Proud boy

Here he is first pulling up till standing, proud boy. So we put the bottom of the box completly down (in case you're concerned...)

Here is another picture of him, people say he really looks like me. If I look at babyphoto's of my sister I can see some resemblence too. So we have a good division Camiel has more of his daddy and Tristan is my boy :) Funny how nature works.

Today we received a birtannouncement, of our dear friends Katja and Ramon, they already had a boy and a girl and now a new boy came into their life: Melvi Ravi. I'm so happy for them, haven't spoken to them yet, but I hope to see the little boy soon.

We are leaving for a little getaway this weekend together with Etienne's 2 sisters + husbands and the 2 kids of his youngest sister (they are 19 + 17 yr's old, so a totally different agecategory as our kids). We go to 'de achterhoek', hope the weather wil be nice for us.

I made pictures of some pages of my december album, hope to post them tomorrow morning.

I also made 2 LO's this week, I will show them too soon.

Of to bed now,

hugs Astrid

time..

for a little update. I have 2 LO's to share.

I just love this picture of the 4 of us. I definately think this LO is missing something. But after days of moving and thinking, I decided to leave this way and start something new. i just dont like unfinished LO's.


Next one is about a conversation between Camiel and us, I really wanted to write it down and tought the speakbubbles of the American Crafts paper were perfect for it. I kept it simple mostly because I really lost my mojo. And lets just pretend the messy sewing was meant to be ;)

Journaling: Daddy, I want to tell you something. Yes love what is it? Well, later when I'm grown up I'm buying an orange car (because orange is my favorite color). And than I take the Garmin (navigation system) and then I go so end so.. Yes? Then I am at grandma and grandpa. And what are you going to do than Camiel? Then I give them lots of kisses and cuddles!


I decided to join the december project Ali Edwards, I just so admire the way she does projects. Her project will be counting down to christmas. I decided to make one, mainly because december will be such a busy month, with so much things going on: First 'Sinterklaas' of course, then on the 13th Camiel turns 4, on the 14th Etienne's birthday, Camiel first day at school, my dad's birthday, christmas, new year's eve. So lots to journal about. I already made the base of the album. so you only have to add a picture and journaling each day. Hope I can keep up.
It was really fun to do, sorry no pictures yet. Are there more people who are joining?

I still need to make my 1 week in my life album, but I'm still planning to do it. I just have been thinking about who and what, maybe a bit to much, that will be my problem. So much to do so little time.

The stomach flu has visited our house too, fortunately me and Tristan has been skipped. But Etienne was ill last weekend and Camiel has diarrhoea for 5 days now, poor boy! In the beginning he felt OK (at least we thought), but it is getting worse, no fever or so, but not really enjoyable and very tired. Etienne is going to see the doctor with him late in the afternoon. He was not really friendly and fun at daycare, yelling and pushing at kids who came in his neighbourhood. Hope he gets better really soon.

Tristan started to crawl a bit, he can sit on his own now and last friday suddly he was standing in his 'box', and proud he was. :D Next time I will try to post some pictures.

Have a nice weekend!

hugs, Astrid

Well thanks god it's friday, weekend almost has started. :) Hope I can find some scrapping time.

autumn

Wednesday already! It is my day off, but it doesn''t feel that way. Pfff I have a little rest right now, I have a 4 jr old boy over to 'babysit' and Camiel and him together pfff I'm excausted now. Especially Camiel he doesn't listen and is so loud and really over the top, several time outs didn't work out. But Etienne just came home early to get a flu shot together with Tristan and he took the 2 boys with him. After that our friends with their daugther who have been to the muscical Tarzan, lucky them, come here to pick up their son and they bring chinese takeaway, so we don't have to cook.

The autumn really started here, so last sunday we decided to go for a walk in the woods (Kaapse bossen, Utrechtse Heuvelrug). It kind of a tradition to visit that forest once a year, although we skipped it last year due to my pregnancy. I of course took a lot of pictures, I made a mosaic of it.




I really liked the background of the puffy heart LO I made a few weeks ago. So I decided to try it again. This time I used vintage musicsheets, glued it on cardstock and applied some gesso over it with a brush (very lightly). I also borrowed my mom's sewingmachine, so I was happy to try that on my LO. I always love the effect. Isn't that bunny of the sassa frass paper the cutest. I also glued red rhinestones with the hotfix, used some red crackle paint. So lots of techniques here.





Thanks for peeking!

Hugs Astrid

let's talk about the weather

Yep, the last days we had lovely autumn weather, the temperature was OK, no rain, no hard wind, just mellow weather. And it was weekend so we got some free time, what more do you want...
We had a little walk yesterday in 'het Kralingse Bos' my sister was joining us
Of course Camiel was dragging sticks around and tried to get one really long stick that 'belonged' to another boy but was guarded by his brother (oops that was a dissapointment). What is it with boys and sticks? :)

In the morning we also got a visit of my cousin Wendy + her husband Owen and their little girl Amy who is only 3 weeks older then Tristan. So that was fun to see them moving together on the floor. Tristan is almost crawling (but he moves, we call it 'tijgeren') and he can almost sit on his own. Not a little baby anymore, sigh the time... But I like that we get more interaction.

But I was talking about the weather, Camiel likes his umbrella, so he also uses it when it's not raining, who cares. And his rainbooths are also his favorite footwear, probably because they are so easy to get on and off ;)

Well that's where the following LO is about. I used previous month studio calico kit (the cute stamp of the man with umbrella is theirs) and I also made a flower with Hambly transparancy and a little flame to melt the edges a bit, it was a webisode at SIStv #67.






Next LO I made with cosmo cricket papers, it's about my sweetie Etienne. Finally I made a picture of him I really like. I also used different sorts of hotfix stones, I finally bought a Hotfix applicator I won it with an auction on ebay so I got it for a nice price. Really like this little stones. So prepare to see some swirls on my LO's like the one's from Prima.





I need (want) to get started with the 1 week in my life album, I was talking about it in my last post.
I'm also busy with a babyalbum for Tristan with photo mosaics of every week and later per half a month. Nothing fancy but just to document what he has done in his first year. Btw you can make the mosaic with Picasa (in case anybody is wondering), super easy and fun to use.

See you, Astrid

blog changes

Maybe you're noticing some changes to my blog layout, that's because I'm following a SIStv class to pimp your blog. So that what I'm trying right now, don't have much time unfortunately and no big changes yet.

The first assignment for the class was to write a blog message about autumn.
I found this quote:

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale


Last week Ali Edwards was doing a project: 1 week in my life (lot of you probably know), but I kind of jumped in and thought I will see where it brings me. But I actually really liked snapping pictures of everyday things. I didn't upload the picture of the last 2 days yet (well actually the last day I didn't make any). Here are a few I like of the first 5 days. I saw a double rainbow twice this week, and I had my camera at hand yeah!





Now I have to make a album with them, need to do that quickly otherwise I won't do it at all I'm afraid. But Ali is so great in simplifing it, wish I could think that way, would bring some order in the chaos in my head right now. I'm going to a rough time lately anyway, but that's a total different subject. Something has to change, but I don't know what or how. I have the feeling I'm only surviving right now.


I did made 2 LO's week but still haven't made photo's yet, so can't show anything. I hope next time.


See you,
Astrid