Giving online stores a bad name

Never ever buy anything from this online store, I bought 2 pairs of maternity PJ's in August last year, returned them on 1 Sept and have been trying to call and email them ever since to see how my refund was going, https://www.dangerouscurves.com.au/default.aspx They advised me today that they never received the parcel back and that they had blocked my emails because I was becoming annoying. Can you believe that.

I told the stupid bitch if she had have taken 2 mins to reply to my email or a message in Oct last year to say the parcel hadn't been received it would have saved us all a headache. I also mentioned that a bit of customer service wouldn't go astray. She said they were short staffed, I said what for the last 6 months. As a business owner myself if I ever didn't have time to reply to an email I would leave it in my inbox until I had 5 mins to deal with it, not block it.

She said people claim refunds for items they never even ordered. It took for me to go to Dept of Fair trading on her ass for her to even answer the phone and consider that maybe I was telling the truth.

Put a link on your blog to this Post to spread the word, this woman is an idiot.

New Creativity

Last night I had some great friends Cass and Kim come over for what was supposed to be scrapbooking, but turned into just being crafty in general, I did 1 layout in between gossiping and having a good laugh.

Here is the 1 I did last night for the Scrapbooking Delights April sketch challenge on Facebook.

Then today my little angel had a couple of big sleeps over 1 hr each time so the second time she had a nap I jumped at the chance to do another layout.

Here is 1 I did from an Inspired Blueprints sketch.

Will hopefully I will get a few more done tonight, watch this space.

Bargains

Hi all out there in Blogland, check out this site for all your Scrapbooking bargains.

http://scrappybargains.blogspot.com/

Check it out all 1 off stuff at rock bottom prices.

Retreat Review

Well I have just gotten back from a Scrapgirls Retreat at Castlereagh (Penrith). My first night and weekend away from Ella. First things first I got through 15 layouts and 6 pages for Ella's mini 8x8 album. 2 of my pages were chosen as winning layouts. 1 was their kit challenge and the other was a 45 minute challenge, where you get 10 mins to prepare what photos and papers etc you are going to use and then 45 mins to do the layout and I must say some of my best work under pressure, it really helps to have a cute subject and good photos (both my winning layouts had photos by Kim Arnold).

My mission was to not spend any money in the store at the Retreat and use all the product new and old that I already had in my stash, for that reason I took heaps of stuff with me. I succeeded (mostly) I was only tempted by $0.50 American Craft pens and bought 8 of those for a total shop spend of $4 plus a few cans of coke etc for $6, so only $10 out of pocket. I was happy with that.

Daddy and Ella had a great bonding weekend, baby was well fed, clothed, clean and happy, house like a bomb had hit, despite the cleaning lady coming Friday. But it didn't really matter, the chance to get away to scrap for 3 days and 2 nights is worth coming home to baby bottles, baby food and toys everywhere and clothes still on the line. Daddy is sitting next to me saying how tired he is. I missed them both like crazy, thank goodness for mobile phones and MMS pics arriving all weekend.

Well here are a few of my layouts that I did over the weekend, not photographed all that well but I guess you get the idea.

This was my "Winning" 45 min Challenge layout.

This was my winning layout from the Challenge Kit we received.

These 2 layouts above and below are for the Scrapbooking Delights facebook Sketch Challenge

So it appears that I am keeping my once a month Blogging routine, so until next month, bye.

Once a month Blogger

Well as I have been a bit slack, pre-occupied, busy, you name it, it appears that I might become a once a month blogger.

So much has happened and February is always a busy month for us.

I am back into full swing with work doing 3 days a week in the office with miss Ella in Childcare and then 2 days a week fielding calls and emails from home whilst taking Ella to swimming, library, shopping or whatever other event we have planned on our 2 days off. Weekends we try and get in some quality family time whilst doing the mundane chores like the never ending lawnmowing, washing and tidying up as well as socialising.

Valentines day was Ella's Christening, we ventured up to the Church in Camden where we were married and then back to our place for a roast meal, it was a lovely day although I was a little stressed out getting the food organised, sorting Ella out and making sure we got some good photos and trying to get her to have a little bit of sleep. It all worked out in the end even with the rain. The kids didn't seem to mind the wet weather and the day ended with a super soaker fight with my nephew Isaac and the kids next door, it was amusing to watch. A big thanks to all my friends and family for their help with the day and all the beautiful presents she got.

My little angel looked beautiful in her little Christening dress.

So until next month..........

ABC's of Me

Totally copied this from Lisa's blog who coppied it from Cassie's blog...feel free to copy and paste.

ABC's of me

A - Age: 36
B - Bed size: King, yeah baby
C - Chore you hate: Putting clothes away
D - Dog's name: don't have 1 yet
E - Essential start your day item: Deodorant
F - Favorite color: Fuschia
G - Gold or Silver: gotta be Gold
H - Height: 168cm
I - Instruments you play(ed): Keyboard with the follow the lights, I was rockin'
J - Job title: Mortgage Broker
K - Kid(s): Ella 12 weeks 5 days old
M - Mum's name: Lynne or Barbie because my dad's name is Ken and they have the real life big ass Barbie bus lol.
N - Nicknames: Rach, Rachy Roo, F*ckin Legend (well that was a 1 time Hens night thing)
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: false alarm apendix
P - Pet Peeve: Husbands bad hearing and having to repeat myself.
Q - Quote from a movie: I feel the need ......... the need for Speed
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: Brother - Jamie
T - Time you wake up: when Ella wakes up anytime from 4.44-7.11 at the moment.
U - Underwear: Very comfortable nanna knickers and gutsuckers depending on the outfit.
V - Vegetable you dislike: do you want the list, but surprisingly I actually like brussel sprouts.
W - Ways you drink your coffee: I don't drink it at all, hot chocolate or iced chocolate are my social choice.
X-rays you've had: spine and foot today and plenty of others before today.
Y - Yummy food you make: Date and walnut loaf
Z - Zoo favorite : Monkey

Some more layouts

Well a new year and a new scrapbook subject and the bad summer TV have done a lot for my layout production, here are a couple I have done over the last few nights. I am trying to use a mix of old and new product to clean out my old stuff. The first is an Inspired Blueprints sketch using the She's Savvy December kit from Scrapbook Savvy. 2nd is another IB Sketch and the 3rd is using old stuff from a sketch that I can't remember where I found. My photography of the layouts does not really do them much justice.

Happy New Year

What a year 2009 has been, a rollercoaster of change all for the better. Here has what has happened in my world

* Found out I was pregnant.
* Endured the 9 months of bearing a child (there was some whinging involved).
* Gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Ella.
* I grew more in love with my husband every day.
* Had my first extended time off work (3 months) since I was 16.
* Enjoyed many friends company new and old.
* Got fatter (I think it comes with the territory of being pregnant)
* Spent too much money, oh well its only money.

But overall had a great year. I can only imagine what 2010 will bring.

Happy New Year everyone.

Here are a couple of layouts I did recently.

It's been a while

Well I just realised I have not updated my blog for over a month. Probably because something else is distracting me, a little person by the name of Ella.
As of today she is 7 weeks and 4 days old and done so much in her little life. She is a complete social butterfly, I guess it all started the day after we got home from hospital with our first outing to BDM and Medicare in Wollongong, lunch at a Cafe and then out to Nanna's house and ended up going to a restaurant for dinner.

Since then it hasn't stopped with more days out than at home, sometimes I just wish to stay home but for some reason she is happier out being pushed around and hey who am I kidding I do like to get out too.

My memory is failing me more than ever, I have to write everything down and put the most trivial things in my diary. I even went to a Cafe with the mothers walking group and didn't realise til I go home that I forgot to pay for my Scones and drink, oops. Jamie dropped in the following day to pay for me.

So in Ella's 1st 7 weeks she has; had her first Professional photos, been to a Wedding, been kicked out of a Club (for sitting in over 18's section), been to a paintball tournament, been immunised, had her first Santa photo, 4wding and a swim at the beach, not to mention many trips to cafe's, restaurants and mothers group.

Here is a picture of her with 14 of the 17 babies in the mothers group.

I have also managed to get a little bit of scrapbooking done, it is amazing what a new subject will do for your creativity, here are a couple of layouts.

1st is a Scrapbook Savvy sketch using mostly product from their Nov Kit.

2nd layout is my tribute page to Lisa Warren with the awesome Cosmo Cricket kit she gave me.

3rd layout is Inspired Blueprints sketch #37

4th layout I truly can't remember where I got my inspiration, but think it is an IB sketch (mothers brain at it again).

I hope to be doing a lot more now that I have such a wonderful subject to scrap.

Our little Angel has Arrived

By now most of you who read my Blog will know our little Angel, Ella Jean Griffin, arrived on 16th October 2009 at 2.43pm weighing in at 7lb 6oz and measuring 51cm.

Nowhere near the doctors prediction of a 10lb monster. It is safe to say nobody won the bet because everyone was in the 9lb range or above.

Things happen for a reason and the Doc scheduling in a C-Section was a blessing in disguise, read more about why later.

We arrived at the Hospital at 12noon, expecting the surgery to be happening around 3pm only to discover I was first for the Doc that day and was actually going in at 1.30pm. By the time I put my bag in the room they were hustling me to gown up and put on my fancy hat and lay back on the bed to be wheeled down the hallway. No time to freak out.

After the Anesthetist doing his, well some call it "magic", I call it "hell", of putting in the Epidural, then the screens went up and it was all systems go, baby arrival is immanent. Jamie was my rock, although he probably didn't think so at the time, I know he wanted to take away my pain and discomfort. After poking and prodding around what felt to me like my guts were spread all over the room, they produced baby. Holding it up over the curtain I asked what we had, "A Little girl" they announced. I burst into "Happy" tears, got a kiss from Jamie as they whisked our little girl away to check her out.

More poking and prodding, I am guessing to put my bits back in, very uncomfortable, a bit of nausea, some tweaking of the medication to stop the nausea, sucking on some ice. Then they brought back my little girl all wrapped up, she was perfect, cute as can be and not at all ugly and monkey-like as I feared.

Recovery was horrific and if someone had asked me at that moment if I would do it all again they would have got a definite NO. Slowly getting feeling back in my legs, pins and needles, unable to move, all very unpleasant. The nurses mentioned that I had lost a lot of blood during the procedure about 1.5 litres apparently, they kept my epidural in my back for the next few days in case I needed to go back into surgery, they also ordered in blood in case I needed it over the weekend. Thankfully my blood pressure was in the normal range so it was not needed.

They placed baby Ella on me for some quality bonding time and what a magical feeling that is, everyone says it is a special moment but it honestly can not be put into words. When your little bundle of joy is stroking her itty bitty fingers on you bare skin, it is crazy the love and emotions that you feel.

The next day the doctor came for his rounds and discussed how the surgery went, he said it was not what he expected, they had cut an artery when he made his incision which was why the major blood loss and they had to get that under control all the while trying to get the baby out, in they end they had to use forceps to get her out. Also my placenta was attached to the Uterus (something doctors refer to as Placenta Concreta), so had I have delivered naturally they would have had to open me up to remove the placenta so the C-section was a blessing.

At least I only had 1 healing process.


My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com