So this is what happens to me when I'm off school and have a bit of time for some blog hopping:

1. Find a blog I'm relatively new to and read backwards through some of the posts. Generally be amazed at the creativity and stunning photography.

2. Follow that blog's links to other blogs and repeat step 1 several times over, jealousy at new and fun photo processing techniques building all the time.

3. Progress from the blogs to the flickr photostreams of bloggers I am now practically stalking.

4. Lose countless hours of my life looking through photos, joining flickr groups, checking out new techniques.

5. Begin to feel like my own photography is rubbish in comparison. Who wants a timeless photo of a newborn with his smitten parents when you can have a lovely polaroid of cupcakes or a still life of vintage notions?

6. Spend more hours on Photoshop trying out techniques to make my photos look like the ones I've seen online, wondering constantly why photos of lego and grubby boys don't have the same vintage vibe.

7. Wander away from the computer for a few days, enjoying the days with my boys and feeling no pressure to blog or take pictures for anyone but me.

8. Potter around my study during which time I am alerted to bits and pieces of scrap stash I had forgotten about (don't tell Michael or he might hijack the parcel of goodies I ordered earlier hehe!) Enjoy the newly organised space and newly discovered stash and make some layouts.

9. Run around texting photos of said layouts to my scrap chums and finally remember why I started my blog in the first place - to share silly stories from our lives and the layouts I made to document them.

10. Promise myself not to be so silly next time we're on school holiday, all the while realising that it will happen all over again in approximately 12 weeks!

It's always a bit of a surprise to me just how happy a couple of photographs, some patterned paper and pretty bits and pieces can make me. I must write it down on a sticky note somewhere I can see it and then do it more often.

 
So I am entering my weekend feeling scrap happy and, with any luck, I might just make a few more of these. What about you?