Welcome, Maria!

This week we are so happy to have Maria Burke as our guest blogger. She has a lot to teach us, and I think we'll all be able to enjoy what she has to share. She currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada). Below, she gives a link to her blog so be sure to look through the past few months to see projects and photos. Today's post is a little intro, so here she is, Maria Burke.

I'm super excited to be a guest blogger here for the next week. I can't wait to show you some new scrapbook projects I've been working on and share a bit about what inspires me. Since writing my own bio is just a little too frightening for me, I had my husband do it ;-). Check out my blog The Little Things to see more of what I've been up to.

(from Maria's husband, Phil)
"Maria Burke can hang a frame straight without using a level. That is something that has always impressed me. If I hang a picture up, using a level, there's still no guarantee it will be straight. Maria has always had an eye for design. She loves to play with paint colors and move furniture around in our house. We've painted every room in our house at least twice (some a lot more) and re-arranged furniture even more. She has always had a passion for photography, which she inherited from her dad who is an amazing photographer. He bought her her first SLR camera when she was in junior high.

"When our first daughter was born, Maria started to scrapbook. It was something that combined her eye for design, love of photography and a passion for documenting our lives. Maria has been scrapbooking for almost seven years now and our two daughters are following in her footsteps. I can already see their artistic sides developing and they have their mom to thank for that."

Room Love

I love this room for the sheer fact that it is so simply compiled. There's no fuss about this room just collections of things loved against an all-white background...my favourite!

Image - Malin Ngoie Photographer

THANK YOU KELLY - We Love Hannah!

I got a very exciting email during the week.

Hi Jenny,

You don’t know me but I am a customer of Chalk and a reader of your blogs. I got from work a 2 person pass to the new Hannah Montana movie for this Sunday morning and thought of you. I can’t go to the movie but if you would like the pass, I will drop it off at Chalk for you. Just let me know.

Regards,

Kelly in Yarraville

I couldn't believe my luck!! And once again I marvelled at the generosity and general loveliness of the blogging world - and clearly my CHALK customers are rippers as well!

So thanks to Kelly, Gidget and I went off to the HANNAH MONTANA MOVIE premiere this morning at the Jam Factory. Gidget was thrilled and loved every minute of her big outing.

And I got to see a movie that I thought I was going to have to sneak off to in secret.

As Hannah Montana's popularity begins to take over her life, Miley Stewart, on the urging from her father takes a trip to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters in life the most. The movie boasts many special appearances with Vanessa Williams, Taylor Swift, Tyra Banks and others popping up throughout the movie.

It was a great movie - all the Disney boxes were ticked with some lovely moments between Miley and her dad Billy Ray. (I don't know if I was over tired but I am afraid to say that I actually cried, and not just once either!!) The cast were all delightful, Miley got to have a chaste kiss, and the more country music they can squeeze into a movie the better as far as I'm concerned!

It was also fantastic to have a special outing with my special girl. Now that she is at school I feel I hardly see her so sharing the Hannah experience was double the fun.

So if you get a chance, and you can grab a kid to give you cred - get yourself to HANNAH MONTANA The Movie.

THANK YOU KELLY!!!