Yes - it is here and I am ready to share....

The Close To My Heart Spring 2009 Idea Book is here and filled with wonderful new products. It went live on 1/1, but I have been keeping it to myself and I am ready to share. This book is amazing - not only is it filled with great new CTMH products but the artwork, is once again fabulous. If you want to check out the book - you can do so online by visiting my CTMH site.

While you are there, don't forget to take a peak at the fantabulous (ok - so it might not be a word, but I like it) special that CTMH is running in honor of National Papercrafting Month. The gorgeous new Key to My Heart Level 2 paper packet features all of our luscious new exclusive colors: Tulip, Juniper, Sorbet, and Creme Brulee. The packet is accompanied by the awesome new E-size My Acrylix(R) Key to My Heart stamp set brimming with elegant, charming designs. This beautiful combo is available through January 31 OR while supplies last. It can be yours at a substantial savings, or even FREE! You may purchase this gorgeous kit for $47.90; or when you order $75 you may purchase it for just $20; or purchase $130 and you will receive it FREE! You can check out all the details on the home page of my site, just click on the banner underneath the image.

You won't want to miss the January Stamp of the Month either. This great set includes 47 Acrylic Stamps featuring months, dates, years and reminders....enough for years worth of fond memories.

Enjoy! And if you haven't joined the Unity Stamp Co. Hip Hop Thursday Blog Hop today - what are you waiting for? The fabulous DT over at Unity has some great inspiration going on this week (and every week!) - you can join the blog hop by starting here at Angela's Blog...have fun, it is my Thursday escape!

Life around here...

As I have said before, I am making a whole hearted attempt to accomplish Project 365 (1 pic/day/year). I have been doing pretty good and am hoping that this project not only helps me record the daily life and memories of my family, but helps improve my photography skills, which I admit are pretty bad. Today, I will post my catch up pics, and then hope to post 1 pic a day....among other things.

Yesterday I was blog hopping during Unity Stamp Co. Hip Hop Thursday and got so inpsired. This weekend is Operation Clean House but I have already scheduled some scrappy time so I will post some scrappy goodness late this weekend.

Speaking of inspiration though... Check out the blinkie on the side of my page that brings you to 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. I discovered this site last year, mid sketch and it is new and improved for 2009! In a nutshell, Julie will post 1 sketch a week for 52 weeks - you take the sketch and create your layout. You can also post your sketch on the site to be entered to win some fabulous goodies each week....how great is that?!

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I discovered over Christmas that my kids LOVE Gingerbread Men, so we had to make some. They had so much fun decorating...and eating these guys.

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Our first attempt at snowboarding. JT did amazingly well and had a blast. This pic was taken after 2 lessons, contmeplating wether or not he wanted to go up the lift with dad.

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Back to the grind. After a long day (pretty much everyday) this is my escape. A good bottle of wine (well not the whole bottle...at least not all the time). My fav - Cabernet Sauvignon is pictured here with my two favorite wine glasses....pretty glasses just make the wine taste even better.

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My favorite little photogenic 9 year old. She just loves to have her picture taken and smiles perfectly on cue everytime.

It's a girl, and a boy and a girl and another.....

The smallest, furriest members of our family have had their own. At the end of October, we adopted two dwarf hamsters for the kids. Tessie and Chester have been a welcome addition to our household. We are actually on Chester #3 due to unfortuneate circumstances which I won't go into, but this one has actually lasted longer than the other 2. The problem is, we knew the first was a girl (we told JT she was a boy because he was set on Chester), we were told by the pet store that #2 and #3 were girls as well. Well....obviously either #2 or #3 was not. We can't be sure who the daddy is because the gestation period for hamsters in 18-25 days and Chester #3 was welcomed to our family 19 days ago.


Anyway, Monday morning, JT was in the playroom with the hamsters and told me they were making funny noises. All day long I heard squeaking coming from the cage and Tessie would not come to me or Kelsey. Tuesday morning Kelsey went to go check on Tessie because she was still squeaking and image the look on her face when Tessie was nursing 6 babies! We now realize that the squeaking we heard was actually the babies and not Tessie or Chester.


I tried to get a picture but it is hard to get the camera in the cage and close enough for it to be clear so here is the best I can do. They are so stinking cute...like tiny little pink erasers about the size of the top half of your pinkie finger. If you are local and would like your very own dwarf hamster in about 5 weeks, please leave a comment.


In other news. I have been working on Project 365. This is where you take one picture a day for each day of the year. It is a great way to work on your photography skills but also to record the everyday events in your life. For obvious reasons, this is today's photo (007/365). Tomorrow, I will post some of the other shots I have taken. This project is great because it checks off 2 items on my List of Things to Accomplish and Work on in 2009.