My FAVORITE Close To My Heart Product

This is my new favorite Close To My Heart product! I recently purchased this amazing ink tower and I'm so impressed with how nicely it stores my inks. The inks are now so much more accessible since I can see them all in this neat and orderly fashion. My favorite feature is the spindle that the tower sits on. I can easily rotate the tower to see inks on either side! And since the tower is vertical, it doesn't take up much space on my desk at all! It also holds Close To My Heart markers nicely because it grips them inside each marker slot. The tower has a tray that can be placed on top that can store other ink pads and things - I keep my handy stamp cleaner and double-scrubber up there so that when I go to do my stamping, everything is right there where I need it! : )

Interested in finding out more? Click on the title of this post and you can see the current Close To My Heart catalog. Thanks for looking! : )

Cards Created Using the Cherry-O Kit

I LOVE the new Cherry-O Kit from Close to My Heart! It is so bright and cheery - with cherries! Cherries have not especially been 'my thing,' but this is one set I could not resist. What do you think? ; )

Inspiration

I just found out about these cool demo videos on the CTMH website! Check them out and learn TONS of new tricks and techniques! Enjoy!

Click on the link below:
Art & Soul®

My Latest Album Project

Tim's aunt and grandma are going to visit their side of the family in Michigan and they wanted an album that would showcase some pics of the part of the family that lives out here. What follows is the finished product of my most recent album project. Enjoy!

I am a Stamping & Scrapbooking Consultant!!

I recently became a Close to My Heart ® Consultant. CTMH is a stamping and scrapbooking company that specializes in acrylic stamps. Their products are top-of-the-line in the stamping and scrapbooking industries and I am proud to endorse them! I have been working on creating pages (and cards) using some of the supplies that came in my consultant kit. I have decided that the best way to kick-off and perhaps promote my new business is by using this blog to showcase a few of these amazing products and to provide examples of how they can be used. Please enjoy my first set of samples below:

Both of the above pages were completed entirely from the "Veranda" Level 1 and 2 Kits, including the "Veranda" Level 2 My Stickease® Assortment. I also used the "Follow Your Heart" and the "Elegant Script" My Acrylics ® stamp sets.


This adorable page was created using the "More to Adore" Level 1 kit. The flowers are from the new Just Blooms ® Paper Flower set in "Spring Blossom."

If you are interested in any of the above products or are interested in seeing more, please call me or e-mail me! I have also added a link (see my "Links" section to the right of this page) to the latest cataloge for you shopping convenience and viewing pleasure.

Lastly, if you know more people who might be interested in paper crafting, such as stamping and scrapbooking, please pass on my info! I am currently looking for hostesses who are interested in hosting a "Gathering" in their home with their friends to earn FREE products!

Thanks for looking and for passing it on! : )

Work Done . . . Bank Paid!!

Today our agent let us know that repair work and deep cleaning has been done on our house . . . these are the pics that they took for us of what was done . . .

Welcome home! This is what the front of the house looks like . . .



The tree in the entryway (and if you'll notice, above the tree, we're gettin' free Christmas lights with this deal! What a bonus!) -LoL . . .




This is what it looks like when you walk out to the backyard from the living room . . .



And then if you turn and look to your right, you can see our lines of trees (we noticed an apple tree and a lemon tree when we were there) . . .

Back inside the house, in the middle bedroom, new closet doors were added . . .

I guess there was a broken tile or something in the kitchen, so they replaced it and took this picture . . .

And they did some deep cleaning to the carpets (which looked pretty trashed before and I am just amazed seeing how different it looks now) . . .

When Tim told me today that the work had already been done, and we still didn't know what that entailed, I said a quick prayer, hoping that replacing the toilet in the front bathroom had been one of those items (it was at the TOP of our priority list). Tim was skeptical, but God came through YET AGAIN and answered my prayer before I even prayed it! There was a pic of the new toilet, but I figure we've all seen enough toilets to know what one looks like. : ) That was the most exciting part of the whole thing for me today. Check that one off the list!!

More to come soon, I'm sure! I can hardly wait till we can go see it again in person. We're going to probably try to go sometime later this week. Maybe we can start planning where we want things to go!! FUN!! : )

New Year, New Home

I'm still in shock . . . after about a year of searching for a home and having at least 7 offers beat out, we FINALLY had our offer accepted! Actually, we were given a counter-offer and we were able to agree to it (thanks to the munificence of Tim's parents!!).

Tim and I have been specifically praying that God would not let us get in to any home that would not be able to afford. However, if there was a house that He had planned for us, that He would make our offer shine above all others. Fortunately for us, the selling agent of the house called us back soon after we had attempted to get in touch with him. We asked him if he would be our agent on Monday evening. We met with him on Tuesday morning at the property and got to check out the house. Thursday we found out that we were being given a counter-offer and we accepted. It is Friday and the wheels are now in motion for us to become home-owners as soon as December 17th. The part that gets me is that the agent told us today that he received a cash offer last night for well above what we're offering, but because our offer had already been accepted, it was already a done deal. To me, that is a very specific response to my prayer request that somehow our offer would shine . . . God is SO good to us!!!

I've copied the pictures from what was posted on the MLS. The house does need some minor repair work and some appliances, but other than that, it is in great shape. Enjoy the pics! : )

our backyard . . .
the master bedroom . . .

the middle bedroom . . .

the front bedroom . . .

the living room . . .

the doorway to the garage . . .

the kitchen . . .

Built in 1978

1,430 sq. ft. (house)

6,400 sq. ft. (lot)

A Tribute

Dearest Granny,

This picture is what I saw in my mind when I heard the news of what had happened. I remembered who you were to me . . . my cheerful and loving grandmother, my mother's mother, my friend. And I only wish I'd had the chance to tell you how much I appreciated you . . .

I want to thank you for being such a kind and generous grandmother. You were always thoughtful. I used to love getting cards from you for each holiday . . . you made me feel so special and loved. Christmas was always my favorite. From the days when you and Poppa lived in Pittsburg to the days that we spent Christmases at my parents' house, your joy was contagious. I vividly remember the expressions of delight that you would make as you opened each gift. You taught me how to be grateful for each and every gift. And I can almost smell the sweet aroma of the grand cookie spreads that you made every year. My favorite was always the Carmel Bars. I can just imagine you unwrapping each individual carmel piece with care. That was the sweetest part of your baked goods - you always put so much of your heart into whatever you made. And I always admired how you put together gorgeous platters of those sweets for your friends and family. I remember a couple of years that I needed some last-minute gifts for some of my friends and you helped me put together cookie platters to give with the goodies you had worked so hard to make. It was in those seemingly small ways that you taught me the value of giving from the heart. Your generosity inspired me.

I also have always admired your creativity. The afghan you knitted for me is still my favorite blanket. I love the stories you would share with me about your clever ideas for costumes and hats for your TOPS meetings. This one from a few years ago was particularly impressive . . .


Thank you for sharing with me the value of the outdoors. I have such fond memories of the summers that you and Poppa took Erica and I to Brannon Island. I also loved staying with you and Poppa at your house on Forbestown Road. I so enjoyed hearing your stories as we sat around the campfire. And you always had plenty of ingredients at the ready for s'mores. You've given me so many precious memories. Every time I think of you, my heart is warmed by those good times that we've shared.

Of all that you've given me, the most amazing gift is my mother. Thank you for being such a loving mother to her, teaching her the values of giving, of making the holidays special, of the importance of family, of the greatness of the outdoors . . . thank you for teaching her how to be a grandmother to my children. My greatest sorrow is that my children will never have the chance to know you as the grandmother I have known you to be. But I find comfort in that my mother has had the best teacher in the field of grandmotherhood. Thank you for being the best grandmother I could have ever had. I love you so much, Granny. And I will always miss you . . .



The following song will always remind me of you. As my husband pointed out, we needed two lives to come in to fill the hole in our hearts that was made when you left us . . .

"Brand new baby was born yesterday, just in time
Papa cried, baby cried, said your tears are like mine
I heard some words from a friend on the phone
didn't sound so good
The doctor gave him two weeks to live
I'd give him more if I could . . .

"Know that I would now
If only I could
You know that I would now
If only I could . . .

"Down the middle drops one more grain of sand
They say that new life makes losing life easier to understand
Words are kind, they help ease the mind
I miss my old friend
And if you gotta go,
We'll keep a piece of your soul
One goes out, one comes in . . .

You know that I would now
If only I could
You know that I would now
If only I could . . . "

"If I Could" as sung by Jack Johnson

Non-Stress Testing can be STRESS INDUCING!

Whew! The past few weeks have been a whirlwind! Here's what's been going on . . .

Because of Mirabel's mysterious cavum septum vergae (I don't even think that's spelled right, but that is apparently what they are calling the 'growth' in her brain that may just be a "normal variant") and because of the increased amount of fluid in her sack, the perinatologist doctor decided weeks ago that I would need to be seen twice weekly for Non-Stress Testing (hereafter, N.S.T.'s) to monitor BOTH babies' heart-rates (to make sure that neither baby is in distress). In every appointment thus far, the babies have been closely monitored and have had to have biophysical profiles (ultrasounds) to confirm that they were not in distress. Their heart-rates are both always in the "normal" range, but Mirabel's heart-rate wasn't fluctuating as the doctors would have liked to see through my contractions. It is "normal" for a babies' heart-rate to increase (if healthy) or decrease (if in distress) when the mother has contractions. For some reason, Mirabel's heart-rate was just staying the same. So last Friday the perinatologist doctor decided that it was time we did a Stress-Test, where I was given Pitocin (Oxytocin) to induce stronger contractions, in order to examine more clearly the babies' response to stress. The contractions were PAINFUL (as I'm sure labor is about to be!) and it was hard to get the babies to stay on the heart-rate monitor, so the test took quite a while. But in the end, both babies' heart-rates showed the fluctuations the doctors were looking for, the Pitocin was turned off, the contractions ended, and we were sent home.

Then yesterday I woke up with a sore throat. Great. I've caught a cold.

Tomorrow, we go in again for another N.S.T., but this time the perinatologist has decided that he wants to do an Amniocentesis to confirm that the babies (especially Mirabel) are fully developed and ready for this world! The Amnio can tell us immediately if the babies are in any kind of distress and how mature they are. Tomorrow I will officially be 36-weeks pregnant and that is FULL-TERM for twins, so if necessary, tomorrow may just be their birthdays!

We are praying, of course, for whatever needs to happen to benefit the babies most. Both babies are very active, so that is a continual reassuring sign of their good health. Still, we need your prayers that the babies are healthy and that whatever happens, all will go well for them!! : )

A Little Note to my Little Girls

When I feel your movements, I am comforted to know that you are doing well.

When you kick me hard, I can sympathize with your limited space.

Mirabel, as I watch your movement under my skin, I wonder what position you're in. Sometimes it looks like you're knocking, hoping to open a door to this world you've yet to discover. Meanwhile, I'm out here trying to tell you, "Up is not the exit!"

Morriah, you've been in the same position practically the whole time. Your heels poke and push my upper belly, while your head remains low. You often get the hiccups, and it feels like little internal flicks - painless but consistent, like the ticking of a metronome.

I can't wait to hold you and cuddle with you. I want to look into your precious eyes and stroke your tiny hands and kiss your chubby cheeks. I want to rock you to sleep in my arms. I want to watch you play with your daddy. I want to hear your coos and cries (I know, I must be crazy!). I just can't wait to get to know you, my beautiful little ones!!