Creative Impressions by Tammy Lea Pinchard

Now THAT'S some hair!!

2009-09-09T13:23:00.003-05:00

Ummmmm, yah!!! Since LucasJon idolizes his dad, and wants to be just like him, he thought he would grow out an afro like his dad had in the 80's!!!

I THINK he has accomplished it! Holy man, THAT'S some hair! We won't go into how long it takes to get it to look this way, or how many tears are shed because LucasJon can't seem to keep the snarles out of his tight, curly locks. Or even how many times dad threatens to buzz him......LOL!

But here it is, the ultimate in "Uncle Fuzzy's" (Anthony's nickname for LucasJon). Can't wait to put this one in his scrapbook!

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop has moved!!!

2009-09-02T08:08:00.002-05:00

If you are visiting hoping to find the September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop, you will need to visit my other blog. I will be using this one for more of the family and personal posts, and the other for my business stuff!

So, if you would like to check out all the awesome artwork with the September Stamp of the Month, Treasures, just click here and ENJOY!

There is some terrific artwork on display, so be sure to check it out!

Football Season.....GO INDIANS!!!

2009-09-02T07:47:00.004-05:00

Yep, you guessed it! High school football has begun. Actually, it started last week, but life has been hectic, so I am just now getting to post.

Last Thursday, Lance and the JV team were on fire! They had a GREAT game against West Bend East! The Kewaskum Indians took away the win with a final score of 41-6. Here are a few photos!

Lance's number is 39! He and the whole team are so exciting to watch. I think Lane and I enjoy watching them play as much as they enjoy playing!

On Friday, the Varsity boys were also on fire, so some of the JV boys were able to get in and play the 4th quarter! Lance was in almost the entire 4th quarter, and despite the nice down pour and high winds, Mom and Dad were right there cheering them all on!

I wouldn't trade this time for the world! I am so proud of Lance and the way he puts his all into his sports. Football is his passion, and I hope he has the opportunity to play throughout high school and into college! After all, this has been a part of his life since he was 6!

This week, the Kewaskum Indians will take on West Bend West. JV will play @ West Bend Thursday evening @ 7:00 pm, and Varsity will play West Bend West @ Kewaskum Friday evening @ 7:00 pm!!! GO INDIANS!!!

August Blog Hop!!

2009-08-01T01:01:00.015-05:00

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

We will be featuring August's SOTM, which is "It's Your Day". If you have come here from

, you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Jena's Blog and start from the beginning!

This month we have 64 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

These cards were made using the Emboss Resist Technique! I absolutely love this look!

Now "Hop" on over to Leslie Markland's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the August SOTM is only available until August 31st! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

If you get lost on the hop or find links that aren't working, here is a complete list of participating blogs:

Jena DeVries

http://livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/2009/08/sotm-blog-hop.html

Kristie Horness-Herdener

http://goofyscrapper.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-here.html

Carla Ironside

http://carlacreates.blogspot.com/2009/08/ctmh-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Deb Young

http://scrapbookczar.blogspot.com/2009/08/ctmhs-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Alanna Moses

http://damoses.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-your-day.html

Paige Dolecki

http://paigespaperparadise.blogspot.com/2009/07/ctmh-its-your-day-august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Wendy Kessler

http://www.myscrapbookingblog.com/2009/08/01/ctmh-august-2009-sotm-blog-hop/

Heather Painchaud

http://twindragonflydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-blog-hop.html

Helen Onulak

http://www.hookedonstamping.com/index.php/cards/august-stamp-of-the-month-blog-hop/

Barbra Otten

http://barbraotten.blogspot.com/2009/08/welcome-to-august-blog-hop.html

Haley Dyer

http://inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-close-to-my-heart-stamp-of-month.html

Nona Davenport

http://nonapearl.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Michelle Robinson http://amaizenbluelady.typepad.com/my_crazy_scrappin_times/2009/08/august-ctmh-stamp-of-the-month-blog-hop.html

Cindy Leek

http://paperspadsandpictures.blogspot.com/2009/07/ctmh-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hopa.html

Melissa Laverty

http://fancymelissa.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-your-day-ctmh-august-stamp-of-month.html

Katy Donaldson

http://scrappinkaty.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-your-day-blog-hop.html

Amy McVey

http://clearlystamping.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Tammy Lea Pinchard

http://creativeimpressions-pinchme.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-blog-hop.html

Leslie Markland

http://pandascrapper.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-sotm-blog-hop-its-your-day.html

Judy Burger

http://makingtimeformemories.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Laurie R Newton

http://scrapsfromthebeach.blogspot.com/2002/08/ctmh-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop-its.html

Kami Welter

http://scrappin4memories.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Tracy Oleksak

http://mamaolie.blogspot.com/2009/08/ctmh-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Karen Norman

http://gettinscrappywithit.blogspot.com/2009/07/welcome-to-our-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Chris Shouse

http://houseostamps.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/blog-hop-august-stamp-of-the-month/

Cibele Glazer

http://flowerfoot.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-your-day-august-stamp-of-month-blog.html

Debra Van Patten

http://memoriesoftheheartbydeb.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Terrie Dodd

http://my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/2009/07/welcome-to-august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Jamia Bankhead

http://papermadnessinc.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-blog-hop-time.html

Anne Beck

http://anniemuses.blogspot.com/2009/08/sotm-blog-hop.html

Jennifer Patrick

http://roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Laurie Levnik

http://creationsbylaurie.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop_31.html

Lori Miller

http://clearlyfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-sotm-blog-hop-its-your-day.html

Brae Montgomery

http://thebrae-er.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-blog-hop-its-your-day_29.html

Dawn Ross

http://iamahappystamper.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Dawn Slipcevic

http://dawnscrapsalot.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Barbara Harris

http://paper-creations117.blogspot.com/2009/07/close-to-my-heart-stamp-of-month-blog.html

Carol Taggio

http://craftycarol55.blogspot.com/2009/08/stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Jill Lucas

http://scrapwench.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Chris Green

http://createwithchris.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-2009-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Nancy Ball

http://ballisticdesign.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Dawn Heuft

http://stamptildawn.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Kelly Triggs

http://stampinallday.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-blog-hop.html

Beth Naumann

http://bethscreativeblock.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Antoinette Herrin

http://godblessyourart.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Jessica Booth

http://jessicabooth.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-ctmh-blog-hop.html

Jen Rubio

http://jenrubio.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Misty Jackson

http://misstscraps.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-sotm-blog-hop.html

Adeline E. Brill

http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/2009/08/0108-august-som-blog-hop.html

Lori Leng

http://pinkcloudscrappers.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Pam Klassen

http://eimmap.blogspot.com/

Pamela OConnor

http://cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com/2009/08/stamp-of-month-blog-hop-its-your-day.html

Jennifer Royal

http://craftroyalty.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-ctmh-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Caren Goldstein

http://www.scrappycaren.blogspot.com/

Shannon Pelletier

www.mycolorfulworldinvt.blogspot.com

Sherry Thompson

http://picturespatternsandpaper.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-your-day-august-sotm-blog-hop-with.html

Maricar Harris

http://maricarharris.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-sotm-blog-hop-its-your-day.html

Traci Godbee

http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-august-time-for-blog-hop.html

Laura Dame

http://thecroppersconnection.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html#8855966204936587655

Miranda Kurz

http://www.scrampinwithmiranda.com/

Leisa Hubley

http://bigredscraps.blogspot.com/2009/07/ctmh-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Julia Menssen

http://ralphandjulia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ctmh-august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Jan Moxey

http://scrapandstamp4ever.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-stamp-of-month-blog-hop.html

Jody Gustafson

http://cre8nmemories.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-blog-hop.html

Home of the Free

2009-07-02T19:12:00.005-05:00

These pages were made using the Imagine In The Groove pattern. I also used Blue Ribbon B&T papers, July Word Puzzle stamp set, and the rest is cut on the cricut using Hannah Montana, Street Sign & All Mixed Up cartridges!

July Blog Hop

2009-07-01T01:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring July's SOTM, which is "You've Got Flair", a set of 8 stamps. If you have come here from Adeline's Blog, you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Jena's Blog and start from the beginning!
***
This month we have 43 talented Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

Here are the first pages I created with the July Stamp of the Month, "You've Got Flair". I first made my own Background & Texture paper by randomly stamping and then coloring the images with the Exclusive Ink Markers. Sorry they are so hard to see since most of the images were covered when making the photo mats. I also cut out a couple of the images to use as extra embellishments on the pages.

I used the pages pattern from our "How To" program book, "Cherish" entitled "Visual Texture" on pages 34 & 35.

Products used:

Cherish How To Program (9029)

Cardstock: Colonial White, Bamboo, Desert Sand, Olive, Vineyard Berry

Inks: Bamboo, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Olive, Vineyard Berry, Honey

Embellishments: Chocolate Edge Anchors, Chocolate Brads, Chocolate Waxy Flax

Now "Hop" on over to Jen's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the July SOTM is only available until July 31st! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

Want to learn more about Close To My Heart, or make a purchase? Visit my website here for contact information, more artwork, and even my calendar of events! Be sure to stop by!

***

Here is a list of ALL of the consultants that are sharing their work this month:

Jena Devries
http://livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/2009/07/july-sotm-blog-hop.html

Wendy Kessler
http://www.myscrapbookingblog.com/2009/07/01/july-sotm-blog-hop/
Sherry Thompson
http://picturespatternsandpaper.blogspot.com/2009/07/ctmh-july-blog-hop-youve-got-flair.html

Some Favorites.......

2009-06-29T09:02:00.002-05:00

I just HAD to share some pictures with all of you! I absolutely LOVE this picture of Lane and Anthony! Anthony grabs Lane by the hand and says, "om on pupu!" (Come on Papa).

There is a picture of Anthony spinning on a contraption at the elementary school playground. He was laughing so hard as he spun around and around!

Then we have the picture of Anthony coming in after playing in his pool his papa bought for him! I had to post this one, if you look closely his little swim trunks are falling off!

And last, but not least, Anthony and his Uncle Lance, the "cool dudes"!

How very blessed we are to have Anthony in our lives. We all love him to pieces, and his personality is out of this world! Such a happy, smart, funny boy!

Pre-Hop Post

2009-06-29T07:43:00.001-05:00

I’m so excited about the upcoming July Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! There are 43 CTMH Consultants participating, so I sure hope you are ready for some awesome inspiration!

Check back here on July 1st to see all of the creativity we have all worked so hard to share with you!

In order to make the hop run smoothly, I’m testing out links to Jen Rubio's Blog, she’ll be the one that you’ll jump to after mine. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with - I hope you'll hop with us!

Father's Day Cards

2009-06-18T16:58:00.002-05:00

I have been very busy lately, and here are a few of the things I have made. Since Lane and I both come from divorced families, there are lots of parents to send things to. So, above, from left to right are; MY Father's card, MY Stepfather's card, and Lane's Dad's (my father-in-laws) card. I made each of them a little different, and for the most part was able to use scrap pieces I had other than the bases! Each of these is a 5x7 card. The paper used on the last two is Cocoa Cafe, which is retired. The first is Aspen.

Don't Blink......just like that........

2009-06-10T09:22:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe it, but my Lance is learning to ride MY motorcycle!!! He is so good at it too! Wasn't it just like maybe YESTERDAY that I had him? That lovely December 22nd when my water broke FIVE WEEKS EARLY and lo and behold 1:26 a.m. on December 25, 1993 appears my little Christmas present.............

I'm not sure WHERE that time goes, but my baby LucasJon just turned 12, and I swear it was this morning I gave birth to him! Okay, okay, so I am exaggerating a bit........but seriously here. I could not agree more with the country western song "Don't Blink" cuz "just like that, you're six years old and you take a nap...you wake up and you're 25 and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife........"

No doubt about that one. All I can say is I am so incredibly proud of my boys and the young men they are becoming. I LOVE that Lane and I are able to give them so many great opportunities in their lives. That we are able to allow them to explore so many things.

I love you boys with all my heart, and hope you know just how very proud of you I am!

Love,

Mom

June Deal A Day

2009-06-01T21:43:00.003-05:00

This month, Close To My Heart is offering a
Deal A Day! Each day, there will be a new offer. You can check them out here

In addition to a deal a day, there is special shipping prices available as well. Be sure to check back each day to see what the new deal is!

June 2009 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!!!

2009-06-01T01:01:00.011-05:00

Welcome to our June 2009 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! All of us participating Close To My Heart Consultants hope you will enjoy getting ideas and viewing our creations! Be sure to stop by each blog to see what these talented Consultants have designed!

We will be featuring June's SOTM, which is Tender Tags, a set of 15 stamps. If you have come here from Shari Odut's Blog, you are on the right path! If this is your first stop, you may want to go back to Jena Devrie's Blog and start from the beginning!

This month we have 43 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

To create these pages, I used the Nice & Simple pattern found on pages 72 & 73 of the Imagine How-To program! The following product was used in the creation of these pages:

X7114B Bella Level 2 Paper Packet

Z2128 Hollyhock Exclusive Ink Pad

Z2137 Olive Exclusive Ink Pad

Z2147 Smokey Plum Exclusive Ink Pad

D1350 Tender Tags My Acrylix Stamp Set (JUNE Stamp of the Month)

Z293 Photo Hangers

Z199 Pewter Brads

Z1122 Hollyhock Designer Ribbon Rounds Collection

Now "Hop" on over to Dawn Hueft's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit ALL the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the June SOTM is only available until June 30th! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free!

Looking to order this awesome stamp set online? Visit my website to shop 24/7 at YOUR convenience, or give me a call at (414) 640-0412 to order in person!

We hope you are enjoying this blog hop and will come back again next month!

Below is the list of all the blogs participating in this month's blog hop:

Jena Devries
http://www.livelovelaughscrapbook.blogspot.com/
Adeline E. Brill
http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/
Deb Young
http://www.scrapbookczar.blogspot.com/
Chris Green
http://www.createwithchris.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Patrick
http://www.roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/
Chris Shouse
http://www.houseostamps.wordpress.com/
Alanna Moses
http://www.damoses.blogspot.com/
Haley Dyer
http://www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Jen Rubio
http://www.jenrubio.blogspot.com/
Kami Welter
http://www.scrappin4memories.blogspot.com/
Caren Goldsein
http://www.scrappycaren.blogspot.com/
Laurie R Newton
http://scrapsfromthebeach.blogspot.com/
Reba Poquette
http://www.thedirtyscramper.blogspot.com/
Nona Davenport
http://www.nonapearl.blogspot.com/
Misty Jackson
http://www.misstscraps.blogspot.com/
Julia Menssen
http://www.ralphandjulia.blogspot.com/
Anne Beck
http://www.anniemuses.blogspot.com/
Jamia Bankhead
http://www.papermadnessinc.blogspot.com/
Dawn Ross
http://www.iamahappystamper.blogspot.com/
Sherry Thompson
http://www.picturespatternsandpaper.blogspot.com/
Laura Dame
http://www.thecroppersconnection.blogspot.com/
Lucia Grabb
http://www.luciasscrappinandstampin.blogspot.com/
Nancy Ball
http://www.ballisticdesign.blogspot.com/
Shannon Laux
http://www.rockinstamps.blogspot.com/
Melissa Laverty
http://www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com/
Terrie Dodd
http://www.my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/
Mindy Eggen
http://www.creativevalleycreations.blogspot.com/
Helen Onulak
http://www.hookedonstamping.com/
Ronnie Crowley
http://www.ronniecreates.blogspot.com/
Karen Strous
http://karensctmh.blogspot.com/
Jaime Benavides
http://www.scrapcrazydiva.blogspot.com/
Kelly Triggs
http://www.stampinallday.blogspot.com/
Lori Miller
http://www.clearlyfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Brae Montgomery
http://thebrae-er.blogspot.com/
Shannon Pelletier
http://www.shannonmvt.blogspot.com/
Wendy Kessler
http://www.myscrapbookingblog.com/
Paige Dolecki
http://www.paigespaperparadise.blogspot.com/
Pamela O'Connor
http://www.cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com/
Shari Odut
http://stampinshari.blogspot.com/
Tammy Lea Pinchard
http://www.creativeimpressions-pinchme.blogspot.com/
Dawn Heuft
http://www.stamptildawn.blogspot.com/
Cibele Glazer
http://www.flowerfoot.blogspot.com/
Sarita Schraeder
http://www.blessedscrapper.blogspot.com/

Lance's First Official Car Show

2009-05-26T16:35:00.002-05:00

Well, whether I like it or not, Lance is growing up right before my eyes. He and Lane took Lance's car to it's first official car show. It isn't judged or anything, just a great place to share the passion for classic cars.

It is held at Pistol Pete's in Brookfield, WI. You can see Lance's car here. They don't list names or anything, but here it is! I have to laugh because it's his first official car show, and he's not even old enough to drive it there himself. Dad had to drive it there for him!

Oh well, since he will be old enough to get his temps as of June 25th, and has already finished is classroom portion of Driver's Ed, it won't be long before he can drive it himself!

Summer 2009 Idea Book is LIVE!

2009-05-12T10:03:00.003-05:00

I'm a little slow getting this posted since I have mainly been working on my clubhouse so that we can get back to classes, workshops & clubs. But....

It is HERE! The Summer 2009 Close To My Heart Idea Book, and you are going to LOVE it! I cannot even begin to explain to you what a wonderful Idea Book this is.

There are FIVE new paper themes, with awesome accessories to go with them. Many, many new stamp sets that are absolutely adorable....

There are FOUR all new Hostess Rewards Plus packages available for those of you interested in hostessing a home gathering! And let's not forget the cute new booking stamp set!

And, Jeanette Lynton, founder and CEO of Close To My Heart has done it yet AGAIN with a newly released How To Card Confidence Program entitled "Wishes"! For all you card makers out there (or those that want to learn to make cards with some guidance) this book is a MUST HAVE!

You can view this awesome new Idea Book online or if you are like me and like to look at an actual book, let me know!

Check out my NEW blog!!

2009-04-23T13:07:00.003-05:00

Don't worry, this blog is not going away! I have just created another one! You can visit it at mycreativeclubhouse.blogspot.com

It is brand new, so there is not much on there yet, but be sure to stay connected!

Oops, I'm Tickled Pink.......

2009-04-15T12:00:00.004-05:00

with embarassment because I tell you to see my previous post about Tickled Pink, and it's not there! Sorry about that, I got my newsletter and blog mixed up. So, here are the details!!!

Just click HERE and you can view the flyer for this awesome promotional package especially in celebration of National Scrapbooking Month!

You can contact me to place your order at 414-640-0412 or right on MY WEBSITE if you prefer. However you do it, just be sure to get in on the action of a great promotion and an even better contest!

National Scrapbooking Month CONTEST!

2009-04-15T11:57:00.002-05:00

How cool is this!!! Close to My Heart has added yet another bonus to getting the Tickled Pink promotion pack from April 15th through May 31st (see previous post)!

Now, when you get the Tickled Pink promotion pack, you can enter to win! See the details by clicking on the cute button on the top right corner of my blog, just above my picture!

Come on!! Would love to see one of MY friends or customers win this contest! Check it out! Let's see if you can win!

CTMH TV- NEW Art & Soul Release!

2009-04-14T11:31:00.003-05:00

You won't want to miss the latest release of Art & Soul entitled "Expressions of Love for Mom"!

Coming your way in this episode is an abundance of ideas for celebrating your mom. From cards and layouts to 3-D cubes and colorful flowers, you'll come away with lots of great ways to say "I love you" to the women who mean so much to you.

You'll see how easy it is to "cluster" our My Acrylix® stamps on a block to create a unique focal point or background; you'll learn the trendy rock 'n' roll stamping technique; you'll go beyond the obvious with our colorful Fancy Cuts® Botanicals—use them as stencils! And Jeanette shares a mini album she created to honor her mother. You'll want to watch this episode several times to take it all in!

Here sure to check it out here. You'll be sure to love what you see!

April Stamp Of The Month

2009-04-07T15:55:00.004-05:00

Here is a peek at the adorable April Stamp of the Month, World's Best Dad (D1342)! I really like this set and think it will be awesome for "guy" themed cards, including Father's Day.

Remember, as with any Stamp of the Month, you can choose whether you would prefer to pay full price, or get it for as little as FREE with a purchase.

If you need further details, please do not hesitate to give me a call (414) 640-0412. Or feel free to shop online here.

Another "spinny" Card!

2009-03-24T10:30:00.003-05:00

Hopefully my dear stepmom does not subscribe to my blog, or she may see her birthday card BEFORE it comes in the mail!

I had so much fun making this card, and it is another spinner card, so when you tilt it side to side the flower/bunny assembly spins across the opening. It turned out absolutely adorable, and I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Now to design one for my MOM, whose birthday is next!

All items are Close To My Heart:

Base: Colonial White Cardstock 1388

Background: Amethyst Cardstock X5631

Front: White Daisy Cardstock 1385

Inks: Petal Z2161, Blush Z2106, Clover Meadow Z2113

Markers: Grey Wool Z2325, Amethyst Z2300, Blush Z2306, Sunkiss Yellow Z2351, Topiary Z2355

Stamp Sets: A Birthday Wish D1238, Bunny Love B1324, March Word Puzzle D1270, Sans Alphabet C1304

Other: Big Pinks Z1033, Winter Cozy Organdy Ribbon Rounds (Discontinued), Tombow Adhesive 1514 (or refill 1515), 3-D Foam Squares Z268 , Black Stubble & Stipple (Texture Tools Z1298)

Do YOU Love What You Do?

2009-03-19T08:53:00.003-05:00

I DO!! You might ask "Why do you love what you do?" Well, let me tell you........

I set my own schedule, I decide WHEN I want to work.....I can work around my family's schedule!

I will never be laid off.....I am my own boss!

I will never be fired.....I am my own boss!

My success is directly related to my efforts.....

I do not "answer" to anyone but myself.....

I am able to surround myself with wonderful people who share my passion.....

I have made some incredible friendships through sharing my passion.....

I meet new people on a regular basis which have lead to those incredible friendships.....

Through all of this, which I enjoy immensely, I am able to earn incentive trips.....I am currently working on a Western Caribbean Cruise!

So, again I ask, do YOU love what you do? Is it flexible enough for you? Are you earning what you feel you are worth?

"HOW" you ask, do I do this? Well, let me tell you.....

I am an Independent Consultant for Close To My Heart, a leader in the stamping and scrapbooking industry! This company has been in business for 25 years! That's right, we are celebrating Close To My Heart's 25th year in business!

If you are not sure what Close To My Heart is all about, visit my website here and look around! Check out our high quality products, visit our CTMH TV where we show you how to use our products, visit "My Art" to see what I have made with these products, read "My Story" where you will find a picture of myself and the founder and CEO of Close To My Heart, Jeanette Lynton. You can visit my calendar to find out when I am holding workshops and find all the information about those workshops.

Let me show you how.....Faster, Simpler, Easier!!

If you would like to take control of YOUR destiny, feel free to contact me at (414) 640-0412.

"Anthony's Uncle Fuzzy" Updated!

2009-03-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

LOL, I'm sure you have seen the picture of LucasJon in my sidebar of this blog. Well, seems that "Uncle Fuzzy" is growing his afro once again. Just thought it would be cute to post a new picture! This is a self portrait by the way. He is quite proud of his afro. We won't discuss the looks and comments he gets when walking through the stores with me. And, of course, EVERYONE wants to touch it!

NEW Art & Soul Release-Running In Circles!

2009-03-10T11:34:00.003-05:00

Just a friendly reminder that a NEW Art & Soul webisode was released this morning! You can view it here. Also, I am......

In Need of YOUR Feedback.........

I wonder if you might do me a huge favor. Would you please take a few minutes to click on the above link, watch an episode or two of Art & Soul, and give me some feedback?

Here are a few questions I'd like you to answer for me, if you would be so kind.

1. Are you already watching the monthly episodes or will you watch them on a regular basis? (They are available on the second Tuesday of each month through my website.)

2. Did you find them useful and informative?

3. Will you try or have you tried some of the techniques that are shown?

4. Have you considered purchasing/purchased any of the featured items? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, what is keeping you from doing so?

5. If you were to purchase any of the featured products, would you like for me to hold a workshop using those products? If so, what were your favorites?

Please take a few moments to watch these wonderful, informative episodes and give me some feedback. I completely understand how busy everyone is, so here's a little incentive! I will reward the first 2 people who respond within 24 hours! Thanks and have a great day!

You Make My Heart Flutter!

2009-03-09T20:30:00.006-05:00

I often visit other blogs to get great ideas and make them my own. This a creation that I made after visiting a fellow Close To My Heart consultant's blog, Kim Burmeister at Clearly Inspired. http://clearlyinspired.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-time-spinner-card.htmlHere is the link to her tutorial if you too would like to make one of these fun cards! THANKS KIM!

Hey there CUPCAKE!

2009-03-06T08:48:00.005-06:00

I made this card last night, and liked how it turned out! Here are the products used, all are Close To My Heart:

The card pattern is out of our Originals Card Confidence Program (9032), Pg. 116 "Pretty Simple"

Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet (X7108B)

Spring Iris Exclusive Inks (Z2148)

Watermelon Exclusive Inks (Z2158)

White Daisy Brads (Z1105)

Stamp set used on front of card: Cupcake Sprinkles (D1336)

Stamp set used inside of card: Birthday Surprise (D1169)

I left the inside blank so that nobody would

know who this was made for, that way when it gets mailed out it will be a surprise! I'm not sure if the recipient reads my blog or not, so I would rather be safe than sorry!

This weekend I hope to work on more things since we will once again be home and not running all over the place for sports!

Hope you like this little creation!

Reflections: Sidebar-Journaling Pg. 45

2009-03-03T15:58:00.006-06:00

These are some pictures of the page I have created for the project to be done at Mandy's Girl's Night Out party on Friday, March 13th!

All products used are Close To My Heart:

Whoops-A-Daisy Level 2 Paper Packet (X7099B)

Butterfly Wings- March Stamp of the Month (D1341)

Hydrangea Exclusive Ink Stamp Pad(Z2129)

Ocean Exlusive Ink Stamp Pad(Z2136)

White Daisy Brads (Z1105)

Texture Tools (Z1298), or Foam Tools, set of 4 (Z1090)

Piercing Tool Kit (Z1114) or Foam Tools

I'm sorry the pictures are a little blurry. The larger butterfly was created with 2nd generation stamping in ocean ink. The sentiment over the butterfly is 1st generation stamping, also in ocean and reads "Love is like a butterfly. It goes where it pleases, and pleases where it goes."

The smaller butterfly is done in 2nd generation stamping in Hydrangea ink. All of the pieces are distressed in Hydrangea ink as well using the foam sponge found in our Texture Tool Kit, the foam tools (set of 4 Z1090) or our Distressing Kit (Z1299). I also used our Piercing Tool Kit (Z1114) to make the holes for the White Daisy Brads (Z1105)

March Newsletter!

2009-03-03T11:12:00.003-06:00

I'm Green with Envy Everyone;

Happy early St. Patty's Day! Don't we all wish we were Irish at this time of the year? All the eat, drink & be merry that goes on with the traditions? Unfortunately, I don't like beer (green or not) and am not much of a drinker, but I hope those of you who celebrate this month will all have a great time & be SAFE! Be sure to appoint a designated driver!Now, let's check out what is new and exciting this month!

FORWARD MARCH!
Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between March 3rd & March 31st and get 50% off your choice of up to two organizational products!*NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BECOME A CLOSE TO MY HEART CONSULTANT and start living your dream of flexible work hours, unlimited earning potential, product discounts, travel opportunities, incentive plans and more. I personally am currently working to earn a Western Caribbean cruise for me and my family!

When you enroll between March 3–31, 2009, you can take advantage of a fabulous sign-up bonus: You can choose up to two premiere organizational products at half off retail price!* That’s a savings of approximately $129 on items that will help you get your business off to an organized start. Choose from our most popular items to help you arrange and store your scrapbooking and stamping supplies.Forward, march… to the front of the line today and enroll during our Forward, March campaign for super savings. Ask me today about joining the Close To My Heart family. You won't be sorry you did!
Join My Team!

A NEW Challenge!
MY UPLINE CHALLENGED ME TO GET THREE BIG PARTIES, AND THREE LITTLE ONES...COULD YOU JUST BE ONE OF THE LITTLE ONES? I would so love to rise to this challenge! Would you be interested in hosting a little party? I promise to make it fun for you AND all your guests! The best part of all of this is that I not only rise to the challenge, but you could potentially EARN FREE PRODUCT!Send me a quick email (tammypinchard@myctmh.com) or give me a call (414) 640-0412 letting me know that you are interested in helping me rise to the challenge!I look forward to hearing from you!
Pick A Date!

HUGE Sale going on!
Beginning today, Tuesday, March 3rd, you will find a sale on select My Acrylix stamp sets at UP TO 40% off retail! I have included a few pictures of some sets that will be available. Visit my site to see them all beginning TOMORROW. However, shop early as these items are sure to go very fast!My Acrylix Stamp Sale

March Workshops-Stardust
Basic, Better or Best? YOU DECIDE!

Basic Includes:

X7109B Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet $12.95

X7109C Stardust Level 2 My Stickease® Assortment $4.95

Z1150 Stardust Flexi Labels $3.95

BULK126 Stardust Workshop Guide $1.00

BULK125 26" Chocolate Dots Organdy Ribbon $0.36

*** Workshop Supply Fee (per guest) $23.21 ***

Better Includes- Basic Package + This Product

D1333 My Acrylix® Wishing Star Stamp Set $22.95

***Workshop Supply Fee (per guest) $46.16***

Best Includes -Better Package + This Product

Z1105 White Daisy Brads $4.50

Z464 Sassy Strands® Summer Carnival Collection $5.95

***Workshop Supply Fee (per guest) $56.61***

Required Tools

9030 Imagine™ $21.95

D1250 My Acrylix® Extreme Caps Alphabet $22.95

Z2134 Moonstruck Exclusive Inks™ Pad $5.25

Z2118 Desert Sand Exclusive Inks™ Pad $5.25

Z365 Summer Soft Chalks $6.95

Note: "Required Tools" will be available for use at the workshop if you do not already own these products.With these items you will have enough product to complete THREE two page layouts and at least three greeting cards!

Want to see what else you will make? Visit my site and click on "Workshops on the Go". This will allow you to see all the workshops. This month will be Stardust. You can view four of the pages we will create as well as the cards! Be sure to see what all you can create with the products you would purchase! It's amazing how far it can go!Please visit my art section of my website for close up pictures of these pages!
My Art

CTMH TV
Just a friendly reminder that EVERY second Tuesday of the month, and new Art & Soul webisode is released. These are about 15 minutes in length. They will show a technique & products, and after the show there is an opportunity to receive a discount on the featured items!Click on the link below to see past webisodes, or visit Tuesday, March 10th for the latest and greatest addition!
ART & SOUL Webisode

Keep your eyes and ears open as I have some VERY exciting things in the works, and I am bursting to share it with all of YOU!

I CHALLENGE YOU!

2009-02-27T10:13:00.004-06:00

A fellow Close To My Heart sister, Jennifer Farrell, is helping with a fundraising event to help fight childhood cancer. Her 9 year old son, Alexander, will be shaving his head for to raise money, and he has set a goal to raise $1000.00 for this very worthy cause. The event takes place March 14, 2009.

If you can even spare a dollar, he would so much appreciate the help in reaching his goal.

Now, the challenge is this...........yesterday, I donated $25.00 to this very worthy cause. For any of you who MEET or BEAT my donation, you will receive a small "thank you" in the mail from me.

Should you decided to take me up on my challenge, please send me an email at tammypinchard@myctmh.com with you mailing address!

Now, let's see if we can get little Alexander to his goal!

Here is the link to Alexander's donation page:
http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/search.php?NewSearch=Y&SearchFormID=20090225214606&SearchFor=Participant&SearchEventYear=2009&SearchFirst=alexander&SearchLast=farrell&SearchForShavee=1&SearchForBarber=2&SearchForVolunteer=99&SearchTeamName=&x=20&y=5

ARE YOU READY FOR A SALE?!?!

2009-02-25T12:31:00.006-06:00

In March there will be a sale available on my website http://www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com/ The sale may include the following stamp sets. If you are at all interested, I would recommend shopping early! They seem to fly off the warehouse shelves very quickly when these sales come up! I will post more details when they are available (probably Thursday evening)!

Also, keep in mind that these are the Close To My Heart CLEAR My Acrylix stamp sets! They are amazing to work with since you can see right through them for proper placement, and are of very high quality! I thought a bit of a sneak peek at the sets would help you prepare.

Love of My Life (C1258)
Groovy Celebration (C1232)

My One & Only (D1197)

Wisdom (B1199)

My Farm (D1219)
Friendship's Garden (D1202)
Follow Your Dreams (D1152)

Card Sentiments (D1111)
Steep & Deep (D1175)
Memories (D1127)

A full current Idea Book and Product Review can be viewed on my website also. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me! My email is tammypinchard@myctmh.com!

Keep your eyes open for more details!

PS. Thank you fellow CTMH sister Vicki for the pictures!

Just Saying Hello!

2009-02-25T09:39:00.002-06:00

Well, life has been incredibly busy to say the least, it always seems to be. But, I think this is a good thing as it keeps me young!

I have so many things in the works right now, but I am NOT leaking anything out. I'm going to keep all of you sitting on the edge of your seats, and checking back regularly to see what is going on!

Hope you are all doing well. I know I'm tired of battling the colds, the cold weather. I am ready for spring, except for the fact that I have not yet started on my allergy meds. Better get going on that before everything starts blooming or I will be miserable!

Let The Good Times Roll!

2009-02-17T09:19:00.001-06:00

YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER SEEN AN ANNIVERSARY LIKE THIS ONE!

It's not too late to celebrate our 25th anniversary as a leader and innovator in the stamping business! To help celebrate, Close To My Heart is giving all of our stamp purchasers a fabulous gift! You won't want to miss out on this!

When you spend $25 in stamps (Customized Name and Stamp of the Month excluded), you’ll receive a custom-designed B-size My Acrylix® Good Times stamp set (retail value $13.95), packed with fun and versatile party-inspired images, for FREE!*

This beautifully crafted set will be a perfect addition to your stamp collection. It's absolutely adorable, how can you resist? I know I can't!So…let’s celebrate! Here’s to the next 25 years of happy stamping and Good Times!

*Offer good February 3–28, 2009. Tax and shipping/handling may apply.
If you are interested in placing an order, please give me a call. Otherwise, you can shop in your jammies 24/7 online on my website http://www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com/

Don't delay! February 28th will be here before you know it! And, if you order online, it can be shipped directly to the address of your choosing! Feel free to contact me with any questions! Now, LET'S CELEBRATE!

Congratulations to our EWC Division 2 Regional Champions!!

2009-02-16T14:47:00.001-06:00

Wow, what can I say! This group of boys and coaches lead us through an amazingly exciting Valentine's Day this past Saturday!

Each of the boys pictured with the charts were Champions in their weight class. The team over all pulled off the EWC Division 2 Regional Championship and will head to team sectionals tomorrow (Tuesday).

These boys were so exciting to watch, let me tell you! I am so proud of each and every one of them, even if they are not "my" sons!

Lance came into this competition seeded third, so our hopes were high. Each of the boys that managed to pull off either a championship or second place in their weight bracket moves onto individual state competition. Lance had a very off day. He was not at all wrestling like himself and unfortunately lost both matches he had. He ended up placing fourth, which isn't terrible considering he is a freshman and this was his first taste of all of this.

But, as I said, he did not at all bring his "A" game to this competition at all. He had a nasty cold he was attempting to recover from, so I am not sure if that affected him or not. But, hopefully he will turn things around and give the team his all at the team compeition!

Good luck to all of you! We are all so proud!

March Workshop! Stardust!

2009-02-13T19:41:00.002-06:00

These are the first two pages of the March workshop, Stardust! I had so much fun putting these together. There will be four more pages also done with the products from this workshop. Be sure to visit my calendar at http://www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com/ for more information on this and other workshops that I will be holding! You'll be glad you did!

Our Precious Grandson

2009-02-10T10:44:00.002-06:00

It has been sometime since I have posted updated pictures of our sweet grandson Anthony. I cannot believe he is almost 21 months! Where does that time go? I just don't know, honestly!
Anthony playing with his glasses from his Mr. Potato Head that Grandpa got him for Hanukkah. He calls Mr. Potato Head "Elmo". He LOVES Elmo, so I guess he thinks every toy he likes is Elmo!

Here he is playing with "Uncle, Uncle"! This is his name for Lance because he cannot say the "L" in his name yet.

And here he is with Grandpa and LucasJon opening his Mr. Potato Head. He says "LJ" really well! He just loves his uncles & grandpa to pieces. If they are around, Grandma is none existant unless he wants a "bass" (bath). Then he knows to come to Grandma! We have a whirlpool tub that has jets in it and he has learned how to press the button when he wants "bubbes" (bubbles). We are so blessed to have him in our lives. He is such a joy, and we love spending time with him. I can't believe he will be 2 in a blink of an eye!

We ALL Need A Good Laugh, Right?

2009-02-10T10:40:00.002-06:00

Aren't Mirrors Wonderful?

Shrek, Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt were all having lunch together. Shrek said, 'I have always thought that I'm the strongest man in the World, but how can I be sure?

Jennifer Lopez agreed. 'I'm told I'm the sexiest of them all, but Sometimes I wonder.'

Brad Pitt said, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the hottest man alive but I've Never had it confirmed.'

They all decided that the best way to find out if their beliefs were true was to approach the wicked Queen's mirror to confirm for them whether Shrek was the strongest, Jennifer Lopez was the sexiest and Brad Pitt was the hottest.

They agreed to meet again the next day for lunch to discuss their findings. The next day Shrek walked up with a smile. 'Well, it 's true. The mirror told me that I am the strongest man in the world.'

Brad Pitt walked in and boasted, 'It is true, it has been confirmed that I am the hottest man alive!!'

Jennifer Lopez walked in with her head bent down, tears in her eyes and asked, "Who the hell is Tammy Pinchard? (wishful thinking, I know, LOL)

After you can control your laughter... click on 'Forward' and change to your name~

Give your friends a good chuckle for the day:) Have fun with this!

Reposting Kewaskum Local Crops!

2009-02-09T13:42:00.002-06:00

I am just reposting information about local Kewaskum Crops. I have had a couple of people contact me asking if I was holding any, and since I am buried deep in my boys' wrestling season, I am passing along information about those I am aware of!

Our local scrapbooking store (The Scrap Nook) is offering a couple of all day crops! Here is the information:

When: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Where: Kewaskum Annex, just north of Hwy 45 & Hwy 28 in the center of Kewaskum
Time: 9:00 am - ???
Cost: $25.00 (Includes Lunch)

Details: Lunch will be provided. For those that wish to stay into the evening hours, we will be taking a collection for a delivery to be brought in. Beverages are on your own. ALL attendees will receive a thank you gift, including a 1-day coupon to The Scrap Nook.There is a special prize for the first 15 to sign up.

The second crop is for:

When: Saturday, April 4, 2009
Where: Kewaskum Annex
When : 9:00 am - ???Cost: $15.00

This is a "no frills" crop. Bring a snack/dish to share with the group. Meals and your beverages are on your own.All attendees will receive a thank you gift, including a 1-day coupon to The Scrap Nook.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ SAVE MONEY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Looking to save money? Pay only $10.00 for the April 4th crop when reserving your spot and paying for both at once!You must contact Linda at The Scrap Nook to reserve and pay for your spot. (262) 477-1033

HILARIOUS!

2009-02-09T10:24:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I have been trying so hard to lose weight, and although I have been yo-yoing, I am really trying to stick with this. For the past few days, I have been doing Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home program. Lane kept telling me he wanted to workout at the same time I did, but I just kept going downstairs and getting my workout in without him. I usually do some sort of exercise using DVD's or VHS tapes while he walks on the treadmill.

Well, last night we decided that we were going to do my Leslie Sansone workout together and hopefully get LucasJon to join us because he needs to lose weight also. We moved our big square table out of the middle of the living room and did the workout together!

Oh my goodness, if only you could have been a fly on the wall! These are two of the most uncoordinated, no rhythm-having guys I know! Don't get me wrong, they did great keeping their feet moving and making it fun, but I can ONLY imagine how funny we must have all looked. Thankfully Lance was downstairs in his room watching tv and nursing his groin pull or he might have pulled it worse laughing at all of us.

All I could think while we were working out was whether or not Randy and Kim were looking out their windows wondering what the heck we were doing throwing our arms up in the air and bouncing all over the living room!

This DVD we worked out to has four miles of workout on it. It lets you know each time you have reached a mile. Well, we all went through three miles and Lane was like "are we done?". Since this was the most I had done with the DVD so far, I told he we could be done and do more the following night. Well, LucasJon decided he was going to try to do the fourth mile which included a flex band for using your muscles for toning. So, Lane and I joined in to just move the last mile. LucasJon gave up on using the band and gave it to me. I'm feeling it today, but it's a GOOD ache!

Anyway, just wanted to share the fun we had, and the fact that the three of us exercised as a family. I hope they stick with me because it was much more fun than my doing it on my own! (No matter how funny we must look!)

EWC Division 2 Champions & EWC Champions!

2009-02-09T09:25:00.007-06:00

What an incredibly exciting weekend! On Saturday, our Kewaskum Indians Varsity Wrestling team wrestled in Kiel, WI for the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title. They had already secured the Division Two Championship title and were going after a FIRST TIME Eastern Wisconsin Championship.

Kewaskum has NEVER won this title in it's history. For the last six years, two of our biggest rivals have held the title. Sheboygan Falls has had it for the past three years, and the three years prior to that, Campbellsport has held the title. Our boys really wrestled hard and it was a nail biting day. After each round they would announce which teams were in what place with their points total. We were in second place most of the day, however we pulled it off and for the first time in Kewaskum Wrestling history, the boys brought home the Championship!!!

There were a few amazing things that happened also. First of all, Lance is a freshman so it's amazing that he is even wrestling varsity. But, he came into this tournament seeded SECOND in the conference! The only higher seed was held by James Hawley of Campbellsport. What this meant is that Lance received a bye for the first round (an automatic win). His second match was against David Mueller of Kiel. Lance lost 7-4. It was such a close match up between these two. Lance was ahead most of the match, then David tied it at 4-4. There were only about 30 seconds left and Lance got out of position allowing David to get 3 more points winning the match. Unfortunately, Lance pulled a groin muscle during this match and we thought he was done for the day. He iced it and refused to sit out. He said he was not going to just forfeit and settle for fourth place. We weren't so sure this was a good decision since he had MORE tournaments coming for individual and team competitions that could get him to state if he does well enough.

Well, he still wanted to wrestle and the coach let him give it a try.

Lance's next match was againsy Lukas Ohman of Plymouth. Into the second period, we could all tell he was in a LOT of pain. Coach Dennis Aupperle told the ref he needs to check on his guy. Dennis told Lance he wanted to stop the match and Lance would not let him despite the tears rolling down his cheek from the pain. Lance finished it off in over time! He managed to get a pin in 6:18 (6 minutes, 18 seconds)! So, as a freshman, he took THIRD in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference tournament!

He has a week of no competition before he and the rest of the team head to Port Washington this Saturday for WIAA Regionals. I think this may be individuals and not team, but I am not 100% sure.

Now, on top of Lance's accomplishments, our team had a few WONDERFUL things take place at this tournament! Our very own Cody Seibel took MVP of the tournament. This is voted on by all the coaches! Cody is an amazing young man! He is definitely a leader and helps to keep the team motivated. Cody and his younger brother Bo both managed to be Champions in this tournament! Cody at 189 weight class and Bo at 140 weight class. This makes Cody a THREE TIME EWC Champion! Jerry & Tammy Seibel are SO proud of their boys, I'm sure!

But, what can you expect when your head coach is Dennis Aupperle (2 time EWC Champ) and Joel Dziedzic (4 time EWC Champ)! These young men have SO much talent heading them up, but they could not accomplish what they have without a TON of hard work and dedication!

Way to go Kewaskum Indians!!!

Ian Auraudi (103) 6th Place

Jared Koffke (112) 3rd Place

Derik Muckerheide (119) 6th Place

Rob Maertz (125) 3rd Place

Brad Bentz (130) 1st Place CHAMP

Caleb Olla (135) 3rd Place

Bo Seibel (140) 1st Place CHAMP

Nathan Seitz (145) 6th Place

Ray Wollner (152) 3rd Place

Lance Pinchard (160) 3rd Place

Eric Turowski (171) 2nd Place

Cody Seibel (189) 1st Place CHAMP

PJ Krueger (215) 1st Place CHAMP

Matt Buker (289) 2nd Place

Wrestling Season in Full Swing!

2009-02-04T12:59:00.003-06:00

As usual, the boys are keeping us VERY busy once again. The wrestling season is in full swing. LucasJon was competing at a Dual Meet in Lancaster, WI in this picture. He had a tough time since these kids were all hand picked to compete at this meet. But, I am so proud of him because he DID NOT give up. He wrestled all five matches with everything he had! It was great to see him not psych himself up to lose before he got out there and tried!

Lance is amazing all of us right now. He is a freshman in high school and has managed to win a wrestle off allowing him to wrestle on the VARSITY team! He always gives his sports 110%! I don't think I have seen someone with so much heart before. Above he is wrestling at the Campbellsport meet. He did great, but ended up losing this match. He does, however, have an awesome season going! He and Lane know the numbers, but I want to say he has about 20 wins and only 4 or 5 losses. Something like that.

Okay, enough mom bragging for now! LOL

Let The Good Times Roll!

2009-02-04T12:44:00.006-06:00

YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER SEEN AN ANNIVERSARY LIKE THIS ONE!

To kick off our 25th anniversary as a leader and innovator in the stamping business, Close To My Heart is giving all of our stamp purchasers a fabulous gift!

When you spend $25 in stamps (Customized Name and Stamp of the Month excluded), you’ll receive a custom-designed B-size My Acrylix® Good Times stamp set (retail value $13.95), packed with fun and versatile party-inspired images, for FREE!*

This beautifully crafted set will be a perfect addition to your stamp collection. It's absolutely adorable, how can you resist? I know I can't!
So…let’s celebrate! Here’s to the next 25 years of happy stamping and Good Times!

*Offer good February 3–28, 2009. Tax and shipping/handling may apply.

If you are interested in placing an order, please give me a call. Otherwise, you can shop in your jammies 24/7 online on my website http://www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com/

Sale Issues...........

2009-01-26T09:23:00.001-06:00

For those of you out there trying to shop the discounted items on my site www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com please be patient, they are having a few issues that they are working on. Keep trying, and in the meantime take a look at the items. This way, when they have the "kinks" worked out, you will know exactly what you want to buy!

40% Off Close To My Heart Retired Items!!

2009-01-25T17:46:00.003-06:00

40% OFF Close to My Heart Retired Items!
Starts Monday, January 26 9am Central (10am Eastern/8am Mountain)!

Every year Close to My Heart retires a selection of products. Then, at the end of January, what is left in inventory is put up for sale, and is only available on a MyCTMH website. These items are 40% off. Paper packs, embellishments, stamp sets, accessories, etc.

If you are interested in checking this out, here's what you may want to do beforehand:

1) Go to my website (www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com) and check out the retired items list. You can click on my Calendar and you'll see the Clearance Sale listed on the 26th of January and I've added the Retired List. This shows what was retired in 2008 and these items MAY be available at the sale. Make note of the products you are most interested in. There aren't pictures with the list, but you can reference past Idea Books by clicking on "Products".

2) Before Monday morning, go to www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com, click Shop Online and select Create a New Online Account. This will create a customer profile for you and will make your check-out that much quicker each time you shop online. This isn't required, but will make it easier/quicker for you on Monday morning.

3) Then, go to back to www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com on Monday morning at 9am Central (10 am Eastern/8am Mountain) and begin shopping.

Please be patient if the server is a little slow...imagine if your favorite scrapbook store announced that everything was 40% off. You'd expect it to be crowded, with a wait to check out. Also note, CTMH has made improvements in the online shopping experience...so I know you will love the great savings and the ease of shopping online!

Again, this sale is only available when you Shop Online, and the products will be shipped directly to you. Please note it is ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, so be sure to shop right away!
If you have any questions, please contact me.

Happy Shopping!
Tammy Pinchard, Independent Close to My Heart Consultant
www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com
tammypinchard@myctmh.com
(414) 640-0412

Git 'R Done..............

2009-01-21T14:15:00.003-06:00

As you may have read in my past posts, Noreen Petty and I were scrapping buddies both before retreat began and after it ended.

Well, I STILL hadn't gotten everything done that we worked on at retreat. Here I am at the Denver, CO airport trying to pass the time during my 4 hour layover before heading back to Milwaukee, WI. Unfortunately, I was VERY limited with what I could have in my carry ons (almost lost my files that Denise gave as part of our downline gifts) so I wasn't able to accomplish much. A lady in the airport was a scrapbooker and thought it was hilarious that I was working on my pages right there!

She was kind enough to take a picture for me! There was a fellow consultant that also took pictures of Noreen & me scrapping in the business center at the hotel. She took my card and said she would email me the picture. When she does I will be making a page entitled "Git 'R Done"! I think it will be adorable! And since I am STILL working on the pages putting in pictures and the finishing touches, I may have my boys or husband take pictures of me too!

Matching Retreat Bags & T-shirts!

2009-01-21T13:54:00.004-06:00

This is the awesome bag that we got at Album Retreat with a matching T-shirt. I was so thrilled because since I re-organized my scrapping area and hubby put up shelves for me, I have been wanting to put some vinyl words up there.

My plan was for it to read "Mom's Happy Place", so needless to say I was VERY excited to the the Album Retreat "moto". Sooner or later I will have someone take a picture of me in my t-shirt too. I always seem to be BEHIND the camera lens! LOL

A couple more retreat pages (YES, we were busy!)

2009-01-20T15:33:00.005-06:00

This layout, "Be You" was AWESOME to make. Each of the tags you see with the Stardust Flexi Labels are journaling tags that slide in and out! I loved making this layout and look forward to getting pictures on it soon!

Then we have "Gratitude". I think this was my FAVORITE layout although it was very tedious to make. The branch in the upper left corner is a rub on, and the "leaves" are stamped hearts that were individually cut out, then placed to look like leaves on the branch. This color combination is unbelievable, and so elegant. May have to do a workshop on this one, allowing PLENTY of time of course!

I hope you all are enjoying this sharing of the album retreat arwork! I can't say enough positive things about being able to attend!

Some More Album Retreat Artwork!

2009-01-20T15:19:00.006-06:00

This first layout is "Our Love" and it is beautiful! I love using the dimensional elements frame and sponging it with a coordinating color. These pages will be reserved for pictures of Lane and I together! It is adorable.

Next we have "Friends". As you can see, I have started to put pictures in this one. This will be dedicated to all the new friends I made at the Album Retreat. I will repost all of these pages on my website after all pictures and final embellishments are in place!

Hangin' Out With The Girls!

2009-01-19T08:58:00.005-06:00

Yet another picture from Album Retreat. These girls were such a BLAST to be around, I can't even begin to tell you. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to not only meet these girls in person, but to be able to spend the amount of time with them, getting to know them on more of a personal level that I did.

In the first picture we have Nichole Lewno, Noreen Petty, Denise Anderson-Turley, and I am in the back. I caught up with Noreen & Denise on the shuttle from the airport to the hotel, and we ended up rooming across the hall from each other.

Next is Alex Gaud & I. Alex also ended up on the shuttle with us, and roomed next door to Noreen & Denise (across the hall from me). So, we were the four musketeers pretty much the whole time we were there. What a fun, fun group of women! We shopped together, scrapped together, and just hung out.

If any of you are reading this, THANK YOU for a WONDERFUL time. You made my trip so much worthwhile by allowing me to spend time with each and every one of you!

Noreen, thanks for being my scrapping buddy too! I really enjoyed our one on one time together. You are an incredibly uplifting, inspiring person and yet still down to earth. I hope you know that!

I hope to see you all at Leadership, so I better get my butt busy recruiting!

Well, back to work. I have lots to catch up on at our auto repair shop having been gone three days of last work week.

Ready for more GORGEOUS artwork?

2009-01-18T13:29:00.006-06:00

Well, here I sit at the Denver, CO airport using up three hours until my next flight, and I promised I would post more pictures. I have to tell you that through the Album Retreat we did the opening Album page, and TEN two page layouts. I was not disappointed with a single one!

I will post a few more now, but I do not yet have pictures of them all.

This was just an amazing trip. I am so happy I was able to make it, and I look forward to more. I'm off to check into the regionals information! Hope you all are enjoying the artwork!

Still Creating............

2009-01-17T08:33:00.010-06:00

Wow, I'm almost exhausted from the fast pace, but I'm LOVING it! What a great time this has been and continues to be. I am just going to post a couple of pages we did, and then I am off to start ANOTHER day of creating! And I am telling you, if you have had any doubts about whether or not it is worth it, don't doubt! Not only is the creative part incredible, but being able to meet so many CTMH family members in person is unbelievable!

So, here is the page that Jeanette taught yesterday morning. It will be the opening page in our albums. Keep in mind, these are not completed as I have no pictures with me, and the pictures need to be put in before some of the final embellishments are put on. Enjoy!

Then there are the next two pages............

And the last two I am posting before I get some Starbucks:

Oh, and if you wish to share these, please be so kind as to refer people to my blog! I would appreciate it. After all, I'm watching the numbers and there could be some blog candy coming! Not to mention, we did three more two page layouts yesterday besides what I have posted and will be doing five more two page layouts today, so be sure to keep visiting! Off to get some coffee!

Sneak Peek!

2009-01-16T08:39:00.005-06:00

Okay, Okay!!! (LOL, Lisa, here you are girlfriend, and by the way I have been up since 6:30 am!) I'm warning you, this is NOWHERE near done! The first picture is the front cover which will eventually read "10 Things I Love About YOU". This is a new item that will be released on our summer 2009 Idea Book, but we have not yet heard a price point on it.

It is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! This is the My Creations Mini Binder! For those of you that know the CTMH products, this is a new addition to our awesome My Creations alterable items. It is extremely cute, very durable, and will make many, many cute albums.

Nona also showed us one with the new Stardust paper packet, and it was adorable also. I am hoping to finish this project (minus pictures) at our open crop tonight. I hope you all enjoy the sneak peek. Now I'm off to get a cup of Starbucks coffee, have a light breakfast supplied by corp, and get busy doing some more creating! Our first pages are being taught my Jeanette!

See you all later!

Whew! That was a BLAST!

2009-01-15T23:24:00.005-06:00

Okay everyone, it is about 10:25 pm here in Salt Lake City and I just returned to my room after working on our "mini album" (shhhhhh). I was hoping to post some new pictures to my blog of what we worked on, however, we tried squeezing a 4 hour project into a two hour time slot...............ummmmm, yah, NO! LOL

I can tell you that the project we started on was designed by none other than Mrs. Nona Davenport!! So, for those of you who know her artwork, it is FABULOUS! Also, the project includes a "new to be released" product in this upcoming summer Idea Book, so be sure to keep watching the blog for photos. You are going to LOVE this!

I promise to post this when it is more presentable, it just is not right now. You would totally not get the full effect! I think I may take a little time to work on it yet tonight, but then I need to get some shut eye as this is VERY fast paced and I will need all the rest I can get after all the walking and shopping we did!

We will be starting off tomorrow with pages taught by Mrs. Jeanette Lynton! I so can't wait. Oh, and I almost forgot. I have seen Monica from afar at the Convention in Florida, but today I was able to introduce myself and give her a big hug! She is so incredibly sweet! Actually, all of the corporate staff are awesome, and I'm so blessed to get to meet them in person.

See you all tomorrow!

Shopping in Salt Lake City

2009-01-15T18:35:00.006-06:00

LOL, look @ me! I had Noreen Petty take this picture so that people could see the wonderful scenery that we are looking at here. I am just laughing at myself because see how I am leaning to one side? Well, I am KNEELING on this round cement thing next to the road, and remember that fall I took yesterday morning on my way out?? YEP, my right knee is killing me and there was NO way I was going to be able to put pressure on it for the picture. Oh well, the mountains is what I love looking at.

Had a GREAT day so far, got lots of work done this morning on my website and my accounting software, then went out shopping with the girls! All I wanted to find was some doggone ADHESIVE! LOL, remember, I brought 12 refills with me and NO dispenser. Well, the LAST thing we found was my adhesive, but we had fun all afternoon. I did manage to find some Office Depot tape runners and they were 40% off since they are going out of business. So, I got them for a steal AND my tombo refills fit in them! How cool is that? OH, and we rode the trolley to and from the mall! It was really fun, all of us girls are like a bunch of, well, little girls! LOL What fun, what fun.............

Well, I am all checked in, have my cute little name tag on, and just waiting for our mini album class to start at 7:00 pm. I'll be sure to post pictures tonight whenever I get back to my room. For now I am putting my leg up for a bit! See you all later!

Creating before THE Creating.........

2009-01-15T09:34:00.009-06:00

After getting some dinner at Olive Garden with Denise and Noreen, Noreen and I decided we were going to take over the large square table in the business center so we could feel productive! I wanted to get some samples done of the National Paper Crafting Month Promotion package, and let me tell you, I am SO in love! These color combinations and patterns are just AWESOME.

While NONE of these creations are completed (had to limit the supplies I brought along with all the limitations and extra charges with the airlines these days) I did want to share them. The pages are from the Key To My Heart promotion for this month. If you are interested in finding out more, you can view previous posts. I made the pages from the Imagine How-To program. This layout is Serenade found on pages 36 & 37. This How-To program is SO easy to follow that I have vowed that I will start using my Cherish, Imagine, Reflections and Originals programs MUCH MORE!

The card is just something I put together because I have a customer with an upcoming birthday, and I want to get it mailed out while I am here in Salt Lake City since I will not be home in time to mail it from home.

I also had the GREAT PLEASURE of meeting Shannon Buck last night! I follow Shannon's Blog, an it was so awesome to meet her in person. She is such a positive woman and is so upbeat, that I hope I get to spend more time with her through this trip!

Well, I better get going since I need to get in some shopping. What kind of scrapbooker brings 12 refills and NO dispenser? MEEEEEEE! That's right, I'm guilty! So, I need to visit Zim's (a local craft store) in hopes of finding a Tombo dispenser or two before the intense creating begins later today!

And can you believe that while my family is back home freezing, that the boys have off of school today because of the intense wind chills? And lucky me is here in Utah where it will be around 40-45 degrees throughout the trip. I plan on walking to try to keep ahead of the eating I'm sure I will be doing. Gotta stay on that WW plan as best I can while I am away. Would love to return home to my scale to find out I lost rather than gained! Wish me luck!

Be sure to check in often as I fully intend to post throughout the trip. See you all soon! I'm off to see if Noreen is up since we will be doing our shopping together today. Be back later!

View from my room

2009-01-15T09:16:00.006-06:00

Okay, so the construction isn't so pretty, but the mountains in the background are gorgeous. There are trolleys running around downtown, which is really neat to see. The rooms are okay, but nothing too fancy, which is fine also. Well, off to take some pictures of my creations from last night. Be back soon!

Salt Lake City, Utah HERE I AM!!

2009-01-14T17:07:00.003-06:00

Yeah! I FINALLY made it to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Close To My Heart Album Retreat! This is the view I had after getting off of the plane and looking out the terminal at the airport. Is this BEAUTIFUL or what?!

Now, let me tell you about my adventure to get here. I almost didn't make it on this trip because one of our main technicians at our auto repair shop gave us less than two weeks notice and his last day to work for us was last week Thursday. So, Lane was not sure he and the remaining guys could handle things without me.

Well, my dear husband decided he would try to handle things so that I didn't have to lose out on the money I had paid for my flights (bless his heart!). I didn't get to pack until after 10:00 pm last night, I got to bed after midnight and of course could NOT fall asleep because I was so excited. I had to get up at 3:00 am to shower and get to the airport.

On my way out, I fell on the ice in our driveway! Yep, me and ice do NOT get along at all....but I picked myself up in pain, and went on my merry way. The thermometer on my Montero said 13 BELOW! Oh my goodness, it was cold out there!

The flight from Milwaukee, WI got a late start because they had to de-ice the plane before we headed out. Well, of course, that made me late arriving in Denver, Colorado. I got to the gate where I was suppose to catch my connecting flight (of course it was at the other end of the airport, so I limped along my way, but very quickly) and they were pulling the tarmack (sp) away from the plane. The lady informed me I had missed the flight! "Please go to the customer service desk between gates 36 & 38 (that was back the way I came from!) and they will reschedule you on a flight".

Yeah, so I was informed that I now have FOUR HOURS to burn before my new flight will even begin to board. I made use of my time by working on my website, grabbing a light bite to eat (hadn't done that yet and it was around 8:50 am), made a few new contacts with fellow travelers at the airport, and waited it out.

The flight from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah was pretty much non-eventful and when I went to claim my luggage it was sitting nicely in the airline office patiently waiting for me to arrive because it got there before I did! (much better than it getting lost at least).

I asked an airport worker how I went about getting a ride to my hotel and he said that they run free shuttles, I just needed to sit and wait for my hotel shuttle to come by. I must say, I didn't mind waiting since it was nice & sunny and probably more like 45 degrees here. That was a heatwave compared to what I left behind. After waiting for probably about 20 minutes, I called the hotel to find out how often their shuttles ran. Evidently, they don't HAVE A SHUTTLE! But, the nice lady referred me to a shuttle service, I went back inside and made shuttle arrangements. Luckily, there was one leaving right at that moment and the girl behind the desk held it up for myself and an elderly gentleman.

When I got intothe shuttle to get to the hotel, lo and behold, here is Denise Anderson-Turley and Noreen Petty! Denise is my up, up, up, upline (something like that) and Noreen is just awesome (actually they both are). I had the opportunity to meet Denise in person when I traveled to Florida this past summer for the CTMH Convention. And I was able to be in a couple of business classes run my Noreen. These ladies are SO inspirational. I am truly blessed to be in their presence. We bent the ears of the other passengers, and the elderly gentleman next to me told us to have a great time, and that by all the enthusiasm he was hearing from us, he was sure we would!

So, I am in my room waiting for a couple more consultants to get here, and then we are all walking to the Olive Garden for dinner (and boy am I hungry)! Noreen and Denise are right across the hall from me, so I am sure we will have a GREAT time while we are here!

I suggest you be sure to stay posted since I will be posting more updates throughout my stay. I will be here through Sunday morning!

Kewaskum Local Crops!

2009-01-08T15:50:00.006-06:00

Our local scrapbooking store (The Scrap Nook) is offering a couple of all day crops! Here is the information:

When: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Where: Kewaskum Annex, just north of Hwy 45 & Hwy 28 in the center of Kewaskum
Time: 9:00 am - ???

Cost: $25.00 (Includes Lunch)

Details: Lunch will be provided. For those that wish to stay into the evening hours, we will be taking a collection for a delivery to be brought in. Beverages are on your own. ALL attendees will receive a thank you gift, including a 1-day coupon to The Scrap Nook.

There is a special prize for the first 15 to sign up.

The second crop is for:

When: Saturday, April 4, 2009
Where: Kewaskum Annex
When : 9:00 am - ???

Cost: $15.00

This is a "no frills" crop. Bring a snack/dish to share with the group. Meals and your beverages are on your own.

All attendees will receive a thank you gift, including a 1-day coupon to The Scrap Nook.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ SAVE MONEY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Looking to save money? Pay only $10.00 for the April 4th crop when reserving your spot and paying for both at once!

You must contact Linda at The Scrap Nook to reserve and pay for your spot. (262) 477-1033

National Paper Crafting Month Promotion!

2009-01-07T16:41:00.005-06:00

Don't forget about this AWESOME PROMOTION: Running through Jan 31st, we are celebrating National Paper Crafting Month. Check out the details:

The gorgeous new Key to My Heart Level 2 paper packet features all of our fabulous new exclusive colors: Tulip, Juniper, Sorbet, and Crème Brulee. The packet is accompanied by the attractive new E-size My Acrylix® Key to My Heart stamp set brimming with elegant, charming designs. It’s a great combo with a retail value of $47.90—and can be yours at substantial savings, or even FREE!

-Spend $130 and receive the whole package FREE!
-OR- Spend $75 and purchase the kit for just $20
-OR - Buy the kit outright for $47.90

You can also earn the kit for FREE by signing up to be a consultant
- OR - Hosting a gathering of $400 or more before January 31st (catalog gatherings okay too)

You can shop online at www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com if you choose to, or contact me to schedule a home gathering or "Idea Book" gathering!

You may also want to visit my "Training and Events" area where you can view all of the workshops I have scheduled, January is filling up fast!

Aren't these colors just GORGEOUS?! They are even more so in person, this picture does not do them justice!

Spring 2009 CTMH Idea Book Revealed!

2009-01-07T10:28:00.003-06:00

Well, this is my first post of the new year (sorry about that, it's been hectic!), and I am teasing you all with the cover of the BRAND NEW Spring 2009 Close To My Heart Idea Book! Do you see all those wonderful products and the coordinating papers! Gosh, I just LOVE our products.

I had my Idea Book Revealing party on Saturday, January 3rd, and it went well! The ladies that were there have fun playing the left/right game and getting door prizes. All in all, I had a great time and I believe the ladies did too!

Now, I have LOTS of workshops coming up, and January has ONLY 1 workshop left open, so if you are interested, be sure to visit my NEW and UPDATED website at http://www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com/ ! I absolutely love all the updates, the calendar is so much easier to read!

You can now even create your own secure account to shop online! How cool is that! After all, my website is available for shopping 24/7! You can save things in your cart if you wish to, as well as many other updates. Be sure to check the new site out.

One thing..........if you had my site bookmarked in your browser, you will have to manually enter it one more time and the resave it as the computer mumble jumble to get you there has changed! LOL (Real technical talk there, hey?)

Well, you can either contact me to view the inside pages of the new Idea Book, OR you can view it online. Seriously, check out how Close To My Heart makes Scrapbooking, Stamping, Cardmaking AND Paper Crafting "Faster, Simpler, Easier" with all the awesome coordinating base pages, paper packets and embellishments! Did I already say I LOVE our products?

WW Weigh in...........Week 11 & 12

2008-12-22T16:28:00.003-06:00

Oh boy, I am falling behind here. I'm so excited about the Idea Book Revealing Party I am having on January 3rd, and so busy getting prepared for it that I forgot to post about my weight loss (and gain).

So, week 11......I WAS down 2.4 lbs bringing my running total to an even 20 lbs loss. Well, week 12 has not been so great.......I gained 2.0 lbs back dropping me to 18 lbs total loss. What a roller coaster. I'm trying hard though to stay on track. It's tough with the holidays, as I'm sure I do NOT have to tell anyone who has had to battle weight loss or maintenance!

We are back into yet another week. I am trying really hard to get motivated to exercise which will help to keep things under better control. I love to watch the 9:00 news, so I guess I should make that my exercise time. I can walk on the treadmill in our family room and watch the news, right?

And of course, I have my Pilates for weight loss DVD that I could do instead of watching the 9:00 news, or the step aerobics video I have. Then I could just catch the 10:00 news? I don't know, but I have to figure out how to get motivated, and remind myself that I am worth that time to me. Wish me luck as I venture through Grandma's Homemade Baked Beans (she taught me how to make them now!), and all the other goodies that will tempt me. And let's not forget the birthday cake I have to get for Lance since his 15th birthday is on Christmas Day!

Well, here's to a successful week...................

National Paper Crafting Month Promotion!

2008-12-17T12:27:00.008-06:00

Did you know that I'm a CTMH Consultant? If not, I have been a consultant for a little over 3 years now, but recently decided I was ready to go from a hobbyist to a full blown consultant. I absolutely LOVE representing a company with such high quality products and such high standards. Our products are of the highest quality, best value, and are completely on top of the latest trends, yet remain timeless.

We also have unbelievable promotions! Beginning yesterday and running through Jan 31st, we are celebrating National Paper Crafting Month. Check out the details:

The gorgeous new Key to My Heart Level 2 paper packet features all of our fabulous new exclusive colors: Tulip, Juniper, Sorbet, and Crème Brulee. The packet is accompanied by the attractive new E-size My Acrylix® Key to My Heart stamp set brimming with elegant, charming designs. It’s a great combo with a retail value of $47.90—and can be yours at substantial savings, or even FREE!

-Spend $130 and receive the whole package FREE!

-OR- Spend $75 and purchase the kit for just $20

-OR - Buy the kit outright for $47.90

You can also earn the kit for FREE by signing up to be a consultant

- OR - Hosting a gathering of $400 or more (catalog gatherings okay too)

You can shop online at http://www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com/ if you choose, or contact me to schedule a home or "Idea Book" gathering! You may also want to visit my "Training and Events" area where you can view all of the workshops I have scheduled, my Spring Idea Book Revealing Party, and so much more! Aren't these colors just GORGEOUS?! They are even more so in person, this picture does not do them justice!

WW Weigh in...........Week 10

2008-12-05T08:33:00.002-06:00

Well, a much better week for me than last week. Recap: last week with my birthday and Thanksgiving, I gained 3.4 lbs. This week I managed to not only lose that 3.4 lbs, but an additional 1.4 lbs. bringing my total so far to 17.6 lbs. I still have a long way to go (114.8) to get to my final goal, but it feels good to be losing it.

I'm hoping to stay on track through Lane's birthday, Hanukkah, Lance's birthday and Christmas. It will definitely be a challenge, but I can do it!!

2009 SPRING IDEA BOOK REVEALING PARTY!

2008-12-02T08:45:00.003-06:00

2009 SPRING IDEA BOOK REVEALING PARTY!

You will NOT want to miss the fun!

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2009
Time: Noon — 4:00 pm

Where: My Home (more info upon RSVPing)

RSVP by Saturday, December 28, 2008

Come join the fun of games, drawings, door prizes, raffle, create 'n take projects, new crafting ideas!

I will be doing drawings throughout. You can earn tickets for the drawing the following way:
*First to RSVP
*RSVP by December 28th
*First to arrive
*Bring a friend not already on my mailing list
*Sign up and prepay for upcoming Workshops (more details and samples at the party!)
*Host a home gathering

Operation Smile Raffle:
Prize- 1 Year of Stamps of the Month
Tickets are $1.00 each or 15 for $10.00
All proceeds will go to Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

WW Weigh in...........Week 9

2008-12-02T08:43:00.002-06:00

Oh boy, I was NOT a good girl....................I went up 3.4 lbs last week (I weigh on Friday morning), bringing my total loss back down to 13.0 lbs. But, the good news is that I am back on track, and I think a lot of it was water retention because I am almost back down where I was the weigh in before.

So, I am holding my head high, remembering that we all slip here and there, and I was faced with a birthday AND Thanksgiving one day right after the other.

Back at it!!!!!

What a wonderful start to a birthday!

2008-11-26T10:40:00.003-06:00

What a GREAT start to my birthday. Yesterday I was blessed to open two beautiful birthday cards that came in the mail. One from my baby sister, Mandy and one from my dear, sweet dad & stepmom! To top it off, I got some WW coupons from my sweet friend and fellow CTMH sister, Kisha!

This morning I was blessed with a call from my baby sister, a call from my oldest stepdaughter, Lacy, a message on my facebook from a sweet friend (and CTMH sister), Kari, a post to the consultant bulletin boards titled "Happy Birthday Tammy Pinchard" from yet another dear, sweet friend (and CTMH sister) Lisa! Lisa also sent me a text message to wish me a Happy Birthday.

So, despite being at work on my birthday, it is going well! This bouquet of roses is so beautiful and fragrant, my office smells WONDERFUL! How can I not be smiling from ear to ear! Thank you everyone for making my day so special!

WW Weigh in...........Week 8

2008-11-22T09:45:00.002-06:00

Here we go again, another week went by that I just COULD NOT motivate myself to get moving. What is wrong with me? I have to make a promise to ME that I will move this week. It will be a VERY tough one since my birthday is Wednesday and Thanksgiving is Thursday.

Our tradition for my birthday is to go out to Texas Roadhouse, or someplace like that, for a nice Prime Rib dinner. So, my sweet friend (and fellow CTMH Consultant) Cindy recommended that I not skip my traditional dinner, but instead ask for a to go box and cut it in half! Then I have my favorite treat for another meal as well and I am not over doing it!

Thanksgiving will be yet another evil venture. Grandma's Old Fashioned Baked Beans, Stuffing, Desserts galore. I am blessed to have my cousin Peggy Sue's birthday only four days before mine, so Auntie Peggy usually does things up right and has more cake that we could possibly eat.

Now, for my weekly report. Even though I didn't discipline myself to get moving, I did manage a loss of 0.8 lbs, brining my total so far to 16.4 lbs. Not too shabby. My fellow CTMH girls and I have an ongoing post on our bulletin board to support each other through our weight loss, and my dear friend Cindy keeps reminding me that this is a marathon, not a sprint!

So, another successful week in the loss column, now to get MOVING! Wish me luck, I need it!

Baby Announcements

2008-11-17T20:35:00.005-06:00

Yeah!! My dear, sweet friend Brenda and her husband Tom just had their first baby! I promised Brenda I would make her the baby announcements for her to mail out. I have just finished them!

I cannot even begin to say how happy I am for the two of them. Brenda just turned 41 in September, and I have know her for 18 years. I always knew she would be a wonderful Mommy, and now she is! I cried when she told me she was pregnant.........and now that little Benjamin is here, I am tearing up all over again! I sure hope she likes them!

Love you Brenda!!!

WW Weigh in...........Week 7

2008-11-14T09:25:00.002-06:00

Well, I didn't get moving this week as far as additional exercise, but it was VERY busy at the shop. I did a lot of running back and forth from one end of the building to the other, which I think helps me to lose. I HAVE TO get myself motivated this upcoming week to get exercise into my crazy, busy schedule!

I did lose again this week, so that is a plus! I am down 2.6 lbs again (same amount as last week) bringing my total to 15.6 lbs so far! I'm still not feeling like I am losing, but I'm happy to see the numbers getting smaller on the scale and larger on the "lost" column of the spreadsheet I am keeping.

Here's to another good week!

My Advertising INSTALLED

2008-11-14T08:52:00.003-06:00

I installed it this morning!!! Should have taken the picture BEFORE I drove to work and got it all dirty, but I think it's cute! Hopefully it will get the questions coming and help me to make new contacts.

I had a lot of fun playing with my Cricut Expressions to make all the pink vinyl that I added to this.

Advertising my business.......

2008-11-14T00:22:00.003-06:00

Well, it's past midnight and I made the mistake earlier of drinking an XS Energy Drink, LOL. So, I am up working on some advertising for my Close To My Heart business. Tell me, what do you think? Is the Stamping & Scrapbooking too large? Or do you think it will draw more attention to the actual contact information? I'm not sure what to think, and will take more pictures when I have it stretched over the spare tire on my SUV. Hmmmmmm.................I would have liked to use more of a light purple since that is the color of the Close To My Heart logo on my newsletters, but I only had pink vinyl. I think it really pops nicely on the black though.

Well, better get to bed, 6:00 am will come fast! Thank goodness it's Friday! Oh, I have to weigh in again when I get up. Check back in to see how I did!

WW Weigh in...........Week 6

2008-11-07T08:55:00.004-06:00

My goal for last week was to make it out of the 270's...........I'm proud to say, I did just that! I weighed in this morning at 269.4! My total so far............13.0 lbs.

I do have to say that I'm not feeling much like I am really losing yet, maybe because I have so much to lose. But, I do notice my pants are a little looser, and so is my work shirt. These are good things! Slow & steady so that it will have a better chance of staying off!

I'm glad to say that Lane and LucasJon have been right by my side with trying to be more healthy and lose weight this week, which has made it easier on me. We are no longer arguing over what should be for dinner because I want to be healthy and they didn't care!

My next goal is to try to get into the 250's by my birthday this month on the 26th!! What a great birthday present to myself that would be! Oh, and the pink font is because I am tickled pink to be losing weight successfully!

WW Weigh in...........Week 5

2008-11-04T08:45:00.004-06:00

Sorry this post is late, I weigh in on Fridays.

Alright, so not a great loss this week, only 0.2 lb for a total of 10.4 lbs so far, but still a loss. This week was insane though, I didn't get all of my water in for sure. I have my little grandson Anthony here with me at work, so it was hard to take care of me since he needs me to take care of him.

But, I did great this weekend and continue to do well. Lane has hopped on board with trying to lose again, so that makes things MUCH easier when it comes to meals and so on. We are not butting heads with me trying to lose weight and him not caring whether he gained or not.

I behaved well this past weekend and instead of gaining like I usually do, and then battle the week to lose that weight and more, I actually went down this weekend. I am looking forward to a nice loss this week (hopefully). I so want to say goodbye to the 270's. That is my goal, I hope I make it!!

I am FINALLY starting to feel my clothes get looser, at least my work clothes. Some of my others were VERY snug, so it will be awhile before I notice any wiggle room in them! But, it is a good feeling!

WW Weigh in...........Week 4

2008-10-24T08:06:00.002-05:00

So, I did okay this week. I didn't do so good last weekend though. I ate way too much. Went to Texas Roadhouse and gave into a blooming onion, although Lance and I did go with the mini that they now offer. We also ended up at a couple of buffets, which I normally do good at, but was in a real funk and overate.

After a roller coaster week, I still manage to LOSE even if it was only 0.4 lbs. That brings my running total to 10.2 lbs. I VOW to do better this week, my goal is 2.3 to bring me down into the 260's. I know I can do this, I just have to keep reminding myself that I am doing this for ME. For how much better I feel being lighter, for my future health and my current health. Because I would LOVE to be able to not have to shop in the Plus Sizes for the first time in MANY, MANY years!

I can do this................................

UNDEFEATED Freshman Kewaskum Indians 7-0!!

2008-10-22T08:42:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful group of boys (or should I say, young men)!!! We had several injuries and some key players out for a good portion of the season, and yet all of these boys stepped up their game and brought their team to an undefeated Freshman season!!! Wow, what an exciting season for all of us! We are all so proud of these kids and their coaches. There was excellent play calling, and excellent leadership by these coaches as well! Most of them were holding up 7 fingers in the photo, not sure how well you can see that.

This talented group includes: Travis Averill (50), Michael Bier (51), Nolan Bocher (56), Brad Boegel (14), Kyle Boehlen (76), Dan Bohn (37), Brad Bottleman (65), Tyler Craig (54), Andy Doll (89), Mack Donath (53), Trent Ellis (84), Josh Farrand (43), Kenny Gigstead (52), Austin Goeman (9), Tony Gonring (20), Colton Gruber (44), Derrick Herriges (48), Joey Herriges (60), Tyler Hetebrueg (91), Jared Luedtke (46), Matt Martin (90), Mark Miller (58), Sam Olla (15), Eric Perkins (29), Lance Pinchard (39), Dan Schuette (62), Eric Schulz (63), Dylan Tackes (80), Taylor Toth (92), Joey Wollner (11), and Garrett Yahr (45). Coaches: Kyle Darmody & Ryan Herman. And our guardian angel Ben Derge (67). We love & miss you Ben!

WAY TO GO INDIANS CLASS OF 2012!!

Trying something different...........

2008-10-20T09:13:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I have decided that I HAVE to learn to eat healthier, proper portion sizes, and lose weight to keep it off. I decided to join Weight Watcher's online since I knew there was NO way I was fitting weekly meetings into my crazy schedule. I decided to blog about it to help with the accountability!

So, I have completed week three (as of this last Friday) and I am down 9.8 lbs so far! How exciting is that? Well, at least it is for me. I have found some great women within my CTMH community on the bulletin boards who have been incredibly supportive. We call ourselves the biggest "losers" on a regular basis. These women are phenominal!

I have found some awesome websites also, and have been visiting them regularly to learn more about healthy choices, healthy eating, etc. I absolutely LOVE www.hungry-girl.com and have subscribed to her daily newsletter!

Well, I just wanted to put this out there because I am bound & determined to lose the weight I need to and keep it off! I have not been under 200 lbs since before I was pregnant with Lance, and he will be 15 on Christmas Day! It's long past due time to rid myself of all this excess weight.

So, I have lost 9.8 lbs and have 122.6 lbs to go to get to my goal weight. My doctor and I talked and decided what would be a good weight for me even though it is a tad higher than what they say it "should" be.

Anything has to be better than where I am now. The heart history, the diabetes and so on in my family........it's time to make changes!

My Middle Schooler.....................

2008-10-14T21:39:00.003-05:00

Here he is, my "baby" LucasJon. An official middle schooler...........okay, I STILL want to know where that time goes! I didn't believe my mom when she said that it goes fast.............the older they get, the faster they grow up. Time is just flying. I did inform him that he can have NO MORE birthdays (he's 11) but that didn't fly with him, he was having no part of that at all.

Oh well, I guess I will enjoy him at this age while I can. Seems like just yesterday he came into our lives. If only I had those natural curls! I keep teasing him that I have to pay for mine................

Lacy & Anthony

2008-10-14T10:58:00.003-05:00

Auntie Lacy & Anthony came to Lance's home football game against Sheboygan Falls! Anthony sure was happy to see his Auntie. Of course, he couldn't decide whose lap he wanted more, Auntie Lacy's, Grandpa's or Grandma's.

He is such a people watcher too! It's so funny to watch him in crowds, he stares at everyone trying to figure them out. Makes you wonder what is going on inside his cute little head.

Auntie Lacy thought she would get him a little treat. He ended up with a chocolate Tootsie Pop sucker. He was doing great until he decided he needed to rub his clean hands all over the sticky sucker! Oh well, he had fun with it anyway...........just got a little sticky! I like to call him MY "sticky boy", all you CTMH sisters can appreciate that one!

Freshman Homecoming 10/11/2008

2008-10-14T10:25:00.003-05:00

Here we are, freshman year of high school. I still can't believe that Lance is in high school! Well, this past Saturday was his very first high school dance, Homecoming! This is the group of kids he went to Homecoming with! Brittney was his "date". All the mom's thought it was cute that he got a tie to match her dress (he's such a ladie's man already!LOL).

Val's mom was so generous. She put together a pre-dance dinner of subs, fruit, etc. Then she took the whole group to the dance in her van. That was so nice of her!

And can I just say, my son is so handsome! (no bias here, LOL!)

Cuttin' Grass

2008-10-14T10:10:00.003-05:00

After cutting our acre & 1/4 of completely open lawn, the boys decided to take Anthony for a ride on the riding lawnmower. Needless to say from the smile on his face, he really enjoyed it! After Uncle Lance took him for a ride, we let him sit on it all by himself and he just turned that steering wheel back and forth like crazy (with it shut off of course!). Then Uncle LJ took him for a ride. He really thought he was king of the lawnmower!

My Latest Creation

2008-09-17T23:12:00.003-05:00

Here is my latest creation! This was created with the following Close To My Heart products:

Card Pattern: Original Card Program, Background Blocks, pg. 48

The base is a 6 x 12 piece of colonial white cardstock (1388) and distressed with Creme Brulee Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad (Z2167). I then make the "block" pattern with pieces from Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet (X7100B). The "mat" piece is Cocoa Cardstock (X5642) distressed with sanding block found in the Sanding Kit (Z1294). The center of the card is made on Colonial White Cardstock (1388), 2nd generation stamped in Exclusive Inks; Tulip (Z2166), Sorbet (Z2166) and Juniper (Z2165) with the September Stamp of the Month set Treasure Life (D1306). And the ONLY non-CTMH (Close To My Heart) product used is the DMC Floss 356 to match the Sorbet color! The stiching was done by freehand piercing with the Piericing Tool (Z1114) and hand stitching!

Building MY Passion!!

2008-09-14T01:09:00.002-05:00

THIS IS IT, I am finally taking the time to build my Close To My Heart business. Scrapbooking, Stamping, Card making and paper crafting.

If you would be interested in receiving my monthly newsletter, or any updates I may send out, be sure to enter your information on the right side of the screen where it asks for your email, first name and last name.

You will receive any emails that I send out regarding classes, workshops, monthly newsletter, MY OPEN HOUSE, etc.

You can also get more information by frequenting my website www.tammypinchard.myctmh.com and checking out my Training and Events, or My CTMH TV, My Artwork, etc!!

I have spent 4 1/2 years by Lane's side building Auto Pro, our auto repair business in West Bend, WI and now it is time for me to dedicate some time to MY passion. Please enter your information if you would like to be kept informed!

So YOU think temple is boring, do you?......

2008-09-10T15:24:00.002-05:00

Yep, Anthony was NOT amused by all the people at temple this weekend. He came there with Grandma, Uncle Lance & Uncle LucasJon.......he played, and laughed, and got lots of attention, but apparently it wasn't enough to keep him awake!

Grandma couldn't stand the sight of his little neck straining like this, so she picked him up snuggled & rocked him until Grandpa showed up. AS SOON as he heard his Grandpa's voice, he was wide awake and ready to play again!

He is so precious. We are blessed to be able to spend so much time with him, and so lucky to have the opportunity to take so many pictures as he grows and makes us all laugh. Now, if ONLY Grandma could keep up with Uncle Lance's football, wrestling & track, Uncle LucasJon's football & wrestling and all the other things she WANTS to scrap!!!

Every day I count my blessings!

Where's My Little Boy?

2008-09-04T21:35:00.003-05:00

OH NO, HE IS NOT A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!! It just cannot be possible. It was just yesterday that my water broke FIVE WEEKS EARLY and I found myself delivering a sweet baby boy at 1:26 a.m. on Christmas Morning!

He cannot be this grown up already. Where did the time go? I will blink and he will be graduating from high school! Oh, and I AM still young ;)

First Day of School :(

2008-09-02T12:20:00.003-05:00

Okay, so this is a REALLY tough year for me. LucasJon (my baby) is heading to middle school, and Lance is a freshman in high school. I am so NOT ready for this at all. I guess it's going to happen whether I'm ready or not, but it's still tough.

I did tell LucasJon that he cannot have anymore birthdays since he is my baby. He wasn't going for that though. Oh well, I tried! They are so handsome and growing up way too fast!

Lance's Project

2008-08-27T16:30:00.004-05:00

Yep, talk about growing up too fast! Lance has been working on his "project" car that his dad bought for him last fall (the kid was only 13 1/2!!). He started out with taking out the seats to have the interior done. While waiting for the interior to come back, he decided he was going to pull his engine, change out the gaskets, hoses, etc and clean up the engine compartment.

Here are some of his before and after pictures of his engine:

Photos are compliments of my amazing photographer & 11 year old son, LucasJon, and myself. Stay tuned for more!

Making Progress!!

2008-08-27T08:36:00.007-05:00

Okay, so life has been extremely busy lately, but whose hasn't right? I came back from Orlando, FL for the Close to my Heart Convention and am completely pumped up about taking my business from hobbyist to full out Consultant. My goal (are all of you listening, or should I say reading closely?) is to qualify for Leadership next summer in Long Beach, CA!!! So, all of you are reading this, I HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH IT! I won't settle for failure!

Anyway, my family is having a period of adjustment with this since this means that Mom/Wife is focusing on something other than THEM! Yep, you got it. I am trying to make them understand that this is MY passion, this is MY football, this is MY classic cars.........little by little they seem to be accepting this. Of course, when I dangled pictures of the Western Carribbean Cruise in front of the boys, they were like "yeah MOM, I WANT TO GO THERE!". So, we will see.......

Lane has been so awesome, that he has put up some new shelving in the basement (my scrap area), and has been his total perfectionist self (but they look so nice :) ). We had shelves and brackets stored under the bed in our spare bedroom because we were going to shelve the entire family room area way back when. He was so sweet, he started taking measurements, checking out the shelves we already had, and even took the boards to our local cabinetry place to have the cut to size!

Here are a few pictures of the shelves BEFORE I loaded it down with my ScrapRack.

AFTER I loaded this poor bottom shelf with my STUFFED ScrapRack, it started to lean forward. LOL, can you say "ADDICT"! Dear Hubby went back to our local cabinetry place and had him cut some smaller pieces to make braces for the sides of the shelves! He has been so awesome about this. This is when I LOVE the perfectionist in him.

I have been busy trying to reorganize my scrap area so that I can get more accomplished and not have our family room look like a tornado hit it all the time. So, in between middle school orientation, freshman high school orientation, football practice for both boys........I haven't gotten it where I want it YET, but will post pictures when I am done.

On a different note, the grandson, Anthony, is growing like crazy and couldn't be any cuter!! He is so much fun to have around!

Here he is playing with Grandpa & Grandpa's bubble gum!! He was trying so hard to stick his tongue out like Grandpa was doing! It was so funny and incredibly cute to watch!

Well, I guess that is all for today! Hopefully my next post will be of artwork!

My Football Players.....man they grow up too fast!

2008-07-25T10:31:00.003-05:00

Here they are, my football players. I will have new pictures later this fall for this season, but the left is Lance at 13 years old, 8th grade. The right is LucasJon, 10 years old, 5th grade.

I am so incredibly proud of my boys and all that they accomplish in life. They both work hard to keep a great balance in their lives. They get very good grades in school (Lane and I enforce a 3.0 or higher average to STAY in whatever extra-curricular activity they want to be in), they excel in their sports, and are all around good kids.

What more can parents ask for? Okay, so it would be nice if they did their chores without me having to remind them, but what kid LIKES doing chores? Oh well, that's not so bad............it certainly could be worse!

Convention HERE I COME!

2008-07-25T10:11:00.002-05:00

Yes!!! I am going to sunny (and probably muggy) Orlando, FL next week for our Close To My Heart Convention! This is the resort I will be staying in with some other ladies from our unit. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am. Convention is when they release new product, have wonderful business and creative classes, and the best part of all is the friendships that happen with fellow consultants. I am so excited!!! (Oh wait, I said that already) I will fly out on Wednesday morning and return Sunday afternoon. When I get back, I fully expect to be in full throttle mode (sorry, that's the auto repair shop owner in me coming out) to build my business and share my passions of scrapbooking, stamping, cardmaking and paper crafting!

Be sure to watch for updates and pictures from this awesome event!

Small Town Fireworks!

2008-07-08T14:19:00.004-05:00

I absolutely LOVE that my camera has a fireworks setting, how else could I get these awesome shots? We go to the fireworks in Kewaskum, and they are absolutely awesome, especially considering the fact that it is just a small town. I would have to say that they are as good, if not better than the fireworks we watched when living in Milwaukee.

LucasJon and I went to watch them together, and were able to sit with some friends which made it all the better! Great fireworks and great company!

Sybaris!!!

2008-07-08T14:10:00.004-05:00

Whew whoooooo! Lane and I FINALLY took some time off of work and headed for a short romantic getaway at Sybaris Pool Suites!! We had the Chalet, and what fun it was. It is beautiful there. So serene, and much needed time away from it all.

Of course, we like to "share", so we did have the kids come and play in the pool, go down the slide, etc before we checked out the following day! It was so much fun, and they got a chance to see where we escape to (not sure if this was a good idea or not, but we all enjoyed it!)

Graduation Card

2008-06-16T09:29:00.003-05:00

This is my most recent creation! This is a graduation card for Lane's 2nd cousin. We had her party this last weekend. I was able to play with my new toy, The Cuttlebug. I used it to emboss the bottom of the card with the d-vine swirl Cuttlebug embossing folder. The top of the card is the CTMH Silhouette paper pack, the flower is CTMH Big Pinks (I used a white one), CTMH desert sand exclusive inks, black cardstock, and a clear button backed with the Silhouette paper to match! Hope you like it, I had a lot of fun designing it!

Anthony's First Haircut

2008-06-05T14:06:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness!!! Last night Lauriel decided that Anthony needed his first haircut. So, since "Grandma" gives all the guys in the family their haircuts, she decided that she would let Grandma do it! Well, I have the peanut buzzer and Anthony is so darn ticklish! He laughed so hard because it was tickling him every time it touched his head. Of course, he is handsome as can be, but he no longer looks so babyish!

The Party Was A GREAT Success!!

2008-06-04T10:44:00.005-05:00

Okay, so we had the combined birthday party (see invitations below) for Anthony & LucasJon this past Saturday. It was a huge success! The pictures above are of LucasJon putting on a "show" after he learned how to inhale helium and talk funny, LucasJon after his big sisters "gave" him a piece of cake, Anthony's Backyardigans cake, Anthony and Mommy, LucasJon's WWE cake (will explain more below), LucasJon with his cake, and some of our guests.

We had quite the spread going: Hot ham, turkey in gravy, beef in gravy, and BBQ shredded pork, potato salad, cheesy potatoes, fruit salad, cheese & sausage tray, veggie tray with 3 kinds of dip, relish tray, chips (several kinds).............................oh yeah, NOBODY left hungry, I guarantee that! LOL

We all had such a great time, but honestly, before the party I decided I was not just cleaning, I was going to "declutter" also (thanks FlyLady)! So, after making 50 handmade invites I started cleaning and decluttering. Whew, I had a great time, it was WONDERFUL to see everyone, but I'm glad it's done with!

LucasJon wanted a WWE cake badly. So, I went to three different local stores to try to find it for him. NOTHING, nobody is licensed to do these cakes. Lucky for me I found a wonderful lady at Walmart who is also a WWE fan that offered to design the cake with a ring in the middle. I would just have to buy whatever I wanted on top to decorate it! Whew whoooo, she made me a hero in my 11 year olds eyes!

Now, if I can just keep up with my friendly FlyLady missions that are emailed to me Monday through Friday, I might KEEP my house looking this good! Enjoy the pictures!

"U" Are Always In My Heart!

2008-05-15T15:58:00.004-05:00

This is a card I designed for a swap I participated in. The front has a tag with "U" stamped on it, it fits into the heart pocket, and the inside says "you are always in my heart". I had so much fun making this card. Hope you enjoy it. I will update the post later with the colors and stamp sets used.

Anthony's First Birthday Cake!!

2008-05-14T11:39:00.005-05:00

Tuesday, May 13th was our grandson Anthony's first birthday. Grandma stopped at the store in the morning and picked up his first birthday cake since his party will not be until May 31st. As you can see, I cut holes in the bottom and sides of the Piggly Wiggly bag to attempt to save his outfit since he was on his way to the ear, nose and throat specialist. We didn't want him to me too messy for his doctor appointment. He was absolutely hilarious! At first he didn't want to dig in, but Grandpa pushed his hands into it, Grandma loosened a piece with a fork, and Mom held it up for him to reach it better. Since DH and I were running our auto repair shop, we had to do a make shift birthday celebration, but it sure was fun! Enjoy the pictures, I know we had fun watching him! I guess my pictures are not going to post in the order I wanted them to, but you get the picture!!

My Wrestlers!!!

2008-05-13T16:05:00.007-05:00

Here are our wrestlers! Lance is pinning a kid, and LucasJon is flying over a kid at the state competition! We have so much fun following the kids and their sports! NOW, if only I could keep up with scrapping all the pictures!

Invitations For Combined B-Day Party

2008-05-13T15:39:00.004-05:00

These are the invites I designed for our son, LucasJon, and our grandson Anthony's combined birthday party. LucasJon will be 11 and Anthony will be 1! I love that I had an image in my mind, had dreams about it Friday night, and was able to make it turn out on paper the way I wanted!

Oh My Goodness, Here We Go!!!

2008-05-13T11:32:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I am brand new at this blogging thing, and will be working hard to get this up and going!!