Michigan January 2007

Before the kids started school, we went to MI in January. It was the best. Tim and I got to go to the Detroit Auto Show. We went kidless! I love cars. I guess, it is a dream of mine to own several cars. I need to get my scrapbooking business into HIGH gear for that to work for me. We haven't been to the Detroit Auto Show since 2007. Maybe next year...I say that every year, but we have yet to set aside money just for that occasion.

Along with going to MI in January - usually means we get to ride the snowmobiles. Tim's parents back yard is large enough for the kids to get a thrill on the snowmobiles. Well, it was 3 years ago anyway. They might be ready for a bit more excitement! I don't know when we will make it to MI again for winter fun, but hopefully soon!

I actually made these layouts last January (2009) with my Cut Scrap & Paste ladies! We had so much fun, using the Aspen papers! I have to order more paper, since we had the December 2009 - 16 inches of snowfall and the February 2010 - 24+ inches of snowfall pictures. It is just amazing the amount of snowfall the greater DC area has had this winter. I think we have hit records in the amount of snowfall for one winter. They are predicting more snow on Wednesday. The kids have been out of school this year 6 days for snow - including tomorrow!

Email from my Dad!

My Dad sent me this in an Email - I thought it was pretty funny, so, instead of forwarding, I am posting it here!

Comments made in the year 1955!
(That's only 54 years ago!)

'I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible
To buy a week's groceries for $20.00.


'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year?
It won't be long before $2,000..00 will only buy a used one.

'If cigarettes keep going up in price,
I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous.

'Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?

'If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00,
Nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store. '

'When I first started driving,
Who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon..
Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.

'I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more..
Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND,
It seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it..

'I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century.
They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas .

'Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball?
It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President.

'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric.
They are even making electric typewriters now.

'It's too bad things are so tough nowadays..
I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet.

'It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone
To watch their kids so they can both work.

'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.

'Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes.
I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to congress.

'The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather,
But I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.

'There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for a weekend,
It costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel.

'No one can afford to be sick anymore,
At $35.00 a day in the hospital it's too rich for my blood.'

'If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it.'

February Stamp of the Month

Isn't this the cutest birthday, wedding, baby shower cake stamp set? I just love it! I have mine on order and I can't wait to get it!!

I love to make cards and birthday layouts! This stamp set will be the icing on the cake!!! :-)

You can order this stamp set for $22.95 or you can get it for FREE!


Spend $25.00 you can get this stamp for: $17.21
Spend $50.00 you can get this stamp for: $11.48
Spend $75.00 you can get this stamp for: $ 5.74
Spend $100.00 you can get this stamp for: FREE

shop today on my website: www.elissa.myctmh.com

Clearly the Best - Close To My Heart

Why Close To My Heart Stamps are “Clearly the Best.”

Close to My Heart makes their stamps Clearly the Best in three areas, the process, the material and the design.

The process: Close to my Heart produces polymer stamps. The Close To My Heart team is expert in polymer. They know how to handle the materials through production: they carefully control the temperature, moisture, production speed, and the many other variables that affect quality. This process also allows CTMH to produce very finely detailed stamps, such as base and shade stamps, distressed designs and lace-style artwork. They can also produce very tiny of alphabet fonts.

The materials: Close to my Heart continues to refine the materials used in the top grade polymer for the My Acrylix stamps. The Close to My Heart team puts the polymer to rigorous testing, including aging and environmental tests. This will ensure that with proper care, close to My Heart stamps will last for years.

The design: There are hundreds of active stamp sets available for purchase at all times. They have over 4000 individual designs. The packaging for Close To My Heart Stamps is unique and convenient for storage, organization and retrieval. The carrier sheets have the stamps already cut and ready to use. You can open the stamp package, put your stamp on a My Acrylix block and you are ready to start stamping.

Step 1: Gently remove the stamp from the carrier sheet.

Step 2: Place you stamp on the appropriate sized My Acrylix Block.

Step 3: Ink your stamp with My Exclusive Inks – looking through the clear My Acrylix block and clear stamp, make sure you have even coverage of ink on the whole stamp. When you are using a Close To My Heart My Acrylix stamp and block, you should “season” your stamp. Do this by inking up your stamp and stamping on scrap paper two or three times.

Step 4: Place you image, where you want your stamp to appear and press down evenly. You will want to use the foam pad under your project to help the crispness and ink evenly distributed on your project.

Check out my You tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81sYVsE09wc

Football Time

My children have played some kind of sports since they were 4. They all started with soccer. Caleb has played t-ball, baseball, soccer, basketball and recently got his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Cameron has played t-ball, basketball, flag football, and he also recently got his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I am so proud of my children. They all love to swim and take swimming lessons year around. Kylie is taking gymnastics, ballet and tap dance classes! We are a busy family. The next picture, I have to post is of Cameron and Flag Football. He loved playing flag football last fall. It was hard for me, I have been sitting with the same parents in the baseball bleachers for the last couple of years. The boys decided to try different sports last fall. Caleb played soccer. I did have fun with the new parents and got to know some of them really well. But, I am looking forward to the spring, when the boys are both in baseball and on the same team. My life will be so much easier.