Happy New Year!

Starting the New Year brings out the organizing bug in me.  This year, I've completely redone my 2 walk-in closets, an armoire and a chest of drawers -- all in the master bedroom.  It feels so good to clear out, clean up, rid out, and organize everything.  I found things I didn't know were there!  I kept wondering what had happened to all my spools of thread.  I found them!!!  How in the world could anyone misplace this much thread?!!!

Now, I'm ready to get back to some serious stamping and scrapbooking.  I do still have a lot of Christmas to put away, but have chosen to take my time with that:)  In the meantime, I am enjoying having my closets neat and organized.  After taking these photos, I spent the rest of the day labeling everything.  I actually know where every little thing is located.

I wish you a very Happy New Year and hope you can reorganize a few things of your own and be off to your happy stamping place.  I will soon be posting several sneak peeks at some of our wonderful new products.  I can't wait to share with you.  Remember, the new Occasions Mini Catalog goes live on Jan. 4.  Yay!  Now, please excuse me while I go stamp something.

A Great Card ... and Exciting News for a Happy start to a Happy New Year!!!

SNEAK PEEK:
Look what my friend, Robin, sent me in the mail!!!  This card is made with all new products from the Occasions Mini Catalog, going live on Jan. 4, 2012, as well as products for the upcoming Sale-A-Bration event (Jan. 24-Mar. 31).

Here's a link to her post:
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/robinarmbrecht/blog


SUPER SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS:
Tues., Jan. 3 is the last day to order from the current Holiday Mini.  Remember, the stocking builder punch is going away for good.

Special sales are still going on now, through my Stampin' Up! website.  They've added new items, too!!!

Our new round of scrapbook club starts Jan. 2.  
My scrapbook club members receive all kinds of special perks.

• Taking turns to be hostess and receive extra shopping dollars --- free.
• 1/2 price for the Scraps & Prayers class --- every month.
• Using my dies, stamps and punches during our crops.
• Making 1 complete layout and/or project each month --- free. (ACTUALLY 2 IN JAN. -- A MINI ALBUM & A LAYOUT!!!)
• Being first to see new products and how to use them.
• Enjoying a fellowship with others who love to scrapbook and stamp.
• Free gift for joining.
• 1/2 off the January Brunch Bunch class!!!
• Jan. order will include the discount special listed below!!!

SPECIAL, SPECIAL OFFER:

• 10% discount on all orders placed with me from Dec. 30 - Jan. 10. (Scrapbook Club Jan. orders included!!!)
• (These cannot include online orders or MDS downloads, as you need to do those directly from your own computer.)
• Orders of $50. or more will receive a free Scented Stampin' Emboss Powder -- your choice of vanilla, melon or cherry!!!

BUT WAIT!  THERE'S MORE!!!

• Refer a friend to sign up for Hostess Scrapbook Club and you take the Jan. Brunch Bunch class for 1/2 price!!!
• Host a workshop (that earns Hostess benefits) in Jan. or Feb. and take the Jan. or Feb. Brunch Bunch class for 1/2 price!!!
• Sign up for Hostess Scrapbook Club AND refer a friend to sign up for Hostess Scrapbook Club and take the Jan. Brunch Bunch class for FREE!!!

 YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:

• Clean out your closets.
• Start your diet/exercise program.
• Sign up for classes with Lana.
• Book a workshop with Lana.
• Get ready for some super stamping fun!!!

So, as you can see, I'll be starting out the 2012 new year with things really hopping' around here in my studio.  JOIN US!!!

REMINDER:
The Occasions Mini Catalog goes live on Jan. 4, 2012!!!  Please contact me if you need a copy.

Christmas Blessings

I feel so blessed to have my family all enjoy Christmas with us.  Once again, the grandchildren were a delight and we got to enjoy Olive Jane's very first Christmas with her!

As always, Toby Joe was involved with every activity.  He seems to just love babies, especially Olive Jane.  He kept reaching out his paw to 'pet' her:)

Olive Jane was quite fascinated with the tag on one of my gifts.

Olive Jane and Toby Joe enjoy some 'together' time.

Time with Papa includes playing with his reading glasses.

My boys in their Christmas jammies.  They love to clown for the camera.

They're getting so big!

Is this a proud daddy or what?!!!

Olive Jane actually enjoyed 2 days of celebration.  She fell asleep before we opened our presents, so she opened hers the next day.  She really enjoyed her new toy.

One happy family!

Benjamin enjoyed 'helping' Olive Jane open her presents.

Aaron had a silly moment while Uncle Mattie was trying to film some of the action.  He kept kissing him and then placed a bow on his head.  I don't know if Matt got any good filming done or not:)

I think Aaron enjoyed Olive's new toy a bit, too:)

Even Toby Joe wanted to hear this new Christmas storybook.  Benjamin can read so well; it's amazing.

We invited Bill's mom to join us for our family 'day after Christmas dinner' and I tried to get one shot of everyone before we ate.  You know how group photos go.  Ben didn't really feel like a photo moment; all the excitement is hard on kids, really.  I couldn't get to upset with him because I did the same thing when I was little.  At least 1 photo turned out pretty well.

This kind of speaks for all of us after all the celebration was over.  Time for a long winter's nap.  I hope you enjoyed my sharing my Christmas blessings with you.  Blessings to all of you as we prepare to start a new year.

Say I love you!

Here's another vintage layout (MDS) in my album.  This is me, when I was about 2 years old, with my daddy.  I was a real daddy's girl and he was a wonderful father.  I miss him every day.

Love you, daddy!

2 Days after Christmas

We got our gift of Christmas snow a couple of days late.  I had to get up early with my youngest grandson to give him a breathing treatment.  The poor little guy shares my affliction of asthma, so I totally empathize with him when he struggles to breathe.  I was the first to see that we'd gotten our first snow during the night.  Early in the morning, it was still so pretty as it rested on branches, railings and fence posts.  I also realized that we'd still left out our windsock from summer:)  The poor little fish was covered with a sprinkling of snow, but still merrily flapping away in the morning breeze.

Sleepy boy!!!

Toby Joe loves the snow and enjoyed making the first footprints in it.  He does still look a little sleepy, though:)  We had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed having our children and all our grandchildren here with us for some special family time.  I'll share a few of those shots when I finish sorting and editing.  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, too.

It's about time to take down all the decorations and get back to some stamping and scrapbooking.  I have a LOT to put away.  It's worth it, though, because I love the look of our home at Christmas.

Have a great rest of the week.  I look forward to sharing more stamping and scrapbooking ideas with you soon.

A GIFT TO LAST THE ENTIRE YEAR!

Now that Christmas is past, I can share with you the MDS calendar I made this year.  I used several of them as gifts.  It was fun to design them, they were quick to ship and everyone who received one loved it!  I think the boys will especially enjoy seeing the photos throughout the year.

The above photo is the cover page.  This is a desktop calendar.  The plain sheets are the tops/coordinating pages for each month.  I printed them, too, so you could see how nicely they all coordinate.  I added the background papers to each month, along with extra embellishments and, of course, the photos.  It was fun and easy.  The most difficult part to do was making the decisions of what photos to use for each month.

Happy Stamping!