...and they called it, puppy looooove...

Seems like it's been forever that I have been asking my husband about bringing dogs into the family. I was raised with cats and dogs, but Brian only had felines in his life, so he didn't understand the undying loyalty, the love licks and the rewards of owning a dog or two. Until now. We brought the pups home on Aug 22 and our lives have changed drastically! Almost as much as when we brought home the twins!! Baby gates and feeding schedules and making sure the floor is immaculate to avoid choking hazards....and then there's housebreaking....omgracious! And it's soooo worth it.

The kids now know (I hope) about the commitment to raising an animal and how much effort is involved. And how much love. Grace and John are truly in love with these pups, and I am so grateful. We decided to name them Bruce and Bella Bohall. Grace took riding lessons this summer and met a beautiful HUGE, gentle clydesdale named Bruce and the name fit this male pup well. He's a big boy compared to his only brother of the litter who is a runt. The girl dog is named after a character in a current movie that Grace and John haven't seen (ahem-and hopefully won't see!)and we like the fact that Bella translates to 'beautiful' in Italian, which this puppy surely is-just beautiful!

Can't wait to scrap some pages of the newest members of our family. Lots of choices of paper and embellishments with the new Idea book! Or, I can do some digital scrapping through my website with Studio J!! I will be sure to share the results soon!

Have a great week~Laura

UNBELIEVABLE SALE AT CLOSE TO MY HEART!

CTMH announced last week that ALL current paper kits will be retiring on December 31
2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?

It’s YOU, of course! We are shouting from the rooftops how much we love and appreciate you! It only makes sense to pass along our appreciation with amazing deals. So for 8 days, August 4 through August 11 (while supplies last), you can purchase select My Stickease ® Assortments for only $2 US/CAN, My Reflections® Level 1 kits for only $4, and My Reflections ® Level 2 paper packets for only $6 online. Visit my website today to see these amazing deals for yourself. You’ll want to shout for joy, too!
WWW.LAURABOHALL.MYCTMH.COM


Item Number Name Price
X7045A My Reflections Vintage Travel Level 1 $4.00
X7045C VintageTravel My Stickease $2.00
X7056A My Reflections Discovery Level 1 $4.00
X7060A My Reflections Heirloom Level 1 $4.00
X7060B My Reflections Heirloom Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7061A My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 1 $4.00
X7061B My Reflections Floral Impressions Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7061C Floral Impressions My Stickease $2.00
X7062A My Reflections Laid Back Level 1 $4.00
X7069A My Reflections Just Chillin Level 1 $4.00
X7069C Just Chillin My Stickease $2.00
X7070A My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 1 $4.00
X7070B My Reflections Simple Pleasure Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7070C Simple Pleasure My Stickease $2.00
X7071A My Reflections Best Friends Forever Level 1 $4.00
X7072A My Reflections School Zone Level 1 $4.00
X7072C School Zone My Stickease $2.00
X7073A My Reflections Abundance Level 1 $4.00
X7073B My Reflections Abundance Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7073C Abundance My Stickease $2.00
X7075A My Reflections More To Adore Level 1 $4.00
X7075B My Reflections More To Adore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7075C More To Adore My Stickease $2.00
X7076A My Reflections Sonata Level 1 $4.00
X7076C Sonata My Stickease $2.00
X7077C Sweet Harmony My Stickease $2.00
X7078A My Reflections Cutie Pie Level 1 $4.00
X7078C Cutie Pie My Stickease $2.00
X7079B My Reflections Rough n Tumble Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7079C Rough n Tumble My Stickease $2.00
X7080A My Reflections Route 66 Level 1 $4.00
X7080C Route 66 My Stickease $2.00
X7081A My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 1 $4.00
X7081B My Reflections Majestic Blue Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7081C Majestic Blue My Stickease $2.00
X7082A My Reflections Expedition Level 1 $4.00
X7082C Expedition My Stickease $2.00
X7083A My Reflections Let's Get Together Level 1 $4.00
X7084A My Reflections Floral Tapestry Level 1 $4.00
X7085A My Reflections Everlasting Level 1 $4.00
X7085B My Reflections Everlasting Paper Packet $6.00
X7085C Everlasting My Stickease $2.00
X7086A My Reflections Caprice Level 1 $4.00
X7086B My Reflections Caprice Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7086C Caprice My Stickease $2.00
X7087A My Reflections Enchanted Level 1 $4.00
X7087B My Reflections Enchanted Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7087C Enchanted My Stickease $2.00
X7088A My Reflections Free Spirit Level 1 $4.00
X7088B My Reflections Free Spirit Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7088C Free Spirit My Stickease $2.00
X7089A My Reflections Lifes Delights Level 1 $4.00
X7089C Life Delights My Stickease $2.00
X7090A My Reflections Silhouette Level 1 $4.00
X7090B My Reflections Silhouette Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7090C Silhouette My Stickease $2.00
X7091A My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 1 $4.00
X7091B My Reflections it’s a Guy Thing Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7091C it’s a Guy Thing My Stickease $2.00
X7092A My Reflections Good Times Level 1 $4.00
X7092B My Reflections Good Times Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7092C Good Times My Stickease $2.00
X7093A My Reflections Sweet Pea Level 1 $4.00
X7093C Sweet Pea My Stickease $2.00
X7094A My Reflections Paper Garden Level 1 $4.00
X7094C Paper Garden My Stickease $2.00
X7095A My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 1 $4.00
X7095B My Reflections Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7095C Boom-Di-Ada My Stickease $2.00
X7096A My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 1 $4.00
X7096B My Reflections Blue Ribbon Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7096C Blue Ribbon My Stickease $2.00
X7097A My Reflections Game On Level 1 Kit $4.00
X7097B My Reflections Game On Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7097C Game On My Stickease $2.00
X7098A My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 1 Kit $4.00
X7098B My Reflections Sarsaparilla Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7098C Sarsaparilla My Stickease $2.00
X7100A My Reflections Perfect Day Level 1 $4.00
X7100B My Reflections Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7100C Perfect Day My Stickease $2.00
X7101A My Reflections Magic Moments Level 1 $4.00
X7101B My Reflections Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7101C Magic Moments My Stickease $2.00
X7102A My Reflections Notebook Level 1 $4.00
X7102B My Reflections Notebook Paper Packet $6.00
X7102C Notebook My Stickease $2.00
X7103A My Reflections Aspen Level 1 $4.00
X7103B My Reflections Aspen Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7103C Aspen My Stickease $2.00
X7104A My Reflections Evensong Level 1 $4.00
X7104B My Reflections Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7104C Evensong My Stickease $2.00
X7105A My Reflection sEmporium Level 1 $4.00
X7105B My Reflections Emporium Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7105C Emporium My Stickease $2.00
X7106A My Reflections Unforgettable Level 1 $4.00
X7106B My Reflections Unforgettable Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7106C Unforgettable My Stickease $2.00
X7107A My Reflections That’s Amore Level 1 $4.00
X7107B My Reflections That’s Amore Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7107C That’s Amore My Stickease $2.00
X7108A My Reflections Daydream Level 1 $4.00
X7108B My Reflections Daydream Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7108C Daydream My Stickease $2.00
X7109A My Reflections Stardust Level 1 $4.00
X7109B My Reflections Stardust Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7109C Stardust My Stickease $2.00
X7110A My Reflections Back Country Level 1 $4.00
X7110B My Reflections Back Country Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7110C Back Country My Stickease $2.00
X7111A My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 1 $4.00
X7111B My Reflections Moon Doggie Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7111C Moon Doggie My Stickease $2.00
X7112A My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 1 $4.00
X7112B My Reflections Animal Cookies Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7112C Animal Cookies My Stickease $2.00
X7113A My Reflections Tinkerin Level 1 $4.00
X7113B My Reflections Tinkerin Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7113C Tinkerin My Stickease $2.00
X7114A My Reflections Bella Level 1 $4.00
X7114B My Reflections Bella Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7114C Bella My Stickease $2.00
X7115A My Reflections Jingle Level 1 $4.00
X7115B My Reflections Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7115C Jingle My Stickease $2.00
X7116A My Reflections Sweet Home Level 1 $4.00
X7116B My Reflections Sweet Home Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7116C Sweet Home My Stickease $2.00
X7117A My Reflections Grace Level 1 $4.00
X7117B My Reflections Grace Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7117C Grace My Stickease $2.00
X7118A My Reflections Twitterpated Level 1 $4.00
X7118B My Reflections Twitterpated Level 2 Paper Packet $6.00
X7118C Twitterpated My Stickease $2.00

*Available August 4-11, 2010; while supplies last

wanted to share........

Maya Road is doing sneak peeks of new products they will be sharing at CHA-S soon. SSSOOOO many neat, vintage elements. My fav so far has to be the resin flowers and you can seem them by going to http://mayaroad.typepad.com/mayaroad/
enjoy!!

Smoothies!!!!!!!

ok, I admit, this has been a slow creative month. Spending a LOT of time with family, which is wonderful, but not getting much papercrafting done! That changes tomorrow cause i get to go scrap with friends. Then next week I will introduce a few ladies to Close TO My Heart products and hopefully begin a mini Scrap Camp. THe new Idea book for CTMH comes out soon-very exciting! ANd I am actually becoming interested in THE REMOTE POSSIBILITY of digi-scrapping...more later....

Anyway, we love making smoothies so the kids came up with a name for this one=Peach Passion! THe recipe is simple--V8Fusion (low sugar) Peach/Mango flavor-about a cup, a small low sugar vanilla yogurt then fruit. We used all produce we bought here at Clarke County Farmer's MArket and had cleaned and frozen for this purpose=strawberries, peaches and cantelope in equal thirds. Soooooo Yummy!!!!

All About Me

I received an email last night and decided to answer it on here. Good place to keep notes for scrapping later, right? Feel free to copy/paste the questions for yourself.
I was looking for a pic of me and came across this from 2008 of my kiddos at Willie's farm....aahhhhh.......anyway......




***Foodology***

What is your salad dressing of choice?

**balsamic vinaigrette

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?

**Sucilee's Thai in WInchester, VA

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?

**vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit

What are your pizza toppings of choice?

**bbq'd chicken and mushrooms

What do you like to put on your toast?

**cream cheese and sweet jalapeno jam

***Technology***

How many televisions are in your house?

**2

What color is your cell phone?

**green

Do you have an iPod?

**Not yet

***Biology***

Are you right handed or left handed?

**Right Handed

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?

**2 babies!

What is the last heavy item you lifted?

**huge bag of trash

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?

**nope

***Bullology***

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?

**No

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

**I wouldn't change my first name. My parents gave it to me.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000.00?

**naw...at my age it would take a WHILE to get it out of my system! LOL!

***Favoritology***

Season?

**Fall

Holiday?

**Easter

Day of the week?

**Thursday

Month?

**June...school gets out, my b'day, time to chillax

***Currentology***

Missing Someone?

**Yes

Mood?

**Tired

What are you listening to?

**my son playing on his DS and baby goats calling for their mama

Current worry?

**unspoken

***Randomology***

First place you went this morning?

**to the fridge for cold water

The last movie you saw?

**"Alice in Wonderland" w/Johnny Depp

***Otherology***

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?

**1-love em but can't use em with orthotics

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?

**About 3 yrs ago-turned out well.

Last person you talked to?

**John

Last person you hugged?

**John

Do you always answer your phone?

**No

It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who it it?

**trish?

If you could change your eye color what would it be?

**Turquoise

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?

**only once-mango!

Do you own a digital camera?

**Yep...couldn't use film again unless my PC died.

Have you ever had a pet fish?

**Yes...way back in Jr High...poor fish...

Favorite Christmas Song?

**I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

What's on your wishlist for your birthday?

**paid museum membership

Can you do push ups?

**nope

Can you do the splits?

**Never

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?

**both!

Do you have any saved texts?

**nope

Have you ever been in a car accident?

**Several fender benders

Do you have an accent?

**after a few drinks

What was the last movie to make you cry?

**Cold Mountain

Plans tonight?

**meeting Brian in town

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?

**A couple of times

Name 3 things you bought yesterday.

**Popsicles for the kids

Have you ever been given roses?

**Yes...but I think it's a waste of money

Ever met someone who changed your life?

**Several people

How will you ring in the new year?

**giving thanks to God for helping me through another year

What song represents you?

**good question-I'd have to come back to this one


Would you go back in time if given the chance?

**Absolutely

Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

**Just in my ears.

Does anyone love you?

**Yes

Would you be a pirate?

**nope-can't handle the waves!

What songs do you sing in the shower?

**It varies.

Ever had someone sing to you?

**Yes

Do you like to cuddle?

**Yes, sometimes.

Did you hold hands with anyone today?

**not yet-it's early

Who was the last person you took a picture of?

**My daughter grace

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?

**Pretty even mix.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?

**yes-prefer it!!

What is something your friends make fun of you for?

**being so picky, probably! LOL!

hhhmmmmmm........that was interesting. my answers will be different in a few months, I'm sure.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hell of a book.
What did I learn...that ignorance is bliss? That even if one KNOWS that what they are doing is wrong, the ole' sentiment..."we've always done it this way..." can be used as an excuse? This book should be read in our high schools-in history class, in socialogy classes, in general education classes. This isn't dry facts and dates - this is real, documented stories about what was just happening 50 years ago and what is still an underlying current in many pockets of America. But will this shining work of 'historical fiction' even be considered when book boycotts are still happening in our local schools? Books like "The Color Purple" and "A Handmaiden's Tale" have been stripped from our IB programs for our high schoolers and deemed inappropriate. Is that the path that "The Help" will be made to follow-banned?

I will buy each of my children a hardback version and save it for their high school days.

View all my reviews >>

Birthday Girl

I am blessed to have 2 sisters and 2 brothers. My youngest sister's birthday was in Feb and I had some photos of when she was little, so I decided to create something for her special day. She is a quilter and very precise with her work, so maybe she will be able to relate to this handmade gift. Hope so!
The birthday fairy on the front of the mini album is a Red Lead Stamp and the young lady on the back cover is from the Tim Holtz Collection. The ink and buttons are Close To My Heart and the paper and embellishments are assorted scraps. Thanks for looking!

Paper Roses

I am in love with paper flowers of all types and now I can make my own mini-roses! I saw this technique on YOUTUBE but didn't get the artist's name written down. Still searching for that info to share. I love making paper roses with Close To My Heart's cardstock. The inner white core allows you to see the different layers of the rose and gives it a bit of a shabby vintage look. The day after I saw this technique a friend told me she was in need of prayer and support for a serious medical situation. I made this card for her and she told me she received it before she had to leave for the hospital. I'm so glad.
Hope you had a nice weekend!
~L

Happy Valentine's Day

I made a few cards to send out on this special holiday and wanted to share one of my favs with you. This card is made with all Close To My Heart products except for the vintage lace and the figure of the little girl-she is "Country Girl" from Oxford Impressions-love their images! I used "That's Amore" paper pak x7107B because it offers so many beautifully coordinated patterns. The card design is a combination of designs offered in CTMH's card design book "Wishes"-one of my favorite tools. Now instead of taking me hours to create a card, I can easily find one in my "Wishes" book and follow the cutting diagrams including the exact measurements! Thank you, CTMH, for speeding up this process for me-love it!
Last night some good friends watched John and Grace so Brian and I could go to dinner with friends from work. What a rare relief to have an adult-only meal! We need to do that much more often! Today we spent a quiet day at home, exchanged Valentines and little goodies between the 4 of us. THe kids got in some good sledding time and we enjoyed watching the Olympics between doing laundry and naps.
I hope you had a peaceful day too.
~L

CTMH Hearts for Haiti

Textured paper is one of my favorite tools when it comes to creating scrapbook pages and paper art in any form. Close To My Heart has the most beautiful textured paper and I use it all the time. Right now you and I can make an easy and rewarding donation to the crisis in Haiti using some of this gorgeous paper. Please take a moment to read the details below.






Our hearts go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. We’re excited to announce Close To My Heart’s February Constant Campaign, Hearts for Haiti—where you can get a great deal while doing great good for those affected by the devastation in Haiti.

From February 1-28, 2010, our 12” x 12” textured cardstock combo packs are buy one, get one FREE—and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2.00 to Operation Smile’s Haiti relief efforts.

Order any textured cardstock combo pack at full retail price ($14.95) and receive a second textured cardstock combo pack of your choice FREE. The textured cardstock is printed with our signature white core. Each sheet of textured cardstock features a rich Close To My Heart color on one side and a lighter shade on the opposite side. Combo packs include 24 sheets: 4 each of 6 colors.

Note: You may choose a FREE textured combo pack that is the same or different as the full retail combo pack.

For only $14.95, you get two packs of 12” x 12” textured cardstock (a great deal at about $.30 per sheet!) and Operation Smile will receive $2.00 to benefit the urgent, important cause in Haiti. I encourage you to stock up on every color combination: Basic, Spring Harmony, Summer Celebration, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Cozy.


Operation Smile is always a fantastic charitable partner—offering free facial reconstruction surgeries to needy children throughout the world. They’ve currently marshaled their medical teams and resources to provide emergency relief in Haiti, and the donations given as part of Hearts for Haiti will be used exclusively for Operation Smile’s efforts in Haiti. For more information on their on-the-ground response, you can visit www.operationsmile.org/haiti.

To Place Your Order February 1 - 28...Go To My Website
www.laurabohall.myctmh.com

One Little Word 2010

Scrapbook Artist Ali Edwards has inspired me to chose a word for the new year that I will embed into my life faithfully. That word is commit. I will commit to completeing projects I have set for myself and my family. I will commit to working on tasks whole-heartedly to completion, rather than laying things aside to be finished later, maybe. We all have the best intentions and I want to commit to many that I have considered over the years, including reaching out to friends that have moved out of the area. And creating a healthier lifestyle for me and mine-better food choices and more outside activities! Prioritizing housework ugh is a big must on my commit list. These sound like New Year resolutions but for me the action is to commit .
Working on this blog is another good example of something I will commit to being active on a weekly or more basis! This chance to have an electronic journal of me and my family is a great tool to record happenings in our life that I can come back to and scrap or simply print out to add to a more permanent "storycatcher" like an album.
So there it is.....commit. Easy to say, easy to understand.