Merry Christmas!

The day is here! We started bright and early at 7:00 with the presents and candy and DRUMS!! Santa brought Jordan a drum set-and he loves it!

Since I should be spending time with family and not on the computer, I'll throw a couple photos up and sign off.

Peace out, Merry Christmas!

Nycole Rosen, CSP

I have been studying for the past few weeks to take the Certified Staffing Professional exam. This program is offered by the American Staffing Association to teach labor and employment law as well as ethical practices applicable to the staffing industry.

Back a few years ago when I was a corporate trainer, I taught classes on employment law, so I thought this would be a piece of cake. However, I learned a lot of new information and found it to be more challenging than I expected.

Today was the day. I passed the test! It consisted of 100 questions that were to be answered in two hours.

I am relieved that I have that behind me. I wanted to complete my certification by the end of the year so that I could focus on my first class in January. Which, by the way, I just registered for. I'll be taking English Composition. I figured that was an easy class to get me started.

So, Merry Christmas! Enjoy the rest of 2007.

Happy Hannukah!!

Since Aaron was raised partially Jewish, we like to celebrate some of the Jewish holidays to honor that tradition. Jordan loves the lights!!

Hannukah just wrapped up, so I thought I'd share a picture of my sweet guy.

Mazel tov!

Cheerful Noise

Moms, you know what cheerful noise is. It's that "vroom vroom" sound of your little son driving his trucks along the back of the sofa. Or it's the sweet melody being hummed by your tutu donning daughter as she twirls around the room. And surely it's the laughter of your children as they play together nearby. All of these sounds are music to a mother's ears.

I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to spend most of my time at home and to hear all of these sounds and experience all that goes along with being a Mom. But sometimes it's difficult to juggle doing "mommy stuff" along with my job and scrapbook business. This is why I'm so excited to have found Cheerful Noise.

I met a lovely lady recently, Paula Fellingham. I immediately admired her confidence and overall passion for life. So when she told me about this opportunity, I was intrigued. She told me of this concept where stay-at-home moms, working moms and working-at-home-moms discover solutions that work and make money raising their children. What? Finally get a paycheck for all the hours I put in as a Mom? Get out of here!

So, here's how it works. Every month, you receive a kit. Inside you'll receive heart-lifting, family-strengthening materials like a book, CD, a decorative vinyl piece for your wall, inspirational quotes, online movies and articles, parenting tips, etc. You'll also receive a Cheerful Noise Discount Card that will allow you to save money at various retailers. (And you KNOW how frugal I am, so that is a definite perk.) So far, I love it. I'm always scouting out material to read or help motivate me and teach me new things. And here it all is-coming to me directly for about 40 dollars a month, plus shipping. I know that will be money well-spent.

Now, here's my favorite part. For every woman you connect to Cheerful Noise you'll receive $20 per month as long as she's a member. This can be an easy way to help your friends and neighbors better themselves and make some money at the same time. Hot dog.

The company will launch on December 1st, but Early Bird Membership begins on November 19th. You can bet I'll be there. Check out the website. I'm super excited and looking forward to getting my first packet of great stuff. If you're interested in learning more, contact me. I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

Come to the Scrapbook Open House this Thursday

I'd love to see you join me this Thursday from 6-8pm at my home for a scrapbook open house. I'll have all my premade albums that you love available for purchase. There will also be some lovely handbags made by my mom and darling baby headbands from my sister.

It will be a lot of fun, so be sure to come! If you don't know where I live, contact me and I'll give you the address and directions.

My Halloween Hero

Jordan had fun trick or treating-but what kid doesn't? He was only up for going to a few houses, but that was more than enough for us! After the excursion, he dug through his treasure to find the chocolate sucker he wanted.

After eating it, this is what his darling face looked like.

Introducing....MATCHBOOK SCRAPBOOKS!

I've found another fun thing to make-and I've made a few! These little scrapbooks are made in the style of matchbooks. They flip open to reveal the inside pages. They are ready for you to add your pictures or whatever you want.

I'm having a blast creating them. Since they are so small, I can use my scraps to put them together.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be busily creating and building up my inventory for the holiday season as well as craft fairs I'll be attending.

This Friday and Saturday, I'll be at the Robert G Sanderson Center for the Deaf's annual bazaar. I've been a vendor there for four years now and have enjoyed it. I hope that it will be well attended and I will sell a whole bunch of stuff!

I'll be having a home show next week. Most likely on Thursday. (I've been postponing it wanting to wait until my basement is finished. Hopefully it will be ready by then.) If you're interested in coming, let me know and I will get you the details offline.

Missing the J

Last night, Jordan went to stay with his Aunt Ashlie, Uncle Andy and Cousin Pyper. He'll be there until tomorrow when I go up to Logan to get him. Unless I break down and drive up sooner. I miss him. But I am getting a lot done in his absence. It's amazing how much you can really get done when you have uninterrupted time.

But while I am missing him, let's enjoy this great photo I took last week. He is lining up paper cups in the kitchen. I think this is amusing, because I am told that I used to do this with canned food when I was a wee one. But I had to take it a step further and pull all the labels off the food. My mom tells me that they had many meals with surprise side dishes. Sometimes it was green beans, sometimes it was soup.

Home Sweet Home

OK, we've been here in the new house since the end of June. And I'm now finally getting around to post a picture. I really wanted to do it before snow hit, so I'm getting down to crunch time.
Anyway- here it is. Home Sweet Home. We love it. Our basement will be finished in few weeks, and then we'll really love it! For the past few days the rest of the house has been covered in a thin layer of dust while the walls were being sanded and whatever else they do. Anyone that knows my OCD tendencies can understand what a nightmare this has been for me. But it will all be worth it soon.

Party Time!!!

For this week, October 8-12, I'll be having an online party. No need to RSVP, just visit my shop when you have a chance. For every purchase you make during the week, your name will be entered into a drawing. On Friday evening, I'll draw a name of our "Mystery Hostess." The lucky winner will be announced on my blog and will recieve a ten dollar gift certificate to my shop.

I'll be making updates here on my blog, so be sure to check back. I may even include people that post interesting comments in the drawing. I look forward to hearing from you all!

Garbage Day!

I love garbage day. It's a day when I can feel "reborn" sort of. Out with the old garbage...begin with a clean slate. Yes, I know I am beyond strange. But you love me anyway, right? Right?!

Can you imagine my delight when Jordan began to display the same love of garbage day? I can't say that he loves it for the same reasons, since he runs to the window and watches intently as the truck comes noisily down the street. He giggles as it picks up each can and tips it upside down. But I smile inwardly just knowing we share in this happy day...even if for different reasons.

Jordan & Pyper's Bath

Ashlie stayed over last night with Pyper. Today is our semi-annual pilgrimage to the Scrapbook Expo. We're super excited!

So, anyway-last night we put Miss Pypes and J in the bath together. Jordan has been taught by his daddy how to clean his crack. And he always does. But this time, he made sure to clean his cousin's crack too! Pyper didn't seem to mind, though. She just let him scrub away while she smiled for the camera.

What cute kids we have! And when they're old enough, they will kill me for this post.

Basement Progress

About three weeks ago, we started work on our basement. (Well, not US-we have a wonderful subcontractor doing it.) So far, it's gone very fast and we've been thrilled. I am so excited to have it finished. We'll have a guest bedroom, bathroom, family room and theater room. (Yes, that's the Man Room.) It will be nice to have a 100% completed home. We're having family here in December, so this will really be a good thing. Yipee!!

It's BUDGET Time!!

I'm so excited when I can save money. And when I can convince my dear husband that my penny pinching habits are not so bad, I'm even more thrilled. So when he agreed to let me create a tracking sheet and budget, I went all out. I have created a nifty little spreadsheet that I input all our spending into and it calculates how I am doing at keeping up with the budget. If anyone is interested in a copy, I'd be happy to share it. It's cool.

This weekend my parents came out for a quick visit. My mom's uncle died, so they cam out to attend the funeral. We got to spend some time with them and hopefully convince them to move back. We'd sure like to have them here. So if you guys are reading this....STOP! Go get packing and get back here. Seriously.

So, I got a new computer and it doesn't have a program to edit my photos on it...yet. But I'll work on it soon and get some pics uploaded. I just realized we didn't take any pictures with mom and dad were here. I guess they have a reason to come back-FOREVER!

I was invited this week to visit an office and sell my scrapbooks. I left there with nearly 300 dollars in custom orders. So if you don't see new things posted often, it's probably because I am working on things that are already ordered. But if you want something, let me know. I can always fit you in.

Bock Bock, Chicken Pock!

Well, the "spider bites" on Jordan's arm and legs got bad enough that I took him to the doctor. After one quick glance, he said they were chicken pox! Jordan had the vaccination when he was one year old, so this should only be a minor case. So far, he has not been scratching them or bothered at all. I'm hoping that does not change. Well, he is very contagious. We will be sequestered to the house until he does not sprout anymore bumps. Feel free to call, write or otherwise communicate with me...as I will not be able to venture into public with him for a few days.

This gives me time to really hunker down and get more stuff made. The holiday season is approaching, and I will be busy before I know it. I really need to boost up my inventory before the shows I'll be doing. No better time than now!

Color Me BAD

Yes, that's Jordan's artwork on my wood floor. You're lucky I didn't take a snapshot of the mess he made with his dirty diaper. At least both were washable. Little stinker.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yep, it's my birthday. And to start the day off, I watched the sunrise from my bedroom patio. It was beautiful. This past week, we've had Aaron's mom stay with us. We had a great time visiting the Farmer's Market downtown and doing yardwork. Yay! I got some ivy planted.

But anyway, back to the important stuff. My birthday. So, if you haven't gotten me a present yet, don't worry. You can visit my shop and pick something up for yourself. I'd love to make some sales on my birthday.

Meet Dustin

I have a younger brother that I just recently met. His name is Dustin. He's an absolute sweetheart, and his wife and daughter are babes! I'm so excited to have them in our lives. We met for a picnic yesterday and got this lovely photo. We'll certainly have more in the future as we get together again.

A Look Back In Time

Wow, how time flies! My little man is turning three in a few months. I feel so old! (Nah, not really, but the grey hairs I found today don't make me feel better.) Anyway, I found this old clip of Jordan in his "chunkier" days. You can't blame the flab on lack of activity-this kid was a bouncer!!

Ahhh, Saturday

Dear Saturday,

Thank you for showing up once a week. You always come just in time; when I'm tired of the work days, and everything that leads up to you. I love how you don't complain if I want to sleep in (although Jordan sure does!) You are also forgiving if I want to just stay in my "comfy clothes" and not even glance at my makeup bag.

Although you would be perfectly satisfied with me lounging about, I appreciate your acceptance of my OCD tendencies. I love to use you as a day to get chores done. When I was younger, I used to hate chores. But now I rather enjoy them. I feel fulfilled and accomplished when things are in order and done.

My one complaint about you, Saturday, is that you never stay long enough. Goodness knows Monday wears out its welcome. But you leave before I was even getting used to you. The one good thing is that I know you'll return next week.

Until then, I'll have my pretty pink toenails to remind me of you.

Love,

Nycole

Calling All Altoid Tins!!!

I am approaching the busiest shopping season and am running horrifyingly low on empty altoid tins. If you don't understand why this is a problem, you must not visit my online shop often enough. Shame shame.

Anyway, I use these empty tins to make scrapbooks that I sell on my online shop. But the tricky thing is that I don't even like altoids.... so I am asking those of you out there that do like them to save me your empty tins. I give one dollar in store credit for every tin you send me. These can add up, so get eating!!

For The Love Of Lily

Many of you know that my parents have adopted two little girls from China. Through their experiences, they have faced the challenges of the paperwork and red tape involved in the adoption process. Because of the knowledge they have gained, and the love they have for Chinese adoption, they have set up a foundation, For the Love of Lily to financially assist families in the adoption process. They also will do annual trips to China to help build foster homes and orphanages.

I am doing my little part to help by selling these fancy schmancy bracelets and bumper stickers. All proceeds go to the foundation, so shop away! If you are interested in purchasing something, or making a donation, please contact me.

We Saw CHEESE!!!!!

OK, so my last post told you about "cheese." But if you're too lazy to read it, I'll recap. Jordan adores the show "Signing Time." It's a great program developed to help teach children sign language. (And since Aaron and I both sign, we'd really like to help J to learn too.) So, anyway, there is a song in one of the videos about pizza and it ends saying "don't forget the extra cheese." It's his favorite song. Ever. So he calls the video cheese.

Now to the good part. Last week while at the zoo, I saw that the cast from Signing Time would be doing a live performance at the zoo. So I marked my calendar and we went. During the show, Jordan was mesmerized. He refused to sign along (although he knew the songs), he wanted to just stare in wonder. But after, while taking a potty break, he happily sang the songs to me.

After lunch and a bit of a stroll around the zoo, we were headed back to the car and saw a line of people waiting to have their pictures taken with the cast from the show. So we hopped in line and took our turn. He got a big smile when it was his turn and yelled out "Cheese!" Rachel (the lady in the movies) gave me a puzzled look. I explained the situation to her and she accepted her new name happily.

A Day At the Zoo

Last week, my sister, Ashlie and I took our kids to the zoo. It was such a trip down memory lane! This was the same zoo our mom took us to while we were growing up. Many things have changed, but a few things have not.

Jordan's favorite part of it all was the train. Grandma Diane sent him a conductor hat, which he LOVES. He wears it all the time! And on the train was no exception. Even little Pyper enjoyed the zoo.

We found out that next week, the cast from "Signing Times" will be there. This is the series of videos in sign language that Jordan adores. He calls it "cheese" because they do a song about pizza and end with a big loud "CHEESE." I will definitely be taking him to the show.

I know I have had requests to put pictures up of the new house. I'm lame...but I'll do it. Sorry for the delay. I've been spending the last little while preparing for the big "Erin's Slumber Party" that will be this Friday. I'll be doing a workshop on making my scrapbooks, along with selling them. I hope it's a good turnout-last year I did pretty well. I'll give you an update later.

Potty Training

Yes, gang....it's that time. I have had it up to here (points to head) with cleaning up poop from the walls and crib. Not to mention the expense and hassle of diapers. So we are taking the plunge and putting on our big boy pants.

Jordan has done very well since we moved with going pee pee on the potty when I change his diaper. We just haven't pushed it very hard. But I am getting low on diapers and refuse to buy more. So it's time to kick it into high gear.

As we speak, Jordan and daddy are at the Arctic Circle enjoying a "go play." It's his first outing without a diaper. Cross your fingers. If anyone has any sound wisdom on this experience, feel free to share. I'll keep you updated-as long as I am not cleaning up poop all day!

My Library

I've always dreamt about having a room in my house with floor to ceiling shelves full of books. I have finally seen this dream through! We are in our new house and I have scavenged all over town at yard sales to gather my collection. I'm excited about it and realize it will take several lifetimes to read them all. But they are mine. All mine. :-)

Living Out of Boxes.........STINKS!

I'm so glad we close on our house this afternoon and can start moving tomorrow. I'm really struggling with having everything I need in boxes...and not being able to find them! But things really are moving along well. I'm excited and looking forward to the new adventure.

Once we get settled, I'll post some pics of the new place. I think you'll like it.

"go drive"

Aaron has made the mistake of showing Jordan just how much fun it is to sit in the driver's seat. (Don't worry, he's not pulling a Britney Spears; they stay safely in "park" in the driveway.) So now whenever we get in the car to go somewhere Jordan asks to drive.
Sorry kid, you've got 13 1/2 years to go.

Come see me at the Saratoga Splash tomorrow!!

Yes gang, I'll be out in the 100 degree weather all for the love of the sport! I'll be participating in the Saratoga Splash and I'd love to see you there!

I'll have my accordion scrapbooks, altered altoid tins, paper bag albums and gift tags. I'll even have a table set up where you can put together one of my kits and take home your own album that you made yourself!

I'll be there from 10:00 until whenever we get kicked out...I'm guessing most of the afternoon. See you tomorrow!

Harvest Elementary, 2105 N. Providence Dr. ( Harvest Hills Dev.)

All Packed Up and Nowhere to Go....

I'm so excited for the Downtown Farmer's Market this year. It will be my first year participating. (Unofficially, since I missed the application deadline. I'll be hanging out just outside with the other loser vendors.)

So I got all packed up, checked everything off my checklist and considered myself ready. I then checked the website to be sure I had the right address. That's when I saw that it doesn't start until NEXT weekend.

Wow. What a proud moment. I guess I'll be extra prepared for next week. Now, nobody buy anything so I don't have to go digging things out of boxes.

House For Sale

Yesterday we put our house on the market. It is bittersweet, because we have been here for so long and love our friends and neighbors. But we are also excited for our new home and the adventures that await us. Within a few hours, I already had two families tour the place!

This morning I had the carpets cleaned, so it's looking pretty good! I think it will only be a matter of weeks, maybe days before this place goes. *sigh*

man car

It was bound to happen. The Man needed a Man Car. Here it is. The angry looking, black bundle of testosterone. Meet "Black" (as named by Jordan).

Our Cute Little Family

No, we didn't drug Jordan...he made that darling face on his own.

Last night Aaron was sworn in with the Saratoga Springs Police Department. We're so excited for this new adventure! It seems like a great group of people and a wonderful opportunity.

We're starting to look for houses in the area. We have our eyes on one in particular... we'll see what happens!

TAG, I'm IT!!

I've been blog-tagged. (Actually, I was tagged several days ago, but am just now getting around to it.) How it works is once you are tagged, you write seven things about yourself in your blog. You then tag seven others to do the same. Look to the bottom of this post to see those that I have tagged. Have fun!

1) I am a novice sign language interpreter. I took a few classes, but mostly learned from the people. I enjoy opportunities to interpret occasionally.

2) I HATE cheese. All kinds. Except for Western Family Mac N Cheese or low doses of cottage cheese. Other than that, I can't stand the stuff.

3) I have two adopted sisters from China. My parents have five biological children, then the two girls they adopted. We're a wild bunch!

4) I am an obsessive frugal, penny pinching, bean counting, coupon cutting cheapskate. I will use something up or wear it out far beyond it's use before replacing it. I also try very hard not to spend money. I guess I'm hoping to put it all away for retirement or my son.

5) I am allergic to clutter. Too much stuff puts me into hysteria. I don't save much of anything, and sometimes it gets me into trouble. I've been known to throw away important papers or keepsakes in the name of clutter. Don't leave your crap out for me to find...or you may lose it forever!

6) I'm a great singer. Too bad you'll never hear me, though. My only audience is the shampoo bottle and bar of soap in the shower.

7) I'm finally liking my short haircut. I've kept it long for so many years, I needed a change. It's been very easy to do in the morning, but not all that attractive. (Come on, you know you've wanted to tell me so.) But it's finally taking on a style that I like. Now I have to figure out how to stop it from growing so darn fast.


OK, enough about me. Now let's hear about YOU!! Check out these awesome blogs to learn interesting facts about these folks:

dustandclaysomethingpretty

rainsend

Lane Designs

rufusandroxie

2chelle

Saint Kitten

Murray High Arts Fest-What A Blast!

Well, I'm back. I spent yesterday at Murray High School's fourth annual Art's Fest. They invited several local artists to demonstrate their work and sell it at the event. I had such a great time showing the students how to put together the accordion albums. I'm hoping to be invited again next year. It's fun to get back into the High School scene....and not have to be a teenager all over again.

Pimpin' My Ride

Check me out! Thanks to http://monsterpromos.etsy.com I now have my URL on my vehicle. So if you spot me around town, wave and smile!

Come Learn How to Make My Scrapbooks!

Join me this Friday, May 18th from 9am to 3pm at Murray High School for the Murray High School Arts Fest (5540 South State Street.) I'll be demonstrating how to make the accordion style scrapbooks that I sell in my shop, nycole.etsy.com. If you'd like to make one yourself, I'll provide the supplies and instruction for only $5.00! Or, if you'd prefer to buy them already made, I'll have them for sell as well.

I look forward to seeing you there!

I Love Messy Faces

Today Jordan went to his first friend birthday party. HIs favorite part, or course, was the cake. It had orange frosting, so it matched his shorts perfectly!!

Life Changing Decisions

We found out yesterday that Aaron has been offered a job at the Saratoga Springs Police Department. He applied for this a few months ago and has been going through the long process to be considered. Of course, he accepted and is very excited! It's bittersweet, though. He loves where he is now and the people he works with. But the move will be an advance in his career and is a great opportunity.

For now, we will stay where we are. But in the fall we may consider moving. For the next couple weeks I'll help him tie up loose ends and then get him ready for a new place!

Yippee!!

Just Hangin'

I know this picture is super blurry, but the pool room was very foggy and this pretty much captures what it looked like in real life. My boy hangin' on the edge of the pool.
This weekend, we went to visit my sister and her husband in Logan for their baby's blessing. We stayed at a nearby hotel and took advantage of the pool.

P.S. I'm in a better mood today. But only slightly.

grumpy me

I'm having a bad day. No reason. Nothing in particular is going wrong. Maybe it's the weather. It's cold and rainy. I like rain, but not cold. And I keep dropping things. Have you ever noticed when your day is going rather crappily that you can't hold anything? It all jumps out of your hands. Like even the object you are holding doesn't want to be around you. But I digress.

We are going up to Logan this afternoon to stay the night. Tomorrow my little niece, Pyper, is being blessed. It should be a fun occasion. My mom made the blessing dress. I hear that it's four feet long. For a 3 month old girl. Yikes! But it's rumored to be beautiful.

When I read this post back to myself, it even has a grumpy undertone. I do apologize for that. If you want to make me happy, go shopping on my site. I always do a happy dance when I sell something. (Well, after I stare at the computer screen in awe that someone actually paid money for something I made.)

I hope to be in better spirits tomorrow. We'll see....

Impatient Stinker

Jordan learned how to climb in (and sometimes out) of the tub when we visited my family in Ohio last month. I forget that he knows how. So when I started the bath and went down the hall to get his jammies and a diaper, I should have known that he would climb in. Clothes and all.

Me and my boys

Since I'll probably refer to them often, you should get acquainted with my husband, Aaron and our son, Jordan.

Jordan turned two in January and is a bundle of energy. He keeps us busy with things most two year olds do. He loves to sing and is learning sign language (his parents are both fluent in ASL.) In the mornings, Jordan goes to preschool and makes art projects, sings songs and eats snacks. He loves it.

While Jordan is learning his ABC's, mommy goes to work for a staffing company. I do various administrative tasks for the national organization. Sometimes I coordinate new office openings, create presentations or run and share weekly data. It sounds boring, but I love it!

Aaron is a full time police officer and part time radio DJ. He keeps busy with all his jobs and activities.

Well, Jordan just woke from his nap, so I am off to hang out at the playground.

Ciao!

Well fine, then. I'll BLOG!!!

I don't consider myself a dummy when it comes to computers. But I've not felt the strong "urge" to join the millions of folks on the internet that "blog." Until now. I guess I've just heard enough about them and seen some pretty cool ones that I finally decided.."what the heck." So here I am.

I have been pretty good about writing in a journal religiously since I was about 10 years old. But lately I've slacked. Actually, I do keep up with recording what goes on in my life-but more in a scrapbook than actually writing it out.

So, we'll see. Maybe this will take and I'll keep up on things. Maybe not. But throw some love my way, and I'm sure it will help motivate me to keep coming back.

XOXO
Nycole