Convention Sign-Ups

To all my scrapbooking friends...I don't know if you noticed, but the sign ups for April convention in Mesa are January 9th. This year I reserved 2 hotel rooms. Classes are already posted if you want to see what's available go here. Let me know if you want to stay at the hotel so I have a head count as I always have something up my sleeve! Can't wait to see what everyone is going to take! Email me with any questions nayskers@hotmail.com.

Back Home

We made it! We're finally home! We pulled in late Wednesday night and have wasted no time taking care of our ever growing list of to-do's while we are here for a few days. Of course I got the after finals stress cold/sore throat and am trying to not let it slow me down. We've had a few set backs as far as our time schedule goes, but we're just gonna roll with it and accomplish what we can. It is VERY cold here! We're loving the 12 inches or so of snow that we got last night. It truly is a winter wonderland! We have the dreaded Christmas shopping to do down in Ogden tomorrow, but we're excited to just be in Utah where the snow makes it feel like it's really Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas

This is so funny!!!

Mac Anyone?!

This is a really random, shameless plug to sell my mac. I just wanted to start with friends and family before I post this on ebay or craigslist. Back on May 18th I purchased a mac mini and I fell in LOVE! I could pretty much bare my testimony about how awesome macs are (especially for scrapbookers and kids). I didn't even turn it on until the end of August when the semester was about to start. The mac mini rocks because it is SO tiny (see pictures). The best part is, you can use all your old PC components like the monitor of your choice, or keyboard, or mouse. Here's MY problem. I need something a little more portable. I need to make an upgrade before next semester so I thought with Christmas coming around, I'd do a quick post. A few things. It isn't the brand new Leopard program (although I was told it's about $150 to upgrade). If I sell it to a family member or a friend I will leave my Photoshop Elements ($80 - which rocks because it is SO user friendly and I can do everything and anything I need to with pictures), and Office ($150), and Quicken ($60) on since it's already been downloaded. So on to the asking price...dun dun dun! Just kidding. I am asking $599. It's awesome though and I'm not getting rid of it because I want to. Again, I need something more portable. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! nayskers@hotmail.com

FINALS

Lots of Dr. Pepper, take-out, snacks, pajamas, no sleep, stress...we'll emerge in a few days!

Christmas Photo Shoot

It was a success! I wasn't able to book an appointment with Sarah because she is one busy chicka, but my aunty Pam did awesome! Here is a sneak peak at the photos that will be included in our Christmas card this year!

Sinterklaas!!!

So as some of you may know Phillip's biological father is from the Netherlands. We have loved sharing the Dutch traditions, especially Sinterklaas. On December 5th we leave our wooden shoes out and Sinterklaas leaves little presents and treats. Since we were down here in Arizona and weren't really prepared, I figured we weren't doing it. Little did I know that my darling husband had a plan up his sleeve.

When I woke up I found a new pair of shoes stuffed with M&M's and the new Taylor Swift c.d. But they weren't just any shoes...they were bowling shoes! And of course there was a card to accompany this surprise. It said:

"You are invited to a royal 'ball' on the eighth of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand and seven at eight o'clock. As my princess and invited guest, you must wear your magical princess slippers in order to attend this ball. Remember that unlike fairytales, your magic does not end at midnight, but lasts as long as you believe."

Okay, can I say that I just love this man!

Fresh & Easy

I've gotten a few emails from friends and family asking why in the world we are here in Arizona still and what is Phillip doing exactly. Here's the short version! He is working for the company he used to work for before we got married. They needed someone down here in Arizona to sort of "be in charge" of all the new "Fresh & Easy" stores going up in the state. We happened to be down here for my scrapbook convention and Time Out For Women. What we thought would be a few days of helping out, turned out to be 27 stores later! Since we've been here (September 12) he has done 6 stores. That kind of gives you an idea of how much more work he has to do. What about school you ask?! No need to fear! We've been able to do our last semester online, along with our next one.

On to the stores. They are so cool! Here is their website: www.freshandeasy.com. Four of them open up tomorrow morning (12-5-07)! I'm telling you, their prices are totally comparable, with a much healthier approach. I could go on and on about how rad their philosophies are and how much I heart their packaging (clean and simple), but I will let the press release do the talking! Go check them out!

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Brendan Wonnacott
Office: (916) 554-3466
Cell: (310) 384-3833


FRESH & EASY NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET ANNOUNCES DATE FOR FIRST STORE OPENINGS IN ARIZONA

GROCER SET TO OPEN FOUR STORES IN MESA AND CHANDLER

PHOENIX, Arizona – Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced today the grand opening date and locations for its first Fresh & Easy stores in Arizona. The first four grocery stores are scheduled to open on Wednesday, December 5.

• Main Street & Ellsworth, Mesa
• Brown Road & Recker Road, Mesa
• Alma School Road & University Drive, Mesa
• Alma School Road & Elliot Road, Chandler

At roughly 10,000 square feet, these neighborhood markets are smaller than the typical supermarket to give customers a faster, easier shopping experience. In addition to offering a range of fresh&easyTM private label and national brand name products at low prices, Fresh & Easy also offers customers a selection of fresh, prepared meals.

“We are thrilled to bring our neighbors in Arizona fresh, wholesome food at affordable prices,” said Tim Mason, Fresh & Easy CEO. “Our stores in Southern California and Las Vegas have been very well received, and we look forward to serving our new neighbors here in Arizona.”

Fresh & Easy has gone to great lengths to ensure all its private label products contain no added trans fats, artificial colors or flavors, and use preservatives only when absolutely necessary. Deliveries will be made daily to each store to ensure all products are as fresh as possible.

Each Fresh & Easy store will employ approximately 20 to 30 people. The company interviews on-site at each store location, aiming to hire from the local neighborhood. Fresh & Easy intends all store employees will work 20 hours a week or more, and be eligible for comprehensive healthcare and other benefits. Entry-level positions will pay well over the minimum wage, starting at $9 an hour in Arizona, and offer a potential bonus of up to 10%.

As part of the company’s promise to be a good neighbor and steward of the environment, Fresh & Easy has committed to build LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings, recycle or reuse all shipping and display materials and use environmentally friendly trailers to transport food. The company also invested in California’s largest solar roof installation on its distribution center in Riverside.


About Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is a local, neighborhood store committed to providing customers with fresh, wholesome food at affordable prices.

Fresh & Easy is a company of Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer and one of the world’s leading international retailers. Tesco operates over 3,200 stores across 12 countries and employing more than 400,000 people.

Tesco’s success is due in part to delivering a consistently strong customer offering on every visit and every transaction, and by focusing on the company’s core purpose: to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty.

No Hubby {Sigh}

So my hubby went back to Utah for the weekend to do some painting and install some shelving in our office. I am so incredibly grateful that his company was willing to fly him home so that he can utilize a free weekend before finals. I tried to make the best of my Friday night by hanging out with this crazy chick I like to call my best friend Sarah!


I tagged along with her to her wards Scrapbook Enrichment Activity where I busted out all 106 of these bad boys!



I have to say it feels great to get them done, but I'm a little disappointed in myself. I always have them 100% done (addressed, stamped, and stuffed) so they are ready to mail December 1st. I haven't even scheduled our photo shoot with Sarah yet and today IS December 1st. Oh well.

Today I spent the ENTIRE day packing up our belongings here at my moms and cleaning, organizing, and labeling her house (she has been begging me and with my obsession/OCD it was about time)! Phillip's company is putting us up in a hotel for the next few weeks and we will FINALLY being going home (can we call it home since we've lived there maybe 2 weeks and we've been here for 3 months?!) the 15th! Now for an update. There are 27 of his Fresh & Easy stores going up and he's only completed 6...which means we're coming back. We are so blessed to be able to take another semester online through Utah State so that we can live here. For all our friends and family, we will be back the 2nd of January and we're still working out the kinks for a place to live (they may just get us an apartment for 6 months or so). I promise to keep everyone posted.

Tomorrow I plan on chillin' with my dad and his family. Then I'll probably scoot on over to my grandparents house where I will stay the night and hang out with my aunt Sherlene and watch chick flicks! Then Monday morning my hubby will be back in town! Is it just me, or do the weekends fly by all too quickly?!

Go Suns!

Phillip's boss called last night and asked us if we wanted to go to the Suns game. We said sure... especially when it was on his dime! Phillip's dad came along too (he also works for the same company). Even though the Suns lost (sigh) it was a great game and the entertainment was awesome!

Go 49ers!!!

Remember those tickets I bought my husband for his birthday?! Well the long awaited day finally arrived! We had so much fun and the game was so intense that it made the win worth the adrenaline rush! The Cardinal fans weren't too happy, but we sure were!

Black Friday Shopping & The Wedding

So I totally know that today is a very important day for my mom, but hello, it's Black Friday! My awesome husband is always game to pull an all nighter and fight the crowds with me. Literally we got an hour and a half of sleep, and were up and in line by 5:00 am! We got everything we wanted at Target (yeah) and then we rushed over to JoAnns. All the really cute fabric was taken (by a lady who got 277 yards of flannel), but I still snuck in a few cute things! The ladies were jealous because my husband would grab things as they were putting them down on the counter and he'd scout out who was getting what cut when if I liked the print. He did this with me last year and was such a sport for standing in line. Gotta love him! He even surprised me and got me a new tote for my sewing machine! We hit a few other places and made it just in time to help start putting up the decor for the wedding! No naps for us though. We rushed home and I quickly threw together a sign in book for the reception. We made it to the wedding with only minutes to spare, but we were there nonetheless! Everything turned out beautiful! Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Cronin!

Thanksgiving

We had a nice, but stressful Thanksgiving. There were last minute wedding preparations, but we had it all under control as the boys all enjoyed a little football game at Candlelight Park. We went to my grandparents house where the first of the wedding guests had arrived! Dinner was yummy of course and I am so grateful that we were able to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

Bachlorette Party!

Me, my mom, and my sister in law Jen had a blast this afternoon celebrating my moms last day single! We went to Gecko Grill for lunch, but the highlight was getting pedicures! I forgot to get a picture of us at the salon, but I love this one girl Holly who is super talented and always does such a nice job! They got french, but I went bold and got red for the upcoming holidays!

Thanks Beth!

My amazing and very talented friend Beth made me this super cute bag for my birthday (sorry I'm posting it over a month later)! I love it! You're the best Beth!

Projects, Projects, & More Projects

We've got projects galore going on at our house! I've been madly trying to finish baby gifts and Christmas presents as the holidays are quickly approaching and people are coming into town. Here are a few sneak peaks!

This is for my brothers family (they don't read our blog so I can post this):


Here are a few baby bows and socks I did for my cousin:






I also made my first ribbon rag for my cousin Kristin, along with my traditional boppy and blanket:


















(picture of boppy and blanket will be posted later)

Congrats Jonathan & Kristin!!!

It's official! He's here!
Meet Tyler Lee Rogers!
Born on 11/7/07 at 9:40 pm
Weighing 7 lbs 7 oz and 21 inches

Hot Date!!! {Details}

Okay ladies, don't hate me, but I had this REALLY HOT DATE tonight! Literally! He was a hunk of burnin' love! Yes my man was a toasty 102.4! My hot date included serving a steaming hot dinner of soup and juice, juice, and more juice! As I placed ice on his head with a cool cloth to quench his burning love for me, he never let go of the remote! I love my thoughtful and romantic husband! He plans the best dates! =)

Sick & Tired

Our Halloween was loads of fun (said sarcastically) because Phillip had a really high temperature! We ended up having our traditional soup in pumpkin bread bowls, but calling it a night after going and seeing Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D. After giving him medicine to knock him out, I finished these bad boys in the wee hours of the night (thank you Kristin, who is on strict bedrest until she has baby boy Rogers, for helping do the bows and stuff the invites)!

Which Twighlight Character Are You?!

Which Twilight novel character are you?

You're Edward Cullen - You have great taste for the finer things in life, a classic style, and you understand the way people work so you can manipulate easily. You have many talents and a bit of a temper, but you are mostly level-headed and rational. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Rejuvination!!!

I feel so rejuvinated this morning! So way back in April I had a severe sprain that still bothers me. I've been wearing flip flops ever since because my foot tends to swell up all the time (yes even when there was a foot of snow). My amazing mom had a coupon for Famous Footwear, so I went and found these great walking shoes on sale, plus $10 off, and I got them in wide to accomodate my huge foot! This morning I decided to start walking again despite any pain! And guess what, I did a mile! I feel great! I'm ready for the day, have already read my scriptures and am off to start studying again! Yeah for exercise!

Date Night

This weekend Phillip and I were CONSUMED by school! We had 3 tests, and 4 assignments. I had a research paper, and Phillip still has a stats test to take. Being the creative folk that we are, we had a candlelight dinner for date night while we studied and quizzed each other! These are the things we will remember 5 years from now!

What Kind of Monster Are You?!

Deneigh:

You Are a Witch (or Warlock)

You are deviously brilliant and a perfect manipulator. You somehow always end up getting what you want - without anyone knowing you're working behind the scenes. Crafty and cunning, you can work your way out of any jam. And it's easy for you to get people to do what you want, whether you're working for good or evil. Your greatest power: Mind control Your greatest weakness: Making people your puppets You play well with: Ghosts

What Kind of Monster Are You?

Phillip:

You Are a Werewolf

You're unpredictable, moody, and downright freaky. You seem sweet and harmless, until you snap. Then you're a total monster. Very few people can predict if you're going to be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. But for you, all your transformations seem perfectly natural. Your greatest power: Your ability to tap into nature Your greatest weakness: Lack of self control You play well with: Vampires

What Kind of Monster Are You?

The freaky part is, these are so true!!!

Scrap Yard Sale

I decided to crack dawn this morning (haha) and go to the Scrapbooks Etc "yard sale" which was fun! I got a few things I probably never would have bought, except for they were at a smokin deal! I'm totally stoked for the tag maker! The tag books and file folder are for a few things I have in mind! All so fun! In the next few days I'll post the baby projects I've been trying to get done. I'm trying to get homework done, study for a test, and finish a few boppys, blankets, and burp rags, plus baby girl socks and bows, and a ribbon rag. Let's keep our fingers and toes crossed that I meet my deadlines!

Scrapbook Night

So we had a quick, thrown together scrapbook night out at my friends Sarah's house on Friday (out in like Florence). Beth and I didn't even get there until 10:00pm! We were nuts! But as we were arriving Twylla (who lives 2 doors down from Sarah) was leaving and she was sporting this awesome outfit! Now in her defense, they had found 2 baby rattlesnakes in the street so to be extra cautious, she wore these sexy boots and had a flashlight in hand. Love that girl! She always makes me laugh! It was a productive night even though we didn't get home until like 3:00am! I designed my Christmas cards and birthday cards for next year! So stoked about that! Beth did a page that turned out awesome, and Sarah put together a couple cards for her Super Saturday Enrichment class. Yeah for late nighters!

Phillip's Idea of Studying

So I finally finished my paper last night around midnight and I turned around to see how Phillip was doing on his and this is what I found.



Way to be productive hun!

Jaysters

Just so you all know, I have the CUTEST nephew in the world! This is baby Jaron and I just want to eat him up! He is THE happiest baby!