Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!  I thought I would stop by and write a quick post and I did want to share pictures of my two Christmas trees that I put up at my house.

This is my big tree with all the ornaments that I have collected over the years.  This tree is mostly red and gold.  I have fake gift boxes under the tree and no tree skirt this year because the cats love to play underneath and I did not want to wake up one morning and see the tree on the floor. This tree is pretty much full and I won't be adding many more decorations to this tree.

My second tree is what I call my Charlie Brown Tree!

It is a skinny tree that I put in the corner of the dining room.  It has only bright decorations on it. There is a lot of pink and bright green with lots of glitter. This is the fun tree!

I will be taking my Christmas decorations down much earlier this year because of course a vacation from school cannot go by without a project.  I am going to get the hardwood floors refinished and I am also going to paint the dining room.  I was not expecting to do this project but a friend has time to work on the floors so I can turn that down.  I can't wait to get this room finished and I always say that I am done with projects but I know that is not true. 

Well, I hope everyone had a great day today and I am looking forward to the rest of my vacation. I do have some new items to put in my Etsy shop!  I will do that over the weekend. One thing I want to do is set some time aside to scrapbook which I have not done in awhile. I need to get a few vacations done before I go on my next one.  I am going to Mexico in February!!! I am looking forward to that trip and see the sun!

Featured Items in Etsy Shop

I have been trying to come up with ideas to keep customers coming back to my shop and keep my shop fresh! Well, here is what I have come up! I have decided that the 3 featured items in my shop will have some sort of special offer each week. So each Sunday I will pick 3 items and offer something special for the week. Each Sunday the items will change.

So this week the 3 items shown below, I am offering free shipping on these items until next Sunday!

Blue Cherish Shadow Box

Pink Cherish Shadow Box

Paper Bag Album

I have 1 more week of school unitl Christmas vacation!! I am excited to have some time off and I hope to catch up on some projects, my own scrapbooking and have time to be with friends.  I am also hoping I can get back in the blogging routine. It has been hard to find extra time or maybe I just need to manage my time better.  Tomorrow is a day that I have to go to see the doctor. I am so hoping she is going to let me stay on my medicine a few more months. I have been feeling good and hardly any pain.  I will let everyone know tomorrow. I hope everyone has a great week!

FREE SHIPPING~Now Through December 5th

Free Shipping Offer for the Rest of the Week!

Stop by my Etsy Shop and see all the new items I have added. This is a great time to purchase cards because of the free shipping offer.  I have also added some die cuts which I intend to add more. I need to get my Cricut going. I love the cupcakes!  Here are a few of my favorite items from my shop!

I am still taking custom orders for Christmas items so if you have a special request either use Etsy's convo or email me at AmonetteN@msn.com.

The Winner Is . . .

I am happy to announce that the winner is Kristen Hoffman from my Facebook Fan Page!  She is the lucky winner of a set of gift tags of her choice and a surprise Christmas Card!  Thanks to everyone that participated and I hope to do a new giveaway real soon!

Don't forget to check out my Etsy Shop I have a lot of Christmas items now! I got my report cards done so tomorrow night is going to start my card making and tag making marathon through the weekend. 

Last Few Hours For The Giveaway!

Last chance to take part in my blog and Facebook giveaway!  Click here for the ways to enter and remember that I changed the date to today!  I will announce the winner on my blog tomorrow and on Facebook.

I am so excited with the sales I have been having for the last few weeks.  I finally fee like my shop is taking off and I love that I am having sales a few times a week.  I love the fact that I am having many returning customers!  I love my loyal customers!  I have a post that I keep meaning to write but I have to say I am so tired since I have been back to work after being off for a week with the flu.  I think it is going to take awhile to get my normal energy level back. Also, it has been very overwelming trying to catch up in my classroom.  I feel like I missed 2 months and not just a week. 

Then there is one last important thing that is happening this week.  My class and I are celebrating Toby and Oliver's 1st Birthday! I know we are celebrating the rabbit's birthday but my class is so excited.  We really missed the date because I was sick so I promised thm we would do it this Friday.  We are going to have carrot cake cupcakes and we are going to do activities about carrots all day.  I am amazed at how I can make everything fit into our second grade curriculum.  We have to study plants so carrots fit in perfectly.  I found some fun experiments and activities to do.  All my second graders are worried about is what type of gift do you get rabbits for their birthday.  It will be a fun day and they get their report cards on that day so it will be a great reward for working hard.  I will make sure I post pictures this weekend of Toby and Oliver's birthay celebration.  I forgot if you have not met Toby and Oliver, look at previous post to see the big babies.

Ok, that is all tonight! I hope everyone enters the giveaway and I will post the winner tomorrow!

I Should Used the Help Section More Often!

I am doing this post as a test because I have been having an awful time uploading photos into my post and I have been frustrated about how long it has been taking me to do one simple post.  Well, I should have went to the help section a long time ago because I found out the answer so I had to try it out.  I thought I would share another Christmas card that I made today.

A Very Merry Christmas Card!

Oh My!! Now I can add photos so much easier and now I am going to want to blog a lot more now since it is so simple.  I just don't know where spell check is at now. 

One last thing, I am feeling back to normal!! I am going back to work tomorrow and I am so excited to see my second graders.  I still feel like I don't have the energy I usually have and I am sure I am going to be tired for a few days.  Everybody has told me that it takes about another week just to get back the energy level you are used to.  I am going to start working out after my long break.  I think I will go back on Wednesday so that gives me some extra time to get back in the swing of things and then back to running.  I have missed working out and I can feel a difference since I have not been to the gym.  The gym does help me get everything that is going on in my head in order and then I can think better and accomplish more.  So back to the gym I go!!  I have a very interesting post for tomorrow.  I am working on it and I want it to be perfect because it is something that has been on my mind.  Check back tomorrow!

New Christmas Cards Are Here!

I thought I would stop by and show you some of the newest Christmas cards I have posted in my Etsy Shop! I have been busy working on my newest Christmas cards and hopefully will have them all listed by the middle of the week.

I am going to start with my absolute favorite which is the Button Christmas Tree.

I love the buttons and the colors of this card. I am actually thinking of making this my own Christmas card to send out to family and friends. I also love the snow glitter. It is the first time I have used it.

Here are a few other cards that I made this weekend and you can find them in my Etsy Shop!

I am on a pink kick for Christmas and love the glittery snowflake!

Here is a tag that is not listed yet but will be tomorrow. They will be a set of 6 tags. Love the Pink!!


One last card which also shows my love of new colors for Christmas! I never thought I would like brown for Christmas but love this card.

Giveaway-Change of Ending Date

I have decided to change the ending date for the Giveaway to Tuesday, November 15th at 11:59 p.m. (EST). I just felt since I was sick and have not promoted it enough to give everyone a chance to enter. Click here to go to the giveaway page!

Also, I am finally feeling back to myself. Wow, this has taken a long time to get over! I still feel like I don't have much energy but my fever is gone so that means I can get out of the house by Monday. Just in time to go back to work which is fine. I miss my second graders. I actually talked to them on the phone this morning. My sub called me and put me on speaker phone so I could talk to them and let them know that I am going to be back on Monday. I am sure it was very strange for them to have me gone for a week because I had the flu. My friend, Sue, works in my building and had the kids make me cards. They were so cute!! Just what I needed tonight! I cannot wait until I can have contact with humans again!! I find it so funny because everytime the phone rings I get so excited because I get to talk to somebody. I have been so careful around my grandma that I feel like I have not even had many conversations with her for the last week unless it was through a mask. I can see my normal, crazy life coming back soon! I did finish a few cards today that I have been working on. I am hoping to get the pictures taken tomorrow and have them posted on Etsy by the end of weekend. Also, I have been thinking of a new project for me but I can't say what it is now but I hope in the next month I will make a decision.

Blog and Facebook Giveaway Announced!

I am going to run a giveaway on my blog and on my Facebook Fan page! This will work for people that have a Facebook page for their business or a personal page! Everyone can take part!

Here is how it works:
1. Become a fan of Paper Creations by Nicole or let me know if you are one already. Leave a comment in the discussion thread for the giveaway. (1 entry).
2. Ask your friends to become fans and to post YOUR name in this discussion thread along with THEIR name. (1 entry for your friend and 1 entry for you)
3. You can refer as many friends as you would like to become a new fan. (1 entry for each friend and yourself).

If you do not have a Facebook page (if you have a Facebook page and a blog you can do both parts of this giveaway) but you are a blog reader you can still take part and here is how:

1 Become a follower of my blog or let me know if you already are by leaving a comment in the contest thread. (1 entry).
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment. (1 entry)
3. Send new blog followers to my blog. The new follower needs to leave a comment with their name and also have them include your name. (1 entry for the new follower and 1 entry for you)
4. Leave a comment with your favorite item from my shop. (1 entry)

**If you buy anything from my shop during the giveaway you will receive (1 entry for every item you purchase). Leave a comment on my blog or on the discussion thread on Facebook of what you purchased. (Items purchased form Nov. 11th to Nov. 14th)

I think I have covered everything so that everybody has many ways to earn multiple entries.

I know you are probably wondering what the prize is!! I am going to giveaway a set of 6 gift tags that I am going to make for the winner. You get to pick the color combo you want. Also, I will send a surprise Christmas card in with the tags. The tags will be similar to the ones listed in my shop.

You can go here to see the tags if you click here!
The giveaway will end on Saturday, November 14th at 11:59 p.m. (EST). The winner will be announced on Sunday, November 15th. I will post it on Facebook and my blog! The winner will be picked randomly from all the entries on Facebook and my blog.

Good luck to everyone and I can’t wait to hear from you on Facebook and on my blog!

Update-On My Swine Flu!

I want to thank everyone for the great comments you have been leaving on my blog. I have been pretty bored so I love to read them.

I know that the news and the doctors call it the H1N1 flu but I have been calling it Swine Flu. So now I can't get pigs out of my mind.

I have to say that I am starting to feel somewhat back to normal. I actually I am really tired today and slept the whole night which has not happened since I caught this wonderful flu! I have really enjoyed hearing your advice on how to get rid of a fever and I have actually tried a few of the ideas. I feel like the fever finally going down slowly but I have not had the high fevers today. I have the rest of the week off from work so I feel like I don't have that stress right now which is making me more relaxed and letting me just rest. I do really miss my second graders. I guess that is when you know you enjoy your job when you miss all the craziness of the day and there funny stories. It will be nice to be back in my classroom on Monday. I have a great sub and I know they are in great hands.

I will admit that I was very frustrated last night with hearing people say they were sending there kids back to school way to early. I actually had to get off Facebook because I felt like I might say something that I shouldn't. I know how hard it is for parents when their kids are sick and they have to find daycare for them. But from a teacher's stand point I see these kids come to school and I know what is going to happen. They are just spreading the germs to everyone else and they are not learning anything on the days they are sick. I am so glad that I have learned that I have to give my body the time it needs to get better. I was not always so good but I have learned and I can't say that I am happy about using 6 of my sick days all at once but I also know that I am not doing my students any good being in the classroom. I guess I have finally know I need to listen to my body and it is sure telling me to rest right now. So please if you have kids or you get sick give yourself enough time to get better.

Ok, enough with my frustration onto new cards. I might not be able to get up and create new cards but I have a bunch of new cards made and the pictures are taken. So I have been editing photos throughout the day after I rest. I was able to get a few new cards in my Etsy Shop.

A set of 2 gift card holders!

I need to make more of these because I know how gift cards are so poplar.

Let it be a Pink Christmas!

I am hoping that I will feel better and can get some other Christmas projects done. I have a few projects that are started and they are just waiting for me to get working.

Also, I have noticed that when I am adding pictures to my blog I can't drag them all the way down the page. If you have been experiencing this problem or you know what I am doing wrong please leave a comment. It used to be so easy to add pictures but I don't know what changed. It is driving me crazy because I feel like I can't add as many pictures because it takes me so long to drag them down. Any help would be much appreciated.

Again, thanks for all the comments I really appreciate them. I am thinking of an easy giveaway I can do so check back tomorrow for the info.

I Have Swine Flu!!!

Ok, not much creating or fun going on in my house right now. I have Swine Flu and let me tell you it is not fun. I took this lovely picture of myself wearing my mask.

I did not want to look so sad in this picture but it is hard to look happy with a mask on and also when you feel awful. It all started Friday when I went to work and then realized that I did not feel good but I thought it was just a sore throat and a head cold. My principal said I was going home. I called the doctor and they wanted me to come right in because I have asthma. Well, I was handed a mask and the doctor gave the news SWINE FLU!! I have felt awful and I cannot get rid of my fever which is driving me nuts. I have to say if you have not had it you will know when you do get it. The headache, body aches and the exhaustion is awful. I have to miss another day at work tomorrow since I still have a fever. I have been laying in bed since Friday. I am not handling the fact that the last few days have been beautiful and I have missed them.

I was thinking today at how slow the days are going since I am sick and I have to be in bed but when I am fine the days fly by and I can't possibly do everything I want to do! I am now eating ice cream so that I can stay cool. I will probably gain 20 pounds after my ice cream feast to try to get this fever to break. I have not had a fever since I was a kid and I forgot how awful you feel with one. If you have any great ways to get rid of a fever leave a comment I will try anything. I can't go back to work until I have been 24 hours without a fever. I have to say I love my job but when I get sick it is so hard because I am trying to give the sub plans from home and everything just turns out to be a giant mess for when I get back. I am taking this pretty serious because I would feel so guilty if I passed this onto anyone else and I do not want to have an asthma attack. No hospital stays for me for an attack. So for now I am at home in my room by myself. Oh, the cats and rabbits have to stay away from me because a few people heard that your pets can get and I do not need a vet bill on top of everything.

I have been staying in my bedroom away from everyone and thank god for facebook, email and texting so I at least have some human contact. I have to wear the mask every time I leave my room so my 84 year old grandma does not end up catching it. The mask is a big pain and they should at least make them fancy if you have to wear one. Maybe when I get some more energy I will decorate mine. I felt so weird walking through the University of Michigan Hospital where my doctor is located with the mask on. Nobody will even come close to you. I have to say I have not been sick like this in a long time and I can't wait to get back to normal life. Laying in bed and watching TV is not as much fun when you are told you have to stay there. I did get all caught up on Project Runway which is one of my favorite shows but kept missing it. Well, I guess I should go back to resting and hopefully I will have good news tomorrow, Swine Flu free.

Sorry, I think my text got mixed up and it won't let me cut and paste. Great now my laptop has Swine Flu! Sorry about the mixed up post I just don't have the energy to retype it.

Hopefully some new creations soon but for now I will be resting!

Christmas Cards Are Here!

Well, I have started to put Christmas items in my Etsy shop and I thought I would share one of my favorite cards.

I love the blue and brown together for this card. Then the tree is heat embossed with a powder that looks like snow. Keep checking back I have a bunch of new cards for all occasions that I have made and need to list on Etsy this weekend.