Mohonk Preserve--Catskills in background

Snow shoeing December 31st

    Hello fellow ebayers!  I thought it was time to freshen up this page, so here goes!  My name is Nicole and I have been using ebay for about 8 1/2 years.  I have used it for buying and selling just about everything under the sun!  It is how I got my extensive puzzle collection, it is how I sold off stuff that I didn't have room for and couldn't possibly use,and it is the current vehicle by which I buy tons of great scrapbooking materials.  I'm an arts and craftsy kind of gal...scrapbooking is my major hobby (and that is major with a capital M!).  I think I officially qualify as a scrap-a-holic.  I started scrapping seven or so years ago and I have been going strong ever since!

As far as my scrapbooking projects go, I pretty much take pictures of everything and that makes for some thick scrapbooks!  I have tackled the nasty job of organizing all my photos (5 creative memories power sort boxes have done the trick!), so when it comes time to scrapbook, I don't have to do a lot of prep work.   My simple goal right now is to catch up on what I call my 'digital age' pictures.  I got my first digital camera for Christmas in 2004, so I am working on becoming current with the pictures from then to the present time.  I do my books chronologically, so each year has its own book(s).  I have all of 2005 complete, all of 2007 complete, and a good portion of 2006 complete.  My goal is to finish up 2006 in the next few weeks and then get to work on 2008.  If possible, I'm hoping to work on 2009 as it happens as well...maybe, just maybe, I will be current as of later this year.  Has anyone out there actually achieved this???  Where the only thing you have to scrapbook is the last batch of pictures you took????  Ahhh....one can only dream!  Besides...even if I do get current with my digital pictures, I still have all of my old 35mm pictures to get done!  My only saving grace is that there are less of those per event than with my digital camera....I seem to take gazillions of extra pictures with my digital camera simply because I can!!  No 24 or 36 picture limit like with a roll of film!

**UPDATE** -- 2/13/09  Well, I'm getting there!  I have scrapbooked through July in my 2006 book.  I've gotten a little of course, though...I got a little tired of scrapping in that album, so I got my snow shoeing pictures from December printed and that is what is on tap today.  I found a bunch of great quotes about nature and walking and I have gotten totally inspired to work on those pictures!  LOL  "If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." ~Raymond Inmon  How great is that?!?  I also love this one by Thoreau: "Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow."  I think that is the one I'm going to use for my snow shoeing excursion.  But none of the other quotes will go to waste...I always have plenty of hiking/outdoor pictures each year!  Well...off to scrap I go!

**UPDATE** -- 2/28/09  I did it!!  My goal was to finish my 2006 scrapbook by the end of February and I did!  I had a full day of scrapping today and got it all complete.  What a wonderful feeling!!  I am now caught up from 2005 to March of 2008.  YAY!!  LOL  Now it is time to get busy on the rest of 2008 and hopefully work on 2009 concurrently as well...who knows?  Maybe I will be current with my pictures by the end of this year!  It at least seems in the realm of possibility now.  I've recently stocked up on CM tape runner refills, more great paper, and photo paper and ink for my printer....so I should be all set to get crackin' again soon!

Anyway...not only do I love to scrapbook my pictures, I'm pretty concerned about preserving them for the long run.  So all of my digital pics get transferred to my computer, backed up on an external hard drive, and stored remotely on a photo website.  I have been working on re-printing all of my older 35mm pictures and they get scanned into my computer and stored in the same places before I will scrapbook them.  I know the 35mm images aren't going to be as good as digital if printed later, but at least they are still there!

Other than scrapbooking I love to crochet and do needlework.  I am also planning to learn how to knit and how to sew.  I can't see myself making a whole wardrobe of clothes, but I'd like to at least have some basic skills!  I am also an outdoorsy person...love to hike, camp, kayak, and such.  I have gotten some of the most amazing pictures while being out doing those things...I have kayaked on the Hudson River while a tugboat pulled a barge past, I have hiked in the Catskills and in various other state parks and preserves, and I have snowshoed on untouched trails after a beautiful snow.  There isn't anything more beautiful than getting away from all the hub-bub of everyday life and getting back to the basics in nature. 

     Speaking of everyday life, I have master's degrees in both Clinical Psychology and Applied Sport Psychology.  I am a sport psychology consultant and sport performance specialist.  I work with athletes on achieving better, more consistent performances.  I address topics such as Leadership, Motivation, Communication, Injury and Rehabilitation, Stress Management, Balancing Personal & Sport Life, etc.  I am currently re-working my website, so I will post a link to it here when it is ready.