My Favorite Things

Love Songs Revisited

Hello there!!  Happy New Year!!

I'm so happy to get to spend a little bit of my New Year's Day with you...I'm so glad you could join me.  Today is the first of the month (not to mention the first day of the year!) so it's time again for Papertrey's monthly Senior Design Team Challenge!  This month, Nichole challenged us to pull out our Love Songs stamp set and give it some love.  This is such a fun little set to play with.  You're gonna love all the mix and match options.  

First up is a sweet little card for my hubby.....this could be given for Valentines Day but I'll probably give it to him some random day when I want to give him a little love note.  That's one of the great things about so many of the stamps included in the Love Songs set -- they're not just Valentines Day appropriate.  Instead, they work any time of the year when you want to send a little love.

I used the "xoxoxoxo" background building stamp to create the background pattern on a mat stack 3 die cut.  Then, I used a limitless layers die to cut out a bit of hawaiian shores card stock.  To that, I stamped a fun circle sentiment from Love Songs, "You're the first - the last - my everything".

Lastly, I stamped the ADORABLE cake plate and pile of hearts -- both images from Love Songs -- cut them out and popped them up on the scalloped circle with a bit of foam adhesive.

To add a bit of interest along the bottom of the card, I created my own little border by stamping two little hearts from Love Songs, a solid and an outline, repeatedly making 3 rows.  To finish things off, I simply tied a little berry sorbet topnotch twill knot.

Now THIS card could really be given to just about anyone!  How about sending a card to Grandma this Valentines day?  Or your bestie?  Or your mom, sister, significant other, a special "little" in your life like maybe a niece or nephew?  Really, the possibilities are pretty endless with this one and I love that plus you could easily mass produce it if you wanted to send it to quite a few people.  Didn't get Christmas cards sent out?  How about Valentines Day cards?  Hee.

I stamped the "l", "o", "v", "E" and "happy Valentines day!" sentiments on a rustic cream panel, punching the "o" out and popping it up with foam adhesive.  I then stamped and cut out a tiny heart from Love Songs and added it to the center of the larger heart.  To the bottom of the rustic cream panel, I added a bit of pure poppy card stock scalloped with the small scallop border die.  A raspberry fizz topnotch twill knot and some vintage touch tea dye ink finished this one off.  Super simple while still being colorful and fun!

Be sure to bop around to Nichole and the other Senior Design Team Girls' blogs to see their Love Songs projects!

Mish Wooderson
Heather Nichols
Lisa Johnson
Betsy Veldman

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Happy New Years Day and I also want to wish a very happy 16th birthday to my little sister, Glory!

xoxo,

{You're the First supplies}
Paper: berry sorbet, hawaiian shores, rustic cream
Stamps: Love Songs
Ink: dark chocolate, berry sorbet, hawaiian shores, versamark
Other: mat stack 3 die, limitless layers die, berry sorbet topnotch twill

{Love supplies}
Paper: rustic cream, pure poppy
Stamps: Love Songs
Ink: dark chocolate, berry sorbet, pure poppy, raspberry fizz, hawaiian shores, vintage touch tea dye
Other: small scallop border die, raspberry fizz topnotch twill 

Wishing You...

(snapshot taken by a friend at a restaurant late one night, after one of Bart's games)

Hello, Dear Readers.....

Today is the last day of the year and I've been "hearing" so much chatter online, as we approach the new year, about all of the changes that different ones are looking forward to making in the new year.  There's always lots of New Years Resolution talk and it just made me think that perhaps I could take a minute today to encourage you.

What if, instead of listing out all of the things you want to change about yourself or your life, this year you gave yourself permission to just be?  What if you allowed yourself to be content?  What if you decided that this year, you are happy with you?  What if you slowed down and actually enjoyed life a little? 

There is certainly nothing wrong with setting goals and working hard to achieve them.  But I bet if you learned how to focus on looking for the joy in your life rather than focusing on the things you're unhappy with and want to change, you'd end up much better off in the long run.  I mean, let's face it.....we all have junk in our lives that isn't fun.  Sometimes life throws us a curve ball and there are crappy things that we have to deal with whether it's health issues, financial struggles, family drama, etc.....everyone has to deal with crud sometimes.  But I find that the more I work on learning to be content, the more I look for the joys in life, the happier I am.  It's certainly not always easy.  But it's worth it.  

You deserve to be happy.  You deserve to be content.  So why not make 2011 better by striving for joy rather than perfection?  

• Give yourself permission to slow down and actually r.e.l.a.x. a little.  Relax - what a concept, right?  :)  
• Celebrate the small stuff.  Did your potty-training little one make it thru an entire day with no accidents?  Celebrate with M&M's and milk!  Is your entire family going to be home at the same time on the same night?  Make it a family party night!  Eat a fun dinner together.  Watch a movie or play a game together.  Make happy memories together while you can because you know as well as I do that sometimes it feels like life is rushing by at the speed of light!
• Whether you're alone or have a house filled with loved ones, look for things to rejoice over.  Pull out your camera and take pictures of things that make you smile.  Sometimes I think being a wannabe photographer gives me lots more opportunities to look for the joy in things because I want to capture that joy with my camera.  So perhaps for you, you could pull out your camera more often and snap away at the happy around you.  ;)

I guess all I'm trying to say this morning is that I want you to be happy and content.  Regardless of your circumstances.  That doesn't mean that you have to be delusional and unrealistic.  But it does mean that you can be happy in spite of the crud you're facing at the moment.  I get a lot of comments and emails about how I must live a "charmed life" and I can assure you that I do NOT.  LOL!  I just choose to look on the bright side and share my joys with you.  It doesn't mean that I'm dishonest with you.....I've certainly shared some of my hard times here (like being laid off a year and a half ago).  But the thing is, you've probably got your own set of woes in your life so why would you want to come here and have to read all about mine too?  I want you to come here and feel better after your time with me.  I want you to feel welcomed here and like you've come into my home, where I hope you'll feel comfy and cozy and loved.  I want to be positive and caring, uplifting and encouraging.  There are certainly days when I'm none of those things (just ask my family - *wink*) but it's a choice.  Striving for contentment and joy is also a choice, one that I think is worth making. 

In 2011, I wish each one of you joy in your heart and contentedness beyond measure.

All my love, 

Visions of {Sticky Buns} Danced in Their Heads...

Well hello there, Sweets.  

Pre-Christmas, there may have been visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, but post-Christmas, I can say without a doubt that there are visions of my mom's sticky buns dancing in my head!  Oh my Lordy bees, were they good!  Remember when I shared the recipe with you awhile back and I told you how much we loved mom's sticky buns when we were kids but we hadn't had them in years?  Well, besides her standard cheesy potatoes which are the favorite at ANY family meal, she also decided to break out her bundt pan and whip up a batch of sticky buns for dessert Christmas day.  

We've now banded together as a family and requested that not only the cheesy potatoes be a requirement at all family gatherings, but also the sticky buns!  No meal will ever be complete without them, I'm afraid.   Haha.  Thanks, Mom!

Here's the recipe again, in case you missed it the first time.....If you have any questions about the recipe, leave them here in the comments section and I'll ask Mom for you.  :)

So, how was your Christmas?  Ours was so nice and we've continued to have family get-togethers every day but one since Christmas.  Tonight my side of the family is getting together and heading out to visit my two Grandmas.  One is in a nursing home and one still lives on her own but it's been way too long since Bart & I saw either one of them so I'm quite looking forward to some time with them tonight.  My Grandma J. (who's in the nursing home) will undoubtedly make us all sing a few songs for her (and anyone else who happens to be passing by her room!) -- ha.  This may come as a surprise to you but this isn't on our list of favorite things to do - smile - but she loves to have us sing for her and so, we'll all suck it up and sing.  LOL.  The things you do for your Grandma, right?  :)  

When we leave there, we'll head to Grandma W.'s house where we'll bring dinner along so we can eat together without her having to cook.  And if I know my family at all, I'm betting there will be a card game or two after dinner.  We love to play Nerts but my siblings are so darn good at it that my only defense is to sing random crazy songs while we're playing, so as to distract them.  Haha.  They're a bit cut-throat when playing Nerts (have you played it?) so maybe a nice game of Phase-10 or Skipbo would be better.  Heeeee.  Regardless of what we play, the one thing I can always be sure of when my family gets together is that there will be lots of laughter.  Can't wait!

Then, tomorrow is New Year's Eve.....do you have big plans?  Our big plans include a quiet party for two at home.....just us, some movies, some fun party food, watching the big apple drop on tv (assuming that we manage to stay awake that long!) and a sleepy dog who'll snooze the night away.  :)  After all the hustle and bustle, it sounds quite blissful, if you ask me!  

So, what are your plans?  Will you be out on the town, or partying down at home like us?

Thanks so much for your patience in my absence this week.  I've been so busy with work and family that it didn't leave a lot of extra time for blogging.  I'm betting some of you have been in the same boat though.  It's almost time for a new Senior Design Team Challenge at Papertrey, so stay tuned.....that crafty post is coming soon!

Much love to you, Dearies.  And have a safe and Happy New Year!!

Merriest of Christmases From Our Home to Yours

Hello, dear readers....

It's Christmas Eve here in the US (it's already Christmas in some parts of the world) and I just wanted to take a minute to wish you ALL the merriest of Christmases from the McVeys.  

I also wanted to thank each of you for visiting me here at the blog-o.  Thank you for your sweet emails, your encouragement, your loving and thoughtful comments.  You make me laugh, you cheer me on, you lend an ear.....quite simply, YOU make this whole blog thing worthwhile.  Sharing with you is a joy and hearing from you in return, well it makes blogging so rewarding.

Thank you also to each of you that have been leaving me such kind and caring Christmas wishes via the comments section and email in the last couple of days.  I've literally heard from some of you all around the world and it really does remind me of how grateful I am for this blog-o.  I've made so many friends as a result of this blog and I'm grateful for each one of you.

 

 

Tonight, we'll be attending the 5pm Christmas Eve candlelight service at church where I'll be singing with the worship team.  It's my most favorite service of the year....everyone will be so cheery and festive and there's always such a sweet atmosphere.  I just love it, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas with my husband and then we'll go and have dinner with Bart's family.  Tomorrow on Christmas Day, we'll head back over for breakfast with Bart's family and then back home for lunch where my family will be joining us for the afternoon/evening.  

I'm so looking forward to lots of family time, lots of laughter, lots of good food and of course, the giving of gifts.  And before we open gifts tomorrow, my Dad will read the Christmas Story to us from the Bible (you can find it in Luke 2), just as he has done since my very first Christmas.  I love family traditions like this one.    

 

My sincerest wish for you this Christmas, whether you're celebrating or not, is that you would be filled with love, joy and peace this holiday season.  I pray that you would know the comfort that comes in knowing Jesus as Lord and saviour.  I pray that your home would be filled with happiness and hope.....and laughter! 

You are important to me and I wish you the merriest of Christmases.....from our home to yours.

Much love, dear readers...

P.S.  All photos were taken at the Country Club Plaza on our romantic Christmas date night last weekend (when we saw the Symphony's Christmas production).  If you look closely, you can see bits of snow starting to fly.  It was a beautiful night.

 

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Hello, dear readers...

I think it probably goes without saying that I'm *always* dreaming of a white Christmas.  Always.  And this year, it looks like my dreams for white are coming true in more ways than one!  Just look at what started happening last night!!  The paper-whites have started blooming.  YAY.  Last night, when we went to bed, one stem had popped and it's flowers were emerging.  First thing this morning, there were two stems opened and by this afternoon when I snapped these shots, there were four stems with flowers peeking out!  

They're tall enough now that they have to be tied up to keep them from flopping over.  The pretty baker's twine came in handy for that little task.

 

And I wish I could share the weird medicine-y scent with you.  Ha.  They sort of smell like fingernail polish remover.....or Vick's VapoRub.....or a combination of the two.  Haha.  Anyway, my mother-in-law is here staying with us for a week or so and she says that you can remove the stamens from the flowers to eliminate the smell.  However, for me, the weird smell is just part of the deal.  So I'm keeping them as is.  :)

 

They're so tall now that I can't hold the yard stick in one hand, the camera in the other, and get far enough away from the flowers to get them all in the shot, so you'll just have to take my word for it that they're measuring at almost 24" tall now!  Can you even believe that?  We've grown them several times before and yet they never cease to amaze me.

And in case you might be wondering how the amaryllis is progressing, check it out!!  They're crazy tall now too.  Shouldn't be too much longer till we have big red flowers on this one.

We've started delivering these treats to our neighbors.  They looked so cheery all lined up, I thought you might like to see a piccie of the finished product.  I shared this project with you a couple months ago -- click the link in case you're needing a last minute gift idea.  

And now back to the white Christmas discussion.....not only will we have a {paper} white Christmas, but the weathermen are certain that we're going to have snow on Christmas Eve which will result in a white Christmas and I can. not. wait.!!  I can think of no better day of the year to have snow, than on Christmas so my little heart will be swelling with each snowflake that falls.  They're only predicting 1-3" but that's good enough for me.  :)

Happy, happy Thursday before Christmas, friends....

Movie Magic - the Christmas Edition

Hello there!  Happy Christmas Week to you!  

Now that Christmas is drawing near, I hope that you're finding a bit of time here and there to relax, enjoy a little time with your family and maybe even watch a holiday movie or two.  I'm sure that most of you have seen most of the movies in this Christmas Edition of Movie Magic (the part of the show where I recommend great old movies for you to watch), but just in case you've forgotten about some of these great movies or perhaps these are new to you and you just need a movie recommendation for family movie night this week, I'm here to help.  :)

First up, White Christmas starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen.

This is quite possibly my all time favorite Christmas movie.  Well, except of course if you count Christmas Vacation which I never get tired of, but that would be an entirely different blog post!  Ha.  Today we're talking old movies and White Christmas ranks at the top of my list.  If you haven't seen this movie then I implore you, I beg of you....please, go rent it, check it out at the library or watch it one of the hundreds of times it's airing on TV this holiday season!  You won't be sorry! 

Next up is Holiday Inn, also starring Bing Crosby as well as Fred Astaire and Marjorie Reynolds.  Can you really go wrong with Bing Crosby?

Of course there's Miracle on 34th Street starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and Gene Lockhart.  I'm actually watching this one again as I type this post.

 

Of course we can't forget It's a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart and Donna Reed.  Granted, I've never been a fan of the part when George Bailey's ear gets hurt (who's with me?) but if you hang in there through that part and stick it out to the end, you'll see why this movie is a Christmas classic.

And lastly for today, Christmas in Connecticut starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan.  This one was new to me this year, but my bestie recommended it and she was right -- this is a great Christmas comedy that I really enjoyed (though in the interest of full disclosure, Bart *may* have dozed off once or twice during the movie)!  Anyway, I checked it out from the library but Amazon has it for just $5.99.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I haven't had much crafty time this week what with all the Christmas prep as well as some product prep I'm doing for upcoming releases.  However, I hope you've been enjoying my Christmas-y posts just the same!

Happy Wednesday before Christmas, Dearies!

Wishing you buttery popcorn and movie night dreams,

P.S.  For those of you that are interested, keep reading for Bart's reviews on these same movies...... (I'd like to apologize in advance...)

White Christmas -- "Best ever.  'Nuff said."

Holiday Inn -- {Spoiler Alert} "Singin' Bing gets even in the end....the good guy wins."

Miracle on 34th Street -- "Natalie Wood out-acts her "mom".  What's up with that?"

It's a Wonderful Life -- "I love it even if it's a little too scary for SOME people."

Christmas in Connecticut -- "Snoozer."

 

LOLLLLL.  Me again.....I'm so sorry, dear readers.  I'm not sure if Bart's reviews are gonna work out here at the blog-o..... 

....and presents under the tree....

Hello, Dearies....

For today, I have a few photos of our gift-wrapping to share with you.....I told you I was going to dub this "the year of the doilies" and so I have!  They're SO fun and easy to use and they dress up ordinary gifts quite a lot.  I've loved wrapping with them this year.  

Here are a few more photos for you.....

You'll also see lots of Christmas tags in action.....tags that I've made in previous weeks and shown you along the way.  They've been such a joy to tie onto packages.  I need to kiss those store-bought stick-ons good-bye and make my own tags every year from now on!

I love to buy floral picks like you see on these packages when they're 50% off at Hobby Lobby or after Christmas when they're on clearance.  Plus, I've got the whole family trained to save them and either use them again or I'll use them again next year!  :)  No sense in throwing those little pretties away.  I've got some that I love dearly and use them on Bart's gifts from year to year.....they're almost like treasured ornaments that come out each year.  Love that!

I hope your Christmas prep is coming along nicely and I hope that you're finding time to enjoy this week!  You don't want the week to fly by without you having some fun!  

It's the week of Christmas......enjoy!

xoxo,

Sweet Symphony

You might be thinking, based on the title, that this post will be about my newest patterned paper collection titled Sweet Symphony.  However, this post is really about our night out at the Kansas City Symphony's Christmas production this past weekend.  

I have a hard time finding words to really tell you just how fantastic the show was and that is mostly because it is hard to put into words, just how moving and inspiring music is to me.  This wasn't the first year that we've gone to a Christmas production put on by the Symphony and yet I always come away feeling surprised at just how much fun we had.  Again.  Of course there's the orchestra, there is always singing (both a chorus and soloists) and sometimes dancing, there's usually a visit from Santa, perhaps a handbell choir, lots of jingle bells....it is always a joy -- the Symphony's Christmas show.  This year, we heard an a capella version of Ave Maria performed by the Kansas City Symphony Chorus as well as the Allegro Children's Choir -- maybe 175 voices in all -- and it was quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life.  The arrangement was almost a conversation back and forth between the two choirs and then when they joined together to sing as one.....unbelievably gorgeous.....truly.  Bart and I just kept saying, "Wow." as we clapped and clapped when they finished singing.  Like I said, perhaps the prettiest thing I've ever heard.

You might say that you're not really "a symphony type person".  Classical music might not really interest you at all.  However, the Symphony's Christmas production is a completely different story because you will recognize 95% of the songs that are played!  It's all Christmas songs that you grew up hearing.....classic favorites that we all know and love.  You'll smile, you'll probably laugh a few times, you might even be moved to tears.  You'll hear songs that are familiar to you....and when you hear songs from favorite Christmas movies like It's a Wonderful Life or even Polar Express being played by a huge orchestra......well like I said, it's hard to describe how thrilling it is.  

I realize that it may be too late for most of you to catch your local Symphony's Christmas production this year, but I'd encourage you to add it to your list of things to do next year.  You'll be so glad you did!

You can probably even get on your Symphony's email list, so that you can get notices about just such events when the time arrives.  In fact, that's what happened with us.....they emailed Bart saying they had $15 seats available!!  He snatched up a couple of them and I'm so glad he did.  Going to some sort of Christmas show each year is such a lovely tradition, whether it's the Symphony or the Nutcracker or whatever.  Bart and I started this tradition for ourselves several years ago and I'm so glad that we were able to carry on this beloved McVey tradition again this year.  

Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition.....an event that you and your family go to or try to do together each year?  If not, it's never too late to start!  

xoxo,

Deck the Halls...

.....with boughs of holly, fa la la la la....la la la la....

.....'tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la....la la la la....

Hey there,

Hope your weekend is going well!  I thought I'd pop in today with the photos I promised to share of some of our Christmas decorations.  Hope you enjoy this little home tour.  :)

First stop, the dining room....

The apothecary jars are filled with faux cinnamon sticks, inexpensive red ornaments, tiny red foam beads, large brown "rusty looking" jingle bells and my beloved collection of pink vintage ornaments.

 

 

Next stop, the living room.....one of these days I'll have to tell you the story of the baby grand piano.  It's a good one.  :)

A friend of the family paints wooden Santas and my mother-in-law gave us each of these over the years.  

 

There are a matching pair of these little white/silver table-top trees in the living room in front of the windows.  That way, they can be seen outside, when the curtains are open.

In thinking of our little niece and nephew coming over this Christmas, the nativity got moved to the top of an apothecary cabinet in the family room where it will be a bit safer from happy little feet running thru the house.  ;)

And now, a few scenes from around the family room.....love this bird house that was given to me by a friend a few years ago.

 

I've been collecting mercury glass for several years now, both in ornament form, as well as these pieces that I've grouped together in a display in the corner of the room.  I love mercury glass in all it's vintage-y deliciousness.

The tree, in front of the fire....

 

 

 

Thanks for coming on this little tour with me.  Happy Sunday, Dearies!

xo,

Progress Report - Paper-whites & Amaryllis

Hi-ya, Peeps!

I thought it was about time for a progress report on the paper-whites and amaryllis.  I first showed you what they looked like the day Bart potted them for me.....that was December 4.  (See photo above)  I didn't snap any photos for a few days.....not until this next one, taken last Thursday, Dec. 9.  

See that the tallest plants are already almost to 4"?!  I told you that these flowers grow crazy fast!  Prepare to be amazed.....  

I took this photo the very next day and as you can see, they grew an inch in 24 hours!  An INCH.  In one day! 

The next day, they're up another inch measuring at just about 6"!  

Then, life got busy with the Countdown and all and I didn't snap any pictures on Sunday or Monday.  And then......

I took this picture on Tuesday (Dec. 14).  NINE INCHES!  And let's just keep in mind that this photo was taken a mere 10 days after we first potted them!  

Again, I missed taking a photo on Wed. but Thursday, they were up two more inches!  Just over 11" tall.  AND another amazing thing has started happening.....

All 4 of the bulbs have now started developing the flower pods.  See that fat bumpy thing in the middle of the photo?  Look where the arrow is pointing.  That, my friends, will soon be popping open to make way for pretty little white flowers.  YAY!  

I love paper-whites.  :)

As for the amaryllis bulb, the above photo is what it looked like the first day.  I followed the same photo schedule with the amaryllis that I did with the paper-whites above -- if I snapped a piccie of the paper-whites, I got one of the amaryllis too.  

These aren't quite so speedy and dramatic, but you can still see the changes that are happening.  I'm so glad I documented these in photos this year!  One day soon, this will turn into great big red flowers and I can't wait to show you when it happens!  

In the meantime, stay tuned for future progress reports.  I'm sure you'll just be on the edge of your seats in anticipation.  ;)  

Happy Saturday to you.  I've got practice at church this morning for the Christmas Eve service....I'll be singing at one of the services that night.  And then tonight, my sweet husband got us tickets to go see the Symphony's Christmas production!!  We have dinner reservations before the show and I can't wait!!  I'm always excited about a hot date with my hubs!  Plus, I LOVE going to a Christmas show each year and the Symphony is always so good.  Should be a great night.

Wishing you a day full of holiday cheer!