Holiday Cheer

Hey, hey, hey- my holiday vacation starts today. I am very excited, usually vacation starts on the 23rd and goes through Jan. 1- which means basically the whole vacation is celebrating the holidays and then cleaning up before its back to work.  But this year, I am off until Jan. 6th-which is quite exciting.  Feel like I might have some real vacation time.

So to celebrate the holiday and all the good cheer with it

I thought I'd talk about some movies and music and all those things that fill our lives during this season that I love and that you may love too.

(If you're into that kind of thing that is.)

First of all, here's a music CD I just love.
My 22 year old introduced it to me just this past fall-
man she has good jazzy taste.

Kind of Harry Connick, definitely his own style.
One of my favorite albums of the season.
I, being the last to hear about every trendy thing, just discovered him.


And here's an OLDIE but an excellent holiday CD. It has some excellent guest singers too.
Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, Mel Torme, and others.
Jazzing your way with a little horn through the holidays.
This has been my favorite CD for years, and maybe, just maybe, Michael Buble will replace that, but then-
I guess I can have 2 favorites, right?


And here's one I'm thinking of buying off of iTunes. Heard a few selections on Pandora Christmas radio, and I love it. Guess for Christmas I am a jazzy gal, but then
I also LOVE all those Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Here's just one of their albums.
What I love about this band is how they mix Rock and Classical music and have these great original pieces as well as some well known traditional songs. They're style. I know you've heard them.
They're version of Carol of the Bells is amazing.

And one of those favorites from my childhood:

Perry Como.
Great smooth voice and holiday cheer.

And for your watching pleasure...
here's an oldie, a classic Christmas film collection.
I think I paid like $9 for this whole set, which is a bargain-
but you gotta love these old films.
And they are old-black and white.
I love looking at the old clothes...so stylish.  Were people always so dressed up then, looking so sharp?

My favorite from the set is Christmas in Connecticut, an oldie with Barbara Stanwick. Its a fun comedy with a Christmas twist. The first time I watched it I wasn't so sure but this movie caught me hook, line and sinker, as they say.
I also really liked It Happened on 5th Avenue.
That one got me too.



I also am a Bing Crosby fan, even though I guess in real life he wasn't an easy person. Not that I know that for fact, but I've heard that. They talk about being swell and swanky and  having high hats.
1940's slang crazy.
I also like White Christmas, the film, quite a bit. The song is really swell too.

But you probably know all about these films.
They aren't anything hidden in the archives of lost holiday movies.
Just like Its A Wonderful Life.

Everybody knows this movie I bet.
Now that's a really well made movie and a great story.
When I finally watched it  several years ago I was amazed.
And
for a couple of more modern and enjoyable silly and maybe even dumb flicks
totally fun though-
but silly works sometimes.



That squirrel in the Christmas tree is my daughter's nightmare.

Hey, we are all kids at Christmas, aren't we?

So that's what on my mind today. What have you been watching or listening to?
Maybe not even holiday related.

Hope to have you stop by again soon.
Enjoy your Saturday.

What Do You Want for Christmas?

I know Christmas isn't about getting- its about giving. 

But if everyone is giving,

I might be at the end of a little bit of gift getting.

Ha-ha.

But seriously,

I am not all about the getting-

but if I could go pick out 10 gifts for myself

here's what I'd get.

(So Santa Man, if you're reading this,

hint-hint!)

1. Some water brushes so I can fill them with ink to paint with.
These things are so pricey you have to ask Santa for them.

2. Some pretty smart wool socks. It gets cold here in New Hampshire and I need to keep my toes warm.

Time to replace the worn heels and toes.

3. Some new Le Crueset dishes. They don't get very good reviews, but I'd like to try a couple since they are so pretty...and if they're good, I'll get some more later on.

4.On a real  WISH list, and not expected, but my old Nikon (so sad) is having a few difficulties and I want and need a new camera.

So Santa-man if  you are feeling rich this year (OK I know, between property taxes and college tuition you're not), here's a little toy this lady could use.

5.

Is Costco having any jewelry sales? You know I lost 1 of my diamond earrings last winter-
made me cry, cry cry.
So another WISH list item.

6.


http://sweetnothingsbj.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-wanna-farm-house-sink.html
And if cash is tight, we need to finish up our cheap kitchen remodel from last summer- painting all the cabinets.  I want one of these farmhousee sinks, INSTALLED- which you are good at. It would look so nice, and no divider...and maybe a new kitchen counter top too- the 25 year old one is looking pretty shabby next to our repainted 35 years old cabinets and new knobs.
Just saying.
I bet Lowe's or Home Depot would have a nice sink, not too expensive too.

7.

And you could, if so inclined or have any time (ha-ha- that is funny) build the drawers for this awesome spectacular cabinet you build for me that holds most of my clothes. I know you even have the wood out in your workshop.
It would get my gigantic scarf collection off the back of the bedroom door you know.

8.

OK on my DREAM DREAM list- some plane tickets to some place new.  I don't know when we would go, since Santa-Man is very busy at work, but we have a 25th wedding anniversary to celebrate still.
Just an idea.
You could even just renew my passport for me too.

9.

One of these ultra-light down jackets. Good for traveling. Nice and light-you don't feel like you are walking marshmallow like in my current winter jacket.  LL Bean has this cool my favorite color green one.
Would be really really nice, and not too expensive, honey.


10.
No matter I get for Christmas, I already have the best gifts ever. A loving hubby. A beautiful successful daughter who passed her engineer in training exam (only 50% of test takers nationwide pass). Two loving boys-meaning my dog and cat. A nice home. A good job that I like. More art supplies than I need. Chances to travel. So far decent health. I work hard, play hard and life is good.
That's really the best gift of all.

So what's on your wish Christmas list?

So we have another holiday party tonight and there's suppose to be a big snow coming in over night.  We shall see what happens.
And best of all, Katie comes home today from college.
Thanks for stopping by and visiting.

More International Books

OK, a few more international books that I've read .
Been thinking about these,
this is a great brain working topic for me.
Always good to work your brain a bit in a new way.
Thought I'd share a few more that have come to me.
Oldies but goodies, at least most of them.
First of all, this great Australian story-

Read this years ago but still remember it clearly.
Priest falling in love with a young woman...
The settling of Australia...

Then here's a book that I read twice- way back in high school and then in college-
can't say I remember much about it except that it wasn't my favorite book ever.
Too philosophical for me.


And then we have a book more my style

Like the Thorn Birds, I'm all for these great sweeping historical novels.
A good read for a cold winter weekend.
Or for a hot summer day when you want to cool off since it is set in Russia.


And I LOVE this mystery series.  I've read several.  This is the book that came out in 2012. Louise Penny is a Canadian Quebecois writer. Excellent writer.I recommend her. Her detective Inspector Gamache is such a hottie and kind of man you'd love to be married too-(not to say my husband is less than that...ha-ha)

And an excellent horror story. Though a real oldie-


And an Italian book that was a pretty quick read that I enjoyed.


Here's an interesting Iranian selection that we read for my book group a few years back. What I liked about this book is that is was non-fiction. Seeing how people live in other places is really interesting to me.


And a play we read back in a college literature class by a Norwegian author.


OK, and I never said we could include children's books, did I?
This is such a fun series.

A great Swedish author. A great character, Pippi, is a hoot.

And here's another book club book we read a few years back that I enjoyed.  The author grew up in Prague, back when it was Communist Czechoslovakia. This is a childhood memory, sweet, tender but interesting too.

That's it for books today. I showed you this last week and I am really enjoying this read. Learning a lot about Iceland and life there.


Have a great weekend.

More International Reading

Thought I'd add a few more books to international reading list I started last Saturday.

http://fat-emma.blogspot.com/2013/11/international-books.html

I know I've read a lot more than I listed last week, but

who can think of everything you read in the last 50 years of your life?

(Man that makes me seem old-

50 years of reading,

NO WAY!)

I know, not exactly international as Pearl S. Buck was an American.

I'll be showing you more as I find  or remember them.
I am almost finished reading Elizabeth and her German Garden right now-

It is a wonderful charming book and I think what strikes me most is that even though it was
 written in 1898,
yes 1898,
it seems so current in some ways.
And here's a new word for me-
SELFIE-
a photo you take of yourself on your phone.
Love it.
Here's another book I am anxious to read


This book is kind of a travel story of Iceland. Sarah Moss is British, so a little more of my international reading even though I read a lot of British authors so I guess it doesn't count.
But hey!
So I am off today to my craft store for their annual half back sale-
get a coupon for January for half of what you spend.
Love it!
Make it a good day.

Christmas Inspirations

Been thinking a lot of holiday projects.

Actually starting making my holiday journal. Will show you one of these days what I am doing.

But I really want to make some holiday things and was looking through some previous projects for inspiration.

Here's 10 pieces that make me smile and

make me want to run upstairs for the studio to play!

So top card is all about the snowman (Sizzix die). I stamped the snowflakes and then used the same colored ink and a brush to make the background.

Love the black and white background here. Its a Tim Holtz stamp. Then some ribbon and a Darcy stamped, cut and colored poinsettia from a set I bought maybe 2 or 3 years ago. The wonderful card is from October Afternoon.

Love this journal page.  I think the tire tracks that I stamped are a blast.

Sometimes, at least to me, the simplest pages are the very best. Especially when the page came out in a good way.

Here's a journal page with a bunch of die cuts and some blocky letters. Also some Sparkly snowflake dots (Stickles.)

And another journal page. This time I used some Viva Gold (well silver-ha-ha) paste over  stencil and some modeling past through a stencil to make the snowflakes. I stenciled the reindeer by stamping the Tim Holtz/Sizzix leaping reindeer die and using the mask as a stencil.

A cute card. Stamped image is from Sheena Douglas. I die cut both of the arches and aded a die cut star and then some felt reindeer trim. I have a whole spool of the trim I picked up marked down someplace or another and it comes in handy to finish off project or cards.

Cover of last years holiday journal. Some lace, some stenciling, some die cuts (both ones I made and the sparkling glittery snowman one from K&C Co. that I picked up on markdown at Michael's). The stenciled words are from Red Lead- a cool holiday saying stencil.

Another card, this one a little bit classy. The candles are a die cut from Dee's Distinctive Dies.  I also die cut the rounded piece (Sizzix) and inner piece (Cheery Lynn). Over that I stamped in gold the saying. The green leaves and berries are a Sizzix embossing die. Then I sued some Stickles, Dylusions spray ink and Perfect pearl sprays.

Simple and fun! Stamped images are from Paper Smooches except the BRRRR word which is a very old stamp in my collection.

Ha-Ha-Ha! Love this a lot. I used the Darice birch tree embossing folder and inked it tourquoise to make the colored embossed background. The images are from paper Smooches except the words which are from tachnique Tuesday.

Another super fun card. This time I embossed the frame (Sizzix) right onto the card and then rubbed darked green and white ink over the card. I added the die cut snowflake (Cheery Lynn) and added Stickles to the bow to make it pop. Then I added the snowman, a sparklely die cut circle and the words (Technique Tuesday).

And lastly, this other bright card. Images are from paper Artsy, excpet the red dots on the card which are from Cornish Heritage Farms-one of the original backgrounder stamps.

 

Hope you got inspired to do some holiday play this weekend.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO ready to bring out the Christmas bins-

I am bad- I have 3!

I need to clean out- but maybe I'll wait until after the holiday and unload some stamps that I've out grown or don't speak to me the same way any longer.

Do you have a 3 day weekend?

I do with nothing more planend than lunch with a friend on Monday.

I think that is the moste xciting thing-

a quiet long weekend.

Hopefully some art, some sleeping, some reading, a bit of cooking and maybe I'll even get a bit of my disasterous studio mess picked up a bit.

Starting to get dangerous in there.

 

I want to thank you for stopping by to visit and

have a great weekend too.