Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Witches, Candy and Videos Galore!!




Halloween is just a week away and  things are finally starting to look and feel spooktacular around here. My decorations are done, I've crafted a bit, I've cooked a few pumpkin cookies and I just received an email that the Hallmark Channel is going to air a new movie in "The Good Witch" series. This years movie is called "The Good Witch's Destiny". The details about the movie read: 

All Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell) wants for her birthday is for her family and friends to be together. While her husband Jake (Chris Potter) suggests an intimate dinner at a fancy restaurant in their hometown of Middleton, Cassie would rather have a party at The Grey House, with all her loved ones in attendance. And since Jake's kids, Brandon (Matthew Knight) and Lori (Hannah Endicott-Douglas), are growing up with lives of their own, it might be their last chance to unite as a family for a long time.

As Cassie's special day is fast approaching, Lori discovers disturbing parallels between Cassie and Cassie's great aunt, nicknamed the Grey Lady, who disappeared at her own birthday party years before. With signs of a curse looming over her, it's clear that Cassie needs to conjure up more than a little magic to make things right again. Is there birthday magic in the air or is it a birthday curse? 



I also seen a great Halloween video today. This one stars an amazing little boy. I think I like it so much, because it reminds me of my daughter. This is something she would totally have done when she was little.  








Every year super light shows flood youtube for Halloween. This year one house in particular has caught my attention, because they have a little bit of everything for everyone. Fun and Spooky!!












Hope you had a great Wednesday and I'll be back with more Halloween fun tomorrow.

Monday, October 14, 2013

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas Schedule 2013






Below is the entire schedule for the ABC Family channel. Most are Christmas themed movies, but some are not.  Many are happy that the Harry Potter movies have been removed, but others noticed right away that Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and Elf are missing. I guess we'll just have to look for Elf on another channel or pull out the DVD.

Sunday, December 1
(7:00–8:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(8:30–10:00 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(10:00 AM–12:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA BUDDIES
(12:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) THE FAMILY MAN
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(7:00–9:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 2
(6:00–6:30 PM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH AND CHRISTMAS TOO
(6:30–7:00 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(7:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

Tuesday, December 3
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) SCROOGED
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) THREE DAYS

Wednesday, December 4
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) SCROOGED
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) DECK THE HALLS—ABC Family Premiere
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS

Thursday, December 5
(6:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

Friday, December 6
(6:00–6:30 PM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(6:30–8:30 PM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
(8:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) PRANCER

Saturday, December 7
(7:00–8:30 AM ET/PT) RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER AND THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS
(8:30–10:30 AM ET/PT) HOME ALONE: THE HOLIDAY HEIST
(10:30 AM–12:30 PM ET/PT) PRANCER
(12:30–2:30 PM ET/PT) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
(2:30–4:30 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(4:30–7:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(11:00 PM–1:00 AM ET/PT) DECK THE HALLS

Sunday, December 8
(7:00–8:00 AM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)
(8:00–10:00 AM ET/PT) CHRISTMAS CUPID
(10:00 AM–12:00 PM ET/PT) SNOWGLOBE
(12:00–2:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY
(2:00–4:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY 2: CHRISTMAS MAYBE
(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE MISTLE-TONES
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) HOLIDAZE—ABC Family Original Movie Premiere
High powered executive Melody Gerard (Jennie Garth) returns to her sleepy hometown to try and convince everyone to let her company build a giant new discount store. But she’s unexpectedly met with resistance by the townspeople—led by her childhood sweetheart, Carter ( Cameron Mathison). Desperate to get out of town and back to her “real” life, Melody takes a spill and wakes up in an alternate universe where she never took the job and is married to Carter.
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS

Monday, December 9
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) HOLIDAZE
(8:00–10:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(10:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH GRINCHES THE CAT IN THE HAT
(12:00–2:00 AM) 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS

Tuesday, December 10
(6:00–6:30 PM ET/PT) A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS
(6:30–9:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(9:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(10:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SNOWGLOBE

Wednesday, December 11
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS
(8:00–8:30 PM ET/PT) Melissa & Joey – All New Christmas Special
Jaime Pressly drops by as Mel’s sister Meredith, who comes home from prison on furlough to celebrate Christmas with the kids and Mel, and seems unruffled by Joe's obvious animosity towards her. (Live Action)
(8:30–9:00 PM ET/PT) Baby Daddy – All New Christmas Special
Ben takes drastic measures to get Emma a much sought after toy for her first Christmas. (Live Action)
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

Thursday, December 12
(6:00–6:30 PM ET/PT) BABY DADDY – All New Christmas Special
(6:30–7:00 PM ET/PT) MELISSA & JOEY – All New Christmas Special
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) SCROOGED
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Friday, December 13
(4:00–4:30 PM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH AND CHRISTMAS TOO
(4:30–6:20 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY
(6:20–8:20 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 2
(8:20–10:30 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 3
(10:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY OF TERROR!
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) CHASING CHRISTMAS

Saturday, December 14
(7:00–7:30 AM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH AND THE BLUSTERY DAY
(7:30–8:00 AM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH AND TIGGER TOO
(8:00–9:30 AM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH—ABC Family Premiere
(9:30–10:00 AM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH AND CHRISTMAS TOO
(10:00–11:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(11:30 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(1:00–1:30 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(1:30–2:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY OF TERROR!
(2:00–3:50 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY
(3:50–5:50 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 2
(5:50–8:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 3
(8:00–9:45 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID—ABC Family Premiere
(9:45–11:30 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID
(11:30 PM–1:30 AM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

Sunday, December 15
(7:30–9:00 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(9:00–10:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(10:30–11:00 AM ET/PT) DISNEY’S PREP & LANDING
(11:00–11:30 AM ET/PT) DISNEY PREP’S & LANDING: NAUGHTY VS. NICE
(11:30 AM–12:00 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(12:00–2:00 PM ET/PT) – I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
(2:00–4:00 PM ET/PT) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) DECK THE HALLS
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) SCROOGED

Monday, December 16
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) SNOW
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
(11:00 PM–1:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(1:00–1:30 AM ET/PT) DISNEY’S PREP & LANDING
(1:30–2:00 AM ET/PT) DISNEY’S PREP & LANDING: NAUGHTY VS. NICE

Tuesday, December 17
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) THREE DAYS
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) UNLIKELY ANGEL
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) PRANCER
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) – I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS

Wednesday, December 18
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) HOLIDAZE
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) SECRET SANTA
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) THE MISTLE-TONES
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY 2: CHRISTMAS MAYBE
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(7:00–7:30 PM ET/PT) WINNIE THE POOH AND CHRISTMAS TOO
(7:30–8:00 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(8:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) MARY POPPINS

Thursday, December 19
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME
(9:00 AM–12:00 PM ET/PT) MARY POPPINS
(12:00 –2:00 PM) 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS
(2:00 PM–4:00 AM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS
(4:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE FAMILY MAN
(7:00–8:30 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER AND THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS
(8:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) DECK THE HALLS

Friday, December 20
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) CHASING CHRISTMAS
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) CHRISTMAS DO-OVER
(1:00–4:00 PM ET/PT) THE FAMILY MAN
(4:00–5:30 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER AND THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS
(5:30–6:00 PM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(6:00–6:30 PM ET/PT) A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS
(6:30–9:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

Saturday, December 21
(7:00–7:30 AM ET/PT) NESTOR, THE LONG-EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY
(7:30–8:00 AM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(8:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) PINOCCHIO’S CHRISTMAS)
(9:00–10:00 AM ET/PT) THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS
(10:00–10:30 AM ET/PT) ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
(10:30–11:30 AM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(11:30 AM–1:30 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY
(1:30–2:30 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(2:30–3:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(3:30–4:00 PM ET/PT) A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS
(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) THE MISTLE-TONES

Sunday, December 22
(7:00–8:00 AM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(8:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
(5:00 PM–7:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(7:00–9:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 23
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE: THE HOLIDAY HEIST
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) DECK THE HALLS
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(5:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)
(6:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(7:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SCROOGED

Tuesday, December 24
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) SCROOGED
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
(9:00 -11:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

Wednesday, December 25
(7:00–7:30 AM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(7:30–8:30 AM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(8:30–9:30 AM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Banana-Zucchini Bread




When I pulled my zucchini from the freezer to make some bread, I was also thinking about the ripe bananas I had sitting on the counter. I didn't want to waste either, but didn't have time to make both types of bread. So after a quick search I decided to try this recipe I found at Brown Eyed Baker. My overall review of the recipe...Thumbs Up! I enjoyed the sweetness of the bananas, without the full on taste of bananas. I didn't have any pecans, so I substituted walnuts. I usually use walnuts in banana bread anyways, so I figured it would be just fine. My only other variance from the recipe, was the time. It said to bake for 50-60 minutes and my loaves were done at 45. The texture and moisture of this bread was great, so I say give it a try. 

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1½ cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and oil and whisk until smooth and combined. Whisk in the bananas and mix well. Add the flour mixture and stir gently with a rubber spatula until no flour remains. Fold in the zucchini and pecans.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pans and place on wire rack to cool completely before serving. Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, the bread will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Day of Cooking Trials: Anise Ice Cream & Garden Fresh Tomato Soup


I've had a few recipes on my to-do list for a week now and was finally able to try them out this afternoon. 

This past week was my friend Lesley's birthday and she's a huge black licorice fan. Once day while I was praising my attempt at homemade ice cream, she asked for Black Licorice Ice Cream. Well, any recipe these days is just one search away. Google and Pinterest are always a cooks best friend. It might be easy to find a recipe, but it's HARD to decide which recipe to try. In this case, there was "white" black licorice ice cream and "cement grey" black licorice ice cream. The second is a bit more detailed and requires alot more work, so I went with the first choice and a simple NO COOK recipe. I have no photos (sorry), but I highly recommend the recipe. The prep was easy and it actually tasted great. I'm not a fan of anise flavoring, but I wasn't going to give it to someone without trying it first. I had a few spoonfuls and that was enough for me, but I knew I struck gold when Lesley called and offered another marriage proposal. So far, I've received a marriage proposal, for my mashed potatoes, my shepard's pie and now THIS.


Anise (White) Licorice Ice Cream

1 1/2 c. Half and Half
3/4 c. Sugar
1 1/2 c. Heavy Cream
2 tsp Anise extract

Mix all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker and then follow manufacturing instructions for your ice cream machine. * I doubled my recipe and it made 3-4 quarts once churned 



Now, my next adventure was making some homemade tomato soup. I had about 12 or 14 medium size Roma tomatoes from my garden I wanted to use.  Now, I will say, the recipes calls for 4 cups of diced tomatoes and after I peeled mine, I was left with only 2 cups of tomatoes. That's obviously not enough for a full batch, so my photos only reflect half of what's listed in the recipe. And I'll also note, that recipe reads "6 servings" and unless you are going to drink a half cup of soup, that's not accurate. When I was done with a half batch, I had ONE nice size bowl of soup for my husband. I'll show you the recipe as it read and then talk you through the adjustments I made. 


Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes (I peeled mine with the Hot Water method)
1 sliced whole onion
4 whole garlic cloves
2 cups chicken broth
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp white sugar or to taste

Directions

In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, cloves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. 



 Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl, or pan. Discard any stuff left over in the food mill. 

(I don't have a food mill, so I first used a submersion blender and then ran the mixture through a small strainer and pressed the mixture until I was just left with the juice) 







In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown.






Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.  

I go through all that and forget to take a picture of the final shot and finished dish. But I quickly grabbed my husband half finished bowl and took a snap shot. He's the big tomato soup fan in the house, so I selfishly gave him the one bowl it produced. H did tell me that I can waste 12 tomatoes on him any time. He wanted me to know he really enjoyed it and "wasn't just telling me that to make me happy". So I think I officially got a thumbs up on this recipe.




Thursday, September 12, 2013

More Stamp Releases for 2013...

Things sure do seem to be a bit different with holiday stamps this year. They definitely are covering their basis for all kinds of mailings. There are 2 traditional Christmas stamps available, 1 International, 1 Presort set, and 2 contemporary options. Here are the releases I've not covered yet. 



  Virgin and Child Traditional Christmas Stamp
— October 11, 2013 | New York, New York 10199 | Forever stamp in PSA booklet
of 20

The 2013 Traditional Christmas stamp uses a 1531 Madonna and Child painting by Jan Gossaert. Draped in purple and blue, the Virgin Mary supports her own head by leaning on one of her hands, an unusual pose that art historians see as a sign of sadness and contemplation. In her other hand, a curly-haired infant Jesus draped in white holds a bunch of red currants, which scholars believe are meant to foreshadow his future suffering.
Gossaert's painting is currently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Richard Sheaff was the art director and designer for this stamp. 








Snowflakes Presort Standard Rate Holiday Stamps [Click to see 4 designs]
— October 1 | Weston, MO | Presort Standard Rate stamp in PSA coil of 10,000

One of the new entries in the annual USPS Holiday issues rollout is a set of five different Presorted Standard rate Snowflake stamps. Each snowflake is set against a background of colors that fade from white at the bottom to icy blues and purples at the tops. The designs are reminiscent of the 2005 Snowflakes Holiday First Class stamps. 
Presort Standard Rate stamps are intended for use by volume mailers who have found that mail with a postage stamp affixed instead of a printed indicia has a better chance of being opened by the recipient.


 As someone who sends Christmas cards  internationally each year, I do like the fact that they have an option for that now. I always have to start with one Christmas stamp and then add varied "non festive" stamps with it, to make up the difference. This just makes it FUN! 

The snowflakes aren't something most are going to use and that's too bad. I'd love to have those on Forever stamps to use in the winter for my everyday mail. I really, like the artwork. 

The traditional stamps are never my favorites, but for those that prefer them, I think having two options is great!

I'm still waiting to see what that Harry Potter Forever stamp is all about, but no information just yet. 


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Kelly Clarkson to Release Christmas Album This Year!!

In early August Kelly Clarkson announced she'll be releasing her first Christmas Album titled "Wrapped in Red"




On September 5th, she tweeted the official track list.  She'll be singing some classic favorites, but does have 5 original songs on the album. How exciting is that!! In her press release she says "I'm super excited to put out my first Christmas record. I absolutely love Christmas music and have had a total blast recording and writing for it. I can't wait for y'all to hear it,"





 The release date is set for October 29th and I'll definitely be picking up my copy early.

“I’m super excited to put out my first Christmas record. I absolutely love Christmas music and have had a total blast recording and writing for it. I can’t wait for y’all to hear it,” revealed Clarkson in a press release.

Read more: kempiredaily.com/kelly-clarkson-announces-first-christmas-album-wrapped-in-red-unwraps-artwork | KempireDaily.com (@KempireDaily)
“I’m super excited to put out my first Christmas record. I absolutely love Christmas music and have had a total blast recording and writing for it. I can’t wait for y’all to hear it,” revealed Clarkson in a press release.

Read more: kempiredaily.com/kelly-clarkson-announces-first-christmas-album-wrapped-in-red-unwraps-artwork | KempireDaily.com (@KempireDaily)
“I’m super excited to put out my first Christmas record. I absolutely love Christmas music and have had a total blast recording and writing for it. I can’t wait for y’all to hear it,” revealed Clarkson in a press release.

Read more: kempiredaily.com/kelly-clarkson-announces-first-christmas-album-wrapped-in-red-unwraps-artwork | KempireDaily.com (@KempireDaily)

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Elf Magic: Scrapbooking Paper Line by Bo Bunny

For all you elf fans and those who are lucky enough to have an elf visit every Christmas, I know this is going to delight you. Bo Bunny has come out with a Christmas Paper collection called Elf Magic. Here are just a few images from the collection. 



This Air 
Mail paper 
is my 
favorite.



I love 
the Dear 
Santa 
note on 
this paper.   

























They even have recipe cards in the collection. How Fun!! They could be used to pass along your favorite holiday recipes, for advent calendars and even stocking stuffers.























This is just a small sample of the collection. You can purchase the complete collection of paper, stickers and embellishments at          A Cherry On Top, which is one of my favorite online scrapbooking stores.

If you're not familiar with the Magic Elf and the tradition behind it, just do some searches online and you'll find more info then you ever knew existed. In the mean time, here's a quick link to my Pinterest board of "Elf Ideas".

In our home, we've been lucky enough to have Donny Sprinkles visit us the last two years and I hope we're good enough this year, so he'll visit again.

Let me end this post, with one of my favorite scenes from the movie Elf.