A Haven for Vee

Friday, February 1, 2013

Here's to February!

February already? Someone recently mentioned that it seemed as if I had really enjoyed January this year and, though I'd not go quite that far, I did try to make the best of it.

~Nesting~Snuggling~Reading~Writing~Playing~ 
It was all good.

So I spent the last day of January doing more of the same. I wanted to copy BJ who was copying someone else. Some fine day I'll dare to participate and link up to the CopyCat Challenge. Need.more.practice.

~Goodbye, Candy Canes~

With February just one day away, I knew that I had to say goodbye to candy canes.  (The other day when the grands were visiting, one would have liked a candy cane and I had to let him know that the candy canes around here are older than he is.)

Anyway, I took this photo and put it all away. No, that is not being truthful. I actually didn't put any of it "away." The candy canes are on the cupboard, the trifle bowl is sitting on the counter (no home yet) and the candle got plopped on the stove. On the stove?! Great choice, eh?  I made General Tso's Chicken for supper and promptly melted said candle all over the top of the stove. 'Twas a fine mess I assure you.

Let's move right along shall we?

~the props~


I may have overdosed on sweetness. We'll see...





The same photo with four different frames. I depend on framing to show my photos to their best advantage. No photos stand on their own around here; they're leaning heavily on Photoscape. Do you have a preference? I'm liking the vintage frame myself.



Yup, seriously, it's like a tent dress from the 60s covering a multitude of sins.

And all together now...


~~~

Another documenting for documenting's sake...the temperature on the last day of January. (I hope that the last day of February will be as warm.)

???

47F
And now we're back in the deep freeze! How about you?


P.S. Thanks so much for sharing what you know about the toolbar. The award probably goes to Donna! If you want to know a whole lot more about the compose page and the toolbar that tops it, visit my comments yesterday and look for Donna's responses.

53 comments:

  1. That would be my luck, melting the candle all over the stove top. Hope your dinner was good anyway! Our temps are in the very cold range....18 degrees will be the high. Hope to stay warm by a fire today! Hope you stay warm and cozy on this first day of February!

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  2. Hi Vee, I'm sorry I haven't visited and left a comment in a while. I look at your post daily, but have fallen behind on my commenting over the last couple of weeks.

    I LOVE this pretty vignette!! I'm already excited about this month because I'm seeing so many pretty romantic images on everyone's blogs, and also...because I love pink. All your frames are pretty on this photo, including the vintage look.

    Happy first day of February, Vee!

    Denise at Forest Manor

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  3. Good morning! I am definitely with you, the vintage look is my favorite! I thought I was the only one who kept candy canes from one year to the next. And sure enough one or two of them get eaten every year, haha. Can't believe it is Feb. either! Enjoy your week-end!

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  4. got to go & see what Donna said yesterday. i can always learn more info. blogger has lots of weird stuff going on & always keeping me on my toes. ha. ha!!! ( :

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  5. Good morning Vee
    I like the vintage frame too, it softens the photo nicely. Back to the deep freeze here too with a blanket of snow overnight.
    I'm going to check out Donna's comment from yesterday and learn something new today!
    Judith

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  6. Yes, the vintage frame is the perfect one for such a romantic vignette! Have a wonderful weekend Vee!

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  7. i do like the vintage frame ... they are all wonderful and the collage --perfection! sweet is nice -- especially in february!

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  8. Oh, I did that once...melted a candle on my stove. It's been so long that I don't remember the circumstances. I do, however, remember the mess. Another time I was doing this creative "melt old, broken crayons in a pan to create rainbow crayon pieces" kind of thing, but when I pulled the disposable foil pan from the oven, it buckled and spilled melted wax all over the inside of my oven. I cringe just thinking of it.

    I love the photos, including the wonderful borders. I may have to check out Photoscape (did you say it was a free program?) as I have been disappointed with PicMonkey's reduced number of features that are free. I was spoiled with the "royal" features, like craft scissors borders, that I now have to pay for to access. Blah.

    No more spring here either...

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  9. I noticed your new header first thing Vee. It is a very pretty photo and very much romantic for February too. I like the vintage look to it. Much like us eh? :) It' is very cold here today and going to drop this afternoon some more. The wind is still blowing but not from the south where it's warm. Brrrr. I guess I'd betted get used to it because tomorrow I'll be landing in colder temperatures. Our snow pretty well disappeared. It looks like March out there with just patches of drifts left but it won't stay that way. It's only February. Bye for now. Hugs, Pam

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  10. It's -14° here this morning. COLD!

    My favorite is the vintage frame, but love the collage with the different views.

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  11. Gorgeous props!!!! Simply gorgeous... -happy sigh-

    But Dear One, why use a very thinly cropped version, for your Header? Why not use the whole photo (3rd down), for your Header?

    I know this is a personal preference, and it is your blog. And you seem to like a very long, skinny Header pic.

    Where myself, I'm loving a nicely rounded out and voluptuous Header pic. -grin- (I wonder why, hu???) (Don't answer!) LOL

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    1. Yes, I like a thin, cropped border. =D That's all the reason there is.

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  12. I thank Donna for the help, too!

    I'll probably do some spring decorating when March gets here. The windchill is -14 today. Brrrrr.... Yes, it was 65 earlier this week.

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    1. Brenda, this is "Valentine's" decorating. =D

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  13. I love that your candy canes are older than your grand son, MINE TOO!!!! Never too much sweet when it comes to February, its a good thing valentines day falls in this month because its a bummer weather wise, at least around these parts!

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  14. I love the vintage frame, but I'm kind of vintage myself. I'll have to go check out Donna's comments.

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  15. In my blog comments, you asked about the book I am presently reading ("Women Who Run With The Wolves"). So I went to "Good Reads" reviews, and found the following.

    Review of "WWRWtW"..... .....

    I hope you will read the review at the top, and many of the reader reviews, below.

    And please remember, my LOVE of Joseph Campbell, whose life work, was very much myth related.

    "Auntie"

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  16. Oh my gosh, you mean me?! Should I curtsy, bow, or just giggle? I'm glad to be of help!

    I like your special effects! I think I am most fond of the last frame effect, with the edge blurred out. I've done it a time or two in Photoshop, but I've forgotten. In fact, I have a little tutorial printed out here on my desk for me to practice later on today. I sure wish I could use Photoscape because I used to use it for collages. It was easy peasy. But the program won't work on a Mac. It's Windows only. So that is one of the things I had to say goodbye to when I switched over the Appleland.

    And yes, it has gotten decidedly c-c-c-cold here. 23 degrees. The high is supposed to be a balmy 31.

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  17. Emily and roses...it's looking all lovely and vintage and February-ish over there. Out with candy canes and poinsettias!

    Now I must go see what I missed yesterday...the lesson in toolbars.

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  18. I really can't believe it's February already...I'm not done with January's to-do list! I have a book of Emily Dickinson's poems, given to me by my Kelly because she's my favorite female poet. I love the vignette you have created and for me, it's definitely not too sweet, XOXO

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  19. Rabbit! The first person who says Rabbit on the 1st of every month gets good luck for the month!

    I love the worn crackled photos - pure romance!

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  20. I like all of the frames, hard to choose just one.

    Bitter cold here this morning!

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  21. Vee - Vee - Vee! Your photos are always superb, (I never notice the frames, truth!) and your vignettes always have the right touch, not over the top craziness, which I appreciate. ;-) We also have had crazy weather here, it was 64 on Wednesday, then a crazy windstorm Wed. into Thursday, now it is colder and snow is predicted for the weekend. The joys of global warming. I heard it was 13 degrees in VA this am, that's a lot colder than NYC. xo

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  22. L ov e your new header and this post (except the melted candle part.) Glad I'm not the only one who reuses candy canes year after year! You really are getting artsy. It's all so beautiful! And it got cold here today, very cold and dropping during the day, that's quite unusual.

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  23. can you really ever over dose on sweetness?
    or emily dickinson?

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  24. Vintage it is. :) Lovely pictures. Sorry, but I laughed about you melting the candle. That makes you so "normal." (I knew you were, anyway, but sometimes because the blog posts are so perfect I forget. hugs!) I am truly sorry that you had a mess to clean up.

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  25. I'm liking the vintage frames, too. I also like the one that looks like you used pinking shears to it. Am I remembering right? Pinking Shears? hmmm. I'll google it when I leave your page. Have a great weekend!

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  26. I like the vintage frame, too. It's such a pretty vignette...February is a romantic month!

    XO,
    Jane

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  27. I like the postage stamp frame best.
    Too bad about the candle, I can imagine the mess!!
    Cold here today - very windy in the 20's.

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  28. Can't keep candy canes the little black ants eat them even if they are still wrapped, so I put them in the compost bin, the ants say thank you and don't come in the house so much. Pity about the stove, candles do make a mess.
    Merle.....

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  29. Beautiful header and photos! You've inspired me!

    I am going to read Donna's comments and learn something new,especially in this area where I know so little!

    Deanna

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  30. I'm really jumping ahead; I signed March 1st two times today.... duh! Shows where my brain is...or is not.
    I love the books with the rose.... so pretty.
    I hate to brag, but ..... I have capri pants on with sandals... it was in the 70's today... I love it. Your snow is beautiful, but I only like to look at it in your pictures.
    Hugs,

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  31. I love your new header and the frames around your photos is so pretty. We are in a deep freeze, this morning it was -11, brrrrrr.

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  32. Your every picture is simply lovely!!

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  33. I appreciate and admire the extra step you take in choosing frames for your photos.
    And wondering why you don't glue your ancient candy canes together to make hearts?
    It would give you an excuse to use them again hung from blue ribbons for national holidays and you could feel justified in buying new candy canes next year!

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  34. Oh Vee - your new header and the pictures are just beautiful! So appropriate for Heart and Valentine Month. I like the vintage one the best too and also the last one with the "bevelled" edge. I need to find more ways to make my pictures look nice. Just using iPhoto edits options now. I'm sorry about your candle mess - that sounds like something I would have done for sure. Have a great weekend my friend and stay warm - I think we're having the same weather as you.

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  35. I'm really liking that vintage frame! These photos are gorgeous.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  36. I love your new banner and we can all use an extra dose of sweetness! We were in the 80s on Tuesday...only the 60s today so it feels cold! lol Happy weekend!

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  37. Hi Vee - Yep, whenever the national weather is on I always look up your way to see what it's doing. Yep, it's cold up there.

    Loved your purdy photos today. I like the vintage one, too, - the scratchy old one, right? That's my FAVE.

    Yes, February is here. I hope it's as warm as January here, too. I will be wishing for January weather when July rolls around, I'm sure!

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  38. I love your photography and yes to the vintage. A very romantic set up you created.I would love to lounge in bed with that rose and book. Of course tea and biscuits would be nice too.......
    Thanks for all your support through my 30 days of painting. Whew I am
    tired. Have a nice weekend.

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  39. What a mess that candle must have made! I remember when we were kids and our mum was in the hospital. Dad wanted to reheat some spaghetti that was in a plastic bowl. He put the whole thing in the oven (this was waaaay before microwaves) and then had a terrible, gooey, stringy mess to explain to Mum.

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  40. Candle messes are the worst! We have a glass top stove so at least the cleaning device that resembles a utility knife gadget helps! My grocery store has made in the USA candles in the jar for $7.99/buy one get one free! I am stocking up for Valentine's Day! My kids all are very notorious leaving messes for me and hubby to clean in the oven and microwave! I love all your photo shoots you share. I love romance so I like the book of poetry and pink rose. We are up and down with cold and warmer temps. But we are also in a severe drought and our farmers are struggling because of huge wheat losses. Prayer is very welcome for Colorado. Enjoy your weekend and thank you for sharing such a delightful post! Hugs Anne

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  41. Vee,
    These photos are absolutely beautiful! Great work. I'll be looking for them in a notecard party to come.

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  42. Love, love your new look and that photo in your header! Gorgeous!!

    We like the vintage one too.

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  43. I like the vintage frame too. It goes well with the subject matter.
    Yes, the weather has been erratic for sure. I wonder what we will get next week!

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  44. Love the crackly photos, with all the pink. Makes me all warm and cozy just looking at it. ~ Abby

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  45. I love the vintage frames--it makes your photos look even more romantic! Oh and yes I know all about "vintage" candycanes..lol! I had a bunch I recycled for Christmas for many years...lol. Sorry about your melted candle, but I'd LOVE the rtecipe for general Tso's chicken!

    Long week organizing and cleaning my house but wonderful weekend hiking and enjoying my new neighborhood :)

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  46. Just beautiful! No overload on sweetness. I love the pink and prettiness. But oh, so sorry about the melted candle! Been there --- enough said. :D

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  47. Oh the vintage one is definitely my favourite. These photo editing programs are so clever - I really must spend some time exploring what they can do. But so much creating to do as well...

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  48. I couldn't comment above but thanks for the link to my bird cake page. Did your birds enjoy it too?

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  49. Love the crackly photos! Makes everything look so pretty.

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  50. I love the header and the pile of books! I think I have that same book of Emily Dickinson poems...at least the font looks the same. My book has the book jacket on still so I don't know what it looks like underneath. I'll have to take a look and see. Such pretty pictures you've taken! (And I also love the teapot!)

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  51. Now I have just bought 3 x 12 packs of those candy walking sticks in a sale in the garden centre. The date is mid- 2014 so I can probably keep some for next Christmas. 50 pence a box!!

    I have scrolled through your posts but would be here all night if I commented on everyone. Always fun to read but I just don't know how you manage to post everyday Vee.

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