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The Desperate Search for Our Missing Elf on the Shelf
What would the holidays be if it weren’t for becoming sentimental about some of our keepsakes that we bring out year after year when we decorate for the holidays? As our official “Christmas” season begins the day after Thanksgiving as we decorate during the break and go and cut down our tree, it is also the time to become sentimental about things. My grandmother’s manger; snowmen and Santas from my mother; ornaments that friends and family have given to us over the years; and those cherished homemade Christmas projects that the kids have made are all things that make me feel warm and fuzzy as we open up box after…
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Join Me for Two Dickens Events this Holiday Season
It’s not often you get to attend Dickens-related events, but how wonderful to have two upcoming events within a week of each other! I’m certain these will put us in the Christmas spirit! (And the way the world is at the moment, we need a little Christmas!) My husband and I will be wearing our Dickens-era costumes, and we’re looking forward to meeting people who share our enthusiasm for the season. A DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS, Sat, Dec 4 CHESTERTOWN, MD, In Chestertown where the slogan is Party like it’s 1843, I’ll be signing and selling books at “A Dickens of a Christmas” on Saturday, December 4, from 10 a.m.…
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PUBLICATION DAY for From Humbug to Humble, A Christmas Book to brighten your holidays
Yay!!! I’m so happy today! It’s RELEASE DAY for this little novella and labor of love. My new book, From Humbug to Humble, is on the market. If you love all things SCROOGE, I hope this will make you as happy reading it as it made me writing it. I’ve been feeling a bit “Scroogey” since the summer (only in the best of ways), and I’m thrilled that it’s finally arrived. As always, thank you for your support, for following along on this crazy journey of writing books, and for lifting me up. There are so many people to thank for helping me with this project, so as Scrooge says…
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10 Random Thoughts for the First Friday of the New Year
Hello, there, readers. I haven’t seen you since last year, and you’re looking well! I hope the New Year is good to you. It seems that 2020 has a lot in store for us all… I thought I’d start off today with some random thoughts that I’ve had over the last couple of weeks to both get them off my mind and also keep this blog post moving along, so here we go… 1-My husband and I watched the film, Yesterday, the other night. I think it’s one of the more clever films of 2019. Fun, different, and creative, whether you like the Beatles or not, you’ll enjoy this tale…
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The Merriest Season and a Week of Joy
*** Well, today is Christmas Eve. It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for here at the Verni household. This year, we are hosting both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then we are heading to my parents’ house the day after Christmas for a celebration with my brother and his family. Three days of family and celebration = good times in our books. We’ve been lucky enough to continue a lot of our traditions this year, including the following: We cut down our Christmas Tree at Pine Valley Farms the day after Thanksgiving We decorated the house inside and outside for Christmas We took our Christmas Card photo and…
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Corny at Christmas
* Walt Disney was corny. He readily admitted it. And so do I. I am especially corny at Christmas. Let me count the ways. I try to watch every damn Hallmark Christmas movie I can. Even though the plots are quite similar, I don’t care. They always remind me of love, forgiveness, and kindness during the holidays. In the film The Holiday, Iris admits to loving “corny” and states she’s “looking for cony in her life.” I watch The Holiday every year. I won’t miss it. I will watch every incarnation of A Christmas Carol I can find, but my all-time two favorites are Scrooge The Musical with Albert Finney…
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Conversations With My Daughter
Several years ago, I would write posts about conversations I had with my daughter, Ellie, when she was younger. Some of them are hilarious, like when she thought I was actually having breakfast with Michael Buble and when she told me women could be anything they wanted, just not priests. I’ve provided some links to those conversations at the bottom of this post. She’s always had a pretty funny sense of humor and a good wit. She’s also incredibly strong-willed, and has been since the day I gave birth to her, a horror story in itself, because she was a stubborn little thing who didn’t want to pop out and…
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8 Last Minute Cozy Gift Ideas For That Special Lady
Christmas Day is less than a week away, and if you’re like me, you’ll be shopping your tail off at the malls over the next couple of days to finish up your lists. I’ve put together some last minute gift ideas for your favorite lady–that woman on your list who loves being warm and snug in the colder winter months. I hope these suggestions help round out your shopping list! Happy shopping, all! xx | Stephanie Verni is the author of Baseball Girl, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, and the co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice.
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Holidays, Miracles, Hallmark & Traditions: A Blogger’s Paradise
Hello, there. You probably thought I fell off the planet because I haven’t been here in a while. It sort of feels that way, at least to me, anyway. I’ve been trying to take some needed time away to clear my head, focus on my teaching, and get ready for the holidays. I’ve also been dealing with a health issue that’s had me a bit sidetracked. It’s not always easy to juggle everything, is it? So often we wonder where time has gone and how we can get more of it to enjoy the things we want to be doing. The truth is, life throws us some curveballs we didn’t…
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All the Best This Holiday Season
I wish I had more time to write a meaningful post, but it’s midnight, and I’m just posting this among all the other chaos that can often become a part of the holidays. I’ve baked my butt off today and wrapped gits, cleaned bathrooms and the kitchen, fixed the lights that went out around my front door and rearranged the fireplace mantle, and our family watched It’s a Wonderful Life before we all started nodding off a couple of hours ago. I’m awake now and everyone else is sleeping. I’m finishing some odds and ends–and I bet so many of you are doing the same. That said, before things become…
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Midnight Madness in Annapolis
Last night was the second of three scheduled Midnight Madness events in historic Annapolis. The city looked beautiful, the weather was mild, and shoppers were scouring stores for holiday treasures. Next week is the last one, so if you live in the area, don’t miss out!
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My Holiday Archenemy
It’s Sunday, and a few days ago we all gave thanks. Truly, I am thankful for so many things in life. I’m blessed beyond measure, and as the holiday season calls upon us to be merry and bright, there is one thing that can inevitably turn me into a Grinch or a Scrooge, if only for a few shining moments until the moments pass. Illuminating, yes. Infuriating, maddening, vexing, exasperating…yes to all, as well. Of what do I speak, you may ask? Every year, I vow to tackle this nemesis of mine, and yet, I become lazy and complacent; when the happy season is over, I just want to put…
