Being Mrs. McCann

A Few Things I've Made

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:05:00 +0000

Do you ever feel like you've been running and running and running?! And then when you finally sit down, you can't even remember what you've been so busy doing? That's how I've felt lately. We've had so much going on, and it's not over yet.

We've had vacation, wedding showers, visiting family, weddings, funerals, church events. It seems like if you can name it, we've done it. : ) Anyways, I have had a little bit of free time - I don't know where it came from! - but I've been able to do a little bit of crafting.

I had a friend have a baby about a month or so ago. So I decided to make her a cute little scrapbook to document all those precious moments with her new baby boy. Here are a few of the pages:

I was also able to make a pair of pants for The Husband to match a jacket I made a few years ago.

There were a few flaws, but nothing I couldn't hide with a few more stitches... : )

Have a good weekend!

Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:10:00 +0000

The final piece of the puzzle: Jennifer O'Malley. The story of how Jennifer meets her Tom. If you've read the O'Malley series, you'll definitely want to pick up this book!

It's a summer of change for Jennifer O'Malley.

The busy physician has a pediatrics practice in Dallas, Texas, and meeting and falling in love with surgeon Tom Peterson is adding a rich layer to her life. She's sorting out how to introduce Tom to her family - she's the youngest of seven - and thinking about marriage.

She's falling in love with Jesus too, and knows God is good. But that faith is about to be tested, and in a way she didn't expect. The results will soon transform her entire family.

Just 154 pages - you can have it read in a weekend! I couldn't put this book down! Dee Henderson is an amazing writer. She pulls you into the story as if you belonged. The O'Malley siblings become family; their friends become your friends. Reading about Jennifer was like catching up with a friend who I hadn't seen in a few years. It's a short but very sweet book, and it'll make you want to reread all the other O'Malley books!

After reading this book, the story of the O'Malley family is finally complete.

Bethany House supplied a copy of this book for me, but the review is completely my own opinion.

Paintings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 03:42:00 +0000

Hello! It's been quite a while since I've written. So, what have I been up to? Not much... : ) A little working, a little gardening, a little reading, and a little crafting. After attending a painting party back home, I've been in a painting kind of mood. Here's the paintings I've done so far.

Painting I did at the painting party

Enjoy!

The Full Armor of God by Larry Richards

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Paul describes this armor in Ephesians 6 and draws an analogy between the pieces of the infantryman's armor and the spiritual armor God provides so that we can stand against demonic enemies.

Paul explains each part of the armor throughout the entire letter to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 1:1-23 explains the helmet of salvation
Ephesians 2:1-10 explains the shield of faith
Ephesians 2:11-4:16 explains the sandals which is the preparation that comes from the gospel of peace
Ephesians 4:17-5:7 explains the breastplate of righteousness
Ephesians 5:8-6:9 explains the belt of truth
Ephesians 6:10-24 is a summary of everything which includes the sword which is explained as the Word of God

The Full Armor of God is divided into six parts. After the introduction, Richards begins each part with a scheme of Satan - a lie Satan uses to keep us away from God and in sin.

Then he explains a relevant piece of armor. Each piece has an important role for the soldier. And each piece of the armor of God has an important role for us. We need to understand these pieces so that we can stand against the Devil and his lies.

Next he looks at the lesson Paul is teaching and then moves on to how you can claim it and put it into practice. This is a very important part of the book. If we don't learn how to use the armor of God then what good is it to us. We must learn how to use the pieces so that we can become strong soldiers for God.

Although it took me a while to read this book - as does any informational book - I did enjoy it. There is a lot of information in this book and would make for a great small group Bible study. Richards also includes two Appendixes in the back of the book. One is information about Christian counseling and evil. The other is lesson plans for a "Live Free Support Group".

Richards conducts Freedom Workshops where he teaches about the concepts in this book. The lesson plans are used as resources for those who have attended one of his Freedom Workshops.

Chosen Books did supply me with a copy of The Full Armor of God; however, this review is 100% my opinion.

Weekend Getaway to Natchez, MS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:31:00 +0000

The Husband and I took a trip over to Natchez, MS a few weekends ago just to get away for a few days.

We walked around the downtown area and looked at all the antique stores, ate at a few local places, went bowling, went shopping, went to a winery, and just relaxed. It was a very nice getaway.

One thing interesting that we did was go to the Longwood House.

If I'm correct, this is the only octagon shaped house in Mississippi. We were also told by a local shop owner that part of the movie series Twilight was filmed here.

What's interesting about this house is that only the bottom floor is completely finished. While it was being built, the Civil War began and everyone left the house just as it stood - tools and all.

{one of the women in this family married a Yankee and lived on Park Ave. : ) }

Because of this nice getaway and then Mother's Day weekend, my weekend house projects have been put on hold for a while except for one very important project: our kitchen floor.

Yes, it seems that we have gotten a hole in our kitchen floor. So come back to check out our new floor!! I'm so excited! : )

House to Home Project #1: Mailbox Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:23:00 +0000

This past weekend I was able to do one of my House Projects and a few other things. My first house project was to replace the numbers on our mailbox. These are the numbers that were my inspiration:

Lowes.com

The Husband had some left over wood from a project he had done so used that for my bases. Instead of buying black numbers, I just used some black vinyl I had left over. The paint I also had already as well as the screws to hang them by so this project was free! Free projects are the best. : )

Our new mailbox numbers:

I'm wondering now if I should redo our name.... Maybe another day.

I was also able to get a few more crosses made this weekend, and decided to hang one from our own door! I do believe this one is now my favorite!

Here are a few other crosses:

This cross above is a bit different. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but I tried to have the crystals go along the form of the wood grain.

For my next House Project, I think I'll try tackling our front porch. There are a few gaps in between the wooden pieces so I think I'll try fixing that.

Oh! Have I told you I'm thinking of painting our hallway?! In stripes!! Big, fat stripes. Our hallway isn't that long so it won't be a drastic change, just adding a little pop of color! Maybe something like this:

But probably not even that many stripes. I'm excited! That may be coming up soon as well!! : )

Enjoy!

Future Projects!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:42:00 +0000

Recently my crafting ideas have turned to things I would like to do around our house to fix it up a little better. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I haven't really been living in our house as if it's our home. For nearly three years, I've been living here waiting for the piece of land where we will be settled; I've been waiting for the house we want to build one day.

That's no way to live.

We live here now. This is our home. And it's time I start acting like it.

So that means it's time to start dressing it up like I live here! I'm getting excited, aren't you?! I've done that a little bit by fixing up our mailbox

and adding these beautiful green shelves,

but now I'm ready to do so much more!! : ) Here are a few of my ideas (all gathered from Pinterest of course! And a few from Lowes):

House numbers on colored blocks

Lowes.com

Porch mat made from multi-colored wooden strips

Lowes.com

Vertical garden planters

Lowes.com

DIY Slide Out Drawers

Familyhandyman.com

Use plate hangers to display photo albums

indulgy.com

These are just a few ideas I have right now. Won't our house just look so cute when I get done with it?! : ) You can see more of my Project To Do List here on Pinterest!

Enjoy!

Shattered by Dani Pettrey

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I'm such a nerd... : )

I can't tell you how excited I was when this book came in the mail! I've been waiting for it to come out since I finished reading Submerged, the first book in the Alaskan Courage Series. I think I finished this book in less than a week!

Shattered is full of adventure! The McKenna siblings are on the hunt to prove one of their own is innocent of a terrible crime - murder! Reef McKenna is found over the dead body with the murder weapon in his hand. The police chief is positive he's guilty. Reef's sister Piper is positive he's innocent. Deputy Landon Grainger doesn't know who to believe.

On a mission to find the real killer, Piper leads her family from Alaska to Canada to California to Oregon then back to Alaska. She won't stop until her brother is out of jail. However, the real killer has a few surprises for them along the way.

Will she be able to prove her brother's innocence, or will the real killer get to her before she can find the evidence she needs to help Reef?

Everything about this book was great! There were twists and unexpected turns throughout the entire book. Everyone and every situation seemed realistic. I would catch myself throughout the day thinking about the book and it's characters, wondering if Reef really was innocent or did he have everyone fooled. This book is definitely a must read!

If you missed my review of the first book - Submerged - you can find it here.

Bethany House Publishers supplied me with this book; however, the opinions are completely my own.

Create a Critter Room Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:17:00 +0000

I love the Cricut cartridge Create a Critter! The animals are so cute! I made some of the animals and put them inside a white photo frame. I think these would go great in a baby's room!

I'm not real happy about the frames. They were originally black. I spray painted them white, and they just didn't come out as good as I was hoping. You may not can tell in the pictures, but up close you can tell they were spray painted. I think I'm going to keep looking for some frames that are already white.

What do you think? Would you put these up in your baby's room?

Enjoy!

New Cricut Cartridge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:34:00 +0000

I got a new Cricut cartridge - Nursery Rhymes - not too long ago and finally decided to try it out. I saw this done somewhere else and have been wanting to try it.

This is just the beginning of this project as you can tell. There are a few things I'm going to change. I want to get a more pastel looking purple for the background. After I adhere the silhouette to the background paper, I'm going to put it in a white photo frame.

I have a lot more nursery rhymes I'm going to cut out, and I'm also going to do some in baby boy colors. Won't they be so cute?! : )

Masculine Birthday Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 02:34:00 +0000

Some friends from Bible study came over this past Saturday for a craft night. Here are the cards I made:

I was trying to make cards a little more on the masculine side. Even though men probably don't care about getting cards, I thought I would have a few options for women to give their men.... : )

I used the Cuttlebug machine to make the wood-like effect on the three background parts. Then used some paper ribbon and a frame to embellish the cards. All the paper comes from the Creative Memories Discover and Rugged power pallets.

What do you think?

You can purchase these cards on my website.

Hair Today....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:03:00 +0000

Gone... Saturday actually.

Yep! I've gone and done it! Cut off all my hair - all 14 inches of it! I've sent the ponytail to the Pink Hearts Fund.

Pink Heart Funds exists to inspire, encourage, and restore hope for persons affected by cancer and hair loss disorders. (taken from their website)

Check them out here!

New Crafts!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:26:00 +0000

Such a busy bee I've been this weekend!! : ) The Husband has been gone this weekend so I've had a lot of time to get things done! Here are the cards I made:

These cards have "May you find peace in the days ahead" stamped on the inside.

These cards have "Wishing you comfort on difficult days" stamped on the inside.

All of these cards are made with scrapbook and crafting paper. I cut out the flowers using the April Showers Cricut cartridge.

Here are a few more cards:

These are made a little bit differently. They open where the flower pictures are attached to the quilted looking paper.

These cards are made with Creative Memories paper. I used the Cuttlebug to make the quilted look for the top layer.

If you would like to purchase any of these cards, you can find them here!

Enjoy!

So Much to Tell

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 03:59:00 +0000

Wow! Where does the time go?! So much has been going on since I last updated this blog. Where to start?

Well, I recently had the iLasik surgery done on my eyes! Yay! I can see without any glasses or contact! What a wonderful feeling to wake up and see clearly! : ) The surgery wasn't bad at all really and only lasted about 20 minutes. So now I have 20/15 vision! My left eye is actually 20/20 and my right is 20/15 so altogether it's 20/15.

I have also been making a few crafts - go figure...

I've made a few notebooks...

a few cards...

and a planner...

The Husband has also been busy. He made us a very nice wooden kitchen table!

Isn't it gorgeous! Now we just need some matching chairs!

You should also check out my newest creation - Pinterest boards! Don't you just love that site! So many ideas! Check it out and follow me!

Where I've Been...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:15:00 +0000

I know. I know. I've been gone a while.... But I have been busy! : ) Here's a few things I've been doing.

I've been making wooden crosses to show in arts and craft shows.

I've also made a few cards to show at these shows.

I also had the privilege of taking pictures at a birthday party for a little girl who was turning 1 year old. It was a lot of fun. She was such a happy little girl! : )

And here are a few other cards I've made for a special lady back home.

If you would like to buy any of the wooden crosses or cards, please check out my website!

Enjoy! : )

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:18:00 +0000

Dee Henderson has done it again! She is one of my favorite authors! Bethany House has supplied me with an Advance Reader's Edition of Full Disclosure, and I loved it!

She brings back the O'Malley clan - which I also loved! If you haven't read those, you should definitely do so! - in this book in a very interesting way.

Midwest Homicide Investigator Ann Silver seemingly appears out of nowhere and drops the best lead on a serial murder case that Special Agent Paul Falcon has had in years. But she leaves him with more than just good evidence - he also has a strong desire to get to know this clever cop better. Is he prepared for both the case's and her secrets?

There are twists and turns all throughout the book! I never knew what to expect - which is always a good thing when reading a book. I loved the suspense, the romance, everything about this book. Everyone seemed real, the storyline was believable, and the ending was a jaw dropper! Why don't they make these books into movies?!

Enjoy!

Our Newest Member

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:35:00 +0000

Say hello to our newest member!

This is Julio - our new blue tick hound.

Our house almost got broken into the other day during broad daylight. Our neighbor just happened to be riding by and saw someone on our porch looking through the window in our door. So The Husband thought it was necessary to get a dog that would grow to be pretty large to be our guard dog. He's just three months old right now.

We now have 10 dogs. Yep. You read that right - 10. T-E-N! For someone who was scared to death of dogs when she was younger, I can't believe I am taking care of 10 dogs! They can be kind of cute sometimes, though.... : )

Enjoy!

My Very First Wreck at 26 Years Old

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 03:41:00 +0000

Sunday the 16th I had my very first wreck. It was raining, I was going around a curve, and lost control. I felt the car begin to slide, then twist around in the other direction, and I could see I was headed for the other side of the road. I knew I was going to land in the ditch and possibly flip over.

My hands gripped the steering wheel, and I closed my eyes. I did not want to see my world about to be turned upside down. It flipped. During the very few seconds that it flipped, I though to myself, This could end very badly. I prayed. Actually, I yelled out to God - GOD HELP ME! Then it stopped.

Against this tree.

I was a little nervous about opening my eyes. I knew I wasn't right side up, but I didn't know if I was upside down or sideways. So I opened my eyes and looked down to unbuckle myself. I fell down onto my door. I was sideways.

I was in shock and began to scream. Three times actually. It didn't really register with me that I was the one screaming until about midway through the second scream. Then when I screamed the third and last time, I thought, Jamie, that's you screaming. Your screams are not helping anything. Calm down.

And then I answered myself. I began talking out loud. If I didn't talk, I would scream. So I talked.
Okay. Calm down. I paused. The phone. Where's the phone? I need the phone. Where's the phone?

I see something. It's not my phone, but could have been just as important. My grandma had given my two sisters and me this 'tool' to keep in our vehicles in case we ever had an emergency and needed it. I don't even know what this 'tool' is called. It has many purposes. You can puncture your air bag, cut your seat belt, or break a window. I see this and go through all the purposes - I don't need to puncture my air bag; I don't need to cut off my seat belt; I don't need to break any glass - I don't think. Okay, now where's the phone?

I need the phone. Where's the phone? Where's the phone, Lord?!

The back seat, I heard Him say. I looked, and there it was. Now. Who to call? Ragan or the police? Call Ragan or the police? Ragan. I knew I was still a little in shock and hysterical. I could calm down more while talking to him before talking to anyone else.

Okay, before you talk to him, you have to calm down. Take a deep breath, and talk clearly. I take a deep breath and punch in his number.

"Hello."

"Ragan! I just had a wreck!" Imagine this sounding like big sobs and getting louder with each syllable until it's practically a yell at the end of the sentence.

"What?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath to try again. "I had a wreck!" Same thing.

"You what? I can't understand you. Calm down."

"I. Just. Had. A. Wreck!"

"You had a wreck?"

"YES! I rolled it!!"

"I'm on my way. Where are you?"

"On Mitchell." And I'm back to the sobs.

"On Mitchell. Okay. Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Do I need to call the police?"

"I'll call them. I'm on my way.

"Okay."

I hang up and look around. How do I get out? Before I can figure a way out, Ragan calls back to talk to me a little more to make sure I'm okay. We hang up, and I'm back to figuring a way out. The windshield is broken. I look towards the back of the car. Can I open the trunk from the inside? I don't know, and I don't want to climb back there to figure it out. I look up to the passenger side window. Nope. Can't reach that either. I may have been able to reach the passenger side window but didn't want to think about having to climb up and out. I look back in front of me - the sunroof. I open the inside part hoping the window isn't broken. It's not. I turn the key in the ignition a few clicks, just enough so I can open up the sunroof and climb out.

After I get out, I stand there and look at the car in awe. I can't believe I just climbed out of this without a scratch on me. Blessed. There's nothing more to say than that.

After a few minutes of standing there, Ragan showed up. I'm so glad he was the first vehicle to even come through; I was not wanting to talk to anyone else at the moment. Then the police came, asked questions, the tow truck came to haul the car off, and we went home.

Nothing short of a miracle.

New Beautiful Shelves!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 23:47:00 +0000

The Husband got into a clean-up-get-rid-of-some-of-this-clutter mood a week or so ago, and I now have new beautiful green shelves!!

Here's The Husband working hard for me! : ) I wish I would have thought to take a picture of what was in this corner before he started working. It was very cluttered!

Now it's beautiful!

I just love my new green shelves!

Enjoy!

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 21:37:00 +0000

Bethany House supplied me with a copy of Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer. This book was definitely fun to read.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.

Years of constant vigilance harden a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.

Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?

The story line and characters seem to be a little over the top and melodramatic, but still fun to read. Some of the things said or done in the book I can't imagine happening in real life, but then where's the fun in writing a book if you can't use your imagination, right?

After reading the first few chapters, you kind of know how the book will end. You may not know how it will all happen, but you know there's a happy ending after all is said and done!

Enjoy!

September Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:32:00 +0000

I know it's been awhile since I've made a calendar for you, but I've got one for September! : )

Just click on the photo, then save the image to your computer and apply it as your desktop background!

Enjoy!

New Crosses

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 23:40:00 +0000

So I've been a single wife this weekend - the Husband has gone on a fishing trip. I've been able to get a lot of things done in his absence. : ) Check out my new crosses!

I think this one is my favorite out of this group. I stained the larger cross and wrapped the smaller one in yarn.

This one didn't turn out very good. I used gold leafing on the larger cross, and it didn't come out very smooth. Maybe I'll try again one day. I think the colors look good together though! : )

Enjoy!

Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters by James Stuart Bell

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Bethany House supplied me with a copy of Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters. This book is very interesting. Compiled of stories of encounters with angels and demons, near-death experiences, and incredible rescues, this book will definitely spike your interest.

I must admit, though, I haven't finished it yet..... The stories are definitely interesting, but after a while they all begin to sound the same. Some of these stories are amazing stories to read about, but then others are more of life changing revelations. I personally didn't consider them a supernatural event, but I'm sure to that person it was a miracle.

The book is a good one to read, but for me it's a good one to read over time, not all at once.

Newest Handmade Crosses

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:12:00 +0000

I have finished by first completely handmade wooden crosses!! Except for making the wood, the paper, or the embellishments, I did cut out the cross on my new machine, picked out the paper and wood stain, and arranged the flowers! Yea, I'm pretty proud of myself.... : )

Some of the edges may not be exactly even, but that's all part of it being handmade! This yellow one is definitely becoming my favorite one! I love the rustic country feel to it. Don't you?

Or maybe you like this bright cheery one! I do like this one too. Green has always been my favorite color.

Tell me what you think! I would love to hear your comments. What kind of cross would you like in your home?

Enjoy!

Moment of Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 04:04:00 +0000

It's time for what we've all been waiting.

The answer to the question we've all been asking ourselves...

Does Mrs. McCann really know how to use this machine The Husband surprised her with?

eh... this one needs a little work...

This one is a little bit better... I guess.. : )
And then...

I broke it. I guess I'll be making a trip to Lowe's soon. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon and won't ruin a bunch of wood or blades.

Enjoy!