{bliss}

New Year's Eve

What a great week we have had!  The girls really enjoyed their vacation, and we have done a ton of fun stuff together.  The best thing was being able to just relax the pace a bit and enjoy not having a strict schedule to follow all week.  We took a ride down to MA to visit Sharon and Erin, which was the highlight of the vacation, and I think we've just about got everything washed and put away.  We have a lot of "New Year" cleaning to do - I really, really need to complete my scraproom reorganization project, so that's going to be my focus for the next week or so.

It's upload day at Peek, and the Feature is "Year in Review" and I have just loved seeing everyone's pages!

I used the Flair "Year ' Round" collection for my pages, and really like the way it turned out.  I picked some of my favorite photos for it - ones that have a story behind them, and the girls and I have been going through the year remembering together.  Birthdays, milestones, floods and holidays - the stuff our family's year is made of!

Wishing all my friends a very Happy New Year, and all the best in 2008!

Christmas Eve Day!

Yay!  I survived another season at Wal Mart!  Yesterday was busy, but compared to some of the weekends earlier in the season (especially just before our snowstorms) it seem rather tame.  I clocked out around midnight, so that was pretty good.  The front end still looked like a cyclone had blown through it, but I'm sure that the overnight elves put it all to rights again.  Now I need to get to work on that New Year's Resolution of mine...  ;)

Don't forget to check out Day 10 & Day 11's projects on the CI blog.  Today is the last day to enter a comment and qualify to be in the running for the big grand prize of $100 worth of CI products!

I picked up a couple things last night that I need to wrap today, and I have a few other last minute things to finish up this morning, and then I will retire to the kitchen to prep all the plates and tins of cookies and food gifts, and make the stuff that I can bake ahead of time for brunch tomorrow.

I am sure that there will be more of this today:             

because this guy is home!  Merry Christmas everyone!                                                         

Cookie layout and another recipe

I had to scrap our cookie baking week.  I love the Love, Elsie Betty collection, and the little embellishments reminded me of cookies!  The digital frame on the cookie photo is by Rhonna Farrer and available here at 2Peas.

I'm wrapping up all the gift making and cookie baking today.  Brigid ended up being home from school today, and is missing her Christmas party.  She ran a temperature of over 101 all day with no other symptoms.  Weird.  Must be some sort of viral thing.  It has mostly run its course, but I didn't feel right about sending her off to school to expose all her classmates, so she's home with me exploring the online world of Bella Sara horses and decorating her online cottage.  lol!  Aileen is at her party today, and I can't wait until it is time to go pick her up to hear all about it.

I made these cookies yesterday and they are yummy!  They are also from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookies 2007 magazine.

BH&G Toffee Crackle Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate covered toffee pieces

Granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 300.  Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour and the toffee pieces.

2. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Roll balls in granulated sugar.  Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes aor until tops are crackled and sides are set (do not let edges brown)  Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool.  Makes about 36 cookies.

There have been more winners and more awesome projects posted on the CI blog since my last entry.

Day Four's winner is Suzie Carpenter.  Day Five's winner is Angel W.  Day Six's winner was Debbie.  Day Seven's winner was Renee.  Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on the blog, and I hope you enjoy your prize packages!  Day Eight's awesome project is up - love the new BE Hamilton train book, and Tammy did a fantastic job with it!

We're still digging out from our huge snowstorm yesterday.  We have about two and a half feet of snow on the ground right now.  I'm definitely dreaming of a white Christmas, and wishing you all a merry and bright weekend!

Cookie Kitchen is now OPEN!

And I have a very enthusiastic apprentice baker this year.  Aileen is really into the whole idea of making and giving our Christmas cookies and sat (for much longer than I would have given her credit for!) to help me shell all the pistachios I needed for my Pistachio-Lime Balls.  I'm trying a variety of new recipes this year, and this is the first one.  It's from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookie magazine (I get it every year!)

Better Homes and Gardens Pistachio-Lime Balls

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup coarsely ground dry roasted pistachio nuts

1 tablespoon finely shredded lime peel

Green sugar & granulated sugar

Powdered sugar

1,  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds.  Beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour, pistachio nuts and lime peel.

2. Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll each ball in green sugar.  Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake about 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets.  Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat.  Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.  Makes about 48.  These are delicious!

I made three batches of cookies today - these, Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies, and Peanut Butter Blossoms.  :)  Tomorrow will be Gingersnaps and Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies.  :)  We also made our chocolate dipped pretzels this afternoon, so it was a very kitchen-crafty house today!

And lest I forget about scrapbooking altogether in all this cooking frenzy...

Day Five of CI's 12 Days of Giveaways is up!  Make sure that you visit and leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win your favorite Creative Imaginations products.

Be sure to check out Scrapbook Lifestyle's final webisode.  The topic is near and dear to my heart, "Recycled Scraps"  Angela Daniels has some awesome ideas for recycling packaging from scrapbooking products!  I'm so sad to see the SL webisodes coming to an end.  I have really enjoyed all the ideas and tips and tricks they have shared over the past year and a half.

One week til Christmas!  I don't know who is more excited, me or the kids!

even my woodpeckers have given up...

  ..and have gone to find somewhere safe and warm to ride out this storm.  They were out this morning, but it is too windy for them now.  We have a boatload of snow already and it is just blowing around like crazy.  I'd say we have about 8+ inches already on top of the storm we had last week, so there is no doubt that we will be having a white Christmas this year!  The weatherman says that this is supposed to change over to sleet and ice, but I don't see how, because it is 17 degrees here right now!  Tim is outside with the snowblower trying to clear enough of the driveway so I can get out to go to work in a couple hours.  I don't know if I will be able to make it.  The van is like trying to drive a big empty cracker box - no traction in the back at all, and when the wind blows, I go right along with it.  I'd take his car, but it is so little and low to the ground that I'd be afraid that I would get stuck!  It is shaping up to be an interesting day!

Day Three of the 12 Days of Giveaways at the CI blog is up now, and features adorable quick and easy projects from Patty Lennon.  Patty's ideas are always so cool, and her execution of them so precise and perfect!  She blows me away with her talent!!  I'd like to congratulate the winner from Day Two, Sarah.  Hope she enjoys her $25 worth of great CI goodies!  There is plenty of time to post and get in the running for the daily prizes, just leave a comment on the CI blog, and you are entered to win!  Couldn't be easier!

A couple more ornaments to share... 

First, a Basic Grey Figgy Pudding/Fancy Pants combo.  I have been hoarding those Fancy Pants rub ons since last season, waiting for just the right project to use them on.  The scalloped background is a Pizzazzill chipboard piece that I covered with the pp.  Used my favorite Stickles glitter glue liberally around the edges, and used Samantha Walker's Day by Day ribbon to finish it off.

The second one uses Daisy D's Paisley Sugarplum collection and another of my favorite MM Classically Defined stickers on chipboard.  I am quickly running out of Holly leaves, so I need to make an internet shopping run ASAP!  The rub ons are so pretty and are from Heidi Grace.  Love 'em!

Wish me luck as I try to get to work today.  I don't think that we'll have enough business to make it worth it, but you never know.  It is only a week to go until Christmas, so people may decide that it is worth it to try to shop without crowds.  I just wish I had a crystal ball so I could see what the roads will be like around 11:30 when I head home!  Fingers are crossed for a snow day tomorrow!  ;)  When we have to go to school til the fourth of July because of all the snowdays, I'll probably regret these wishes, but to me there is nothing cozier than making fun projects with the girls on a snowy afternoon!

Cookie kitchen opens next week!  I'll have lots of recipes to share!  Can't wait!

the calm before the storm...

A big nor'easter headed our way for tomorrow, but this morning is bright and beautiful.  It is sure to be a hectic weekend when you combine normal shopping with storm preparations and throw Christmas shopping into the mix!  I'm getting my rest this morning while I can. 

CI has chosen a winner for Day One's blog giveaway - congratulations to Cindy Vernon!  She will be receiving a $25 prize package of her favorite things from CI.  Thanks to everyone who left such nice comments about my ornament  :)  Day Two is up - an absolutely adorable gift project by the very talented Tammy Gray! 

I've got a few layouts to share this morning too.  The Daily Peek into Layouts is up, and the collection we're featuring today is Foof-A-La "Bella".  I loooove this collection.  The papers are so elegant, and mix and match so well with each other and other Foof-a-la lines.  It isn't a themed collection, so the papers are just as wonderful for my Christmas page as they would be with heritage photos, fall photos or whatever you wish.  I added a couple of my current "essentials" - 97% complete tags from 7 Gypsies and Marah Johnson's velvet Eklectica brads from Creative Imaginations.  (and I love, love, love the Scenic Route chipboard alphabet.  I have been using them sparingly, because I'm worried about running out!  Such a luscious red!)  The papers, tags and velvet brads are all on sale at Peek this week, so be sure to stock up while you can!

The Feature today at Peek is "Scrapper's Choice (one of my favorites!) and I chose two Christmas collections that I just love - K and Company's Peppermint Twist by Brenda Walton, and Flair's Rejoice collection.

As always, you can see what the rest of the PDT has been up to here in the PDT gallery! 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and stays cozy and safe through the storm!

12 Days to WIN!

How would like twelve chances to win your favorite Creative Imaginations products?    The 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAYS starts on Friday, December 14th on the Creative Imaginations blog.  You will have a chance to win a prize package of $25.00 each day for the first eleven days. Then on Christmas Day, one $100 grand prize winner will be picked from the previous 11 days worth of entries!

It is so easy to win!  Each day the CI design team will post a quick and easy holiday project with instructions just in time for some last minute gifts.  All you need to do is visit the blog every day, check out the projects and then leave a comment about your favorite Bare Element item and Creative Imaginations collection.  Creative Imaginations will select a daily winner from each days’ posting.  The prize will be a $25 gift package containing the winner’s favorite items!  Post each of the first eleven days for eleven chances to win!  Then on Christmas Day, a grand prize winner will be selected from all the previous days’ postings to receive the $100 gift package!

The fun starts tomorrow, December 14th on the CI blog.  :)

tins...

I've had so many people ask me where I get the tins I have been using for my ornaments.  They are actually the packaging for a local grocery chain's spice rubs that I got at Thanksgiving time.  I like recycling useful things, and they are just perfect for so many craft projects!  I have found a source for a similar tin here at PaperTrey Ink and they stock them in two different sizes: 4 oz and 8 oz.  Mine are pretty close to the 4 oz size since the spice packet inside is 2.5 oz.  I've also been experimenting with Altoid tins minus their lids to create little ornaments.  I'll post a few of those when I get them refined.  :)  I punch the holes in the tops of the tins to thread my ribbon or cord through with my Crop-A-Dile and it goes through the tins slick as can be!

We've got a week full of winter weather on tap for our area this week.  The kids had a 2 hour delay this morning because of snow and slippery conditions.  I loved being able to sleep in a little bit on a Monday morning!  :)  Tuesday into Wed. we have another system that will bring us a mixed bag of snow, sleet and freezing rain, and then we have the chance for a bunch more snow on Friday.  This is so much more of what I remember winters being like when I was a kid!  Even though it is a pain in the neck to drive in, I really love our New England winters, and am happy that we've had some snow to play in already!

I finished my first batch of Christmas cards today and they are ready to go into the mail tomorrow.  Yay!  I still have a couple more parcels that need to be mailed and some very special cards to make, but I feel like I'm making some headway on my "to do" list!  I've been so flat out busy lately that some of my holiday activities have been delayed, so I am hoping to catch up this week!  I've got my cookie list all made up and need to shop for all the ingredients.  The "Cookie Kitchen" opens for business next Wednesday and I can't wait to try out some of the new recipes I found as well as make the ones that I only make once a year for Christmas!  I hope Brigid doesn't have a lot of homework that week, because she really wants to help me!  If I didn't have to work all weekend, it would be perfect, but I'll have to spread my baking extravaganza over a few extra days to make up for being out of the house both Saturday and Sunday before the holiday. 

I enjoyed the chat with Tricia from Li'l Davis last night at Fiskars.  So many good things in store for them in 2008 - so happy to have them "in the family" so to speak!  3 new collections and all sorts of goodies planned for CHA - W - - - I can't wait!  :)   

17 Days til Christmas!

We had snow overnight, and more in the forecast for Sunday night into Monday.  Today is the Christmas parade in town, which I will miss for the second year in a row because I have to work.  (sniffle, sniffle)  At least it isn't as bitterly cold this year as it was last, but it is really windy. 

I've been working like crazy on presents, and have some frames finished for the Aunts and Uncles:

I was going with a black/cream/red scheme this year because of the dresses the girls wore.  My favorite is the one with the Foof-a-la trim!

I have a couple more tin box ornaments as well:

The one on the left is all Rhonna Farrer goodies from Autumn Leaves - I love that her older holiday lines coordinate so well with the new one that came out this year!  The little button heart is from Creative Cafe, and I think I need to "tie" it on, so I'll probably be replacing that image shortly!  ;)  The one on the right is a mix of Fancy Pants and Kelly Pannaci's Christmas collection from Sandilion.  Love the chipboard pieces that go with it!  The scalloped edge is a Creative Imaginations swatchbook rub on, and the tag on the tree is MM.

Hard to believe that after today, there will only be two more Saturdays before Christmas!  I am so thankful that I don't have to work Christmas Eve this year.  Last year it was a killer!  We had lines well past when the store was "officially" closed!  Everyone seemed to be in an absolute panic, which cracks me up - why do people wait until the last minute?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

two more ornaments....

I really, really love the way these came out, and am going to pick up some more tins so I can do a few more of them with other favorite Christmas collections. 

This little penguin dude from Imaginisce (designed by Sara Carling!) is just too cute (yes, I know I have posted Candy Cane Lane penguin adoration before!) I like the layered look I got with having the tag pop-dotted inside the tin, and the flower and the rub ons applied to the clear cover.  The photo doesn't catch the CI ribbon wrapped around the outside of the tin, but it turned out so cute!

I am taking Shauna and Linda's Big Picture Scrapbooking class, "Just Imagine" which uses Candy Cane Lane, and can't wait to share this ornament with them!  :)

The second ornament uses the Making Memories Vintage Christmas patterned paper and stickers.  I used the same pop dot technique inside, and used Stickle gitter glue to make "frost" on the outside.  I love the holly leaves and berry embellishments that go with that collection.  So pretty!  :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday.  After I drop my youngest off at school, I'll be able to play some more today!  Love it!