Bunny Cakes

Christmas Review

It is hard to believe the New Year is upon us...Happy 2012!  You may have noticed my sparse posting during December.  I wish I could say it was because I was so busy being crafty, but the truth is, I was busy not being crafty.  Hubby and I went on an amazing trip to Costa Rica in the middle of December and the rest of my time was spent shopping, getting ready for the holidays, relaxing, playing Apples to Apples and reading the Game Of Thrones series (I just started book 4).  Oh well, I have lots of ideas for next year.  I did manage to take a few pix of our simple Christmas table, decked with tartan and pine cones.

Here's my favorite picture of the evening...little O donning his new hand knit keyhole scarf from mama...

Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

K

How to Hang a Wreath

The wreath is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.  I love fresh boxwood wreaths, but I also like wreaths made from dried natural items that can be used year after year.  Wreath hooks and temporary hooks are easy ways to hang wreaths, but another easy method is with ribbon and a staple gun.  This method does require a little extra effort because you will also need a ladder and an extra set of hands, but produces a very nice, clean, professional look.

Start by cutting your ribbon a little longer than you will need.  Have someone hold the wreath in place why you staple the ribbon in place (I use three staples).  Trim any excess ribbon or add a bow if you wish.  It's that simple!  This method is great for hanging on a door or in front of a window (as long as you have trim around the window).  

A pretty natural wreath made from pine cones hangs on the door to our mudroom.

Fresh boxwood wreaths are hung in our kitchen.  I might add bows, but I ran out of ribbon.  3 yards doesn't go a far as you might think.

-K

P.S.  If you don't have a staple gun, add it to your Christmas list...it's a handy tool all crafters should have.

Christmas Crafts To-Do 2011

Here are some crafty projects I have my eye on...I am hoping to get around to at least one of these projects.

1.  Felt Ornaments - possibilities are endless.  Here is a sweet example from Rosie Little Things.

 

2.  Clay Ornaments - easy to personalize or capture a little hand print.  Here are some how-to steps from GardenMama.

 

3.  Pink Ornaments - I love this color scheme.  I need to buy some or make my own pink ornaments.

 

4.  PomPom Snowman - this little guy is adorable.  Here are the steps from BH&G.

 

 

5.   Shrinky Dink Gift Tags - I would love to use the boy's artwork to create some cute gift tags.  These would be great to add to their teacher gifts.

 

6.  Stamped Gift Bags - turn plain muslin bags into festive goodie bags.

-K

December End Catch-Up

It is hard to believe that Christmas was only a week ago.  I feel like so much time has passed and have lots to catch-up on.  Please forgive me as a ramble on, this is a very piecemeal post.  Our family enjoyed a really nice Christmas together.  Chef M prepared a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas day was spent mostly in pajamas.  The Christmas table was low-key this year and I didn't even bother to iron the table cloth (as per usual).  

Baby O turned 6 months last week and is too cute for words.  This is a shot from his Christmas Card photo shoot.  We used the tissue paper pom-poms from the baby shower to create a fun, last-minute backdrop.  The other shot of him below is from his 6 Month photo shoot.  A. keeps me busy snapping away...'Paybacks', she says.  Paybacks for what?  *hee hee*

For New Year's Eve we almost had to postpone our traditional New Year's Eve Olympics due to illness, but there is almost nothing three back-to-back naps won't cure and the games went on as planned.  For our First Breakfast of the Year we had delicious 'Mommy' cakes.  I used the Daddy Cakes pancake mix for the first time (purchased at World Market, but also available via Amazon) and was much impressed.  I can't remember the last time I had pancakes so good.  They were light and tender and especially good with blueberries.

 Finally, my paperwhites bloomed.  Just in time for the New Year.  We are still enjoying them... 

I hope you had a good one too!

-K

Merry Christmas

-K

Almost...Christmas

Its Christmas Eve and I almost...

• got my Christmas cards in the mail on time
• finished my Christmas shopping
• got my paperwhites to bloom

At least I have my Christmas cookies ready for Santa...that should count for something.

A and I both ordered our Christmas cards from Paper Culture this year.  We were very happy with how they turned out.  Paper Culture used nice, thick card stock and rounded the corners of their cards (I love rounded corners).  Best of all, a tree is planted with every order.  A definite for next year, I just need to get my act together sooner.

I usually plant my paperwhite bulbs the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year since we were out of town I delayed it by a week.  I also used a different source for my bulbs, so the timing of the blooming just didn't work out as desired.  I will still enjoy them whenever they bloom.  I also tried something new with the 'ground cover'.  Instead of covering the bulbs with moss like I normally do, I just tossed some pine cones over the top and in between the bulbs to cover the dirt and then added some juniper cuttings cover up the plastic edges of the liner.  It turned out pretty nice and was super easy.  Also a definite for next year.  

 Finally here is a shot of Santa's cookies before our Christmas Eve dinner.  Classic Toll House chocolate chip cookies are always a big hit in our house and I am lucky there are any left to leave out for Santa.  The Obedience School Cookie Plate is from Anthropologie and was a gift to myself.  When I ordered it, I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it, but it turned out to be a nice large size and really sweet.

I hope you got all you needed to get done this year.  Merry Christmas!

-K

Gingerbread Snowflakes

Initially I made the gingerbread dough just to make ornaments, but when I tasted a broken ornament I was reminded how yummy the cookies are.  I had forgotten how perfect gingerbread cookies and royal icing go together.  So I saved the leftover scrap dough and made some cookies the following week.  Hubby thought I was crazy decorating all the little bite-sized snowflakes, but I really found it quite relaxing--a labor of love.  Some of the gingerbread snowflakes cookies even found their way on cupcake tops, which made the *Perfect Holiday Treat*!

For the best cream cheese icing follow the Georgetown Cupcake recipe via Martha.

-K

Sources: Snowflake Cookie Cutter Set from Fox Run found on Amazon.com.

Replacement Gingerbread Ornaments

Last Christmas our Christmas tree fell...twice.  It was a total disaster both times.  Amazingly enough we only lost about 25% of our ornaments.  The most fragile ones perished including most of the Gingerbread Ornaments I had made the prior year.  This year I decided to make them again to replace some of the lost ones and to give out to friends (I finally got to use some of my nice Martha Stewart Holiday packaging).  To make ornaments just follow your favorite gingerbread cookie recipe and pierce a hole in the top of the cookie using the sharp point of a skewer as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.  Then after you have decorated the cookies spray them with a clear matte acrylic paint and tie with a ribbon.  If you can make cookies, then you can make these.  They look really nice on the tree and will hopefully last a long time.

-K

Merry December!

I can't believe its mid-December already!  Here is some eye candy of my favorite December items: (in no particular order) the Grinch, holiday jewelry (everyone should have a Christmas brooch), fresh wreaths and garlands, festive serveware, Martha Stewart Christmas trees, Christmas in NYC, gingerbread houses, candy canes and fuzzy blankets.  I hope you have a warm and merry December!

-K

Easy Christmas Cookie Packaging

Like many of you (or maybe its just me), I have invested in lots of cute Christmas packaging from Martha Stewart's holiday craft collection.  Most of the time I buy her packaging with no real purpose in mind and only with the notion that some day I'll put it to good use.  And to be honest, I just can't resist it, especially when I have a 40% coupon in hand (Exhibit A).  So when it came time to package up some of the yummy Christmas sugar cookies we made over the weekend it made me cringe to reach for the plain ol' clear treat bags.  I wanted to use the Martha packaging, but it would have obscured the lovely cookies and would have been 'too much'.  I still wanted to give the treat bags a little festive flare, so I thought I would top them with a band of Christmas-y paper.  I headed out to the craft store.  After perusing the disappointing paper section I ventured over to the 'Martha' section and *sigh*...everything looked so good.  Then her waxed holiday tissue paper caught my eye--it was perfect!

Back at home I cut the tissue paper into appropriate sized strips using my rotary cutter and scalloped blade.  Then I fold the strips over the top of the treat bags and stapled.  Viola, I was done.  I actually managed to create my own Martha holiday packaging and it couldn't have been easier. 

We also packaged up a bunch of the other Christmas cookies in a tin to give away as well.  A nice hand-stamped card was attached with stretchy gold cording.

-K

Sources: Tissue Paper from Martha Stewart 2010 Holiday Collection ($3.99 for 12 sheets); Snowflake tin from Joann's; Holiday Rubber stamps from Martha Stewart 2009 Holiday Collection.