Bunny Cakes

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.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Almost every year A and I attend 'Cookie Night' where a group of us get together to bake cookies.  Each person comes prepared with their favorite cookie dough, baking sheets, silpats and cooling racks.  Then we do some serious baking.  At the end we divide up the cookies that haven't been eaten and sigh in relief knowing the next Cookie Night is one year away.  Its fun, but completely exhausting.  The big decision every year is whether or not to make sugar cookies.  If we agree on sugar cookies then the person responsible for them bakes them the night before so only the decorating takes place on Cookie Night, which as you know is no small task.  A has a standing 'Nay' vote on sugar cookies, but somehow we convinced her to do them this year.  They turned out great (for the most part) and everyone agreed to do them next year.  Here are some of my favorites:

And here are some of our 'oops' cookies:  

This is what we learned not to do...Never use silver dragees for eyes--it looks way too creepy.  Don't attempt fine detail work with squeeze bottles--the tips just aren't fine enough.  Don't make too many shapes, stick to a few you know will turn out well.

-K

P.S. For my other notes on sugar cookies please check out this post.  Here are some of the other cookies from Cookie Night...

Holiday Photo Cards

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, its time to start on your *Holiday Cards*.  This year there are so many wonderful options available for selecting a great photo card.  Of course a great photo card starts with a great picture.  Besides good lighting and a decent camera, my only other tip is to bribe your subjects.  Every year I ensure the boys they will be paid $5 each for their 'sitting fee'.  Payment occurs only after the perfect shot has been taken.  Most of the times it takes two or three photo shoots to get the lighting and smiles worked out so the boys definitely earn their payment.  Once you have the picture then the next challenge will be picking out a card to go with it.  Here are some of my favorites...

Sources: A. Paper Culture - Ornate Joy; B. Tiny Prints - Holiday Bliss; C.  Tiny Prints - Batik Medallion; D. Minted; E.  Tiny Prints - Holiday Magic; F. Tiny Prints - Merry Plaid; G. Minted - Be Merry Banner; H. Tiny Prints - Finely Festive; I. Paper Culture - Kiddie Script; J. Minted - Merry Bright Cheer; K. Tiny Prints - Floral Panache; L. Tiny Prints - Charming Carving; M.  Tiny Prints - Flourish; N. Shutterfly - All Wrapped Up; O. Minted - Joy, Peace, Love; P.  Paper Culture - Christmas Ornaments; Q. Tiny Prints - Bold Square; R. Minted - Sealed With a Photo; S. Tiny Prints - Vintage Scrapbook; T. Minted; U. Paper Culture - Oh Joy; V. Minted.

-K

P.S.  Don't forget to save all the photo cards you receive this holiday so you can enjoy them for years to come.  Here is how I bundle them up.

Stock Options

Looking for some new *Christmas Stockings*?  Here are some of my favorite picks for this year.  I am loving the knit stockings and the fur trims.

Sources...Top Row: Pottery Barn Kids - Fair Isle, Garnet Hill - Woolen Stocking, Garnet Hill - Nicola Family Tree Stockings; Second Row from the Top: West Elm - Beaded Star, The Land of Nod - Dot Stripe Stocking, Pier1 - Ivory Knit Stocking with Fur Trim; Second Row from the Bottom: Sundance Catalog - Handknit Holiday Tree Stocking, Pottery Barn - Bird Decoupage, Garnet Hill - Elegant Eyelet; Bottom Row: Garnet Hill - Hable Christmas Stockings, Garnet Hill - Elegant Eyelet, West Elm - Velvet Mongolian

-K

Martha Stewart Crafts - Christmas 2010

*Martha Stewart's Christmas/Holiday* craft line for 2010 has hit the shelves.  Unfortunately I didn't get too much time to browse through her festive goodies (the natives were restless), but I did take a few quick pictures as I drooled and visions of well-packaged Christmas treats danced through my head.  Take a look for yourself...

-K

Merry Merry Christmas

This year for our Christmas card we decided to include a disc of Christmas songs.  We had done this many years ago when the boys were first born and decided it was time for Volume 2.  Since we had included almost every good Christmas song we knew on the first album, the second album was much more difficult to pull together.  Somehow we still managed to find some more good xmas tunes though I am pretty sure there will not be a Volume 3.

 

 

Here is the list of songs we included in Volume 2:

• Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - BRENDA LEE
• Baby, It's Cold Outside - LEON REDBONE & ZOOEY DESHANEL 
• Jingle Bell Rock - WAYNE NEWTON 
• All My Bells Are Ringing - LENKA (good song!)  
• Cool Yule - LOUIS ARMSTRONG & THE COMMANDERS 
• It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas - DIONNE WARWICK  
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - DIANA KRALL (love this version!) 
• Winter Wonderland - PEGGY LEE
• Up on the House Top - JACKSON 5 
• Step Into Christmas - ELTON JOHN  
• I'll Be Home for Christmas - HOLLY CONLAN 
• Christmas Is All Around - BILLY MACK (song from Love Actually)
• Linus & Lucy - VINCE GUARALDI TRIO  
• I Saw Three Ships - STING 
• Sleigh Ride - KT TUNSTALL (great version)  
• A Holly Jolly Christmas - BURL IVES 
• I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Kay Starr  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -  BILLY MAY & HIS ORCHESTRA 
• Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) - THE RAMONES  
• Maybe Next Year (X-mas Song) - MEIKO

  -K

Peace, Love & Pecans

Due to the prevalent lack of Christmas spirit this year our annual Cookie Night was canceled.  So instead of handing out cookies A decided she would give out sugared pecans to her coworkers.  She put me on the hook for making labels/tags to dress up the pecans.  So while I sat on endless hours of conference calls I came up with some simple *Peace, Love & Pecan* tags, which are available for download here: PeaceLovePecans.

 

Here are some tips for putting together the sugared pecan treat bags:

1. Cut the tops of the cello bags with scalloped shears or rotary cutters for a nicer look.

2.  Use a 2 inch circle punch for cut out the 'Peace, Love & Pecan' tags.  The punch can be found a craft stores.

3.  Use bakers twine to tie up the bags and attach the labels.  I actually broke down and bought a 2 lb spool of red and white bakers twine ($17 for the spool and S+H from Country Clean Paper Supply).

(Some special recipients got the 'Deez Nuts' tags - email me if you want that template).

-K