Holiday Baking

What's on your baking list?

I love to bake this time of year, I also think its the perfect time for sweets, so thinking, I might do some Swedish Pastries from this blog  post, and maybe some Snowballs  (but I use walnuts) & some buckeye fudge, which I have never done before but it looks good & easy. Since Tim is still pretty much boycotting my cooking & I don't need to eat all of each, I can stash some of each to send off to the school bus driver, mail carrier & garbage collectors. 

With the kids, I'd like to try these dark chocolate peppermint bars, and these cookie dough balls, and maybe some of these red velvet crinkle cookies.

What's on your list this month?

Done & Documented: May

Completing my December Daily 2013 then jumping into Christmas 2009 worked really well for April but May either got super busy or I was sick of looking at Christmas/Winter themed photos & supplies... so there are only a few pages to report for May-& some of them were even created on June 1st but I am totally claiming them for May ;)-  Its my blog, I can do that, right? 

First up, here is the collage of them all together: 

 the end of one family's celebration & the beginning of the other.  When I was creating the collage, I realized it was cutting the sides off of some of the pages so, if you aren't a scrapper, feel free to hit 'next' & I will see you on the next post :)

The above & below photos will go together in the album.  I loved using this paper pack. gorgeous Christmas colors with out trying.  the star embellishments were perfect to tie these pages together & I have been hoarding that 'read' ribbon plate for.ever. so happy to get to use it finally. All old goodies on these 2 pages.

This next page was so MUCH fun to create! I opened a brand new (but old) pack of Creative Memories paper, photo mats & sticker sheets, then was pleasantly surprised to see how well so much of my old goodies went with it. the snowflake water fall is an entire baggie of snowflake die cuts & punches from ages ago; some inked, some on foam squares for dimension & others just run through the xyron for adhesive.

 This is another of the new/old Creative Memories papers & stickers.  The title is actually chipboard from Maya Road that I inked to coordinate & then the live*laugh*love card is from Elle's Studio.  I am a big phan of getting so many photos scrapped by creating collages in Picasa & then printed through my developer in either a 5x7 or 8x10.

 Another photo collage, more Elle's Studio, but the paper this time is really old Basic Grey (I think), the die cut frame, snowman & blue printed snowflake stickers are old as well.

 this page helped me to finish off a sticker sheet-I do love finishing something off. it all seemed to go so perfectly on this paper with photos of my mother in law & her annual birthday Poinsettia.

 More really old paper, die cut frame & cardstock oval worked really hard on finishing off those Creative Memories stickers & used some thickers for  the title & 'snowflakes'

*Whew*  That felt good to report! I feel like I am almost done documenting Christmas 2009 & then I will get to pack away ALL.OF.THE.WINTER.STUFF. for a few months ;) 


you can see my January, February, March & April reports here.

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Done and documented is series of monthly posts that highlights Jess's progress completing unfinished travel albums from years past. I will be following along by doing my December Daily 2013, then plan to finish 2009 (2 chapters) & start a new year. Feel free to play along! 

Done & Documented: April

So, I got the December Daily done last month -YAHOOOOOOO!!! I am sure I have mentioned it before but its worth mentioning again, I am not good at finishing a project. Any project. I have high hopes & good intentions but usually get overwhelmed or bored in the final stage & just walk away long enough that by the time I get back, there is no interest at all in finishing so I bag it up & put it in my unfinished project bin. Is that sad? So anyway, when I actually follow through with a project to the finish line, I am super stoked. So far, its only these little books & Tim's first hog hunting book that are finished.

So then next on my list is 2009 Christmas & Labor Day Weekend chapters in my 12x12 books.  I cannot wait to have them complete as that will mean that I finally have a whole year complete. UNHEARD of for me!! (or many scrappers, I hear)  Here is a collage of the first bunch of Christmas pages I completed following the December Daily in March.

top left to right:

1. the first 2 are a set from a Close to my Heart workshop I attended.  We had them constructed complete just waiting for photos & even after I trimmed the photos on the left page to fit, I was unhappy with it so I pulled the pieces off, reassembling in my normal non-linear, off kilter, clumped up way of scrapping & fell in love again.
2. the next 2 may not sit in that order in the book, but they are all the photos snapped in one session-out takes & all :) was pretty excited when I used those 3 pink love themed pieces from Elle's Studio, that are gathered together because they were the final pieces I still had from an old 2009 collection & happy to toss the empty packages.
3. middle row left side pair will NOT be across from each other but they were each an odd page scrapped so put them together for the collage. the left is a fancy die cut shaped paper that I had been hoarding for a bit & only wanted to minimally embellish it so I didn't take away from the paper itself.
4. the right one is a collage of me w/the nieces & nephews (at the time-remember this is 2009 & we have added another since then;)) Scrapping Christmas on brown was a little odd for me but then it just seemed logical when I tried pairing the photo w/other more 'Christmas-y' papers. Inked the chipboard letters to spell 'Aunt'. These photos are from the many they took when they were sharing the camera.
5. back to the left, bottom 2 are a pair that will sit across from each other in the book.  I had the die cuts leftover from a pack & pulled the matching papers out of a different pack & was amazed at how well it all fit together.  needing some texture, I used foam squares behind some of the die cuts, & white fuzzy yarn around some. The important parts were the photos & the journaling yet, I just couldn't stop w/a flat page.
6. the last set will also be together. These papers & die cuts came together in a pack (this is the pack the die cuts from the previous set was from).  More of the same as the previous set, fuzzy white yard & foam squares for texture, keeping the interest on the photos & journaling. 

1. this group of pages was created before the 12th when Mom & I went to a fundraiser crop for her birthday.  
2. Top 1 & 2 are going just like that in the scrapbook. They are using great Christmas papers & embellishments I have been hoarding for a while.  I love scrapping great 5x7s & thats what these pages use.  Some chipboard, metal & buttons, oh my!  
3. Bottom 1&2 are going like this in the book as well.  For some reason, I didn't enlarge any of J's family to a 5x7 when I ordered so I 'fixed' it by stacking 2 4x6s instead. Totally works for me.  More of the same cool paper collection, chipboard, tags, & some Close To My Heart metals.  I also designed these pages around the stamped images I received at a a crop a while back ('Joyful Tidings' & various stamped ornament embellishments on the pages).  
4. The Top & Bottom #3s are a matching set.  the bottom one, you saw in the collage above, but I felt the need to share it again when I shared its match.  another paper collection but lots of variety of goodies. 

the only other 4 I completed in April:

1. the top 2 are a set -the red on the right is really more red than pink as it shows-funky lighting when I snapped the shot.  Mom got all 5 grandkids felt cowboy hats & puffy painted their initials on them. HUGE HIT! 
2. the bottom 2 are also a set, some new Hobby Lobby goodies + some really old stuff. love the collages as a quick & easy way to get a lot of photos scrapped together.

ps. where did April go??????

you can see my January, February & March reports here.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Done and documented is series of monthly posts that highlights Jess's progress completing unfinished travel albums from years past. I will be following along by doing my December Daily 2013, then plan to finish 2009 (2 chapters) & start a new year. Feel free to play along! 

Pin it & Do it.

for the first time ever I can report that I DID something I pinned!

several somethings actually, all food related :)

Swedish Pastry
the girls & I did this one in a 2 day spread.  crust, center & bake day one, frost on day 2.


Chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting

These I did on my own as the girls were all 'baked out' by Friday @4pm :)  they were way easier than the recipe looks, it just might be my go to chocolate cupcake recipe when I have the extra time & energy. 

 Chocolate dipped Chocolate chip cookie dough bites

 The kids & I did these in a 2 day spread as well: mixed & formed into balls one day, chilled overnight & dipped the next day.

YUMMMMMMMMMM on all counts!
did you try anything new from pinterest this holiday season?

Christmas #2

After a quick nap & let Sammy run while I gathered things, we were off to Mom's for Christmas #2.  K helped me get the dip ready, & Grandma sliced cheese So I put  Bethany in charge of my camera :)

 before I knew it, I had plenty of help getting that dip stirred.

 

 the picture on the right makes me grin & cringe @ the same time! my back side(cringe), but 4 generations in the kitchen! (grin) 

 from here on out the photos are in random blogger-chosen order & I am not fighting it anylonger! :P

to the left, Jeff's family A.DOR.ABLE!

hOW STINKING cute are these 5?!  hehe

Philip's Family. SO. GREAT.

Tim & K sharing a book, rare sight but makes me melt!

Grandpa & Grandma- I *heart* them!!

K & I cheesing it up

THIS last photo. Makes Me SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!  My heart is SO full from THEM!!!

Christmas Day

 WOW! we packed in both sides of the house in ONE day AGAIN! :) its exhausting but worth it to have tomorrow HOME all day! Very first thing, we got to sleep in!

 
 
Then we were off to Todd & Jill's for lunch. Chili, cornbread casserole, pumpkin roll, a ton of dipped Christmas necessities & garlic bread Oh.My.Word. so full! great time chatting & catching up!  Here are a few photos I snapped of their horses & her Christmas Village.



I hope your Christmas was everything you'd hoped it would be!
(our evening event in another post-more photos to share!)

Month in review-photo heavy

 Here's a little tour of our home & child care, as well as what I've been up to, instead of blogging, this month ;)

I love this shot of the frost between the  windows & the ornament on the tree in the morning sunshine.

 Last year Grandma handed out boxes of these balls she's made over the years. I was proud & Happy to hang them on our tree this year.

Mom & Bethany on our annual shopping day on the 12th.  First stop-Valley West Mall.

 loved finding music everywhere we went!

 with no littles to put on the fat man's lap I settled for a shot of the scenery.

 hehehe.. one of the fun signs @ Target- a major stop in our day.

 Here they are, checking out :)

 ahhhhhh sweet reward! mmmmmmm love the Target w/a Starbucks included!

The haul @ the end of the day:

Miss Lyla had a preschool Christmas program on the 21st. SOOOOOO cute!!

 I have a great support group in running now.  We've been running outside, yup, even when its 19 degrees! we run on the high school track .  We even have a facebook group, Eat, Pray, Run

 There's been some snuggling going on.. randomly of course.

 we made & packaged up goodies for the neighbors, garbage man, mail man & bus drivers.

 new gel clingies for the windows!

the snowman countdown

 the childcare tree. This tree came w/the house & we used it upstairs our first year. last year it sat in the box.  This year I decided to see if we could handle it & they've done GREAT!! we used cookie cutters for ornaments along w/a few random hanging things.

 the balls we've hung from the ceiling for a few years.

 My snowman dishes we used for the Tastefully Simple party @ the beginning of the month & again for the Girls' night In on the 18th.

 my pooh mug w/the hot tea ball in it YUMMMMMM

 Grandma brought this cutie to me on the 6th after discovering I collect Snowmen too.

 he fits right in on the banister!  here is the card wall gaining weight as the month goes on.

 ahhhhh FFA fruit!! a staple to December in our town!  this is almost gone!

 Mom made this swag for me in the old house! I think it might be time to dress it up a little next year.

 My poor jade nativity! its in a dangerous spot for having a 40# puppy in the house! so far, no casualties to report, we just quit standing them back up.

the new snowman towel from Grandma @Thanksgiving

my snowman families in the living room upstairs

the cinnamon ornaments mmmmm they smell sooooo good!!

 a new winter air freshener I am trying, boiling water w/cinnamon stick+ oranges pierced w/cloves & a few whole all spice.

 the childcare winter movie collection. that only comes out for December!

J&A w/their cinnamon ornament garland they made yesterday, its hanging in the doorway @ the bottom of the stairs. I hope its the first thing everyone smells as they enter.

there you go, our month in review.
Have a Very Merry Christmas!!