Christmas Baking

I decided to BAKE this year...

Never actually stood in the kitchen for hours on end so that there would be LOTS of cookies to give to all my friends.

I had a really good time!

...and LOTS and lots of cookies!

My niece gave me the recipe for Rum Balls many years ago and they are soooo good.

Here is the recipe:

LEILA'S RUM BALLS

3 cups "rolled" (crumbled) Vanilla Wafers

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts and/or coconut

1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa or dark cocoa

2 Tbsp light Karo syrup

1/2 cup rum or bourbon

Mix all dry ingredients * Add Karo & rum  

Mix well and roll into small balls * Roll balls in powdered sugar * Devour them!!!

We left a few of each kind of cookie out for Santa and sure enough!

He ate them all up!

He drank the milk, too, and left the peel from his clementine.

We had a wonderful Christmas day

Grayson spent last night with a friend, so it was quiet last night for us, and I got to sleep very late this morning - quite luxurious.

Today was filled with running errands, but now we are sitting here listening to music. Grayson is sound asleep - no surprise!

Recent Creations

Here is a group of the most recent of my little treasures. 

The horse is for my nieces, though the photo was taken before I finished the tail.

The Santa looks so much like a magician in a red suit...is that Santa?

The elephant is for a young lady that I have known for a very long time. I hope she likes it.

I am having a good time making rubber stamps! 

I did the little horse the other day, hoping to make some of my Christmas cards...sigh....I got as far as a few "thank you" notes, but I think that the stamp will come in handy another time.

My friend Susan and I worked on these cards for the teachers and staff of Grayson's school - another rubber stamp experiment. I think they turned out so nice...

These crack me up! It is like "mug shots" of Santa!

I made him for a friend of mine that I do not get to see very often. I hope she likes it.

I think that the green robe is nice, especially with the red hat that incorporates the same stitching. I really enjoy seeing how each of the Santas turns out, since I have no plan at all when I start out. .....happy accidents....

little things I love

Above my desk in the studio is this little collection which struck me as very "Christmasy" when I looked at it today. 

I have always loved the little elf person and the Del Monte can with "legs" who was made by my friend Tricia, who has the most wonderful imagination and ability to make me smile!

 

 And this little shelf is just the right colors, right? 

I added the animals to it a long time ago and they are now part of the permanent exhibit~

My guys left at noon today to drive to Texas to go pheasant hunting. They took Jack, the lab, along with his sister(Hannah) and their mom (Indiana, aka. "Indie")...should be fun for all.

I hope to get a bunch done while they are gone, but I always have great plans...sigh....

that reminds me.....

Dearest Becky

I was so happy to see this little guy sitting in the middle of the table at Beth's house the other day and just had to post it for YOU!

I thought that it was the perfect thing for you to see 

It reminds me of your sweet little ladies.

I think the only thing missing is a star in his hand to reach out to hang on the tree....

This "lady" was sitting at each place waiting for us to sit down. Beth figured a way to put two cookies (lady and heart) so close that they will bake together - how very special...

And here is the "Santa sill" with some of her favorites hanging out together. 

The one on the far right is one of my designs...

...a couple more goodies:  Santa, an elf, an open hand, heart with a frame and the boot with the tree, which may be my favorite here...

I just love this time of year. The memories that each ornament conjures up.

The "sometimes subtle" red and green...mossy and rich...

traditions and new surprises

Happy Holidays

Beth's Beautiful Abode

Yesterday, I was at my friend Beth's house and it is always one of my very favorite places at this time of year. Her bedroom, above, is so peaceful and light.....dreamy....all year long.

In the living room, she has a truly beautiful Christmas tree (and a new leather couch and table) and wonderful light. I am inspired by her collections, which I will share in the next post.

This is her table where we had a lovely tea. Afterward, we made some wonderful little felt ornaments (guess whose idea that was?!) I have shared our goodies on pantryviolets.blogspot.com

On the way home, I just had to stop and take a photo of this sunset - can you believe it!? I feel so lucky to live here in the High Desert of New Mexico....After spending a full day of creating with some of my most fun girlfriends, it was the perfect ending...

(no idea why sometimes BLUE shows up for the text...sigh....oh well...)

music

there has been a request for the names of the Xmas cd's in my stereo (since I do NOT have an ipod) So, without further adieu, here they are:

Windham Hill: A Winter Solstice Reunion (1998)

A Charlie Brown Christmas (original soundtrack)

fourplay: Snowbound (1999)

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (complete ballet)

Santa Baby! the Jingle Bell Jamboree (2002)

By Golly Get Jolly! a Merry Mix for Merry Making (2002)

There are a few others, but these are the ones I never tire of.

 The "second tier" is:

Midwinter Night's Dream, from Boys of the Lough (1994)

Wolcum Yule, Celtic and British songs and carols (2003)

A Celtic Christmas, the O'Reilly Consort (1998)

I guess that I do not own the more "traditional" carols, but I turn on the radio for those....

Enjoy the sounds of the holidays...and sing along!

little pixies

Happy Holidays to Everybody...

I just found these little pixies that I made many years ago. I can't believe they still look so fresh.

I am getting the house in order for the holiday and it feels good. I just love the lights and the coziness of all the familiar decorations.... little treasures....

 I hope that we'll be able to get our tree this weekend. We are going for the "live" tree this year and I am very excited. We have been using the "fake" for many years....I need to smell the evergreen again!

Hope things are cheery where you are. We still have snow on the ground and I have been playing my favorite xmas cd's for days now! Ho Ho Ho to all...and Happy Hanukkah xoxo

red and white

Today was the Winter Faire and I totally forgot to take photos of my little table filled with all my little goodies - darn! Still, I had taken these last night and thought I'd share them with you.

I sold all but one of the Santas. They are pretty charming and were displayed with little snow-covered trees and a couple of red and white mushrooms. Very effective....

Here is a preview of those red and white mushrooms....I do love the colors and the "light" of this holiday. Driving to pick up Grayson tonight made me soooo happy - Christmas lights and decorations everywhere...such a *zing* it gave me! I think I'll get started on the decorating tomorrow.....

hand-stitching

I have been stitching on this pillow for my cousin whose birthday was in late September. So many things have happened to distract my work on it, but I took it with me to California to show to her and I worked on it the whole time. I think that it is coming along beautifully...

I adore hand-stitching........makes me think about the friends I made in France last summer. I could just spend hours on end sitting in a room with them, sewing away...

..so we are all going to meet in France again next  summer....... can't wait!

November 24th, 2009

Huntington Beach, California

Thanksgiving week

After walking on the beach to go downtown for tea (about 20 minutes), I walked home via Walnut Street. This photo is just one block from our cousins' house...and one block from Pacific Coast Hiway (PCH) - the Ocean! 

The weather was perfect - bluest sky and temperature around 65 degrees fahrenheit - heaven!

Before heading down to the Surf Beach at San Onofre, we made the brine for the turkey. I thought it looked so pretty in the pot with the star anise and ginger floating to the top. Boy, it was great for the turkey, the next day, during the actual eating part...yum....
Off to the beach ......... and my, how my son has grown! Here are our footprints in the sand - mine on the right and his on the left ........sigh.......
What a sunset! Isn't it appropriate to have the palm in front of the setting sun so that it glows?

The little dots in the water are the die-hard surfers, who cannot make themselves leave the water.
...and in the end, Grayson found a stick and stood where the sun had dipped into the ocean.... still some little "spots" on the water.

I love this photo - a lovely end to a perfect day.