Wednesday, December 31, 2008

happy new years eve....

we here at WIP---hope all of you had a most wonderful year!
we hope you have a safe and joyus new years. have fun
ringing in 2009. anyone have any 'good luck' new years
traditions? if so share them with us. i for one would love
to hear them!

also i have a little sneaky peaky for you from the
january kit---have a look see:




be safe---have fun---happy new year!!!
see you in 2009!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Time.

Taking a little blog break. Be back soon--I promise...

Hope you're enjoying the sights and smells and wonder of this special time of year...

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

December Daily Album

My December Daily is the one used as the sample from my class at the Bertram Inn this year.
In it, I used all the Basic Grey Wassil papers with an 8x8 acrylic tabbed album. So far, I love using it (but I'm about a week behind with the photos...)
I'll be sure to post more in the next few days. Like most moms at this point, it's all about tying up loose ends and wrapping like a mad woman, eh?

Hope you're in the midst of lots of holiday goodness too...

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Reindeer Games & Gift Tags


For those of you who are in the throws of wrapping, be sure to check out Skip to my Lou for the most awesome assortment of down loadable Christmas tags. The ones above from the Angry Chicken blog are my favorite--too funny.

And we're playing Santa Bingo, the Candy Bar Game and of course--the White Elephant Gift game with our family on Christmas Eve. We do Christmas dinner at our house for the family, so I'll be all business on Christmas day.

Whether you're a hostess or a hopper, I hope you're in the moment and enjoying every bit of it...

Merry Christmas to you...

Monday, December 22, 2008

From Our Home...

I snapped a few pictures of our home during the holidays, and I thought I'd share...
I have two of these trees that contain a bunch of old photographs. They are always a favorite among guests during the season...

I've collected these carolers for years, and so do my sisters, mom and aunts. They're on my dining room table this year...





Our main tree is 9 ft tall, and filled with an eclectic mix of ornaments. Many are from vacations--we always pick one up every destination. Notice the new felt garland...:)
I hope you're enjoying the beauty of the season with your friends and family as well...

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Seasoned Oyster Crackers

  • 2 (12 ounce) packages oyster crackers
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dry Ranch-style dressing mix
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the crackers and oil until completely coated. Add dressing mix, lemon pepper, dill and salt and toss until evenly covered. Store in a zip lock bag or other air tight container.
  2. Make a lot, because they're addictive. Enjoy!

Check out this cool tutorial on English Crackers (unlike mine above--LOL)...

And be sure to print out the adorable labels on CZ's blog...

Chocolate Covered Christmas Wreaths

My nieces and nephew enjoyed making these with me today, and I thought I'd share...You get the round pretzels (Rold Gold makes these) and dip them in green chocolate. Sprinkle with goodness before the chocolate sets.
I then put them in the frig to harden. After 15 minutes or so, I take the tray out and then add the bow. Since it is a piping job, I used a container this year (and they work well!). To package them, I simply stacked them and threaded a ribbon through the centers. Be sure to use a sturdy anchor at the bottom so they don't fall through.

Enjoy!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Eggless Eggnog.

Tried and True.I recently found this recipe, and it is delish! My kids and husband gave it a thumbs up, so give it a shot...

Eggless Eggnog
1-3 oz. package of vanilla instant pudding
1/3C. sugar
8C. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. nutmeg

(yes, I do own a nutmeg grater and I love it--thank you Kristin!)

Anyway, mix this all up and drink up. It is really good! Feel free to store the leftovers in the frig--they will keep as long as the milk would.

Have fun!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Gift Card Holder

Remember these? I found them just like this at Mike's for a dollar...I added eyes, a fuzzy nose, a ribbon and there you have it...a decorative way to present someone with a gift card.
The kids helped me make a whole bunch for Christmas and it went together quickly!

Enjoy your day!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Gingerbread Houses

My daughter and I hosted our annual gingerbread party this weekend, and it was fun. I highly recommend looking in your pantry and whipping up some fun with a bunch of kids...
We simply use graham crackers, royal icing and anything you can find to make it work. Cheerios, Rice Chex, m&m's, marshmallows, gumdrops, you name it. You're never too old to play!

Have a great Wednesday!!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Have you seen this?

Love this necklace and the fact that they donate a portion of their profits to charity. They're affordable and cost only $1.00 to ship--great deal!!
Just when I thought I was finished with my holiday baking, I had to wander over to Bakerella. Dang. She gets me every time.

I added this to my wish list this year...how cool is it that your white balance can be perfected with a lens cap? Genius!! You can find caps to fit your favorite lens here.
Have a great day!!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Holidays friends! Laina here today. Only 10 more days until Christmas. I'm pretty sure that I am the last of the WIP DT to share my Holiday favorites. Thanks for reading each day and getting to know more about us. Here goes...

Top 3 Holiday Movies:




Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas Who doesn't love Muppet Otters?





Home Alone Come on...Kevin was cute back then. Just the first one though.




Love, Actually Didn't the part where he shows up with the que cards just kill you?







Favorite Holiday Cookie:
Cranberry Shortbread Cookies - easy and delicious. I have to give them away or else I eat the entire recipe. Not kidding!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
16-ounce package Craisins chopped
DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 325°F. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, until combined. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries. Cookies can be made into balls or flattened. To make round cookies, roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 dozen at a time on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from sheets; cool slightly and dust with additional powdered sugar.To make flat cookies, form dough into 1-inch balls as directed above. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar, flatten balls on cookie sheet, making rounds 2-inches in diameter. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Cool. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Naughty or Nice?






I'm turning forty soon.


I'm feeling naughty, not at all nice. :)



Top Holiday songs:
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? Remember the 1st time you saw this video on MTV? Bono was my favorite part.
The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping Brings back high school memories.
Bowie/Sinatra - Peace on Earth The oddest match made in heaven.

Favorite holiday tradition:























































Least favorite part about the holiday:
Working at a retail store with Mall Hours. Would you really need to buy stickers at 11pm on a Sunday night?

Photo of favorite holiday project:
Premade Gingerbread House Kit from Costco. All we had to do was decorate!









Five items on your Wish List this year:
a baby girl
32 mb iPod Touch
more time
a cleaning lady
a new tattoo

Favorite childhood holiday memory:
Going to Higbee's downtown Cleveland to buy my family gifts at the Twigbee Shop. I thought I was so grown up.

Photos of our Holiday Decorations:
Not so tradional colors in my Family Room - Purple and Lime Green.
We had to put our tree up in our "empty" Living room because of one very bad little pug. (The living room is actually the boys Dart Tag room - no plans to decorate until the little guys get bigger!)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Acrylic Block Ornaments

My sweet friend Molly Umland made these, and I had to share...She got the clear acrylic blocks at our local Archiver's and she printed out photos the exact size of the block. She used clear sheet adhesive to mount them onto the backs of the blocks so the photos would show through...
She embellished them and added decorative ribbon. Aren't they darling??? I can't wait to make some for my family this year!!
Thanks for sharing, Molly!

I'll be back later for info on the January WIP kits. The subscription email will go out on Sunday--so be on the lookout!! There is a sneak here...

Have a great day!!