My Christmas...

“Friends are the family we choose for ourselves” - this quote by Edna Buchanan comes to mind as I type this post today. I am so very blessed to have an amazing small circle of friends to call family. Today was Christmas with my two very dear friends, Merry and Kimber...we had such a wonderful afternoon. We met at a local cafe for lunch to celebrate the holidays - and what a marvelous time we had! If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know the three of us tend to go "overboard" each time we get together...and Christmas gives us yet another excuse to spoil each other with gifts! Lunch was delicious and filled with conversation and giggling...and I enjoyed every minute of it...Merry and Kimber truly inspire me and always lift my spirits and encourage me. After lunch, Merry ordered a trio of desserts for us to share that was "sinful" to say the least - it was a lovely sampling of sweet treats...and then it was time for our annual Christmas gift exchange. I have to tell you, this post might be a little long, as there were so many gifts to open...the restaurant host was wise to put us in a corner booth, as it seemed we were there for hours!

I always make a special gift or two for both Merry and Kimber...and then I like to give them some small purchased items...and I always like to give each of them a nice hardcover book to add to their shelves. This year, I made Merry a knitting needle case (which was much more labor intensive than I anticipated, but I was thrilled with the results when it was finished) and a matching large, lined drawstring bag (both were made from the retired fabric line Madeira by Blackbird Designs for Moda - one of her favorites). For Kimber, I made a personalized quilted journal cover and a matching large, lined drawstring bag out of some pink/brown owl fabric that I know she loves (Life's A Hoot by Tammy Anderson for ADORNit). I had so much fun filling their drawstring bags with wrapped goodies (I brought each of them items back from CA and NH) and choosing the books for this year's exchange!

Now - get ready to be inspired, as I share with you the unique items they gifted me this year!

I started by opening Kimber's gifts - and first, I have to share her wrapping paper and decorative box with you - both were adorned with owls! I had to carefully open my presents to save the paisley owl Christmas paper...and the LARGE Chinese takeout style box is one of the cutest I have ever seen - I have to find a fun use for it...

Kimber has the very best taste and finds the most unique and personal gifts - I was just blown away when opening the packages from her! The box was filled with tiny treasures - a special Fiskars paper punch, decorative adhesive tapes, vintage wooden spools, a charm pack of fabulous fabric (Full Circle by Kathy Schmitz for Moda), a lovely notepad, and a package of pretty floss bobbins!

In the large bag, there were several incredible gifts - check out this FABULOUS sewing bird - I LOVE him (or her). This pincushion is about 6.5" H x 9.5" W...and the wings are pockets. Kimber put a package of vintage rick rack in one of the pockets...and the other had vintage look needle packaging. The tag tied on the side says "The Early Bird Gets The Pins!"... and there is a round tag on the front that says "Sew Prim"...isn't it just the coolest??! Oh how I adore this...can't you see me with an entire flock??

Over the past months, I have been asking Kimber all sorts of gardening questions (after-all, she is an expert)...now that all the outdoor work is done on our home, I am ready to start planting this spring. Kimber was thoughtful enough to give me a book on perennial gardening - which is perfect, as she knows I want to plant perennial flowers!

And look what else - this wonderful holiday scrapbook of sorts - it is a canvas covered journal with blank brown paper pages, perfect for writing down my Christmas memories....

Merry did her absolute best to spoil both of us, as well. You all know how multi-talented Merry is...she can stitch, sew, bake, cook, knit, crochet, and just about any other creative thing you can think of...and she does them all SO WELL! Many times you have seen her stellar kitchen skills on my blog - I really am blessed - she makes me goodies all year long - for absolutely no reason - she takes very good care of me. Here is a photo of some holiday treats she made for me....five (yes, FIVE) bags of homemade Biscotti -plain (anise), gingerbread, snickerdoodle, chocolate, and almond chocolate....and see the little house in the photo - it is filled with her homemade Butterfinger Bites (I put a couple in front of the house for the photo) for my husband (and I will definitely be trying one!)...and in the back is a large bottle of homemade Black Raspberry Liqueur (which she "forced" me try and it is delicious)!

...and although that was more than enough - Merry had piles of other special presents for me...she makes me the best pressies....like these gorgeous socks she knitted especially for me....

and this unbelievable beehive pincushion/tape measurer with homemade pins (yep, she made the pins using Shrinky Dinks!)...this seriously brought tears to my eyes. It is so adorable and very tiny - it is only about 2" tall...and it is incredibly detailed...plus Merry knows my grandfather was a beekeeper and the sentiment this gift would have for me. It is amazing...

She also made me a quilted craft pouch for my paper piecing materials and supplies - how awesome is this?? It will hold my tiny cutting mat, small rotary cutter, my add a quarter rulers, plus all sorts of other supplies!

Before I share the last item she made for me, I just have to share a photo of a special box that was in with my gifts - it looks like a book and is decorated with birds, crowns, butterflies, and birdcages...way cool! The photo all shows additional gifts that she slipped in the gift bag - a couple adorable round magnets she made, a metal reindeer ornament, special lip balm, swankie hankies, and the cutest owl stamp set....

and lastly, I have to share this AMAZING magnetic needlework tray she made...it is a small vintage tray/plate (3.25" H x 6" W) - she placed a very strong magnet on the bottom that holds the gold scissors in place (along with pins and needles) and added a handmade wool biscornu pincushion with a gold vintage button in the corner...then she added three crystal pins. I thought this was ingenious and strikingly beautiful - it is so very special!

I truly hope today's post has inspired you and you have more ideas for gift giving!

I have had the happiest of holidays and feel so very blessed. To my close circle of friends (you know who you are) thank you for being my family - I love you all and thank the heavens above for your friendship.

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine." - Thomas Jefferson

A Baking Marathon

Saturday was a full day - I headed over to my mother-in-law's house at 9:00 AM for a twelve hour baking marathon. I sure didn't know what the day had in store when I left the house - I figured I would be over there for a few hours...but it turned into an entire day in the kitchen. My mother-in-law does TONS of baking every year for holiday gifts - she had called me earlier in the week and asked me to join her....when I arrived, she had over ten labor-intensive recipes ready to prepare. She had done some dough making throughout the week, so my first task was to cut over 100 sugar cookies and get them in the oven...it was a giant double batch and I was able to use every Christmas cookie cutter under the sun! While they were cooling, I rolled and shaped 75 candy cane cookies...baked them, then sprinkled the warm cookies with crushed peppermints sticks. I helped with the preparation of several of her famous candies, then it was time to frost and decorate all the sugar cookies - it seemed an endless task - I started out being all clever and decorating each one specially, but by the end of the day, I (admittedly) was just frosting and shaking sprinkles on each one. While I was doing the frosting, she was baking pumpkin bread and banana nut bread. By the time I left, we had made ten different candies, cookies, and breads - double batches of each...and we were both exhausted. After a very full day, we cleaned the kitchen and I packed up two small tins of treats to bring home...it was a lot of work, but very fun to spend the day baking with my mother-in-law. I hope you make time to do some holiday baking with family and/or friends...

To assist with your holiday baking, here is a favorite cookie recipe from my kitchen:

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Star Cookies
1 bag chocolate stars
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar (for rolling dough before baking)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate star into the center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. This recipe makes about 4 dozen "yummy" cookies.

Pink Paisley Party

Yesterday was the most glorious day - I got to spend several hours with my dear friends Kimber and Merry...we got together for some girl time...a lovely tea party and lunch...which I am referring to as the pink paisley party, as Kimber had the most adorable table set for us with a pink and green paisley tablecloth and matching napkins. I wish I had a photo that did her decorating justice - the table setting was incredible (I took a TON of photos, but none of them look as inviting and exciting as it did in person). Our spring tea was held at Kimber's amazing home, a cozy 1885 farmhouse, which she lovingly refers to as Ashton House. As always, the three of us had a marvelous time! We started by having hot tea and some of the delicious treats Kimber had ready for us...seriously, look at the photos below of the table and my plate...oh my goodness! Kimber had various vintage cake plates spread across the table with all sorts of goodies, antique bowls filled with nuts and treats, a huge assortment of teas, and delicious little sandwiches. We sipped our tea, chatted, laughed, and just enjoyed each others company.

Some time was then spent opening gifts, seems even though we don't plan to bring presents, we all always have special little packages to exchange. Merry, as usual, outdid herself...not only did she make the most fabulous lunch for us, she also brought me a large assortment of gorgeous wool roving (which thrills me, as I can use it with my needle felting machine) and two jars of her homemade jam (Raspberry Rhubarb - oh my goodness, am I ever looking forward to trying it - maybe later today!). Kimber, who was gracious enough to host our gathering, had the sweetest gifts at our place settings (see photo in the top right corner of this post) - two adorable mini loaf pans with paper cups filled with vintage buttons and trims (she is SO creative!)...plus, she gave both of us a beautiful teapot that was wrapped in paisley fabric and tied with vintage bias tape (perfect!)....she even gave me a copy of a book that his been on my wishlist for months - talk about generous! We had a delightful time with our exchange.

Next, it was time for lunch...and it was scrumptious! Merry, the best cook in the world, made us homemade bread and a homemade quiche....again look at my plate - seriously - she amazes me! At Merry's request, I brought a fresh fruit salad, which (she was right) was the perfect addition to our meal. And get this - Merry made homemade macaroons (really - look how perfect they are) - they were seriously "to die for"! Having this special lunch and enjoying their company was a heavenly afternoon.

After clearing our plates, we moved to the sitting room and spent a couple hours visiting...I brought my stitching, but didn't even get it out of the bag (except to show them the new project I was working on). I was thrilled to get gardening advice from both of them - they are so knowledgeable and I a fledgling gardener, so it was great to get advice and tips! It was another excellent afternoon with my dear friends - I feel inspired, encouraged, and educated every time we get together - I truly cherish each gathering we have!

Pure Joy - A Holiday Get Together Continued...

When I arrived at Kimber's home yesterday - my place was set with a HUGE holiday gift basket from Merry. From my previous posts, you probably know that Merry loves to bake/cook (and to try new things in the kitchen!)...and I am one of the truly lucky ones who gets to sample all her fabulous treats! This first photo is a shot of what was in the basket...there was so much, it was almost overwhelming - both Kimber and I had to grab a pencil and write down everything as Merry walked us through the items, or else we would never be able to keep it all straight! There were three tins of baked goods (details below), a bottle of Lavender Extract, an adorable bottle of Limoncello, three jars of jelly (Spiced Crabapple, Gooseberry, and Black Currant), along with a bag of White Chocolate Cinnamon Granola - all of which she made herself!! I was truly in awe...

Here is a photo with the tins opened, so you can see inside...and I am going to do my best to tell you what each thing is....

The round tin in the lower left had three different cookies (from left to right) - Lavender Chamomile Shortbread, Sage Shortbread with Peach Jam Filling, and Raspberry Jam Thumbprints (of course she made the jams) - all are delicious...and believe me, my husband and I tried them all! The small treasure chest tin in the lower right was filled with Orange Flower Water Cookies (which are FANTASTIC!)....and the large tin shown in the top right was half Strawberry Madeleines and half Chocolate Chip Brownies with Peppermint Patties (my husband's favorite!). Yesterday I sampled each of these special treats with a cup of hot tea, so a couple extra miles on the treadmill is in order.....each and every one of them is absolutely delectable.

If all that wasn't enough, she also brought us both the most wonderful little lunch bags - yep, she sewed for us too! Seriously, how stinkin' cute is this little tote?! She found the instructions online for this great little bag on the Pink Penguin blog (which is spectacular)...if you want to make one for yourself, see Ayumi's fabulous Lunch Bag Tutorial! I absolutely LOVE the fabrics Merry chose for my little tote (note the birds in the fabric)...and the bottom section (brown flower print with birds) is actually a corduroy! I thought the rick rack on the handles was the perfect touch...and the drawstring cover is super convenient to keep everything safe inside. But wait, there's more! The bag was filled with treasures...can you say "over the top"? I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning pulling open the drawstring cover

to reveal more presents....there was a package of holiday hankies, holiday bandages, a tiny bag of lifesavers candy, two (not one, but two!) pairs of scissors that she knew I had been admiring, and a kitchen towel she made to match my black and white kitchen perfectly. AMAZING!! To say I was "blown away" would be an understatement. I have said it before - I have the most generous, creative, talented, and kind friends!

After we finished opening all out gifts, we headed back to the kitchen for more beverages and snacks...and then made our way to Kimber's sitting room for more chit chat and some needlework. Kimber had the fireplace burning to keep us toasty warm and we all worked on different projects. Merry was knitting, Kimber was hand quilting, and I was cross stitching...but truth be told, I think I did a lot more talking than stitching (what's new?)....

Driving home, I reflected on the our time together and the beautiful friendship the three of us have built - Merry and Kimber both encourage and inspire me...they help me grow and be better...their friendship is truly the best gift they have given me!

My wish for you this holiday season is to be surrounded by good friends and family - to find joy in the little things - to be encouraged and inspired - and to be aware of life's many blessings....

A Little Extra Sweetness

I love to bake....in fact, I rather bake than cook...I am not much for eating baked goods, but I really enjoy making them...to me, it is relaxing. Since it is just me and my husband, I find I give away a lot of the items I bake. This week, Travis had a sweet tooth and wanted me to bake something....and due to limited supplies on hand, I narrowed it down to peanut butter cookies. This is a pretty standard cookie recipe, except I have a little twist before baking - I like to roll balls of dough in granulated sugar before flattening with the fork...I like a little crystal sugar on the outside of the cookie...a little extra sweetness!

Peanut Butter Cookies
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine peanut butter, shortening, light brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl - beat at medium speed (I use an electric mixer) until nicely blended - add egg - beat until blended.
Sift flour, salt, and baking soda - add to creamed mixture at low speed - mix until blended.
Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls - roll in granulated sugar - place approximately 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet - flatten with fork (I like to do a criss-cross pattern).
Bake at 375 degrees F for 7 to 8 minutes or until just starting to turn brown. Cool for a couple minutes on baking sheet - then place on sheets of foil to cool completely.
This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies. I almost always double the batch, as they freeze nicely.

I decided to foof (wrap with GiftGloss) several packages of cookies for our neighbors - just a fun little summer treat!

This past weekend, I started shipping my new designs ("Liberty Stitchery" and "Sweet Simple Samplings") to needlework shops and distributors, so they should be available VERY soon from your favorite shop....visit my website for more details. I am keeping quite busy with new designs for the Fall Needlework Market, but I did manage to design a new complimentary chart that I will be posting soon - in fact, I will debut it here first...so you can look forward to that later this week (think Christmas!)...

Message-in-a-Cookie

A trip to Williams-Sonoma last weekend (I love this store!) found me with new cookie cutters...and high expectations. I had read about their exclusive new Message-in-a-Cookie Holiday Cookie Cutters and couldn't wait to try them out! I really enjoy being in the kitchen and especially baking, so these were right up my alley. They come with words and letters that allow you to personalize your holiday cookies...and they actually worked with ease. It takes a little time to insert the letters...but they work like a charm. I followed the recipe and the directions included with the cookie cutters and had no issues with dough sticking...and they turned out delicious! The kit comes with three cookie cutters: a gingerbread man, an ornament, and a snowflake...and there is a huge assortment of letters and multiple words included. Clean up is easy - the letters come with a mesh bag that is safe for the top rack of your dishwasher. Now I just have to brush up on my decorating skills...