happy 1st day of winter!!

Today is the first day of winter & it definitely looks like it outside! This morning my doggie was actually crying to go outside & play in the snow. She hates water, but she loves the snow!! So, my sister & I bundled up and took her out to run around. We had drifts in the yard that were probably at least 2 feet deep & we had to shovel so much snow out of the drive way just to get out... So exhausting, but it was a lot of fun too!!

Here is a little video that my mom took of us playing in the snow...

Only 2 more days until Christmas!!! 

YAY!!!

4 days 'til Christmas...

I got this Charlie Brown Christmas tree at a party that I went to on Monday! I have always wanted one! Isn't it so cute?! I am so thankful to the person that gave it to me, I was really surprised! :) 

& a little Christmas quiz... (from here)

1. egg nog or hot chocolate?

definitely hot chocolate!

2. does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

presents are wrapped! 

3. multi-colored or white lights on tree/house?

I prefer the big lights & multi-colored! But white lights are pretty too!
4. do you hang mistletoe? 

yes.
5. when do you put up decorations?

usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.

6. what is your favorite holiday dish?

On Chrismtmas eve, my family always has clam chowder! yumm!

7. favorite holiday memory as a child?

oh, there are so many... Putting up my Grandma's Chrismtas village with her every year! 

& I will always remember, once when I was little, I snuck out in the middle of the night to see everything under the tree... & my dad was actually up, rocking in his chair, watching the Christmas lights. When he saw me, I thought I was in trouble, but he didn't say a word! :)

8. when did you learn the truth about Santa?

I have always loved Santa, but I have never believed in him... In my family, the focus was always more about Jesus' birth! :)

9. do you open a gift on Christmas eve?

When I was a kid, we were allowed to open one gift on Christmas eve. But now, we open everything on Christmas morning!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

lots of lights (the big & little ones) & a collection of ornaments, some vintage bulbs, some handmade, etc...

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? 

I love it! until Jan & Feb rolls around & then I start getting tired of it!!

(& of course that is usually when it snows the most where I live)

12. Can you ice skate?

No.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Well, I got a watch a few years ago, from Fossil & I still wear it everyday! :)

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? 

Reflecting on all I have to be thankful for... For my family & mostly thankful that God sent His Son into this world to save us! It's so beautiful to get to celebrate that in so many special ways at Christmas time!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Oh boy, we make so many... I love our homemade peanut butter cups, magic bars, & of course sugar cookies & pie!!

16. what is your favorite holiday tradition?

I really love going to my church's Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve every year!

17. what tops your tree?

a star!

18. which do you prefer: giving or receiving?

I love to pick out the perfect gifts for my family & see their excitement on Christmas morning! But, yes, it is fun to receive too! :)

19. candy canes. yucky or yummy?

yummy!

20. favorite Christmas show?

either "A Charlie Brown Christmas" or "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer".

21. saddest Christmas song?

umm... "Please Come Home for Christmas" by The Eagles... sad, but I love it! haha!

22. favorite Christmas song?

Well, there are way too many to just choose one... but I especially love a song called "Here with Us" by Joy Williams & of course, "It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas" by Bing Crosby!

& Here are my Christmas-y nails! So fun!! :)

5 days til Christmas...

Over the weekend, my church choir sang our Christmas Cantata. After a lot of practice & God's help, it all went really well!! I got a cold right before & was worried I wouldn't be able to sing with everyone, but I was so happy that I was & I am feeling pretty good now!

Also, I have been to so many Christmas parties over the past few days... Lots of goodies to eat & fun times with special people!! These photos are from a party at my pastor's house, which is in the mountains & it is always so cozy at Christmastime. Plus, there was snow! The kids even built a cute little snowman! This time of year is such a blessing! :)

& Last night we got more snow... so pretty!

This song seems appropriate!

christmas candy: peanut butter cups...

These peanut butter cups are another very special recipe to my family...

We have made them every Christmas for so long & they are definitely a favorite of mine!

how to make homemade

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

1/4 C. butter

2 C. powdered sugar

1 C. peanut butter

Chocolate melts

(You will need the special candy paper cups (we use the ones that have a 1" base) & the plastic trays that hold the paper cups. Also, you have to use chocolate that is made for melting, Wilton's is pretty good.)

Directions:

Combine the butter, powdered sugar & peanut butter and knead the dough. Add a little bit of powdered sugar if the dough is too sticky. Pinch off a small amount, roll it into a ball & then flatten to form the centers. Make the size of the centers appropriate for the size of the paper cups you are using. 

Once you have put the paper cups into the tray, you can spoon a small amount of the melted chocolate in to each cup. Then place one of the centers in the middle of the chocolate & cover the top with melted chocolate. Put the trays in the freezer for a few minutes, so that the chocolate will harden. The peanut butter cups can be stored in a sealed container.

Here are a couple more photos of the process...

Enjoy!! They are fun to make & to eat!   :)

living nativity & christmas decor...

This past weekend, my church had their annual "Living Nativity" & it went so well! We had a lot of kids (more than usual) & they had so much fun!! It is such a blessing to be a part of something that really celebrates the true meaning of Christmas! This year, my sister & I took a picture with a cute little cow! Last year, it was with a llama. (See photos from last year.) 

So fun!

It is so special to watch the lights twinkle on my little tree...

My sister & I made a Christmas wreath, inspired by Martha Stewart's version...

with lights & paper doilies. It turned out lovely! (I later added a pretty silver bow!)

I made the word "Joy" from pipe cleaners & yarn and hung it with my little blue bulbs!

{inspired by this photo on pinterest}

Christmas is only 9 days away!

Can you believe it?!?

oh.my.goodness.

Time to finish my Christmas shopping... 

:)

{etsy faves} edor jewelry...

I just discovered a beautiful etsy shop, called Edor Jewelry... Typically, I prefer silver, but most of these are gold & i love them just as much! Mostly, I love that these designs are so simple & delicate! Any of these necklaces would make a perfect Christmas gift! :)

christmas playlist...

Of course, I can't get enough of Christmas music lately!!
There are so many great songs & versions out there...
So, here is a little collection of some of my favorites!
I just love Bing Crosby at Christmastime!! :)

cranberry-orange scones with an orange glaze...

Cranberry-Orange Scones

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup fresh or dried cranberries

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, & orange zest.

Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. 

Stir in fresh or dried cranberries.

Add buttermilk, and stir until just combined; try not to overmix. 

Use a little more buttermilk if dough is too dry to work with.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; shape it into an 8-inch round. 

Cut circle into 8 wedges & place them on the baking sheet.

Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

This is the first time I have ever made scones & I am so glad that I finally did! They are so easy to make & so good... Plus, there is such a variety of things you can add to them... to be sweet or savory! I know that I will be trying many other scone recipes soon! Yay!! This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart.

For the Orange Glaze... I simply mixed 1-2 Tablespoons of Fresh-squeezed Orange Juice 

& 1-2 Cups of Confectioner's Sugar, until I got the desired thickness. 

Then, I drizzled it over the scones.

I can't wait to have one with a cup of tea, for breakfast tomorrow!

Yumm... :)

weekend snapshots...

December is such a busy month, full of so many things to do... but it's so important to remember to slowdown and cherish the quite & relaxing times when they do come! In the quite time that I had this weekend, I finished up the very last page of the Beth Moore study that I was doing (with ladies in my church) on Revelation! I had a goal to complete it on time & I accomplished it! The LORD taught me so much through that study & I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to do it! And, on Saturday night, I sat down with a hot bowl of homemade soup and watched a cute Hallmark Christmas movie, "A Princess for Christmas", with my mom & sister... I love little things like that! :) However, there were a few other things going on this weekend that kept me pretty busy too....

...Saw the Nutcracker Ballet! Oh, to be able to dance like that... & the music! I loved it!

...Ate blueberry waffles, made in a new waffle maker! They turned out perfect!

...Made *a lot* of cupcakes for a missions luncheon that was at my church today! 

...Did a little more Christmas decorating! I have a lot more to do though! :)

I hope your weekend was wonderful, too!! :)

christmas candy: chocolate covered cherries...

At Christmas time, my family makes a wonderful variety of Christmas candy... 

We have done it for as long as I can remember & it's one of my favorite traditions!

It's so fun to make & of course, it's even more fun to eat!! :)

We always make the Chocolate Covered Cherries first, because for them to turn out the best they need to sit in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or longer! So, here we go...

how to make homemade

Chocolate  Covered  Cherries

20 oz. Jar of Maraschino Cherries with Stems

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 pound Chocolate Melts

Allow the cherries to drain on a paper towel, so they are not too juicy. Mix butter, corn syrup, & powdered sugar until smooth. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon of the dough and shape it around the cherry. Hold by the stem & dip it in melted chocolate. (We use dark chocolate, made for melting.) Make sure that the chocolate is sealed all around the stem, covering the cherry very well. Place each cherry in a small candy cup & put them in the freezer until the chocolate has set up. Once the chocolate is set up, put all of the cherries in a sealed container and leave in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. Over time the center will turn to liquid. 

These are a very sweet Christmas treat! They are my mom's favorite!

Do you make any special Christmas candies??

We make several others... which I will share as we make them!

& By the way...

Happy 1st Day of December! 

It is snowing outside, right now!  :)