UGG-Argyle

 I ended up getting these Ugg's instead of the Cardy and I love them!  They are so comfy and more fitting to the foot and leg than the normal Ugg.

UGG - Cardy

Finally decided on this winter's boot!  I love this Ugg boot because it is made to be worn without socks and it can be worn up, slouched or low!

Christmas 2009

Rudolph's Spares

One Sunday morning while I was surfing the internet for unique paper crafting blogs for holiday project ideas. I discovered Kerry's Paper Crafting Blog, a fantastic blog which has loads of cute ideas for paper crafting little unique gifts for the holidays.  I came across "Rudolph's Spares" which were these adorable tins filled with red hots stamped with a reindeer!  I decided that I was going to give these little holiday tokens to my co-workers, friends and family and they were a huge hit!

Check out Kerry's Blog:  www.kerrryspapercrafts.com

"The Perfect Man - The Gingerbread Man"

This Christmas I was bound and determined to make Gingerbread Men cookies!  After first attempting a recipe out of a random cookie book.  I called my Mom for help and she sent me the fail safe recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook that she used for all of her baking when I was growing up.  This recipe worked beautifully except it fried my cheap electric hand mixer because it calls for 7 cups of flour!  Oh well, I guess it's time to put one of those fancy Kitchen Aid mixers on my wish list for next year!  The cookies came out great I did a small and large gingerbread man and worked with various dough thickness.  The fatter the gingerbread man the softer the cookie, the thinner the more crunchy!  Instead of raisins I used cinnamon imperials and I to be completely honest the combination was perfect!  This is going to be my signature holiday cookie for years to come.  They go amazing with a fresh cup of brewed morning coffee.

If you want the perfect Gingerbread Man recipe here you go, straight from the Better Crocker Cookbook!

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup Shortening

1 1/2 cups dark molasses

2/3 cup cold water

7 cups all-purpose flour* (If using self-rising flour, omit baking soda and salt)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons  ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.) In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.  Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

2.) Heat oven to 350 Degrees. Grease cookie sheet lightly with shortening or spray with cooking spray.

3.)  Roll dough 1/4 inch think on floured surface.  Cut with floured gingerbread cookie cutters.  On cookie sheet, place cut outs about 2 inches apart.

4.)  Bake 10-12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet and place on wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.  Decorate with colored frosting, colored sugar and candies if desired.

Belgian Waffles - Yummy!

I came across Philosphy's 3-in-1 Belgian Waffles Shower Gel at Marshall's the other day.  Not only was it a bargain it reminded me how much I love their shower gels.  The scent is yummy and definitely hot of the griddle!  I promise you this is a treat that you don't want to live without this holiday season.

Shoe Fetish

McIntosh Festival

Each year my Mom and I and our family and friends go to the famous McIntosh Craft Festival.  I grew up in a very small country town and I find it very cool that this festival literally takes place right down the road from my parents house, thousands of people attend this festival each year.  The festival is a family tradition and counts as a holiday in my book.  The town of McIntosh is absolutely gorgeous it's filled with beautiful oak tress and old and newly renovated country style homes line the streets.  It was a beautiful day, just enough over-cast and breeze to keep the heat at bay as my mom, my sister Janey and I went booth to booth looking for unique crafts to fill our homes! One of our favorite booths that we bee-line too early in the morning is one that we call "our pottery lady" and each year my mom and I collect a beautiful piece. I love the fresh air and seeing the creative ways people craft and of course spending the day with my family ~ the roots of my life.

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Lindsey & Justin's Wedding....

We attended our friend's Lindsey and Justin's wedding this weekend and it was so much fun to see such a loving couple get hitched... The wedding was a huge success and boy was it a PARTY! I just wanted to share some of the very fun and unique details that made their wedding rememberable.  Some of my favorite details include: Cupcake Cake, Lavender Linens, Tables named after their loved ones dogs and last but not least the Photo booth.  Enjoy!

Creative Gift Giving

One of my favorite hobbies is shopping for novelty clearance items such as wrapping paper, gift bags, tags, and cards.  I have found a Hallmark store in Sanford that keeps it's 75% off isle updated every week and I recently found Hallmark's Creative and Thoughtful Gift Giving book filled with fun and easy ideas for making gift giving special.  This book sparked a creative flame and I decided to pick one up for my Aunt Jamie who shares my same love of creative gifting.  I love to give when its "Just Because" and when the gift is meaningful to its receiver. When you take the time to customize the tiny details, it makes it extra special. One of my favorite wrapping papers is the natural brown paper bag kind!  It's warm, earthy and it's simply stated and ready to be decorated. Once the paper was chosen, it was time to start the project with designing a special gift tag.  On one side I embossed a golden owl  to represent the Fall season and the on the other side I customized the tag with a "J" for Jamie and the word "Imagination" because all it takes is a little imagination and effort and you can create something unique and my Aunt Jamie has an imagination! Then I adorned the package with some fall leaves and raffia and orange ribbon!  You will see me use orange ribbon a lot due to the simple fact that I love orange but also that it was one of the colors in my wedding and I have an abundance of orange ribbon leftover....  My aunt Jamie received the package last week and sent me the sweetest thank you e-mail and it made my night!

 

Finally.... Christmas At The Beach!

The much anticipated "Christmas At The Beach" Yankee Candle which smells like a tropical holiday escape with a bright, festive blend of pineapple, coconut and cilantro.  I picked one up tonight and I can't wait to have a reason to burn this beach bum during the winter months, it smelled absolutely delicious!  The Santa on the beach accessories should be out very soon ~ and I already know I will be gifting them and buying a few for my own collection!  

U2 Concert

We went to the U2 Concert in Tampa last Friday night and it was simply amazing!  Our friends Melissa and Steve scored 4 tickets in the lower bowl section and gave us the hook up! It was definitely an out of body experience and the BEST concert I have ever attended. In the arms of Love, Good friends, Beer Powerful Music and Bono! ~ It was a BEAUTIFUL NIGHT!  Thank You U2!

Hello Blog World

I finally decided to join the world of blogging.  Over the years I have admired the creative blogs of others on various topics such as food, paper-crafting and fashion.  I was inspired by my Aunt Aggie and Jamie to take the leap and make my creative mark. Stay tuned.....