Favorite Furry Friends "Fotos"

So I'm visiting my family for a belated Christmas celebration (and a week of relaxation from the stress of work) and I decided to break out the camera today and use some of my favorite furry friends as models for a photo shoot.  For the most part they were cooperative, though you had to be fast to catch my parents' new kitten Gracie not moving.

My kitty Mudslide looking pretty.

My parents' kitty Gracie finally sitting still.

Mudslide looking out the window.

Gracie catching some sun rays.

Mudslide paws!!

I hope that you enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.  I'm enjoying my week off of work relaxing and rejuvenating!!  They'll be more Christmas photos coming up soon.  My family is celebrating Christmas tomorrow evening on New Years Eve!!

Until next time.

Holiday Tasting Party

I had a few of the girls I work with over for a Holiday get together last week.  I decided to go with a tasting party theme.  You know, the little single serving appetizers/desserts that seem to be popular nowadays.  I had less than a week to pull the party together, but I'm very happy with the way things turned out!!  The food was wonderful…and everyone had a great time!!  I can't wait to host a party for a few different people soon!!  I whipped up a fabulous spread including sweet and savory foods and a couple of different drinks.

View of the entire food spread.

Cookie bar with chocolate cut out cookies, peppermint cream cheese frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting, and Christmas sprinkles.

I love the tasting party starter sets I got.  They come with the wood serving board, 6 shot glasses, 6 porcelain spoons, 6 little bowls and little spoons to eat with.

white chocolate peppermint parfaits (DELICIOUS!!!!)

individual taco dips in shot glasses (served with Fritos for dipping)

Christmas peppermint fluff dip (served with mini Nilla Wafers for dipping)

skewers of glory (shrimp and pineapple wrapped in bacon)

These were very popular!!  Can't go wrong with anything wrapped with bacon!!

These were very yummy.  I could have eaten all of them!!

View of the glasses for the cocktails.

Glasses were rimmed with marshmallow sundae sauce and dipped in crushed peppermint candies.

Holiday Sangria.  Absolutely fabulous!!!!  You must make this.

white chocolate peppermint martinis.  Boy were they strong, but good!!

View of all the drinks.

I also made homemade herb pizza and regular pizza, but neglected to take photographs of those.  Oops!!  

I bought all my tasting party serve ware from Pier 1.  I think it's definitely going to be a good investment.  I can't wait to add some more pieces.  I just love how cute the little parfait glasses, shot glasses, and martini glasses are.  I hope you try some of these recipes, because they were all wonderful!!  Enjoy!!

Until next time...

2x4 Christmas Tree Craft

I know it's been forever since I posted, but life has gotten in my way.  I've been busy with work and getting ready for Christmas!!  Thought I'd stop and share a craft project I finished a few weeks ago.  It's a 2x4 Christmas tree.  My dad cut the wood for me right after Christmas last year and I finally got around to finishing it for this Christmas.  I love the way it turned out!!  So simple and understated.

I painted each piece with 1 coat of white acrylic paint and 2 coats of white glossy acrylic paint.  I like how it has a little shine to it.

I used foam stickers for the letters and just painted over them.

This is the perfect simple addition to my mantle.

My theme this Christmas is less is more.  Things don't always have to be fancy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!!

I hope you've enjoyed this craft.  So simple to make, but yet it looks so elegant!!  I hope to post some pictures of my living room decor soon (including my huge, brand new, Christmas tree!!).  I hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday season.  I seems to have just flown by this year!!  Merry Christmas!!

Until next time...

Believe Window Pane Christmas Card

Happy Monday y'all!!  Hope you've survived your Monday.  Thank goodness for a short week!!  And I had off today and I have off Friday!!  So 2 day work week for me!!

Here is the first of 3 different Christmas cards I am making this year.  I made a sample of each a couple of weekends ago and then made 3 additional ones of this version today during my day off from work.  It actually went quite quickly today since I already worked out all the kinks with the sample.  This is my first attempt at card making, and I'm fairly pleased with the results.  It was also my first time experimenting with stamping and die cutting.

The "Believe in the magic" and Santa stamps are from  Waltzing Mouse Stamps.

The window pane is a Sizzix die from Tim Holtz that I cut using my Fiskars Fuse and adapter plate set.

The santa is stamped with VersaMark (watermark ink) and then finished with heat and stick powder (mine was a glittery one), both from  Stampin' Up.

These shapes were cut using Spellbinders Labels 14 die set.

I matted a piece of Holiday scrapbook paper to a card for the background and then applied the cut out designs on top.  I then embellished the window sill with some holly berry stickers.

Inside I also matted another piece of Holiday scrapbook paper for the background.

I stamped this sentiment onto a tag cut out using my Fiskars Fuse tag die.

Here is design #2.

And the inside of design #2.

Sentiment of design #2.

Design #3.

Inside of design #3.

Sentiment of design #3.

And design #4.

Inside of design #4.

Sentiment of design #4.

I hope you enjoyed these cards.  I will be posting the other 2 versions as well once they are finished.  I had so much fun making these and experimenting with some new crafting techniques.  Stay tuned for more Christmas crafts.  Hopefully I'll get some recipes posted again soon!!

Until next time...

2x4 Chalkboard Christmas Countdown Sign

Here is my first Christmas craft project.  Yes I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet…but I just had to post this.  I made 4 other signs as well, but forgot to photograph them before I gifted to my mom, niece, and nephew at our early Thanksgiving celebration yesterday.  It sure was nice to see my family this weekend!!  I hate that I live 6 hours away.

I started with a 1ft piece of 2x4.  Then I painted it green and applied a brown wash to distress it.

I pained a small area in the corner with chalkboard paint for the countdown.  Then wrote "countdown to Christmas" with a paint pen.

I covered the back with scrapbook paper and sealed it with Modge Podge.

I added a clothespin covered with scrapbook paper to hold a Wish List or photograph.

I added a tree for embellishment.

I also added a stocking on the front for embellishment.

I think this turned out so cute!!

I had so much fun making these signs for my family.  I will probably make a few more and see if anyone wants to buy one.  Here is where I got my idea from.  It's such a simple, but creative idea.

I hope you enjoyed my first Christmas craft.  There will be more to come!!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving this week!!  And isn't it crazy that there's only 31 days until Christmas!!!  So much to do!!

Until next time...