Category: Holidays
Holidays, Savor

Baby Cakes

January 29
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Every year, close to Valentine’s Day, I serve up one of my family’s favorite treats…lavender pound cake!  The recipe makes the most wonderfully moist yet dense cake and the lavender gives it a slight flavor that’s hard for most to determine what it actually is!  And a couple things I love best about this cake…it can be baked in any form you desire (bundt pan, loaf pan, even cupcakes) and frozen until you need a sugary treat!  My favorite way to bake it is in a mini bundt pan.   My mom and I have collected several old, English Pudding pans and they work perfectly for making a baby-sized cake!  I love the miniature size…not just because it’s cute but it’s just right to indulge on without having sugar overload!  And since I’m infatuated with all the Xs and Os this Valentines, I figured I’d carry on with that theme…

xoxo pound cake!

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Create, Holidays

Wild for Wool!

January 18
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I love wool…whether it’s a cheerful, plaid throw or fuzzy sweater, I’m pretty partial to those snuggly fibers!  When I found these lovely little hearts a few years ago at Target, I just had to have them!  At the time I purchased them they were part of a Valentine garland.  It was completely adorable…but after I’ve used my decorations for a while, I try to recycle them into something different!  What I love most about re-purposing my favorite things is that I can hang on to them a little longer AND create something new and fresh!  This garland had been used in my Valentine displays for several years and it was time to give new life to these sweet, wooly hearts!   So I decided to cut them apart.  How cute would they be as fuzzy tags on a gift or maybe adorning my candy jars?  I really wanted to find a new place for these colorful little guys…so they had a slight reformation for the holiday!

happy, wool hearts…

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Create, Holidays

Calling All Cupids!

January 15
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You all know by now how much I like paper!  I really think paper can be one of the most simple & economical supplies to create just about anything your mind can imagine!  It comes in many sizes, weights, patterns, and shapes!  You can create your own designs or find wonderful paper craft kits that help you along the way!  Most crafting stores have isles and isles of paper possibilities…from tissues and actual sheets of parchment to cardboard boxes and die-cut shapes galore!  You can find banners and garlands and flags and confetti…all perfect for more than their original purpose!  If I’ve learned anything over my years of creating & crafting it’s to always look past what the packaging SAYS it is and think of all the other things it COULD be!  So Valentine’s Day is on its way and I suggest anyone can find inspiration wandering around favorite craft and party stores…always full of infinite possibilities!  Today I’ll share with you the simple creation I made for a holiday centerpiece using not much more than, you guessed it, paper!

a festive Valentine display…

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Create, Holidays

Lovin’ Those Tissue Tassels & Poms!

January 8
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Even though winter has really just begun…I’m ready for some spring color!  Maybe it’s because the weather has been so warm and the grass in our backyard is actually still green?  Maybe the thermometer has given the false impression that spring is just around the corner?  Or maybe the festivity of the holiday has merely spilled over making me want to keep everything happy and bright?  I’m not sure the real reason!  And even though I LOVE hunkering down indoors during the long winter nights I guess there’s no rule that states I can’t do that while surrounded by some cheerful hues!  So with the thought of Valentines Day on the distant horizon I added some pinks & purples just to make me smile!  I absolutely love tissue paper tassels and poms for making a room look whimsical and festive!  Mostly we think of using them for parties…but why wait for a celebration to perk up your spaces, right?  They’re easy and inexpensive to make…and now you can buy kits that have them practically put together for you!  So if you’re feeling the need for some colorful cheer…let some tassels & poms brighten your spaces!

whimsical, winter color…

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Favorite Things, Holidays

Cookie Fun!

December 23
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So it’s time to make those last holiday cookies to indulge on…or maybe leave out for the Big Man!  Even though we have PLENTY of sweets to eat around here, I just don’t think my holiday would be the same without some freshly baked & decorated Christmas cookies…making the kitchen smell heavenly as well as “sprinkled” with adornments that should be on the cookies but somehow end up just about everywhere else!  That’s how I like my kitchen to be in the days before Christmas eve!  This year I found some new cookie cutters that I just couldn’t resist!  And though we’ll still make some trees, stars, or reindeer…I thought the boys would have a little fun with a twist on the gingerbread men.  See the whimsical addition to our traditional cookies…

ninjabread men!

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Celebrate, Holidays

White Elephant Fun!

December 21
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I know I’ve mentioned Breakfast Club in the past…a morning every other week where moms (who no longer have little ones at home all day any more) meet for some coffee, nibbles, and always good company!  Right after school drop-off the host opens her doors for all to stop by for a quick cup of joe or to linger into the late morning!  It’s really a lot of fun and a great way to catch up with old friends AND meet some new ones!  I decided to volunteer to host the last gathering before Christmas break…and lucky for me it just happened to be the annual White Elephant Gift Exchange!  And even better–one of my friends offered to co-host it with me!  Needless to say, I had SO much fun preparing for this final Breakfast Club of the year!  And when the morning arrived it was filled with plenty of laughter and joy–a fabulous way to start the festivities of the holiday!

jolly, holiday fun!

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Create, Holidays

Easy Holiday DIY!

December 18
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Still looking for some gift ideas?  Or maybe just a project to do with the kids over the long holiday break?  Either way, this DIY project is fun, easy, and useful!  Earlier this year my mom brought me some lotion that her creatively gifted friend had made.  It was so wonderfully scented and luxuriously creamy I used mine up rather quickly and had to find out how she made it!  Well, it turned out to be a pretty simple recipe and I thought it would not only make wonderful gifts but a nice way to treat myself from time to time!  So if you’re in need of some holiday favors, hostess gifts, or presents for under the tree…take a peek at this wonderful DIY project!

soothe those hard-working holiday hands!

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Create, Holidays

Mini Forest

December 16
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I get so excited to decorate my holiday table for Christmas dinner!  I also love to try new recipes…but since my family members are creatures of habit, I often serve up many of the same recipes for our holiday meal each year!  It’s hard to deviate from something that works and everyone looks forward to!  But as far as decorations are concerned…I have plenty of freedom to experiment!  I don’t think I’ll hear any complaining about the color I choose for the table runner, but it would be an outrage if there was no sweet potato casserole!  So since the menu is pretty set…I’ll be content to play around with the table decor and create something special for our meal together!  I haven’t yet decided on a centerpiece…but I can tell you it will be simple!  But while busily crafting for Giggle this season, I’ve had the opportunity to have plenty of holiday supplies on hand, some of which inspired the idea for place cards on my Christmas table!  I love simple DIY projects…and this one is so easy and requires minimal AND inexpensive supplies from the craft store!  Have a peek at what I’m making…

a mini forest for the table!

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