Goodbye to 2010

Out with the old, in with the new!

     I have enjoyed taking the last week off from blogging, FB, surfing the web. It was great to hang out with my awesome teenagers. We have been playing Band Hero, Just Dance, catch with the football, Scrabble. We have caught up on our DVD movies, baked, slept, played and laughed! We just got a good dumping of snow last night so I have a feeling we will be sledding down the hill out back this morning. I hope all of you have had a relaxing and joyful holiday break also.

     I got some fun new toys from Santa this year. I have been sneaking time to curl up by the fire and read on my new Kindle. I love this little ebook reader! Luke asked me to read The Hunger Games first, I downloaded it for $5 and am 65% done! I am actually looking forward to waiting at dance, soccer and carpool now! I also got some great new Cricut Carts, as seen below. Now to lock myself in the craft room and get to creating! I think I will attempt to this afternoon.

     I have been jotting down ideas for the blog for the new year. I am hoping to flesh the ideas out today/tomorrow and hit the ground running! Here's to a Fabulous 2011!

Merry Christmas!

We had fun exploring the Broadmoor Hotel this week. There were some beautiful gingerbread houses, Christmas trees and holiday decor. Here's to a very merry Christmas!

OK, these are my new favorite sugar cookies! Absolutely love that the dough doesn't need to be chilled for hours and that there is only one tiny revision for altitude baking! Thank you Bake @ 350!


Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I've stored vanilla beans in)
 2 sticks (salted) butter, cold
 1 egg
 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350. (Only high altitude change is to cut baking soda to 1 3/4 tsp.)

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling. 

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Noel Banner

I finished this today and wanted to get it up so I could share. I plan on adding some "oomph" to the corner bows later. I also shared this over at Today's Creative Blog for her "Get Your Craft On" day. You should go check out the hundreds of great projects being shared over there today!

I had fun making the folded rosette circles, they are tricky when you are first learning how to do them though. It was trial and error for the right size and I almost think I could make them larger next time. That's part of the fun of creating right? Learning by trial and error? The letters are cut from Doodle Bug Glitter paper using the Storybook Cricut Cartridge.

I would love to see Christmas banners you all have done, leave me a message with a link so I can peek, please?

Coconut Custard Pie

I have been trying new recipes for the past week, hoping I'll find a new holiday favorite. I found myself going back to my tried and true holiday stash by the end of the week though. The new recipes were fine, they just didn't taste like Christmas. Coconut Custard Pie, now that is Christmas! I started making this back when the kids were both babies and don't recall where I originally found the recipe. If you like custard I highly recommend you get out your blender and give this a try. Paired with whipped cream and a strong cup of black coffee, you can't go wrong.

Coconut Custard Pie

2 Cups milk

1 Cup sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup flour

6 Tbls butter

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp salt

1 Cup coconut

In a Blender, combine milk, sugar, eggs flour, butter, vanilla and salt. Cover and blend for 10 seconds; scrape the sides. Blend for another 10 seconds. Add coconut; blend for 2 seconds. Pour into a greased 10-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Serve warm...or cold. Refrigerate leftovers.

Sleigh Bells Ring

Whew, what a crazy busy week with kids and decorating and tree trimming! I was feeling quite nostalgic and homesick this week for the Pacific NW. The greenery, the snow capped glacier, the gray skies and cold air. It always feels overwhelming to decorate a new home. You'd think I'd be a pro at it after 18 years as an Army wife!

It felt nice to sit in the craft room tonight and play with my Joys of the Season Cricut Cartridge. I made this cute little card for the Flaunt it Fridays challenge. Simple, and sweet. Reminding me of Christmases past.

Busy time of year

I am taking a little time off from blogging this week to catch up on some things around here. The holiday season has caught up with me! Enjoy a cup of Joe, the twinkle lights and crisp winter air!

Layouts

I spent the evening scrapbooking with Jacque last night. We went to Archiver's (dangerous!) this time. There were so many cute ideas in the store! It was fun to get some layouts done. This first one is for Hannah's High School book.

I got 2 one page LO's done and 2 two page LO's started last night. Here is the other one pager about my kid's discovering that their Nintendo DS's had WIFI. 

Glitter Everywhere

      I worked on this little Peace sign today an managed to get fine iridescent glitter everywhere! In my hair, on my clothes, all over the work table. Looks like it will be sparkly around here for a few days! The sign was fun to make. I used Joys of the Season Cricut Cartridge, burgundy paint, Tacky Glue and some ultra fine glitter I found tucked in the back of a drawer. I ended up using Modge Podge to seal the card stock to the wood.

Peace Out!

Gingerbread

     I was going through some old cookbooks, looking for a cheesecake bar I have been wanting to try. As I pulled one of the books off the shelf a recipe card fell to the floor. "Grandmamas Gingerbread". A flood of memories came rushing in as I held the card. My grandma Helga passed many years ago, but I still think of her often. She taught me to can and bake when I was a young mother. I still use her pyrex mixing bowls that she used to fill with fresh raspberries and cream, for me when I was a little girl. 

     Needless to say, I quickly forgot about cheesecake bars and got busy baking gingerbread! The house smells so fabulous right now! I brewed some Seattle's Best Sleigh Bell coffee and the afternoon was complete. The recipe is included below the photo, for those of you who are craving some spicy gingerbread and cream. Happy December 1st!

Grandma Helga’s Gingerbread

(*High altitude directions can be found at bottom of recipe.)

½ Cup margarine

½ Cup sugar

1 egg

1 Cup molasses

2-½ Cups sifted flour

1-½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp salt

1 Cup hot water

Cream margarine and sugar together in a mixer. Add egg and molasses; mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add to sugar mixture; mix well. Add hot water and mix until smooth. Turn into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 fro 30-40 minutes. Let cool, serve with whipped cream, (homemade is best!) and a dusting of nutmeg.

*High Altitude Directions: ½ Cup sugar minus 1 Tbls, add 4 Tbls flour, decrease baking soda by ¼ tsp, increase oven temperature to 365 and bake 25-30 minutes.

Advent Calendar

Advent: arrival that has been awaited (especially of something momentous)

As promised, I am ready to share the advent calendar I was working on yesterday. I have always liked the mini muffin tin idea so that's where I started. Hannah and I decided that the old one we had in the cupboard had more character than buying anew one. I only use it a couple of times a year so I won't miss it in the next 24 days! I made the scalloped circles with the Sweet Treats Cricut cartridge out of 5 coordinating papers from the My Mind's Eye Sweet Dreams Holiday Ave stack. The numbers, ribbon, bling, embellishments were all stuff I already had in my stash. (OK, I did buy the Santa at Michael's on Friday!) I cut little rectangle of magnet with adhesive on one side, then adhered to top and bottom of backs of circles. This will keep the treats in until the appointed day!

Tucked behind the circles are sweet treats.

The only thing I would do differently, if I made another one, is to make the circles larger. I cut these at 2.25 and I think 2.50 would have been a better fit for this muffin tin. Oh yeah, I have this on an easel on the counter, but it could easily be hung also.

I'd love to see the advent calendars y'all are making or have made. My neighbor's girls are making theirs out of toilet paper tubes. I can't wait to see the finished products!

A Snow Day

I woke up to snow this morning! There was just enough to make it pretty and clean, not enough to make driving morning carpool a hazard. Just how I like it! The snow made me want to light the fire, turn on my Pandora Christmas radio and get to decorating with twinkle lights and plaid and greens. I got the little tree in the kitchen done, among other things. (Love my little Coffee Shop ornament I found at Artco last year.)

My little doggie is doing so much better tonight, which makes me feel better too. So sad when they get sick and can't tell you what's wrong. She laid on the floor in the scrap room while I worked on my advent calendar, which I will be sharing tomorrow. It needs a few tweaks still. I made this cute little coffee cup card today also. Inside it reads "Taking a break from the daily grind to see how you've bean." The cup is from the Joys of The Season Cricut cartridge. You know that little cup is going to get a lot of use around here!

Nothing new and exciting here. I spent today recovering from all of the fun this weekend! (I even squeezed a nap in.) My little Doggie is sick, we are off to the Vet tomorrow. I have been babying her, wishing I could make it better.

I do have big plans for this week. Hannah and I want to make an Advent calendar. I have a plan for a banner for the dining room, Twinkle Toes projects, some snowy crafts and a few recipes I have to try.

What's on your crafty list for this week?

Thanks Paula at Raspberry and Lime Designs for sending me this award! My first blog award ever! 

Now, this award does come with some rules so please follow along:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this

2. Share 8 things about yourself

3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered

4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards

8 Things About Me

1. Fall is my favorite season.

2. I owned a family Lifestyle Photography business for years.

3. On cold winter evenings I like a little Jameson in my coffee. :)

4. My favorite color is RED.

5. I will be starting my practicum hours to complete my certificate for Speech Language Pathology Assisting in January.

6. I have a little wire haired fox terrier who is my joy, a little heartbeat at my feet. Her name is Millie Star.

7. I wait impatiently for the Gingerbread Lattes to arrive at Starbucks every year.

8. My favorite dessert is Creme Brulee, yuuummmm!

8 Stylish Blogs to go Check Out

These gals all have so much talent, enjoy!

1 - Little Peace of My Heart

2 - Inside BruCrew Life

3 - The Creative Stampers Spot

4 - The Homegrown Hospitality Blog

5 - Inspirational Craft Blogs

6 -  Crafty Ramblings

7 - Made Fresh Daily

8 - Honeybean Creations

Happy Black Friday to Me!

Got my $20 Twinkle Toes Cartridge today! Can't wait to play with it. I have loads of dance photos to scrapbook, not to mention cards/gifts for the dance teachers and carpool this year! What fun crafty things did you get for yourself today?

Chipboard Letters

The house smells so yummy tonight! Pumpkin Pie cake, Pecan Pie, Cider...yum. I love Thanksgiving!

While the pies were cooling I worked on these chipboard letters for some special girls. My wall color doesn't do them justice, but since I have no white walls in this house....it will have to do.

The letters are from Hobby Lobby and I used the Wild Card cartridge for Cricut for the name tags and embellishments. (Used Gorilla Glue to adhere the white ribbon to the backs for hanging.)

Back Porch Time!

My Back Porch Memories kit arrived while I was gone yesterday! It had some super cute stuff this month. Here is the Seaside line from October Afternoon. How perfect, I just pulled the photos from our trip to Seaside, OR!

As I listened to the wind howling down the mountain, I finished this LO. 

I used the flip side of the striped paper, called Boardwalk. Bazzill card stock, Letters are made using Base Camp for Cricut and the tags  were made with Plantin Schoolbook for Cricut. 

I have been MIA the past couple of days because...

...we took the kids to Copper mountain to ski and snowboard! It was 10 degrees, snowing and beautiful. 

Legendary

Another LO for Hannah's High School album. I used a Page Maps LO sketch for this one. it also happens to qualify for their contest this month. 

(Felt Fashions flower by Provo Craft, Cricut Cartridges - Life's a Beach, Base Camp and Sweet Treats, Bazzill Just the Edge French Vanilla, and Dream Street Papers - Enchanted "Happily Ever After")

Ah ha!

It needed Geckos! Yes, I redid the card this morning after a fresh cup of coffee. :)

(Life's a Beach Cartridge for Cricut)

Aloha

I don't know if it was the warm, almost balmy weather today or the "to do" list always going in the back of my mind, but I just couldn't seem to tap into my creativity this afternoon. I wanted to create something for the color/Life's a Beach challenge over at Scrappin' 5 Little Cupcakes ...and this is as far as I got! Hmm, it is missing something, I know. Maybe if I revisit it tomorrow.... maybe that turtle needs to go....maybe if I have another cup of coffee....

Thanksgiving Thoughts

In just over a week we will gather with friends and family to celebrate all that we are thankful for. I am thankful for so many, many blessing in my life.

Today, I am especially thankful for GRACE. 
Grace has held our dear friend's marriage together though a very difficult trial, Grace has held my sweet friend C. after her husband chose to leave this world early, Grace holds my fellow military wives as they soldier on alone during long deployments, Grace holds my children each day as they navigate the teen years, and it holds me.

 Grace is the love of a Heavenly Father who hears us ~ John 11:41

Thanksgiving isn't just a day...it is a way of life. What are you thankful for today?

Good Neighbors

We were blessed with wonderful neighbors when we moved to Colorado. For Thanksgiving I wanted to do something special to tell them how much we appreciate them. I am planning on whipping up some Pumpkin Cappuccino Muffins (see post from earlier this month) and delivering them with this adorable house/neighbor card. I am going to put the addresses above the doors too, so cute.

(Wild Card for Cricut)

Lotsa Layouts

I had so much fun last night! Thanks to Jacque, Ann and Stacy for a fun, crafty evening! I ended up getting 5 LO's done last night and Ann helped me finish putting together the kits for Tuesdays PWOC project. Stacy and JAcque got some great projects and LO's done too! Here are a few of the LO's I did last night. (Thanks for leaving your Cricut cartridges here Jacque! I stayed up too late playing!)

I used Sweet Treats for Cricuit on this LO. Simple and done, just my style!

Base Camp for Cricut for the white letters, Jasmine for Cricut for "the".  (Wish you had been here to play last night Shelly! Scrapping these pictures made me miss you and the girls.)

Thickers, Basic Grey "Primitive" pattern paper, Monkey stickers from Michael's .

Snow Days

We have had snow flurries off and on for the past few days. It is making me want to curl up next to the fire with a good book and a cup of Deadman's Reach. Needless to say, I haven't gotten much else done! This is a snow LO I did this year. I played with paint on my page for the first time and was immediately addicted! The little snowflakes with jewels are from Jolees. The adorable boy is mine. ;) Here's to lots of snow this winter...and even more snowy fun LO's!

(I will have tons more to share tomorrow, Jacque is coming to play in the scrap room with me tonight! It will be good to get my hands dirty and my work space messy again after a couple of days off.)

Veteran's Day

I didn't get any crafting done today because I was enjoying my Veteran Sweetie's  day off from work. I did get to read my CK magazine while waiting for Hannah at dance though! Love that it came with a disk of page maps/sketches! I also found this cute Red, White and Blue ribbon pack for $2 at Big Lots.

(P.S. That's my little Henna Pumpkin I painted using puff paint.)

Table Setting

I had fun today making place cards for the Thanksgiving table. I used the Marquee from Storybook for Cricut, some pretty letter stickers by Fancy Pants and flowers/brads from Heidi Swapp. I made a cute little Menu board too. Fun making stuff with items you have stashed away in a drawer..."oh yeah, I have frames!" I need to get better at photographing what I am making, I feel like the pics aren't doing the projects justice. Gonna experiment tomorrow some.

Christmas Tag

I promised myself I wouldn't start blogging about Christmas stuff until Thanksgiving weekend. Then I started wrapping gifts....

I have a very awesome, devoted, patriotic, loving soldier in my life who is going to be in Afghanistan this Christmas. To make sure my sister gets her Christmas decor and gifts in time to enjoy them, I have to get her box out in the next week...thus the early Christmas post. Her box is filled with all sorts of goodies, some to enjoy throughout the season and some to save for Christmas Day. (Jessica, if you are reading this then I have spoiled some of the surprise, sorry.)

I made the sweetest little tags for her gifts using the Cricut (love this machine!). Just a simple green Christmas Tree from Potpourri Basket Cartridge, shadowed with tan (3.5 inches in size). A little red jewel brightens the whole thing up. I wasn't planning on making homemade tags for everyone this year, but now that I see how easy it will be with the Cricut I may just surprise myself!

Peace

Peace: a state of tranquillity or serenity.

This is a project I am teaching at PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) next week. When Amanda asked for projects for the craft day I immediately thought of scrap booking on canvas. I knew I could put together a kit that could be finished in the time alloted and that the ladies would be able to keep or gift to someone else. Because PWOC is a Christian based group I wanted to focus on a faith oriented project....Psalm 23 and the word Peace. I had fun designing this for the class next week and hope the ladies have as much fun making their own! 

(Supplies - 8x10 painters canvas from Hobby Lobby, 8.5x11 pattern paper, 5x7 photograph, coordinating card stock scraps, grosgrain ribbon by Ribbon Trends and a Flower Center by Prima Marketing.)

Pumpkin Cappuccino Chip Muffins

Photo Credit: Jocelyn at Inside Brucrew Life

Jocelyn over at BruCrew Life (a foodie blog I follow) took my Fall fetish for pumpkin and my love of coffee and made these yummy muffins! Of course I tried them! I tweaked it a little for altitude and personal taste. I added my changes in orange at the end of the recipe. Enjoy! 


Pumpkin Cappuccino Chip Muffins
(adapted from Starbucks recipe)

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 packet Starbucks VIA (I used 2 tsp. espresso powder instead)
1 c. mini chocolate chips (optional, but who are we kidding...everything is better with chocolate!)

BruCrew Additions
1 c. canned pumpkin
2-3 tbsp. sour cream
4 tbsp. extra flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350*. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined. Do not over stir, batter should be lumpy. Add the chocolate chips...it isn't optional:-). Fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy! Makes about 24 muffins.


I did not add chocolate chips. For altitude I cut baking powder by 1/2 tsp and added 5 Tbs extra flour instead of 4. I baked at 360* for 22 minutes. You will need to experiment with the high altitude changes based on where you live.

For Gigi

Simple. A special note for my Grandma Louise.

(Basic Grey pattern paper, Storybook for Cricuit, stickles.)

4th Grade LO

Time sure flies! Just finished this LO of Luke's 4th Grade Moving On ceremony, he's in 8th grade now! (Yes, I am hopelessly a chronological scrapper.) In my quest to catch up on my LO's I am trying to balance simple LO's with more time consuming ones. KISS, right? (Keep It Simple Silly)

(Bazzill c/s, Hibiscus from Storybook for Cricut, stickles, SU! Chalks.)

School Spirit

Hannah started High School this year and I decided to do a High School album for her. Both the kids have a baby book, but the rest of the photos all go into family albums. High School seems to be so full of special memories that I thought they should be in their own personal book. I am still looking for ideas for the cover page of the album, I have a plan for the School Photo for each year, the rest will be filled with teenaged shenanigans and accomplishments!

Here is the first LO I did for her book:

(Bazzill c/s, Creative Imaginations Sports Extreme patterned paper, Plantin School Book "Roly Poly" Cartridge (Cricut), ribbon, Tim Holtz mini fastener.)

Twilight Fans Only

As promised, here is a peek at the Twilight mini chipboard book I worked on Friday night. I lost the third ring so just imagine it is there, covered in ribbon. I also haven't had time to sit and journal about the trip so if you are one of those people who likes to zoom in and read the journaling, sorry. :)

The laser cut words/dies were purchased at a scrapbook store in Tacoma, WA. I think she has gone to an online store now also, I will do some looking and add a link soon. The apple is from a New York sticker set...yes I bought the stickers just for the apple!

A photo (from the internet) of the books that led me to take 4 teens to Forks, WA for Spring break!

La Push is beautiful! The kids and I could have stayed and played there for a couple more days. Since we didn't see any werewolves while we were there, I thought maybe a Taylor Lautner/Jacob Black photo would "dress" the page up a bit...tee hee.

Crop Time

Friday got away from me before I could post anything. Luke was home from school, teacher planning day, and I was busy getting projects ready for the Crop Jacque and I were going to at Archivers. 6 uninterrupted hours of crafting! So, in honor of the crop, here is a photo of the creative mess we made...good thing we didn't have to share the table with two other people.

I was working on a chipboard book about our Twilight trip to Forks, WA. All I have left to do is journal and add ribbon. Hope to have it ready to share with you tomorrow.

Spooky LO

Time got away from me today! Here is a Halloween layout I made. Super simple, some ribbon, a Jolee's sticker and sticker letters. Happy Haunting!

Halloween Treats

I made these tasty treats last year for Halloween and plan on making them again this weekend for neighbors and friends. I got the idea from last year's Sandra Lee magazine. I made brownies, cut out circles with a biscuit cutter and then decorated with icing. The eye on the monster one is a chocolate covered espresso bean, of course!

I helped my neighbor make the cutest Ghost Rice Krsipy treats this morning for her youngests class party today. Talk about cute! She whipped up the cereal treats, pressed into ghost shaped molds and ta-da! So many cute and yummy ideas out there and so little time!

Back Porch

It's that time of the month again...time for my Back Porch Memories Kit delivery! Thanks Lesa and Judy for turning me onto these great kits! I love my Medley!

And of course I dug right in and started creating with all the pretty new paper and embellies!

Maple Grove - Hickory pattern paper from We R Memory Keepers, Glitter button, Gold Organdy ribbon SU! Used my fave Cricuit cartidge - Potpourri Basket - for the leaves.)

Archivers Canvas

My friend Jacque and I took a Wall Decor class at Archivers on Friday. We made these 3 piece canvas wall hangings with the kit they provided. Of course, I tweaked the kit colors and made it more "me". The photo is of all the Cousins on my husbands side from Thanksgiving. I finished it up at home by cutting out the word "Family" with my Cricuit, (Plantin Schoolbook). It now hangs in the dining room where we can all enjoy the fun memory of the cousin photo shoot.

(click on photo to enlarge)

If you like canvas art, check back in a couple of weeks when I post the project I designed for a class I am teaching at Ft. Carson in November.

Boo Card

It's a gorgeous Sunday afternoon here on the mountain. While the guys were watching football I made this adorable little "boo" card. I used the Cricuit Potpourri Basket cartridge for the pumpkin and a 99 cent Halloween bling from Micheal's. The pattern paper is from the scrap stash...K&Company "Tim Coffey Fall Stripe". I chalked up the cute little pumpkin, inked the edges of the pattern paper with black and ta-da!

(Sorry the image is a little fuzzy, I was rushing to get this posted before I ran out to do some family photos for friends. You get the idea though right?)

Yummmm!

After much experimenting, I have conquered high altitude baking, at least as far as this recipe is concerned! This is my favorite Fall treat, next to candy corn. Pair it with a cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee, a seasonal treat by Millstone, and it can't get much better!

Spicy Pumpkin Bars

(regular altitude recipe)

4 large eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup Canola oil

2 cups (16 oz can) solid pack pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

walnut pieces and/or cool whip, nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. In mixer, beat eggs until frothy; beat in sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in oil and pumpkin. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and fold into egg mixture. Do not over mix. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done through. Cool and cut into squares. You can top each square with a walnut piece or with cool whip and a dusting of nutmeg.

Hannah - Pumpkins

 Hannah wanted to make something fun for Halloween this year. She decided on painting these petite pumpkins with Chalkboard paint and then writing notes on them with one of my favorite markers the Zig Writer Chalk Collection.

The one for her dance teacher is my favorite, too cute with "Shake Your BOO-ty this Halloween!" She added some black gingham ribbon and wired ghost garland we had in the Halloween stash. Super cute Miss Hannah!