Embracing Winter

There is a crispness and clarity to the air at this time of year and all of my senses are awakened. In addition to snowboarding excursions, bundled up winter walks, and afternoons of somewhat sketchy ice-skating followed by cold feet…hub and I now have yet another outlet for embracing the long winters…snowshoes!
We forged some trails on our property (and beyond our property too!) this past weekend and I was able to see things from a new vantage point and notice the little things too, that I could never see before:
…a few bird nests tucked into crevices of tree branches…now I know where all our feathered friends fly back to at night after a busy day at our feeder…
…curiously old tree stumps, my favorite one is very large with a brick red hue to it (bottom left corner photo)…it makes me ponder how old the tree is and what it looked like at one time…
…a bright green patch of moss covering the base of a tree…this healthy vibrancy always amazes me when everything else seems so lifeless at this time of year…
…plenty of old, decrepit trees speckled with holes of various sizes, evidence of our resident woodpeckers…
…pretty Red Twig Dogwood branches randomly poking this way and that, adding a bit more color to the landscape…
…and finally, breathtakingly bold, red winter berries dangling down above our heads as we passed underneath…
Goodness! I sometimes can’t believe we really live here in this peaceful, beautiful place!

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P.S. I almost forgot to mention...whenever I'd catch up to hub, I'd find him lying down on his back in a soft pile of snow, a gentle smile upon his cute face. :)

Handmade with Love...

Handmade with Love

{a few gifts I gave}

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~set of 4 tree stump felt coasters...sooo hard to part with!

(first attempted here, instructions here)

~jumbo woodland sparkle ornament

(first posted about here, similar to this one here)

~bird on branch yarn wreath

(ala the constant gatherer, constant inspiration, first attempted here)

~oodles of homemade cookies...because who doesn't love a cookie?

(one recipe I made seen here)
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I love to impart a touch of the handmade into many of my gifts...especially to those who I know really enjoy that sort of thing. Some other handmade things not pictured included matchboxes, handknit dish cloths, cards, and tags. It has been a busy season of crafting for certain!

Now another wonderful Christmas season full of many blessings has come and gone...and I'm looking ahead to the new year, new possibilities, and new inspirations as I realize many of the things I made this Christmas were inspirations from throughout this past year.

It's exciting to think ahead to what new delights 2009 will bring, a present just waiting to be unwrapped!

Visitors...

This pair of deer were just passing through our yard last Monday and I loved the photos I snapped of them in the full light of day, the sun shining brightly off the fresh snow and casting large shadows upon the crisp white canvas.

I think these deer are young brothers because I’m most certain I’ve seen them traveling together before and they each have the tiniest antlers. I don’t know when I’ll tire of taking pictures of these seemingly sweet, gentle creatures.

Goodbye for now...

We’ll be visitors over the next several days as we go to see all our family…looking forward to it oh so much.

Merry Christmas to you!

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But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2: 10-11

A Weekend of “Firsts” {Ham & Bread}

I know, ham & bread doesn’t sound too monumental as “firsts”. But being a young, twenty-something married couple (hey, I have to say that while I still can!) we don’t really have occasion much to bake big roasts of any kind of meat (especially since ½ of this married couple –me!– is mostly vegetarian). But while Hub was grocery shopping with me the other night, he spontaneously decided to buy a 7 ½ pound ham…for himself. It helped they were on sale too I guess. (Just so you know, he’s not deprived of his protein in any way…I make him pork chops, hamburger or sausage when we have pasta, we eat lots of chicken and deli turkey, occasionally he’ll make himself a steak, and come summer he does lots of grilling…okay, I feel better now that I’ve absolved myself of any guilt!)

Before he baked his ham, I decided earlier in the day to make my first loaf of homemade bread. Growing up in the era when bread makers were highly popular, I thought that was how you made real homemade bread. Or else you bought bread from the grocery store in the long plastic bag, pre-sliced for sandwiches and full of preservatives. Or you could get really exotic and use frozen bread dough. Perhaps I was naïve but I thought no one (except true bakeries) actually made their own bread anymore. I assumed it was some really complicated process involving leavening, a bit of magic, and endless amounts of flour covering all surfaces by the time you were finished. But just recently my Mum started making her own bread from scratch and ever since Hub has been not so subtly suggesting I give it a try too. So I finally did. It was sooo good and didn’t involve too much magic. He loved putting slices of his ham and some cheese upon it too. So although unplanned, our weekend of “firsts” happened to complement each other very well!

Here’s the bread recipe as told to me over the phone by Mum:

1) Place the following ingredients in a mixing bowl in this order:
-2 packets active dry yeast
-1 cup warm water
-1/3 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-3 cups flour
-2 ½ tsp salt
-¼ cup butter – soft or melted
-1 cup warm milk
2) Beat with mixer on medium-low speed for 3 minutes.
3) Then stir in 3 to 3 ¼ cups more flour ( I used just 3 and incorporated more while kneading.)
4) Knead dough on a well-floured surface (bread board) until smooth and satiny, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
5) Put in a greased bowl (I used a little butter), cover (with a clean dishtowel) and let rise until light and airy, about 1 hour.
6) Form into loaves or buns, or one big loaf as I chose to do…Hub kept referring to it as the “motherloaf”. I baked my one big loaf on a cookie tray sprayed first with a little olive oil. I scored the top of my loaf, brushed with some olive oil, and sprinkled with a touch of flaky sea salt and sesame seeds. While the sesame seeds looked nice, for the most part they very promptly fell off upon cutting! I baked it for about 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Adjust the length of time depending on how you’re baking your bread...rolls or mini loaves, etc…Just be sure it is very golden brown and sounds hollow when you pat it on top.
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P.S. I also finally learned that elusive (to me) knitting technique this weekend…”knitting in the round”! So exciting...I’m working on mittens!

P.P.S. Another big snow swept through these parts over the weekend too…windy conditions created some beautiful, soft snowdrifts upon the landscape:

Ruffled Details

A little gift (to me, from me) arrived much earlier than expected in the mail today: these brown leather ruffled riding boots…what really hooked me was the small ruffle detail along the top and seams on these boots. I’m a sucker for details. And then they arrived and I found some more sweet details:

Deliciously pink leather insides…

Adorably cute leafy stem patterned soles…I was also drawn to these boots because they seemed so practical. The best part…they fit perfectly, are super comfortable, and my skinny jeans easily tuck into them. Plus, I think they’d be cute paired with a dress or skirt as well. I’m also a sucker for boots too! Perfecto!
P.S. I know I may be absolutely ridiculous for taking photos of my boots, but I was just too, too excited! :)

Smoke & Candles {Elements of the Season}

Two of our favorite things, small simple treasures, we love to bring out each Christmas season, both involve smoke & candles: our tiny tin smoker house and our candle pyramid…both made in Germany…both deemed photo-shoot worthy. :) The smoker house is made of metal and oh so tiny and sweet. The burning of one little incense cone doesn’t last very long, but the subtle, lingering smoky scent reminds me of all things woodsy, cozy, and Christmas-y.
Although I’m fascinated by the intricate details and moving parts that make up our candle pyramid, its depiction of the manger scene and placement at the center of our table is our ever-present, very central reminder of the purpose behind this season for us.
My in-laws have a very elaborate pyramid with 3 or 4 tiers of hand-carved wooden Wintry, Christmas scenes. I love to "ooh and aah" over theirs, but I’m also quite smitten with our little version too!
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While there are so many things that I feel need to be done at this time of year, I find myself wanting to slow down and enjoy the simple things too…like photographing some holiday treasures and fiddling on the computer! And wanting to take in & enjoy the goodness and fullness of life at this time too...the decorations, the gatherings, even the friendly (and now-familiar) mailman's face as he is frequently bringing packages to the door (since both Hub & I did a good chunk of our shopping online this year). And most importantly thinking on the Gift we've already been given.
So now, to get going on baking some Christmas goodies…that’s a “need to do” kind of thing, right? ;)
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P.S. There are so many neat places online if you google "German Smokers" or "Christmas Pyramids" to see more and learn about their origin...I really love the little wooden figurine smokers too!

P.P.S. No, I'm not a smoker myself, in case you were wondering...

Snowed In

The terrain was enveloped in the first major snowstorm of the season, causing the entire day to be thoroughly cast in sepia tones and chalky whites. And while the snow and wind were relentless, building snowdrifts upon the windows, we heeded the advice to stay in and off the roads today, allowing me sufficient time to work on some Christmas-y tasks and make my "from scratch" chicken noodle soup. A lone deer even came to settle in our back woods and hunkered down to wait out the harsh elements of the day…sustained winds ranging from 30 to 40 miles per hour and what seemed like endless snow! I was wishing I had a better camera that could capture his snowy features that I could see looking through our binoculars. He held his head to the wind as his body gradually was buried under layers of snow.

Then, later this evening, perhaps feeling a bit "cabin fever-y", Hub and I decided to venture out to see what the day had brought us in terms of white matter. Under the darkness of evening, we trekked through our woods, across parts of our property that had yet to be explored by us. While I was a bit reticent, Hub pushed onward and I declared that I must hold onto his gloved hand as I fretted about stepping upon some hibernating family of creatures. The white, snow-covered land, trees adorned with Christmas lights, and occasional truck passing by, provided just enough light for us to find our way. We ended our outdoor adventures by grabbing an old snowboard and riding it down a hilly slope in our yard, landing in precarious positions all the while getting snow up my back and in my sleeves, reminding me of the "kids" we really still are.

{above, our snow-covered deck railing at night}

The Tree Story...

The weekend was full to the brim of the prettiest snowfall, Christmas tree/house-decorating, hot apple cider, homemade chex mix, games, laughter, and a very snowy Sunday afternoon walk. And it ended with happy tears as we watched the Hallmark movie on Sunday night. (I almost always tear up during Hallmark movies…and sometimes the commercials too, yes. I can’t help it.) But before all of this could ensue, we had to start the weekend by running a few errands on Friday afternoon…

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We'd planned to just stop by while on our way headed out to run our errands and ask how much for the spindly, spare-branched, Charlie Brown-type trees. Next thing we know we’re in their house, hearing tales from their life history. Married 58 years. 9 children. 39 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Wars fought. Triumphs and trials along the way. Heartwarming “Christmas tree-buying” stories throughout the years. And mysteriously, every character in every story he told looked like either Hub or I. We laughed so hard. And we even cried. Or at least Pappy and I did. Pappy is such a sweet man. 78 years old (if I recall correctly) and he started planting trees when he was just 6. There’s something sort of meaningful and irresistible about buying a tree from him…our neighbor a mile or so down the road...his front yard full of Balsam trees and strung with those big, old-fashioned Christmas lights. We bought our tree from him last year too…our 1st Christmas here in our new home, new town...and it never dropped a needle. It was a beautiful, full tree. But this year we had other tree-buying plans...we were going to drive out to some land that Hub’s work owns on Saturday. On this day, you could cut down your own tree for $8 and be treated to warm drinks afterwards. It sounded so ideal, so picturesque. But we really couldn’t resist Pappy and his offer of any Charlie Brown tree we wanted for $10.

A whole hour later, tree in hand, Hub decides that since we live so close and the tree is rather dainty, I should drive home and he should just hang onto the tree out the car window. Seriously. It was about this time that it started to snow too. And I laughed harder than I have in a very long time the entire mile home. I think he got this idea from my Dad who's told us about the time he drove home while holding onto a Christmas tree out the car window at the same time. I reminded Hub of this minor detail that my Dad also drove while holding onto his tree. He replied with something like…"I know, he’s one up on me there…Just. Get. Home!” Yet he still has a pretty good story to pass on to our children someday too!

I’m so happy to finally have a little, spindly tree. Since it’s sort of in the center of our living/family room, I wanted it sparse so you could see through it. Hub always prefers a very full, healthy-looking tree and I’ve always wanted one like this...a little bit sad and tender-looking, and now I couldn’t be more pleased! With fewer branches there’s far more room to dangle ornaments. I’ve decided this is my favorite tree we’ve ever had...and I think Hub is now starting to come around to my side of thinking too!

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P.S. Below are some pics from today...the trees are entirely full of snow, clinging to every little branch and looking precisely like the definition of a "winter wonderland"...brightness & whiteness, every which way I look!

Sparkly Pinecone Garland {project 4}

Sparkly Pinecone Garland {project 4}
This is something I came up with last winter while gathering up pinecones on a walk to add a little cheer to my windows. It reminds me of that sweet trim made of pom-poms spaced evenly on wire…but this is more of a cross between woodsy & whimsy. When the wind blows they create a soft rattle against the window that I came to find very cozy and soothing last winter. And on a long, cold winter afternoon, the sun glistens off the pinecones, enhancing the glittery effect and adding some much needed sparkly light during this darker time of the year.

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{gather}
~pinecones
~fishing line, ribbon, or twine

(I like the durability of fishing line for outside use & the invisibility of it.)
~glitter
~glitter glue/craft glue
~scissors

{make}
Tie the pinecones onto the fishing line, near the top, spacing them evenly apart…about 5 inches or so. Then, working with one pinecone at a time, glue and shake on glitter to coat, shaking off any excess. Let dry thoroughly before hanging. Enjoy the sparkle!

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This is my last little craft project of the week and I assure you it's the easiest one of them all (if you can't already tell that from the instructions and if you don't mind being covered in glitter). And truthfully it had to be because I’m running out of steam…posting once a day, especially at this time of the year, is proving to be a bit challenging for me, although I do love it and regard this as another creative outlet! But the house is in disarray, there are homemade gifts to make, cards to send, baking to do, a tree to decorate (we just got ours today!)…and we have guests coming tomorrow evening. Yikes! It’s safe to say I’m a bit stressed right now…so I apologize if this last "project" is anything but inventive and more so conventional. I had intended to share a few other projects, but I’ll save those for another time. I hope you’ve enjoyed my week of Christmas projects…do let me know if you give any of them a try…I’d love to hear how it goes. Have a wonderful weekend!

Dear Reindeer {project 3}

Dear Reindeer {project 3}

These are super sweet deer and pretty effortless to make. I think they'd be cute tied upon a gift or sitting sweetly upon the mantle.
I spied these here last winter while tooling around on Martha’s website in search of something but came across these, got distracted, and had to try making one right away. It should be noted that lately, for some reason, I have a problem following "Martha instructions" whether it be online or in her magazine so I ended up sort of improvising my own method…which explains why when you click on the link mine aren’t quite like hers, but I think they're still pretty cute anyway.

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{gather}
~pipe cleaners

(I used skinny chenille pipe cleaners)
~seed beads
~craft glue
~pliers
~scissors

{make}
Visit the link above to Martha’s site to follow the original directions or see my version below: (I’m not sure if mine are any better!)

Note: You will need two 12” pipe cleaners of the same color plus one 6” piece of a different color pipe cleaner to make 1 reindeer.

For the head:
Bend in cloverleaf shape at one end of one 12” pipe cleaner, starting first with an ear, then the face, then another ear…about ½” of pipe cleaner for face and ¼” for each ear. Then, leaving about 1 ½” length of pipe cleaner for the neck and the body, make a loop for the tail after this length of pipe cleaner, about ¼” high. Wrap pipe cleaner around in front of tail and over body once or twice and cut pipe cleaner off.

For the legs:
Cut the remaining pipe cleaner in half for front legs and back legs. This will leave you with about 2 ½” per set of legs. For each set of legs, bend up wire just a bit on each end (about ¼”) to form the hooves, twisting with pliers to form. Using pliers, pinch both legs on over the body, one where the neck meets the back and the other just before the tail.

For the body:
Using the second pipe cleaner, coil around pencil first or wrap directly around the body of the reindeer, starting at the tail and working up to the neck. (This will help secure the legs better by wrapping over and under them.) Note: At this point I also add a little loop of pipe cleaner to the face, wrapping it on top of and below the cloverleaf loop to make the face a bit fuller, squeezing with pliers to secure.

For the antlers:
Using a different colored pipe cleaner, cut about a 5 to 6” long piece, twist antler shapes at each end, in cloverleaf-style again. Then twist this piece around the neck to join.

Finally...
Glue on a seed bead for a nose. Finish up by bending the legs and hooves as necessary so that it can stand up on its own.

Merry Matchboxes {project 2}

Merry Matchboxes {project 2}

Dolling up little matchboxes is so simple and fun. Plus, they make nice hostess gifts along with a pretty candle…or add a sweet handmade touch to any gift really. Tie one onto your next gift.{gather}
1) matchboxes
2) 1/8” hole punch
3) scraps of pretty paper or old Christmas cards
4) embellishments (buttons, stickers, velvet ribbon, rick rack, glitter)
5) ribbon, about 5 inches long (I like to use a sheer organza ribbon)
6) craft glue (not pictured)
7) scissors (not pictured)

{make}
Cut paper to the correct size of matchbox’s top & bottom. Glue paper to cover both top and bottom. Embellish top as you wish with glitter, buttons, rick rack, etc. Next, punch a hole in the center of one end of the matchbox “drawer”. Fold the 5 inch piece of ribbon in half and tie the ends together in a firm knot or double knot if needed.
Slide top (folded part) of ribbon through the hole in the inside of “drawer” and pull through just to knot. Snip off any excess ribbon at end of knot. Add a dot of glue inside where ribbon knot meets the hole to secure.
(Note: For the top "angel" matchbox, I scanned a vintage Christmas card, scaled it down to fit a matchbox top, and printed out on cardstock.)

Starry Starry Wreath {project 1}

Starry Starry Wreath {project 1}

This will be the most involved project of the week but so worthwhile. Each Winter I love to hang this wreath from silky ribbon upon a pretty mirror or above a little village of my vintage paper mache homes.

{gather}

1) chipboard stars or lightweight cardboard to cut your own stars (about 13 or so)
2) floral wire (heavier gauge for attaching the stars and a lighter gauge to add curly wires)
3) paper covered floral wire, 18” long
4) metallic silver acrylic paint
5) paintbrush
6) glitter (silver or clear)
7) glitter glue (or other craft glue)
8) pliers
9) old scissors or wire cutters (not pictured)
10) hot glue gun (or very sticky tape) (not pictured)

{make}
To start, paint stars and paper covered floral wire with silver acrylic paint. Glitter the front side of the stars and set aside to dry. Next, form wire into a circle and twist heavier gauge wire around both ends to connect. Then, wrap lighter gauge wire around the entire wreath circle. Using wire cutters or old scissors, cut pieces of heavier guage wire in desired lengths (about 2 - 3 inches), and twist ends onto wreath, spaced every so often around the wreath, bending them or twisting them in varying directions. Add small springs of wire in random lengths (formed using lighter gauge wire wrapped around the end of a paintbrush) in between these wires already on wreath to fill in spaces. Using a hot glue gun or strong tape, adhere the backs of the stars to the heavier gauge wire. Let dry thoroughly. Then rearrange the wire springs and stars as necessary to finish your wreath. Enjoy!

Effortless, right? ;) I promise tomorrow’s project will be more so.

One Week {of crafts from my past}

As the days grow shorter, the nights a bit quieter...my thoughts often turn to simple, homespun projects to adorn my home or give as gifts at this festive time of year.

Before we moved last year, I used to host a little Christmas Craft party each December. I loved dreaming up ideas and being inspired by others. Some of these ideas will be from my past parties and others are projects I’ve done on my own. I'll be revisiting a few things I really liked making and enjoy bringing out each and every season.

So gather your glitter & glue and please join me for a week of posts starting tomorrow...a new craft each day...tried & true, crafts from my past!