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!