☼ happy new puppy & happy new year ☼

on this new year's eve,
wrap your happy memories around you,
and let the rest fall away.

in memory of the beautiful children and brave teachers
who lost their lives in connecticut just 17 days ago,
and the families who miss them beyond measure,
please practice random acts of kindness
in the coming year.
help make our world a better place.
heal the brokenhearted.


so here is a hand, my trusted friend,
and give me a hand of thine.
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.


♥

holiday mantel

♥

art-paper-scissors :: new year's noise makers

today at everythingeagle.com,

make your own

:: new year's noise makers ::

{pictured above are 2 different versions}

whether you are

ringing in the new year

at home or at a swanky party,

you will need to make some noise.

get the supplies ready and make yours

while you are counting down to 2013

☼right here☼

♥

merry christmas

♥

look what happened to us

♥

art-paper-scissors :: homemade coupons

get creative with your holiday presents.

make some holiday coupons!

{right click the image above, save, then print}

head over to everythingeagle.com

to see my list of coupon ideas

☼right here☼

♥

feels like christmas

i have my whole family here together,

so i let ned & marian skip school yesterday.

we did fun holiday stuff.

we had brunch at goldy's

{i recommend the veggie benny ~ it has asparagus!}

we stopped in to the city peanut shop

{handmade peanut brittle}

and the chocolat bar

{handmade chocolates}.

then, we cuddled with chameleons

at the idaho aquarium.

♥

shower the people you love with love

{source}

i think it's more important than ever

to find simple ways to slow down

and let your loved ones

know how special they are to you.

read a book together.

bundle up and go for a walk.

hug.

wrap someone in a warm-from-the-dryer towel

as they step out of the bathtub.

play a game.

do a puzzle.
make some tea.
{i'm loving this tea}

make a pot of soup.

{my soup recipe}

make some play-dough

{my play-dough recipe}

♥

art-paper-scissors :: cup of kindness

searching for the perfect present?

well, dear reader, search no more.

i have solved your gift-giving conundrum.

head over to everythingeagle.com,

to make a

:: cup of kindness ::

full to the rim with the rich taste of

fun gift-giving ideas.
30 {thirty!} perfect present suggestions

☼right here☼

♥

heavy heart

{source}

i am praying for the parents

who lost their sweet, innocent, beautiful children

in yesterday's tragedy.

as i hug my own children,

my heart aches for them.

please read this post.

♥

snow maiden

my new treasury

snow maiden

have a closer look

☼right here☼

♥

- glowing miniature houses -

again, for jan...

pretty houses to look at,

not so much to read.

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

♥

- flying houses -

dear jan,

to entertain you

while you are on-the-mend...

- flying houses -

{all from here}

♥

♥ jan ♥

today,

my dear friend

♥ jan ♥

{who was by my side at each of my babies' births}
is having surgery.

i have been watching the calendar

as this date crept nearer,

and holding her close in my heart.

tomorrow will be

12.12.12

which seems like a fine time

to start fresh.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

dear jan,

this post is for you.

here are some photos for you to enjoy

as you get back to being

my loyal reader.

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

{here}

i love you, jan,

more than words can say.

♥

p.s. remember when you sent me this?

p.p.s. i'm making this in your honor.

art-paper-scissors :: picture frame ornament

today at everythingeagle.com,

give a plastic lid a second chance.

transform it into a

:: picture frame ornament ::

{that's little marian, back when she had cindy-lou who pigtails}

i made these with ned's class on friday.

ned's teacher saves these

to use with watercolor paints

so she had a stash of these 

perfect.

we talked about reusing and recycling.

we talked about holiday colors

{traditional and non-traditional}.

find a plastic lid and make your own

☼right here☼

♥

ned's party favors {and invitations}

ned's birthday party was two weeks ago.

remember?

and i have been meaning to show you

his unbearably adorable party favors

and his homemade invitations.

can you stand the cuteness

of these tiny crocheted chameleons?

they are from etsy seller happy squid muffin.

they are made here in idaho.

{i'm pro-handmade, and i vote}

his little thank you's were attached to paint chips

{attached to chameleons}.

his invitations were also on paint chips.

for this side,

he wrote come to my party
on a regular sized piece of paper.

then, i scanned it and reduced it

and used washi tape to attach the copies

to larger paint chips.

easy, homemade, & practically free.

♥

p.s.
i have read some internet scuttlebutt about using paint chips
for craft projects.
these paint chips were left over from a previous project.
and, yes, i did ask permission before taking them.
the home depot in eagle told me to take as many as i wanted.
thanks, home depot.

all i want for christmas

this week has been full to bursting.

yikes.

christmastime is busy-time.

like, making-me-crazy time.

what do i want for christmas?

i want to sleep in...

and wake to blowing snow,

french pastries and hot tea.

i'm holding a few dear friends
extra close in my heart.

especially jan.

i love you, jan!!!

♥

dear take & bake pizza, you saved the day.

today was extra busy.

at 7:00,

after marian cheered at a late basketball game

{ned did his homework on the sidelines},

i flung this beauty into a 400° oven.

at 7:30, we were eating dinner by the fire.

♥

:: pie ::

at thanksgiving,

we were inspired by this cookbook

{the cover photo especially}

to give homemade toaster pastries

{pop tarts}

a try.

i cook.

i bake.

but,

pie crust intimidates me.

easy as pie?

i'm not so sure.

since homemade toaster pastries

are really just tiny pies,

we had to make pie crust.

and guess what?  it was easy.

we even tweaked it a bit

by adding some whole wheat pastry flour

and ground pecans {yum!}

and it turned out perfectly.

the recipe made 2 discs of dough.

we used the first disc later that night

{it was thanksgiving, after all}

with a pumpkin pecan filling,

and powdered sugar

and fresh whipped cream.

this was our pumpkin pie.

we used the second disc a week later

with nutella filling

and fresh whipped cream.

both times,

the crust was flaky and amazing.

this basic recipe

has demystified pie crust for me.

homemade pantry is a book about

making food, instead of buying food.

even things like pop tarts.

and ketchup.

every recipe has a story

{toaster pastries -or- the taste of apology}

{ketchup -or- love}.

it is a book i keep borrowing from my library.

it is a book i want

permanently on my kitchen counter.

♥

p.s.

alana chernila, the cookbook author,

has a snappy food blog:

eating from the ground up.