Christmas in Review--Christmas Eve

I say it every year..... "I can't believe the holidays are over already." and this year was no exception. For some reason Christmas 2008 arrived before I was completely ready and was over much too soon. What a lovely holiday it was. Christmas Eve is so special to me. My sister and her family, my family and I, and my best friend Heidi and her family all gather together at my parents home for dinner and to exchange gifts. This year we tried a little something different. We usually have a formal sit down dinner but instead this year planned a snack dinner. My mom prepared a table full of wonderful appetizers and we all ate until we thought we would burst. In previous years when our children were smaller, I can remember how they would rush through dinner so the present opening could begin--- claiming all the while that they were just not hungry. Now that they are older, dinner has become more important to them--it is amazing how much food those growing boys can put away. Oh don't get me wrong there is still plenty of excitement over the presents. I don't think that will ever go away no matter how old they get.

My nephews, Hank and Isaac with Alex.

Heidi's children, Tyler and Jenna with Alex.

Each year Heidi and I take a picture with our boys---it is fun to see how much they have grown. Each now almost a head taller than us.

Me with my mom and my sister.

Grandma and her boys.

We had such a nice time visiting, laughing, and remembering past Christmas's. Before we knew it, it was late into the night and I had forgotten all about the gifts that still needed wrapping before Christmas morning. We all packed our things and headed for home with the anticipation of the surprises Christmas morning would bring.

I do have some pictures from Christmas morning to share with you but they were taken with my NEW camera that Santa brought and I am still learning how to upload them to my computer. Stay tuned for Christmas part two with Christmas morning pictures.......

Merry Christmas

Luke 2 : 3-14

3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went here to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

At this special time of year, I thank God for all of my blessings---my family, friends, health and all of my daily needs. I pray that we would all remember the true meaning of Christmas and would take time to thank God for the greatest gift of all----His Son Jesus. I wish you all a Blessed Christmas as you spend time with your loved ones.

With much Love,

~Mimi~

Annual Cookie Bake

This time of year is filled with yearly traditions. With out these special things the season just would not be the same. The annual cookie bake is one of these special traditions. It is an event that I look forward to each year not only because I go home with dozens of yummy cookies but also because I get to spend the day with my two very best friends---my Mom and Heidi. We take turns hosting the event and this year the cookie bake was held at Heidi's home. She has a beautiful home--so warm and welcoming--the perfect place to spend time with each other laughing, talking, sharing, and of course baking. We are each in charge of bringing the ingredients for two cookies --even our choices have now become a tradition. I am responsible for the Snickerdoodles and the Chocolate Chips.......

My mom takes care of the Thumbprints, Hershey Kiss Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and the Chocolate No Bake Cookies. She always brings more than she is supposed to....

And Heidi's contribution is the Sugar Cookies and her mom's recipe for Apricot Tort....

Here are the sugar cookies just waiting to be iced

After baking for most of the morning, it is always nice to stop for a bit to eat some lunch. Heidi made the most delicious chicken salad and served it on whole wheat bread. It was so good I just had to have the recipe. I thought I would share it with all of you.....

Chicken Apple Salad

1 13oz can of chicken--shredded

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped to make 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/3 cup fat-free or light mayonnaise

1/3 cup fat-free or light sour cream

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

handful of chopped pecans--optional

Shred the chicken into a large bowl and add apple, cranberries, celery and pecans. In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Add sauce mixture to the chicken mixture. Serve on whole wheat bread. Enjoy!!!!!

It was sure nice to take time from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season to spend time with two people who are so special to me. Now I think I will go and have one of those yummy cookies with a nice warm cup of tea......

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

I love the fact that I live in an area of the country that fully experiences all four seasons. Autumn, with all of it's magnificent colors and Spring, with it's bursting blooms of newness have always been my favorite. Winter however comes in at the bottom of my list. I am not fond of the frosty weather and as for the snow and ice I could definitely do without them. When I was learning to drive, my dad always taught me that you should not drive at night or in the rain and never, never in the snow. As I got older, I mastered the skill of driving in the rain and at night however I could never get the hang of snow driving. Oh yes I am one of the crazy people who listen to the weather daily and if there is even a hint of snow I dash off to the grocery store to buy bread, milk and toilet paper as if I may never get there again. So I was not surprised this morning that we would have snow on the ground. Our local weatherman warned of it's coming and I was prepared. I was surprised however at it's beauty. The snow was wet and heavy and covered everything like a blanket of white. I quick grabbed my camera to capture the winter wonderland just outside my window........
I hope you are somewhere sunny and warm, but if you live in a wintry state like me, take time to enjoy the snow----it can be quite beautiful. Have a wonderful Winter weekend where ever you live.

Charmed, I'm Sure

I have been having such fun with these little soldered charms. Each one is like it's own little work of art. I love the fact that each one is different and unique. I have also been having fun creating special orders as well. Working with customers to create something unique to their personalities or to the personality of someone special to them is such a privilege.

I even like the way they look before the solder is applied. Here are a few of my completed favorites.......

Stop and take a peek at my esty shop, Dandelion Wishes. www.mgpscrapbooker.etsy.com

I will be adding more charms daily. You might just find the very thing you have been wishing for. Enjoy your Sunday.

A Smile on my shoulder

Did you ever have one of the "out of sorts" days? Nothing really wrong but you just don't feel like yourself. That is how my day started today. It probably has something to do with the fact that I stayed awake way too late last night working on projects for a craft open house that I will be participating in this weekend. As I woke this morning I could hear the rain pouring outside and I just wanted to hide under the covers. But since that was not an option, I dragged myself out of bed and got ready to face the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I drive Kate and Emma, the little girls I babysit, to school. Their mom brings them to my house around 7:30 am and we leave my house at about 8:00 am for school. This morning, while waiting for the time to leave, Emma (who is 4 years old) wanted to draw a picture. I got out the paper, colored pencils and a few stickers so she could "create her project". As I was sitting at my desk, looking out of the window at the pouring rain, thinking about how tired I still was, she came over to me and climbed onto my lap. She gently placed a smiley sticker on my shoulder and gave me a kiss. She said "That's cause you are my best Mimi." It's amazing how that little gesture changed the whole mood of the day. I kissed her back and said "Thank you my best Emma for making my day so special." I just thought incase you were having one of those "out of sorts" kind of days I would share the smile on my shoulder with you.
Hope this helps to make your day special too.

A Blessed Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever

1 Chronicles 16:34

I have been given so many blessings in my life and I am thankful beyond measure...

For my Lord and Savior who loves me with His unfailing love.

For my husband who provides me with so much support and encouragement.

For my son who makes me so proud.

For my parents who helped me become the person I am today.

For my sister with whom I share so many wonderful childhood memories.

For my friends who allow me to laugh, cry, and love me for me.

I wish you all a Blessed Thanksgiving day as you are surrounded by the love of your family and friends. As you carry out all the traditions of the day, I pray that you would remember to thank our loving God who bestows so many blessings to us.

A Happy Thanksgiving Day,

Much Love

Mimi

If you give a mouse a cookie........

If you give a mouse a cookie, he is going to ask for a glass of milk.

When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw.

When he's finished he'll ask for a napkin.

~excerpt form the book written by Laura J Numeroff~

I am sure at one time or another you have had the chance to read this delightful little children's book to someone special. I love how this book tells the story of a little boy who sets the story in motion by giving a mouse a cookie and how it snowballs from there showing us how one thing leads to another. I don't know about you but that is exactly how some of my days go. As I was wandering through Target the other day this book came to my thoughts. I smiled to myself as I rewrote it in my mind.........

If you give a mom a morning, she will take a trip to Target.

After she is there, she will decide to look for a new pair of boots.

Once she finds her new boots, it will remind her of the upcoming winter season.

She will decided to wander through the Christmas department.

Once there, she spies a bag of her favorite holiday treat, chocolate mint M & Ms.

After placing them in her cart, she will decide to head to the in store Starbucks for another holiday favorite, a peppermint mocha.

Now that she is in the Christmas Spirit, she will head to Michaels Craft Store to look for holiday decorations for her home.

And so the story continues.... how one thing leads to another. Does this happen to anyone else or am I the only silly, distracted one?

Seeing that this blog post seems to have the sweet cookie theme, I want to share with you a little sweet treat of my own that I recently created.
A fun cupcake charm all packaged in it's own cupcake paper and tucked into a candy box. All ready for gift giving. I have added this sweet, non fattening treat to my etsy shop. Come on over and have a look. And remember what happens if you give a mouse a cookie..............

A Blustery Day

When Winnie the Pooh talks about a blustery day he is describing the exact weather we are having here in Pittsburgh today. As the snow is falling from the sky the wind is whipping it about. It looks just like a snow globe outside my window right now. Oh what's there to do on a Blustery Sunday here in Pittsburgh? I actually love these kind of days. There is something comforting about being inside, safe and warm as the wind howls outside. First things first...have a hot bowl of homemade vegetable soup to warm the tummy.Once I am toasty warm on the inside I am ready to create. These kind of days are great for creating. As I sit in my new craft room I can now look out the windows and enjoy the falling snow. Here is a little something I recently created for a craft fair that I participated in. You could say I was inspired by the fast approaching winter months.

I soldered these sweet little snowmen charms and pre-packaged them all ready for gift giving. Look for them soon in my etsy shop.

I hope you all are warm whatever the weather and where ever you are this Sunday. Have a Happy Day.

Something to Share with You

On one of my recent treasure hunts at a local antique store, I found the sweetest little book. I have such a love for vintage children's books and when I saw the graphics in this book I knew I had to have it. The inscription inside of the front cover said "To: Gary Jr Love from Mother and Daddy on Valentine's Day 1960." From the look of the cover, this little book was well loved and had been read many times. I could almost picture a mommy and her son snuggled under a blanket reading together. I miss those days when my own son would say "Read it again Mommy." I wanted to share with you some of my favorite pictures from this book. They are for you to save and use on your projects. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Have a Happy Friday and have fun creating!!!
PS It is always fun to admire the work of others. I would love to see what you all create. Just post your link in the comment section so I can take a peek.