ruby crowned kinglette

merry christmas

i am just about done.  a few more things to take care of regarding some handmade items, cookies still need to be baked, bags packed and and open house to attend so i can meet a new friend.  but that isn't too bad really, and it is still only the 23rd.

i would like to thank everyone who has visited my site this year.  it has been nothing short of spectacular meeting so many new, imaginative and wonderful people.  i had no idea what i was in for when starting this blog project.  and, even if i did, you all have surpassed any expectation i could have had.  i love and appreciate every comment anyone has left for me and lately i have been quite ill mannered in responding; please know how truly thankful i am that you take the time to visit, look around and leave me a note.

so, to everyone celebrating christmas i hope you all have a wonderful holiday.  and to everyone else, i wish you a spectacular weekend and the best of everything.

see you all in a few days.

-s

pim, the world food programme and a menu for hope

pim techamuanvivit at chez pim is raising money for the united nation's world food programme* this year with a donation campaign that offers a raffle ticket for every $10 donated.  she, and other food bloggers, have rounded up some spectacular prizes from around the world and all the money raised - 100% - is going straight to her designated charity.  it is easy to give, and even if there wasn't the possibility of a chance at winning a lovely prize, it is an incredibly worthy cause.

she explains much more thoroughly and exactly than i do - go here and find out more. but get there fast, today is the last day!!

*World Food Programme
Set-up in 1963, WFP is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. In 2003, WFP fed 104 million people in 81 countries, including refugees and internally displaced people and families left homeless by natural disaster. WFP relief workers do whatever it takes to get food to those in need.

hey, look!

i am a tiny bit famous!

holly, at decor8, featured a few of my things on her site.  i didn't even know about it until francesca mentioned it last night so i went hunting and sure enough i found a nut, a ditty, the swirly bird, little charleton and penelope purple all looking back at me from someone else's blog. pretty nifty i think.   i am pretty certain she found me via my etsy shop.  holly has a wonderful eye, and has found some beautiful things that she features on her site, you should go over there and see, it's definitely worth the trip.

the unveiling

i have been alluding to the great ornaments i have been getting for the last several days and it is now time to present to you all... the fantastic seven...

first, from michelle at green kitchen, the gal who invited us all to participate...

rolley polley snow gal... at least that is what i think she is.  i love her eyes and hair the most.  she is bean filled so had a nice heft to her and allows her to sit. down.

from alice at future girl...

octophrost, santa of the sea.

alice named them, i am not that clever.  she is and she makes a fine, fine ornament too. perfectly made and so light he seems to want to float away... on the sea of course.

from bethany at bitter betty blogs....

a little birdy carrying a basket of christmas cheer.  she made me a bird because - if you are not aware... - i kinda like birds.  and this one is such a little nugget.  and i love the swirly hanger she made too.

from kristin of kleas...

this little drop of sunshine.  she is so sweet, and tiny and beautifully made.  the attention to detail is quite amazing.

from tricia at frizzelstix...

this snow bunny.  it is such a cool little hanging panel.  he is holding a snowflake and listening to 'a creole christmas' (i would bet). and yes tricia, i have had snow, so he is perfect.

from meg at pixiegenne...

a lovely little button wreath.  i have been admiring these this year on other's blogs and was too stingy to make one from my own button stash. now i don't have to!

and from cassi at bella dia...

a beautiful felt flower drop with a perfect little drop.  such a simple and elegant design and the colors remind me of all of cassi's wonderful work.

thank you again, michelle, for the invitation to participate in such a great swap with some mighty creative and inspiring women. 

my stomach hurts

it just this moment dawned on me that christmas is in less than a week... i am not sure what happened.

i blame you, both ways

if not for blogging i wouldn't have found out about heather bailey and her bitty booties.  these will fit for another 19 days.  i keep thinking that gigi is tinier than she really is.  i mean, she can't yet weigh 13 pounds, but apparently she is a human and not a doll and things are just bigger in real life...

these are from one of the many japanese craft books i have, this particular book is more a sewing book with patterns for clothes, but still.  these will fit for a little while longer... 2 months and 19 days, if i am lucky.  i can see where this may be a problem for me as i had some issues with getting the fish the right size too...  her third gift will be sized to fit as gigi and i are spending the afternoon together so i can measure her head.  hopefully she will not cry for an hour like she did yesterday.  maybe she was trying to tell me to make things she can grow into not out of...

the other thing i have to blame thank, yes thank, the blog world for is my early purchase of a christmas tree.  i got it earlier this year than ever before, november 29, after the big snow storm of 2006 - not to be confused with, the as yet endured at the time, big wind storm of 2006.  with everyone's posting, planning and crafting i was dizzy with excitement about christmas. that, coupled with the ability to finally get out of the house i could not remember what i had heard just a few days before about buying trees early... was it that you should, or that you shouldn't, wait a few days??? 

you should wait a few days. 

but i remembered that later, when my little tree's needles started to dry, and some of the lower branches started to droop, and i noticed it wasn't drinking very much water from day to day.  i remember now that what they said was that trees that show up to the lots first may have been cut up to a couple weeks earlier in anticipation of the season.  that, if you wait, you have a better chance of getting a more recently cut tree.... but i was excited, i wanted my tree that day!!!

one year i didn't have the inclination, or energy to get a big tree. so i got a little one and put it on a side table held in a wonderful iron pot my sister suzy gave me one year for my birthday.  it was one of the best ideas i ever had and i doubt i will ever get a big tree again... i don't have to rearrange the room, i can bring it home in the trunk of the car, carry it with one hand, decorate it in an hour and take it down in about 8 minutes.  and even though it is such a dry tree and not the best shaped one i have ever had, i still love it.

rudolph was not included in this one

michelle at green kitchen invited me to participate in an ornament swap with six other women.  i was thrilled and honored to be asked and not just a little concerned about meeting the high level of imagination and craft expertise that these women have.  thanks to the clever inner workings of a futuregirl's brain and the technical wizardry of her husband we could check in through the week to see if our ornaments had arrived at their intended destinations...  mine have, so i can post a photo.  yipee!

there are seven - soon to be eight (when i finish mine) - reindeer.  pretty serendipitous, right?  you can find the other six here.

i will post the beauties i get once everyone else has received them.  and who is everyone else?  these great women, that's who.

    michelle at green kitchen
    alice at futuregirl
    bethany at bitter betty blogs
    kristin at kleas
    tricia at frizzelstixs
    meg at pixiegenne
    cassi at bella dia

i am entering this little goodie in whipup's whiplash competition for december/january, decoration  category of course...  wait! i am thinking it really should be gift...

trees

i am joining the ranks of crafters making soft trees this year.  the pattern for these has been generously provided by stephanie at little birds handmade.  i didn't attach the bottom for two reasons; the trees stand up great on their own and it was going to be too darn hard.  i used some leather i found earlier this week at tandy.  i don't know, yet, what else i will use it for, but it sure worked nicely for some holiday tree goodness. 

looking for more of that holiday tree goodness?...

    stephanie at little birds handmade
    blair at wise craft..
    cathy at her flickr site
    meg at pixiegenne
    ashley at sly fox a
    courtney at two straight lines
    autum at creative little daisy

    and, a whole lot more here

little pockets

i have been admiring advent calendars for some time now.  until this year i didn't really have a reason to make one, but now that i have a niece i can begin to  cook up all kinds of ideas for little treats to have waiting for her each day in december.  i am late this year though, put off thinking - and therefore doing - too long.  but, that is ok - this time. gigi is only four months old so i think the tradition might be lost on her this year. i promise to get a head start next year.

this one is for a friend.  she asked me to make her one for her children.  i embroidered the numbers, one through twenty-four, on squares of felt.  she has some small clothes pins with spring action that she will use to clip to a string of lights to hang in their family room.  here, i am using some old french pins i found earlier this year. the pockets are not big, and a couple are down right tiny, but big enough for a  dollar coin, or some lip gloss. 

the colors are not traditional christmas colors.  i used plum, turquoise, brown, orange, olive and magenta.  and, i used the same colors of embroidery floss but tried to not make any two pockets the same combination of color.  for the back i used an ivory felt.  i  machine stitched the fronts to the backs in order to allow a stronger seam; those dollar coins and get pretty heavy if you put enough in there...

wondering what others are doing this year?

    cathy at pink chalk studio
    myra at my little mochi
    blair at wise craft..
    julie at julie ree
    amy at life in the lyons' den
    simmy at echoes of a dream
    liesl at disdressed
    claire at kiddley

there a lots more out there but a storm is moving in and the lights are flickering so i will go... better to be safe than lose my link to the outside world....

aunt myrl's ribbon cookies

these are not my aunt myrl's cookies, they are mary and allison's aunt myrl's cookies...  i love it that i too had an aunt myrl. i would like to think that if my aunt myrl knew of the existence of these cookies she would have made them and called them her own.   in 40 years when i am making these - and i will be making these in 40 years - i will be thanking all the aunt myrls in the world. you will too. i promise.

Ribbon Cookies 
from Myrl Thomas, Grandma Reak’s sister
Yields about 6 dozen cookies

Cream together:
2     cups unsalted butter
2     cups white sugar

Add and mix well:
2     large eggs
1     teaspoon vanilla

Add and mix well:
4     cups all-purpose flour
2     baking powder
1     teaspoon salt

Divide dough into thirds and add, one to a layer:
1    cup dried cherries, rum-soaked and coarsely chopped
2    ounces good quality bitter-sweet chocolate, melted, with 1 cup nuts, chopped
3    tablespoon poppy seeds

Chill dough.  Roll or pat each chilled layer flat on waxed paper.  Line bottom and sides of 8x8 or 9x9 pan with waxed paper and stack layers in pan, removing waxed paper from each layer and pressing layers firmly together.  Chill again thoroughly.

Invert pan to unmold dough.  Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 2-in. strips, then, slice strips crosswise into thin (1/4-in.) cookies.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Allison’s notes:
The original recipe called for candied cherries, but the rum-soaked dried cherries are much better.  Soak the cherries for several hours.

Use a high-quality baking chocolate, like Scharffenberger.

Cookies spread about 30% as they bake, so leave room on the cookie sheet.

Walnuts, pecans, or hazel nuts are all equally good.

Recipe is easily doubled, but a double batch is hard to mix and divide.  Use a 9 x 13 pan if doubled.

a couple of things i should note about the way i do it... i don't much like scharffenberger chocolate (too bitter) so i use callebaut.  i use pecans because i just think they taste better in a cookie, and i pack all of the dough into a 6x6 pan. it is almost too small but i like that it has straight sides so i use it.  it makes thicker layers that way, and, all other things being equal, it means i end up with about 4 dozen* cookies rather than 6 dozen.

also, i learned that it is important to add the flour, baking powder and salt.  i forgot to do that in the batch i made last weekend.  how i remembered before i cooked them i will never know... but, should you do that too, you can incorporate it into the dough even after you have added the fancy stuff.  but, i don't recommend doing it that way.

enjoy! i am sure you will!!!

*maybe three and a half dozen today... i put one sheet back in for a few more seconds. then promptly forgot. they are too brown to be pretty and probably too brown to be good... arrrrgh.   well, they are not all that bad so i will freeze them to chop up later and sprinkle on vanilla ice cream.