Homemade Christmas

I have been getting into the Christmas spirit just about the day after Halloween. I have been unfair to Thanksgiving thats for sure, but I just couldnt help but to dive right into the feelings of the Christmas season.  I went crazy the other day and bought like $80 worth of Christmas decorations!! Sometimes you just have to!

My mother and I hosted a Christmas Ornament/Decoration Crafting party. It was the 1st annual party and from the feedback we got, it's going to become a tradition. Next year though I think will be even bigger!

Here's some of the things I made at the party:

This is an ornament my mother taught everyone to make at the party!

This is a waterless Snowglobe I made out of Village trees and a Mason jar.

I have also been going a little crazy with these little Village Trees...

 

This is the top of my dresser!

Not only have I been making Ornaments, but a few other decorating/wintery thing..



These mittens are recycled from a not so cute Christmas sweater from Goodwill.

This is what I was copying...



This is Mine!

 

 

 

So growing up my mom always had a colbalt blue Christmas tree with snowy owls on it. It was kind of her theme. Well I have been trying to think of the theme I want my tree to be so I can begin to collect ornaments. This is what I have come up with...

 

An All White Christmas Tree.

 

 

These last two picture are from the cutest ship in the world; The Village Shoppes in New Carlise, MI.

The whole store is like a winter wonderland! I love it and try to go there every year.

 

http://www.thevillageshoppes.com/

 

 

Here's my little tree for now...

 

 

 

 

MOOD SETTER: 

Soundtrack to Home Alone....this always gets me in the mood for Christmas!!

                                                  (Source: IMDB.com)



 

"Somewhere in My Memory"
Music by John Williams
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

"Star of Bethlehem"
Music by John Williams
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Produced by John Williams
Performed by Mel Tormé (as Mel Torme)
Courtesy of Concord Records

"Please Come Home for Christmas"
Written by Charles Brown and Gene Redd
Produced and Performed by Southside Johnny Lyon
Courtesy of Cypress Records

"White Christmas"
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by The Drifters
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
Written by Johnny Marks
Performed by Brenda Lee
Courtesy of MCA Records

"Run Rudolph Run"
Written by Johnny Marks
Performed by Chuck Berry
Courtesy of MCA Records

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
Written by Dr. Seuss (as Theodore Giesl) and Albert Hague
Performed by Thurl Ravenscroft (uncredited)

"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"
Written by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots

"Carol of the Bells"
Written by Peter Wilhousky
Performed by Rockapella (uncredited)

Chocolate Croissant Recipe

The other day I was watching "It's Complicated" the movie with Meryl Streep, Alec Bladwin, and Steve Martin. There is a scene in this movie where Steve and Meryl go to her bakery and they make Chocolate Croissants. They looked so amazing and here is the recipe!!

((Source))

 

 

Ingredients

 

170ml cup milk

4 cups to 4 1/2 all-purpose flour,divided

60ml vegetable oil

3 mini chocolate bars

250g butter, softened

2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

¼ oz fresh yeast

3 tblsp caster sugar

125ml warm water

Place butter into a rectangle on wax paper and place in fridge to chill. Add yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water to a bowl and mix, leaving to stand for 5 minutes.

Whilst heating milk, add remaining two tablespoons of sugar, half the amount of flour, vegetable oil, salt and eggs into the yeast mix and mix ingredients together until smooth. Gradually stir in remaining flour until you have a soft dough.

Sprinkle flour onto a hard surface, turn out dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased bowl and turn dough over, so the top is greased.

Cover and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Push dough down. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill dough for a further 1 hour. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll out. Place chilled butter rectangle in centre of dough, and carefully fold dough over butter.

Pinch the edges to seal. Roll dough out again; fold into thirds, beginning with short side. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Repeat rolling and folding procedure two more times, chilling dough 30 minutes each time.

Wrap dough in aluminium foil, and chill for 8 hours.

 Divide dough into equal portions and roll into balls. Take 1 ball and roll flat on a floured surface, and cut into wedges.

Put 3 pieces of chocolate in the wide end of the wedge of dough and roll the wedge to meet the thinnest part, curl the edges of the dough into a crescent shape and pop onto baking tray.

Cover over and keep in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Repeat for all wedges and remaining dough.

Put in oven on Gas mark 7/220°C for 8 minutes or until lightly golden. Place on wire rack to cool and enjoy!

 

I am telling you, these are amazing!!

Recipe found:

http://www.foodlovers.co.nz/recipes/its-complicated-chocolate-croissant.html

Enjoy!!



Free Printables Just for You!!

I have been redecorating lately and my favorite thing to add some flare to any room are these simple print outs!

You can Print them out here or you can order them at my shop SOON and get them with a nice frame! But for now you can still look around! If you want anything before Christmas you must order before the 18th!!

My Shop

 

 

Have fun decorating your house, let me know what you did to decorate!

 

Top 10 Places to Live-- For Outdoorsy People

I have been researching this a lot on my free time. Not that I necessarily want to leave my home town of Stevensville, MI but it would be nice to live in some of these amazing places.



1. Ely Minnesota

9. Wallowa County, Oregon



8. Portland, Maine

7. Pictured Rocks, Upper Peninsula Michigan

 

6.Philipsburg, Montana- Pictured: Flint Creek Valley & Mountain Range

5. Durango, Colorado

4. Hopkins, South Carolina

 

3. Richland County, South Carolina

2. Yosemite Valley, California

1. Aspen, Colorado

 

 I get so excited when I see mountain scape like these.

 

 

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20 ESV

 

How can you look at the Mountains and NOT see Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

My Shop is Open!!

I have been working on "my shop" for quiet some time now and I have finally opened it up today!!!

There so lots of things in there now, but I will be constantly adding new things once they are created.  I possibly have the opportunity to sell work work by a very hansome and talented craftsman :).

So stop by and take a look at what we have so far!!

 

The Snowy Deer

 



If you buy the Wine Cork Magnets and use the Coupon Code: CHRISTMAS12, you will recieve free shipping!!

 

Come on and support my baby store so it can grow!!

 

 

 

Picture Perfect Post

This Picture Perfect Post was way to hard to pick just one picture, so I decided to pick a few to get into the winter/Christmas mood!

This is the cottage from the movie The Holiday. Totally Love!

This picture makes me warm and fuzzy, it's from the first Harry Potter movie.

This is going to be my next project I am going to start working on after all my presents are made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Happy Halloween To All!!

This is my second favorite holiday (if not my first), next to Christmas of course! I have all things things I must to do get myself ready for Halloween!

1.Decorate!  This year I was a little late to the decorating because Michael's had a huge sale from Monday to today and I bought a whole bunch of sweet decorations for next to nothing. Check it out!

2. Watch "get me in the mood for Halloween" movies.
-Hocus Pocus
-Halloween Town                            These Ones are a must!!
-Halloween Town 2
-Halloween 1-100 (or how ever many)- it has to be the ones with Jamie Lee Curtis
-Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone
-Beetle Juice

3. Make Pumpkin everything
-Muffins
-Bread
-Pie

4. Eat a lot of candy!

5. Pick out a costume!

This year's pick! The hunter and the deer!! We ran a "haunted" 5K and this is how we ran! It was so excited!

 

 

 

We were having a little too much fun at the fact that Cabela had to be outin the cold! The skeleton is one of those window decorations.

HEY GUYS! I'm cold out here, stop laughing at my expense!

 

 

I love this time of year; the fresh cold air, sweatshirts, cuddling with blankets, watching movies by the fire, hot chocolate, apple cider, and patiently waiting for the snow to fall. I know Thanksgiving isn't even here yet, but man am I excited for Christmas. Hallmark has been playing Christmas movies already and I cannot get enough of them! My all time favorite Hallmark Christmas movie is "The Christmas Card". You should watch it!!

                                                                 HERE'S A CLIP

 

 

 

 

 

COMING SOON!

Well Just as I have made my list for my Halloween Prep, there is most definetly a Thanksgiving one and a Christmas!

 



 

 

 

 

Have a Great Day!!