Cookie Swap 2009

A table full of goodies!



Cookies to share with all, including children and the guys!



Collecting our treats...


What great fun we had! We had great cookies and a fun time exchanging cookies and recipes. Can't wait until next year's swap!

Cookie Recipe Exchange!

Please join the fun in sharing Christmas Cookie Recipes with Darlene at Our Creative Life. Click here to get all the details. We will be participating for sure!

A little peek...

Our third annual Christmas Cookie Exchange is this Thursday. Here is a sneak peek at the cookies and gifts. Each participant gets a little "thank you" from me! I will share the recipe later!

Sometimes things don't go as planned...

I love Christmas and I consider myself a Christmas die hard. By now the upstairs would have three trees decorated and the foyer upstairs would have three wreaths and the sideboard would be decorated.

Sigh.

This year, I won't get to decorate upstairs. And, downstairs may not have but one tree and the family room but one tree.

Because sometimes life throws you major curve balls. That's ok, though, because I am learning that even though the house may not sparkle from head to toe with Christmas cheer, I am personally sparkling from head to toe with Christmas cheer. I am streamlining and making each decoration count. Everything that is being put out will have a personal and family connection and I am going to document those connections in a book for Ashley. Then when life throws a curve ball that ends in a strike out, she will know which items are precious, and which ones are just for fun.

This Christmas will be a time of joy and celebration as I was able to hit the curve ball and get safely to base. All my pathology reports say I am cancer free! Now, to just get past recovery from surgery, being able to use my arm and to stoop down and reach up, will be my next goals.

Enjoy the season everyone!

October Rudolph Day

I totally love cake mixes! They are so versatile!

Photo taken from Taste of Home Cake Mix Creations.


These cupcakes are simple and delightful for the young and not-so-young at your holiday affairs. Simply make a white cupcake, decorate with white icing and then tint white food coloring with red. Cover 1/3 of the cupcake with red icing. Roll the bottom third in white shredded coconut to represent the beard. Pipe on a white cord across the cupcake to make a fluffy trim to the Santa cap. Place a mini marshmallow to represent the cotton ball end! Use chocolate chips for eyes and a red hot candie for the nose. And there you go! Santa Claus!

Frugal and Fun Gift Ideas

Now is the time to be thinking about some frugal ways to enchant your family at Christmas. The blog Storybook Woods has come up with a goodly number of fun and frugal ideas. Go here to see them:

Storybook Woods

Read the comments, too, as there are some fabulous ideas there too!

A Christmas Preview!

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality has a two part special about the newest things in Christmas decorating... check it out!

Part one

Part two

Enjoy!