For Christmas my Dear Knight gave me my own digital camera. I had been using his Nikon D70 with a wide angle lense but it was really too much camera for little ol' me. So he surprised me with a Nikon Coolpix S51--very cool!! Now I can click away and not worry about all the settings and such...I can even make movies with it! I am so much more a snapshot taker than a serious photographer as is my DK.
This image is one I took as I tested out my camera. It is my favorite tea cup and my favorite scented winter-time candle (peppermint/vanilla) along with a figurine my dear momma gave me for my 40th birthday. All sitting on the slim windowsill of my kitchen window. Not too bad for a novice photographer :-)
Today was the day for the chicks and I to get serious about our annual holiday baking frenzy. This little tradition started with my grandmother who always delivered homemade treats to her neighbors. It was (and still is) continued by my mom and me and my chicks. So, after baking 3 batches of almond-choclate-cranberry biscotti, one pan of creamy mint brownies, one batch of HOMEMADE peppermint marshmallows (OH MY! TO DIE FOR!!!) to go with the peppermint hot chocolate mix we whipped up last week along with the numerous batches of white and dark chocolate peppermint bark the Boy has been making over the last week, 3 loaves of pumpkin orange marmalade bread, and a final batch of gingerbread cookies (yesterday we made and decorated two additional batches and about 7 dozen butter cookies and the chicks built 2 gingerbread houses--from kits) and the last of the butter cookies. I finally called it quits for the day and sat down...Whew! It's been a long while since we/I have baked like this...and I'm tired--but it's a good tired. But really this is about the peppermint marshmallows. This is our first attempt at making them from scratch and am I glad we did. Who would have thunk that a simple solution of corn syrup, sugar, peppermint and vanilla extracts, water and gelatin could make such a light and fluffy treat! Absolute marshmallow perfection...just enough mint to let you know it's there but not too much to be overwhelming. These babies are going to be perfect with that hot cocoa!! Or even better---peppermint s'mores! Hey-Daddy-man fire up the ol' bar-b!! Many thanks go to Elizabeth at Real Learning for steering me in the right direction and feeding my peppermint addiction!
This past summer the girl chicks and I took an embroidery class taught by a friend of mine. As I was the only adult actually taking the class I spent most of my class time helping the other students--tender young maidens ranging in age from 7 to 13--with such things as threading their nededles, untangling knots and other assorted things. As such I unfortunately never finished the project we started. However my interest was renewed upon receipt of the bookWee Felt Folk.
My first and only project so far resulted in this:. This little purse measures 4 3/4 inches wide and 3 3/4 inches high. It took a total of about 2 or 3 hours to complete, however, I spread out the work over several evenings. I think I am going to give it to my mom just because. Perhaps she can keep her hearing aid batteries in it or rather I might include a small mirror. I hope she likes it.
Just the simple thoughts on life, children, books, nature, and God (to name a few) of an imperfect Christian momma as she ventures forth in search of the Sweet Life...
