birch and pinecones

It’s almost Christmas!  We are hosting family gatherings tomorrow and Monday.  Do you know that my husband and I LOVE hosting? It’s one of the few perks when an extreme homebody marries an extreme extrovert.  Also, Reeve is coming today to wrap the rest of my gifts.  I highly encourage you, if you hate wrapping (I actually like it but it can be overwhelming and I’d rather make mac and cheese for tomorrow), find someone who loves it and hire them to wrap for you.  Plus, I’m convinced that gifting and wrapping are some of Reeve’s spiritual gifts so I’m doing the world a favor with this.

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Need something easy to make? Marshmallows. Yes. I’d been putting them off for years because you have to use a candy thermometer and that terrifies me.  But my youngest really wanted to make them and they were so easy we’ve already made them twice.  Really, I beg of you, if you’ve ever wanted to make them DO IT today, they are so rewarding and the mixer does 90% of the work.

marshmallows

We followed Amy’s instructions and they are wonderful. Especially in home-made hot chocolate.

gifting

I have wrapped some gifts myself, Washi tape (found at Michael’s craft store) and feathers make even the worst wrapped gift look inviting.  All my gifts are wrapped imperfectly but, I try to make them appealing by shopping the house and taping, ribboning or gluing something on them to make them seem more special.

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I was really excited to find this miniature pair of boots in my ornament box.  They are an ornament from last year that I found at Target. They were red but I spray painted them white to mimic my big boots and then I put them in my snow terrarium.  How fun is that?

ceramic boots

A mommy pair and a baby pair. Right?  I know I’m not the only one to think that… (the canvas is from Lindsay Letters use code NEST10 for $10 this canvas)

Edie's

Did you see the January issue of Better Homes and Gardens?  Edie’s house.  Yep, Edie who lost her home to a fire two Christmases ago. Edie, one of the most creative women I’ve met through blogging. And the title “Mother of Reinvention” pretty much brings me to tears because that. is so. Edie.  Plus they used the word ‘mother’ which also describes her very being so well.  This feature was well deserved and my favorite story ever in a magazine.  And the ever-talented Darlene, who was Edie’s coach and designer through all of this “reinvention” wrote a post at BH&G: Four Ways to Find Your Style.

embosser

Every now and then a deal comes up at Joss & Main that is so good I feel the need to share.  This embosser is only $20.95 and it looks like you can pick from a variety of styles. You do have to pay shipping and handling.  Wondering what in the world Joss & Main is?  Read more here and here.

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Makes me want to order them for early Christmas gifts for next year, no more last-minute shopping!

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Tsh from Simple Mom invited me to join in her podcast this week. So if you are traveling, it’s the perfect time to pop in the earbuds and listen to us laugh and talk about marshmallow and toffee making and being cool, life-of-the-party- INTJs {insert sarcasm}.  Actually, they titled it “Your dreams can be dumb” and I love that.  We talk about what our dreams were when we were children and how we see them played out today, I’ll give you a hint, mine was and still is kind of dumb, but I’m okay with that.  Also, I haven’t listened to it at all. It’s my first time doing something like this so for all I know, I said I hated everyone in the world, cursed and then promptly spit through the extra-large microphone.  Forgive me ahead of time for making a fool of myself?

Merry Christmas.  Love to you all. Happy marshmallow making and gift wrapping!

Have you made marshmallows before?  We’ve only done them pepperminty, what else should we try?