christmas dinner

The Christmas tradition for the last 28 years of my life was to have Christmas dinner at either of my Grandparents house - sometimes both! Over the last few years, with everyone growing older - that tradition has fell to the wayside. My grandfather on my mother's side passed away quite a few years ago, and now my grandmother is in a nursing home, my other grandparents are getting older. Everyone's getting older, and there are no little kids running around (which I believe to be a big pre-requisite for Christmas traditions).

Last year, we still had dinner at my grandparents & visited my grandmother. This year, we're not having any sort of dinner - just snacks (which generally means shrimp cocktail and vegetable trays- blech! & boring). It's pretty sad - but my grandfather has trouble eating due to medications his doctor has him on. So to make things easier on him - snacks it is! We'll then go out to visit my grandmother & a few other family members. But there will be no conversation around the table, no passing of the mashed potatoes, failed dishes, second helpings.

If I had it my way - I'd cook dinner for everyone! This would be the menu:

Grandma's Deviled Eggs

Fruit & Cheese Tray

Hazlenut Cranberry Field Roast
Field Roast covered in puff pastry
stuffed with cranberrys, nuts, and
field roast sausage - the YUM!

Grilled Asparagus

Garlic Mashed Red Skin Potatoes

Bread Pudding

Maybe I'll have to try to make this dinner next week as a New Year's dinner - I have 3 days off! Perhaps this could also be a new tradition. I've got to figure something out because I expect last year was the last year.

Are you skipping any family traditions this year?

holiday!

There are just 5 days left 'til Christmas. I have a lot of wrapping left to do, and a few present projects to finish up.  I'll be sure to post a holiday wrap up when I get done (haha - wrap up! get it?)

We have a Christmas tree! Awesome ornaments from Bebito, Melissa Sue Stanley, Orange Fuzz Boutique, and Purple Hippo Stitches

My first fully completed gift - for my secret santa recipient! Featuring Cake Pops, a handmade batman pendant from Sunday Afternoon Housewife, and a handmade ornament. 

 

Happy holidays from me, Mamus, and a heavy fucking fruitcake!

holiday ornaments

I've been hard at work this past week on some holiday ornaments. Mamus is known for his little holiday monster ornaments, so needless to say, we have piles upon piles upon piles of glass bulbs lying around.

Last year's monster batch.

Feeling somewhat inspired after seeing this paper installation by Cathy of California - I decided it was high time I make some holiday ornaments.  I love paper, I love working with paper, I love digging through piles of discarded scrapbooking paper nobody wants. Aside from my hex signs, I don't use my huge basketful of scrapbook paper quite enough. Enter my perfect opportunity.

May I present these beautiful, hand-crafted, paper ornaments. Glass bulbs covered with cut paper - somewhat reminiscent of a pinecone.

I'm trying to come up with a snazzy name for them. Any ideas?

etsy treasury

I only seem to make Etsy treasuries around the holiday season.  Perhaps it's because I'm looking for gifts to get for friends & family, or maybe it's so I have plenty of ideas on hand for my family.

Here's the first...of many I'm sure.  And of course, it's all pomegranate - I can't stop thinking about them!  I'll take one of each, please!

'pomegranate perfect'   

//pomegranates - the most beautiful fruit on the planet & a perfect representation of femininity.//

Pomegranate printed bro... fawa $6.00	Tulle Flower Headband -... MaieDae $8.00	Pomegranate Ruby Black ... Artesserae $250.00
OOAK Vintage Dictionary... oliviamoon $12.00	Pomegranate print nottapixiepres... $15.00	Pomegranate branch (8.5... joojoo $25.00
Pomegranate tree cushio... roddyandginger $38.00	Pomegranate Giclee Prin... CindyLindgren $25.00	Yaroma - Pomegranate Ma... Sephyra $24.00
Pomegranate love tea co... IbsenLab $33.00	Pink Pomegranate Jar -L... StudioElan $48.00	Porcelain Pomegranate V... NewMoonStudio $38.00
Pomegranate Soap Smellitlikeiti... $5.00	pomegranate-hand carved... fawa $3.50	SALE Pomegranate Flower... circularaccess... $24.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites. 

Have you made your first holiday treasury? 

twentieth

I'm feeling more holiday spirit this year than I have, well, ever.

I enjoyed searching out gifts, i enjoyed purchasing gifts, i enjoyed wrapping gifts! (much thanks to etsy for making this part most enjoyable! - although now I am hopelessly addicted to constantly checking the site to see what new things I can find.)

I wrote Christmas cards.

I'm excited to have a Christmas eve dinner planned with James including homemade apple stuffing, roasted veggies of some sort, and (hopefully) a field roast - which I keep hearing is the perfect thing for Christmas dinner.

I have a "tree" of sorts.

I even bought a Christmas ornament!

Are you feeling more holiday spirit this year than usual?