heading for 2013!

I can't believe there are only 3 days left in 2012! 2013 is going to a big year at our place...

• my Dad turns 65
• Bre is graduating from high school
• it's Rick and I's 20th Wedding Anniversary
• I turn 40!
• Bre is staring college!

I made a mini album for us to tuck our bible verses for 2013 into...

My bible verse:
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Amen!

banners!

I love hanging banners all over the house. Here are some I made this year...

clipboards!

Happy 22nd! I'm going to take the childrens out shopping this morning...it's going to be crazy!!! I love to stay organized especially around the hoidays. Clipboards are the ultimate helper for me, here are some I made...

Cheesy Honey Crisps

My son, Andy, did a cooking in the media report for foods class. He decided to replicated the Presidents Choice "Mini Cheesy Bees Nests". They turned out beautifully. He even made raspberry pear jam that is on top! 

Ingredients
 

1/2 lb butter melted
454 g phyllo pastry
500 grams cream cheese
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
raspberry pear jam
mozzarella cheese

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Whip cream cheese. Combine eggs and honey into cream cheese mixture. Set aside. 
Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry on your workspace. Using a pastry brush apply a thin, even layer of butter on phyllo pastry. Lay another layer directly on top and brush with butter, add your third layer and brush with butter. Cut the pastry into 12 even pieces. You'll be left with 12 phyllo squares that are 3 layers each. 
Brush you mini muffin cups with a thin layer of butter. Add each piece of your pastry square to create a shell. This doesn't have to look perfect! Fill with 1 tablespoon of your cream cheese/honey mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Be careful to watch as the phyllo cooks quickly! 
Once your pastry is a nice soft brown colour, remove from oven and add a 1/2 teaspoon of jam and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Put back in the oven for 1 minute. 
Allow to cool and remove from pan. These freeze beautifully and are perfect for holiday entertaining. 

Andy cooking up a storm...

12 Days!

Countdown the 12 days to Christmas!

Simply add an activity to each envelope and enjoy the countdown.  Here are some ideas to get you started…drive around and look at the lights, decorate cookies, unwrap a new book to read tonight, go sledding, watch a holiday movie, make hot chocolate and stir with a candy cane, take gifts to teachers and friends, build a snowman or hang up paper snowflakes, deck the halls!, take a Christmas family photos…frame and use as a holiday decoration, have a campout in front of the Christmas tree, read the story about the birth of Baby Jesus, go out for a Christmas treat (add a coffee shop gift card), buy a new Christmas album and listen to it.

Bottle Toppers!

You'll love making these bottle toppers to top off bottles of wine, spirits, vinegar, oils...it goes on and on! 

1. Trim a piece of cardstock to measure 5 1/2 X 6 inches. Score your cardstock at 3 inches and then flip around and score at 3 inches. You'll be left with a piece of cardstock with four portions, 2 that are 3 X 3 and 2 that are 2 1/2 X 3.

2. Cut off the top left 2 1/2 X 3 inch portion as pictured.

3. Punch a 1 and 1/2 inch circle on the remaining top portion of cardstock. Round the edges of the same portion.

4. Attach a 2 3/4 X 2 3/4 inch square onto the bottom right portion of cardstock and now we'll decorate the front!

5. Because this card is to top off a wine bottle I'll start with a 2 3/4 X 2 3/4 piece of cork paper.

 

6. Next we'll add a 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 inch square of pattern paper, a 1 X 2 1/2 inch strip, and a die cut snowflake (I used a coffee sleeve).

7. Finally add your sentiment and a little bit of twine and a button!!

8. Attach finished portion to your cardstock. Top off your wine bottle and it's all dressed up and ready to go!

Greetings!

My Christmas card assortment for 2012!

and so it begins!

Ah, December 1st! The start of something special. We've got a few advent calendars ready for this December!   I printed one from Dayspring...

You can find it here - you don't need to enter a credit card number. We are going to use that one for our daily devotions each morning.

I made my girls a chocolate calendar...

Andy's got his NHL one ready to go...

I made a December Daily but I sold it at a local craft fair...

 

I'm so excited to make a new one today :)  I have decided to make it hybrid because I will be more encouraged to print the pages!

Here are a few more advents I made for the Benvoulin Craft Fair...

Have a very happy day,