Tiny

Saturday nights me and Corrina are home together, so we play and sit and play and sit, and if she is busy playing on her own i clean, or in this case I decided to bake. I have not really spent any time baking since i started school, and this blog has suffered some serious neglect. I have not been crafty either, except in papers with words.

I started out baking normal one-bowl-chocolate cupcakes, but soon remembered that my oven is broken and the landlord has not been by to fix it that i know of. I stopped, dead stir, and thought and thought. Then i remembered that i had little truffle paper cups from christmas baking, and i do have a mini muffin tin, and a toaster oven. So i made mini muffins, and iced them with a creamy, butter/flour icing i had tried the night before at a friend's house. Corrina loved watching me use the electric blender, she loved playing with the measuring cups, and of course loved eating the little chocolate cupcakes.

There are only two left now. Yum Yum. The next time i find to bake i am going to make lemon sugar cookies from the latest Martha.

My Learning Nook

I am going back to school i a matter of weeks. Before i return to school we have planned to fly to Ontario to visit Grandma & Grandpa Colvin for a week; i needed one last I-have-no-commitments-on-maternity-leave fling. (I really love combining words with hyphens to make them into phrases, per say!) But, when we return it will be full on studying for moi! I decided a long time ago that i would need a place to escape to; some where that could hold all the necessary good-grade-getting items, like my favorite pens and lots of paper; somewhere with a door to close and a comfy chair with a big desk to spread myself over, well not me, but my books rather, although you might find me sprawled out there from time to time... sleeping.. i mean cramming.
Months ago i dreamed of this place and started collecting items: shelves, baskets, pens and paper. Just last weekend we were able to make this dream into a tangible space in our rather full apartment.
In our bedroom you will find my little getaway. It is still under construction, but coming together nicely. I was inspired by our Ikea bed spread-red, white and flower/viney- to go with a red and white berry theme! Here are some snap shots of the corner this far. I like it and feel that i will read faster and work harder than EVER in my new little nook. Lots of A's are coming my way!
I have some painting to do still, primarily on the chair, whcih we found broken in our backlane near the dumpster. Yup, we are dumpster divers. Dave fixed it with a little bit of glue and a few fresh nails. I will make it red soon!
I don't see how anyone can work without berries within eye shot. I am so driven by little red berries.
Our friend Heidi gave us this PERFECT Christmas card, which is the central item on my bulletin board now. Thanks so much!

Here are some cord pillows i sewed awhile ago. They each have one side of red and one side of design so i have have them the same in two ways, or different. Fun eh? They make great late night reading cushions!The cats like this room too. Maera is almost harder to take a picture of than Corrina. She wiggles her head alot and though the camera looked like a good place to groom her face! Oh lovely happy kitties! (this is not the duvet that did the inspiring!)

In The Making

The internet has a vast number of crochet patterns for free. I love personal blogs and websites because there i find inspiration.
My crochet project of the week is legwarmers. I know i could walk down the road to Claire's (the store.. not the sis') and pick up a pair for $5, but i want to make them. My fingers need something to do in the evenings, so i am whihpping up a pair. And yes, of course i found a pattern online! But truth be told i am not really following it;just going my own way. yippy.

I took down alot of Christmas decorations today... candle holders, wreaths, little ornament things. Our tree is still up and will be for some time because i like the lights in the evenings. I will probably put off taking it down just for the fun of the glow! I only did a little packing away today and then i was done. These little guys stay up all year round though. I love red berries!
Well, i said i would get to bed about an hour ago, and of course here i am still. My crocheting is calling my name, and my toothbrush too!
night

Christmas all wrapped up

I stopped posting my creative adventures because while attempting to finish all the items i was making i found no time to write about them. Now that Christmas is over, and gifts are given, i can show off some of the items made. That's a lie. Not all the gifts we made have been sent, so i can't show everything. Sorry...

I sewed and embroidered these journal covers for a few friends (i did get the inspiration online... i just don't know where now. i am sorry person who originally created them. here is your credit!) . I'm not done all of them. One still needs embroidery, and one still needs creating!

Then me and Dave put little baskets with Cocoa in a Jar, mulling sachets, cookies, and of course the journal in a basket and delivered them. It was fun to make everything.

So sad, that is all i can show for now. I thought i could post so many more things, but not just yet.

Thanks for stopping by.

Marshmellow Yumminess

Dave and i made cookies again the other night. These are called Smore Sandwhich cookies, or something like that (if you are not a member you may not be able to access this recipe... sorry bout that). I suggest getting your kids, friends, roommates, mom or husband... anyone really, and baking a batch of these. Sure, you'll have a great time bonding over cookies dough, cutting fun shapes, and waiting while they firm up in the fr idge, but i gaurentee that memorable part will come from shoving them into your mouth at the end! DELICIOUS, and simple.

I find these ornaments that Dave created so nostaligic, and such a beautiful way to re-display our favorite Christmas cards. Dave's brilliant addition was the idea of beads. I think he did a marvelous job! Find the info on making these here.

I am going to enjoy a Smore cookie and some Light eggnog (yuck to some.. delicious to me! I haven't had the real stuff in years, so i have nothing to compare it to! I'll keep it that way!)

Sweet Things

I have filled up my empty freezer space with the beginnings of our Christmas baking. So far i have made a few of my favorites from Kraft Canada.
Search around a little and you will find the 'Cookies Galore' section. My favorites are the Big batch Kris Kringle cookies, made with a basic cookie dough and stuffed with carnberries, white chocolate chunks and almond slivers. Yum and festive!
These cookies are Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies. I recommend them!

Here is an easy Christmas craft idea that brings me back to childhood years. My mother would sit me down with a little pile of fragrant cloves and a manderine orange. Before i had a chance to peel the fruit she would tell me to poke cloves into the orange for a festive pomander. Simple as that.
Here is an update version of the old time christmas craft. Before studding the orange with whole stemmed cloves trace the circle of a tealight candle along the top of the orange. Cut and dig out a little space for a tealight to fit snuggly in the top. Place the candle in the top and then begin to make a delicious design.
My mother actualy suggested this craft to me! She's marvelous.
She also showed me how to make a little greenery base starting with a carbaord circle. Glue little pieces of cut, fake garland flat ontop of the cardboard circle. We then glued little silver stars on some of the branches and simply placed our pomander on top! Fancy it up anyway you like! Make it yours. If i were to make another i might put a little twig of berries where the bow is, for instance.

We started decorating our apartment for the Christmas season of celebrating Christ. Even the kitties got involved!

Snowflakes Falling

Our first Christmas craft of the year is dough ornaments. We had a friend over on saturday, occupied Corrina with toys, and rolled, cut, painted and glittered the day away.
Here is the process:
Dough: mix 1 cup salt with 1 1/2 cups hot water. Mix in 4 cups flour. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is moldable. Add more flour if it is too sticky or add a few drops of water if the dough is dry and cracking.
Roll out and cut with cookie cutters, or mold into your own wonderful little creations!

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, flipping half way through.
The finished product:Let the Magic Making begin!