Happy Birthday to the Diva

Well, it's happened. The Diva turned 12 yesterday. Sigh.

By her own admission she had a great day. At school yesterday her french class went to Le Central, a french restaurant in Denver. The child tried escargot, moules (mussels), poulet cordon bleu, and mousse au chocolat. Not a bad start to the day.

In the afternoon, her social studies class had a fiesta during which she went down to 32 inches in the limbo. Didn't win, though. Her friend won with only 29 inches (unbelievable).

We had dinner at home - thai shrimp and lemongrass soup, cashew chicken and flourless chocolate cake (more on the cake tomorrow).

Finally, we ended the day with a trip to Zing in Boulder where she got feathers in her hair. Have you seen this? I'm not sure if it's a Boulder/Denver thing. Basically the stylist glues the feathers into the hair, the same process used for extensions. Crazy, but she was in heaven.

Best of all, she said it was the best birthday ever. It made me feel really good.

Wordless Wednesday

12 Days of Christmas Cookies/Treats - Days 5 and 6

Roo and I have been down for the count for a couple of days and I'm incredibly behind in my cookie, candy and treat efforts. Plus, the Diva has been at sleepovers two nights in a row and couldn't pick up the slack. She cleaned the kitchen for me, though, between her social engagements, and it was a huge help. Since I've been sick, I haven't been able to even look at food. So here's to catching up on lost time.

Peppermint Bark
Makes 24 (2-inch) pieces

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup crushed candy canes

1. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat.
2. Spread melted chocolate evenly into an 8 x 8 inch pan.
3. Sprinkle candy over chocolate (quick tip: sift crushed candy through a fine sieve to remove the powder).
4. Let cool two hours in the refrigerator.
5. Break into bite-size pieces and enjoy.
6. Bark will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks.

Marshmallows
Makes 20 large marshmallows

Nonstick cooking spray
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (4¼ teaspoons)
¾ cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
⅓ cup refrigerated egg white product or 2 pasteurized egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons cornstarch
⅔ cup powdered sugar

1. Lightly coat an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, or line bottom of pan with waxed paper or parchment paper. Coat the plastic or paper with nonstick cooking spray; set pan aside.
2. In a large metal or heatproof bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup cold water; set aside.
3. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan stir together remaining ¼ cup water,1¾  cups of the sugar, and the corn syrup until combined. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Cook without stirring, over medium-high heat until the thermometer registers 260 degrees, 12-15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; pour over gelatin mixture in bowl and stir well to combine (mixture will foam up).
5. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form, 3-4 minutes. Beat in vanilla until combined. 
6. With the mixer running on high speed, gradually add gelatin mixture to egg white mixture, beating about 7 minutes or until thick (like the consistency of thick, pourable cake batter). 
7. Quickly pour marshmallow mixture into prepared pan, spreading to edges of pan. Lightly coat another piece of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; place, coated side down over marshmallow mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or until firm.
8. Remove plastic wrap from top of marshmallow. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle ¼ of the mixture onto a large cutting board. Loosen sides of marshmallows and invert onto cutting board. Sprinkle the top with some of the remaining powdered sugar mixture. Using a knife that's been dipped in warm water, cut into 20 marshmallows. Place remaining powdered sugar mixture and a few marshmallows at a time into a resealable plastic bag and toss until coated.
9. Store marshmallows between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Or freeze up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before serving.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies - Wordless Wednesday

12 Days of Christmas Crafts - Day 11

Today I'm sharing nostalgic ornaments from my childhood. I've always loved these small figures; ever since my mother bought them at a holiday bazaar at St. Michael's Church in Olympia. She knew how much I loved them, so she gave them to me the first Christmas in my first home.

They are teeny tiny, only 2.25 inches high, made from felt, corduroy, and satin.

The detail is beautiful. I'm not sure I could make anything so small and if I did, it wouldn't look nearly as good.

Very special and adorable.

12 Days of Christmas Crafts - Day 3

Pears make such terrific christmas ornaments. 12 days of Christmas, right?

I'm missing the partridge, but I have some gorgeous pears on my Christmas tree.

I've had these ornaments for years and years. I took a painted finishes class - way before the faux finish craze took off - with a friend in the 90s. Seems like a lifetime ago. The instructor's name was Barbara LeBlanc and the name of her business was Three French Hens Farm; apropos, non? Unfortunately, in all of these years, I've never found her work online.

Shortly after the 8-week class concluded, Barbara held a trunk show. Of course all of the students flocked to the room filled with her work. I scooped up three pear ornaments since I'm crazy for Christmas ornaments.

They are simple to make. If you can find whole dried pears or dry them yourself, glue a single gold leaf and gold cord at the stem, and voila, you've got a fab, thrifty ornament. I have not been able to locate whole dried pears on the web, and I'm not sure of the best way to dry them at home (while preserving the color). Sun drying or oven drying? Maybe a dehydrator?

Let me know what you think. I always love to hear from you.

12 Days of Christmas - Crafts & Decorations - Day 1

Welcome to my countdown to Christmas. It's the 12 Days of Christmas x 2! December 1-12 is a parade of simple crafts and decorations, and December 13-24 is a line-up of delicious cookies and treats.

{An interesting note about the 12 Days of Christmas, however, is that it does not refer to the 12 days before Christmas, but rather the 12 days after. It's actually the celebration of the days between Christmas and Epiphany, ending January 6. The evening of January 5, even though it's the 11th day, is known as Twelfth Night, a term immortalized by Shakespeare's comedy of the same name.}

Day 1 - Christmas Ornaments

I have been crazy for Christmas ornaments since I was a kid when my parents, my sister and I stitched up felt Noah's Ark ornaments using blanket stitch. It was so much fun. I wonder if my mom has any of them tucked away?

She's always had the most beautiful tree. The decorations have changed through the years, but the effect is always the same. Absolutely stunning. My sister and I carry on the tradition and decorate our trees to the hilt. The Diva and Roo get into the act, too, hanging as many ornaments as they can.

Some of the ornaments on my 12-foot tree - my biggest EVER!

And the best part is that I'm not even finished putting decorations on the tree yet. The kids and I have more work to do. . .

Can't wait for Day 2. It might include info on hand-stitched felt ornaments.

Blue (Cyber) Monday

For some reason, I'm thinking about Blue Monday, today. Must be the whole Cyber Monday thing. Not only is Blue Monday the best ever New Order song, but there's also a great cover by Flunk.

Along those lines, some gorgeous blue finds on etsy.

farouche $35.00	brooklynbookbi... $15.00	elde $85.00	EverLuxe $
thetrendybaby $22.00	BeadinBabe $10.80	blacksanddesig... $42.00	sweetpetula $20.00
MaaPstudio $38.00	alliterations $5.00	CaitlinSainio $5.00	rosebudlips $23.00
whitneysmith $44.00	abunchofscrap $2.75	thecraftpantry $12.00	BethanyOgle $98.00

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Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday - more shopping craziness. The term Cyber Monday, was created five years ago by the National Retail Federation, to ring in the unofficial start of online holiday shopping (beware retail marketing wizardry).

The Huffington Post has some great tips for Cyber Monday shopping:

1. On twitter, follow @CyberMonday, @CyberMondayNews, or @BestCyberMonday. Try following specific retailers, too, such as @Nordstrom or @Target.
2. Take a look at CyberMonday.com and BestCyberMondayDeals.com for lists of the best online deals.
3. Visit Wallet Pop, for even more ideas for extra savings.

Don't forget to start at eBates (see my previous post authored by Boulder Locavore; it includes detailed information on navigating eBates).

Be careful, though. The Early Show on CBS warns to beware bogus bargains, lookalike sites and free shipping.

If you've got travel on your mind instead of traditional gifts, take a look at these deals:

1. Hotels.com is offering up to 50% off if you book online and use code 4DAY.
2. NYC - The Duane Street Hotel in Tribeca $129/night (usually $350/night) if you book today between 1:29pm and 1:58pm today, EST. Stay is good January 1-Februay 28 (excluding dates around Valentine's Day).
3. Starwood Hotels, including Westin, is offering special rates January 1-April 30, use code CYBERLTO.

View from Duane Street Hotel - NYC

Happy browsing and shopping.

Sparkly Handcrafted Jewelry for a Fabulous Thanksgiving

Get out your sparkly flatware and dishes and make this the shiniest Thanksgiving ever.

Some sterling silver, brass and gold inspiration from etsy:

accessoryalamo... $29.50	simplyyoujewel... $39.00	newhopebeading $54.00	tinytokensdesi... $35.00
aswedanceaway $25.00	JLynnCreations $40.00	bittyclippies $48.00	agawacanyon $45.00
LillyEllenDesi... $52.00	wsayle $34.00	juliethefish $12.00	pureroxinprint $84.00
punkybunny300 $25.00	yourcharmedlif... $30.00	hazelnutcottag... $54.40	christinaguent... $46.00

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tada!shop

Have you discovered tada!shop yet? It's a great time-saving resource for kids clothing and toys. The site allows you to add items to a shopping list and directs you straight to the site where goods are available for purchase. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. If you're in the market for children's gifts, the finds on the site are fantastic. And don't worry, it's all available online.

The girls holiday gift guide couldn't be more helpful. It covers a wide range of items; everything from toys to clothing. And the list is organized by age for your shopping convenience.

What could be better than a virtual personal shopper? Your time is valuable; use it wisely.