We'll Take a Cup O' Kindness Yet

Another year older. Another year passed. As the world welcomes the start of a new decade, I'm also welcoming the start of a new one in my life.

Max Wagner

It hardly seems ten years since family and friends were gathered to celebrate my twentieth birthday and waiting to see what, if anything, Y2K might bring.

Caroline & Matt- Whitebox

The past 10 years were filled with events I could have never predicted as the ball dropped on the night of December 31, 1999, events that changed me and some that changed the world.

Lauren & Zack- Our Labor of Love

Some events took me down paths very different than the ones I'd originally planned for myself, and all the events molded me into the person I am now.

Tom Watson Photography

While I'm trying to figure out just where the last decade went and attempting to reconcile that I'm no longer a Twentysomething, I am looking forward to discovering what my 30s hold and what lies ahead in 2010.

Emma Mitchell

And for all of you, I wish for 2010 to be a year filled with much happiness and contentment. Happy New Year!!

Way She Shimmers

During the holidays, it always seems pretty frocks are plentiful in stores, each anxiously waiting to be plucked from the rack and claimed by a lovely lady for wear during the various parties of the season.

And of all the events during the holidays, New Year's Eve provides a perfect reason to don one of the numerous dresses vying for a chance in the spotlight; there are beautiful metallic numbers that glisten and glow.

Chris Nicholls Photography

Kenneth Willardt

Sophie Hexter- Stylist

L: Temperley London. R: Badgley Mischka- Platinum Label.

L: Temeperly London. R: See by Chloe

L: Matthew Williamson. R: Philosophy di Alberta Ferreti.

Jewel-toned dresses glisten and shine next to black beauties that dazzle with embellishments. With so many choices and only one New Year's Eve each year, it's always difficult to decide what dress should get its chance to sparkle.

Annika Aschberg

Linda Nova- Stylist

Linda Nova- Stylist


L: ModCloth. R: Yoana Baraschi.

L: Anna Sui. R: Rachel Gilbert.

L: Rachel Gilbert. R: Alberta Ferretti.

While I'd adore the chance to throw on any of the gorgeous options above, this year, I'll be rocking a black, one-shouldered number as I welcome the new year. How about you? If you're heading out this New Year's Eve, what made your cut?

Flavor-of-the-Month . . . In Defense of Gingerbread

Is it just me? I love gingerbread cookies. I wait all year to make them, bake them once in December and start dreaming about next year.

They are the perfect cookies for all winter long! They're spicy and comforting...you know, I would eat them in a box and I would eat them with a fox. I would eat them in a house and I would eat them with a mouse. I would eat them here and..sorry...


Who's with me? Let me share my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe with you:

Gingerbread Cookies
(modified from Southern Living Incredible Cookies)

1/4 c water
1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c molasses
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
5 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 & 1/2 TBSP ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Line baking sheets with parchment.


Stir together the water and baking soda until dissolved. Stir in the molasses; set aside.

Beat butter & sugar until fluffy and combined.

Whisk together flour, salt and spices.

Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the molasses mixture. Begin and end with the flour. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.


On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a floured cookie cutter and place on baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes before baking.


{They are going to spread.}
Bake 12 minutes (for a large shape). Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing.

To decorate:

• Using a #2 tip, outline the shape of the snowflake in white royal icing.
• Thin the icing with water, stirring until it is the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.
• Stir gently to pop any bubbles that may have formed and transfer to a squeeze bottle.



• Fill in the outline using a toothpick to guide into corners.
• Let dry at least one hour.



• Again with a #2 tip, pipe a snowflake pattern on each cookie.
• Let dry overnight.
• Mix a little meringue powder with water. (see sanding station here)
• With a small paintbrush, paint the mixture on only the snowflake design.
• Pour on sanding or sparkling sugar and shake of excess.

I also made some mini gingerbread hearts...very dangerous, these little bite-size ones!

I'm so looking forward to seeing YOUR cookies!!! Click below to link up. The linky will be closed on January 3rd to prevent spammers.

OH...and there is a new feature here....to add this post (or any) to twitter, stumble upon, facebook, etc, just click on the button at the end of each post. :)

Flavor-of-the-Month January Edition....BOOZY! :) Maybe you make a mean pina colada cake, or Kahlua tart, or a gingerbread martini (!)...link it up the last day of January! EVERYONE is welcome!!!

Princess Cookie Flavoring . . . Works For Me Wednesday

Have you ever eaten a sugar cookie from Potbelly Sandwich Works? They are not decorated sugar cookies, but the soft kind that will bend in the middle, sprinkled with sparkling sugar....buttery, a little citrus-y...really delicious. My sister and I have become a little obsessed with them.

I've been trying to figure out just what their secret is. When I saw this Princess Bakery Emulsion, I thought I might be on to something.

Now, I don't think it's the secret to Potbelly's cookies, and I still like the vanilla-almond flavor of my regular cookies, but it is nice. It adds a certain creamy orange/nutty taste.

Remember these? I used the Princess flavoring in them. My brother-in-law asked if I had done something different with the cookies and said that he really liked them. It gave me great pleasure to tell my Iraq war vet, personal trainer brother-in-law that what he liked was PRINCESS bakery emulsion. :)

So, if you're looking for a new flavor to shake up your sugar cookies, this just might work for you.

And, Potbelly...if you're out there...can you tell us your secret, please?!?

For more WFMW ideas, visit Kristen at We Are THAT Family. My WFMW archives are here.

Papertake Weekly sketch challenge

Happy Tuesday! Welcome to another awesome sketch from the amazingly talented Dawny!! This chickie makes the BEST sketches, and I honestly love to work with her! If you haven't been to visit her blog, then please do yourself a favor and check it out. This week over at Papertake Weekly, we're being sponsored by Simon Says Stamp.

I've had this digital stamp by Mo Manning for forever, and finally am getting the chance to use her. She's colored with Copic markers. I've paired her with some FABULOUS digital sentiments from a new set at The Cutting Cafe' called Because Nice Matters. LOVE this set and I just thought it went so well with this stamp! The inside sentiment is from the same set.

The DP is Basic Grey and the cardstock is Bazzill. The buttons are Basic Grey as well, and the twine is from PTI. That's it for this card. Please join us over at Papertake Weekly and play along. You might win a prize from Simon Says Stamp! Thanks for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! HUGS!

Hi friends!!! After taking some much needed time off, I am back and definitely in the mood to craft! I hope all of you had a most wonderful holiday season! We had such a lovely Christmas, and I am off work this week. YAY!!!!! LOL! So I'm planning on relaxing and getting some crafting done too. With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I FINALLY got to get my challenge card done for Magnolia-licious. The challenge was from the most talented Cheryl Rowley, and it was to make a shaped card (anything except square or rectangle). I decided to use the card feature from my new Cricut cartridge, Sweet Treats.

I love it, cause the card shape is already made and you just have to tell it what size you want it and hit the cut button. Doesn't get any easier! I also wanted desperately to use this beautiful stamp from Magnolia-licious from the So Jolly/Mistletoe collection. (The site if currently down so I can't link to her, sorry!) She is one of my very favorites from this new collection! She's colored with Copic markers (E50, E53, R35, R46, E11, R20, E02, E00) and then cut out and popped up from the present shaped card. The DP is Basic Grey and cardstock is Bazzill. The tag is cut from my Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More Cricut cartridge. You still have a couple days left to join in on the shaped card fun over at Magnolia-licious Highlites blog! If you play along, you'll have a chance to win a gift certificate to Magnolia-licious! Thanks so much for popping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!!

If you all lived closer, here's what I'd bring you....



{I couldn't decide if I wanted fluffy or straight-sided trees...}




{A special thank you to the delightful Janet for the fabulous Cookie Craft book, from which I copied this design almost exactly. :) You are just the sweetest, Janet!}

Have a wonderful holiday week! I hope it's filled with love, laughter and lots of sugar!