A few of my favorite things...

I Love handmade ornaments, and when I lived in Montana our Ladies' Bible study group had an ornament exchange every year, so I love reminiscing while I decorate for the Season.  

A friend made this wonderful pink heart with vintage buttons from a late parishioner's gift to her years ago.  She gifted me with memories of two people with this one!

These picture ornaments are made from juice can lids... a bit of lace and plastic pearls... 12 years old, and still Daddy's favorite!

Sessions of Baking

Sugar Cookies

A bad picture, sorry, I forgot to take a picture before wrapping these Raspberry Linzer Cookies!

Chocolate Checkerboards and Pinwheels

Candybar Cookies

Oreo Snowmen

Dipped Pretzels

Nutterbutter Snowmen

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Payday Bars

and Fudge.

These plus more are on their way to our dear friends for a Thanksgiving Feast!  Happy Thanksgiving Day to all of my friends in blogland!

Seven Weird and Random Things you probably don't know about me...

IndianaJane tagged me to share seven weird and random things about me... I found it fun to read fellow bloggers randomness so here I go...

1.  I met and married this incredible, wonderful, kind, and dreamy man in two weeks.  Yup, went on a date on a Saturday, he proposed the next Saturday and we were married the following Saturday, 18 years ago!  ( I do not recommend this to my 17 yod!)

2.  I was in the military for a short time.

3.  I grew up in Germany.

4.  I adore the gray, wet, snowy days of winter.  (The gray-sky-love may be from my childhood days)

5.  I battle the urge to eat ice constantly, if I do not take an iron pill.  I am thinking it drives my sweet family crazy, hearing crunch, crunch, crunch.  (Reminder, take my iron pill today!)

6.  I absolutely cannot, cannot wait until Christmas morning to see my children open gifts.  This year we are actually planning it into our festivities, every Wednesday night after Advent services they will get to come home and open one gift.  (This is sort of cost effective this year as well!)

7.  Shhhh, because I am a pastor's wife, and you know what "they" might think or say... shhhhh, but, I have a tatoo!  Don't tell.

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving

What I am doing right now, and it is sweet, bringing in the Thanksgiving Week with a wonderful story!  

Let it SNOW, let it SNOW, let it SNOW!

Snow in November, more on the way, 'Nuf Said!  YIPPEE

Holiday Baking Session Planning

I am planning our Holiday Baking Session Chart for 2008.  I am not usually this organized, but I am always afraid of Leaving something out.  This year our Sessions are numbering five.

Session I

Payday Bars

Fudge

P'nut Butter Rounds

Snowmen Oreos and Nutterbutters

Dipped Pretzels

Oreo Truffles

Thin Mints

Session II

Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

Chocolate Pinwheels and Checkerboards

Gingerbread People

Raspberry Linzer Hearts

Session III

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Molasses Crinkles

Oatmeal Cookies

Session IV

Caramels

Caramel Corn

Dipped Caramel P'nut squares

Session V

Sugar Cookie Decorating

Packaging Cookie Gifts

Hot Chocolate Cones

Friendship Tea Cones

Beer Bread Mixes

So today is shopping day...off to Rhinelander, Wisconsin to Aldi Grocery store... I will take picks as we go!  Blessings on this fall day...

Oh, and btw, SNOW is on the way!  They say six more inches tonight!

Evolution of Dance-Laughing on Thursday Morning!

Homemade Linen Spritzer

Linen Spritzer,  use an empty window cleaning bottle, fill with hot water and a sheet of cheap-o fabric softener.  Use when pressing linens or as a wrinkle releaser when you don't have time to iron!  Really , this is super easy and smells wonderful as well as does a double duty, spritzing and releasing wrinkles!  Give it a try!  

Tip:  If you have lovely bottles you can package this up with some home made laundry powder and a dryer ball as a great gift idea!  Blessings!

A new and weird love...

I don't think many will agree, and most will think it odd... I don't do this daily, but... I am really loving pressing linens, and my husbands clerical shirts.  I like the feel of the warm iron, the smell of my home made spritzer and the stacked linens and hanging shirts.  I keep a pile going and once a week or so spend a few hours over the ironing board.  Weird?