December 2, 2008

Round Up: Advent Calendars.

I’m running a few days (plus shipping time!) late with my Advent Calendar Round Up. But surely there are some slackers like me out there who don’t mind a late start. Or, who knows, maybe some of you pre-planners are already thinking about next year!

Tower Advent Calendar.
This Christmas calendar holds a 24 boxed large tower with the ability to have a gift every day until the Christmas Eve.

DIY Candy Advent Calendar from Alpha Mom. (via Design*Sponge)
I attached the cups with brads in a grid-like pattern to a piece of decorative paper, then glued the paper to cardboard. I set the board on a table and filled all the cups with candy. Then I carefully sealed each one by painting glue around the rim and gently placing a piece of number-stamped tissue paper on top of each cup.

Chocolate Truffles Advent Calendar.
Twenty-four truffles lead up to a very decadent Christmas. Their accompanying wishes, such as “Peace,” “Hope” and “Compassion” keep the holiday spirit alive. Handcrafted in 12 distinctive flavors, including Italia Espresso, Pear Brandy, French Silk and Conquistador Hazelnut.

Advent Calendar Cabinet.
Hide a surprise like chocolate or an ornament behind each hinged door, so that every day of Advent guests have something new to find. Crafted of wood composites and painted with colorful symbols of the season.

DIY Envelope Advent Calendar from Design*Sponge + d.Sharp.
Starting on the first of December, each numbered envelope will hold a small treat or a note describing a holiday activity for the day, like going to get a tree or making candy encrusted graham cracker houses.

Literary Advent Calendar. (via Black*Eiffel)

Amsterdam Advent Calendar. (via Black*Eiffel)
Windows and doors are numbered 1-25, and reveal a tiny symbol of Christmas behind each one.

PS: If you’d like to check out a few more here’s 2007’s Advent Calendar Round Up!

Posted In christmas, holidays, round up
3
November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!


Tonight I’ll be baking this for my family’s annual dessert-off. Wish me luck! Tomorrow is one of the only “off” days of my year where I actually set the alarm clock so that I can watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s been a tradition since I was a kid and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon! Then it’s off to my mom and stepdad’s for loads of grub.

I’ll be taking Thursday and Friday off in every way possible, but see you Monday to kick off the holidays!

Lots and Lots of Thankfulness for …
… the very best friends and family and gal could ask for
… the new(ish) roof over my head
… my awesome job when so many are lacking even a crappy one
… two fuzzy kitten-cats waiting for me at the door
… my relatively decent health
… candy

:: photo via ffffound

Posted In holidays, listed, thanksgiving
2
November 26, 2008

On the Rocks: Thanksgiving Edition.

Everyone needs a drink or ten to get through the holidays. Especially when it involves family!

Apple Harvest Collins

Ingredients:
– 1 Macintosh apple, peeled, cored and sliced
– 1 1/2 ounces Bulldog gin
– 1/3 ounce simple syrup
– 1 tablespoon lemon juice
– 1 1/2 ounces spiced apple cider (preferably Reed’s brand)

Muddle 2 slices of the apple in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Combine the gin, simple syrup and lemon juice in the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into a Collins glass over ice. Add spiced apple cider. Garnish with more apple slices. If you like, rim the glass with cinnamon and sugar before mixing the cocktail. Serves 1.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via NY Daily News

November Chill

Ingredients:
– 3 oz gin
– 1 1/2 oz apple cider syrup (see link)
– 1/4 oz pomegranate syrup (see link)
– 1/4 oz Tuaca

Shake gin and apple cider syrup together with ice and strain into a cinnamon-sugar rimmed cocktail glass. Stir Tuaca and pomegranate syrup together and pour into the center of the glass. Serves 1.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via rejiggered

Pumpkin Margarita

Ingredients:
– 2 oz Partida Reposado Tequila
– 1 oz fresh lime/lemon juice mix
– splash of pumpkin puree
– sesame seeds
– lime wedge

Rim a cocktail glass with lime juice and sesame seeds. Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serves 1.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Talk Drinks

Posted In cocktails, holidays, thanksgiving
1
November 25, 2008

Thanksgiving Hurts.

We had our office Thanksgiving today – all four of us – and it was a day-long event. Pumpkin bagels for breakfast, out for lunch, then pumpkin pie and topping with eggnog in the afternoon. And you know what? I feel like I could explode. Like I need to undo the button on my jeans. I always forget how horrible being really truly FULL feels. And all I can say for it is this: UGH. Oh, and that I’ll be having water for dinner. Thank you.

:: photo via ffffound

Posted In holidays, thanksgiving
4
November 20, 2008

Flying Wish Paper.

Thanksgiving is still a week away. Christmas further than that. And last of all New Years, which I’m apparently already thinking about! Flying Wish Paper would be so much fun to light and set off at midnight with your resolution or wish written on it! Shape your paper into a tube and place it on the provided platform, then light the top edge of the tube and watch it burn down. At the last moment your wish lifts off the platform and rises into the sky!

Posted In christmas, holidays
5
November 20, 2008

PossibiliTree.

Ornaments are the real stars of a Christmas tree, so why not show them off more on the PossibiliTree? Oh, and the simplicity and storage are lovely, too!

Twenty-five years ago, architect Richard Babcock had an idea: Rather than buying, hauling and disposing of a Christmas tree every year, why not create a tree his family could use year after year? The six-foot wooden tree he created back then is still used by his family today. The PossibiliTree shown here is a tabletop version, standing almost three feet tall, with branches that can be fanned out in various ways. The tree is easily assembled and disassembled. The pieces can be stored in the original packaging – a tube, similar to the ones used by architects to hold drawings.

Posted In christmas, grand design, holidays
3
October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

It’s supposed to be a beautiful day here in OKC today – perfect trick or treating weather. And not too shabby for the costume party I’m attending tonight either. What will I be, you ask? Well, let me tell you. Two years ago I was Alice in Wonderland and this year I’ll be recycling the ensemble with the key addition of chains – tada – Alice in Chains!

:: photo via ffffound

Posted In halloween, holidays
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