Cookie Overload

There is such a thing as too many cookies. I am done... for now.

Here's what I baked this past December:  sugar cookies, gingerbread, chocolate chip, and almond paste cookies.

Then I layered them in jars to give out.

I also tried meringues for the first time.  The kids loved it but I'm not really a fan.  Maybe I'll try it again but use some chocolate chips for different texture.

 
Then went overboard trying to make the perfect whipped butter cookie.  Am still trying...  then I moved onto chocolate meringues, polenta cookies, and more gingies.

It's not Christmas if I don't make big fat gingies.  Just like last year...  Although this year, I tried some hair for the girl gingie.  It didn't go over too well.

 I made walnut cookies for my mom

We don't do food treats at the new school.  Maybe that's a blessing in disguise, remember these cookies I made for Valentine's last year?  Would have been easier to buy stickers... 

We did give treats to Joshie's teacher along with a special card.  His friends got stickers, a pencil, and a stamp.

Somewhere along the way, we made some ornaments.  We also made some with clear glass balls but forgot to take a pic.

Then the ice-storm hit and we lost power just as these almond cookies went into the oven.   I forgot them in there and 2 days later, retrieved these sad looking cookies. 

As I write this post, I'm eating a polenta cookie.  Due to the ice storm, the cookies are staying here in our house and I will probably bake again when hubby's family reschedules our Christmas Eve dinner. 

Hope you're all enjoying your own Christmas traditions!

Merry Christmas!

We're iced/snowed in due to the big ice-storm in the T-Dot.  But we have our tree, our presents, loads of cookies, and each other.  

Merry Christmas everyone and all the best for 2014!

Tutorial: DIY 4x6 Envelope for Mailing Photos

This year we saw Santa in November, had the photo taken, high-fived each other for being early, and did nothing with the picture.  So here we are with less than 3 days before Christmas with some photos and no envelopes.   After visiting Walmart and Staples on Friday, I was chagrined to find out that neither store sold 4 x 6 photo envelopes.  Grrr....

Yesterday, we had extremely icy roads due to freezing rain plus a very sick little boy.  So, I wasn't able to go out.   Here's a pic of the road outside.  The weight of the ice broke many pieces off of our Japanese Maple tree and completely changed the shape of our birch tree. 

So long story short, this post is all about making your own envelope to hold a 4x6 photo.

Thank goodness for the internet.  I found a printable PDF from minieco (size C6) and decided to make my own envelopes using stock card paper.  However, I didn't want to have to write out the labels so I decided to print them on the cardstock along with the envelope template. 

Minieco's website only allows you to print the pdf.  If you want to modify it, you'll have to do a bit of work.  First, download the template and save as a .tiff file.  Then open a word document and insert the .tiff file into the document.  Size it appropriately and print a sample to test it out.  Once you know it's good, insert a text box for both addresses.  I also included a little pic of a Christmas tree.  When it's perfect, type in your addresses and print away!

Note:  after I printed my cards, I realized I could've typed a message on the flap too.

Here's what it looked like once I printed it. 

Once the ink is dry, cut out your template.  Then score the lines using the back of your scissors to make it easier to fold the envelope.  Glue the flaps with a glue stick.   Insert the picture and glue or tape the envelope shut.

Then run to the mailbox as fast as you can in hopes that it'll get to family and friends in time.

This is not the DIY that I anticipated doing but it turned out well.  Sorry friends for being so tardy with our Christmas cards this year (and every year prior to this year and probably every year after).

How many more days til Christmas???