best of 2012.

I wanted to jump on the wagon of putting together an end-of-the-year post, so I scoured my iPhoto and picked out some random, but goodies from the year. It was so nice to go through all of my memories with the intention of picking a only a few...it was apparently a good year because it was hard to pick! I could probably put together a few of these posts, which I guess is a good thing that I had a lot of "bests."

I'm looking forward to what comes about in 2013. Hoping it will be the best yet.

//all photos by me except for best picture text taken by a friend and best day ever taken by my niece//

2012 holiday tags: my pick.

One thing (among MANY) that I do look forward to around the holidays are all of the round-ups on other blogs, like the diy crafts, gifts for him/her/kids/pets, and especially the free printable gift tags. Here are some of my favorites that I collected from blogs that I follow - some are from direct artist's websites and some are curated from other bloggers. These will definitely be put to good use!! I do make one of my sister-in-laws gift tags for her gifts, but I choose to use the real cute ones I find from other artists to shake things up a bit at the family-gathering-mayhem we like to call Christmas. Enjoy!!

links: one//two//three//four

here + there

I started teaching my seven-year-old nephew three days a week, which has been so exciting!! He is learning how to read and I am learning more and more about Waldorf-inspired homeschooling...it's a win/win situation!! I used to teach Art in a public primary school, and I loved the activities, I loved being with the kids, but I certainly didn't love the restrictions and impossible pressure the state decided to put on children they've never even met. So, after three years, I retired (I love saying that in my 30s) and started working on the farm with my brother and sister-in-law. After about three years of that, I realized that was not right for me either. So now, after a year of random job opportunities, and talking with my brother & sister-in-law - we decided that I would teach my nephew! Genius! We meet at the barn office those three mornings, greeted by "Jerry Garcia" and any other cow standing around to say hello, and have our time together. I love it, and I think by the smile plastered across his face when he gets there, that he does too.

It has started to look a little more like Christmas around my house! I just love this holiday and all of the decorating that it inspires. I had my 3rd Annual Christmas Cocktail Cheer on Friday night, and literally got my tree in the stand and lights put on an hour before party-time, where it stood naked of ornaments until the next morning when I decorated it wearing a tiny headache from the night before. Tis the season, right?

holiday greens hunt.

We went out last Sunday on our annual adventure to collect greens from around the farm to make our holiday wreaths. We even added another "vehicle" to the mix to be able to collect as much as we wanted, with room to put our feet. It was not the prettiest of days around here, and certainly not a winter holiday temperature, but we donned our gloves and clippers and headed out on our search.

This is my niece opening the gate for us - I just think her little tooshie looks so cute in her new skinny jeans (which she LOVES), so I had to include it. ;)

There were TONS of pine cones, which I plan on using to yarn-bomb Rachel-style some friends' houses on Wednesday, but the trees definitely didn't look as healthy as in the past due to not having a lot of rain this season. But I think we got some good options for our wreaths/hangings.

The cedar was abundant, although not a lot of berries on some types which was a bummer, but I stuck cedar in some random vases around my house and it smells SO good! And it just puts a smile on my face with it coming out of the vases all crazy.

Here are the Blue Ridge Mountains looking very blue on this gray day.

So, thank you trees for you bounteous clippings to make our homes beautiful and smell like Christmas!

around my crib: christmas crafts.

 

Things are getting busy around here. Again, I am trying to gift handmade as much as possible, and I am loving it. I've rekindled a love/hate relationship with knitting, a very loving friendship with embossing on paper, and an obsession with cross-stitch. I already have an order in for a custom family cross-stitch and I couldn't be more excited to get started on it. Of course, I'm still in the planning process, but still, it's gonna be a goodie.

My brother always opens his "woodshop" on Christmas Eve, so I'm thinking that's going to be my busiest day yet. Maybe I can talk him into opening it some on the evenings to get me started and then he can have it all to himself on the 24th. I'm hoping to do a lot of wood-based projects, more specifically with branches and small trunks. I don't like to cut live trees, so I'll have to check woodpiles and maybe take a little jaunt around the farm for some downed ones. I'm pretty excited to execute what I've got brewing in this head of mine...and I'm pretty sure they are going to be popular with the fam. :)

My cards are all finished and ready to be personalized (I always make it a point to write a little note special to the receiver somewhere on the card). I changed my mind last minute about envelope color, so I'm going to get some more this afternoon and get these puppies mailed out tomorrow.

thanksgiving feast.

We celebrated our day of thanks with another outdoors feast at our creek area on the farm. It was a beautiful day of family, friends, and even the turkey farmers. We feasted on seasonal dishes made from love and locally brewed beer. Everyone was smiling with full bellies and warm hearts. I'll let the pictures do more of the talking.

Hope your Thanksgiving was just as special.

around my town: art + architecture show.

This past weekend was the 2nd Annual Art + Architecture Show at The Sedalia Center, which is pretty much right across the street from where I live - making this event mighty convenient. This is an event held in honor of one of the founding members of the center who dabbled in all areas of the arts, and was quite a special woman. About a month ago, I was asked to set up a booth with my wares and I was quite honored to do so knowing the meaning behind the event.

I really put a lot of thought into my display this time because I wanted it to be very cohesive and somewhat color-themed with light and natural tones. There are still areas for improvement, but I thought it turned out nice and was in line with what I had envisioned.

Here is (somewhat) of a closeup of the stamps I designed. I thought they looked so nice in those perfectly-hued bowls...from Anthropologie of course.

Here are the dreamcatchers I cranked out for this event. I also made a "dreamstick" that sold, but I could never get a good picture of it before it went to be with its new and excited owner. I do plan on making more for my shop.

And here is the full view of my table with my new handmade sign and dreamcatchers hanging up behind me. I was quite pleased with the day, and think I've made a little name for myself around here. :)

yes, you will want to make this.

It is da bomb. You won't regret it and, like me, you might even get locked in to making it every year. It is THAT good.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

32 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin 

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pecan Graham Cracker Crust* (recipe to follow but do first!)

Cinnamon Whipped Cream* (recipe to follow)

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin and beat until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the Pecan Graham Cracker Crust. Place the springform pan in a larger baking pan. Add water to the pan to a depth of 1 inch.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the springform pan to a wire rack to cool. Cover the springform pan and refrigerate overnight. Loosen the cheesecake from the side of the pan and remove the side of the pan. Place the cheesecake on a serving plate and top with the Cinnamon Whipped Cream. Serves 10-12.

Pecan Graham Cracker Crust

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons melted butter

Combine the pecans, graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a bowl and toss to mix well. Add the butter and mix well. The mixture should have the consistency of wet sand. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Wrap the bottom and side of the pan with foil to make it watertight.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the whipping cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl. Beat at low speed until well blended. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.

And there you have it. This recipe comes from a local Junior League cookbook and is one of the most "crispy" pages in my book from plenty of use. I'm actually getting excited to whip one up tomorrow for this year's Thanksgiving feast.

//photo courtesy of Myles Katherine. Font: Mountain Retreat //

in the workshop: mixed paper books.

Just wanted to pop in and show what I recently added to my Etsy shop! I have a few more embellished journals to add as well, but need to photograph them when the weather clears.

This first mixed paper book measures 6x6 and contains bright and summer-inspired papers, which you can see below. These were also the first covers I used the stamp that I designed for this exact purpose. It can be left as-is or you can add the subject or season of your book on the line. It is stamped with white embossing powder to give it a little dimension.

The second 6x6 mixed paper book is the "Polkadots & Pinafores" mixed paper book designed with that special little girl in your life in mind. These make great shower or birthday gifts, and the 6x6 size is perfect for Instagrams.

Here is the 4x6 Winter mini-book. I love this small size that is perfect for printed photos.

And last, but not least are some 'for fun' postcards I designed and had printed. They are white with a glossy front and the perfect message to make someone's day!!

All the above books and postcards are currently available in my shop! Feel free to go check 'em out!

Wow, Blogger is acting REALLY weird today.