exit, pursued by bear

merriest wishes.

"The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas."

And, if possible, the gift of snuggly puppy kisses.

Merry Christmas!

cookies for Santa.

I really wish I had the patience (and talent!) to make these:

{"Holiday Cookie Cutter Set" from Martha Stewart for Macy's via the Holiday Gift Guide}

That Santa cookie cutter is especially cute. (I can't find these anywhere -- has anyone seen them?)

{"Decorated Santa Cookies" from Martha. More details here.}

Need a good sugar cookie recipe for cut outs? (Who doesn't?!) Here are a few I've come across over the past few days:

- Martha's recipe, used in the episode for decorated Santa cookies
- Essential Recipe No. 2: Sugar Cookies (article from Blueprint ... sniff.) and recipe.
- Perfect Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing (also from Martha).
- Recipe: Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (from TheKitchn -- note this makes a large quantity).
- "My Favorite Christmas Cookies From Childhood and Beyond" from The Pioneer Woman Cooks (with "non-sweet egg yolk glaze")

Hopefully this might help get some home baked cookies out to Santa this year! :o)

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

feeling festive!

We've been a little bit frantic over the past few days, weeks ... and Christmas has definitely sneaked up on us this year! So, I thought I'd share some of our favorite Christmas songs in a handy little playlist -- just to help everyone feel a little bit more festive.

The first one, "Christmas Waltz" by Frank Sinatra is one of my absolute faves ... around this time of year you will often find me randomly belting out: "frost-ed win-dow paaaaaaanes!" The "three-quarter time" really makes it catchy :o)

On the less traditional side, "River" has been a family favorite of ours for years. I first discovered it when the Indigo Girls covered it on 1200 Curfews (my goodness I used to love that album, I need to dig that up) , but it's actually an old Joni Mitchell tune. My parents have a version of it sung by Robert Downey, Jr. (random -- from the Ally McBeal Christmas soundtrack. Even more random). And I have always loved DMB's "Christmas Song" -- that brings back a lot of warm memories!

{now that we're officially in the post-holiday song season and to spare you - but mostly me - from hearing this automatically load every time this page opens, click here to listen} 

I could create a whole separate list of my favorite Christmas hymns -- the above playlist is more "popular" than Christmas carols. But I did add in "The Holly and the Ivy" -- which is one of my mom's favorites -- it's a more traditional English carol.

What are some of your favorite holiday tunes?

**Update: Some of these songs may be slow to load, just FYI. Refreshing the page may help**

**Update 2: Here's the full playlist, if you're curious:

1. Frank Sinatra - The Christmas Waltz

2. Ella Fitzgerald - Sleigh Ride

3. Leon Redbone/Zooey Deschanel – Baby, It’s Cold Outside

4. Dave Matthews Band  - Christmas Song.

5. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

6. Sarah McLachlan - River

7. Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

8. Brian Setzer Orchestra - The Nutcracker Suite

9. The Holly And The Ivy (Traditional)

10. Charles Brown - Please Come Home For  Christmas

11. Dean Martin - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

12. Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby

13. Perry Como - Winter Wonderland

14. Bing Crosby - Silver Bells

15. Ella Fitzgerald & Frank Devol Orchestra - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

foodie gifties.

Or gifties for foodies, whichever you prefer!

Desperate for last-minute gift ideas? Fear not! I thought this "Un-Gift Guide 2008" round-up from The Kitchn was very helpful, especially "Gifts from The Kitchen" section, which has lots of recipes for gifts you can make.

I think I'm going to try the salt caramels and the peppermint patties. Oh! And definitely the Oreo truffles, which I've been meaning to make for ages. I think I'll make some regular ones, plus a batch with Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's (peppermint filling and bits of candy canes -- my husband LOVES them).

And if you're looking for more candy ideas, check out this post: Candy for Giving and Party Snacks: The Full Roundup"

Yum!

hanging around.

We already have a lovely ornament wreath hanging on our front door, but this looks so fun to make, I just might pick up some extra ornaments and try it out! I mean, who couldn't use another ornament wreath hanging around for the holidays? ;o)

{Ornament Christmas wreath from Eddie Ross}

Eddie's instructions sound so easy -- this just takes a wire hanger, a glue gun and a BUNCH of spare ornaments (he estimates about 80!!). I think it would be fun to alternate sizes (smaller ornaments will help fill in any gaps), colors and textures. Glittery ones would look especially lovely.

I'll let you know if I'm successful in this crafty endeavor.

red, white and cheerful.

Saw this while prowling around on MarthaStewart.com, looking for festive labels. Isn't it just darling?

{via Martha Stewart}

This photo accompanies a "how-to" craft article on "candy holder ornaments." Whatever that might be. This is the description: "Fill paper candy baskets with mints and let them dangle beneath tuxedo ribbon bows for a unique ornament on your Christmas tree."

If that sounds like something right up your alley, directions are here.

Christmas query ...

So I've seen LOTS o' blogs offering up cute, free, downloadable gift tags for their readers ... has anyone come across any cute, free, downloadable address labels? Looking for something to use for our much-delayed Christmas cards.

I did find these, which I think I'll use for our French Bulldog holiday card exchange this year  (don't ask ...) -- aren't they cute??

{"Santa Claus Address Labels" from On a Limb Paper via VintageGlam Blog. Download here.}

But I'd like something different for our regular Christmas cards. Bonus points if you can find return address lables, too -- ooh, matching return address labels, even??

A girl can dream ...

trim-a-tree ... part 1.

Decorating our tree has been a little bit of a drawn out process this year. We bought and brought home the tree on Friday night. We also put it in the stand, straightened it out and gave it some water.

Then we tackled the lights. I use "we" very loosely, because stringing lights on the tree has always confounded me, so this task has typically fallen on my dear husband. The lighting, for him, is serious business -- and is approached with great care and deliberation. There is a definite strategy, which I suspect is some sort of family secret, passed on from generation to generation ... I wish to remain ignorant of this family secret, so I can retain my official job of "observing from the couch."

This lighting task began on Saturday night and was continued on Sunday night. It was at this point we realized we probably needed more lights. This realization came after we decided we needed additional lights on Saturday and bought four more packs on Sunday. Just exactly how many we will ultimately need/use remains to be seen.

I meant to stop by Target and pick up some more last night, but I got distracted by my other errands and didn't remember until I pulled up in front of the house. Hopefully I will remember to do that this evening.

However, last night I did manage to finally get some garland for the tree -- I noticed this "mosaic garland" was on sale at Crate and Barrel, so I grabbed a few:

{Mosaic Garland from Crate and Barrel: $5.95 $3.95}

I had absolutely NO idea how many strands I would need. I think we have about a nine foot tree (Fraser Fir) and I attempted to do some sort of crazy math (each strand is 10'), but my efforts were hampered by the fact that I couldn't decide how wide the tree was, nor could I make up my mind how exactly it was going to be draped (spacing intervals, etc.)

I ended up with four packs. I'm fairly confident that I'll probably end up running out for another strand or two -- that's just how we do things around here ;o)

warm and comforting.

I've been chilly all day, so I'm in the mood for something warm and comforting for dinner. I made this recipe when Jeremy and I first started dating (he has an almost unnatural love for mashed potatoes, so I knew he'd love it) -- but for some reason, I haven't made it since (I think it's the matchstick carrots -- it's something too specific for me to regularly have on hand).

And since I don't have 3 hours or so to spare for making pot roast ... this will be tonight's winning recipe!

{Photo: Brian Hagiwara via Good Housekeeping}

Here's the recipe:

Chicken with Smashed Potatoes, Potpie Style

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound(s) baby red potatoes, each cut in half

• 1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil

• 4 medium (about 1 1/4 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves

• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 cup(s) (about half 10-ounce bag) matchstick-thin carrots

• 1 cup(s) chicken broth

• 1/4 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream

• 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried tarragon, crumbled

• 1 cup(s) tiny frozen peas, thawed

• 1 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter

•  Tarragon sprigs for garnish

Preparation

 

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven, place potatoes with water to cover; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 12 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.

 

2. While potatoes are cooking, in nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 8 minutes longer or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with knife. Transfer chicken to plate; keep warm.

 

3. To same skillet, add carrots, broth, cream, and dried tarragon; cover and cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove skillet from heat and stir in peas.

 

4. Coarsely mash potatoes with margarine and remaining salt and pepper.

 

5. Spoon potatoes onto platter; top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Garnish with tarragon.

Let's hope we both like it as much as we did a few years ago ;o)

seasonal and on sale (mostly).

Found some fun holiday decor on sale while I was poking around Pottery Barn.

I love reindeer moss, especially when it has been dyed such a lovely shade of "vibrant chartreuse." This garland is especially nice, because I almost think it would work year 'round!

{"Moss Garland" from Pottery Barn: $69 SPECIAL $34}

There's a matching moss wreath, too:

{"Moss Wreath" from Pottery Barn: $79 SPECIAL $39}

And I LOVE this silver ornament garland -- I don't have anything like this, since garlanding can be so expensive -- 60" is not bad, but for some reason I always feel like I need so much more. This particularly one is just so shiny and lovely:

{"Silver Ornament Garland" from Pottery Barn: $69 SPECIAL $34}

And although completely impractical and an unnecessary indulgence, this makes me giggle -- I think it would look perfect propped up on the buffet in our dining room:

{"Glitter Santa Canvas" from Pottery Barn: $149 SPECIAL $99}

It's HUGE! 52” sq!

Isn't the table in that photo neat? I like the under-table storage shelves! Oh, and that chandelier/light fixture is very pretty, too. Anyway!

Back to holiday decor!

I just adore these sweet, glittery illuminated houses:

{"Glittered Illuminated Houses" from Pottery Barn: $59 - $69}

Sadly, these darling miniature homes are not on "SPECIAL" or on sale ... I've been looking for similar, vintage paper/cardboard villages -- thinking about starting a collection. I think they look so sweet all lit up on the mantle.

Oh, and one more little item ... EVERY year I tell myself that I'm going to swap out all of the hideous, cheap paperclip-y ornament hooks for these nice, simple ones from Pottery Barn and EVERY year I managed to talk myself out of it, thinking they will go on sale, which of course they never do since they're all sold out by the time the real holiday sales roll around. But this. This is the year. I will not be denied. Although I may have to sneak them past my husband, who thinks they're ridiculous:

{"Ornament Hooks" from Pottery Barn: $6 for 50}

Also, not on sale. But $6. I think I can handle it.