My Apologies to All You Musicians...

I can't let you see what is inside these packages before the 25th, but I'll show you how I'm wrapping this year!

Long ago, when I was but a music major, my mom started buying me sheet music at flea markets, antique stores, rummage sales, etc. Mostly piano and choral music. I'm not sure how she'll feel about this, but I've found a use for it all!

Here is how I prettied up the cookie mixes I gave out:

I love the mix of music, burlap and ravel-y muslin. (not Ravel-y, you music geeks!) Muslin makes great gift tags, by the way. On some of them I just used a black Sharpie wherever it worked, and I liked that, too.

The best flower pattern I found was here. It works well with paper. Have a most blessed Christmas everyone!!!

Do Yourself a Favor...

...and make chocolate covered potato chips as one of your Christmas "cookies." You will thank me. I had a helper! Mostly she just ate the chips...

Anyone who knows Widman's Candy in Fargo, give a shout out. These things are amazing! Put wax paper on the counter, or cookie sheets for portability. Melt some chocolate or almond bark. Dip ruffled potato chips in them. Lay them on the waxed paper until the chocolate hardens. So easy an 18-month-old could do it (with a lot of assistance :0) Widman's covers the whole potato chip, but I just dip them in a 1/3 or 1/2 way. Make sure to use good quality chips. You don't want these things breaking. I've heard Pringles work well too, but I'm a purist :0)

Perfect salty/sweet combo!

If You Want to Destroy my Sweater....

How's that for a great song reference? I gotta confess--I still have NO idea what that song means. If you want to comment and disillusion me, feel free. :0)

Anyway, one of my FAVORITE sweaters got destroyed in the wash this month. You can't tell in the picture, but it is somewhere between my size and Ava's size: So I decided to make lemonade....errr...crafts! Here is my cozy new pillow which I made with a small Ikea pillow form. I ended up making the pillow smaller, and taking in the sides of the sweater to make a pretty easy craft. I love the chevron cable knit!

And I saw these online somewhere. Little votive sweaters made from the sleeves. I puckered the cut off part on the bottom and glued some felt over it. I need to get some bigger candles to put in these. (the glass votives are from Ikea and I already had them.)

Oh shoot, I forgot to take pictures after I gussied them up! Okay, well all I did was tie some jute twine around them, but it's kind of a nice touch.

And some pictures for Grandma. I find these snowpants to be quite humorous...

Ava LOVES sledding and being outside!