Twilight Christmas Spoof

Mariana sent me a link for a Twilight Christmas spoof. Funny stuff! To see the full screen version click on the link below.

http://www.take180.com/s/ep5l7

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

My Christmas tree was in a woeful state at the beginning of the month. Last year, as I packed away our Christmas ornaments, I packed a separate box for Madison's ornaments as I knew she would be needing them for her own home, sooner or later. So, this year my tree looked a bit bare and needed some umph. I turned to my friend Meredith, who is an awesome decorator, and she came to my rescue. We spent time at WalMart and Target, selecting the right additions to what I already had. When we got back to my place, she showed me how to decorate a tree step by step.

Decorating a Rockin' Christmas Tree

1. Have husband put up Christmas tree (this is my step, but I bet she does the same thing)

2. Put lots of lights on.

3. Take ribbon (must have wire edges), starting at the top, and secure it in sections with the tree branch (only works on fake trees). So, it's like this: secure the beginning of the ribbon by bending the end of a tree branch over the ribbon, then take a finger spread width to another branch and secure again. You will have bumps of ribbon going down the tree in a diagonal direction.

4. Place all the filler ornaments. These are the WalMart ornaments that add depth (place them inside the branches) and color.

5. Place all your personal, special ornaments.

6. Place any picks you have. I have silver poinsettias, red flowers and red and silver pine cones. (Fill holes).

7. Place additional ornaments, if needed. I purchased some ornaments that are glittery and dangle. Also, some that were the shape of snowflakes. These add dimension.

8. Cut bead garland in 10 inch sections and drape the garland around the tree. Filling and emphasizing.

My tree is sooooo pretty. It sounds like a lot of stuff (I guess it is), but it just pops in so many ways and is fun to look at. Randy wasn't so sure about the idea at first, but loved the final look. Come over if you want to check it out. Especially what I mean by the ribbon.

Amazing Peanut Butter Clusters

So I have this rockin' friend named Meredith who can do all sorts of things and is utterly amazing. She is one of the kindest people I know. She "hired" me for an internship position at SAMC when I was at CSUFresno and taught me so much while I was there. Anyway, I was at her CUTE house the other night for a purse party and she had a delish spread on hand for our enjoyment. One of the yummies was Peanut Butter Clusters. This is a perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter with a twist added. Try it you'll like it!

Peanut Butter Clusters

2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts (I used regular peanuts)
1 cup crushed ridged potato chips (ya, you read that right)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt peanut butter & chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in peanuts & potato chips. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen.

Christmas Enrichment

Our Christmas Enrichment took place at the Maxwell's home, which was beautifully decorated with pine garlands and accented with red poinsettias, a perfect backdrop for the homey attmosphere I wanted to create for our special evening. We asked the sisters to bring a favorite dessert and there were too many to choose from! Renita started the program with a Native American Christmas song sung a Cappella. Her voice was just beautiful. We followed that with carols sung with chimes, led by Ina & Marilyn. I was able to introduce next year's Enrichment calendar and hand out bookmarks that Marianna designed, which lists all of the Enrichment dates and topics. A fun surprise was to see Angie at the meeting as she no longer lives in the area. I am really grateful for the sisters who serve on the committee. I know I would not be able to do any of this without them.

The Little Lady Agency

The Little Lady Agency series begins with the title book, followed by Little Lady, Big Apple and The Little Lady Agency and the Prince. I just finished the third book and have enjoyed the series. The first book takes place in London and as I am too tired to write a blurb, I will let you read what a professional wrote: Crackling with Brit chick wit, Browne's first novel stars a spunky whirlwind in search of love and money. Melissa, after losing her job as a London estate agent, starts the Little Lady Agency to attend to the social needs of single men. This requires Melissa to don a blonde wig and become Honey Blennerhesket, a posh "Mary Poppins in silk stockings." Running the new agency leads to the successful channeling of her inner glamour goddess and romance with Jonathan, but then she wonders, does he love Honey or Melissa? "Little lady" is a term that sounds as retro as Melissa's yearning for old-style romance, but her struggle to empower herself and deal with her feelings regarding the men in her life is as satisfying as free champagne. Browne's dead-on take revitalizes a genre already littered with worn-out Jimmy Choos and tattered miniskirts. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot | Williams-Sonoma

Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot Williams-Sonoma
I don't think you've ever seen a way to make hot chocolate like this before! The Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot will take your hot chocolate experience to a new level! Click on the above link to watch the video to see all it can do. This is going on my Christmas list along withWilliams & Sonoma's Rich & Creamy Hot Chocolate, which is not merely cocoa powder, but is shavings of premium chocolate! After watching the movie Chocolate, I am always trying new hot chocolates to achieve the euphoric level of hot chocolateness that you see in the movie and this contraption just might do it.

Formal Pictures