The Red Violin was interesting, and confusing, and interesting again. In the end, I liked it very much, guessed what he found out (not to give it away), and was glad the movie ended the way it did.
All in all, it was another good Family Flick night. How is your weekend going?
This morning, while Chickeymonkey was cracking eggs for our morning scramble, our eggs made a face at us! I am hoping this is a good sign for our day and weekend, I’ve got some things to do as I’ve now volunteered for something that will cause me to virtually magically disappear for a few days. I’m not sure what I was smokin’ at the time I volunteered, but it must have been some good stuff since my head is still spinning!
I was very housewifey yesterday, did the grocery shopping, threw a wonderful and huge pot roast in the crock pot with some chopped veggies, balanced the checkbook (gulp – 4 months worth – I was behind!), paid some bills, and made some Peppermint Crunch cookies. I was hugely disappointed when I checked my roast after a few hours, I pulled a piece off to see how tender it was and I’d have sworn I was chewing on a tire scrap. WTH? I may very well be a failure as a cook, but as Lisa is my witness, I’m a damn fine baker!
After a few more hours in the crock though, it was falling apart and I felt better. It still wasn’t going to be edible in time for dinner though, so we ate out lastnight. After dinner, we stopped over at Blockbuster and purchased the new release “Fantastic Four” and it was so good! I usually don’t like that kind of stuff but it was really entertaining for all four of us snuggled up on the couch on mounds of pillows in our jammies and under blankets, nice and cozy. 🙂
We picked up The Red Violin (Lisa raves about it so I have to see it!), March of the Penquins (bought it), and a few others for weekend viewing. It should be a nice (warm, indoors, away from the icky cold snow outside) weekend!
Every year, we make dough ornaments. This is one from the first year we made them, Caitybug and I, obviously Chickeymonkey was too little (she definitely looks like her nickname!). I have heart cookie cutters, a whole set of them that nest into one another, so we rolled the dough and cut a little heart inside of a big heart, then we used a straw to make holes where we hung them with pipe cleaners. We painted them, sealed them with glitter glue, attached the image to the back and covered the back with fancy colored foil (sheets from the art store) to reflect the lights on the tree. It was so much fun, a project that you remember from year to year because it hangs right in front of you. The acrylic craft paints available make it even more fun now, they’ve added metallics, iridescents, all kinds of different paints to choose from. They even make great gifts, straight from the heart (oven)!
Needless to say, I need to get on the ball in making this years ornaments.
How to make dough for ornaments:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Knead, add more flour to make it really doughy if needed, sprinkle water to make it more pliable as needed. Roll on very lightly floured surface, cut shapes using regular cookie cutters of your choice, bake at 250 for 2 hours.
In the early 90’s, hubby and I lived out in the San Diego area. Between wars (Desert Storm, Desert Shield), we were able to spend a Christmas together there before moving back to this frozen tundra. His mom had a ceramic shop back then, and shipped a box of blank ornaments for us to paint. Santa was my project, he’s a little guy (fits in the palm of my hand) but I took great care in painting him, drybrushing the dark shadows in his beard, giving him rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes. He’s worn over the years, and paint has chipped away. We still have all of those ornaments, dinged up as they are.
This one has a very special place on the tree. He sits near the top, but not too close to the top, so he doesn’t distract from the top of the tree – which has it’s own meaning and order to us. I’ll show you that soon. 🙂
Another ornament from our tree, this one is a beautiful depiction of Bethlehem. I received this from my hubby’s mom years ago (it’s dated 2000). It’s 18K gold, the gold is paper thin which makes this an extremely delicate piece. It’s about 3 inches tall, 2 1/2 inches wide or so, and about 1/2 inch deep, designed like a shadowbox. The north star is its own piece and hangs from the top center of the arch. It’s hard to see all the details of this piece, but the photograph captured the mood that the ornament brings to the tree so I didn’t want to modify it at all for the sake of detail.
It’s quite lovely, I actually keep this one out all year.
Now that I’m sharing my ornaments, will you be sharing yours? Tell me about your favorite ornaments as I post mine for you, and let me know if you post any pics of them on your own blog, would you? 🙂
I had intended on starting my “Ornament a Day” project today, so I will do that. In addition, I received an amazing photograph in e-mail taken by a dear family friend and coworker of my hubby that I have to share. My hubby does travel (from time to time, ahem.) and this last project has him in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. On top of that, it was Dan’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dan!), so they went to the Caverns. Dan snapped a shot of my hubby within the caverns that he calls “very Blair Witchy”, and I agree! It’s a great shot. He is an aspiring photographer, with a pretty dang good eye for composition, I’d say.
First, the ornament:
I hate snow. Regardless, (whose blog was it I was reading who has a major pet peeve for the overusage of the non-word “irregardless”, I laughed my butt off at that one while nodding my head! I digress.) it’s pretty, and there you have it.
Now, for the Amateur Photographer Highlight of The Day:
My hubby finally asked for a Christmas gifty this year! Can you guess what he wants? Hint: Martina McBride is going to be here in January. He has a big ol’ celebrity crush on her and her voice!
Boy got a couple of seriously good seats to that concert, Merry Christmas honey! Tickets went on sale yesterday so I snatched up two of them all sneaky like while he wasn’t looking. I’m a spoiler, he already knows. 😛
Funny thing, I had been listening to Martina (and that’s unusual for me) during the painting of this last commission. I tend to pick music and stick with it if it keeps me in my groove, and her self-titled CD did just that. Now we’ll see her in concert! Who’s the last person/group you saw in concert? I think the last one I went to was 5 years ago or so, we saw KennyG. I’m a party animal, I tell ya.
In other news, I’m completely exhausted. I finished J&L’s portrait yesterday (it’s drying), went back over to my neighbors (I’m glutton for punishment) and put a new floor down in a 20×15 room. That was the main accomplishment anyway. My hands look like “the claw”! I wish I could spray some WD40 on my knuckles, shoulders and knees – know what I mean?
Today is Gaudy Overdone Outdoor Christmas Lights and Decorations day. Hubby has truly missed Christmas the last couple of years and it’s his favorite holiday. This year he has promised to make our house a Tim the Tool Man Taylor replica! Yahoo! I can’t WAIT!
/sarcasm.
(Originally posted December 14, 2004)
If you like eggnog, and you’ve never had these cookies, make them. You’ll thank me for it. Please don’t spike the batter. I cannot be held responsible for irresponsible behavior. LOL 😉
1 c. butter softened to room temp.
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg/cinnamon or 1/4 tsp each
1 c. eggnog!
1 tsp. baking soda
4 c. flour
Beat butter & sugar until it’s creamy.
Add spices, Eggnog & baking soda to butter & sugar, blend well.
Add flour 2 cups at a time, mix (with mixer) until combined.
Spoon onto nonstick cookie sheet, dip a cup in sugar (holiday colored sugar, sugar/cinnamon, sugar/nutmeg, your call), smoosh the dough a little – don’t flatten them.
Bake at 375 for right around 11 minutes, when you can see the bottom edges are golden brown.
Pour a glass of brandy. Chase warm cookies with brandy. MmmMMmMMmmmGood! (I didn’t try that part, I am just imagining. heh!)
Here’s another shot that was a bit of an accident. I was in my studio trying to focus in on the fire, hubby walking toward the house – I really didn’t want him in the shot but at this crop and with this screened effect I thought it turned out really cool! Er… I mean hot.
Yesterday blew by like it was only 2 hours long. I swam in the morning and felt good and refreshed and energized. I came home and my neighbor had called (ahem. The one that is supposed to be swimming with me every day, Ms. Sleeperinnerhead.), so I called her back. She has a Very Important Person visiting next week so took this week off to prepare. Her house. By redecorating every room. And she lives next door to an artist. Heh.
