Merry Christmas

Luke 2 : 3-14

3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went here to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

At this special time of year, I thank God for all of my blessings---my family, friends, health and all of my daily needs. I pray that we would all remember the true meaning of Christmas and would take time to thank God for the greatest gift of all----His Son Jesus. I wish you all a Blessed Christmas as you spend time with your loved ones.

With much Love,

~Mimi~

Annual Cookie Bake

This time of year is filled with yearly traditions. With out these special things the season just would not be the same. The annual cookie bake is one of these special traditions. It is an event that I look forward to each year not only because I go home with dozens of yummy cookies but also because I get to spend the day with my two very best friends---my Mom and Heidi. We take turns hosting the event and this year the cookie bake was held at Heidi's home. She has a beautiful home--so warm and welcoming--the perfect place to spend time with each other laughing, talking, sharing, and of course baking. We are each in charge of bringing the ingredients for two cookies --even our choices have now become a tradition. I am responsible for the Snickerdoodles and the Chocolate Chips.......

My mom takes care of the Thumbprints, Hershey Kiss Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and the Chocolate No Bake Cookies. She always brings more than she is supposed to....

And Heidi's contribution is the Sugar Cookies and her mom's recipe for Apricot Tort....

Here are the sugar cookies just waiting to be iced

After baking for most of the morning, it is always nice to stop for a bit to eat some lunch. Heidi made the most delicious chicken salad and served it on whole wheat bread. It was so good I just had to have the recipe. I thought I would share it with all of you.....

Chicken Apple Salad

1 13oz can of chicken--shredded

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped to make 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/3 cup fat-free or light mayonnaise

1/3 cup fat-free or light sour cream

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

handful of chopped pecans--optional

Shred the chicken into a large bowl and add apple, cranberries, celery and pecans. In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Add sauce mixture to the chicken mixture. Serve on whole wheat bread. Enjoy!!!!!

It was sure nice to take time from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season to spend time with two people who are so special to me. Now I think I will go and have one of those yummy cookies with a nice warm cup of tea......

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

I love the fact that I live in an area of the country that fully experiences all four seasons. Autumn, with all of it's magnificent colors and Spring, with it's bursting blooms of newness have always been my favorite. Winter however comes in at the bottom of my list. I am not fond of the frosty weather and as for the snow and ice I could definitely do without them. When I was learning to drive, my dad always taught me that you should not drive at night or in the rain and never, never in the snow. As I got older, I mastered the skill of driving in the rain and at night however I could never get the hang of snow driving. Oh yes I am one of the crazy people who listen to the weather daily and if there is even a hint of snow I dash off to the grocery store to buy bread, milk and toilet paper as if I may never get there again. So I was not surprised this morning that we would have snow on the ground. Our local weatherman warned of it's coming and I was prepared. I was surprised however at it's beauty. The snow was wet and heavy and covered everything like a blanket of white. I quick grabbed my camera to capture the winter wonderland just outside my window........
I hope you are somewhere sunny and warm, but if you live in a wintry state like me, take time to enjoy the snow----it can be quite beautiful. Have a wonderful Winter weekend where ever you live.

Charmed, I'm Sure

I have been having such fun with these little soldered charms. Each one is like it's own little work of art. I love the fact that each one is different and unique. I have also been having fun creating special orders as well. Working with customers to create something unique to their personalities or to the personality of someone special to them is such a privilege.

I even like the way they look before the solder is applied. Here are a few of my completed favorites.......

Stop and take a peek at my esty shop, Dandelion Wishes. www.mgpscrapbooker.etsy.com

I will be adding more charms daily. You might just find the very thing you have been wishing for. Enjoy your Sunday.

A Smile on my shoulder

Did you ever have one of the "out of sorts" days? Nothing really wrong but you just don't feel like yourself. That is how my day started today. It probably has something to do with the fact that I stayed awake way too late last night working on projects for a craft open house that I will be participating in this weekend. As I woke this morning I could hear the rain pouring outside and I just wanted to hide under the covers. But since that was not an option, I dragged myself out of bed and got ready to face the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I drive Kate and Emma, the little girls I babysit, to school. Their mom brings them to my house around 7:30 am and we leave my house at about 8:00 am for school. This morning, while waiting for the time to leave, Emma (who is 4 years old) wanted to draw a picture. I got out the paper, colored pencils and a few stickers so she could "create her project". As I was sitting at my desk, looking out of the window at the pouring rain, thinking about how tired I still was, she came over to me and climbed onto my lap. She gently placed a smiley sticker on my shoulder and gave me a kiss. She said "That's cause you are my best Mimi." It's amazing how that little gesture changed the whole mood of the day. I kissed her back and said "Thank you my best Emma for making my day so special." I just thought incase you were having one of those "out of sorts" kind of days I would share the smile on my shoulder with you.
Hope this helps to make your day special too.