Keeping it alive

Since we still have not opened our presents, things here are weird. As much as we'd all like to admit that presents are NOT the reason for Christmas....when you don't do it, something feels like it's missing. Maybe it's the HUGE mess that presents entail, what with wrapping and unwrapping  I wish sometimes we had a maid (I actually wish that quite often, so that was a lame analogy. )

(moving on...)

So I've been keeping the Christmas spirit alive, by listening to music, lighting smelly candles and wearing tights and such. I wrapped my first present of the season....on the 29th.

 Yeah, this is just kinda awkward.

(something happened to my gif too.... things are getting more awkward by the minute.)

Ginger Snaps!

Okay, these are not really ginger SNAPS. They're technically called Gingerbread Softies. But the snotty 11 year old in me was pretty sure that's the most retarded name for a cookie....so they're ginger snaps.

 Gingerbread Softies
These cookies flatten and crack as they cool. The secret in keeping them soft is to remove them from the oven as soon as they are set but before they start to brown.
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup shortening*
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
l/2 tsp. cloves
l/2 tsp. salt
Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat until thick. Add the molasses and stir until combined.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Add to creamed mixture and stir just until blended. If the dough is very soft (hot day? warm kitchen?), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Shape into 1” balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350º for 7 – 10 minutes or just until set but before they start to brown.

And I kinda meant for this to go up before Christmas. But I kinda (no I REALLY) had the flu so, plans change!

xoxo! Hope your Christmas was a merry one!

The Day after...

I'm not the only one who thinks the day after Christmas is the worst right? I mean, we get all worked up for ONE STIKIN' day and then after that - POOF! All the excitement and joy goes out with a huge WHOOSH.

(Please excuse all the capsy-jiberish.)

I have to say though, our day after Christmas was ANYTHING but rotten. We adventured all around our suburbia. And since we couldn't make it to Hawaii to mourn our day after sadness, an abandon riverfront property had to do.

 Aahhh yes, me hugging (or really, awkwardly touching) a mailbox. We trying to be all discreet but then our bikes broke right in front of that house. Not like anyone is looking as we hug your festive mailbox....nope. No one.

How was your Christmas? Hope it was amazing!
XOXO,
Mailbox-hugger.

Happy Day

From the Sophster and I,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ. - Frank McKibben 

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Hope you all have an amazing day. See ya in a few!

XOXO, Elfity Elf.

Good News and Bad.

Good news or bad news first? I know, you're probably smart, so we'll go with the bad news first.

The bad news is, today is Christmas Eve and I have not bought one gift.

The good news is we are not opening our presents until New Years.

The question is, is that really good news at all?

xoxo.

PS: Flowers! I love them! My parents got these for me while I was sick, so sweet of them!

Be Cheery

Hey guys, I'm having a party over here, and you should come! WOOT WOOT! Don't worry, I've got enough juice boxes and cheese-it's to last a lifetime, so what are you waiting for!??!?

In other words,  thanks to all your help the other day, I am now able to upload photos. It's a pain, but whatever. The entire week I've been lamenting about this, so I guess it was about time to get my rear in gear and get it over with.

I'm good at doing that.
Uh, not.

Christmas Cheer has come to our home in the form of Christmas Tree's, lots of lights and the flu. How nice! For once, I'm not sick. (Ya hear that?!) but I'm sure I will be right on Christmas (when our bestest cousins come.) None of this has anything to do with the fact that I'm kind of a Grinch around Christmas...right?

Love,
Grinchity Grinch....
(dorkity dork)

Graffiti by Yours Truly

I could go ahead and re-name this blog "I HAVE TEN THOUSAND JOURNALS" and for once I really wouldn't be exaggerating that much. As you read here, I have a lot of journals. And recently I added 3 more to the mix.

(Kinda like a real life version of my tumblr)

This one is my art journal. It was supposed to be for school, but if there's one thing mom has learned after homeschooling me for 10 plus years is that I have a way of hijacking things. If I've got a good pen, all surrounding books and papers are subject to graffiti. Although, what graffiti artist writes "I LOVE CUPCAKES" all over everything?

Anyway, my new journal. Filled with quotes and random goodness.

Do you have a journal like this?


PS: Anyone hit their limit with blog photo space? I AM ANNOYED. Sorry. It's okay to rant on ones own blog...right? Just say yes. And while you are talking, please tell me how to fix the problem.

We photobomb

I'm not sure what I was taking pictures of, but whatever it was, Soph thought she was WAY more important. She photobombs all the time...

Speaking of photobombing, while we were ice skating, I did some myself. Sorry proud parents, yes, Jill and Joe are amazing at ice skating, but who's that dork doing pirouettes in the background? Just think of all the coffee table photo albums I'll be gracing. I'm famous!

Homemade mints.

I don't know about you, but this REALLY bugs me.

Not having mints at restaurants.

I mean, there could be worse problems. Like maybe the food being cold or terrible service. But really, not having mints STINKS.

(Plus mints and chicken fingers really go nicely together. You should try it! Oh wait, you don't order off the kids menu...never mind!)

Okay, so you can make your own mints. And by mints, these are really not mints at all. They're meringues. OHHHHH......What is that? Some fluffy, crunchy delicious things that taste JUST like mints.

Peppermint Meringues
recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• Red gel-paste food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22). Set aside.
2. Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
4. Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
5. Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

And so that's the no mint solution. Sneak 'em in your purse. Don't worry, no one will notice. And if they do, they'll just be jealous.

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I WAS GOING TO POST BUT LIFE GOT IN THE WAY

I've been meaning to post for, I don't know...FOREVER? We'll just skip all the "I'M SO SORRY!" gab (which I must have a thing for) and move onto the fact that Christmas is WAY to close and I'm terrified. In a good, bad and happy way.

Some things I've been up to of late....

-Curling my hair like crazy. I may be in love with our curling iron. It certainly was not love at first sight, but we got through it and now we're madly in love. Some people fall in love with boys....and some with their curling irons.

-pouring apple juice up my nose. (um....)

- having and impromptu Christmas concert with this girl for her neighbors, and getting applause. (you have no idea how awkward we sound when we sing.)

- Telling mom, "I'm having an obsession with antlers!!"

- Listening to music....a lot. (someone help me.)

-our family came to town and I was mute. Literally. It was almost like last year.

- Ice skating at my dads work. It's certainly not the way to get introduced to your dads co-workers. "Hey, nice to meet you. Excuse my while I fall flat on my face."

-hearing someone say something really funny and spending the next 10 minuets planning how I can use it in upcoming conversations.

I don't think I'll be making December goals, because I keep planning ones for 2013. And so now you must tell me, what have you done in my absence? Anything fun?

Apparently, I felt like chattering with you all. Hey, good thing we are friends!

XOXO,
Chatterbox forever.

PS: Thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes!! You all are the bomb.com. And I mean it.

15 AND SUCH

I turned 15 last week. I know, 15, I'm still practically a baby! Sheesh! I thought I was grown up, apparently not.

I refrained from writing about it (After all, we celebrate birthday week! It's okay, you're allowed to be jealous.) because I was thinking maybe I would be hit with a deep, wise thought about being 15 and such.

Nope.

Unfortunately, finally 15, I come to you announcing I am no wiser, no smarter than I was 4 days ago. I can't think of anything deep to say about my birthday other than we went to the Nutcracker and I'm scared of men ballerinas.

okay, that's about as deep as I get. Go enjoy your theology, I'll be painting my nails if you need me.