Friday Fill-Ins {on Saturday}

Here's some more photos of the big snowfall we had here on Thursday night/Friday morning.
The snow was really quite pretty, but oh was it difficult to shovel! The snow was so wet and heavy that the snow plow kept dying. I finally had to just shovel the snow in layers a little at a time.
On yesterday's post I mentioned that the snowflakes were huge. I never seem to be able to get a good shot of falling snow, but I think you can get the idea with this photo.

Okay, now it is time for Friday Fill-Ins, a little late....here we go!

1. I'm feeling lazy.
2. I want to have a Turtle Latte @ Caribou.
3. I need to shovel the rest of the driveway.
4. I was thinking about starting a new art piece.
5. I wish it was Springtime.
6. I'm reading "Worth Fighting For" by Lisa Swayze.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching "Who Do You Think You Are," tomorrow my plans include cleaning the house (woo-hoo!) and Sunday, I want to bake some cookies - Yum!

Big Snow

Yesterday we had a snowfall which lasted for about 5 whole minutes. There wasn't much snow and none of it stuck to the ground, but the snowflakes were HUGE! I wish my camera could have captured the way it looked better than it did.

Here is what it looked like collecting on my deck.

It looked as though cotton balls were falling from the sky - that's about the size the flakes were!

And while all that BIG snow was falling, I decided to whip up a batch of nut breads to give away for Christmas!

More Blizzard Photos

Blizzard 2011

We are smack dab in the middle of a record-breaking blizzard here. These photos were taken near daybreak so the quality isn't all that great. I can't get out of my back door since the snow is drifted in front of it. So far we have about 16-18" of snow on the ground with no end in sight. The 50 mph winds haven't help the situation as the snow drifts have made a bad situation worse. I'll post more pics later, once I can clear the snow away from the door!

Vintage Stocking Swap Reveal

This season on the Joli Paquet gals and I decided to host a Vintage Stocking Swap with our readers. My swap partner Diane and I had similar tastes, which is always fun. This is the stocking I made for her. . . .
I used white felted wool for the base of the stocking and then added a French Laundry Hanger, lots of tulle and pearly accents and layers of creamy lace.

Along with the stocking, I sent lots of artful goodies.

This organza bag is filled with all things neutral, old and sparkly.

Then I added in some sweet vintage images, flash cards and a handmade shipping tag.

Here's a close up of the tag.

Also a little bag of mitten die-cuts, snowman picks, a sugary candy cane, tiny mushroom and a wee knit mitten.
I threw in a bag of pastel Cavallini Christmas stickers and a pink chenille candy cane for good measure.

I also tucked in a copy of a favorite book of mine on journaling. Swaps are so much fun - it's like having Christmas all year round when you take part in a swap! Tomorrow I'll share with you what Diane sent me!

Tuesdays at Joli Paquet

~ Photo Courtesy of Cerri Campbell ~

Isn't she adorable? You can learn how to make this sweet ornament designed by Cerri at the Joli Paquet blog today. And she'll also share a fabulous tip for using Glimmer Mist sprays! Cerri's studio is also featured in the new winter issue of Creating Vintage Charm magazine available here.

A Beautiful Sight

More Snow!!! We awoke yesterday to another snow storm. I think we got about 10-inches (maybe more) of snow. The flakes were so big and light and fluffy as they floated down fro the sky. They almost looked like tiny white marabou feathers! It is quite a beautiful scene. We only ventured out once to go to the post office to mail a card because I didn't get out to our mailbox before the mailman came. No after Christmas sales, no shopping, no fighting the crowds. We had thought of going to a movie, but decided to just stay home and catch up on all our old Christmas movies instead. It was a fun day.

Today we are venturing out to the country to my brother-in-law's house. I hope the roads will be clear and ice free. Enjoy your Sunday!

Yet Another Cookie Exchange

Yes, I'm going to another cookie exchange party. This one is not a virtual cookie exchange. It's being held at the home of one of my friends. We've all been getting together every year since 2003. I love it because I don't have to bake quite as many cookies to serve at Christmas. This year I decided to make Sheila's Sand Tart recipe because they look like snow balls, which goes with my packaging theme.
I found these adorable felt totes with snowflakes embroidered on the front of them at the Dollar Spot section of Target this year. As soon as I saw them I grabbed a bunch because I knew they would be perfect for the cookie exchange. Part of the fun is finding different ways to present the cookies. The box of tea is also from Target. It comes packaged in a variety box of 9. Tea and cookies - a perfect combination!
I think these glittery snowflake tags are also from Target, but I'm not positive. You could also just die cut your own snowflake and coat it with glitter. The tag looks a bit plain in this pic, so I added a paper rosette and button to dress them up a bit.

I put the cookies in a cute cellophane bag, tucked in the recipe card along with the box of tea and tied everything up with sparkly snowflake ribbon from Michael's. I can't believe I finished these 2 days before the party. Usually I am still tying the bows as I'm flying out the door!