Hot Cocoa Bar

Happy cozy holiday season Friends!  

I'm a Gal that loves my iced beverages in the summer and I LOVE hot beverages in the winter.  It's been such a mild winter here so far, but I'm still loving my hot drinks. I have my coffee in the morning and then I like to have some chai tea, or other hot tea later in the day. Sometimes I'll change it up and have a cocoa or hot cider instead. My kiddos also love hot cocoa or cider as soon as Fall rolls around, and they continue to love them all through our "cold" season. 

So last year I started putting out a hot cocoa bar and it was hit! Not only with the grown-ups, but especially with my kiddos and their friends. However, I'm still conscious of their sugar and they need to ask about having some - I don't leave it as a free-for-all. I just love the convenience factor - that if they ask and I'm okay with it, I don't have to go get all the items out for them. Plus, it looks pretty cute out in my kitchen. ;) 

Just the looks of it makes me feel festive and cozy. For the moment I have out apple cider and swiss miss cocoa cups for my keurig. The keurig is so nice because it's so easy for the kids to operate as well.

Come and help yourself - I'll give you a nice big holiday red mug. Then chose some cider or cocoa and grab a vanilla or peppermint candy stirrer or a caramel spoon (great for the apple cider!). 

The candy stick stirrers are from kits I found at Michael's that included these snowflake or snowman marshmallow candies. Please grab some of those as well!

I gave my snowman cookie jar a festive update with some battery powered wire lights. 

He looks so sweet smiling over all of the fun!

I've got my mug all set - please enjoy yours and happy cozy holiday season to you!! 

I'm joining with Brenda of Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday. 

And with Andrea of Scrapality for Scraptastic Saturday.

Halloween Wrap Up & Recipes

Good Morning!! 

As I mentioned yesterday, we had a great Halloween weekend and really had fun getting into the food and decorations for the party we hosted this year!  

Outside it was drizzly and gray, but it didn't get too cold which helped. We put out several fun decorations added to what I shared last week - including several skeletons, a big skeleton ghost and giant spider and web! Here's some photos of outdoors and the trick or treaters ready to head out:

This flying skeleton ghost was really big - and creepy! It was positioned right above where trick or treaters would walk to our front door.

if you look closely you'll see another ghostie hanging there and my pumpkin on our stone address sign

a rainy view through the looking glass (our side door window)

a creepy spider made a web right over our kitchen window!

some of the crazy crew ready to head out for treats (that's my wild BIL in the big foot costume - Lol)

heading into the night seeking out treats and hopefully few tricks (I sent many grown-ups with to-go cups of hot cider or other warming drinks of choice - wink wink) I stayed behind to man the candy hand-out at our place

Inside though, I kept things nice and warm and cozy. Cider was simmering away with some cinnamon sticks and cloves. The grown ups got mugs filled with a little butterscotch schnapps, hot cider, whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkle. Makes a great hot caramel apple cider!  For the kiddos the night before Annie and I made up an army of mummy drink boxes using adhesive bandages and cutting out eyes from my scrapbook cardstock:

Just take off the straws before you wrap them up and put them to the side. Then keep the spot with the hole for the straw on top open.  The kiddos loved them!

For those grown ups that wanted a cold adult beverage I made up a pitcher of caramel apple sangria. I took a bottle of chardonnay (or take any lighter white wine), added a cup of vanilla vodka (add caramel vodka if you can find it) - I couldn't find caramel vodka so I added the vanilla, but then I also added a bit of the butterscotch schnapps. Then add 6 cups of apple cider and I added a bunch of chopped honeycrisp apples. I let it chill all day before the party. To serve I rimmed cups with cinnamon/sugar mixture using more cider to make it stick and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

I forgot to a get a photo of the dip - but I made up 2 trays of chopped honey crisp apples and topped them with gummy worms. A great trick I mentioned in another post is to toss your apples in some pineapple juice after you cut them in slices. It doesn't affect the taste and they will not turn brown! For toffee caramel dip - take an 8 oz. cream cheese and 8 oz. of cool whip and beat together. Then mix in a little but of butterscotch caramel ice cream topping (about a Tbsp or 2). Then spread into a dish and take a knife or spoon and drizzle more of the butterscotch caramel over the top in a crazy pattern. Top with a sprinkling of toffee chips and chill until ready for your party!

I made up a meat and cheese tray to go with crackers and topped it with plastic spiders and some cheese "leaves" I cut out with my cookie cutters.

I also made up a veggie tray infested with spiders to go with dill and ranch dip.

Then Annie and I made some gross severed finger cupcakes (my girlie went ghoulish all the way this year!). I doctored up boxed mix cupcakes by using 1 box golden vanilla cake mix, 1 box of vanilla instant pudding mix, 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup of sour cream, 4 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix all together to make a thick batter and fill cups 2/3 full. They are so moist!! Then I made homemade chocolate buttercream by beating 6 tbsp of butter. Then add 2 & 2/3 cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 cup of baking cocoa alternating with 4-6 tbsp of milk beating until it's the right consistency - then stir in 1 tsp of vanilla. It's SO yummy! Then Annie topped her cupcakes with candy severed fingers and cleavers and red gel for "blood". So gross looking - but so tasty!! 

Earlier in the day we also went to visit some of the grandparents - including my Father & Mother -in-law. They have that awesome old historical home made from cement bricks that is a perfect Halloween house, as it's kind of gothic looking anyway! They always deck out their porch with lots of fun creepy things.

A fun Halloween was had by all - and everyone survived with few tricks and lots of treats! Hope this gives you some fun ideas for your own celebration next year! 

I'm linking with Brenda from Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday.

Paper Craft Halloween Decoration

I'm behind in getting out my Halloween decorations this year. I have put out my pretty Fall things - but I need to get out my more spooky fun Halloween things yet. When I do, I plan to do a  fun decoration home tour  to share with you all as well. But today I wanted to share this fun little paper craft decoration I made recently.  You remember my vintage French summer decoration here. Well I took off the frame and just left the standing back and put together this fun Halloween piece.

First, Halloween needs a nice full moon right? So I put this one together by gluing some lace around a piece of orange card stock.

Then I free form cut out an old fence from brown card stock.

Embellish with a little bit of brown scrapbook (archive quality) marker.

Then I took some gray paper as a "ground" back drop and ripped it for some texture. I glued on the moon and used my paper adhesive to adhere it and also the fence.

I forgot to take photos - but I found a silhouette of a crow on some clip art on the computer and reduced it and printed it off and cut it out and added him to the fence. There's always a spooky noisy crow on a scary Halloween night you know! And I had some black bat and jack-o-lantern stickers and added those too.

 

Do you feel spooky yet?

Then I added this "under a spell" sticker by the moon (seemed like the right spot as the moon mesmerizes doesn't it?). I might have added sparkles right now with my photo editor program. ;) 

For now I set it on my front door entry table, but not sure if it will stay there.

I kind of like it on my piano too. 

I'm linking with Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday.

And with Andrea of Scrapality for Scraptastic Saturday.

Tulips & Tea Time

Well yesterday around here was so lovely. The sun was shining and felt warm, especially for this time of year. The birds were singing, and even some patches of grass were showing through the snow.  But today we woke up to clouds and giant snow flakes and a forecast of 3-4 inches of snow. **Sigh**  And so goes March here up north.

However, I'm still thinking only sunny Spring thoughts and starting to plan for bringing out my bunnies and all of my Easter decorations. I hope to tackle some of that this weekend, but I'm beginning with some tulips I picked up at the grocery store. So I'm watching it snow and blow while I'm snuggling in with my tea, my garden magazine and my Spring thoughts.

I just love the colors of these Spring beauties, but look at all that white stuff outside. I think green would sure be a prettier backdrop.

Every time I walk by them their cheery faces make me smile.

Add a cup of tea (with treat) and some candlelight and all feels right with the world no matter what the weather is doing outside.

I think I'll snuggle in my nice Spring cocoon a little longer and browse through some gardens.

Sending you Spring thoughts and linking with Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday

Scrapbook Necklace Part 2

I was busy using up some more of my scraps the other day and completed another necklace and card that I thought I would share with you today. I have started a new project that I'm SO excited about and I can't wait to share with you soon! So I'll take a break from my scraps for a while now and I'm going to focus on the new project (as well as my own family album catch up). Also, I'll be going to a scrapbook retreat day soon with my Mom and we're going to work on her heritage album - so lots of scrapping fun continuing in this lovely frosty month of January!!

Now on to the project I'm sharing today:

This necklace was made on a round metal necklace form I had and I used some old scrapbook paper, some cording around the edge and a pom pom. Unlike the more traditional soft romantic one I made prior, this one has brighter colors and a more modern feel to it.

 

I used another paper from the same collection for the card and more of the cording and pom poms. Just another fun side project like the one I had done prior.  Here are a few photos of the other one just for comparison:

Quite a difference in the look and "feel" of each them, huh? It's so fun to use up my old scraps in a different way and see whatever creative style moves me at the time. I've definitely been having fun working on them and love sharing them with you!

I'm sharing this project for Tweak it Tuesday