S'more gifts, please

These always make me wish it snowed more
here so I could try some of these poses.

I've noticed a pattern concerning my student gifts.  They are always either snowman or Nightmare Before Christmas related.  The snowman thing might stem from my love of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, and the array of crazy snowmen Calvin always made.  Or the fact that they are cute and easily recognizable, so that if you aren't very crafty or artsy, you can at least manage to draw a snowman's face.
For once, I got the gifts for my students finished before midnight the night before the party.  In fact, for the first time ever, they were done by 7!  I am so impressed with myself.  I shouldn't be; they were pretty easy this year.  I went with little make your own s'mores packages.  The holiday touch was the snowmen faces drawn on to the gigantic marshmallows. With sharpie.  Just kidding.  I used edible markers.  I think they turned out to be pretty cute.  I am also going to make my kids some Butterscotch Krimpets.  Correction- I am going to attempt to make them some Butterscotch Krimpets.  The book that we are finishing up, Maniac Magee, takes place in Pennsylvania, and back there Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets are a mainstay.  They don't sell them out here in California, and I didn't think about it soon enough to just order a case from the company.  So I am going to attempt to make them.  Wish me luck.

I love marshmallows and s'mores, and
 apparently I love marshmallow related art.

These are the little gifties for my students

Ooh, and on an unrelated note, Rebecca and I are going to the Long Beach Antique show this Sunday with one of her friends; I can't wait to see what treasures we find!!

~Lori

*update- I didn't make the Krimpets.  The recipe called for a jellyroll pan, and I have no idea what that is, so I took that as a sign to wait until later to make them.

DIY Christmas by Emily Henderson

The other day I watched Emily Henderson's holiday special, in which she transformed a Southern California couple's large living and dining room into a winter wonderland.  Just kidding.  But she did restyle the room and then get it ready for the holidays and the upcoming Christmas gatherings the couple would be hosting.  She chose blues and greens to decorate the space, and carried those colors through with the Christmas decorations, since the couple didn't want anything too formal or classic.

The episode included a lot of do it yourself type projects that actually really seem do-it-yourself-able (to me, at least, diy projects end up being diy and then pretend you never did it and never show anyone the horrific results).  She made garland from styrofoam balls, Christmas trees from books and atlases, art from old maps, and perhaps most inventive and awesome of all, snowmen from vintage globes.  The snowmen are actually kind of weird, but I think that is part of the draw for me.  I love vintage globes, and I know Rebecca does too (she's collecting them for Britton's room).  I love the idea of such an iconic winter decoration done with such a cool twist.  These snowmen (although I think I will try for just a snowman) are definitely on my to do list.  I'm really hoping to go to the Long Beach antique show next Sunday, where I'm sure I could pick up some globes on the cheap (hint hint, Rebecca and Kim!).  

How cute are these guys?!

Cute little baby snowman

 The color scheme was carried over into the dining room, where they went with a darker wall color to make the space more inviting.  It also makes the accent colors really stand out.

 I love the set up on this side table (banquette?  not sure) in the dining room.  While I think the little gold deer is super sweet, I think it looks like it is going to the bathroom.  You can't tell in this picture, but it is doing a little crouching movement.  But still super cute.  What I adore in the picture above is that piece of artwork.  I love the soft, muted colors (see what I mean about the accents popping?!).  I want it. 

This is a picture of the tree (obviously) and some more of those gold deer.  I personally wouldn't want a peace sign wreath, but it's cute and creative for teens or kids (or this couple, obviously).  Maybe even more than the snowmen, I love, love, love this ship in a cloche with snow around it.  So simple, and so sweet!

I had a perfect little terrarium that would have been a nice home for a little ship (I don't have a little ship yet, but I already have one in mind that I have seen at a local antique store).  Notice that I used the past tense of had regarding the terrarium.  Unfortunately it broke, thanks to a little chick that turned into a rooster who was living in it for a little while (long story).  Oh well.  I guess that is just something else that I will have to keep my eye open for at the Long Beach antique show!

~Lori