Recipe and Free Download

Hey! Are you taking a break from wrapping gifts? Maybe you've been baking something yummy today? I'll be baking next Monday. Oh how I love to share cookies and candies with the neighbors, friends and family. It's another part of this holiday I love so much!

Today I thought I'd share a recipe with you. I'm still working on broadening the family dinner menu and my boys really liked the new dish I made last night!

This dish is called Chicken-Zucchini Alfredo from Food Network. It's quick, it's easy and it's good; the kind of recipes I look for since I'm not a chef and I don't have a lot of extra time to spend in the kitchen each evening. I also try to find recipes that use fresh and reduced fat ingredients. The only draw back to this recipe is that you fry the chicken breasts which I don't like because of the mess and it adds fat. Next time I'm make this, I plan to cook the chicken breasts in our George Foreman grill.

Now I have to share a sweet drawing Christopher made last weekend. He's been holding a Cat Toy Festival over the past several days for our two feline friends, Latte and Java. This is the official festival poster. ;)

At the festival the cats can play a number of games Christopher has created such as Down Ball, Down, String and Bouncy Ball. He also has a festival library that contains all his books about cats. Then there's the oodles of cat toys he has scattered all over the festival grounds! It's quite cute! Poor kid needs a dog! He's having a bit of trouble getting our two lazy boys to join in the festival games! :)

One last share before I get busy with more holiday activities. I'd like to share a free download of a holiday vintage image. I hope you can use it for some cards, a holiday scrapbook page or decor project. If you do, I'd love to see what you make!

Whatever it is you do today, I hope it's a great day! We just had a truck drive by and salt our street. Looks like a storm and our below normal temperatures will bring us a rare snow for the second time this month! Good thing we stocked up on the hot chocolate and I made a pot of split pea soup yesterday! :) Kathy

Gingerbread Boy Ornament

Hi! Is it freezing in your neck of the woods? The east coast is locked in a 20 below normal patterned lately. Even the folks down in Miami are feeling it! Our family members in Los Angeles have been wearing shorts and they get to have the windows open during the day! What a world!

I thought I would pop in for a quick post today and share the ornaments I've been making for some of our friends and family this year.

Isn't he cute? I got the idea from one of my favorite crafty gals, Papertrey Ink design team member, Debbie Olson. She made some of these and I couldn't resist! Hers are a little different if you would like to see some variations. Plus she made adorable tags for hers.

I've got a few more of these fellows to make so I better get crackin'! I want them all to be on trees this Christmas so I need to get the rest in the mail tomorrow morning! Thanks for stopping by! Have a swell day! :) Kathy

Christmas Crafts

Good day! Can you believe we have less than two weeks until Christmas? It's such a fun time of year that goes by quickly so we're trying to enjoy every moment to the fullest!

One of the things I enjoy most about Christmas is crafting! I think I've mentioned that once or twice before! ;) And I love to share my projects with you and see those that you make too! Did you see the latest projects from the Papertrey Ink team this morning? Oh, they get me every time! I want all the new releases that comes out on the 15th! Do you think it's too late to add them to my Christmas list? ;)

Okay, chatty Kathy, get to the projects! ;) Here's a little Christmas box I made with a new digital kit from Two Peas in a Bucket.

The tree on my tag is from a kit called 'Christmas Watercolors' from Wilna Furstenberg. There are nine gorgeous watercolor creations included in Wilan's kit that you should see! I had a difficult time deciding which one to use!

I bought an unfinished birch wood box from A.C. Moore and painted the sides of the bottom piece with white and light blue paints. It has a watercolor looking finish to match the tag. I papered the top of lid with 1927 sheet music and then topped it with vintage mother-of-pearl buttons and chunky snow glitter. Around the sides of the lid I added some lace trim that you can buy in my Etsy shop along with vintage buttons.

With brown card stock and my Wizard die cut machine, I created a frame for the watercolor image. I added some glitter with a glue pen by coloring in the circles on the tree. The final touches include the seam binding ribbon, another pearl button, baker's twine and a couple mini jingle bells.

My next project is also made with a digital kit called 'Clair's Nutcracker Ballet Digital Stickers' from Holly Brooke Jones.

I am smitten over the colorful and fun stickers in this kit! I used two patterned papers from October Afternoon, one from this year's holiday line called 'Very Merry' and one from last year. They coordinate together perfectly!

With this detailed photo you can see that I glittered some of the nutcracker and the edges of the oval with glitter . I'm able to easily glitter small areas by using a glue pen.

I did a little hand zigzag stitching and added a die cut tag for my sentiment. The ribbon was made with seam binding that I dampened and scrunched up to wrinkle it. I tied the seam binding in a bow with some baker's twine , a felt poinsettia bloom and a little red button.

Did you enjoy my projects? I'm in the middle of creating some others that I hope to share throughout the week! I hope you have time during this busy season to come take a peek. Have a wonderful day and keep warm...there's some awfully cold air coming down from the north! :) Kathy

Visit with Santa

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend and enjoying some Christmas activities! Yesterday we went to see Santa!

Christopher was so excited and nervous at the same time! Can you tell? He looks a little pale and he's holding his hands tightly together. Sweet boy! Good thing he practiced saying what he wants for Christmas! Oh how wonderful to believe in Santa and the magic of Christmas! Even if it's a little nerve racking. ;)

Wishing you and yours a very lovely day! :) Kathy