The Heisman

Tonight the highest award in college football will be awarded and I must admit, I'm pretty excited.  


I credit my dad and brother for my love of the game.  While I grew up cheering for the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings (thanks to a 5th grade crush), I now find myself in the heart of Cowboy County. 


These days I'm more captivated by  college football, in particular, the University of Georgia Bulldogs (SEC football, the best) and, this year, the Baylor University Bears.  Don't get me wrong, I'll watch at least part of any exciting game, and I always enjoy cheering for the underdog, but these two teams have me pretty much enthralled.


As a consequence of my fandom for Baylor, I've followed this year's Heisman race closely.  Among the five finalists for the award is Baylor's young quarterback, Robbert Griffin III (aka RG3),  who has been so exciting to watch, put Baylor football (currently #12 in the BCS, thank you) on the map, and seems as impressive on the field as off.   

All this thinking about the Heisman takes me back to another Heisman-related story that involves (long story short): my husband (then boyfriend) on a business trip to Los Angeles, an emergency/unscheduled landing in Ontario, California, a 3 a.m. appendectomy at the Ontario Community Hospital, a 6 day hospital stay, a slow recovery and the Heisman award.  Suffice it to say, in a drug-induced state, seeing Andre Ware win the Heisman was seemingly the highlight of my husband's entire life.  As he wept "tears of happiness" from his hospital bed, I knew three things immediately:  despite almost 5 days in the hospital he was a long way from well, medication does strange things to people and, one day this would be the most hilarious story ever.  This story's been recounted numerous times and always has me laughing.  


Anyway, in it's 76 year history, there have been some pretty impressive Heisman winners.  Saturday night, here's hoping RG3's name is added to that list.  

Homemade Christmas Gifts

I'm endeavoring to make a few gifts this year; easy things really, for neighbors, my husband's co-workers and a few others.


Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home Cookbook is amazing.  Every recipe I've tried is  terrific.  This year, I'm making her Lemon Yogurt Cake. (I love lemon!)  Lots of steps, but it's fairly easy, delicious and beautiful.  Here's the link to the recipe.  

I found great 7.5 inch by 12 inch plates at a local party goods store, used 10 by 16 inch cellophane bags and a gold ribbon and I think they turned out really well.

I'm also trying my hand at cookies in a jar.  Here's the how-to.  

The jar on the left was my practice jar.  I quickly figured out to layer the ingredients in a way that makes it more eye-catching.  I used the seasonal variety of M & M's to make these Christmas- y.  On the top of the jar I included the additions required to complete the recipe and I attached a recipe card.  Since these are Cowboy Cookies I used a bandana to fancy-things up!

I'm also making my sister's Easy Peanut Cluster recipe.  

I bought these adorable little treat boxes after Christmas last year.  

Each box holds 8 peanut cluster candies.  Adorable!  

Finally, these aren't homemade but don't they look like it? I bought these here and they make great gift exchange ideas from your kids to the other kids in their classroom. I'm giving mine to the younger children in our neighborhood.  They're just fun!

Christmas Decorating

It's true.  Everything is bigger in Texas.  This Christmas season, I've seen it firsthand. And because I love holiday decorations, as I wrote about here, I'm thrilled with the over-the-top decorating unfolding all around me.  


I am going to try and take some photos over the next couple of weeks - so you can see for yourself how "in the spirit of the season" these Texans really are.  I am happy to report, it's pretty contagious.  


Today, I drove by a house and knew I had to stop and get a close-up view.  Aside from the beautiful wreaths on every window and door, they had this yard ornament(for lack of a better word):

Don't you love how the beam of light shining through the trees
emits a glow off the pages (something I only noticed after I arrived home 
and took a look at the photo).  

Now, I've seen all kinds of Christmas lights. as well as Santas in motion, happy snowmen (and even whole snowman families), life-size and live nativities and even a few glowing Menorahs and Hanukkah dreidels, but I've never quite seen anything like this 10 foot by 8 foot Bible, replete with the verse that sums up the season. 


More photos to come, but I'm pretty sure none will be as divine as this.   

Holiday Organization

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned this great, free online resource I use to help keep my holiday plans organized.  I've found that utilizing this site gives me lots of great ideas/ways to do things from November until the New Year.  And because I'm a little (okay, a lot) OCD, the less stress the better.


I am sure there are lots of methods and techniques out there, but this is the plan I've settled on that currently works best for me, so I thought I'd share.  You can print out lots of different resources at Organized Christmas or create your own.  My own binder is compiled from several different sources, including a few I created myself.  Many of the tabs include blank sheets of paper that allow me to jot down notes.  

Here's the cute cover I downloaded from Organized Christmas.  I use my notebook for both Thanksgiving and Christmas with the Thanksgiving tab (and it's contents) in the front until the day after Thanksgiving when it takes its place at the back of the notebook.  

My dividers include tabs for:


Current year's calendar.  Here I track all the obvious dates, like parties, but also dates for purchasing the tree and Christmas stamps, mailing cards, baking  cookies and wrappings gifts, etc. 

2009's calendar was a little austere, but this was in the early days of
utilizing a holiday  planner and I wasn't making full use of it.

Gifts:  The first page of this section is a  running list for this year, recipients and their possible gift(s), ideas/suggestions/wish lists.  I also retain all previous years' lists.  This makes remembering what I bought for distant cousins (geographically speaking) in 2004, for example, easy. 


Food:  Mostly menu ideas and suggestions, for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, entertaining, etc.  For example, typically we have crock pot chili (that cooks while we're at church) on Christmas Eve, but one year we had bacon-wrapped filets.   And yes,  I retain all previous years' menus for quick reference.  I also keep lists of the assorted Christmas cookies I make from year-to-year.


Recipes:  Mostly items that I want to try, generally these are hors d'oeuvres or desserts (like cookies). 


Archives:  I keep copies of all previous years' calendars, most recent at the front.  


Budget:  I added this tab for the first time this year in an effort to be very intentional about my spending.  It's helped.  


Decorating:  This sections includes ideas from magazines, catalogues (wreath ideas), etc.  Also, an inventory of the items I use to decorate our home.  One day, I hope to take photos and complete an ornament journal.  I keep information about the garland and wreath I ordered  from a neighborhood boy scout (back in October) in this section, too.  

Thanksgiving:  just one tab that contains all the items for the big Turkey Day holiday.


In the very back of my binder is a Receipts envelope.  I use a clear, plastic sheet protector that can be secured at the top. Like this:  

Finally,I print out a hard copy of the address labels from my computer and place it in the pocket on the inside front of my binder.  This way I can make address changes, corrections and additions, as we receive cards.  


My notebook is a work in progress, and I am always looking for ways to improve it.  But I have to say, just having a method, however imperfect, helps me (in a just a small way) celebrate and enjoy Christmas even more.

The Christmas Crafts Begin

Long before I was a blogger, I was a blog reader. I love blogs, especially ones with crafts and recipes and all things homemade and holiday.  Consequently, Today's Creative Blog was/is one of my favorites.  I am always looking for ways to freshen up my holiday decor.  Plus, I love inexpensive, easy-to-execute ideas.  Fortunately, Kim at TCB posted an adorable free Christmas printable just a couple of days ago.  


I printed out a copy, cut it to fit a white  8 x 10 frame I already had.  Then I remembered some tiny deer (intended as cupcake toppers!) in a bin of stored holiday items and (with the assistance of a glue gun),  Voila!  

A close-up on my (rein)deer!  

Sitting on my kitchen counter, it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.  I especially love the  (unexpected) whimsical shade of blue.  Best of all, here's the link to get your own copy. 


Let the crafting commence!   

Christmas Arboreal

Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, 
you won't find it under a tree."  
~ Charlotte Carpenter

This year's tree

A close-up of the tree topper (and, why yes, that is  Spiderman agilely 
swinging from one of the upper branches).  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful and relaxing day!