Glitter and stuff

Hello!
I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! We had a great time...watching a four year old zipping around preparing for Santa is very funny and a little sad at the same time, I know it wont be long before she outgrows this.

we tried to create something festive every day.
Some salt dough and cinnamon ornaments,

Felt gingerbread boys,

Glittered paper trees,

cotton beard Santas,

An assortment of oddly decorated cookies,

More cotton ball usage,(remind me next month when I rant about how we've run out of cotton balls)

I also made a sugar plum fairy mobile to hang over Helena's bed, which was so fun to do I am going to make some more to hang out in my fairy garden in a few days.


Have a wonderful evening, take care this weekend and I'll see you next year:)

Candied Oranges

Candied oranges!
They're delicious and easier to make than you think.
I followed this recipe from food network
All you need is:
6 thick-skinned navel oranges
4 1/2 cups sugar, plus extra for rolling
1 1/2 cups water
Directions
Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces.
I got Paul to help me cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide.

Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times,this helps remove the bitterness.Remove the orange peels from the pan.

Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around.

Drain the peels, then roll them in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.

Once they are dry you can dip them in dark chocolate but I like them plain.
Enjoy!

A composer & a circus act

Thank you to everyone for their lovely birthday wishes!I had an incredible birthday this year, with good food, great company and beautiful gifts.
My daughter, Gabriella made this for me using products from my favorite artist Lisa Kettell.
I LOVE it!!!

And she made this ring for me too!


We have a winner for the birthday giveaway....
Random number generator chose comment five, congratulations to Ann from tin and sparkle.
I'll be back soon, I'm off to make candied oranges:)

Birthday Giveaway

It's time to make a...

blow out the candles...

And have a huge chunk of gingerbread cake...

it's also time to leave a comment so you can win a little gift.

Thank you everyone!

Christmas swaps

Hello! are you having fun baking, shopping and savoring every single sweet minute?

I'm trying:)I've participated in a couple holiday swaps,
Wendy from Bliss Angels hosted The Christmas cheer tin swap, (thank you Wendy!)
This is the tin I made (which you have seen)

this is the inside,

Then Karen from Karen's Monday Musings invited me to join in an altered cigar box secret Santa swap (sheesh say that 3 times fast!)with her super talented friends in the Tucson Swap Queens group.
I was secret Santa for someone that likes Angels,
This is what I made..

this is the inside...

And this is what I got from my secret Santa...

The inside was filled with homemade cookies and peppermint pretzels...which are all gone:) so no pic!
I hope everyone is getting into Holiday mode, I've been busy decorating, even the gypsy wagon has a bitty tree in it..

Come back soon to get a chance to win a small bag of magical goodies on my birthday!
Have a great night!
Marfi

Birthday week (give or take a few days) & it's December

I love December!
makes me think of gold & silver glitter softly falling, pink frosting, the smell of gingerbread! Wonderful magical happy stuff.

And it's my birthday this month on the tenth:)So you know what that means???
Cake!
Candles!


And of course a giveaway for you!
I'll let you know what goodies I have in store for you soon.
Meanwhile, it's time to go outside and soak up the December weather, it's overcast, 57 degrees and sprinkling!
Have a magical day!