HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here are a few yummies that helped us ring in the new year sweetly!

Cider for toasting.


Homemade peppermint bark!


Homemade Oreo & creme cheese bon bons.
Very similar to these but I didn't use that peticular recepie. I used a recepie my mom gave me over the phone.


These turned out SO good!


And the best taffy EVER!! Its Eggnog flavored! Mmm mmm good!

And we can't forget great games played with Trent's family late into the night! what a fun time!

Oh and here is a snippet of our new years morning aftermath! Santa was feeling "piratey" this year, he brought dress ups, chocolate gold pieces and more!! Maybe it's because he has a bit of piratey'nes in him already!This is a drawing I did a few years ago. My favorite part is the candy cane hook. :)

Yes that's right, Santa comes to our house on New Years Eve. (Read this post for the whole story.) WEll we've had a great holiday and all I can say is, we're ready for our long winters nap.

Girls apron dress I made

This is an apron I made a while ago and it was too big for my daughter, so I put it away for a few years. I got it out yesterday and it finally fit her but somehow it had been ripped. I appliqued a felt flower to patch the rip.
I think it turned out really cute! I love it so much now that I think I'm going to make matching pants so it can be an apron dress. Happy new year!!

YUM

Look what my sister Carianne sent to us! I LOVED every single thing about it, the packaging especially, and it all tasted great!!

white christmas

Paper chains galore

We did it! It took lots of taping and cutting, and cutting and stapling, and cutting, but we did it! Buddy the elf would be proud. We feel quite festive when we go in this room.

New comforter

This year I knew just what I wanted to get my husband as a gift! I am really happy with how it all looks together. (Even though that one painting is crooked.) :) I added the "belly button" to the white pillow for an extra touch!

Book paper, paper chains

We made these book paper, paper chains just today. This is just the beginning I hope to fill the room to over flowing in true Buddy the elf style. Below is a little story to explain the "Christmas'y" posts that will likely continue for the next week.

I was raised in a very christian family where my parents would try hard to create a magical but reverent Christmas. In fact, my mom announced one year when I was young, that Santa was coming on New Years Eve from then on. We all went along with it and even embraced it. For example on Christmas Eve we acted out the nativity story, and on New Years Eve we would put out milk and cookies. We exchanged home made gifts from each other on Christmas. Then on New Years we received presents from Santa, usually store bought from after Christmas sales. Now were grown up and we're still continuing the tradition in one way or another. Now as we're getting ready for New Years we pull out all the stops and go overboard! I love it! Thanks for letting me share one of my unique traditions with you.