Christmas Cards

This year instead of going out and buying Christmas cards I decided to hook up with my crafty friend Brook and make them instead.

Brook is very, very talented when it comes to paper crafts. I knew she would be most helpful because she has given me a card a time or two and I loved them! After looking through all of her past Christmas card ideas I came across the wreath designs. It was so simple!

All you needed was some different colored cardstock. I used red, green, and cream colors for the card, then cut out a dark brown square piece that you glue in the middle. Then you just need to have a variety of different Christmas colored paper in a mix of designs. Luckily for me Brook was generous enough to let me use all her stuff. She had 2 different sized hole punches so you go through all your different paper and punch 'em out. Then arrange them in a circle, glue 'em down, and tie a cute little ribbon and glue that on the top. Easy right?

After doing a lot of these my creative mind started to drift and I just made them up as I went- it was more fun for me that way. This one turned out to be one of my favorites. Doesn't it look like it's got an Old Navy theme to it?

It was so fun to do these, and the best part is that when your family and friends receive them with your hand written note inside they will know you spent some extra time on them.

Hope every has a Merry Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

* Christmas!! *

I woke up this morning to a whole lot of snow! I think that's a good 4-5 inches right there...

Gray skies have never been so beautiful! I have a love/hate relationship with snow. It's like any snow around Christmas time is great... but ya know, come January, I'm pretty much over it. Unless the snow lures Tyler & Macy up to Salt Lake for a visit- then I would love it!

I came inside and caught my little man taking a nap all wrapped up in his doggy blanket. His favorite place to lay is right in front of the heating vents.

Here's our Christmas tree! I actually put it up last weekend but never got around to taking pictures of it until now. Six feet and pre-lit sounded good enough to me!

Here are some close ups:

I love having memorable ornaments that take you back to a time and place. We don't have very many of those since we've only been married 2 1/2 years but there's a few. This one we got at our wedding, I think it's darling. It has our wedding date on it and everything :)

This ornament we got in Cape Cod on our honeymoon. Love it!

Nothing too special about this one except I think the picture came out lovely!

Take a look around you and observe your surroundings.
Christmas is everywhere!

Pretzarollo's

So I want to share with you this amazingly quick and easy Christmas treat recipe that I got from my lovely mother-in-law over Thanksgiving break. (WARNING: They are highly addictive!)

Ingredients:
Square Pretzels
Rollo's
Holiday Peanut M&M's (red & green)

Start with conning someone into unwrapping a bunch of Rollo's (because this part sucks). While they unwrap, spray your cookie sheet with cooking oil and line up your square pretzels, as many as you possibly can fit on there (my pan fit 88 so you know one batch will make plenty!). Then take the Rollo's and put them on top of each pretzel. Heat your oven up to 175 degrees and bake for 8 minutes.

When you pull them out of the oven the Rollo's will be soft but not melted. Push each M&M in the Rollo. Then put them in the fridge, still on the pan, and let them cool down and solidify. When you sneak one for taste, you will understand why you unwrapped so many Rollo's!

They are DELICIOUS!! And the best part is that you don't need to tell anyone that they were actually Rollo's... people will think you made your own caramel and chocolate by your own Betty Crocker self! (I'm just nice enough to let you all in on the secret)

...you can thank me later :)

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