Priceless Keepsakes

My grandparents have always been crafty. I look back now and can recall wearing some real fashion disasters that my Nana made for me back in the 80s, but back then I loved them. Nana is the seamstress/painter and my Papoo does incredible woodwork. The little details and intricacies of their work never cease to amaze me. Here are just a few of my treasures from them:

But one of my absolute favorite pieces is this unique take on a traditional Advent calendar. This hung in our house every Christmas for as long as I can remember.

My siblings and I used to fight over who got to hang what on the tree each day. It's quite large (about 3' x 2') and the wood is also quite warped from being stored in the attic for three decades.

I inherited this calendar a few years ago, and each morning on my way into the kitchen, I feel like a kid again as I hang the corresponding day onto the tree. The same anticipation is there, the excitement of counting down the days until Christmas.

This year though, there's also a bit of anxiety that goes along with this cherished piece. The tree seems to be filling up quicker than usual ... only 10 shopping days left? What?!? Seriously, where did the time go?

Make your own vanilla extract

It seems like everytime I buy vanilla extract at the grocery store, I am shocked all over again by the high price.

Nevermind that I went through the same sticker-shock just two months prior. It still manages to surprise me everytime.

I stand there in the baking aisle and think, "Really? But it's such a small bottle!"

But I always suck it up and buy it, because what are my other options? I refuse to buy the cheaper "imitation vanilla extract." Only pure vanilla extract will do.

So when Kent emailed me this article recently, I was elated to try it. Here's what you'll need:

Mason Jars - I already had some of these in my kitchen cabinets. I used the smaller ones that hold about 1 ½ cups.

Vodka - Shocker, I know, but I already had this in my kitchen cabinets, too. It doesn't have to be top shelf stuff. Any vodka will do!

Vanilla Beans - Now these I had to special order. There are lots of sources for beans, but I got mine at Beanilla.com. The article provides some insight as to the differences in the types of beans. I went with ones from India.

** The recipe is 3 vanilla beans per cup of vodka. **

1) Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected. Since I used the shorter jars, I cut the beans in half short-wise first (that's the opposite of lengthwise, right?), before splitting them in half lengthwise.

2) Put the vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid. Cover completely with the vodka.

3) Store in a dark, cool place. Give the bottle a good shake every week or so, and in about 8 weeks, you'll have vanilla extract!

Lasts for years. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it. Just remember to give it a good shake.

These just need a cute homemade tag, and ... voila! ... super cute Christmas gifts! Since these won't be quite ready to use by Christmas, I'll just include the date that it will be ready on the tag ... it's the gift that keeps on giving.

I'm looking forward to watching the vanilla change color over time.

So, to recap ... vanilla beans + vodka + time = vanilla extract ... now that's my kind of math!

... especially when I calculate how much money this will save in the long run!

** Note -- although the taller, corked bottle looks really pretty, I quickly switched it out for a mason jar after realizing that the vodka was leaking through the cork when I shook it. A tight-fitting lid is key.

Monogram Cupcakes

I recently helped host a bridal shower for a good family friend. I was in charge of cupcakes and wanted to try something that I hadn't done before. I knew that the bride really liked the look of monograms, so I went with that idea.

First, I opened a Word document and found a font that I thought would work well. I typed her and her future husband's monogram, enlarged the text to the size that I needed and printed a sheet. Then I taped the paper to a baking sheet and taped wax paper over that.

I melted mint chocolate wafers and piped them onto the wax paper with a pastry bag and tip. Then they went into the freezer for 10-15 min. to harden. I peeled them off the wax paper and repeated the process until I had enough.

Here's the final product:

I kept them in a tupperware in the freezer until right before they went on top. I was so nervous that they would melt!

The bride-to-be loved them!

I made the cupcake wrappers with pretty paper from Hobby Lobby and the template from here. I baked the cupcakes in regular foil liners, and used double-sided tape to attach the paper.

Whitney's Baby Shower

I co-hosted a baby shower on Saturday with five other lovely ladies. The mom-to-be is my dear friend Whitney. We have known each other since we were babies ourselves, and she was one of my bridesmaids. She is due in about a month. She does not know what she's having (exciting!), so we kept the color scheme neutral.

I could not find a pre-made invitation that suited Whitney's style, so decided to handmake them. She is a fabulous seamstress, baker, artist, etc., and loves antiques, so I thought this fit her well. The assembly process ended up being a much bigger job than I anticipated, so I called in reinforcements, and we knocked out the 35 invites ... thanks Mom and Gail!

My mom made this CUTE diaper cake. What a practical centerpiece!

I made these baby rattle cupcakes. The dots are dark chocolate M&M's with the logo facing down, and the handles are lollipop sticks with a gumdrop stuck on the end.

Playing "Guess How Big Around the Belly Is" with yarn. Whitney's grandmother guessed exactly right!

Whitney and the hostesses.

Father's Day Fun

I invited the whole gang over to our house to celebrate Father's Day last month ...

I was very happy with how my Father's Day placecards turned out!

The Dads relaxin'!

On the menu was burgers and brats. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my gas grill lit (Kent was out of town), and none of the guys could figure it out either. Kent later told me that there is a special trick to it, but we rolled with it and arranged a charcoal contraption over my fire pit! It ended up being quite fun and reminded me of camping. My cousin Jackson was the official grillmaster.