A Haunted 2012!

Okay, so you're Christmas shopping... If you're looking for that perfect gift for the ghouls and goblins on your list, consider the "Haunted Canada 2012" calendar! I just received my copy and it's really quite wonderful! Each month's spread is a collage of gruesome goodness, and it'll help you keep that Hallowe'en mood all year long! Perfect! You can get yours at http://www.hectorturner.com/halloween/shop.html and Hector's speedy at shipping it out in time for the longest, darkest night of the year: Solstice! (You can see lots of the collages on his website.)

Thank you, Hector!

Frohe Krampus Nacht!

My dear Readers and Friends,

Happy Krampus Night!

(I could wear my horns to work tonight... but I don't think that would go over too well.

It would be fun, though.)

Wanting meaning

I had to turn the radio off tonight to stop the Christmas music. One more tune and I was going to start throwing things. Christmas is such an insincere time of the year, all that "kindness, hope, goodwill to all" so rarely translates into action. Yeah, then tell me what did you do to make the world a better place in the name of Christmas?




I want magic!

I'll be happier when December is over...


In the meantime, I did receive a most amazing gift today. (Rose, thank you!) In an envelope from Rose there was an envelope from Hungary and in the envelope was a Krampus postcard! WOW! I'm just thrilled! (If you want to read about Krampus, try http://www.krampus.com/.)

This is a scan of the postcard.
So, perhaps I'll skip the Christmas mumbo-jumbo, focus on a Krampus and Solstice celebration (far more sincere) and take great, honest pleasure in real friendships.

Instructions for an ark, anyone?

It's raining... non-stop. It's not helping with the lack-of-Christmas-spirit thing... plus the crazy people on the news have kinda fouled any headway I was making. (Pepper-spray? Really?!) What's happening with people, we are so messed up!



My single pumpkin sprout was joined by two new babies, that's rather wonder-full! So cute!




We did bake 3 kinds of cookies on the weekend, they turned out pretty great, but I think I need snow. Lots.






In more exciting and happy news, I just sent in my submission to Teddy Bear Review, as Stephanie Finnegan requested material for an article about "What are you doing in 2012?" It just so happened that I was discussing a collaboration with Tammi Beaulieu and so I was able to send Stephanie our plans to create something together! I really do need to re-focus and get back to making things, I've gone stale and need to find my passion again... Working with Tammi is definitely going to help as my lady bear will need to be awesome enough to be paired with one of her dragons!!!

And by the way: 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and, according to the Chinese Calendar, rats play nicely with dragons...

The taste of memories

With help from Darcie (thank you so much!!), I was able to find a recipe for a treat that I have long craved: chrusciki! Not that I knew what they were called... I only remember them from my grandmother and from long-ago German Christmas pot-luck gatherings.

You can find the recipe at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chrusciki-i/detail.aspx, I'll be trying it out soon! Tomorow looks good, maybe the smells will create some Christmas spirit.

To you, they're Brandy Crisps...

Today I came across this, in the November issue of "Taste of Home" magazine. Wow, and they don't sound too difficult. The brandy in the cream should make them quite decadent... We're going to make a batch for Christmas.

And of course, you see the Hallowe'en potential!? Fried toad flesh maybe? Tint the cream green (with spinach powder) or red, maybe add some berries or raisins for gut bits and it'll look awesome!

Trying, trying...

Okay, cookies like these might get me into the Christmas mood (instructions are here: http://www.crazydomestic.com/2010/12/melted-snowman-cookies.html).




But only after a hearty breakfast!