Christmas looked a lot different this year. Due to the pandemic, we didn’t have our traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day family get togethers. Instead I celebrated Christmas with my quarantine crew, my parents, at their house on Christmas Day. The three of us had a delicious ham feast my mom prepared, opened presents and ate dessert, and were very thankful for our health and that we could celebrate safely with each other. I missed attending our favorite Christmas events like the Festival of Trees, Christkindlmarkt and the Old World Village and Christmas Market, and did all of…
Merry Christmas! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday filled with all of your favorite things, including your favorite sweet treats. This Christmas season flew by faster than any other for me. I didn’t get a lot of things done before December 25 that I wanted to, and I’m determined to plan better for next year. But I did make gingerbread cookies and a gingerbread house, one of my favorite traditions. I love the way gingerbread tastes, and I especially love the decorating opportunities it offers. I love to pore over elaborate gingerbread cookie…
Christmas will be here before we know it! Now is the perfect time to check out one of the newest and best Christmas events in the Indianapolis area, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, celebrating its second year. The outdoor German Christmas market is open Wednesdays through Sundays through Christmas Eve, with no admission charge and free parking available right next to the market in the Palladium Center for the Performing Arts’ parking garage. Check out my post from last year to learn more about the heritage of German Christmas Markets and read about my visit to the inaugural Carmel Christkindlmarkt…
Super Bowl Sunday was super indeed! The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and I had a pre-game meal at our new Portillo’s for the first time ever (they’re famous for hot dogs, and I’d been craving a good hot dog!). But those weren’t even the best parts of the day. The highlight was my friend Jessica’s Year of Cards Make and Take class. I love her card classes and attend as many of them as I can. During the class attendees choose five projects to make for a class…
I hope your 2018 has gotten off to a great start! It’s been bone-chilling cold here in Indiana for the past week and a half, as it has been for many parts of the world. Yesterday we were at -12 F, colder than both the North and South Poles! Today it’s snowing, because the side streets weren’t slick enough already. Can you sense my sarcasm, and tell winter is my least favorite season? Bring on Spring… I’m already dreaming of flowers! My favorite belonging these days is my electric blanket. And I’m bringing in…
Merry Christmas! This holiday season is going by faster than any I can remember and the past month has been a blur! Luckily before I got wrapped up in everything I had to do, I was able to slow down and enjoy several Christmas festivities with friends and family like the Handmade Ornament Exchange and the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. Another holiday activity I enjoyed earlier this Christmas season with my parents was the inaugural Winterlights at Newfields, the new name for the Indianapolis Museum of Art and its gardens. A million lights were used to create the Winterlights display and they…
Happy Handmade Holidays! Last Saturday’s cozy get together with crafty friends for a handmade Christmas ornament exchange was one of the highlights of this year’s Christmas season for me. I’ve hosted handmade ornament exchanges twice before in past years, but it had been four years since the last exchange. (Where does time go?) This year I organized the event; my mom and I provided snacks; and my friends Erin and Deanna graciously hosted the event at their art studio Caravan Classes in downtown Noblesville. This is the same awesome studio that had an Artist Halloween Party I…
Season’s greetings! The most wonderful time of the year is here, or – if you prefer the warm weather months like me – at least, the most festive! My favorite part of Christmas is making memories, so I love to attend various Christmas events, and this year I am so thrilled there are several new Christmas festivals in central Indiana. Now, how to find time to check them all off my list? 2017 marks the first year for the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, which is open Wednesday through Sunday from now until December 24. There is no admission charge and parking is free…
I never realized making tags could be so much fun until I took tag classes at Archiver’s several years ago (R.I.P. to my favorite scrapbook store of all time). At Christmas time they had a workshop called 10 Little Tags which my mom and I took it each year they offered it. Every tag we made was completely different, and perfect for dressing up Christmas presents. In fact, I still have some Archiver’s originals stashed away somewhere because I couldn’t bear to give away my favorites all at once. Lately I’ve been obsessed…
This past weekend was warm and rainy, the kind of weather that fools you into thinking Christmas is much further away than it actually is. Some of my perennials are confused and are starting to show signs of Spring growth from the mild temperatures and rainy days. We’ve had frost but not a hard frost so my fall fairy gardens are still going strong too. But there are only – GET THIS – 50 days until Christmas. Gulp. So when my CFF (craft friend forever) Wendie invited me over for a Saturday crafternoon, I was determined to focus…