A Post: Deliver the Christmas Cheer

I can't believe it's already mid-December! It seems like Thanksgiving just ended and I was just starting to decorate the apartment, begin the wrapping and light the pine scented candles. It actually felt too early. Like I was betraying Thanksgiving in some way. However, I guess I'm glad I got a start on it all because it's less than a week away! I got the shopping done early, and actually only had to call about two gifts that were missing, and fight over one parking space to replace one of those aforementioned gifts. So. I'm officially done with the gift getting and have a few packages to wrap up before I can sit back and relax.

Our apartment's generally clear surfaces are currently covered by boxes wrapped in festive paper and bags full of surprises. I love to choose little things for my loved ones that I know will bring the biggest smile. I keep mental notes of all the things they've mentioned throughout the year so they get the perfect little something. However, purchased items aren't always the meaning of success, so I decided to throw in some homemade gifts to lighten the load and spread the love. Sorry for all the Instagram/camera filtered photos... I was too lazy to get out the dslr.

Here's a couple I'd like to share that are simple enough to finish just in time for the big day.




S'mores Kits

I initially found this gem on Pinterest during Halloween. When I saw Christmas tree shaped Peeps at the grocery story, I figured I'd give it a go. S'mores just happen to be one of my most favorite desserts, and these festive little trees make it the cutest treat.

What you'll need: (Note: I'm a craft hoarder, ask J.. he'll confirm, so I had all of this stuff around the house. I'm saying this so you don't feel like a weirdo if you don't.)

1 box Christmas tree shaped Peeps (they also have gingerbread men and snowmen)
1 bag Hershey's mini bars
1 box of graham crackers (if you're feeling up to it you can make your own, I like this recipe.)
Sandwich bags
Treat bags
Ribbon, Yarn or Twine

I use sandwich bags to keep the contents fresh so that the recipient can choose to eat them right away or save for later. If you have a vacuum sealer, you're way cooler than me, and should definitely use that. Place two graham crackers, two Peeps and two hershey bars next to one another (you can also play around with the placement) in the sandwich bag and seal. Place within a festive treat bag, or sheet of tissue paper, or piece of burlap, and make a neat bow with the decorative ribbon, yarn or twine. I also bought mini snowflakes, used a hole punch, and threaded the ribbon through to make gift tags, but you can do whatever you want to add a little extra flair. Finish by smiling innocently while handing over to children already full of SUGAR.

I gave these to all the kids in my extended family and they loved them. Their parents can pop them in the microwave for a quick dessert, or they can snack on the items individually. It might not be the most HEALTHY holiday treat on your list, but it's definitely tasty! It's also really quick and easy. So... you're welcome & enjoy!


Chocolate Chunk Blondies (recipe featured and adapted from Shutterbean.com)

If you haven't tried a recipe from Tracy's blog, you need to do something about that ASAP because they are the best. Like Joy the Baker (they actually have a podcast together), she features delicious goodies that are sometimes healthy, and a lot of times not, with good ingredients and awesome photo steps to match. To say I'm in love with her blog is an understatement. When I saw her recipe for these blondies, I knew I had to make them for my Dad's family Christmas party. Total success. Seriously, I didn't even get to bring any left overs home, which is rare considering the amount of desserts often present.

(I briefly considered using butterscotch with chocolate chips, which you can totally do, but decided against it. Next time, I say!)

What you'll need:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed I used half dark and half light, but it's whatever
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts I'm weird about nuts in my desserts so I didn't add these
• 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• Small bag of decorative M&Ms of your choice I chose the green and red colored, dark chocolate.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2 inch baking pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and with the mixer still on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. I chose to add festive M&Ms to the top of the blondies to make a little design. Lightly press them into the very top of the dough in whatever design you choose or sprinkle them over (again lightly pressing in). Bake for 30 minutes (or what seems like forever in my ridiculous oven).

The finished product: 

Hope everyone is having a happy holiday! Remember to reach out to all those that love and let them know how much you care. :)

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest

A Post: Quotations, Thoughts on Autumn and Instagram Goodness

There were times in my life, whole years, when anger got the better of me. Ugliness turned me inside out. There was a certain satisfaction in bitterness. I courted it. It was standing outside, and I invited it in. I scowled at the world. And the world scowled back. We were locked in a state of mutual disgust.

-The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

This particular quotation has always held a special place in my heart. The whole novel speaks to me, but this particular line more so. I think I've always been more pessimistic than optimistic (glass is always half empty). I guess you could say it was all those years of being a teenager and then early 20s angst. As I get older, however, I realize that I'm much more relaxed, I stop to contemplate the little things much more often and I try to be as positive as possible. (I still get stressed and worry too much, but it's work in progress.) 

I wanted to visit the blog just to connect with everyone since it's been sometime since I posted a review or featured a bookstore. I have yet to complete my review of Gillespie and I despite the fact that I absolutely loved it. Lately I've found (as so many others have expressed) that I have a harder time reviewing books I love over those that I don't necessarily enjoy. It's strange, but perhaps says something about my personality. I celebrated my 28th birthday and spent the weekend after Thanksgiving in a secluded cabin with J (who was also celebrating a birthday) in the mountains of North Carolina. We played scrabble, sat in front of a fake fire and actually took time to relax. It was perfect. (Beautiful cake from my mama!)

 

I was bummed to return to the routine even though there were so many things I was looking forward to doing. Generally, my days are filled with anxiety. Traffic in Atlanta is horrendous and makes anyone want to pull their hair out. My job revolves around helping people fix problems when they're on a deadline (which means they aren't always so nice) in front of large social audiences (so definitely not nice). And the sun seems to set just as I'm walking in the door which leaves me feeling tired. However, a few things have happened (it's the little things) this week that have made everything seem much more cheerful: 

- Someone held the door for me at the coffee shop.

- A guy on the street told me to have a nice night when I was leaving the parking deck.

- I played trivia with my friends and conspired with the waiter (who gave us mostly wrong answers), which left us laughing.

- A man let me out in a long line of traffic after waiting for what seemed like forever (a rarity in Atlanta, indeed).

I love this time of year, but the grey sky and the early darkness always seem to affect me a little more than I remember. 

This year has definitely been a tough one, but as it comes to a close I realize that I love everything that surrounds me. I'm so thankful for my friends, family and each and every bit that makes the world go round. 

Perhaps this is a late Thanksgiving post. Or just a rant of sorts... as I'm prone to do. But I thought I could share my joys with you. Hopefully you're encountering people in the same spirit. If not, I hope you have the happiest of weeks! 

I'd also like to share this video because it is the sweetest thing I've ever seen: 

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest

A Celebratory Weekend in Photos

I haven't really posted photos recently because I haven't had the time to take them. It's been one thing after another, but I'm certainly not complaining. No books today because I wanted to share some of the instagram goodness that I managed to capture this weekend.  

I've mentioned before that I love learning and challenging myself. Many of my endeavors are strictly for fun, but some are opportunities for me to determine if it's something I'd like to turn into a business someday. My goal being that I one day work for myself. So.. in the spirit and because of my love for pretty stationary, I signed up for a letterpress class offered at SIMPLESONG DESIGN, or Fifteen Eleven, if you're walking the streets of Old Town Alexandria. If you love design and fashion, you should also take a peek at Suann's blog Simplesong. I must mention that she's so incredibly cute. 

If you're wondering what letterpress is, no fear, most people do.  But I can guarantee you've come across it at somepoint in life. I made a little graphic below to give you an idea (it would of course be printed on paper & not the net), but you get the idea. If you're skimming a card and the letters are printed into the paper, meaning you can feel them, it's likely it was created on a letterpress. It's fascinating because letterpress machines aren't made these days; it's a trade that died out but has since been revived (and is wildly popular, especially for weddings). Suann noted that one of her machines was built in 1887; so no matter what you're buying, it's definitely antique. 

                              

I'm far from buying my own letterpress, but it was chance for me to see if it was something I'd like to start investing in, something I could see myself doing everyday, all day. The entire experience was incredible. I can't stress how amazing it is to be in the company of so many talented and confident females. I even met a book blogger! 

The studio was located just outside DC, so J and I took the time to make a little vacation out of it. We celebrated by attending a surprise party for one of my best friends, having a fancy dinner and seeing the touristy sites. 

Here's my little secret: J and I have been a lovely-dovey team for three whole years today. It's wonderful! In addition to the class and the surprise party and the dinner and the sightseeing, he also got us a secluded cabin tucked in the hills of North Carolina, just outside Asheville, on our way home. The joys of a road trip! The views were amazing and the farmers/owners left us a dozen freshly gathered eggs for breakfast.

And cue the gross pic...

It was a great weekend and I'm so grateful for everything in my life. This post didn't have anything to do with books or blogging, but I hope you enjoy anyway. Glad I started blogging and get to converse with incredible individuals everyday via the net. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest

Happy Holidays

There's something about Christmas that is bittersweet.  While it's an absolute joy to celebrate with my family and loved ones, I find an inherent sadness, perhaps tears of joy would best describe this feeling, during this season.  The act of giving, the warmth of the setting, the food being shared-- it's all very wonderful. However, I really wish we could all stop and do this more often instead of reserving so much for just a few special days out of the year.  Perhaps this will be a New Year's resolution of mine. 

Anyway. Happy Holidays, everyone!  I'd like to say thanks for the support, the discussion and the feedback this year!

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest

BookMooch- An Acceptable Method of Mooching From People You've Never Met.

I’ve been thinking about starting my own little backyard book swap for sometime now. However,with work, the blog and other obligations to myself, I’ve been unable to put anything together in the way of making a dream reality.

In order to get books that were on my most desired list without completely riding myself of all my savings, I searched for sites that would enable users to search for books that they could swap, with little to no charge. I managed to find this list on ZenHabits.net that offered many alternatives to Amazon, the big name bookstores and the library. (Note: I love the library, but new titles are often reserved for weeks, and even months, on end!) I’ve registered with a few, but I found that BookMooch really met all my needs. I’ve already shipped three books, received two and am currently awaiting two.

Okay, the nitty gritty…

How it works:

BookMooch allows users from all over the world to build inventory lists, and create wish lists, in order to ship and receive books. Each book posted receives a fraction of a point, while confirming that you’ll ship a book (and of course subsequent shipping) earns you one point if the requester is located in the country you reside in. Bonus: International shipping earns you 2 points. Books requested are worth one point (unless they're international requests, 2 points), so once you ship your first book, you’re already eligible to request a book from a user. The site even gives you more credit for posting feedback! 


Popular titles are often times on long waiting lists, but that doesn't mean you won't get what you really want.  Users receive an e-mail notification once a book on their wish list is available on the site. This allows the first person to respond to the e-mail the first opportunity to receive the title. You might wait a while, but so far I’ve lucked out and got some new releases that I really wanted.


What you pay:
Bookmooch offers free membership. You sign up, create a profile and post your inventory of the books you have that are up for grabs. Because books are earned on a point system, the sender and receiver only pay shipping fees and packaging. I sent two books today for a total of 6 dollars, which included shipping plus packaging. That’s pretty nice, considering the book I received last week was going for $15 in bookstores, and around $12 on Amazon!


Judging by the cover:
You generally receive books in almost new condition. Unlike, paperswap.com, which doesn’t allow highlighting, advance reader copies or creased pages/covers to be shipped to other members. BookMooch gives users the opportunity to post the condition of their books, so the user knows exactly what they’ll be receiving. Let’s face it, lots of people, including myself, don’t really care if the book looks mint or not, as long as the pages aren’t missing, falling out or are completely illegible due to writing and highlighting,then why not request a book that’s apparently received a little love.


The folks you meet: 
BookMooch allows you to make a very simple profile, nothing superfluous like facebook, or other large social media sites. This way you can friend individuals that have similar preferences, and those that have given a pleasant transaction. It's another great opportunity to learn more about what you're reading, share opinions and learn about exciting upcoming releases. You can also get valuable tips on how to fully utilize the site from the people you meet. When I first signed up for BookMooch I wasn't exactly sure the exchange would be equal. 



Note: My listed inventory was compiled of many of the most-wished-for-books on the site. That being said, I received requests for all 12 of the books I listed at one time. After the the first couple of days of exploring the site, I found that many books I really wanted weren't available. I didn’t want to be trading out all my great books, only to find that the site wasn’t lending the type of literature I really wanted.
Bottom line: I wasn’t going to pay people to take my books off my hands.



So I asked around. I sent an email to a woman, who was receiving a book from me, asking her what she liked about the site, as she had been a member for over a year. She explained the advantages and disadvantages of the site as a whole, and comparatively, mentioning other swap options. Overall, she really enjoyed BookMooch, and thought that it was a great way to get new used books for almost nothing. Her prompt response and amiable attitude caught me off-guard and could have been the very reason I stuck with the site. 


Point: Stick it out! Share and you'll certainly receive!


Little things that'll make you smile:
Little goodies in the mail. Everyone likes getting special mail. Or I assume so, anyway. And what’s better than a free book and a little handmade note or bookmark to accompany it?! Yes, two users sent me hand written cards; one was in the shape of an old price tag and had a cheerful message of appreciation for the transaction! I’ve been incorporating my own little tiny handmade bookmarks with appreciation messages and sending them to the happy receiver. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to make someone’s day!


Try it out and tell me about it.  I know you won't be disappointed. 

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest