Tree skirt bandit

I've never been able to bring myself to fork over good money for a tree skirt. There are many Christmas-y type things that I'll waste our hard earned money on, but a tree skirt isn't one of them. One reason for that is because I've never really found one I like enough to buy and the other reason is because... well, you'll see.

In lieu of a traditional tree skirt I just use festive fabric that I found for the right price. First I cover the tree stand with a solid red piece of cloth and then I bunch up green tulle around it for a little extra kick.

These stay in place exactly as long as it takes the bunnies to realize they are there. Presents under the tree? I think not.

The following videos show you just what Milton thinks of the tree skirt.

After I filmed this first one Andy* told me Milton wasn't growling. He thinks the sound I hear is Milton's nails scratching the tulle. Since I've never heard either of my bunnies growl at anything I'm guessing that Andy is probably right. But I think it's more fun to pretend like he's growling at the tulle. (In case you're wondering, yes, bunnies can, and do, growl sometimes)

Thirty seconds after I stopped filming Milton moved to the other side of the tree:

Now, I feature Milton on this blog a lot. I don't want you getting the wrong idea and think I prefer Milton to Brunswick. That's not the case.

The thing is that Milton gets into a lot more trouble than Brunswick.

To illustrate my point:

While Milton was doing this

Brunswick was doing this

We're the proud pet parents of one very high strung bunny and one very lazy bunny.

Not to say that Brunswick doesn't have his moments. Just this evening I caught him as he was successfully chewing through a strand of Christmas lights. I just didn't get it on video because I was busy trying to keep him from being electrocuted.

How do your fur babies get involved in the holidays?

*Did you hear what Andy was saying to Milton in the first video before I shushed him? He wonders why the bunnies behave better for me.

Festivus weekend!!!!!!!!!!

It has been one hellish day around here. I haven't got anything accomplished that I wanted to. Mostly because other things demanded my attention.

I was so angry at one point I couldn't speak to other people without biting their heads off, so I avoided society for a while today.

So this post is coming about eight hours later than I had planned and after a cocktail (or two) to take the edge off. Please forgive any typo's that are sure to occur. There is a good possibility that I'll edit this tomorrow.

This past weekend was positively filled with the holiday spirit. Just bursting with it!

It has become a tradition of mine to spend a weekend early in December with my bestie Julie. It gives us the opportunity to spread the collective cheer and not just say hi and bye on Christmas day when we are trying to spend time with our families and everyone in between.

So I went to Raleigh this weekend. Spent some time with Julie, Frank and Mina and also got to see some of my "creepy internet friends" from The Nest. If you don't know what The Nest is you should totally check it out. I would link to it, but like I said, I've had a cocktail (or three) and I just don't have the patience for that right now. Google is your friend.

Here are some photos from my fun filled weekend.

First, thing first
Julie needed to shop for some "in between" jeans
So Mina and I had some fun with
the camera in the dressing room

Decked out for the Tacky Sweater party
People don't sell tacky sweaters anymore
Did you know that?
Some Nesties
More nestiesMere with Harrison Even more Nesties
Julie takes a moment to feed Mina
She was a trouper
(I'm talking about Mina)
Alethea's Hanukkah socks
Food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Booze!!!!!!!!!!!!
And cake
Pami strikes a pose
Most of the group
"The world's ugliest house"
Found on the way to the party
Side building (I'm guessing garage)
Attached to "The world's ugliest house"
The pictures don't do it justice
It really needed to be experienced in person
Going to Church
Mina is impersonating Cindi Lauper
"Stupid paparazzi!"

Ok, that's all folks. I've got some great posts planned for this week, so stay tunned!

Now I'm going to go enjoy a cocktail (or four). Ok, not really. I'm 5'2 and weight... oh, who am I kidding? A lady never tells how much she weighs! Let's just say that if I had four cocktails I'd be in a coma.

I'm pretty impressed with myself for still being whitty after a few cocktails though.

Photogenic Friday: Holiday Bloopers

Attempting to get pictures for our Christmas card

They did not care for the box

Halfway through lighting the tree.
Slightly frazzled.
Someone was playing with the camera
I'll give you a hint:
It wasn't the bunnies
Andy's idea of a good Christmas card photo

What are the holiday's like at your house?

Only two weeks 'till Christmas!

I'm off to spend the weekend in festive
frivolity!
Have a great one!

Kid-speak

Several years ago, when I was in college, I spent a summer working in a preschool in my hometown. I was in the two year old room which provided many laugh-out-loud moments throughout the months I was there.

One morning in particular stands out in my mind.

One of the students, a little boy, had an amazing memory. He could look at a map of the US and point out all 50 states and tell you their capitols. It was really impressive. This is usually how he filled his mornings before everyone got there and the day began. He did it so much that by the end of the summer I could recite them all from memory without looking at a map.

Each morning he'd sit down with the map and begin to recite everything he knew. It didn't matter if anyone was listening. He just liked to do it. But often the other students would watch him for a few minutes to see if they could beat him to North Carolina.

For the most part he didn't need any help, but once in a while he would get confused and have to ask which state was which.

This was one of those mornings. He got to a state and asked, "Miss S! Which state is this?" I looked over his shoulder and replied, "Oh. That's Utah."

At which point another student, a little girl who'd been watching the whole thing, assumed an air of complete offense and said, "Hey! I'm tall too!"

Ba-dum-bum

I didn't laugh right away. I just told her that she was indeed tall too and walked away to turn my back and laugh. She wasn't tall. She was the shortest kid in the class. But she didn't know that and that's the only thing that matters.

On a snowy day in January long, long ago

I'm really only guessing it was in January. It could have been March. Mom? Josh? Are you there? Do you remember when this happened?


Things I remember about this very snowy day:

• I was wearing a pair of my mom's snow boots
• In order to keep the boots on and make sure no snow got inside them my feet were covered with plastic bags
• Walking around was slippery
• When we started you couldn't see the grass in the yard
• At the end you could
• I wasn't much help because I was small (and undoubtedly whiny)
• Most of my time was spent walking around behind my mom and brother while they rolled this giant snow ball around the yard
• I took my job as snowman cheerleader very seriously
• Probably not. Most likely I kept asking if we were going inside soon.
  
• They used all the snow in the front yard for the body and had to go to the back yard to build the head
• When we were done Josh and I posed proudly for a photo next to our snowman
• A snowman that I had very little hand in making
• My mother is very generous

I've never really liked playing in the snow. I love watching it come down while I'm next to a fire, reading a book. But, as a kid I only played in the snow because that's what you're supposed to do. It sounds like a lot of fun, and it is for about five minutes until your appendages start to go numb and your eyes want to water, but can't because the tears freeze before they can make it out.

The house we grew up in had a wood stove that we used for heat. On snowy days we would go outside and tromp around, getting lots of snow stuck to ourselves. My favorite part was when we were back inside we would pull the clumps of snow off our clothes and throw them onto the side of the wood stove. Watching it sizzle and evaporate was the best part of playing in the snow. Standing there in the heat from the stove, careful never to touch it, we had the most fun. There was something about the snow outside and the comfort the stove provided. It made me feel peaceful.

Despite all of that, this particular day, the day we made the giant snowman, has stayed with me as one of the happiest days of my childhood. I don't remember the cold, but I remember spending time with my mom and brother and the sense of accomplishment we all felt when the snowman was complete. It was a day spent in total carefree frivolity. No worries, save to finish the snowman.

It was a day spent in love.

Mrs.Kringle's Cookie bake off!

Psst!

I entered a cookie contest. After you read my post please go vote for me. If I win I get lots of awesome prizes. And if you go leave a comment and vote for your favorite cookie you can win something too!

Click here to vote for me and view other contestant entries.

This year I thought Santa might like something different when he comes calling. I know the standard is chocolate chip cookies, but those have to get old after the first thousand or so. Don't you think?

I was wracking my brain to come up with something wonderful for Santa, but just couldn't think what to do.

So I had a conference with Santa's helpers.

Wouldn't you know, those sweet little things came right to my rescue. They are partial to recipes including carrots and were positively insistent that I should use those as my feature ingredient. I gave in. They are Santa's helpers after all and they know him better than me.

I spent all afternoon in the kitchen grating carrots and sifting flour to create the perfect Carrot Cake Cookies for Santa.

Once I finished I asked his helpers if they would be so kind as to taste test them for me. "Why of course!" they exclaimed.

"They certainly smell lovely!
Or am I only smelling the carrots?"
"Oh yes! These are positively
delightful!"

The helpful helpers passed judgment on the cookies, "These are certain to be Santa's new favorite cookie!"

So, in case you are reading this Santa, I just wanted you to know that we are ready for you. The halls are decked and the stockings are hung. You're the only thing missing.

And your new favorite cookie is waiting with a nice, cold glass of milk.

But you'd better hurry or your helpers might eat them all.

Carrot Cake Cookies with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 T ground cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Beat in the pineapple, carrots and raisins until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

Add the wheat germ and flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the oats and walnuts.

Drop in rounded tablespoons onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread considerably while baking. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown slightly around the edges.

Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing:

1 (12 oz) bag white chocolate chips
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature

In a double boiler, over medium-low heat, melt the white chocolate chips. Once melted add in the cream cheese. It's important for it to be room temperature. If the cream cheese is still cold it will cause the chocolate to seize up. If this happens just put the mixture back over the double boiler and stir until it's smooth.

Use a fork to drizzle the mixture over the cooled cookies. Allow the icing to set.

Or go ahead and eat a cookie because you can't wait!

*Baker's note and a disclaimer:

The walnuts and raisins are optional. I didn't put raisins in mine because we don't like them.

Also, these cookies are, of course, for humans. I don't feed my bunnies cookies. However, Milton did take a little nibble before I realized he was eating a cookie and not a carrot.

Photogenic Friday: Devil Bunny

Last Saturday Andy and I got out of the house for a while and went to town.

We left the bunnies out of their cage like we always do. Usually they entertain themselves and are fine while we're gone.

I don't know what exactly got into Milton. Maybe he was upset that I didn't give him his nightly vegetables before we left. Or perhaps he didn't care for being left all alone. Except he wasn't alone he had his brother for company. Company that he generally prefers over Andy and I.

Whatever got stuck in his craw he decided to let us know it.

When we got home this is what we found:

Click photo to enlarge

He stretched himself out in the middle of the mess and waited for us to get home. When we saw him he looked up at us like, "What? I've been an example of good behavior. This is Brunswick's fault."

As a matter of fact Brunswick was sniffing around the disaster and when we came in he hopped over to me and nudged my leg as if to say, "I had nothing to do with it."

There really wasn't anything to do besides laugh and clean up the mess.

But we are going to get some plastic containers to store everything in so he can't do this again.

Have a great weekend!