Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Spirit is elusive to me in my old age.  When you're young, you don't go searching for it.  It comes to you.  It's about you.  You can't escape it!  

I remember being 7 or 8 years old and waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning and knowing it was slightly too early to wake up my parents and race downstairs.  But it was strictly forbidden in my house to peak at the presents without the whole family awake so I'd smash (and I mean really smash) my face into the wall so I could bbaarrellly get a glimpse down the stairs and around the corner to the tree.  I would do this in the early morning hours when the rest of the house was sleeping.  Just me, in my pajamas, smashing my face against a wall.  Quietly not breaking any rules.  Typical.  

Dark Chocolate Caramel Oreo Bites

THESE. 

I just....

I can't....

If only....  

A Week of Selfies

Doing my makeup in the morning is one of my favorite parts of the day (and in a close second is removing my makeup every night) and I rarely repeat the same look two days in a row.  Or so I thought (**cue dramatic music**).

Cranberry Pistachio Galette with Grapefruit Sugar Crust

THIS CRUST.  Oh lordy the crust.  I hit the jackpot with this crust.  And it all happened by accident, really.  

See, I wanted to make this galette but I was out of sugar.  So I stopped at Trader Joe's and couldn't find anything except Cane Sugar.  I knew it would work just fine but I didn't expect the Cane Sugar to really transform the galette like it did.  It's chunky and substantial and made for an excellent crust with a lot of sweet crunch.  

Guide Guide for the Beauty Obsessed

The secret title of this post is: "Things I Want Right Now" but that didn't sound quite as nice as "Gift Guide for the Beauty Obsessed."  But it's no secret that I'm "beauty obsessed" so I doubt I had many of you fooled.  

So Christmas is 10 days away and perhaps you've got a few people to buy for (or, ahem, everyone left to buy for).  I'm no good at presents for Dads or cousins but I've got a keen intuition for the ladies in your life who are makeup enthusiasts.  If I was a betting lady, I'd say the following items would please even the most intense makeup lover.  

DIY Paint Splatter Mugs

These adorable mugs are just as much science experiment as they are craft.   Nail polish and water do some crazy things together.  These two mugs were my first go at this craft and I loved the result.  It's SO easy to customize these colors or to make a lot (like a whole set) at once.  Such a fun and simple gift too.  

Here's what you need:

Homemade Sugar Plums

Who knew sugarplums were a real thing?  You know, from "visions of sugarplums danced in their heads"?  Growing up, I envisioned sugarplums as tiny ballerinas or fairies.  I really took the word "dancing" literally.  Deeeeeefinitely didn't think it was food.

I'm very astute.

But thanks to Pinterest, I found a recipe for actual sugarplums which, as it turns out, is a food, and is incredibly simple and no-bake.  Who knew?