Monday, December 23, 2019

T Stands for Happy Holidays

Happy holidays my friends.  Are you ready for Christmas if you celebrate?

I've been busy the last couple of days. But it was fun busy. I finished some New Years cards which I will get out in the mail Thursday. All the gifts are wrapped. Errands have been completed (amists the crowds) so if it isn't ready now, it isn't something that needs to be done.
There were also cookies to bake.



 (And a note to Jeanie if you read this post. This is batch 2 of your Drum Kickers recipe, since I think they are my husband's new favorites.)
Here's my T Day reference. I was enjoying this Diet Coke while I made a mess in my kitchen this past Sunday. And I had lots of fun making yummy treats.
It's no fun if you don't make a mess, right?

And I finished my gingerbread house that I showed you last post.
This is the kit.
And here's how I finished it.
 Most of the decorations came with the kit, but I used some pasta to decorate the roof as well as a few pieces of candy I had. I've made gingerbread houses in the past, but since it has been a few years, I  forgot how much time they take to make, especially when you are fussy about it like I am.
. And although I would have liked to do some more piping, it was a lot of fun to make. And other than the hard pasta you could eat it, but I am not planning on it being eaten.

And today (Monday the 23rd) was so gorgeous I decided the dogs and I needed a beach walk and a little outside time. I had had to drive down to coast for a doctor's appointment anyhow, so why waste the opportunity for the chance to enjoy spring like temperatures? (Especially since they are only supposed to be around for 1 day.)

The beach wasn't totally empty but I think most people were at the stores running errands or finishing their shopping.
These 2 get so excited on the beach that they can be hard to control (oh there are seagulls they could chase and swimming would be fun too), but they were good. I think they were ready to enjoy the day with a walk also.
And after the beach I took a little drive over to Nubble Light.

And right next door was this  Christmas tree made of old fashion lobster traps.
It was decorated with lobster buoys and these shiny fish.

It's really clever. 
And finally  a holiday page that I think is just right for this T Day.


Going to wrap this up so I can go watch Die Hard. ( Thanks Elizabeth for the reminder about this film in your recent movie post.) 

And be sure to stop by Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to see what the ladies of the T Gang are up to.
Wishing you all a Happy Hanukkah and/or a Merry Christmas. Or Kwanza if that is your holiday.
May your day be filled with joy and peace.

21 comments:

kathyinozarks said...

Hi Erika, I love Christmas baking too-especially with cutters and stamps and molds so fun. I Love your gingerbread house turned out really nice.
We are enjoying 60's all this week with 66 degrees or more on Christmas-crazy warm but I am loving it. I may just take my first walk here at the lake house. so glad you got out with the dogs, and on the beach-that's so nice.
Happy T and Merry Christmas hugs Kathy

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

What a joyous uplifting post, Erika. It was mid 50s F here today and I hung my laundry outside to dry. You had a much better day than I, so I loved the walk you and your furry family took.

Golly you got a LOT of baking done. I was impressed by the molded cookies, but the stars and bars were great looking, too.

Your gingerbread house looks wonderful. It's too cute to eat, too. I adore it and you did good on the piping, something I could never do (practically no grip in my fingers and hands).

Sorry, Erika, but I am not a messy cook. Maybe that's why I don't bake anymore. I just don't handle messes well, wherever I am. I am constantly cleaning as I go, too. Just think, if I was cooking with you at your place, I'd be following you around cleaning up YOUR messes (GRIN)!!! It was a fun photo of the diet coke, though.

Thanks for sharing your day at the beach, the lobster tree (much too big to fit at my house!) I loved, the gingerbread house, your marvelous cookies, and your diet coke with us for T this almost Tuesday.

Merry Christmas, dear, dear friend.

Valerie-Jael said...

Lovely Christmas baking, it all looks yummy! The lobster-trap trees are fantastic! Your ginger-bread house looks great, wonderful idea with the noodles on the roof, too. How lovely to get a walk on the beach, that's something I've been dreaming of for years. Merry Christmas to you and yours, hugs, Valerie

craftytrog said...

Merry Christmas Erika! The baking looks yummy, I love your gingerbread house. And that lobster trap Christmas tree is fabulous.
Alison xx

Meggymay said...

Those cookies look so inviting to have with a cuppa, you have lovely cutter sesign molds for them. Your Gingerbread house looks awesome, I like how use used pasta shells for the roof, I hope the rest of your family appreciate how long it took you to create it.
your walk on the beach sounds a good start to the holidays and how artistic were the fisherfolk making a tree with the lobster pots.
T day wishes Erika and I hope you and your family have a very Happy Christmas holiday.
Yvonne xx


Iris Flavia said...

Wow! My sweet tooth is fast asleep, but the cookies look amazing!

Aha. Now I understand why Hubby makes a mess all the time! ;-) Fun, you call that, hm.
Oh, that house is cute! Ours (from the 70´s) never was eaten. Dad brought it out each Christmas (and.. it started to smell a tad weird, too!).

Awww, the beach looks fantastic! And that Christmas-tree, thank you for sharing!
Right - I need to watch It's a Wonderful Life :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy T-Day!

Anne (cornucopia) said...

Wow, what a great assortment of Christmas cookies. They look delicious. Your ginger bread house looks lovely. I enjoyed seeing the beach photos. I should've done that here in CT for that warm day. Your holiday journal pages look great. Merry Christmas and Happy T-Day!

Let's Art Journal said...

I'm already for Christmas too! Your cookies and gingerbread house look amazing and it looks like you had lots of fun making them 😁. I enjoyed walking on the beach with you and wow, that lobster pot Christmas tree is fabulous - I love it! Such beautiful Christmas pages too 😁. Wishing you and yours a magical Christmastime and sending happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x

Eileen Bergen said...

Your Christmas cookies are beautiful, Erika. Mine always atste good, but setimes they don't look so pretty - lol. The gingerbead house is very cool. What will you do with if you don't eat it? :-(


Love the lobster trap tree - very clever. What a joyous and colorful Christmas spread.

Wishing you a very Merry Cristmas and a Happy T-day! Eileen xx

R's Rue said...

Yum. Merry Christmas.

Divers and Sundry said...

I've never made a gingerbread house, and yours looks wonderful. It'd be a shame to eat it! I'm making cakes and pies today but no cookies. Your cookies look tempting :) I've never heard of Drum Kickers.

The beach walk would be a real treat, and that lobster trap tree is an eye-catcher. Our Christmas Day high is predicted to be 66F, so everybody's feeling more like beach than snow around here lol

Happy Christmas Eve to you and yours and Happy T Tuesday!

villa said...

Merry Christmas to you, all your family and friends.
Greetings from Salamanca.

CJ Kennedy said...

Were you at Long Sands and is that Nubble Light? Both haunts from my younger days! Awesome Christmas cookies, too! Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Wishing you and your family a very Merry 🎄Christmas, Erika. Thanks for sharing your artwork and journaling this year. We are ready for Christmas with gifts wrapped and in the car for delivery to the grandchildren and others. No holiday baking here this year, but kudos to you on doing all that baking too.

Lowcarb team member said...

What lovely Christmas baking, it all looks delicious.
Love the lobster-trap trees, they are brilliant.

Merry Christmas Wishes.

All the best Jan

Mia said...

Merry Christmas, Erika!!!

Lisca said...

Your cookies look yummy and very inviting (even now after my Xmas dinner). I am also a messy cook, but I clean up afterwards and nobody is any the wiser.
It looks like a fabulous day for a walk along the beach. Look at that sky! That is really lovely.
The fisherman's Christmas tree is great. What a fun idea.
Wishing you a Happy holiday and happy (belated) T-Day.
Hugs,
Lisca

Jeanie said...

You are close enough to just drive over to Nubble Point? That's one of my all-time favorite posts! I love it to the max! And the lobster trap tree is the best!

Your walk, the baking, everything, looks just wonderful. What a lovely way to wind down the last days of advent. And I'm so glad you have found a new fave cookie to add to your list! I didn't get mine made this year, but they may be my first treat when I get my new oven!

I hope your Christmas was glorious!

The Padre said...

Best Dogs Ever - So Happy To Be Beach Bound

Cheers

The Liberty Belle said...

The gingerbread house is adorable! The cookies look yummy. Wishing you good health and happiness in the new year.

froebelsternchen said...

WONDERFUL!!!!