Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the time with your family!

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Merry Christmas!

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A couple of weeks ago we had out pictures taken by the awesome Mary Kate McKenna of MK McKenna Photography. I have been following her for years (since I first moved to Maryland!) and have been really wanting more pictures of us since our wedding was almost three years ago (!). Sadly, our budget did not allow for it.

BUT. In October she did a special through Plum District (similar to other coupon sites like Groupon). The stars all aligned and we were able to sign up for one of MK's mini sessions.. and it includes Christmas cards!!

She was awesome and let us include the children in our photo session and then took some of just the two of us. We went to a park in Frederick that had a really cool covered bridge.

My favorite- the cover of our card this year!

Up to no good.

A little traumatized from the 40 minute car ride and then being outside.

 

Thank you Mary Kate for doing such an awesome deal on Plum District! Hopefully we will keep seeing you in the years to come!

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Cookie Boxes 2010

This is the third year that I have made cookie plates/boxes for family and friends. I started doing because all of the people that we had to buy gifts for was getting overwhelming. We have been buying presents only for immediate family and then I give cookies to extended family, neighbors and we each bring a set to our offices.

This year I ended up doing about 20 boxes of cookies between neighbors, family, friends and work. I even mailed 3 boxes to family this year!

Chocolate covered rice krispie treat pops.

Cherry shortbread stockings dipped in chocolate.

My own creation - cherry "surprises"
(sugar cookie dough wrapped around a cherry that is stuffed with a chocolate chip).

Pecan sandies with fudge.

Sugar cookies with royal icing.

Burnt sugar almonds.

Zucchini bread with garden zucchini that I froze over the summer.

 I packed all of the cookies in boxes that I got from Nashville wraps. They were on clearance and cheaper than anything else I could find- perfect!

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Christmas in Photos

(Christmas card holder.)

(We have a bunch of family.)

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Merry Christmas!

Our 2010 Christmas Cards, thanks to Shutterfly's awesome blogger deal this year!

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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

..that's right y'all! It's Christmas card time!!

I've started my yearly research to decide
a) do I want to design and make my own cards or
b) do I want to buy them (and where?)

In either case the cards will be photo cards since, you know, I like pictures. I designed our cards last year, but dudes I just don't feel like it this year.

My go-to for photo-related things (like when I had wedding pictures printed) is Shutterfly. You know how pumped I was when I realized that they have Christmas cards already designed? Very. All I have to do is dump my picture(s) in them! (Okay and maybe change the last name - the Williamsons look very nice, but it just doesn't fit us.)

I am partial to this one. Does the color scheme look familiar? Yeah.. that whole wedding thing.

Anywho-sers. I'm headed back to browsing the Christmas cards. And deciding what picture(s) to use this year. I kind of covered the wedding and house last year. I don't suppose anyone would like a Christmas card with the new bathroom photos on them? No? Okay.. I'll keep looking.


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If any of my friendsies out there have a blog too, you can get 50 FREE holiday photo cards from Shutterfly!! Go here to sign up!

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Christmas Treat Trays

This was our second year making Christmas Treat trays. Last year I took pictures of them for you all, but I never got them posted amidst all of the wedding goings ons. I'll show you the pictures this year instead :)

I got these gold chargers at the grocery store for a couple of bucks each. They made a nice background for the goodies, plus they are re-usable.

The trays included:
Oreo truffles
Cake balls
Chocolate covered Oreos
Cherry and chocolate sugar cookies
Rice krispy treats
Peanut butter cup cookies
Chocolate covered pretzels,
and in the red box, white trash.


This year we did trays again for family, our offices and some neighbors.

The trays this year included:
Oreo truffles
Mocha truffles
Almost a Candy Bar
Chocolate peanut butter fudge
Dipped Cherry cookies
Chocolate dipped pretzels
Sugar cookies decorated with royal icing

The kitchen in the process of assembling. The kitchen looked like this for pretty much a week.

For my immediate co-workers, I gave them some truffles in a cute little truffle box,

and a little loaf of some delicious salami and asiago beer bread.

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