curious delivery

December 02, 2010 by cristine roy in snapshot

Clementine received a large envelope in the mail today from a certain Sister Ellen O'Connor.

Inside was another envelope marked with script writing containing a small black box and many folded multi-colored pages of prayers.

I opened the box to find three old brooches; one silver, one gold, and one iridescent and sparkly all resting upon one folded tissue.

I smiled and wondered who these were from as I do not know a Sr. Ellen O'Connor.

Curious. It is not every day one finds vintage "jewels" in their mailbox addressed to a one year old.

I had to share this story in hopes that someone might be able to tell me more.

where I've been

November 30, 2010 by cristine roy in life & love, winter

I've been nestled away in a mountain cabin; cozied up to the fire and surrounded by snow, family and friends. I am officially in the holiday spirit.

an apple crisp kind of day

November 22, 2010 by cristine roy in eat!, fall, make it bake it, sweet

This is my favorite apple crisp recipe.

It's bright citrus undertones are old fashioned and lovely like being cozy by the fire with your family on a snowy holiday.

a slice of a tree for love

November 08, 2010 by cristine roy in nest, good stuff

A few of weeks ago we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. The 'traditional' gift is wood. We are so like minded, the mister and I, that we both went to the same store to buy the SAME gift; this lovely crosscut board from Canoe. These are specially made from fallen trees in the woods of Minnesota. They are sealed which brings out the natural wood grain and makes it safe for cutting and serving food. I love it. I have it sitting on our counter with some pumpkins and a box of grass. It makes me smile every time I see it.

pumpkin ice cream served in a mini pumpkin

November 04, 2010 by cristine roy in eat!, fall

I love pumpkin ice cream (especially Double Rainbow Perfect Pumpkin. It lives up to its name.)

I thought it would be fun to serve it in a mini pumpkin.

I carved one out, rinsed it, dried it, and placed it in the freezer.

After about an hour I took it out and scooped the ice cream into this ever so appropriate bowl.

Imagine a whole tray of these! They can be assembled ahead of time and popped backed in the freezer.

halloween costume make-over

October 31, 2010 by cristine roy in crafty, fall

This year's Halloween costume decision for Clementine was an easy one; she has been wearing a witch's hat since September. Plus, I think there is something really funny about a tiny little cutie dressed up as a witch. I found a costume at store. Gasp!! A store bought costume?!?! Could I really do it? I couldn't say no.

When it was all said and done I got it for $2.50. It was worth it for me to get it and give it a "home-made costume" make-over.

I added some sequins and sparkle...

and replaced the original skirt with pieces of multi-colored tulle and a top layer of sparkly polka dot tulle.

It lights up too! I pinned a small strand of purple LED lights to the lining under the tulle and made a pocket for the small battery pack. I bustled it up so she didn't trip and you could see her sweet striped leg warmers and sparkly black shoes.

I've always loved Halloween but there is just something about being a mom and experiencing it all over again in a new way that makes it even more fun!

rice krispies treats disguised as ghosts!

October 30, 2010 by cristine roy in sweet, make it bake it, crafty, fall

My Halloween spooky sweet this year was to wrap a rice krispies treat like a ghost! They are so easy to make: just form your treat into a ball, insert a 'cookie stick', and dress them up!

Here's what to do:

First, tear about 8 inches of white wax paper from the roll. If you are making a whole batch into ghosts you will need 18 pieces.

Use the original recipe to make the treats (I tend to add a bit more butter and mini marshmallow).

Coat your hands with butter and form the mixture into a ball that measures approximately 2-2.5inches in diameter.

Insert a cookie stick (can be found at a baking/candy making supply store or Michael's has them in the baking section. A popsicle stick will also work, but cookie or lollipop sticks are white!) and press the ball firmly around it.

Place on wax paper sheet and repeat process for the rest of the batch. You will need to work quickly and constantly coat your hands with butter or it will be a sticky mess!

Wrap each treat in the wax paper, twisting tightly around base and perhaps even using scotch tape to keep sealed. Trim off excess paper.

Next, cut pieces of white fabric roughly 11 x 14 inches. I used organdy which is stiff and can hold its shape well and then topped with an equal piece of white tulle. I was really pleased with how this combo turned out but I'm sure any sort of white fabric would be just as cute.

Wrap the fabric around the treat and tie loosely with string of your choice. I used orange yarn for a little color.

Time for some googly eyes! Boo!

Wrap up all your treats. Fun!

I love that they are on sticks which makes eating them a slightly neater experience. Perfect as party favors!