DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This comes to us from www.craftaholicsanonymous.com .  These would look great in a grouping witha little holidays snow on them and some red or green velvet ties. Enjoy!    One of my fabulous readers, Jodi, sent me a link to a project inspired by Country Living’s Pine Cone Door Hanging. And needless to say, I fell in love with the concept. So here’s my twist on a CL classic. {This was a last minute addition to Tutorial Week.}    Ok, back to tutorial mode. Where was I? Oh, this would be a great project for the kiddos to help out with: they could round up the pine cones and help hot glue (with assistance!) the ribbon on. This should take you all of 5 minutes to do or so. Supplies needed: 7 Pine Cones, cleaned off (you can do more if you want) Ribbon, cut into seven 18″ strips and one 6″ strip (I used 5/8″ ribbon) Frame (mine is an 11″x14″) Scissors Hot Glue Gun Take each pine cone and put a dot of glue on the top. And press ribbon in place. Leave about

   The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. However, the actual origins are uncertain. There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring. In Scandinavia during Winter, lighted candles were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.    By the Middle Ages, the Christians adapted this tradition and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. After all, Christ is “the Light that came into the world” to dispel the darkness of sin and to radiate the truth and love of God (cf. John 3:19-21). By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.    The symbolism of the Advent wreath is beautiful. The wreath is

   This comes from marthastewart.com .  Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts and one that I love to make on any occasion.  The pumpkin just adds a little richness and spiciness.      Two popular favorites -- pumpkin pie and cheesecake -- are rolled into one delightful dessert. This is a good make-ahead dessert, as cheesecake keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.    To prevent the top from cracking, be careful not to overmix the batter, and do not open the oven door while the cake is baking or cooling inside the oven.           Prep Time 30 minutes Total Time 8 hours Yield Serves 12 Ingredients For the Crust 1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (from 10 whole crackers) 1/4 cup sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the Filling 4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, very soft

   On November 25th-26th,  2011, it's that  time again.  For the winter season opening in Engadin Samnaun, Santa's arrive   from all over the world to crown the best in their industry on " ClauWau" .  Difficult tasks require skill, knowledge , creativity and humor of the contestants to the utmost in order to earn the title " World Champion of Santa Clauses " .    The Santa Clauses and Christmas stand for a time of contemplation and charity.  In this sense, the ClauWau is opened with a charity event to benefit "Jeder Rappen zählt" (Swiss aid organization) . With a classy show program which also includes the presentation of the ClauWau team s, the first discipline of the competitions .  You can enjoy one of the  biggest events in the ClauWau tent on Friday night November 25th .  T he World Cup teams also participate at the fundraiser . Part of the prize money is donated back