Well, I finished all my Christmas gift cookie baking and now I am ready to try some yummy dessert's just for us. I think I will try my hand at making Pithivier. I was inspired by making this while shopping at Trader Joe's today. It is simply puff pastry stuffed with an almond cream. I may even try Caneles again.  They are a bit hard to make but I am up for the challenge!!

Homemade Fabric or Paper Dye

Homemade Fabric or Paper Dye

Rain and Baking.........

I am thankful for the rain today!! It is the perfect day to bake cookies for my annual giveaway. This year, I have decided on five different kinds. I thought it would be nice to make Speculaas (a crisp spicy cookie) with my mold that I bought from Brugge this year. Of course, I have never made them and I wish that I had a recipe that I knew would be great. Oh well, guess I will have to do a little trial and error baking -- but those in my house won't mind!

Bon Appetit!

I just finished watching Julie and Julia and I must say I am feeling inspired to cook. I will never forget back in 2003 my mom and I were in Santa Barbara walking around the farmers market and lo and behold whom do we see -- out looking at all the beautiful produce was Julia Child herself. She had the assistance of a personal nurse whom was pushing her in a wheel chair. We were feeling a little embarrassed to bother her, but we just could not resist the opportunity to meet her. I shook her hand and told her something which was probably nervous talk. I am feeling like I should take the next 365 days and go through her cookbook too!! Maybe I will get the book for Christmas and I can start on January 1st.

Finally feels like winter

Well it's been a few months since I last wrote. Time seems to move in warp speed sometimes. It finally feels like winter here though in California because I now have to have 3 blankets to cover my feet at night and because my tree in the front of the house has made a big mess with all its leaves. I am also glad that my website is almost done it seems it is about two years in the making. Well its taken that long to get to doing it:).

Attack of the pumpkin

  Ok, so I decided to finally cut and cook my FairyTale pumpkin. It was so heavy and huge that I thought we were going to have to get out the chainsaw(no joke). It is going to be a long night of cooking these dark orange wedges. I hope next year to actually grow my own. 

Operation Birthday Cake

  Today is day one of operation birthday cake...I sure hope it turns out they way I imagine it in my head. I think I will post a picture when I am done. Here it is..........

How to Make Jawbreakers: 8 steps - wikiHow

How to Make Jawbreakers: 8 steps - wikiHow

How to Make Rock Candy: 12 steps - wikiHow

How to Make Rock Candy: 12 steps - wikiHow

Mini teapot

IMG_3248
Originally uploaded by Heather Garwood

Tea anyone????

Priceless...

 Last night after I cut out a ton more patterns and put some handles on some mugs my nine year old daughter and I watched Narnia. We also drank some hot spiced cider and had almond cookies.

October brings fall to California, almost..

 Well the days are beginning to cool off a bit, yeah!! So I went to my favorite food store Trader Joe's and saw that they had some Gingerbread mix this week and I thought I would try it. Well, it was so good and spicy that I decided I would buy a box every time I need something from there(so I always have some on hand). Well I guess I have been to Trader Joe's 4 times now in the past week because that is how many boxes I have collected:). They will be gone before they know it. Well enough about food, I have been very busy cutting out a ton of fabric to make a bunch of stuff. I decided that cutting everything out over a few days was more efficient. I have so many ideas that I can't wait to see come together.

School Starts!

Well, it has been awhile since my last entry. I had a productive summer getting most of my crafts done. I am now starting school and life has just got even more busy! I hope to get my website up in the next few months. Stay tuned..............

Summer 2009

 I am a huge fan of Paper Source and there do-it-yourself scrapbooks. They are an incredible deal and now I can finally catch up on 7 years of pictures. Oh is it going to be a busy summer with crafting, pottery, and scrapbooking!!!!

 It's hot here today in sunny California but my creative juices are flowing........ I am looking forward to the kids being off this summer so I can turn those juices into reality. However tomorrow I hope to throw the Terra Cotta I picked up at pottery class to make some or rather copy some old French bowls I saw in a book. Maybe I will even post pictures if they turn out the way I want. Stay tuned more to come...........

Paris 2009

 The girls and I enjoyed a few days in Paris scouring the markets in search of some vintage fabric. After a few subways and some crepes we found our shop in the Vernaison, Saint-Ouen. I was able to purchase three prints. Here is a picture of one of them.