::ANNA::

Year in Review 2009

Using my latest designs at Smilebox to review year 2009. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours and all the best for year 2010!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

NewART

Some of the NewArt Coming to the store this weekend...

MagicFlour

It can be a bit tricky this time of year if you have to be on a Gluten and/or Dairy Free diet, especially if you enjoy all those sweet baked treats that are part of the season.

Earlier this week we were gifted with a beautiful tin of cookies.  Eric and the children have been tucking into them all week leaving me decidedly left out and determined to find a yummy crunchie cookie (or *biscuit* as we call them in England) that I can eat.

I have found substitutions for most of my favorite foods except for the humble cookie, until today that is...

Enter the Cherry Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie adapted from this recipe at Elana's Pantry.  I substituted the dried cranberries for dried cherries.  I love Elana's approach to simple wholefoods.

Mine don't look as pretty as hers but they are totally yummy!

The magic ingredient?  Blanched Almond Flour.

Now eager to try more recipes with this cool new ingredient that I'm currently calling: MagicFlour

New Photobook

I love Shutterfly.

Click here to view this photo book larger

The Art of Imagination

Apparently my wreath box is now a space ship!

Sneak Peek

Coming to the store this weekend.

Magic + Miracles

I've decided not to do the December Daily again this year.  A couple of pages documenting the season for my Christmas album is enough for me.

I've spent the last couple of days working on my garland.  I've never had anywhere to put a garland before so this has been a first for me.  With a little help from one of my crafty neighbourhood friends, it's starting to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Enjoying ordinary moments:

 

And hoping for some Christmas miracles as we pray for 2 sets of twins fighting for survival this season.  I found this in the office this evening.  Ella is another sensitive little soul.

 

AlbumMagic Concluded

I enjoyed it. 

I embarked on this little adventure not really knowing what to expect and how my class would be received.

The last experience I had with teaching was over 10 years ago in Austria teaching English to children ages 10 through 18.  It did not go so well.

AlbumMagic, on the other hand, was good.  It was a lot of hard work, and pushing myself outside my comfort zone, but it was also very rewarding. 

I'll be running AlbumMagic again in 2010.

If you took the class and would like to leave some feedback on this post for others interested in taking the class, I would be very grateful.

Hello + Busy

Time flies when you're having fun!

With AlbumMagic now finished and the Christmas season upon I've been consumed by all the preparations, not to mention trying to finish up a few personal projects.  I've been busy making garlands, attending birthday parties and we even had a visit to Urgent Care this weekend.  Ella has an ear infection.

Life is super busy and I'm enjoying it!

We had an AMAZING Thanksgiving in the mountains.  so amazing that we're going to plan on doing it again next year.

Luke heading to the slopes at Copper Mountain:

Teaching Luke to ski:

He got bored very quickly and spent much of his time like this:

Ella on the other hand was coming down the mountain on her own by day 2:

Thanksgiving dinner was a very unconventional Spaghetti Bolognese and it was fabulous!

I got to ski solo in the afternoon, on Thanksgiving day.  Slow?  Yeah, right!

Luke also turned 5 years:

Good times!

Happy ThanksGiving!

[supplies + story]

I know I'm a little early

I'm heading off to the mountains for the holiday for some much need rest with my family.  It's been a busy few months, so I'm taking some time away from the computer in exchange for fresh air and fun on the ski slopes.  Really looking forward to this break.  I haven't a day off in weeks!

My mission over the next week is to get E and L skiing.  We'll be feasting on homemade spaghetti bolognaise and brownies for TG this year, but wishing you all a very Happy Turkey Day!

Gobble, Gobble.

I'll be back next week.