I’m looking back on the holidays past and have found some really cool projects I’d like to revisit.  Join me on a walk down a snowy memory lane, will you?

I made this delicious Nordic Ware Gingerbread Cake and it came out of the fancy pan perfectly, once!  The next time, it ended up cubed as finger food on a three tiered cake plate.  Maybe I should try it again.  Either way, it is yummy, here is the recipe.

I made these neat diorama ( lama ding dongs!) with salt as snow, pipe cleaner trees, and some stamped images cut out and glued to toothpicks (Tim Holtz, I think).  It was fun to make these for my friends who were just starting out on their own.  It was also fun to make the tags and decorate the outside with all sorts of tinsely-ness.

I made a pine cone wreath one year that actually took me two years to finish (thanks, Martha Stewart), but it’s beautiful and still looks great 15 years later.

I have to admit, I extra love being crafty this time of year, part elf, maybe?  Definitely!  I’m even scheduling some crafty/baking time with a friend this year — ooh, one year, this friend and I made home made marshmallows.  That was a lot of fun.  Take note, gelatin (you know what gelatin is made out of, right?) gets a little ripe when you have to whip it for 17 minutes.  I’m so sorry Mr. Ed.  But the marshmallows were so light and fluffy . . .

Consider taking some time to craft this season.  Pick something easy, or something you made as a kid.  Don’t try and create a complete nativity scene out of macarons, if you’ve never turned your oven on.

Crafting can be relaxing, meditative, and even some times cathartic — go for it!  And the best part, is the giving of all your crafty magic — even if it’s not perfect, give it, your friends and family will thank you for sharing a little bit of you.