Yesterday’s blog post didn’t happen, as I had to take time out for laundry and housework. One big project still in progress is emptying out the closet in our spare bedroom. When we moved in, I stuffed every  craft, sewing, and classroom-related item in it and pushed the door shut. Now that I’ve been retired a whole month, I decided that closet was long overdue a cleaning. I’m sad to say that it is still a work in progress, as I am trying to decide what to get rid of and where to put the rest. My last big challenge is my fabric stash. I love to sew, and for years I would buy several yards of any fabric that caught my eye. Well, the chickens have come home to roost now, as they say.

Looks like I need to do some serious sewing, doesn’t it? I’m thinking about donating a lot of it so a sewing group if I can find one…

On a happier note, let’s talk Christmas baking and sharing those holiday goodies! This cute little box is one that I made after seeing Holly Jolly Christmas boxes on Angie Juda’s Chic n Scratch blog. It is just the right size to share a few treats and easy to decorate many different ways so that each of your friends feels special.

Every year around this time, I get the urge to bake and begin thinking of cute ways to share my holiday goodies with friends and family. When our November/December issue of Cook’s Illustrated arrived in the mail yesterday, I was inspired. On the Equipment Corner column, they featured the OXO Cookie Press and said that it “was the only press to make perfectly shaped cookies” of those they tested. After a quick trip to the store, I now one one of these, and I have already tried it out using the Butter Spritz cookie recipe included in the box, and I am thrilled with the results. I am happy to say that six of these cute little cookies fit easily into my little boxes.

To strengthen the bottom, I cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock and placed in the bottom along with a rectangle of wax paper to keep the cardstock from becoming oily. I like to layer wax paper between my goodies, and it is a pain to measure and cut them. I feel silly, as I could have been using my Stampin’ Trimmer all this time. It cut through six layers easily. What a time saver!

Stampin’ Up! Supplies: Season of Style DSP, Be of Good Cheer DSP (retired), Crumb Cake cardstock, Always Artichoke ink, Extra Large Decorative Label Punch, and a cute little stamp that I am unable to identify because I put it in the wrong box…

Thanks for stopping by!