Final Friday ~ Winter Break Begins!

Delight in one of the most beautiful snowfalls imaginable. Paper snowflakes hovering in midair are the answer to your children's wishes for a snowy day. Kids can happily occupy themselves cutting out dozens of paper snowflakes. Then adults can step in with thread and tape, and together you can watch your family's own gentle blizzard materialize.

Kids' Instructions: How to Make Paper Snowflakes
A few quick snips with the tip of your scissors is all it takes to create a beautiful, six-pointed snowflake. Start with a square piece of paper -- if you don't know how to make one, ask a grownup to help you.

Step 1: Fold the paper in half diagonally to make a triangle.

Step 2: Now, fold the triangle in half so the pointy corners meet.

Steps 3 and 4: Fold your triangle in thirds. You may need to adjust these folds a little to get the sides to match up, so don't crease the paper until the folds are just right.

Step 5: Cut across the bottom of your paper so it is straight.

Cutting Snowflakes: Cut your folded paper so it looks like the triangle above. Then unfold it gently. Don't worry if your snowflake isn't exact: No two snowflakes are ever alike.

Today I'm expecting the students to bounce of the walls with excitement for their last day of school. In this event, I'm planning a lesson about snowflakes! The students will make cards with hand-cut snowflakes, have their turn at playing the accordion, and watch the Nutcracker! It should be a fun day, hopefully no crying, or scissor accidents ;)

Martha Stewart has a nice layout of paper snowflakes on her website, but there are literally hundreds of sites you can get templates from, or the kids can just be creative and wing it!

Stacey's Workshoppe

If only my rabbits (or Joseph) would be my little elves and bake some
cookies while I'm at dance class... I've put together the boxes and
made my cards for the girls at the elementary school. The only thing
missing is freshly baked hazelnut cinnamon crescent cookies from Bon
Appetit!

The Christmas Tree

Nietzsche and Vienn adore sleeping under and next to their beloved
Christmas tree! I came home this afternoon to find Nietzsch, Vienn,
Rupert and Joseph fast asleep enjoying their afternoon nap.


Christmas Cookies Bon Appetit


Tomorrow morning I am baking cookies for the girls (and guy) at work, Ginny, Jane, Carol, Karen, Liz, The Mary's, and Mr. Lee for all their help and support at my new school! They are the best team anyone could ask for! Ginny, my mentor teacher, has especially been amazing and almost like my "aunt away from home" here in Colorado. She reminds me so much of Kathy! I wrapped a special little necklace that she can wear and I think the kids will think it is beautiful!

But this brings me to the question of what Christmas cookie should I make?

I need something simple, but delicious that's easy to pack up. I'm looking through Bon Appetit's Cookie Workshop in order to get a few ideas.

What are you favorite holiday cookies?



Joseph and I traditionally make gingerbread cookies every Christmas Eve, and I think this Bon Appetit New England Molasses Gingerbread recipe will fit the bill. I also saw in my Martha Stewart Magazine a cute little gingerbread house that I think Joseph and I will have to recreate!

Thank you Jude for a wonderful year of MS Magazines! We've enjoyed them so much!

Speaking of Martha Stewart...
You can watch Carson Kressley attempt to make a gingerbread house with Martha on her website. Mom and I love Carson!


Before I Learned How to Walk






I learned to ice skate... from SALLY SCOTT. Shout out to Simplesong for sharing these lovely findings... always a beautiful blog to sift through.

I've heard stories of the McCoy's and Scott's on ice skating outings with Pammy, but I've never had the pleasure. I'm sure it was exciting and full of bruises! I've ice skated many times and I enjoy it! Our friend has a little pond in her backyard that she freezes for her children to play hockey and ice skate on! It's just like Little Women!


Gift tags via Etsy
Lartigue's Winter Pictures, one of my favorite books in our "Pings Library"


Holiday Sampler



This week iTunes is offering a free Holiday Music Sampler for free! Thanks iTunes! I just loaded the playlist onto Tino, my iPhone, so I can listen to The First Noel and other jingles during my commute!

Click HERE to get your festive playlist for your Christmas Eve full of games, stringing popcorn, making cookies, and opening presents by the fireside!

Speaking of sampler... For those of you in the Nati this winter, you might want to sample a few Christian Moerlein winter brews! It's local! Help Cincy micro brews survive this winter by throwing back a Christkindl!

Chestnuts Roasting

Cracking the Nut

Opening hot chestnuts!

Christ is Born

Well, this isn't Christ, but Rascal as Jesus!
Tonight Joseph and I celebrated the holiday season by roasting
chestnuts (not over an open fire unfortunately), but in the oven! Just
as good! The house smells good and the nut were lightly dusted with
cinnamon sugar. Thanks Joseph for the festive snack! I also kicked off
the holiday season by watching Rick Steve's European Christmas and
Home Alone. Next on the Xmas movie list is Love Actually! What are
some of your favorite Xmas movies?

Der weihnachtsbaum!

Pings christmas tree decorated and far from the forest.

Can't wait to play Carcassonne, drink hot chocolate, and listen to
Dolly and Kenny!

England

The month of December the kids have a special fun project, passports!
These passports are more like scrapbooks of what the students have
learned on their "trips" around the world. This is Jacapo's passport
page of London. So cute!

Wicked Smart; Harvard vs. Yale

Hollister Hovey restores faith in me that tradition still lives! Since I can't experience this brilliant rivalry for myself, I can live vicariously through her! These are directly from her site. You can read her post about the big game here. Embrace the prep, people.
















Trail of Crumbs








Dear Universe,

One of my dreams in life is to visit NYC, actually step foot outside the airport, see a show at the MET, like this charming Hansel & Gretel, and see Angel Corella perform with the American Ballet Theatre (and get an autograph). Can you please arrange this for me? I would be very grateful.

Fondly,
Stace

P.S. I'd also like to see Nine and have lunch with Daniel Day-Lewis. I find him very attractive. Thank you.