before we return to normal mode

here's one last post about Christmas/birthday before i set my mode to regular programming (heehee - and that includes laundry, housecleaning, cooking, scrapping, and a lot more).

during the holidays (even when i was still a student), it is my self-imposed obligation to try and get everyone a present. be it a serving bowl for mom, a shirt for dad, stationeries for sissy and caps for bros and {being the crafty little me} i usually embellish my gifts to seem like they are worth more {whispering: 'but not really'}. this year, was not an exemption. i still tried to get everyone something and (still did that crafty thing to make them seem worth more that how much i got them). heehee.

well. i really don't always mind not getting that {double} number of presents (for Christmas and for my birthday of course), but this year, i was overwhelmed with my Christmas/birthday presents. because each has something that i love in it from the people whom i love. {doesn't that just sound mushy? heehee} . wanted to share a piece of my happiness last {Birthday}Christmas.


and it was this holidays that i was able to take a very wonderful shot of the 3 of us. {it is a first time - to have a decent Christmas picture that is}. TFL! and one last time, A Wonderful New Year to everyone.

super loaded tree

got to finish {almost} all gift-shopping yesterday. just need to buy one more. sometimes it's just so difficult to think of what to give someone who almost always get what that person wants. hmmm.

anyway, am so excited for jp. have his gift still kept in a cabinet. will wrap it on the 24th {just to be sure he wont peek}. he's been conning us to tell him what it is. he just have to learn the virtue patience. :-) hihihi.

hope you all have a happy holidays {merry christmas to all}

a {very} wonderful birthday-Christmas present

i am a {very} happy Babe :-D

best peanut butter cookies i have ever made. plus PW best chocolate sheet cake. ever.

i love - cookies. peanut butter. chocolate chips. my favorite? keebler's soft batch cookies. that's how soft i love my cookies.

smittenkitchen has a recipe for {the only} peanut butter cookies she makes. tried them today. made half a batch for me and JP (soft) and half a batch for ruben (crunchy). photo from smittenkitchen

if you want to see how to make this cookie. hop on to smittenkitchen. you may be enticed to try it and like me, be persuaded to have this recipe as the only peanut butter cookie recipe you will ever follow. :-D

got to try pioneerwoman's chocolate sheet cake too. my boys just love it. :-)

***

on another note, is everyone done with their Christmas shopping? not me. and i don't know what fate awaits me when i go to the mall to complete all gifts. a tree with no gifts under it

oh, well. i brought this to myself. now suffer! {hihihi}

i really hope you have completed your holiday shopping. really. it's for your own good. :-D

this pix was from yuletide '07

in a few more weeks, it'll be the most awaited time of the year {for young ones and the young once alike}. this time is really meant for our children and our parents (grandparents). we look forward to this time to make our children happy. to make their wishes come true (or at least some of them). and for our parents and grandparents, it is the time that they'll see us make our children happy.

{between the 2 of us, it's my favorite time of the year too} i just love shopping and wrapping gifts, preparing the decors and the Christmas menu and all the shenanigans we all do at Christmas time.

gift giving has always been a very important part of this season. it is also our way of sharing our blessings to those important to us. it is the time when we have {more } spare money to give to charities.

but i am worried this year. with the recession news all around. US economy affecting the world as well. big companies going bankrupt that no one can ever be secure with their jobs.

my wish is that we'll still be able to make a lot of people happy this Christmas.

Christmas is just around the corner...

...and what better way to brighten your loved ones holiday but with a greeting card.

i used 2 colors of cardstock (red and green), red rhinestones, a Christmas stamp, ancient pages ink (green), a ribbon and some flowers (posies, white and red). i also inked the edges with red colorbox ink. {oops! i used ranger ink glossy accents on some part of the stamped image - thanks Christine ;-) }

still thinking on what sentiments/message i will include in the inside of this card (hmmm, i'll probably print out a quote). and since i find this card simple to put together, i might (just might) reproduce it to be attached to the holiday goodies we usually give out to our families and friends every year. (am so excited, not just to make the cards - about Christmas too!) :-D

thanks for looking. :)