Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category
Decorate a Gingerbread House Online!
I’ve noticed in my blog stats that quite a few people have come looking for a gingerbread house to decorate. How do they end up here, you ask? Well it’s all because of the “Decorate Your Own Virtual Gingerbread House” post from last December.
In light of this, I thought hey, the template is still up at Jenny B. Harris‘ Home Sweet Home, so why not make it a tradition to decorate a gingerbread house every year (so long as Jenny keeps up the cottage)?
Decorating a gingerbread house offline is highly unlikely to happen even though I’ve *always* wanted to make a gingerbread house. I even bought a kit one year, but it was during law school and by the time exams were over, so was my attention span.
Anyway, here’s the Official 2008 Bleeding Espresso Gingerbread House:
Online gingerbread house decorating — talk about a great holiday activity for kids. No clean-up necessary!
Have you ever made a real live gingerbread house?
Please share your secrets and tips!
Holiday Gift Ideas: From Soap to Books
If you’re still looking for special, unique holiday gift ideas, here are some suggestions, sold by some of my uber-talented blogging buddies:
*NATURAL HANDMADE SOAPS*
Saponissimo by Charlie of Figs and Lemons has gorgeous handmade natural soaps from the Amalfi Coast for sale at ridiculously affordable prices. You’ll find ingredients like olive oil, honey and beeswax blended with the plants, fruits, and flowers of Positano. Pictured at left is Arancia e Limone (orange and lemon) soap. Can’t you just smell that gorgeous citrus?
*JEWELRY*
Sara of Moving Right Along has some really gorgeous handmade pieces of jewelry at her Sara Arts Etsy shop. You may remember Sara from when I featured her here? One of my favorites in her collection is the one pictured at right, The Romantic Wrist, Hand-Knotted Bracelet of Peach Aventurine, Garnet, and Sterling on Silk. Too bad P doesn’t read my blog….
*JEWELRY, BAGS, AND MORE*
Diana of Adventuring through Life also runs an Etsy shop, hers with her sister, called Sorelle (sisters in Italian). They have a great collection of unique gifts from pendants to earrings to cute purses like the one here on the left, the Pretty in Pink Fairy Godmother Purse. And sales! Be sure to check out the store for discounts on earrings and pendants.
*BOOKS*
I just finished My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family and Miracles by Justin Catanoso. Yes, you’ve heard about this book before here, but now that I’ve read it, I can tell you how much I *love* this book. I could relate to so many of Justin’s experiences (not the saint in the family part though); I hope to write a fuller book review soon, but for now, just know that I highly, highly recommend it.
And staying in southern Italy, a book that I haven’t yet seen in person but can’t wait to read is In Etna’s Shadow: Culinary Adventures from Eastern Sicily by Karen Landes, who also authors South of Rome. Eastern Sicily is just a ferry ride away from me, so I’ll be interested to see how our cuisine compares and contrasts. Plus I love Italian culinary books in general, don’t you?
Anyone else out there selling their creations online this year?
Do share links in the comments!
***Be sure to check out Cherrye’s Texas Mud at My Bella Vita for this week’s La Buona Cucina Americana recipe. I promise it tastes *much* better than it sounds! And remember you can still enter to win a copy of The Feast of the Seven Fishes!
Christmas Cookie Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies
Mom always makes Peanut Butter Blossoms, peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s Kiss nestled in the center, but the recipe works just as well even if you’re without kisses of the chocolate persuasion.
Read on...Feast of the Seven Fishes: Italian-American Christmas Eve Tradition
Read more about The Feast of the Seven Fishes, the traditional Italian-American Christmas Eve meal that features seven different types of fish.
Read on...My Christmas Articles Elsewhere
When freelance writers get the Christmas spirit, you get links to Christmas articles! All by me, but hey, they’re free!
I can’t believe we’re already a week into December, although maybe I can a little as I’ve been writing about Christmas for a couple weeks now.
So just in case you’re not quite feeling the holiday spirit, or if you are and just *love* to feed that addiction, here are some of my recent holiday-themed articles:
- Christmas Presepi Markets in Naples at Italy Magazine: “The presepi, or Nativity scenes, of Naples are probably the most famous in the world, and the markets along Via San Gregorio Armeno give us the opportunity to build our own from the straw up.”
- 5 Christmas Traditions Around the World at BootsnAll Travel: “If you’re tired of the same old food, weather, and, ahem, people this holiday season, now may be the time for you to experience Christmas traditions from around the world.” Virtual trips to Australia, Italy, Austria, Brazil, and New York City are included free of charge.
- Immaculate Conception: Start of the Holiday Season in Italy at Italy Magazine: “Although in other countries, you might begin to hear Christmas carols at the end of November, in Italy, holiday celebrations begin on 8 December with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary or L’Immacolata Concezione della Beata Vergine Maria.”
So…are you in the holiday spirit yet?
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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