A Very Merry Unbirthday To You...

Today is the big day...MY birthday! I'm such a dork about birthdays. I love 'em. They're a big deal. They sure beat the alternative (NOT having birthdays). I drag them out for as long as I can every year. AND, my birthday is far enough away from Christmas that I don't get "lumped" presents! Yay for me!

This year, I'm celebrating (55) by giving gifts to YOU! I'm going to choose FIVE names for my Followers Only Birthday Giveaway today. All you have to do is 1) be a follower that I can see on my list, and 2) leave a comment before midnight tonight. I'll announce the winners in my Friday post!
Each of the five giveaway winners will receive a prototype of my new Brynwood Needle Keeps. These are my trial keeps. I've been working out the bugs, so these not perfect (some of you who know me are running for smelling salts right now), but I do know that these are the only ones that will have these lovely brown velvet ribbons on them. I'm changing to satin ribbons for the rest. Each has my name label front and back (I'm still debating which label to use...my name or Brynwood); two pockets on the inside, as well as wool felt for storing your needles; and inside, my Brynwood acorn charm as the finishing touch.

Watch the video, leave a comment (I'd love to know what you think of them) and I'll be back tomorrow (full of cake!!!) to announce the winners. A verrry merrry unbirthday to YOU!

Christmas Cookie Recipe...

BONUS POST TODAY:
Debbi at Etsy Cottage Style blog is hosting a Christmas Cookie Exchange and I decided to join in the fun. Once you've got my recipe, head on over to her blog and click on the links for more Christmas goodness.

In years past, I've gathered with my three sisters, their daughters, my BFF Lee and my daughters-in-law to have massive cookie-making extravaganzas. Cookies were then shared among all the participants. A few years ago, my sister, Lyn and I baked for days while she was visiting here in Florida. Holiday boxes were shipped to parts far and near to share our creations. It's always much more fun sharing the baking, rather than taking on this holiday task alone.

Here's one of our family favorites:

Jello Cookies

Cream together:

• 1 cup butter
• 3 oz. package gelatin (any flavor you like)
• 1/2 cup sugar

Add:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Add:

• 2 3/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. milk

Drop on cookie sheet by teaspoonfuls and flatten Bake at 375º - 10 minutes or until just golden. They should be soft when you eat them. They're slightly tangy and sweet!

Busy, Busy & A Heads-Up...

While I had to be away from home yesterday, I still managed to get a couple of things accomplished before I left. So, here's today's update...
I finished my embroideries for the wedding hankies, and they're now in Adele's capable hands for the creation of the crocheted lace. The monogram is the groom's initial on the left, bride's initial on the right and their new shared last initial in the center. As they're marrying in January, the bride asked for a snowflake or two, so that's where the snowflakes come in. Do you like it?
Here's the heads-up...
I'm working on these for my Followers Only Birthday Giveaway tomorrow. Any guesses? HA! I'm not telling! You'll have to wait until the giveaway to find out...but I'll tell you one teeny, tiny secret. There will be FIVE winners for this giveaway, so if you're not already publicly following my blog, you might want to sign up now. You'll need to leave a comment tomorrow - and be a follower to be eligible for the drawing. If I can't see you're following me, you won't count. This will be a one day giveaway. My birthday ends at midnight December 3rd, and so does this giveaway. I'll choose the winners with a Random Number Generator (Handsome can't stand the pressure anymore!) and I'll announce the winners on Friday, December 4th.

Gotta get back to work now, so I'll see you tomorrow!

Happy Birthday today, dear Larry. I know you're really proud of your kids and grandkids and you're watching over them. They're all honorable and loving people...and it's obvious they're from you and Eli. I love and miss you. Dee