Christmas Presents

Since living with Martha Stewart my senior year of college, I learned of number of great cooking/sewing skills. I have decided to put those skills to good use this year and make most of my Christmas gifts.

So what have I been making? Flat Iron/Curling Iron cases and matching Cosmetic Bags.

Read: Necessities.

I am in love with the final product, especially the one for my lovely roomie.

I'm in love!

So I used the same material you would use for a hot pad to create a Flat Iron/Curling Iron case.

Flat Iron Case open.

I decided to go with a black and white polka dot fabric for L since that is totally her.

 

The Flat Iron case closed. 

Then I created a matching Cosmetic bag.

Matching Cosmetic Bag

For L's I used a black and white gingham as the lining. I usually just use the same fabric though.

I also made one for my little cousins, mom, and sister, but each with a fabric that fit their personality. I love this type of gift because they can be really personal. For L's, I added her initial to personalize it a bit more.

I think they look so great together.

I also bought some Kate Spade earrings so her gift wasn't just a homemade craft that cost under $10...

 

I put the earring box inside the Cosmetic bag when I wrapped it. Here you can see the inside lining too.

 

Here it is all together! I am so happy with how it all turned out. I think she's gonna LOVE it. I hope so at least. 

The Final product.

I used the Kate Spade tissue paper to wrap it in a box and then wrapped the whole thing in my new argyle wrapping paper.

Oh how I love the holidays!

Christmas Cookies

So this year I got really into the Christmas spirit of baking cookies. It helped that I had a friend in town who was all about cookies, or galletas (she's from Chile, in town for K's wedding) 

I discovered a recipe on how to create my own slice and bake holiday swirl. So I gave it the old college try. My phone was on it's last leg, hence the TERRIBLE pictures. BUT, the cookies were so cute I couldn't help myself. Did I mention I also made Christmas Funfetti Cookies and Sugar Cookies with Christmas Cookie cutters? Because I did. 

I started out easy. With the Funfetti Christmas cookies. It's pretty easy. Just add an egg or oil or something to a box of funfetti cake - and you get cookie dough. Its great. And yummy. 

Then I went for the basic sugar cookie. It was ok. But I have yet to find a Sugar cookie recipe that I LOVE.

Now that the not from scratch stuff was over, the REAL baking could begin. Swirl Sugar Cookies

I started by making cookie dough, dividing it in two, and dying one green. (I suppose you could do red too, but I used green.) I rolled both sections out into long rectangles. Placed one on top of the other, and put them in the fridge. Then I rolled it up like a log and poured sprinkles in a dish and rolled the dough in the sprinkles. Back in the fridge for another hour and then voila: 

Ready to slice!

Ends like this are perfect to cut off...and EAT!

You can see how nicely they turn into little circles, covered in sprinkles. 

Love the swirl, its perfection!

The log all sliced up. 

Put them on an ungreased cookie sheet...

Then pop em in the oven. 

You can see them cooking. 

 

And they come out so cute!

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The sprinkles melted slightly into the cookies for a perfectly festive look. 

And there you have it, ALL my Christmas cookies!

 I can't wait until the next holiday! MLK day? Presidents Day? Valentine's Day?