This is part II of “Items that I should have just bought on Etsy but thought they were outrageously expensive until we spent literally double on the supplies plus a full month of occasional labor waiting for a miniature snowy owl to arrive from Arizona lost in the great USPS holiday shipping zoo of 2020, spray painting, snow flocking, gluing, sealing, and drying a wreath.”
In the spirit of transparency (and justification), the end result of our wreath is 6” larger than the one that inspired me on Etsy, and we added an owl and the small stack of tree stumps that were not on the Etsy wreath. These alone add a lot of dimension, visual interest, and elevate it to a more unique winter landscape look. Also, the snow on the inspiration wreath was just implied with a blanket of white glittery fabric draped around the bottom and sides of the wreath, whereas we chose to go the flocked snow route for a little more realistic look. I also like that this was yet another project that we built together during this pandemic era. It’s been neat to have the bandwidth to fill out our home with projects we’ve designed and built together that are one-of-a-kind and uniquely “us.” I’m also pleased to have a seasonal wreath I can keep up December-March that isn’t Christmas or holiday specific, as most winter wreaths tend to fall in the overtly Christmasy category and look a little misplaced after December 25th (I say this as every single one of our interior Christmas decorations is still up on January 28th and won’t be going anywhere until this weekend).
With the near constant blustery wind, snowfall, and bitter temperatures we’ve been having for the past week or so, this winterscape wreath has been timely and adds a welcome dash of winter warmth to our porch.
Back in September I learned about hot chocolate bombs – a spherical chocolate shell filled with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows that break open when a cup of steaming milk is poured over them, elevating your standard mug of powdered hot cocoa to a rich and decadent melted chocolate beverage that’s delightful to watch bloom as the contents within are slowly released.
In early December, I thought these might be a fun gift for family and friends during the holidays, but after researching them at local bake-shops and on Etsy, I decided paying $5+ per hot chocolate bomb in addition to whatever shipping charges existed on either end was outrageous for a single cup of cocoa.
So, like any “determined” (read: crafty and stubborn) person I, instead, spent over $50 on supplies like silicone molds and high quality baking chocolate (along with 2 labor-intensive hours with Ted’s assistance finely shaving, tempering, painting, and sealing our own) to remind myself exactly why hot chocolate bombs cost $5 each and why we pay skilled and patient people a fair and reasonable price for their handmade work at local bake shops and on Etsy. I’ve learned this lesson before, by the way…and often. But I like doing things myself and this is a lesson I will continue to learn anew every couple of months, for better or for worse.
We made these this past Saturday, as the snow gently cascaded down all day (much like today – except today is more like sharp little ice pellets disguised as snow slapping against the house with the mighty force of 20 mph sustained gusts), and they turned out to be a fun winter snow day project. They look and taste great, and it’ll be nice to have the supplies to make them again whenever I want in the future without having to order them specially or risk damage in shipment (these dudes are delicate!), but this was definitely a team effort that worked best with four quick hands and a laser thermometer. The reward is excellent though, and on yet another blustery, bitter, snowy, and windy day in upstate New York, they are a delight to have around.
My friend Bethany recommended I plunk one in coffee, which I did (Door County Coffee & Tea Co.’s candy cane coffee – highly recommended!) and it was wonderful! I also imagine adding a swig of Kahlua or Bailey’s Irish Cream (traditional or salted caramel) to a hot chocolate made with one of these bombs would be excellent, and I intend to do that this very night.
I stuck with a classic hot chocolate bomb filled simply with powdered hot chocolate mix and lots of tiny dehydrated marshmallows for this first batch, but I’m looking forward to shaking things up in the future with soft peppermint melting sticks, Andes mints, peppermint oil, caramel, fleur de sel, maybe a little cayenne, etc. By the time the silicone molds arrived from the great holiday shipping debacle of 2020, it was mid-January, so not as many friends or family members have delighted in these yet as originally hoped, but I’m slowly doling them out to neighbors and friends as I see them (masked and from a distance, obviously). Once I sharpen my cocoa bomb skills more smoothly and efficiently, these babies will make great little treats for next holiday season!
For anyone who might be interested in trying these out as well, I followed these instructions. The 2.5″ spherical silicone molds I found on Amazon (I bought a 4 pack, but 8 would have been the most ideal number of molds to have on hand for this project so you can make more bombs in one shot since you already have the chocolate finely chopped, melted, and tempered), the dehydrated marshmallows were from Nuts.com (you get more than you could ever use for $5.99) and I also ordered a case of 12 Baker’s Premium Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate Bars from Amazon, which was cheaper than buying at the grocery store. You can use any kind of thermometer, but we found a laser thermometer was great since you test temperature often and with a touch-less thermometer we didn’t need to keep cleaning off a stick thermometer after each test.
The world these days is a weary place. If you’re intent on approaching life with a sense of curiosity and wonder, and finding the good things to breathe in and appreciate, they’re almost always there, and they’re usually simple, abundant, and don’t cost too much either: nature, wildlife, weather, scenic views, stories, games, jokes, books, movies, companionship, conversations, warm beverages, a hot meal, pleasant aromas, a bonfire, pets to snuggle, cozy blankets, comfy pajamas, pictures and memories, a short walk, etc.
But then there’s (especially lately) political and social unrest, a country divided, countless people suffering unspeakable injustice and poverty, a new strain of a virus even more contagious than what we’ve previously known and been experiencing for almost a year now, and a hundred other devastating, terrifying, and extremely valid concerns that I don’t have the time, mental or emotional energy, or frankly desire to tackle here. As much as one can choose to focus on the good, reality is…well, real…and you can’t always push it to the side and pretend it isn’t happening. The best we can do is aim for perspective and a healthy balance of the two.
And maybe that’s why I leaned so heavily into Halloween this year – a holiday that always brings me so much simple and uncomplicated joy. And maybe that’s why – on the eve of an Inauguration that I am eagerly and excitedly awaiting for the hope and opportunity it brings, but am also very much dreading for the inexcusable unrest and violence that it is sure to accompany it; on the eve of yet again wondering if our double-layered and filter included face masks are actually adequately protective or if I should try ordering something more akin to medical-grade masks, or switch to ordering groceries online for curbside pickup, or just continue bi-weekly grocery runs as quickly as possible and with as much distance as possible as we patiently await vaccines we won’t likely get for another 6+ months at least – I find myself revisiting photos of simple, happy, uncomplicated moments from this past year (like Halloween)…as a way of preparing, as a way of coping, as a way of remembering what is good in the world instead of fixating on what is looming…on what that may or may not be okay, but only time will tell.
So, while it’s on my mind, providing some distraction and some comfort – a silly reminder of the good life outside of what concerns us – I thought I’d share our 2020 Halloween, perhaps as a welcome break for you as well. A Halloween I wasn’t even sure we’d be able to safely pull off, but with a little creativity and a real desire to make it happen, did. A Halloween that allowed me to live for a night as my favorite weirdo Disney princess – a slinky animal whose world is wholly concerned with sneakily acquiring eggs and unbridled curiosity, and NOT coronavirus or politics. A Halloween that felt more nostalgic and childlike, and full of spooky wonder and joyful connection with our neighbors than any other Halloween in recent years. Today this memory gives me a much needed reprieve from “the real world.” And that is worthy of breathing in and appreciating.
Let’s start with the costume! Ever since moving to a upstate New York from a childhood spent growing up in Texas, where I never had to worry the potential for snow, extreme cold, wind, or even rain on Halloween night, I now keep to a very specific set of criteria for all of my Halloween costumes: homemade (not store-bought), warm and comfortable (usually this means constructed from sweats), weather-resistant (wind, rain, snow, etc. without having to cover up my great costume with a boring coat), built from clothing capable of being incorporated back into my normal wardrobe post-Halloween (so I’m only purchasing base-layer items that I like and will actually wear again), and unique or original ideas that are truly “me.” The past several years, for example, I have been a lobster, a jellyfish (complete with light-up umbrella!), a cactus, and a hissing booth (hissing – as in cat – a play on the old fashioned 5 cent kissing booth). This year, I finally brought to fruition my brainchild of 7 months of anticipation and planning – Joanna the Goanna from the 1990 Disney classic, “The Rescuers Down Under.” If you need a quick refresher of her greatest hits, you can check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_i9n1_NpnY
Although the nails were beyond amazing for bringing together the iconic Joanna look, they were also atrocious to function in, but it was well worth it because this costume was clearly perfection, met all of my Halloween-in-cold-climate-for-adults requirements, and brought me and every child of the 80s/90s that I know pure, unadulterated nostalgia, laughter, and delight. I was warm and cozy all night, and the whole thing just weird and wicked enough to satisfy my theatrical side.
Now, the food. Themed food is clearly very important to Halloween enthusiasts. I had a hundred excellent ideas all lined up and just waiting to be executed, but I ultimately decided to save most of them for another year when a contagious virus isn’t ravaging the world and the treats and eats can be shared more freely with family and friends (next year, friends!). But I did bake and decorate over 100 cookies from scratch, along with a sweet & salty Halloween popcorn-candy concoction, monster donuts with glow-in-the-dark fangs, special trick-or-treat baggies for a few super special kids of friends who I knew would be stopping by to trick-or-treat, and – obviously – the necessary and quintessential Halloween night menu of stuffed crust pizza, cheesy garlic bread, and hot mulled cider with plenty of strong bourbon to keep the chill away for multiple hours outside in the dark.
The setup: It was really important to us to provide a safe and healthy way for families to trick-or-treat, have some fun in an otherwise strange and difficult year, and to keep ourselves safe too. To that end, we obviously wore our face masks, had hand sanitizer at convenient disposal, and kept our distance. We set up a physical barrier around our section of the driveway where we were hanging out for the night so distance measures were fully enforced. For candy giving, we strung over 100 bags of candy (and toy bags for kiddos with food allergies) to yard twine with clothes pins so kids could have a no-contact method of trick-or-treating by choosing their own bag to pick off the line. All of that was fun and worked really well! For entertainment we had a small fire pit in the driveway with a roaring fire to keep us warm and toasty all night long, set up lot of fun stage and house lighting to enhance the mood and atmosphere, and we pulled out our projector, projector screen, and sound system and played classic Halloween episodes of Garfield, Charlie Brown, and Scooby Doo on the garage from sunset until about 9:30pm so families could stand or sit at the end of the driveway and watch some Halloween movies for a little break from trick-or-treating.
Our neighbors really seemed to enjoy both the entertainment and the safe setup, and we really enjoyed one shining, perfect night (a Saturday night, full moon, and with daylight savings the next day – what an absolute Halloween trifecta!) that felt like a totally “normal” holiday during a year where everything was decidedly far from normal.
I hope you, too, have had moments of delight this year in your own way and fond memories to look back on when the world seems like too much.
Turns out, one of the silver linings of quarantine is that Ted and I were both finally home regularly enough (read: always) at the same time that we were actually able to accomplish a number of projects we’d had in mind for quite a while, but never seemed to have enough time or energy at home or together to do. I honestly doubt, if not for this odd and unexpected period of time in our lives, that we would have ever been able to complete these dream projects at all, much less all in the span of several months. There are a lot of difficult and frightening things about this pandemic, but it’s also important to acknowledge the silver linings where they exist, and the greatest gift of 2020, for us, has simply been the opportunity to live a little more intentionally and relaxed at the same time…to stay active, get our hands dirty, work together, and – ultimately – have time to do things we’d normally just not be able to prioritize like daily morning walks or runs, noticing the intricacies and small details as the seasons change and the habits of the local wildlife in our neighborhood grow and shift along with it, frequently trying out unique or involved recipes, soaking up nature with regular hikes, bikes, and time outdoors exploring the beauty of New York state, an actual return to reading books just for fun, puzzles and games, and of course a number of DIY home and building projects.
Here’s just a few of the builds that we designed and tackled between March and October:
We turned an small area of essentially wasted space in our kitchen into……a dual-purpose built-in seating nook and liquor storage bench that matches the island and pantry that we added to the house after we bought itThe interior has space for liquor and bar supplies, as well as cookbooks, and the back center cubby is extra deep to accommodate tall, skinny bottles. The lid can also be opened as shown, or opened from a smaller lid-door in the top back of the unit to make reaching the bottles in the back cubby super quick and convenient An industrial inspired blanket ladder made of wood and steel pipeHere she is in actionA farmhouse inspired entry bench for our front hallway so there’s somewhere to sit while taking shoes on or off
A rolling work table for the shop so we can have extra working surface space whenever (and wherever) we need it, but it securely stores on the wall for when we need more open space or less items on the shop floor during larger builds. The video shows how it worksWe added a deck! Ted designed the shape, style, and structure of the whole thing and drew up all the build plans, but we opted to hire out the actual construction since building it ourselves would have taken an enormous amount of time. We are so incredibly pleased with how it turned out. It really elevates the space from a house to a home and we loved spending hours upon hours outside in the fall. We also added the firewood rack on the left and purchased and the assembled the pub-style table and chairs on the patio. This is our favorite addition!The front of the house also got some love by replacing the temporary concrete slabs with a permanent stamped concrete walkway in a wood-grain pattern, a wrap-around railing with drink rail that matches the deck, and two stools from the same collection as the pub table and chairs in the backTwo sets of custom designed and built cornhole boards – one set for a neighbor (the pink and silver bulldog set) and one set for us (the green and copper Wisconsin and Texas set)With the new deck and cornhole boards, we spent a ton of time outdoors this fallTaller, wider, nicer, and generally more functional steps from the garage into the houseA Christmas bow wreath from my mother-in-law’s collection of vintage gift wrap bows in fantastic colors and patterns you just can’t find anymore
We’re finishing up a fun winter wreath for our front door right now, and we have a few more projects in the garage, shop, and basement we’d like to get to sometime within the next year, perhaps (and if we can manage with a vaccine rolling out and work starting to pick back up), as well as a larger landscaping re-design to fix a handful of things that need attention and build in a couple of features. But for now, we’re really pleased with how these projects turned out and being able to make the time for them in an otherwise strange and unsettling year was a great takeaway from 2020.
It’s been a minute (or four years), but look who’s back from the depths of a busy life! To be clear, the pandemic and resulting period of quarantine for the past 10 months has not resulted in our lives being any less busy than before (somewhat surprisingly), but it has added opportunity for reflection and clarity, and shifted into focus what’s truly valuable and most worthy of our time and energy. And staying connected with family and friends in a deeper and more regular way is one of those things that’s been a defining aspect of staying mentally and emotionally healthy during 2020. And, so, I thought it would be a good time to revive this old blog. Not particularly for the purposes of capturing followers, attracting widespread attention, or becoming a blogger again like in days gone by, but just for the simple pleasure of staying connected with those we care about who seem to, mutually, care what we’re up to – both the exciting and the mundane. And there’s plenty of both.
It would take months of dedicated writing to catch up on the past four years: Life in the UAE, Italy, Canada, family reunions on both sides, family vacations, our own personal various vacations across the US (Arizona, New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.), multiple home opener Packer games, buying a house, packing and moving, job changes, loss of beloved family members both human and furry, gaining new friends, so many hobbies (bowling league, book club, archery league, my She-Food fish & dish group, weekly animal shelter volunteering – obviously all pre-pandemic), a ton of DIY building and house projects, exciting and memorable artistic pursuits….and a million more things. One thing is for sure – we have a very full life stuffed with plenty of adventure and love that we are immensely grateful for. I may try to recap some of the highlights of the past few years, or maybe just the highlights of this past year. Or maybe I’ll just pick up with the here and now. I haven’t decided quite yet. But this is my quick hello to say welcome back and more later!
