So far it is everything I hoped it would be. I have even been using it in Manual mode… there are just so many good photography tutorials out there. Do you know of any good ones you’d like to share?

Anyway as the title of my post suggests, I have been hybrid scrapping this week.

First from Wm[squared] I used her Christmas Wishes collection to make this card:

Next, I used Kate Hadfield’s Nativity to make Alton a darling Christmas t-shirt

and I also made myself a new stocking. It’s not hybrid or anything, but I love how it came out!

I used the leftover fabric that I had from making my camera strap cover. I am deeply smitten with this tiffany blue fabric! I used an awesome tutorial found here.

and two actual layouts!

Uses Wyld Web Designs A Very Merry Holiday Bundle by Wyld Web Designs

and this photoless layout uses I used the Kate Hadfield doodle pack, Night Before Christmas, Sahlin Studio Paper Pack painted: fresh snow papers, Valorie Wibbens Elements from Brrrrr Elements and  Rachel Young Papers from Christmas Waltz Papers

This is a photo I took once people had already started to eat it. My bad.

This is a pretty one from the Allrecipes site, I love how it looks!

You don’t have a trifle bowl? No problem, make individual trifles in assorted cocktail glasses.

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Ingredients

• 1 (14.5 ounce) package gingerbread cake mix
• 3 cups eggnog
• 1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped (optional)
• 2 tablespoons gingersnap cookie crumbs (optional)

Footnotes

• You can use already made whipped cream, but I prefer to flavor my whipped cream myself. You can substitute bourbon for the vanilla extract in the whipped cream if you like.
• If you use low fat eggnog for the pudding, your pudding will be loose.
• The pudding is my favorite part. I am not opposed to doubling the pudding portion.

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Mama, the Over Achiever

Alton the lover of the sprinkles

Daddy who came late the party, but still wanted to play

Travis ended up using one of the reject sad little spread cookies that were left over. He wanted “a really really big one!”

We ended up having 10 kids over to decorate and it was a lot fun! We initally had everything set up on our patio outside, but then it started to rain. Rain and sugar sprinkles do not mix it turns out, so into the tiny living room we crammed.

I think it’s pretty funny that in this picture, half of the boys aren’t even decorating cookies, but in fact joyfully consuming them instead. That’s my girlfriend Kathryn’s daughter, Mia eating red frosting directly from the can.

This one was my very favorite… I couldn’t bear to eat it, so I ended up giving it to a friend instead. I don’t know how I did it, but all of the little stars ended up looking like little flowers. So pretty!

I don’t think I will be making Santa sugar cookies though. I think I am going to make him these:

Walnut Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Ingredients
1 cup of butter (room temperature)
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp Vanilla

2 cups of Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups chocolate chips (your choice of milk or semi-sweet)
1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts (I used 1/2 a cup, but I think they should be nuttier)

Preheat your oven to 375

Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla

Sift your dry ingredients and add gradually to the butter mixture.

Stir in the nuts and chips.

Bake for 8-10 minutes for about a tablespoon of dough. I use a #40 ice cream scooper to scoop my dough and if you go that big, you will need to bake them for 12 1/2-13 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before you transfer them to the cooling rack.

Adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes

If you just don’t have time to make these yourself, they are available in my store.

Despite being armed with the knowledge of my short coming, I inevitably and annually cave to societal pressure, and attempt to make sugar cookies from scratch so that I can decorate them with my mini-sous chef. In fact, emboldened by our somewhat successful making of Gingerbread cookie cut outs with assistance from the fine people at Pillsbury last weekend, I decided to decorate Sugar cookies this weekend, and invited 10 of Alton’s closest friends and their mothers to come over and join us.

This is what happened when I tried to cheat the Kitchen Gods of the holiday season and used the Pillsbury Sugar cookie dough:

Dude. They spread like the waist line of a woman who’s discovered Christmas Crack and Salted Caramel Brownies!

The mittens are almost unrecognizable and don’t even get me started on the trees! They all stuck to the cookie sheets and they look nothing like the ones on the Pillsbury sugar cookie package. Luckily there are a number of boys coming over to decorate cookies in the morning, and let’s be honest. The boys don’t really care what the cookies look like per se; they just want a vehicle to shovel frosting and sprinkles into their mouths faster than their mamas can notice.

Anyway, I have some “Not supposed to spread and your cut outs will keep their shape” sugar cookie dough that I made from scratch now chilling in the fridge. I will report back on how it does.

Enough about me, I have shop news.

Introducing, Eggnog Pound Cake

Bread Pudding
You hold in your hands a dessert casserole. It’s been made from scratch without any preservatives or chemicals. It’s made with just bread cubes, almond milk, eggs, sugar, brown sugar and real vanilla. Yep. That’s it, nothing funky or unpronounceable, just home baked goodness.
To reheat: Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Don’t microwave. Bad, chewy things happen in the microwave.
To reheat the sauce: warm it in a sauce pan (not the microwave!) and pour over the casserole when it’s done.

Tuscan Stratta, Sausage, Potato, Cheese and Egg Casserole, and Bacon and Potato Frittata
To bake: Bake, uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Place aluminum foil over the top if they are browning too quickly.

How do you like the new blog decorations? We have our outside lights up, and an undecorated and unlit Christmas tree in our living room, so I decided it was time to spruce up the blog a bit.

I have recently added some new goodies to the shop so I thought I would bring them to your attention.

First up, my mom and Arlis’s Christmas favorite, FUDGE!

Today’s focus, Mothering and kiddos.

First one of my favorite girly kits, Love That Girl

There is of course a collection to go with this:

This collection had some awesome paper stacking templates too!

and of course the other little bits that make a bundle great.

There is of course a corresponding boy version, Love That Boy

This set had some of my favorite worn papers… I am in LOVE with the top one on the left

My CT member Kim made some DARLING printables that coordinate with both of these collections.

Both blank and with a message, while made for Valentine’s Day, you could totally use these for notes in your kids’ lunch boxes too.

I always love a good basic alpha… and this one is one of my favorites

I have a couple of bedtime kits, and since Alton is currently trying to drop his nap, (dear goodness!!!) these seem appropriate to me right now.

My ode to my mother, and her ABSOLUTE obsession with the color purple

and finally, the kit that was my first release at ScrapMatters, Quentin and Emma

I have scrapped with this kit and collection a ton. I love it so much in fact, that I have made LOTS of extras to go with it.

I recently made some scatters to go with the collection

Cheryl, Gone With the Wind of Fiddle Dee Dee, made these gorgeous quick page albums

and Kim also made an awesome set of Baby’s First Year Calendar toppers!

I hope you enjoy the last day of my store, thank you for choosing my creations to scrap your precious memories with.

Today only Save $5 off of your order $25 or more before shipping with coupon code CyberMondayFiver. http://grahamlikethecracker.net/products-page/

You could use it towards any of these yummies!

First up we have the Footloose and Fancy collection. The first installment of ScrapMatter’s Mix-a-kit offerings.

Then my tongue in cheek ode to motherhood, SwaggerWagon vs. The SUV

and the spring kit that I made in honor of my niece Elayna…

Wendy retired all of her collabs when she changed stores, so this is your last opportunity to snag this kit.

We made a collection too!

and my last spring inspired offering, a St. Patrick’s mini that coordinates with the whole Rainbows and Butterflies collection, Erin Go Bragh!

Don’t forget to check your newsletter for even further savings!