cookie recipes I want to be able to find later:

• chocolate coin cookies
• chocolate heart cookies
• chocolate wafers

Anna put up a delish looking recipe for Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs.

I found some little snowflake cookie cutters (just like these) and couldn't resist. Tonight I'm going to attempt the snowflake marshmallows from the cover of Martha Stewart Living this month. Here is a simple hot chocolate recipe.

We thought maybe we'd do some convenience christmas stuff this year - take unboxed gifts to the mall where we would purchase one last gift, then haul everything to the UPS Store and let them pack it up and ship it out. Everything done in one trip. It was all going so well until the UPS guy took our first (of four) things, said "That'll be $13.00 packing, and ... $63.47 to ship." The item inside of the box was a single stuffed animal. We looked at our other things, and quickly calculated that our total packaging and shipping costs would come to roughly 1700% more than the items themselves were worth. The UPS guy was very nice about letting us gather our things and slink out of the store. Luckily, the line at the post office early this morning was very short.

Sew Hip It Hurts points to these little felted flowers at Super Maggie, they're adorable! And look - Chocolate and Pink Scarf.

As seen at Absolutely Vile: Do you turn old paint chips into funky bracelets? Handcraft quilts out of cereal box tops? Embroider rock-n-roll icons on throw pillows? Make lamps out of old Tupperware? So your friends rave about the homemade gifts you give? If you have a special talent for creating cool swag then you could be the perfect candidate for HGTV's hip new TV show that profiles America's hottest indie-crafters and their snazzy creations! To be considered, send a videotape showing us your cool craft, tell us a little bit about your creative process, and how you got started. Send the tape (3-5 minutes) and a sample of your one-of-a-kind creation, by January 31, 2004 to: ATTN: Indie-Crafts Weller/Grossman Productions 5200 Lankershim Blvd., Suite 500 North Hollywood, CA 91601 Please be sure to include an email address and your phone number!

I'll be at the book release party for Wild With A Glue Gun -- By Christine Stickler and Kitty Harmon and designed by Jane Jeszeck, Published by North Light Books -- tonight in Seattle, here are the details: When: Tuesday, December 16th, 5 to 7:30 pm Where: M.Coy Books & Espresso, 117 Pine Street between First and Second Avenues (two blocks east of the Market) What: Wine & hors d'oeuvres will be served; books will be signed; a craft table will beckon; merriment may well ensue.

Ljc's instructions for a felt Christmas tree garland reminded me of a post on Amelie La Bonne a while back about buying felt. I cannot find the old post*, but it was those felt dot garlands you see on Fred Flare and the project over at Going Bridal. It turned out one needed stiffened (starched felt) instead of regular, and each time I find myself in the felt section of a shop I look for stiffened felt but have yet to see any. Where can I get this stuff? * Amelie, if you find "felt stiff" in your referrers, that was me. I didn't realize the double entendre-ness of it until just now. Sorry about that!