The Fair Maid of February...

This morning

we had a dusting of snow...

just a dusting.

 

I saw the Snowdrops in the garden

their heads were up,

but still closed...

 

I snipped a handful

of the almost popped blooms...

 

I brought them in,

put them in water,

and together we watched the snow fall outside...

 

with in an hour,

they popped open...

 

 

In the Language of Flowers

Snowdrops are the Symbol of Hope...

 

the first tangible

Sign that Spring will come...

 



 

Snowdrops

are also often called

The Fair Maid of February...

 



it is easy

to understand

the love of this tenacious flower...

 







within another hour

the snow was gone...

but,

my sweet Snowdrops

are sparkling...

 





 

 





 

 

 

The Snowdrop
by
Lord Alfred Tennyson

 

Many, many welcomes,
February fair-maid,
Ever as of old time,
Solitary firstling,
Coming in the cold time,
Prophet of the gay time,
Prophet of the May time,
Prophet of the roses,
Many, many welcomes,
February fair-maid!



 

 tonight I will be linking up to...

Blissful White Wednesday

Winter Blues Party

Wow us Wednesday

 

I Love it when You stop by...

January Randomness...

I thought

I would share some everyday

randomness...

 

January is such an odd month,

it feels like it moves at a snails pace...

 

when really,

Christmas has only been packed away

for less than a month...

 

it seems like forever ago...

 

 

January is simple...

 

quiet...

I take random photos...

 

just something

that catches my eye...

 

but, 

 not enough for a post...

 



or

maybe leftovers from a post that ran long....

 



there are so many cloudy dreary days here,

sometimes pictures are taken

but they just look flat...

 

except for one...

 

a lovely orphaned photo...

 



 

catching up on random posts...

 

 here are my potted Crocus

 leaning into the sun...

 

I think we have all wanted

to lean into the sun this month...

 



the blooms

only lasted two days...

 



 

but they were a glorious sight...

 

 

my lovely lady

sits quietly in the Winter Garden...

 

lost in thought...

 

the first Hellebore bloom

of the year....

 



a happy sight...

 



 

I am ready to bid farewell

to January...

 

the

Month of Love Knocks at the Door....

 

 

Show and Tell Friday

Home Sweet Home

Flaunt it Friday

Fridays Unfolded

Shabbilicious Friday

 

Wow us Wednesday

 

I Love it when You stop by...

Fancy Iced Cookies, the Easy Way... again!

 

Since the sweetest time of the year

 is coming up soon...

 

I thought I would re-share my

Fancy Cookie Tutorial...

 

it is a very old post

from my first year blogging...

 

but,

it is my most popular post

and also my most pinned on Pinterest...

 

I tweaked my photos a bit,

and added a tutorial button,

 otherwise

it's a blast from the past...

 

 

Since,

 So many of you

love sugar cookies as much as I do,

I thought I would share my

easy way to make fancy iced cookies....

 

I first saw this on Martha Stewart.

and it's so mess free

I do it at my dining room table,

leaving my tablecloth on

just using parchment paper as a work surface...

 

 

An important first step

is the cookies must be completely cooled.

I bake one day and decorate the next...

 

I am a complete klutz with an icing bag.

I dream of making lovely icing roses

but so far it's not going too well...

So this is the part I saw on Martha Stewart

you use these mini squeeze bottles by Wilton.

They sell them at all the craft stores

 in the cake decorating isle.

They make it clean and fun just like coloring :-)

I use Royal Icing

(the recipe is here)

I make it thinner than this so it flows easily from the bottle

and I mix it for 7 minutes in the kitchen-aid mixer

on a low speed.

A batch fills four bottles.

 

 

You dam the edges first,

I work in small batches

because you want the icing to set a bit before the next step...

If you want multi colored cookies,

just divide the areas with an icing line now

then your colors won't run together...

 

 

 

Then you flood them,

I drag the tip of the bottle in the icing

to help spread the icing and get air bubbles out.

 

You want to add your sugars and sprinkles

while the icing is wet so everything sticks.

If you are using sanding sugars

you can do that right away..

If you want to use heavier sprinkles

like pearls of dragees

let it set just a minute, so they don't sink too much...

 

 

Fancy, easy and fun :-)

 

I will add...

my most common question is

"where do I buy the squeeze bottles?"

they are made by Wilton,

and available in two packs

at all the major craft store in the baking isle...

or at Amazon here...

 

happy baking...

 

I will be linking up to...

Masterpiece Monday

Amaze Me Monday

 

Inspire me Tuesday

Tweak it Tuesday

A Return to Loveliness

 

Centerpiece Wednesday

Winter Blues Party

Wow us Wednesday

 

Home and Garden Thursday

 

Show and Tell Friday

Home Sweet Home

Flaunt it Friday

Fridays Unfolded

Shabbilicious Friday

 

Be Sweet...