Happy New Year!

Antiquing with Lon
La Shea's Antiques




This is my planned purchase for extra storage/work station for the studio.

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas this year! We have had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family. Our families will all be here through New Year's Day, so we decided to have a last-day-of-the-year antiquing trip. My sister and I went together to a new shop that just opened and we love it! It is in a charming old home and has lots of character upstairs and down. We were so happy they were open. Having family here to do these fun things with and make memories is what it's all about. My new year's resolution lists is getting longer and longer, but I know one thing for sure is to try and make the most of my time with the people I love. It's so easy to take them for granted. I hope to be better at making the people I love really know how much I cherish them. One thing I did this year was take my tea cups and gave one to each of my sisters with some of our favorite teas. Then I gave them a framed picture of the three of us and a card that said we are having a weekly "phone chat" 3-way call over tea. Even though we live in 3 different states, we can look at our picture of us together, drink our tea from the same tea cups and chat as if we were in each other's kitchens. It will be one small way to stay connected and feel like we've had a visit. I'm looking forward to it so much! We're calling it "Sisterly Necessi-tea".

Enjoy your new year! I hope it will be a wonderful one filled with lots of joy and love.

With warm wishes~
Lori

The Ellenay Bag is here!!!!!!!!!

"Serendipity"
Oh, I can't believe it! They are finally here!! My talented friend, Rebecca Smith of Sew Happy Boutique has teamed up with me to make unique designer bags for my website. I am such a bag fanatic that this is really exciting for me. She pays extra attention to detail and makes a bag that anyone would be proud to own. They will be named limited editions and be highest boutique quality. Our first series is named "Serendipity". It is made from my favorite: black and white polka dot collage with pink accents. The monogram in the middle is pink embroidery. It has clear acrylic handles, adorable silver feet on the bottom to protect your bag from dirt and germs when on floors or counters, magnetic snap closure, polka dot pocket with logo on the inside and solid black on reverse. Check back to the website often as we will be adding on more styles, colors and themes soon. We will be using Amy Butler and Michael Miller fabric in our upcoming designs.

~Fun Christmas quiz

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

>http://www.blogthings.com/whatholidayfoodareyouquiz/">WhatHoliday Food Are You?

I got this quiz from Roxie at: www.jorabeels.com. She's always finding fun stuff. Thanks, Roxie!
Try it out and then tell what food you were.

Butter Christmas Cookies & 25% OFF SALE

The shops at www.makeminepink.com are having a cookie swap. Check out the boutiques there and get tons of cookie recipes from the blogs as well as some great handmade and high quality gifts! If you comment on my blog or send me an email, I will email you a 25% off coupon good now through Christmas for my online boutique: http://www.ellenaydesigns.com/. Coupon is good for custom orders also.

Here is a recipe anyone can easily make as long as you have a cookie press. These are sooooo good and very buttery-hence the name.

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Heat oven to 375'. In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and almond extracts to butter-and-sugar mixture; beat well. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add the creamed mixture. Mix until you have a smooth dough. Put dough in cookie press. Press trigger and form cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

This is such a fun cookie recipe for the kids. Mine just love to press the trigger. They are delicious too and very easy to make. Enjoy & Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Wishes

Merry Christmas! You know how when your'e little, Christmas seems to take FOREVER to get here? Well, those days are long gone once you're grown! I find myself totally and completely running behind for the entire month of December. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. I have all these grand visions of all the wonderful things I'm going to plan. A Christmas tea party with my girlfriends, making a new wreath, watching Christmas movies, finding the perfect gift for everyone etc. Who knows if I'll actually get everything accomplished, but I'm sure gonna try. Sometimes, it's nice to just make it simple, like sitting by the fire and just enjoying the moment. Here's warm wishes from me to you that no matter what lists didn't get finished that you had time to stop and really savor the season and the reason for it in the first place.