Getting Ready for Christmas in Mars.
Where else can you find a 40 foot Christmas tree
ready for lights and balls and tinsel and a star…
next to a spaceship and across from Mars Bank
in town square?
There’s no place like home
in Mars, PA…
where celebrating Christmas
is “out of this world!”
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
For the beauty of the earth… For the Glory of the Skies
A Hymn of Grateful Praise.
For the beauty of the earth…
For the glory of the skies.For the beauty of each hour…
Of the day and of the night.For the joy of human love…
A hymn of grateful praise.
Sometimes there are just no better words
than those of classic hymns.
On this Thanksgiving Day,
I am grateful for all of this and more.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Sugar Free, No Calorie Candy Canes.
How stinkin’ cute are these old-fashioned, rustic, sugar-free, no-calorie, cheerful, colorful candy canes – all packaged up to make them even more adorable?!
We’ll have these at our booth today at the Mars Holiday Craft Show!
My DIL, Colleen, made them (and I’m secretly hoping there are some left over so I can buy them to decorate my tree!)
We’ll have these and lots of fun rustic pallet signs and decor as well as some of my holiday original and print watercolor art framed or not, holiday cards, and copies of Klaus the Mouse!
Yep! That’s where you will find us today if you are anywhere near Mars, PA! We’ll be smiling and celebrating with 260 other vendors spread out between the high school and the middle school with shuttle bus service between.
Hope to see you there – in person or in spirit.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
S’More Cookie Bars.
What S’more fun than S’mores?!
And what s’more perfect with hot cocoa or coffee than s’mores.
And what s’more delicious than campfire s’mores?
S’more cookie bars any time of year!
I love these adorable little cookie treats I learned from my daughter-in-law, Colleen, who first served them at a holiday cookie exchange she hosted a couple years ago.
They are simple. They are fun. They are beautiful. And best of all, they are SCRUMPTIOUS!
The teeny tiny miniature dehydrated marshmallows totally make them! I purchased them locally at Make a Cake, a local, charming little cake and candy decorating shop, but they are also available online if you can’t find them near you.
Here is how to make them.
Ingredients:
Directions:
After breaking all graham crackers and chocolate bars into rectangles, place one chocolate rectangle between two graham cracker rectangles forming a sandwich.
Melt Merckens milk chocolate one pound at a time in microwave. Heat for 1 minute on high. Stir well. Heat 20-30 more seconds. Stir well until smooth.
Dip each graham cracker and chocolate bar sandwich into chocolate – coating 1/2 – 2/3 of cookie. Let excess drip, and place on sheet of wax paper to cool and harden. Dip 4-6, place on wax paper, and sprinkle with marshmallows. Working in groups allows the marshmallows to stick to the melted chocolate before it cools to harden. Continue until all are coated and sprinkled with marshmallows. Allow to cool and harden.
They are ready within 20-30 minutes to enjoy or store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
P.S. If you are local, I made these to share at the Berry Vine Gifts Christmas in the Woods Open House, which starts today, Friday, November 17th (10-6). It also runs through the weekend, Saturday, November 18th (10-6) and Sunday, November 19th (12-4). Come munch on one with a cup of cocoa while you browse the beautiful holiday handmade crafts, antique furniture, and gifts in this one-of-a-kind shoppe (including my art and Colleen’s rustic pallet signs!)
Mixed Media Holiday Poinsettia – 12×12
Mixing it Up with Mixed Media.
Feeling a little crazy…
Feeling a little creative…
Feeling a little loose…
I painted a bright, bold, red poinsettia
on some newsprint,
and then I went crazy.
I glued,
and I taped,
and I splashed,
and I sprinkled.
I tore,
and I tied,
and I buttoned,
and I pearled.
And when I was done…
I framed,
and I smiled,
and I sighed in contentment.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Red Poinsettia Loose Watercolor 11×14 140lb cold press
Have you ever heard the old Mexican legend about how poinsettias became the flower of Christmas? It’s a sweet little story that has several versions, but basically goes like this:
There was once a poor Mexican girl named Pepita, who had no present to give the the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a a small bouquet. When Pepita knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene, the bouquet of weeds suddenly burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the ‘Flores de Noche Buena’, or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’.
The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought to be a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.
Do you decorate with poinsettias for the holidays?
I always have a few around in December. They add such festive color. I also love to grow some potted paperwhite narcissus for their beauty, but most of all their amazing fragrance.
This watercolor painting is my loose rendition of the Christmas poinsettia.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Snowy Winter Barn Watercolor – 11×14 140lb cold press
Snowy Winter Barn.
Another in my little series of winter watercolors
is an old red barn
sitting stately and proud
amidst winter’s pure white palate.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Snowy Red Ford Truck with Christmas Wreath on Front Watercolor 11×14
Red Truck Christmas.
I can think of a few peeps who would love a new red truck for Christmas (one is the guy I’ve been living with for the past 35 years!).
But he already has one, and it was the model for my latest Christmas watercolor painting.
When I painted my previous classic red truck carrying a Christmas tree, my red truck man informed me since it was a Chevy, I needed to paint a Ford too.
So here it is.
It was fun to paint it this past Sunday afternoon en plein air. Sunny and 77 degrees F outside in late October painting Christmas snow! Gotta love it!
This painting makes great prints and cute cards for Ford truck lovers.
They will be available in our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy Shop, at Berry Vine Gifts, and at the Mars Fall Craft Show on November 18th.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Winter Wonderland Christmas Tree Watercolor 10×13
A Winter Wonderland Christmas Tree.
Because every week needs
a little sprinkle of Christmas.
I am having so much fun creating some holiday art.
You see, our little McKinneyX2Designs business is participating in the
Mars Holiday Craft Show that is only one month away!
It is one of the biggest holiday craft shows in the area
with hundreds of crafters and artisans selling their
handmade items in both the Mars Middle School and Mars High School
with a shuttle bus that transports shoppers between both venues.
We will be at the Mars High School on Saturday, November 18th
from 10-4 with Colleen’s beautiful rustic pallet signs and decor
and some of my watercolor art.
If you can’t make it to this fun event, you can always visit our ETSY shop
or stop by Berry Vine Gifts in Bradfordwoods, PA.
Wherever you find us,
we will be sprinkling a little bit of Christmas!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Classic Red Truck with Christmas Tree Watercolor – 11×14 – 140lb Fabriano Artistico
Classic Red Truck with Christmas Tree.
Is anybody else starting to think about Christmas?
When my boys were young, I loved getting ready for the Christmas holiday. I would often start playing Christmas music in October… much to Hubby’s dismay.
We prepared letters to Santa, and I shopped and put carts full of toys on “lay-away” months ahead of winter.
My best friend and I went to craft shows and stores and bought santas and snowmen and other holiday decorations, as well as things to make decorations – often while pushing strollers and carrying diaper bags.
I would prepare for “Sammy” the elf to make his arrival at our house and plan out his adventures each night when the boys went to bed to surprise them in the morning.
I created homemade Christmas cards for the boys to color (and later they drew them) to send to friends and family.
I stocked up on sugar and flour and baking supplies when they were on sale and collected festive tins to make hundreds of cookies and dozens of sweet breads and nut rolls to share with friends and neighbors.
As the boys got older, the excitement of Christmas dimmed a bit. We still enjoyed it, but the excitement leading up to it was not the same as when they were young and the magic existed.
But now….. I’m a grandma! And that just makes me absolutely giddy for Christmas again!
And since my daughter-in-law, Colleen, and I have created our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy shop and have started also selling our art at a local gift shop, Berry Vine Gifts, it is so fun to get excited about preparing for Christmas again. And it seems there are others like me out there, because holiday cards and paintings have already sold!
So I’m having fun creating Christmas and holiday art… like this classic red truck with a Christmas tree. Doesn’t it just make you so nostalgic about Christmas?
So even though we are still experiencing 80 degree Autumn days, I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. It’s so fun to dream!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 