"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Monday, December 12, 2011

Buttons and baking

We do it every year. Since I was a young girl, a couple weeks before Christmas, we would gather together at my grandmother's house, roll up our sleeves, don our aprons, and spend the day baking dozens of cookies. This year, under the tiny roof of my grandmother's cozy home, the sweet cookie aroma spread like a balmy breeze made of memories and family tradition.

Peanut butter blossoms, chocolate crinkles, chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, raspberry thumbprint cookies, chocolate and peanut butter buckeyes (if you ever lived in Ohio, you know what those are), and of course, Christmas sugar cookies are among the players in memory making.


And then there were buttons. Lots and lots of buttons. I love buttons. And thanks to Soule Mama's post on her favorite elving gifts, we were quite busy with buttons. Can't say too much more, there are spoilers here for friends and family :).


Speaking of buttons, guess what a lovely friend of mine did for me? She made me buttons of my own, blog buttons to be exact. I have always wanted one but didn't have a clue on how to make them. And through her generous spirit, voila!! Thank you Monica, I love them :).

WWDbuttons, Boots1








WWDcanoe, Canoe






WWDclouds, Clouds button




These will permanently go on the Buttons page up top. After Mon made these, I discovered Photobucket and even made one on my own. If you want to make one, they make it super easy. Or, you'll just have to be lucky enough to have a good friend that can :).

Joining Amanda for weekending, and don't forget her baby shower happening today over at Tracey's place!!

And also linking with Bella at 52 Photos Project

much love
xoxo

26 comments:

  1. I have not even begun to bake, your cookies are inspiring me to maybe, maybe crack open the cookbook. I think I'll wait for the kids to come home and help.

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  2. What happy baking and making! What beautiful buttons, of all kinds!

    The extra-new, all yours buttons, your special blog buttons, are just lovely, MJ. I love the boots one. Because I can imagine you at the end (or the beginning?) of those feet! And I love the one of the kids in the canoe. Because your kids are so utterly delightful and adventurous and life embracing. And I love the one of the road, because your future is laying itself down before you, beckoning.

    This post makes me happy, MJ. Happy to think of all the joy and creativity and sweetness ribboning about your home. So many ribbons; so much colour! :)

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  3. Thanks for stopping by MJ :)!
    I love baking day and have ours scheduled for next week...Yum! Trying to pare it down a little this year, but the guys keep adding to my list.
    Oh, and very cute buttons!

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  4. What beautiful photographs to capture a beautiful tradition!

    And hooray for buttons! :)

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  5. it's pouring rain here today - maybe time to have a cookie baking day like yours! those thumbprint cookies look so yummy!

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  6. oh i so love your cookie making tradition. so many varieties too. i would grow very large around your family t=at this time. lol

    and wow, that's a lot of buttons!

    yay, the bloggy buttons are out. i can add yours now. :)

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  7. Oh yes, I love Christmas baking and I get out my grandmother's recipes every year too and Dylan and I bake far too many biscuits ;-) I've never heard of snickerdoodles, but your pictures look great. Hope you have a great week, Love from London xo

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  8. oh what an assortment of cookies!!! i've baked a bit here and there but haven't done any christmas cookies...might need to fix that soon!

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  9. Mmmm, all that baking - delicious! I've gone baking crazy here...gave a bunch away yesterday and I still have tonnes.
    Love ALL those buttons!

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  10. We're baking cookies this coming weekend. :) But, I couldn't wait for the chocolate crinkles so those were made Saturday after we got our tree.

    I love buttons!!! I have a few mason jars filled with them, and another one starting a new collection.

    Monica is too sweet! Love the new blog buttons!

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  11. That looks like so much fun; I miss my kids being little this time of year. Baking cookies and doing crafts by yourself just doesn't have the same appeal. ;)

    Monica was a dear to make your buttons - they look great!

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  12. Cookies, family, baking, buttons (of each variety)...lovely!

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  13. Mouth watering! What a delicious tradition.

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  14. i love the shared baking session, it's so much more fun to do it together. i think i'll wait till my kids get here too.
    your blog buttons are cute, i am not sure though, what are they for?

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  15. i `ll put your button on my blog... as soon as blogger let me do it!!!

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  16. Oh, I love that you're still baking cookies with your grandmother. Such precious memories are made when multiple generations get together. It makes me ache to see my own grandmother :)

    Monica did an amazing job on the buttons, too! I chose the last - just beautiful!

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  17. Love your buttons, cookies and weekend; just love hearing about your sweet traditions. Merry Christmas!
    xoxo

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  18. awww. looks so fun. can't wait for us to get to cookie making sometime in the next few days.
    love the buttons and the buttons!!!!
    XO
    C

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  19. Lucky you! To have several generations together celebrating a time honored tradition. Few things in this world are better than that.
    Grabbing your button write now!
    Cheers,
    Leah

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  20. P.S.
    I just rummaging through your old post because I remembered you wrote about a writing prompt book that your son really enjoyed. I finally found it! I now have 2 copies (for both my big girls) of Rip the Page. Thanks for the suggest.
    Leah

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  21. Yay- I love your new buttons! I haven't entered into that arena yet - making my own or adding others to my blog - but soon.

    My mom had a rolling sheet exactly like the one in your photo that we used every year to make cookies! Such good memories.

    xo
    cortnie

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  22. I've been having a love affair with buttons for creative work for years now- can't wait to see how you guys used yours!

    I wish we had a baking cookie tradition! Mostly my tradition is waiting to see my parents during the holidays so I can eat theirs. They go all out.

    love the blog buttons. added yours to my site.
    : )

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  23. hallo MJ! now your button , the one with the boots is featuring on my blog.
    have a lovely day my friend : )

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  24. Oh yum - those cookies look so good. I can't wait to make some with my mom next week. Glad that you are continuing a wonderful tradition. Love the buttons, will add one to my blog soon :). Hope you are able to see some meteors! xo

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  25. Those cookies look delicious! : )

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw