the final homemade gift

This is the last one, I promise: photo notecards!

This idea came to me from one of Richard's colleagues who gave him a set of these as a welcome gift when he visited her school this fall. Initially, I had hoped to make postcards or notecards with my images professionally printed onto them. I discovered that this would require using the same few images in multiple quantities. How ever could I choose?

 

So instead, I had some of my favorite images printed at MPix in both the 3.5 x 5 and 4 x 5 size on their metallic paper and then ordered notecards from the JoAnn craft site. With a regular ol' glue stick, I adhered the photos to the cards and then pencilled in a (sometimes cheesy) title and date on each one.

 

I'll sort them into groups of five and bundle them and their envelopes with twine. I get the best feeling from this homemade gift because it signals a bit of confidence about my photography skills and allows me to give a part of me to others. I mean, these cards look really, really nice...and those are my photos. Finally.

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I am now officially on break until after the new year. Richard and Young One (both start break next week) have just left the house, and I'm off to complete task number one for this week:  organizing and weeding the bookshelf in Young One's room. Oh, what an exciting life I lead!

fleur de sel caramels so easy even i can make them ... really

Fleur de Sel Caramels

Last spring when I visited Paris with the girls, I was busy seeking out things like vanilla beans and salt while they were making other choices during our shopping frenzies: jewelry, trinkets for kids, candy, Desigual fashion, spices, and so on.

One friend in particular, who shall remain nameless, but who has since moved to an island in the Atlantic, had a good laugh at my quest for Fleur de sel de Guérande, especially since I mentioned that I wanted it as a gift for my husband. 

"You are bringing Richard salt as a gift ... from Paris?"

"Ahh, but it's not any salt, it's the best salt in the world. French salt from Brittany. It's fleur de sel."

"It's ... salt!?"

I couldn't explain.

This week I finally treated myself to a candy thermometer, et voila! salted caramels...oh, excuse me... Fleur de Sel Caramels. Easy, peasy, divine goodness, or beginner's luck.

Do you know how many times I can make this recipe for fleur de sel caramels with the amount of salt I bought in Paris? My husband LOVES caramels. French fleur de sel is a perfect gift that keeps on giving, batch after glorious batch! The man is in heaven. Ordinary salt is no substitute, trust me. And, I even have enough to add these caramels to my list of homemade gifts this year.

I have a little baggie of caramels that I intend to send to this friend in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean this holiday season because I still like her (and miss her) even though she even had a laugh with Richard about my gift weeks after we returned. One bite and the woman will get it, I'm sure. Unfortunately, I bet she won't find any fleur de sel in the Azores. Who's laughing now, girlfriend?

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Here is the recipe I used with step-by-step pictures from our friend Ina Garten.

Divine.

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If you are here looking for corner view, I'll return to it after the holiday season.

homemade christmas

I love a homemade gift. Last year I made herbal sea salt & big jars of biscotti to share with family, friends, and colleagues. The biscotti was very well received and some of Richard's colleagues are still talking about it; I should have included suggestions for ways to use the herbal sea salt as I think people were stumped.

 

The idea of homemade vanilla extract first came to me from Karen, and then after seeing it a few other places, including one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, the idea planted as a quick & easy homemade gift idea.  It was Elaine's step-by-step instructions excellent photographs and links to supplies that gave me the final inspiration. I love the blogging community for this reason! So.Much.Good.Stuff. & So.Much.Sharing.

I bought the beans in Paris last spring. Oh, la, la. They seem impossible to find where I live. The 4 ounce cobalt blue bottles are from here. The extract was actually started at the end of August and has been steeping in our cantina under the stairs.

I've just now made the labels, and, Voila! impressive little gifts from the heart for the bakers on my list.

Do you have plans for homemade gifts this Christmas?