Just As I Am

fun cookie gift bags

After baking  and decorating 120 cookies on Thursday for the shower Jenna helped host this weekend...my husband even helped :)...what a great guy, huh?   She and I made  favor bags to put them in, on Friday.
I thought I would do a tutorial on how to make these cute little bags.  We got the idea from...Martha...but tweaked them to help stabilize the cookies.  These are the cookies we made, the only difference being that this time we used a knife to ice the background of the cookies and a #3 Wilton decorating tip to decorate them; the gift bag tutorial follows:

Supplies you will need:

EDITED:  I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT YOU NEEDED BAGS WITH A DEFINED BOTTOM BUT HAVE SINCE REALIZED THAT THE CARDSTOCK ACTUALLY MAKES YOUR BAG BOTTOM.

Clear cellophane bags *
Pretty Cardstock
Colorful Ribbon

1.  Determine how tall you want your bag to be....what will look best with the size cookie you will be filling it with. 

2.  Cut the bag to that height + the width of your ribbon x's 2....so, if you want your finished bag to be 7" and your ribbon is 1/2" wide...you would cut your bag to a height of 8"...make sense?

3.  Once you have determined that, you are ready to measure for the size you will cut your cardstock.  You will cut a piece of cardstock the length of the height of your FINISHED bag + the width you want the bottom of the bag to be [ you can kind of puff the bag out to find out how wide it naturally is ] + 1/4" for little front facing you see at the bottom front of the above pictured bags.

4.  Now measure the width of your bag and cut the cardstock that wide. 

5.  In other words, you will be cutting your cardstock by the measurements you determined in steps 3 and step 4.

[Click on any of these images to enlarge]

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NOTE:  You can omit steps 10-12 if you are filling your bag with candy or light cookies.  We added it, because we found that the weight of our cookies made them lean forward too far in the bag.  By making this little "step" and placing the cookies between it and the 1/4" lip, we found that our cookies were stable.  Of course this will vary according to the size of the bottom of your bag , etc.  You'll just have to play with this....
 

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If you are pressed for time, you could always just slip a piece of cardstock in the bag as a backdrop to your treats and finish with the ribbon. But if you can find them....make the extra effort....these are easy and attractive!

I hope you have as much fun as we did!

~Debi

because God sees...

EDITED:  Just so you know....I did not write this....what you see in red are my words...Nicole Johnson is the original author!

We often shrink at the thought of being obscure....I remember years ago struggling so much with this very thing and how the Lord carried me through that season...and now, in this new season, He still does :)

You may have read this piece as it has made it's way around blog land, but for anyone who hasn't, I am posting it here...it is so worth the read:

I'm invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?"

I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.  --Nicole Johnson
 
Have a restful weedkend!

~Debi

even more...

Taking time this morning to to reflect... recount...to list... to add to... 1000 Gifts My Father has Given to Me:

151.  HIS gentle and patient  hand extended to me...as we walk out this journey together
152.  the daily sound and sight of a lone mocking bird perched in a barren tree silhouetted against a day-breaking sky reminding me that we are never more lonely than when we are trying to sing everyone else's song
153.  the gift of  the book The Valley of Vision from a friend who faithfully nourishes my soul here
154. a morning cup of hot water with fresh squeezed lemon juice
155.  my current Bible study in 1 Peter with women in my church
156.  time  spent in the kitchen baking and decorating cookies with Jenna
157. clean floors
158. the book  The Chosen by Chaim Potok
159. the slight change in the slant of the sun's light announcing autumn's arrival
160. the Lord's reminder to me this week that  true beauty in a woman is not to be looked for but to be listened for.....
161. the camera given to me for my birthday this year so I could pursue a life long dream...and, most of all, my husband who was the benefactor
162. the rhythm of the rain tapping against the awnings on my little home-sweet-home
163. a morning-full of all new mercies
164. a telephone call from my 15 year old niece...just to say, "Hi, Aunt Debi"  :)
165. the rest of my wonderful family
166. one of my favorite kitchen  tools
167. the opportunity to be a part of what God has done and is doing  here 
168. the smile of recognition that lights up my grandson's face when he sees me
169. the smell of clean clothes as steam from the iron presses out the wrinkles
170. old recipes in my grandmother's handwriting

sprouts

 

Top o' the mornin' to you....

I hope you are having a wonderful week...I had a nice day yesterday setting my Impatiens in the front planter....I can hardly wait until they grow lush and full.  Because of our drought last year, I didn't put out my annuals....and, my, how bare everything looked.  Needless to say....I am even already enjoying the little starter plants!

Because Impatiens like so much water, I always place a soaker hose in the planter...one turn of the spigot  quenches their thirst and ensures they live up to their reputation of being a showy plant.

A tip I learned long ago from a friend who owns a nursery is to never completely bury the roots of the plant but to make sure the tops are exposed a bit...and before setting the plant I always place a good shake of Osmocote in the hole I've dug.

I haven't been disappointed in these little beauties yet...

While shopping for the Impatiens I also picked up some Zinnias to put in the urn I have on my front stoop....I love their bright, fall-ish colors...they just make me happy!
Trust me, I am not a real gardener...this is about the extent of my gardening expertise...but landscaping my whole yard is on my 100 Things I Want to do Before I Die List.

hmmmmmmmmmm....may be living to a ripe old age :)

~Debi

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us--unknown

from my kitchen...

2   15 ounce cans Creamed Corn
1   15 ounce  can Whole Kernal Corn, drained
1   cup Sour Cream
2   Eggs, slightly beaten
3   teaspoons Sugar
1   box Jiffy Corn Mix, dry
1   stick Butter, softened
2  slices Mozzarella Cheese....or about a cup shredded

Mix all ingredients except Mozzarella in a bowl and pour into a 2 quart casserole or a 9 x 13 dish.  Bake 55 to 65 minutes (till center doesn't jiggle too much) in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.  Top with Mozzarella to cover during the last 10 minutes of baking.

2   [4 ounce] White Chocolate Bars or pieces
1   cup Milk Chocolate Morsels
1   cup [6 ounces] Semisweet Chocolate Morsels
1 1/2   cups chopped Pecans
1 1/2   cups broken Pretzels

Melt first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over low heat....stirring constantly.  When melted, stir in pecans and pretzels.  Drop by tablespoons onto lightly greased wax paper.  Cool until hardened.  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month..........mine have never lasted that long :)

Okay, now I'm headed over to  Overwhelmed with Joy's Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style Recipe exchange to find some new recipes to add to my holiday cuisine...see you there!

~Debi

Note:  Recipe banners made using papers by Vera Lim and brushes by Rhonna Farrer. 

speaking of seasons...

Good things are cookin' over at Overwhelmed with Joy"s Place as she is preparing to host her annual Holiday Cooking Blogger Style recipe exchange on October 5th....that's this Friday!

If you have a favorite holiday recipe that you would like to share, post it on your blog that day and then be sure to go over to add your link to the list of others joining the exchange.

Don't have a blog or a recipe to share?  Visit still, and add some new recipes to your recipe box!

I posted these recipes last year....and plan to share a couple on Friday!!  Won't you join me?