Christmas Preview Two.

The tree is finally up! When dad got here he and Chris went down to the Forester's house to pick up a tree. The Forester is in charge of the surrounding wooded areas and sells locally cut trees to the neighborhood each year, this is the first year we bought one from him. It's beautiful! I'll post more pictures with the actual Christmas post.


The star Chris and I bought the first Christmas we were married. Can't imagine how I've hung on to it so far.


An angel from Annalee's. Annalee Dolls originated in Meredith, NH where my family is from, the whole family has mass amounts of their dolls because my grandma worked there. She is my favorite and has her own special place on the tree.


Our stockings! Tradition is to hang them on Christmas Eve, but I say why not have a good, long look at them? :)

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What Christmas is complete without an early present? Tricia gave me this cookbook, by the goddesses of vegan baking:


Mostly I like to bake vegan for two reasons; it's cheap sans butter or eggs, and our good friends and neighbors Zak and Brenda are vegan and I certainly can't bake cookies or cakes without sharing with them! I steal Brenda's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World on a regular basis, so now the tables will turn because I know she'll steal this in return :)

Even better, I got to test run it on Christmas cookies!


Gingerbread Moose. Mooses? Meese? Hmm...


And assorted red sugar cookies. I had a grand plan for some lobster shaped cookies to go with the moose (a New England Christmas, right?) but it was really soft dough that didn't work with a cutter (yes, I have a lobster cookie cutter, thanks Meagan!!) and so I hand shaped some hearts and pulled out my grandma's old cookie press and played with it a little. There is one lobster hiding in that pile. The bee cookie is for Brenda.
I heart my sister.