Inspirations by D

Christmas Tree Farm & Our Tree

Hello friends! Before continuing, I want to warn you, this post is filled with lots of green. We were out and about searching for our perfect tree after Thanksgiving. Our faux tree fell apart last year, so we needed a new one for this year.

Do you remember our first real tree three years ago? Well, we drove back to that tree farm to find a similar tree, not so much for it's appearance, but for it's memorable fragrance. I know, I'm weird, but the house smelled amazing that Christmas Season, and so we were on a mission to find one just like it.

Thankfully, this year they didn't paint any of the trees, it was pleasant to see the trees in their natural state, and we searched. They did not have any of the Blue Cypress Pine that we wanted. The Blue Cypress they had were still too premature and the trees they did have do not hold ornaments well. After searching almost the entire farm, we decided to look somewhere else. It was fun as we hunted for our perfect tree. We looked high and low and it was getting dark.

Finally we dropped by our local hardware store; and that is where we found our tree. Mr. M was not impressed, but we managed to find one we liked and it is filled with fragrance. Unfortunately, my new garland was not long enough, and I was not able to use it for this tree, I knew I should have purchased two from LMM. While placing the ornaments on the tree, my son told me to add more. I originally planned for silver, white and gold...

But I finished with all the colors I had in the box. I have not decorated with lots of colors before, nor with so many ornaments, so this was different for me and I'm still getting used to it. So there you have it, our Christmas tree. I am using last years handmade ornaments for a different purpose this year, which I'll post later on. I have not made much effort this year in decorating my home, my focus has been on preparing my heart to receive Him this Christmas, so Christmas home decor is a process right now. Thank you for visiting today!

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The Dedicated House
Dwellings
Craft-O-Maniac
I Should be Mopping the Floor
DIY ShowOff

Pumpkin "White Chocolate Chip" Muffins

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving? I hope that you enjoy your gathering. We'll probably go to a friend's house and share in their Thanksgiving festivities. I usually make Thanksgiving dinner for my little family and I did get what I needed just in case. I've been feeling under the weather this week, so I hope that I'm better by then.

I noticed that my Pumpkin Muffins were a hit at home and on cyberspace as well. The only person that was not feeling it was Mr. M. He is not a big fan of pumpkin flavor and those muffins are rich in pumpkin flavor, (I know!) Well what can you do, but make a special kind of a muffin overflowing with the sweetness of white chocolate. You guys, it is amazing and so addictive. Mr. M LOVES it! We couldn't stop eating them with soft melted butter on them and a side of coffee. I was lucky to have a couple to photograph for you.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it's easy to make. It is slightly different from the previous recipe, so I'll share it with you here. By the way, I have also included a recipe card on my Facebook page, so drop by to get yours. Great for Thanksgiving morning!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add wet mixture ans stir in white chocolate chips.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serves 12

Oh the goodness!
If you are not a big fan of rich pumpkin flavor in a muffin, then this is the muffin for you! I know that you will like it. For my gluten free readers; I could not find a "white chocolate chip" pumpkin muffin recipe, but instead a gluten free sweet chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe for you. Hope that you enjoy.
Happy Thanksgiving!

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I Should be Mopping the Floor

What is Craftsy You Ask?

What is Craftsy?
Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a pattern marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a project section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Free Classes at Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.

Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class
Before filming even begins, hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.

Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five Craftsy studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting.

What is the Craftsy experience?
Free Classes at Craftsy are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right.

Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee.

Try online learning today with a free mini-class from Craftsy! Choose from 23 Free Classes at Craftsy ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more.

I enrolled in the Professional Family Portraits Class and the first session alone was so helpful, I can't wait to watch the other sessions. That class is free, so you should take advantage of the opportunity now if you haven't yet.