i looked out the window, and what did I see?

Jeff is so clever!

He may not look it, but he really has some pretty crafty ideas. (He is the person who picked out the wall color in the living room, kitchen, and dining room.) Last month, while cruising through World Market, he threw out the idea of giving out fancy popcorn in snappy red and white boxes instead of the traditional Christmas cookie.

I added the green ribbon, and voila! Now, that's what I call teamwork.

Today, I popped--

and I popped--

and I popped--

12 bags of microwave popcorn! (Ben helped me with that, he thought he was so special.)
I borrowed a fancy little recipe from my friend Kirstin which I can now recite from heart since I had to whip up 8 batches in a row.

With our buttery hands, Ben and I stuffed the 20 boxes and tied each one:

(where is Jeff now?!)

I loved the spunky play on:
And, as if that were not enough-- I spent my afternoon crafting homemade picture tags lined with silver glitter and mounted on gold paper. Okay-- enough is enough!
And now, I am heading to bed at 7:30. Night-night.

(not-so) Fancy Christmas Corn

3 quarts (or 12 cups) of popped popcorn

1 C sugar

1/2 C butter (one stick)

1/4 light corn syrup

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t vanilla

food coloring optional

Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, let it boil for 2 minutes until golden in color. Stir in baking soda and vanilla (and food coloring if desired). Pour over popcorn and mix. Lay out on a baking sheet to let cool. Break apart into pieces and enjoy.