Gypsy and Cooking!

Christmas is almost here! And I have been busy prepairing for all the holiday fun! Still need a full view of the tree at night with the lights on but here is a little peak at it!

Monday I spent the night at Collection doing hair feathers and ended up doing some pretty cool ones! A bunch of feather braids which are always my favorite! Afterwards I was joined by some great girlfriends for some drinks!

Tuesday me and Nate had a really fun day! The Ottawa Citizen is doing an article on our friends over at Gypsy & Co. and me and Nate were lucky enough to be asked to model their vintage clothes for the article! Can't wait to see it when it comes out! Afterwards we did the last of our holiday shopping, picked up some stocking stuffers and wrapping paper! Finally we went and picked up groceries for all the Christmas baking and got to work!

I made raspberry cheesecake truffles and nanaimo bars to add to the baking I have already done for my Christmas gift tins. Everyones getting fat this year on me! The truffles are a must try so here's the recipe for all my little foodie friends!

Raspberry Cheesecake TrufflesYields about 22 Truffles

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened slightly
14 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp raspberry ( I couldn't find and so I just added more jam)
6-8 drops red food coloring


1 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (you can also use bark)
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable shortening


2 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor (for topping)


Directions:
In a mixing bowl, using a fork, mix together cream cheese, 14 ground graham cracker sheets, raspberry jam, and powdered sugar. Stir into well combine. Mix in 1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, raspberry extract and food coloring. Blend well. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to form mixture into balls.
Remove mixture from freezer and scoop mixture out by tablespoons and form into balls. Place on a wax or parchment covered baking dish or plate. Cover truffle balls with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to dip in chocolate.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in microwave on 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth (if using white chocolate I would do shorter intervals as white chocolate is more temperamental).
Remove truffles from freezer, using a toothpick or fork, dip truffle balls into melted chocolate. Return chocolate covered truffle to wax paper and sprinkle with ground graham cracker before chocolate hardens. Repeat process with remaining truffle balls. Place truffles in refrigerator and allow chocolate to harden. Store truffles in refrigerator in an airtight container.

2 more days of work left till the Holidays and I can't wait! Magical seafood dinner coming our way on Christmas eve and then off to my parents house in the country for a nice relaxing Christmas and I can't wait! Hope everyone is gearing up for an amazing holiday season!

Back Woods Adventures and Makeovers!

Hey guys! So my parents moved back from the west coast last week! I spent the weekend at their new house helping my mom unpack and decorate for Christmas. They have amazing high ceilings and we managed to get an 11 foot tree that still looked small compared to the room! After decorating it with lots of new ornaments we looked through all our old ones from when I was younger. It was a pretty fun little trip down memory lane. I managed to sneak a few classics onto the new tree but shhhhhh don't tell!

It was too Big to  get it all in one shot lol!

 Dolly came out and spent the weekend with us too, she liked snacking on the pine needles and burrowing in my mothers couch! This was pretty much her position all weekend..

I managed to get started on some holiday baking too! Tried out those candy cane bark oreos I posted a while ago! Learned that melting white chocolate is not half as easy as dark chocolate lol. But in the end it turned out well!

Sunday we went out to North Gower to a tree farm to cut down the very frist Christmas tree me and Nate have ever had! We spent our first few Christmas's together at other peoples houses so we never really did much for it at our place. Needless to say I was suupppper  excited to get and decorate our first tree! Started collecting ornaments last last winter lol. We picked out the perfect tree and cut it down with a saw all by ourselves lol. It looks perfect now all decorated in our place!

No picture of it all set up yet but one coming soon I promise!

After all the tree cutting fun I went over to one of my moms best friends house to give her a makeover! Her daughter (who I grew up with) is getting married next month and she needed a hot mother of the bride look! I  did her hair and make-up trials for the wedding and she looked AMAZING! I feel so luck to get to be a part of making her look great for such a big day in their familys lives! We have Christmas eve dinner with them every year fore as far back as I can remember. I have a feeling this year will be an extra emotional one. We're all cry babies lol. To end off here is a picture of me and Nate from last Christmas eve at their house! Can't wait to add one from this year.

Weekend Round-Up

Went to a bridal shower for a dear family friend.  I grew up next door too her and then our parents bought houses on the same street together! We have been friends with since birth pretty much. Her family are such greeat people and I feel so lucky to have them around. It is so nice to still be able to be a part of the special moments in there lives! Can't wait for the wedding next month!

 Then I got in a little xmas shopping with my mom and sister! It is so nice to have my parents back out east. I missed them so much and it will be nice for us all to be settled so close to each other!

We put off Christmas tree cutting till next Sunday and I can barely wait! I'll be spending next weekend out at my parents new house helping unpack and bset up their new place. Should be a fun little girls weekend with my mom, just what I need it's been too long!

Been getting really excited top take full advantage of Ottawa winter this year. Googled some pictures of the canal yesterday that got me all amped up!

Also  came across this really cool poster for the 1895 Ottawa winter carnival!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Retail Therapy!

Every girl loves to shop! I am no  exception to this rule lol so here are some of my most recent purchases!

What kind pieces have you guys been drawn to this winter?