Flea Market Studio

Tamales for Christmas......

 Tradition. Its finally my turn to take over. I have been making Tamales with my Family since I was a little girl. They are work. I could never get them just right. After making 200 of them with my Mom, I think I finally got it.  Some of my Family members were supposed to come and help..... Oh no, they showed up today to pick them up. Thanks Family. I did have one of my Best Girlfriend over. She has been asking for years to learn how. She helped for 3 hours. She loved it and she said they were the best Tamales she ever had. Thanks for your help Laurie! We started at 10 and we were finished at 5:30. 

Here is the process:

YOU SOAK THE HUSKS

 

YOU MARINATE AND COOK THE PORK, PREPARE THE MASA AND CHOP THE VEGETABLES

HERE IS THE ASSEMBLY LINE UP

1. 

2.

3.

4.

5.

It was fun doing something like this with just my Mom. 

Here I am with proof that I helped. I plan on being a little more ambitious next year and making a batch by myself. Merry Christmas everyone. 

        

Its finally feeling a little like Christmas....

My little Girl had the flu.. and then gave to us... Yuck. Had some much needed down time. Time to sleep, time to take in the Holiday and time decorate gifts. I feel like I am always rushing around the Holidays and not really taken it all in. Not this year. Nothing is on my plate at the moment and I love it! I love to wrap presents... but never get them to look the way I want. I spent the day just making gift toppers. Here are a few...

 

 
 

I love to give gifts...  

I finally got our  Holiday card done. Thanks to my friend Kat, I went to Costco and paid $15.00 for 50! Shutterfly has great cards but what a difference in price.  Here is the photo that made the Card... and some that are on the cutting room floor..

 
 
 

It is that crazy time of the year for the kids at school... Will miss them over the Holidays, but cannot wait for this week to be over. Hope everyone is enjoying their loved ones and taking it easy this Year..... Tamales are being made at my house on Sunday, Mexican style if anyone wants to learn how (not from me, but my family) hugs...

Joli-paquet.... and recap on Thanksgiving

This is the Kit for Joli-Paquet  ! They will be available tomorrow on my Etsy... I will also have more things added tomorrow for the Christmas Holiday. The Felt gift card holders will be a kit also..  

I cant believe I actually got some Christmas things up this year....                                                                      

Please go check the Joli-Paquet blog for other Amazing Kits!!

In other news.. We had the best Thanksgiving! Mother in law came to visit for a week. We love her... so grateful for her... and now miss her. We had 3 Thanksgiving dinners... now I am looking like the Turkey...

Here are some pictures of my Family... 

So happy to be with my favorite people in the world! They make me so happy. I grew up with my best friend and we were little girls we would talk about raising our Families together. Its so amazing to see this finally coming true. I love the way her little boy smiles when he looks at Darianne. Glad we can see them on Thanksgiving because every year they go to New York for the Holidays... and yes her husband is a Yankee fan..... and if you know me, you know I cant stand the Yankees... or the Cowboys. I have to give it to him, he did not rub the World Series in..... thank you Michael.    

I am going to try to have a stress free..... Holiday. Yes I say that every year... and then I keep adding more and more to my plate.  We will see...... Hugs