The past few days have been a whirlwind of Christmas gatherings with friends.

I began the week with a dinner for my Longaberger

Home Show hostesses on Saturday evening. It was a nice evening that concluded with a ride through Fullerton looking at Christmas lights.

Sunday I took a ride out to visit my dear friend Jewel who is quietly slipping away due to a stroke and just plain aging. She slept the whole time I was there but at least I had a chance to see her sweet face one more time.

Tuesday evening Joe and I hosted dinner for some long time friends. We caught up on family news, events in the world and shared all of our aches and pains!

Wednesday I met with my quilting pals to sew a bit, eat a bit and celebrate a bit of Christmas gift giving.

By Thursday I felt full of food and sweets but I had one more gathering with some very dear long time friends. After they left and while I was cleaning up it occurred to me that there was a common theme to some of my gifts .... cookies and candies! I so love that my friends think I look so thin that I need goodies.

Saturday there were chocolates from Sees Candies, Tuesday we were given a jar of Reese's candies and Salted Caramel sauce, oh yum!

The cute little elf shoe on the left was filled with mint Oreo's, the box to it's right is a dozen homemade cookies, Caramel sauce and everything one needs to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies.

Flour FREE cookies! Aren't they beautiful all stacked neatly in a re-purposed box.

What you say is a re-purposed box? My very creative friend Debbie has taken retired boxes of Christmas cards lined them with parchment paper, filled it with cookies and added the recipe to the bottom! How clever is that!!

 

Here is the bottom of the box ....

And ... the front! She had it wrapped with bakers twine and a cute gift tag.

As I grow older and find myself needing fewer "things" I love the "love" that went into this handmade gift. Now, I will eat the delicious cookies and store the

creative box away until next year. I can then bake the same cookies and present them to another lucky friend!

The same will apply to my friend Penny's cookie gift. I will make the cookies & share them with my family. Store the Tupperware container and recipe away in a safe place an recreate this gift as well.

 

LOVE these recipe cards! This is for the Pantry Shelf Cookies. I am keeping this copy, hopefully I will find some cute cards by next year to copy the recipe on!

 Before I sign off for today I wanted to share with you Betty the Basket Elf's new clothing accessory. Yep, dear Rita received this cute little jar collar and thought my Betty would just love it. And yep, she does, she's accessorising her skirt! 

 

Back view including the how to find an elf tag ....

And side ways, you have to agree, she is just adorable!