Reviews (1)

A disappointment
I purchased this book anticipating the same variety of projects the previous 15 books in the series offer. I was disappionted. Most of the projects in this book use beads, ribbon, and candles.There are no cross stitch projects, no papercrafts such as scherenschnitte or paper twist, no child friendly crafts section. I understand that there are trends in crafting, but the appeal of the previous books in the series was the spectrum of projects, and decorating motifs.The decorating ideas in this book are mainly elegant, fancy, victorian.Using similar ideas in different color schemes.None of which I would consider child friendly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    6. Seasonal   

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas decorations    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Crafts & Hobbies    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    7. Seasonal   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    4. Holiday - General    5. Christmas books    6. Cooking / General    7. General cookery   

Reviews (1)

Give handmade offerings from your kitchen.
This book is another clever and appealing-to-the-eye book from the people at Leisure Arts.What better way to share a bit of yourself at the holiday time than to create something special from your kitchen to give to a special neighbor, co-worker, or friend.The gifts range from interesting canned goods such as Peppermint Marmalade to prebaked items such as Noel Cakes With Orange Sauce.I especially enjoyed making and giving mixes that the recipient can make themselves, such as the Christmas Cookie Crate.This includes a giant canister of the cookie starter with all the fixins' to make Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Granola Cookies.What will appeal to the reader is not only the wide assortment of delectable recipes, but the ideas for packaging the treats!On the page for Black Bean Soup, the packaging is a small soup pot and ladle, with a plaid scarf tied around the pot.Just the thing to take the edge off winter!Or the box of Christmas Light Cookies inside a box resembling a Christmas light box!These ideas are all extremely easy, though will impress the recipients with the time you spent putting something special together just for them.Enjoy this book, there's enough for many years of "good taste" in it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    5. Seasonal   

Editorial Review

Don't worry--this isn't a book about Santa displays in October; it is,however, a compilation of commonsense tips, great craft ideas, and lovely make- ahead food items, all designed to help you enjoy the holiday season rather thandread it. There are indeed 365 items and activities in the book, starting withyear-round collecting hints, followed bysections on gifts, cards, wraps, andinvitations, home decoration (including easy ornaments for the tree), holidayentertaining, and finally some thoughts on holiday traditions--new and old. Thisall-in-one sourcebook will guide you to New Year's in one piece. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Keeper!
I bought this book about 10 years ago, when I was first setting up my own house for Christmas. I read it cover-to-cover as soon as I got it, and have referred to it periodically since then. Many of the ideas aren't my style, but even those get me thinking, and there are plenty of other ideas to use/adapt.
Great Book!
If you actually counted every idea this book suggests, you'd come up with loads more than 365, not to mention all the ideas of your own it inspires you to come up with!Entertaining, gift suggestions, wrappings, decorating, addresses for mail-order companies, recipes & lots more, all in one book.This is the book I've been wanting for years ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas cookery    3. Christmas decorations    4. Cooking    5. Crafts / Hobbies    6. Folk & Outsider Art    7. Folk Art    8. General    9. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    10. Holiday - General   

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Entertaining    5. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    6. Holiday - General    7. Cooking / Holiday   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Folk & Outsider Art    4. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    5. Holiday - General    6. Seasonal   

Subjects:  1. Baking - Confectionery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - Cakes    5. Fruitcake    6. Gastronomy    7. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    8. Methods - Baking    9. Cookery by ingredient    10. Cooking / Baking    11. Other prose: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (2)

A LARGE TRIBUTE TO TEXAS
Whether deep in the heart of, along the coast, or on the plains there are traditions observed only in Texas.This well documented and superbly photographed collection of customs, recipes, history, and songs is a yuletide tribute to the Lone Star State.

Christmas at its Texas Best!!
I'll admit that this book touches my heart since it includes photos of Santas created by my Mom and me!!The pictures of the San Angelo Christmas at Old Fort Concho are wonderful along with the pictorials of Texas at its happiest.The recipes that I have tried live up to their press which is a pleasant surprise in this day of cookbooks!If you are from Texas, you need this book!!If you aren't from Texas, you'll love this book and wish you could celebrate right along with us!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    4. Reference - General    5. Regional & Ethnic - American - Southwestern States    6. Social life and customs    7. Texas    8. Travel   

Reviews (2)

Filled with things to do and make
Just 24 Days Till Christmas is a combination recipe, story, and activities book filled with things to do and make for each of the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas. MyLinda Butterworth has created a kind of 212-page advent calendar that parents can use to create Christmas traditions with their children, individuals can share seasonal comraderies with friends, and teachers can draw upon for classroom activities. From Cinnamon Crunch Nuts and German Chocolate Pie, the recipes are nutritious and delicious. From holiday banner decorations to Christmas ornaments for birds, the crafts-based activities are totally entertaining. The stories are inspiring and engaging. Just 24 Days Till Christmas is a welcome addition to any family, school or community library Christmas celebration ideas and references collection.

24 days of fun and food!
A wealth of information and holiday excitement!This delightful book isstuffed full of wonderful ideas and delicious easy to prepare recipes.Itis a must have for all teachers and mothers of young children.I LOVED IT!Carol Elaine Powell, author of Along the Way ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    4. Seasonal   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. General    4. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    5. Seasonal    6. Christmas books    7. Cooking / General   

Reviews (2)

Contemporary Tales Put Modern Spin on Christmas
Not everyone comes from a two-parent home in the suburbs with a cozy fireplace and a tree laden with sentimental ornaments. The editors of this volume did an outstanding job of selecting tales of Christmases you won't see gracing a Hallmark card, but still have lots of seasonal joy and wisdom to impart.
Another In A Great Series Of Literary Collections
Lilly Golden and Larry Dark have put together a remarkable series of collections over the years.All of them are "Literary" collections of short stories.Then again, it's probably more accurate to describe them as "Literary" collections of *contemporary* short stories.Each year, we're faced with numerous warm and "feel good" books and CDs bearing a traditional Christmas theme.This one is more than refreshingly different.As a psychiatrist therapist, I'm all too familiar with what Christmas *really* means to a substantial number of people in our country.This book contains a cross-section of gritty and realistic stories that just happen to take place around that holiday.An early selection is Paul Auster's penetrating "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story," the core around which his later film "Smoke" was constructed.My favorite, though, is Mark Richard's "The Birds For Christmas," in which two hospitalized boys conspire to be able to watch Hitchcock's classic film way late on Christmas night.27 stories in all, most by well-known masters of the form (O'Connor, Wolff, Shange, Dillard, Disch, Calvino, Beattie, Carver, Smiley, Boll, and Bradbury, to name a few).You'll probably have to find your copy used or remaindered, unfortunately.But they *are* still out there!Go get one! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas stories    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    6. Short Stories (Anthologies)    7. Short stories    8. Special Subjects In Literature   

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas cookery    3. Christmas decorations    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. History    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    9. New Mexico    10. Regional & Ethnic - American - Southwestern States    11. Santa Fe    12. Seasonal    13. Christmas books    14. Handicrafts   

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Casserole cookery    3. Christmas    4. Christmas cookery    5. Confectionery    6. Cooking    7. Cooking / Wine    8. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    9. Holiday - General    10. Methods - Baking    11. Christmas books    12. General cookery   

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas decorations    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Entertaining    6. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    7. Holiday - General    8. Non-Classifiable   

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas decorations    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    8. Holiday - General    9. Seasonal   

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    4. Holiday - General    5. Seasonal   

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas cookery    3. Cookery, English    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    7. Reference   

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas cookery    3. Christmas decorations    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Decorating    7. Handicraft    8. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    9. Holiday - General    10. BG-HISTORY - BG-WAR    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal    12. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas cookery    3. Colorado    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    7. Holiday - General    8. Regional & Ethnic - American - Western States