Christmas in Colorado

...But all along the Rockies you can feel it in the air;
From Telluride to Boulder down below;
The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere
is a quiet Christmas morning in the Colorado snow...
{Colorado Christmas by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band}

This year there was no snow in Colorado on Christmas morning. In fact, it was actually 50-some odd degrees and people were out golfing (this is all hearsay because I was actually in IL on Christmas day). But throughout the season, snow or not, Christmas was in my heart and in the air.

First there was decorating. My cousin and I decorated our apartment the first weekend after Thanksgiving, and then I helped the guys make their house festive by decorating a tree and designing stockings to hang by the fire place.

{when I arrived there were lights, ribbon, and candy canes already on the tree}

{a few ornaments and tinsel completed the tree}

{the guys' Christmas card...that they never made or sent}

Then on to the stocking designing...

{Kim and Huff arrived late and didn't actually do their
own stockings (Donnie and I did) but they posed for a shot}

After decorating came cookies a week or so later. Kim, Jessie, and I spent a night watching Christmas movies and baking to our hearts content. We made Peanut Butter Blossoms, Snicker-doodles, and a new recipe, Cranberry Pecan cookies dipped in white chocolate. They were tasty!

{you can catch a glimpse of the decorations in my apartment in this shot}

And finally, gifts! I love shopping during Christmas time, and I tend to get a little carried away buying and making gifts for my family and friends. It just makes me happy to give things that I think will put a smile on someone's face. And I really love making home-made gifts. That's mostly what I did this year actually. For my friends I made brownie mix in a jar. It was a White Chocolate Chunk brownie mix recipe and it sounds delicious! For my boss, division director, and work gift exchange I made Chai Tea Mix and placed it in a pretty Christmas mug with ribbons. The finished products look so pretty and festive! Take a look.

And that was my Christmas in Colorado...for the most part.