Run, Run, As Fast As You Can, To Sign Up For A Gingerbread Man!

Today is the last Give Away in my Spirit of Giving Christmas Celebration. This brings us back to the heart of the home ~ the kitchen. Holidays always include all kinds of good food and Christmas is no exception. It is a tradition in our family to have a day set aside to make candy and cookies in mass proportions. Sampler bags, for singles, and trays, for families are filled, wrapped, and tagged ready for delivery. A jaunty bow tops each one off with a handmade ornament. We make deliveries the next evening and then drive around to look at Christmas lights.

This morning as I went into my kitchen to check the pantry for ingredients I noticed something different. "What is that nestled in my wreath on my pantry door?", I thought to myself. A little closer I crept and realized the elves had been busy while I slept! All snugged in as cute as could be was a little Gingerbread Man Recipe! I must share this with you friends, this is where the Give Away begins!

This little piece of kitchen decor can be displayed for holidays. The base if foam core with a recipe card attached, I painted the recipe card and then mounted a copy of a vintage recipe for Soft Ginger Cakes in the center. Using another recipe card I hand painted two cute little Gingerbread Men, cut them out and glued them onto the base piece. I added a ribbon and some edge trim that reminded me of icing. Some vintage buttons finish off the corners and a little ornament was added to the cookie to give it dimension. The back is finished off with a burlap paper and gingham ties were added.

To my right something caught my eye. It was a grinning little guy hanging with Santa who stood nearby! He usually likes to hang out on a tree. Can he come live with you instead of me?The second give away prize is this Gingerbread Man ornament. He is made from gingham fabric and embellished with a painted face, a nice big button, and a torn fabric scarf. He hangs from a wire that is adorned with a raffia bow.Looking up further, what did I see? A wonderful book for keeping holiday recipes! I took it down off the shelf to inspect it closer for myself. Upon each page was stamped a snowflake or a tree. Oh, and look, it will hold 50 recipes!This is the third prize in the give away. A hand bound recipe card book. It's front and back covers are covered inside and out with Christmas themed scrapbook papers. It is embellished with a "cookie" ribbon, "cookie" message, and tiny cookie ornaments. Each page is stamped with alternating snowflake and tree stamp in red and green ink. I added five ribbon tabs which divide off every ten cards in the book. It is bound with a burgundy wire. The backs of the recipe cards are blank and would be great for making little holiday notes or annual lists of ingredients, etc.One more surprise was in store, but who was this one for? Oh, that sweet little elf! He left a present for myself! There in a red wooden frame stood a painting of a Gingerbread Man with glittery gum drops all aglow. I thought I left that on my work table, I think, no I know. The elf must have crept very quietly while I slept and removed it from its resting place and framed it up just for this space!So, run, run, as fast as you can to sign up for a Gingerbread Man! If you would like to enter the give away for the Gingerbread Man Recipe Plaque, Ornament, or Recipe Card Holder, just leave a comment on this post. A winner will be chosen and posted on Saturday, Dec. 20.

I will be back on Saturday posting not only the winners but hopefully I'll have a few recipes and one last how to also! Invite you to join me on Sunday for the last installment of my families Advent Celebration. On Monday I hope to be back to wrap this blog event with a bit of a winter theme to show you something else you can do with those little snowmen and mittens! I have enjoyed this month long labor of love and I do hope you have been given some ideas to incorporate into your family celebration.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy