Fa-la-la-la-la, cough-cough-cough-cough

I've often thought there should be a statutory holiday sometime around the beginning of December. You know, a day off to wrap presents, bake cookies, or bust out the glue gun and glitter. Winter Craft Day? Craftorial weekend? Maybe I've dreamed of this blessed day off a few too many times because I seem to have contracted a cold in order to make this dream come true.

Unfortunately, recuperation and "whirlwind of holiday preparations" do not exactly go hand in hand. To make matters worse, Toronto is in the middle of a cold snap and it's -26ºC [-15ºF) with the wind-chill. I am NOT going outside. I'm also not planning on wasting any more energy than what it takes to make a pot of herbal tea. It's a good thing I've already spent the last couple of days wearing my Martha hat in the kitchen.

We're having a cookie swap at the office and I went a little crazy.

I used a recipe from the holiday issue of Martha Stewart Living and they turned out pretty darn good. We're exchanging a half dozen of each others cookies, and 10 of my co-workers will be taking this little selection home:

Each your heart out Cake Boss! You're not the only one to tame a piping bag!

So with baking behind me, an unseasonable cold outside and an unreasonable cold in my chest, it sounds like a good day to curl up with some movies and knitting, non?

Okay, so most of my knitting is gift related and therefore, unbloggable. Can I distract you with this pretty snowflake? My ongoing obsession with crocheted snowflakes continues (don't even get me started about my pinecone obsession). My crochet skills have vastly improved since last year's attempts and this Phildar Sunset practically leaped off the shelf begging to be crocheted into little flakies. Who am I to I deny a sparkly French yarn?

So there you have it folks. I must say, it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas.