As the days start to pick up speed toward christmas we’ve been spending a little less time with math and science and more time with reading, writing, baking,  and crafting.

While the orgy of cookie and cake baking hasn’t quite begun in earnest, there are some being made.

Maddie made both butter cookies for frosting and hamantaschen.

I hadn’t ordered the really good gel food coloring from King Arthur Flour as I had planned, mostly because the box we got from the local Food Lion promised to give true colors.  But, as you can see, we got more of a pastel effect from them than we would like.

Oh well.  Next time.

The hamantaschen will not last long.  There’s a long list of cookies that we will make out of tradition, and there’s a long list of cookies we’d like to try.  I think the kitchen will be working pretty well non – stop for the next two weeks.

And here’s a sneak peak of the dress I am making for myself.  The fabric is wonderful – a festive and soft plaid shirting from Robert Kaufman.

It will be my third time using this pattern from Sew Lisette.  It’s probably my favorite one.

Soon we’ll be making gingerbread houses and settling in for nightly holiday movie viewings – though I am definitely putting Love Actually on tonight for knitting entertainment.  Maybe a fire, too.  And popcorn.