Christmas Cookie Exchange

Saturday Amanda hosted a Christmas Cookie Exchange at her new house. I haven't been to one since we did it in Girl Scouts growing up and I don't usually attend many Christmas parties, so I was looking forward to it.

Unfortunately the weather on Saturday made me a bit Grinchy...80+ degrees with a pressure headache and frizzy hair, courtesy of lingering humidity, didn't make me feel very holly and jolly. Luckily some snacks and Amanda's Amaretto Punch changed that. It was a small group of the usual suspects in attendance, but it was nice to sit and catch up, play games and snack on everyone's baked goods.

I still haven't had a chance to sample all the goodies I took home, but Tammi's chocolate chip cookies were pretty tasty. (So was her fudge - deliciously smooth. Mmm...) I made pecan pie cookies (bottom right) that were pretty good - but if I do them again, they'll be smaller for a better cookie-to-pie-filling ratio.

I loved all Amanda's festive Christmas food - the olive penguins were my favorite. What did we do before Pinterest?

Angela, Tammi and I hung around for awhile after everyone else left and got crafty! Always the artist, Amanda had spray painted some ice cream cone holders left over from a Thanksgiving craft green to be Christmas trees.

Angela and baby Leland (Such a good party guest! Barely a peep from him until he was handed off me to - I don't know why I make babies cry, but I do...) made one, Tammi made an ocean tree and I...made three. I was a good guest and left them all on Amanda's mantel though. Hope she doesn't mind my out-of-season Halloween tree! :)

After the party and dinner, Tammi and I headed off to see "Breaking Dawn" together - finally! My four word review: well played, Melissa Rosenberg.

Now I've just got to finish the other half of my shopping this weekend and I'll be all ready for Christmas.