It's Christmas cookie time.

Sorry it's been so quiet over here but I've picked up a second job and the blog has gotten demoted for things needing my attention. I've been made kitchen manager of a fledging bakery and cafe so I'm going to be able to make wonderful tasty treats this Christmas. I've toyed with the idea of having my own bakery but I'm not prepared for the immense amount of capital and hours that would be needed. With my current situation I'll be able to dip my toe into that dream and get a wee taste of what it could be like.

Source: JustB

I'm pretty excited about it and I've been working on developing recipes. As we're into the Christmas cookie season I'm trying to think of what treats we can offer. One of the items at the top of my list is a mini-gingerbread house that can be customized with someone's name. I have plans to make them hangable for the Christmas tree but that requires testing. 

In my research today I found some gingerbread sources for you. So many great designs. I love how creative Christmas can be. Check out Cute Food for Kids and JustB for some great ideas.

I'll be sure to take a picture of whatever house I create and post it. What about you? What Christmas cookies are part of your tradition?

Hmm...Self-sabatoge or a kick in the pants?

As I write this I can see the summer has just about ended. It's like someone has flipped a switch and the hot sunny days are gone again. The kids will be going to their new school and I'll have to get into a new routine. So far our move here has been really good and I've been so thrilled with how nice and welcoming people have been to us. The only real disappointment has been the job that I've had to take. I found another serving job but at the moment I make so little in tips that it's almost not worth mentioning so basically I make minimum wage. This fact does nothing to ease any nerves I have about starting a new life in our new home. And when I say nerves I mean my stomach which almost in constant pain lately.

  I will continue to try and get a new serving job but there really isn't that much out there right now. Well...not for someone who has over twenty years experience, doesn't fit into a size six mini-dress with cleavage, has some grey hair and a few wrinkles. *sigh*
This is when I wonder how I ended up in this predicament. I complain that serving doesn't let me use all the skills and talents I possess and then I end up with a serving job where I use even less of my skills and make nearly the smallest amount of money possible.

I'm trying to look for the positive in this and use it as my motivation to really get my art career going and paying for itself. It's always been scary to think about depending on my art abilities to pay the bills. Bills are constant and art freelancing is sporadic. I've tried bringing in money for so long now and I've mostly had to pay to use my talents but I deserve more than this. It's a test in resilience and patience, right?