One more dawn, one more day...! and specialness of the season.

Happy New Years Eve, dear readers! :) I've been wanting to put this post up for several days now, but never had the chance. Well here it is at last!

Ah...right now I'm listening to 'One Day More', from the musical Les Miserables. No matter how many times I listen to that song, I never get tired of it. And it just seems so appropriate for today, considering we are at the brink of the New Year.

"Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store!

One more dawn, One more day, One day mooooore!"

So triumphant. Makes me all tingly inside, thinking of all the potential possibilities 2011 may bring. This evening I spent several minutes in deep prayer, dedicating the coming year to Christ. The future is both frightening yet exciting: 2011 will mark my 20th year. Whew, how time flies! I'm looking forward to reading the Bible in a year with some friends on facebook, getting my temps (no, I don't drive! I know how...but thats another story, ;) ) and most importantly, striving for a closer relationship with my Jesus.

There are SO many highlights to look over this past year...so for now I'll only mention a few special Christmasy things...

As you all know...I am a HUGE Andrea Bocelli fan. Possibly his biggest fan ever. ;) And I like opera. Now of course I am *extra* choosy when it comes to opera, and mostly I only like Italian. Female singers of most sorts are an especially a big no. So why do I say I like opera? lol 

Anyhow. Carmen is an opera I can tolerate, and it isn't even Italian! But that's besides the point. Anything featuring Andrea's incomparable, glorious, magnificent, stunning voice blows me away. 

:sigh:

Shortly before Christmas I received a package from one of my closest friends, Nicole. Boldly written  on the package were the words "do not open until Christmas". O-k. Tough as it was to wait, it was very much worth it! I was so blessed to find this precious keepsake when I *finally* opened my loot...

 Sooo lovely! I just adore the little box.


The tiny picture features me, Nicole, and our mutual friend Hannah. Love you girls!


Somehow I think this photo should have come *before* the one of the necklace (above.)  hehe Ah well. Isn't the drawer the yummiest thing ever?

An especially special part of this year was "meeting" one of my bestest friends, Flop (aka Alexandra :P )  via Blogger. Ally has been an encourager, entertainer, buddy, girly-friend, and all around blessing! Love you tons and tons, Flop!

The above pictures are pretty much self explanatory. If I'm the worlds biggest Andrea fan, I am a world-renowned, fanatic aficionado of Les Miserables. Oh, and dark chocolate. Ally knows me a little too well! ;)

I made a batch of traditional Italian Toto cookies for our *very* quiet Christmas day. My family doesn't make a huge to-do about Christmas as it is, but we do have a few special traditions. "Toto" is one of them.

Oooh...nutty,  chocolaty, not overly sweet, balanced perfectly with aromatic allspice and cinnamon. (I usually omit the cloves.) Hungry yet? ;) 

Italian Toto Cookies

3 cups flour

3/1 c. cocoa

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 tsp allspice

1/3 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c. butter

1 c. sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Glaze

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, allspice, cloves and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. In another bowl beat eggs. Stir eggs into creamed mixture with vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then nuts. Form into 1 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Prepare glaze. Frost cookies while still warm.

*I make the glaze mixture "wet" enough to just dip the tops of the cookies lightly. 

Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla

1tbsp milk

Combine sugar and vanilla. Stir in milk a little at a time until of spreading consistency. 

Enjoy!!

2011 - here I come*~

PRESENTING: Cookin' Thanksgiving dinner with Mich and her favorite Kid.

This is us, as ourselves, fooling around today in the kitchen. Still not sure how or when Anna acquired the nickname "Kid" - I'm the only one who calls her that. :P hehe

Ahhh...what a day. Just about absolutely perfect.

Italian opera...the lingering scent of the sugar cookie candle I burned yesterday...all mingled with the stunningly delicious holiday aroma of Thanksgiving dinner prep.

Love.

{my mom took the videos - I'm in the Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt and fruity apron. It's a little old, but I love it 'cause it was sent from Zia Lucia in Italy. Oh, and the talk of  "don't  put these up", and "I'm un-tagging myself" is in reference to facebook. ;) }

Take one:

Take two:

At last, the infamous "church potatoes!" 

PS: for those of you who know I have a slight aversion toward  most female singers  - *ahem* I actually really love the voice of the Soprano singing with Pavarotti (in the first vid.) She isn't screechy. Unfortunately I don't know her name. :-/   

Random acts of culture*~ Miscellaneous Monday

A little while ago my dear friend Ally forwarded this video to me. Ok neat. I love 'Handel's Messiah,' and 'The Hallelujah Chorus' is one of my favorite pieces....but this particular performance simply blew me away! Oooh...now one of my biggest dreams is to either travel to Philadelphia and actually *see* the Opera Company, or to experience something like THIS: 

(WARNING - carry a tissue as you watch this. Prepare to be utterly stunned.)

(wasn't that beyond gorgeously breathtaking?!?!)

Brindisi. Such a lovely example of Italian opera! Yum. Its one of my all-time-favorites. (also see my playlist to hear 'The Three Tenor' version...or better yet look up Andrea Bocelli. :swoon: )

Anyhow - if you enjoyed the above video (which you did, of course. ;) ) then you'll love this one. So whimsical, charming, cute, - and the singing! Heavenly. Why aren't these people world famous solo artists? o.O

(ok. If you didn't like Opera beforehand, you HAVE to be sold over now. Or no?)

Could you imagine BEING there? In any or both places? Whoa. o.O - I would have been one of the obnoxious people jumping up and down, a mile-wide smile covering my face. After the enthralled shock of it all was past, of course. ;) 

Hope you enjoyed, and were as blessed as I was! :)