The Last Day of the Year

It's snowing. Not enough to prevent us from leaving the house. But enough that we don't want to. So we're staying cozy, making use of some of our Christmas gifts, and waiting for Ben Blair to get off work.

First, Maude made cupcakes. To line the cupcake trays, she used these unbleached, kraft colored papers I spied on the bottom shelf of the baking aisle at Stop & Shop. A nice discovery to happen upon.



Then, we topped the warm cupcakes with Magical Rhubarb Sauce from our neighbors — Liz and David Dibble — a couple we adore. Dave is a talented artist and animator at Blue Sky Studios (the company that made the Ice Age movies). Plus Ralph takes art lessons from him. Liz is working on a graduate degree in dance. She has promised to help me learn Beyoncé's Single Ladies moves.



The rhubarb sauce is delicious.



Next, we'll make a batch of hot cocoa with the goodies that Laura sent. Pretty little mugs in chocolate brown. Enough for the whole family. I love how the rings on the mugs sit low. So chic. She even included wood-handled peppermint spoons for stirring.

Throughout the day, I continue to mess around with my new camera.

Tonight we'll make party food, play with the wii — more World Tour, more Despereaux, more Backyard Football — and hang out with family. If the kids can manage to stay awake, we'll bang pots and pans on the porch to ring in 2009.

This is how the Blairs are spending the last day of 2008.