handmade winter ebook tour

As soon as the ebook “Handmade Winter” was released I was itching to get my hands on it.  Not only does it include contributions from some of my favorite blogging mamas (all of them a part of the lovely creative mamas collaborative) it also looks so homey, warm, inviting and beautiful.  It was calling to me.  So, when I got the opportunity to review it, I jumped at the chance.

It’s a beautiful book.  Really, the pictures are positively incredible.  It’s filled with recipes, projects and creative ideas all focused on the best parts of winter including entertaining and making things with kids.  There are 90 pages with over 50 different contributions and the kind of pictures that make you want to slow down and linger.  Did I mention the stunning pictures?

The projects are fairly accessible and most involve things you probably already have in the house but they manage to be super inventive at the same time.  As an added bonus, a good number of the pages cover recipes for fancy adult drinks and desserts.  Nothing says ‘happy winter’ quite like sugar and alcohol.

I thought, at first glance, I would sit down with the boys and take on one of the many tempting kid-oriented projects.  And, they are tempting…making a penguin, painting blocks with chalkboard paint, kid art cushions and more.  But, as soon as I saw the leather chevron necklace all thoughts of making with the boys went out the window.  Well, that and the fact that when I said, “Hey guys! Want to make a penguin with me?!”  They looked up from their legos with glazed, mid-game-don’t-interrupt-me eyes.  So, without guilt I made myself a new necklace.

Ah-huh, I made myself a leather chevron necklace.  Squeal!  The project came from Carla over at small + friendly.

By chance, I had everything I needed already.  I realize this might not be true of everyone but I went through a pretty big jewelry-making phase long ago and I hoarded anything I came across.

As luck would have it, I also picked up a thrifted suede jacket sometime last year. It’s always a good thing when I can complete a project and not leave the house.  It’s pretty much my dream situation.  It’s the real reason I do all that hoarding.

I struggled a little to cut the leather perfectly and, as a result, my two chevrons aren’t identical but I went with it.

The book includes a scrumptious spinach salad recipe and a comfort food-style brussel sprout dish I might have to make for dinner.  Maybe by then my crazy boys will want to make the penguin or just photo bomb!

Want to know more about the book? Be sure to check out all the reviews:
Train to Crazy, Tag and Tabby, The City Sage, Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!, Crafting Connections, Very Shannon, Delia Creates, That Mama Gretchen, & A Golden Afternoon.

You can purchase it here.

Disclosure: I was gifted the book and asked to write about it.  I might have begged to review it, just a little.  Still, my opinions about it are my own.