Planet Nice Crafts

Looking back at the blog’s archives, I discovered that a January post has occurred EVERY year since Planet Nice Crafts' inception in 2018 and now 2025 with the 8 th is no different. The holiday season is wrapping up with Lunar New Year in a couple weeks and of course Valentine’s Day next month. We have had a wonderfully cold winter here in the Chicago area. I am completely serious, I much more prefer 20 degrees than 45 but I do have limits, single and negative digits are pushing it. It just feels right to be a little chilly and hopefully with experience and wisdom, I know how to handle it better and better. The sunlight has been spectacular and even now, the longer days are noticeable. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the pictures of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area give a feeling of horror – thinking a lot about the people who have been affected. In January posts of the past, baking is a major topic and is no different in 2025. There were six fruitcakes, three t...

The holiday season is at a close. The holiday lights are depleted to non-existent and we are left with really dark mornings…this is so depressing sounding for Planet Nice. So, what do we need – SNOW. That’s right we need it and be careful what you wish for because for us in the Chicago area at least..we are getting it RIGHT NOW. How was your holiday season? Mine felt like a whirlwind. Soon after Halloween 2023, I took a vacation to Washington DC. What a great trip, I hadn’t been a tourist there in a very long time. The weather was warm and it wasn’t crowded. I was completely unprepared for all the walking, I had some very sore legs starting on Day 3 sightseeing. There are a few trip pictures AND my final drawing project posted on Planet Nice Odyssey  (I know, relentless branding). Here are additional trip photos: Tadeusz Kościuszko statue near the White House The Lincoln Memorial - how could one not be moved by this hallowed place? First thing in the morning at the National Museum ...

  Christmas Tree, 2022 Happy Holiday Season and New Year! I am so happy that I found some time during the last 12 Days of Christmas to post. Baking has been in the forefront. With Thanksgiving so early in the month in 2022, the preparation of my traditional fruitcakes started mid-November, November 12 th to be exact! And to be honest, I haven’t even tasted my portion yet but the reviews so far have been good, more citrusy than in previous years. This holiday season’s baking has also included rose scented geranium pound cake, breakfast bakes, three types of cookies (rosemary alfajores cookies, chocolate-dipped matcha shortbread cookies, and vanilla meringue cookies), and pumpkin pies. Some of the time, I followed the recipe perfectly; other times, I didn’t. The breakfast bakes were new and easy recipes that were served for Christmas brunch; one was a crab croissant gruyere, the other sausage bread cheddar. That is all I am going to say about the breakfast bakes and instead, present...

Happy 2022! Hello Everyone. Has it been a good start to the year for you and your families? With the holiday season and the garden tapering off to be officially deemed frozen on January 1, my main activity since I last wrote has been cleaning. The holiday season was plenty full for me and since its close on Twelfth Night, I have been doing a little of this, a little of that. So, in chronological order... I do a whole home clean before any holiday decorating occurs. It is an intense goal requiring precious weekend hours but there are benefits: I take a general inventory of my belongings and supplies (a sort of "state of affairs") and once this major clean is finished, I can focus on the holidays and later, creativity, which results in brain yoga. Food and drink had big roles during the holiday season and I really wanted to try new things. Drink included an exploration of the mocktail craze with the mixers Ghia and Pentire Adrift , both being well regarded. At this time, my pr...