Snowman Hill

Okay, so I know this isn't a scrapbooking project, but it does fall under the category of "being creative." Aaron had his preschool Christmas party on Tuesday, and when I saw the sign-up sheet the week before, there was actually room under the "sweet treats" listing! (This has never happened before in one-and-a- half years of preschool parties.) I was glad because I had seen some single marshmallow-on-a- stick treats in a magazine for Halloween and had always wanted to make those, so I quickly thought up "snowman-on-a-stick" using three marshmallows. Additionally, it would allow me to use those icing tips I'd bought years ago but rarely used (as it shows--I'm still the amateur when it comes to decorating with frosting).

Anyway, I spent Sunday afternoon sticking together large marshmallows with shish-kebab skewers and making icing. The scarf is red icing piped with the basketweave tip (texture side up). The eyes and buttons are just dabs of black (really dark gray) with the #5 tip. The carrot nose is a long dab of orange with the #3 tip (you can see it best in the background of the second picture on the right), but I think I'd use the #5 if I did it again. The hats are a small marshmallow with black/gray frosting piped with the basketweave tip (flat side) around, on top and a brim. The arms are half sticks of pretzels. Then I frosted a half-sphere floral foam piece and sprinkled granulated sugar on it (for sparkle), and at school poked all the snowmen in it. All the parents were in awe and the kids couldn't wait to devour them.

One mom, from another classroom so she didn't know me, saw me carrying them in from the car. At first she was talking with another parent as I passed her, then I heard something about a "Martha Stewart wannabe" and realized she had immediately turned her conversation to me, no pause in between so I didn't realize it at first. She admired the snowmen, then turned to go back to her car and called back, "Now you'll be known to me as the marshmallow lady!" I replied, "As long as it's not because I look like a marshmallow!" (The next morning she asked for my name and introduced herself properly.)