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A Winter Love Letter: 6 Things To Look Forward To

December 21, 2018

Welcome winter! Today is the first *official* day of the coldest season of the four. I feel like most people do not look forward to this season - it’s dreaded by so many. So today - I thought I’d write a short but sweet post offering some fresh perspective - some reasons to LOVE winter. Mostly, I want something positive for myself to refer back to when it’s late stage winter and the holiday magic has long worn off and I’m desperate for it to end and get warmer again (like the rest of you!) 😂I remember last year’s winter feeling particularly long.. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and it felt like it would never end as we kept getting smacked with nor’easter after nor’easter towards the tail end.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the seasons - not just the seasons marked by nature and by the calendar — but seasons of life in general. How seasons come and go, ebb and flow, inevitably changing — and how that has an effect on me and (particularly) my creative process. The natural world is truly wild when you stop and think about! So here are some reasons to love everyone’s seemingly least favorite season:

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In wellness, wanderlust, real talk Tags winter

Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

December 25, 2015

Baking is one of my absolute favorite things to do around the holiday season. I always end up trying to make 70 different things, and it's my pride and joy to craft up the very best Christmas cookie platter that I can to bring over to my grandparents' house for dinner on Christmas day.

I was flipping through an old cookbook (Very Merry Cookie Party) I found the other day - and came across this recipe. I thought they were the perfect little festive cookies! The best part: no icing was involved to decorate - so it was very "fuss-free" and didn't require much skill to pull off at all. ;)

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In food Tags candy cane, Christmas, cookies, winter, baking

DIY Holiday Wreath

December 23, 2015

This year I made my first ever wreath! I've always wanted to try, and this year I finally did. For the last few weeks, I've been collecting various things (pinecones, berries, etc.) from hikes at our local parks and my backyard -- I finally put them to good use!

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In diy Tags crafting, Christmas, holiday, wreath, winter

DIY Sock Penguin 'Crafting It Forward' Collab

November 13, 2015

This month, I teamed up with Crafting It Forward to design this little DIY sock penguin craft. Each month, CIF creates a purchasable kid-friendly kit complete with all the supplies you need to make the new craft(s) for the month - and I helped to design the December kit! (FUN FACT: This little penguin requires ZERO sewing skills! *supa kid friendly*) 

After the craft is completed, CIF includes a mailing label so that it can be sent off to a child with cancer or a senior center! When they reached out to me to collaborate, I was really excited to be able to contribute to a project with such a great cause. I really wanted to create a craft that could not only function as a decoration but also as a cute toy. With the holiday season upon us, I really personally aimed to create something that would no doubt put a smile on people's faces (no matter what their age)!

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In diy Tags Crafting It Forward, CIF, crafting, penguin, kids craft, December, winter, collab

AMYVENTURES

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POPULAR POSTS

Blog
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INSTAGRAM

@AMYVENTURES
chinese new year / lunar new year highlights 🧧🏮🐴🔥🎊🌕 

@welcome.to.chinatown lny market at @kamman.canal 

lny spongie (apricot orange) from @spongiescafe 

lo bok go (turnip cake), fa gao (steamed cupcake), and flat rice noodles at home

painte
matcha shortbread cookies dusted in powdered sugar, drizzled with white chocolate, and sprinkled with crushed freeze dried strawberries 💫🍵⭐️🍓✨

#shortbreadcookies #matchastrawberry #matchawhitechocolate #matchacookies #bakersgonnabake
my galentine spread from last weekend’s junk journal meet up with @artsncraftsnyc at @bananas_nyc 💘💋💌❤️💕✨

if you’re going to tonight’s event, have the best time! 😘

#galentines #valentinesday #junkjournal #scrapbooking #things
valentine sweet treat round up 😘❤️💕
- chocolate orange marmalade linzer cookies (regretted not making more of these for christmas so made them again 😏)
- chocolate covered pretzels & strawberries 🍓🥨🍫 (annual classics)
- sweet potato peanut
a peek behind the (photobooth) curtain last week at @autophoto w/ @lomographyusa 📸♥️🎞️

was thrilled that the color paper (discontinued in 2005) was still available in the MTV model 21 booth 🌈 (since then, it’s run out again and is ba
a very snowy and cold second half of january 🥶❄️ still getting out for our daily walks the best we can 😅, but my knees will be thrilled when this all melts 💀 savoring hot drinks and soup and couch snuggles til further notice 🙃

#january #winter #
a very fun ✨girls day✨ / joint birthday celebration with @rebeccaedenphoto and @sarabryn 🥳🎈🎂

@12.matcha - for matcha lattes (duh), matcha / hojicha / mango ice cream, and yuzu madeleine 🍵
@liz.christy.garden - was so surprised to see the snowdro
a look back on 2025 through my junk journal (I finally finished the last few holiday spreads last night 🎀) - I’ve kept written journals my whole life, but this was my first full year of journaling in this format, and it is really fun to flip t
this year’s christmas cookies officially wrapped 🍪🎀✨ each year I feel like I’m always refining the line up 😏 this year included:

- classic gingerbread 
- brown butter salted chocolate chunk
- peppermint chocolate s’more
- chewy
the most beautiful post-christmas snow day 🥹❄️✨

#snowday #jerseycollective #njinbloom
last weekend’s snow day itinerary in nyc ❄️

1-3 @rockefellercenter tree & fountains were so magical dusted in snow 🥹
4-5 @radiocitymusichall for #rockettes100 💃
6-9 @newyorkpalace - be sure to stop into the lobby and see the gingerbread
sunday is for sweet treats 😏 (especially when nothing else is open yet in the morning 😅) 

☃️ @chachamatcha peppermint matcha lattes (hot & iced)
🥐 @libraebakery halvah chocolate croissant (cut in halvah to share)
🙃 @supermoonbakehouse scalli
chinese new year / lunar new year highlights 🧧🏮🐴🔥🎊🌕 

@welcome.to.chinatown lny market at @kamman.canal 

lny spongie (apricot orange) from @spongiescafe 

lo bok go (turnip cake), fa gao (steamed cupcake), and flat rice noodles at home

painte matcha shortbread cookies dusted in powdered sugar, drizzled with white chocolate, and sprinkled with crushed freeze dried strawberries 💫🍵⭐️🍓✨

#shortbreadcookies #matchastrawberry #matchawhitechocolate #matchacookies #bakersgonnabake
the second blizzard of the month just when we were starting to see the grass again 🥲 it’s pretty, but I’m desperately longing for warmer days 😅🌸🌿 luckily @mrsmeyerscleanday rose room freshener is making the inside of our cozy abode sm
can’t wait for the snow to be higher than my boots again 🥲

#dogwalkersofinstagram #dogwalking #dogwalkinglife #olympics #milanocortina2026
happy year of the horse! 🔥🐴🧧🎊🏮 took a little time to myself to decompress and celebrate chinese new year by painting this year’s chinese zodiac animal (the horse) 🎨 - I started this project last year with the snake 🐍… should I sti
my galentine spread from last weekend’s junk journal meet up with @artsncraftsnyc at @bananas_nyc 💘💋💌❤️💕✨

if you’re going to tonight’s event, have the best time! 😘

#galentines #valentinesday #junkjournal #scrapbooking #things valentine sweet treat round up 😘❤️💕
- chocolate orange marmalade linzer cookies (regretted not making more of these for christmas so made them again 😏)
- chocolate covered pretzels & strawberries 🍓🥨🍫 (annual classics)
- sweet potato peanut
long overdue desk deep clean with @mrsmeyerscleanday’s dewdrop 😌 has me dreaming of spring and warmer days 💧🌿✨ #mrsmeyerspartner
a peek behind the (photobooth) curtain last week at @autophoto w/ @lomographyusa 📸♥️🎞️

was thrilled that the color paper (discontinued in 2005) was still available in the MTV model 21 booth 🌈 (since then, it’s run out again and is ba a very snowy and cold second half of january 🥶❄️ still getting out for our daily walks the best we can 😅, but my knees will be thrilled when this all melts 💀 savoring hot drinks and soup and couch snuggles til further notice 🙃

#january #winter # a very fun ✨girls day✨ / joint birthday celebration with @rebeccaedenphoto and @sarabryn 🥳🎈🎂

@12.matcha - for matcha lattes (duh), matcha / hojicha / mango ice cream, and yuzu madeleine 🍵
@liz.christy.garden - was so surprised to see the snowdro
love a good rainy day to deep clean the kitchen 🫧😌🌧️🧼✨ … can’t remember the last time the sink was free from dirty dishes or the counter was this spotless 😅 - thanks @mrsmeyerscleanday for the assist (and making the house smell like
a look back on 2025 through my junk journal (I finally finished the last few holiday spreads last night 🎀) - I’ve kept written journals my whole life, but this was my first full year of journaling in this format, and it is really fun to flip t this year’s christmas cookies officially wrapped 🍪🎀✨ each year I feel like I’m always refining the line up 😏 this year included:

- classic gingerbread 
- brown butter salted chocolate chunk
- peppermint chocolate s’more
- chewy the most beautiful post-christmas snow day 🥹❄️✨

#snowday #jerseycollective #njinbloom
do you want the cookie box tour? 😘🍪🎀

#christmascookies #holidaybaking #cookiebox
last weekend’s snow day itinerary in nyc ❄️

1-3 @rockefellercenter tree & fountains were so magical dusted in snow 🥹
4-5 @radiocitymusichall for #rockettes100 💃
6-9 @newyorkpalace - be sure to stop into the lobby and see the gingerbread
nothing more magical than nyc at christmas time in the snow 🥹🏙️❄️🎄🦌✨☕️ 

#rockettes100 #rockefellerchristmastree #nycchristmas radio city music hall, rockettes, rockefeller center, bryant park, macys, no chewing allowed hot cocoa
Christmas crafting with @takearecess craft mocktail peppermint bark’tini ✂️🎄🥂🎀✨

15% off with code “amyventures”

https://app.devotion.club/brand/recess/amyventures

#origamitutorial #christmascraft #origamiart diy christmas deco
sunday is for sweet treats 😏 (especially when nothing else is open yet in the morning 😅) 

☃️ @chachamatcha peppermint matcha lattes (hot & iced)
🥐 @libraebakery halvah chocolate croissant (cut in halvah to share)
🙃 @supermoonbakehouse scalli

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Amy Chen (unless otherwise stated). If you decide to reference anything from my blog / website, please give proper credit. Thank you! :)


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