Gingersqueak's Nibbles and Brews

And the Advent of "Marsmallows"

We’ve been working claws and tails on Karamel’s coffee shoppe. I had to take a few days off to finish Christmas tasks at home, as being a house-mouse is very important during the holidays. But now that I finished the Christmas letter, baked cookies and made little gifts to go along with the cards…I’m back to work on the shoppe. Timbertale is finishing up the awnings.

“Delivery!!” A worker mouse yelled as they offloaded some furniture from a carrier pigeon.

“Lumi, I think the two of us can get these inside.”

“It’s going to be close,” she squeaked.

We got the chairs and table inside and took off all the protective wrapping. Lumi sat in the first one and sighed happily as she looked out the window. “Perfect for writing for the Candy Cane Chronicle!”

“I’m hooooommmmmmeeeee!!!” A wee mouse with a huge marshmallow burst through the door.

“I didn’t expect you until tomorrow,” Karamel squeaked.

“I gots to come home early cuz I graduated marsmallow school with sprinkles!”

“Don’t you mean honors, Meggie dear?” Karamel asked.

“Nopes…sprinkles. It was a good school, they didn’t give out stupid paper stuffs.”

“Lumi, Brambleberry, this is my little sister, Nutmeg, but she answers to Meggie.”

We exchanged names and greetings.

“I saw an add for the seminar and sent her in my stead, along with someone to make sure she brushed her teeth at night. (Karamel gave Meggie a side look) I couldn’t leave the shoppe, Mum and Dad are overseas on missions with the rest of my siblings, and I needed marshmallow expertise.” Karamel shrugged.

“They let you send such a wee lass?” I asked

“Well there wasn’t anything in the brochure that said I couldn’t…” Karamel giggled.

“Meggie, that marshmallow looks fluffy and perfect,” Lumi smiled at her.

Meggie squished her marshmallow twice to show it’s puffiness and grinned. “So we learned that real marsmallows from the olden days came from a plant. A marsmallow plant. I was super sad to learn that didn’t mean they grew on plants…but the root of the plant is good for tummies, and throats, and all sorts of troubles. So marsmallows are practically medcine and I can make ‘em now!!”

I was enamored with wee Meggie’s excited chatter, she would no doubt be fun to get to know.

“Delivery!!”

“I’ll just go open that,” I squeaked, as I scurried out the door.

It was a big box…best thing to do was dive in!

I moved all the paper and hefted out a counter like thing.

“Hhmmmmm…” Karamel did not look happy with it. “It’s boring, and rumpled and…”

Meggie came out to look at it.

“We could make it look just fine with sugar,” Meggie declared.

“Sugar?” Karamel squeaked.

“Yup. Sugar. Miss Brambleberry ma’am?” She turned to look at me.

“You can call me Brambleberry.”

“Nu-uh. Mum mouse says that’s dis-specful. And if I’m dis-specful she’ll know! Even on the other side of the world, and then when she ges back, I’ll be a grounded mouse!”

“Fair enough wee lass.” I was trying not to snicker.

“As house-mouse, yer hooman critters has sugar right?”

“Yes, they have lots and I’m allowed to use it as I like.”

“Yay!!! Bring the red and we’ll fix this thing up.”

I scampered off and got the red sugar. We discussed whether glue alone would work or if we should finish it once it dried. We decided finishing it after the glue dried would be good. Then Meggie wanted it to look like frosting was trimming the bottom and Timbertale wanted to put wood around the top . Karamel agreed to our ideas so we got to work.

“What do you think?” Timbertale asked

Karamel grinned. “Perfect.”

We got it moved inside and Karamel happily arranged her counters.

“Now that I have most things in place, I want to make drinks for everyone!”

“I’ll help!” squeaked Meggie’s wee voice.

They bustled and made both hot and cold drinks.

“Who wants extra whip cream?” asked Meggie.

“Meggie dear, you’re standing on a chair,” Karamel observed with a frown.

“Uh-huh. God invented chairs sos little mice could reach stuff.”

“God invented chairs??” Karamel raised her eyebrows in question.

“Yup, cuz he invented brains, so…” Meggie smirked and put more whip on the drink.

She’s a sharp lass, I’ll have to make sure I don’t underestimate her.

Lumi picked up her steaming mint mocha and got comfy in her chair of choice.

Timbertale opened the door and let in a swirl of snow. While we were squeaking and setting things up, our first winter storm had begun.

“Frosty drink for me!” Timbertale swiped up the minty ice cream drink. “Say, can I have some extra whip?” Meggie grinned and topped off the glass.

“You an I ‘r kindred spirits,” she said as she took the dollop of cream off the end of the can and licked her claws.

Meggie scampered down off her chair and went to talk to Lumi while we squeaked about the last things needed to get the shoppe running. In the middle of talking, Karamel stopped and huffed a bit, her attention focusing behind us.

“Nutmeg Gingersqueak why are you upside down?”

“To see if I can touch the wall with my foot an move the chair.”

“You’ve got your claws full with that one!” Timbertale grinned. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Madi’s shoppe looks empty at the moment. Let’s take them some drinks.”

“I love that idea.” I squeaked. Meggie did too so we worked on making drinks together.

We finished our task, and I headed out. I thought Meggie would be behind me but as she wasn’t, I just decided to enjoy the quiet of the snow and watching friends inside the warm shoppe for a moment..

Snow is like magic, sparkly and transforming.

“Meggie lass, are you coming?”

“I had t’ go back for whip cream,” she squeaked.

We crunched softly across the way and looked in Madi’s shoppe window.

“There’s a sparkly ear bow in there!” Meggie squeaked.

I grinned at her. I had been looking at the very same ear bow.

We went inside. “Greetings. We bring you good tidings of great joy…and drinks!” I squeaked.

“I’ve been half frozen all day, you’re a whisker saver!” Maisie took hold of the steamy drink with both paws.

“Miss ma’am mouse, would you like a frosty drink?”

“Bien sur ma patite, zat sounds perfect.”

Meggie tilted her head to the side a bit. “You squeak cool mis ma’am mouse.”

Madi winked at her.

The rest of the mice friends arrived and we introduced Meggie to Madi and Maisie.

“Meggie, why do you wear antlers?” asked Maisie.

“Well, at marsmallow school the big mice all had somethin that they were for, or against. They gots to yell bout what they liked or did’t like. I get in trouble for yellin, so I figure I should have somethin to yell bouts too. So I’m for reindeer. THEY PULL SANTA’S SLEIGH, ARE CUTE AND LIKE SWEETS! Now I can yell bout something too, and not get in trouble.” She grinned, obviously pleased with her brilliance.

“Meggie dear, I don’t think big mice yell that much,” Karamel squeaked.

“Uh-huh. Just ask a big mouse bout taxes or mouse rights and they start yelling! Least I yell bout somethin fun.”

“You are as refreshing as mint in chocolate my young friend,” Lumi smiled at her.

“I have an idea,” Timbertale squeaked. “What if we get together for a friend’s Christmas. We can draw names for gifts, and spend Christmas with each other.”

“Se bon, we could even meet here in ze shoppe.”

“Meggie and I can make drinks and snacks for the friendsmass too.” squeaked Karamel.”

It was a fabulous idea! Christmas would be spent with delightful friends!

There are so many crafters that made this post possible. Firstly, Karamel’s shoppe, which isn’t quite finished I might add…was from:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DivisionStMiniatures?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1732253366&from_page=listing

Some of the adorable Christmas items in the shoppe can be found at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Canalgalminis?ref=yr_purchases

Meggie mouse is a little sister size Maileg Mouse and her outfit, including shoes, can be found at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Meiliandko?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=4405860027&from_page=listing

The espresso machine, coffee syrups and honey can be found at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HoneyBeeCuriosity?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1769300813&from_page=listing

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MinidollarstoreUS?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1737247774&from_page=listing

Madi’s, Lumi’s and Timbertale’s outfits can be found at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DowntownAliCat?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1121181967&from_page=listing

As always, if there is something not listed that you would like to find, don’t hesitate to message me.