Greetings! I apologize for the gap between posts, but I am sure you all are just as busy as me, if not, more so! I have been trying to take photos for this for several days, but here in Ohio we are practically living in 24 hours of darkness. I like natural light for photos, but gave up the wait.
This year I've streamlined many of our traditional activities and I don't think it's even going to be noticeable. Taylor and I decorated one real tree, I put my mini-tree on the dining room table, put out my Nativity, probably no baking and shopping was mostly online.
I do have some crafts I'd like to share. Mostly mine, but this time I am "borrowing" some other ideas as well that I like. Please look in the index for holiday posts and ideas from last year too!
CRANBERRY WREATH:
This might be something "anyone can do" but it took me several years to get around to finishing it! Not hard, but time consuming (and a bit painful.) The complete directions for the "original" wreath are available at marthastewart.com.
Basically, you wind red binding around a floral styrofoam wreath. Then paint tiny nail heads (pins are too small) with red nail polish (pun intended.) This is easier if you poke them into scrap styrofoam and do a bunch at once. Martha used glass beads of different sizes for texture. Not only were faceted glass beads hard to find, but expensive and heavy! So, I used three sizes of plastic ones and it still looks nice.
Next you slide a bead over the nail and push it through the binding into the wreath. This is the part that hurts. Maybe a little hammer would work better. You just keep filling in (the back is flat and just covered with the binding.) In 7 or 8 years, viola! I had a wreath!
I wanted to do something different than cards this year, so I made a few paper stockings instead.
This is the year of shortcuts, so I used a Sizzix stocking die and cut them out of scrapbook paper. Just added a candy cane with ribbon. My glue pen wasn't holding, so I used colored staples. I've been kinda disappointed in the Martha Stewart Craft adhesives. The tape runner has giving me problems too. BTW, that tiny tree is a mainstay at our house. It's a Hallmark miniature from the 90s. The first thing up and the last down.
Another tradition is running over to West Liberty, OH for a Marie's Candy run. It's in an old train station and is always decorated like Santa's Workshop (well I guess not always. It's cute at Easter also.) I love the peppermint chews, but I only get 1/4 pound as they are gone by the time I get home! Audra loves the chocolate and carmel coated pretzels.
They do a lovely job of wrapping the boxes of candy so they are "eye candy" as well under the tree. As we were leaving we saw a candy train station. I had Taylor take a pic with his ipod.
Really cute! You can order online at mariescandies.com (not the this, but the candy!)
This year I've streamlined many of our traditional activities and I don't think it's even going to be noticeable. Taylor and I decorated one real tree, I put my mini-tree on the dining room table, put out my Nativity, probably no baking and shopping was mostly online.
I do have some crafts I'd like to share. Mostly mine, but this time I am "borrowing" some other ideas as well that I like. Please look in the index for holiday posts and ideas from last year too!
CRANBERRY WREATH:
This might be something "anyone can do" but it took me several years to get around to finishing it! Not hard, but time consuming (and a bit painful.) The complete directions for the "original" wreath are available at marthastewart.com.
Basically, you wind red binding around a floral styrofoam wreath. Then paint tiny nail heads (pins are too small) with red nail polish (pun intended.) This is easier if you poke them into scrap styrofoam and do a bunch at once. Martha used glass beads of different sizes for texture. Not only were faceted glass beads hard to find, but expensive and heavy! So, I used three sizes of plastic ones and it still looks nice.
Next you slide a bead over the nail and push it through the binding into the wreath. This is the part that hurts. Maybe a little hammer would work better. You just keep filling in (the back is flat and just covered with the binding.) In 7 or 8 years, viola! I had a wreath!
I wanted to do something different than cards this year, so I made a few paper stockings instead.
Another tradition is running over to West Liberty, OH for a Marie's Candy run. It's in an old train station and is always decorated like Santa's Workshop (well I guess not always. It's cute at Easter also.) I love the peppermint chews, but I only get 1/4 pound as they are gone by the time I get home! Audra loves the chocolate and carmel coated pretzels.
They do a lovely job of wrapping the boxes of candy so they are "eye candy" as well under the tree. As we were leaving we saw a candy train station. I had Taylor take a pic with his ipod.
Really cute! You can order online at mariescandies.com (not the this, but the candy!)
Well, it's getting late. I am planning to have another Gallery or two, plus a humor post this week. When we get to the 10,000th hit, I will post some photos and write about my Hollywood years.
Until then,
Gale
