"A Long Long Time Ago, But I Can Still Remember - - -"

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Others have been showing vintage Christmas ornaments that they have collected over the years.

These too are vintage ornaments, but I didn't collect them - - - Fisherhubby and I bought them brand new in 1975 for our very first Christmas tree after we were married. They were bright red.


As you can see, over the years they have faded to pink. And if you look closely at them - - -


You will see that their finish has become crackled. I no longer hang them on a tree. In fact, for about 7 years they have been hidden in storage until all your talk of vintage ornaments made me want to find them!


Now when I display them I put them in an ice cream tin with a little bit of shiny fru-fru and just let them speak for themselves.

I am not particularly a crafty person. There have been several times in my life though, when I crossed over into that nebulous world. I showed you the result of one such trip a couple of days ago when I posted about my paper bag angel.

Well, in the November of 1977 when our oldest child was one year old I decided to try my hand at making cookie dough ornaments.


Calling them cookie dough is a bit misleading. They are actually just four, salt, and water made to the texture of cookie dough, rolled, and cut out. After baking them at very low heat until they were completely dry I painted them with acrylics. After the acrylic dried completely, I brushed varnish over them.

Here are my results:


As I look back on this project, I'm a bit amazed that I accomplished it with a one year old tugging at my skirts, so to speak. I keep them stored in a tin with little desiccant packs out of vitamins and new shoes thrown in to keep them dry.

Because I was so careful with them when I used to hang them on our tree, people began teasing me and saying my Christmas Tree was my "Idol Tree."

Our children and their friends DELIGHTED in trying to MOVE them from one branch to another without me guessing that they did it. I USUALLY knew - - - I had them hanging "just so" on that tree and when they moved them, they messed up my "balance," which I could spot in a skinny minute!

Years after the fact, Keri and her friend Angie confessed to me that in ONE of those "messing with my ornaments" moments, Angie actually BROKE a star. They quickly threw away the evidence and did their best to cover their "tracks" on the tree. I never suspected.


Years later my friend Kathy and I decided to try a similar project with gingerbread. We BOTH had 4 year old boys at the time, but managed somehow to complete the project. I imagine we kept the boys busy with a video as VCRs had come on the scene by then.


That was in 1992 and I still have most of my set of those thanks again to storing them in a tin with little silica gel packs!


For this project we used puffy paint, ribbons, and sprayed varnish over the finished result. I don't think the spray varnish was as effective as the brushed on varnish because I've had a more difficult time keeping these from breaking.

I haven't used either of these cookie ornament sets in my decorating for the last 7 or more years - - - but I wanted to show them to you so dug them out this year. After I got them out, I wanted to enjoy them - - -


So I displayed them in this place of honor. I just hope they don't get bruised, crushed, or broken when people come in the front door!

To find and enjoy more vintage posts, please go visit Coloradolady.
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There's More Than One Way to Skin a Card - - -

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I don't mail out Christmas cards any more. Every year at this time when YOUR cards start arriving at my door, I feel overwhelming GUILT because I haven't sent a card in about 13 years.

But, my dear loved family, friends, and bloggy buddies - - - THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CARD! And this is mine.

So, scroll on down and know as you read I'm sending you warmest wishes from my hearth (or more accurately lappy) to yours!

BROYLES' CHRISTMAS CARD 2009

We're ready for Christmas,
Both outside and in!

Snow covered our yard
And our street and then - - -

We hung up our stockings
And decked up our halls - - -

We put out our baubles
And spruced up our walls - - -

We set up our houses
And lined up our kings - - -

And all over the place
We Christmasized things!!

There was method to our madness,
There was reason to our rhyme - - -

We wanted to wish you
A Merry Christmas time!!

Thinking of you
And wishing all the Joy this season can bring.

Love,
Greg and Keetha
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Brown Paper Packages Tied up With String - - -

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A few days ago Leigh posted about a lovely brown paper bag angel that she has. I immediately remembered this one that I made many Christmases ago. Leigh wanted to see her, so I have found her and resurrected her and will attempt to show you how she is made.


Oh PLEASE do not think that I dreamed up this project. I am NOT that clever. But I AM a good direction follower!

First we stuffed crumpled-up newspaper into the bottom of a brown paper lunch bag. If I were going to do this again, I would place a small sand filled lidded jar in the bottom of the bag first, maybe even glue that down, and then stuff the paper around it. That would give you a heavy, firmer base.

Next we closed the bag with a rubber band, flanging out about an inch and a half of the bag over the top of the rubber band. (You will be able to see this step in the second picture below.)


We made our angelic face by stretching a piece of panty hose over a syrofoam ball. The gathered up edges of the stocking piece will be hidden at the neck and under the hair.

Next we used a little blush to give the cheeks a hint of color. And we embedded some round brown button-bead eyes.


We hot-glued a short, somewhat flattened strip of gold raffia ribbon to the front of the bag, making sure the top edge of it was hidden under the "flange" of the top of the bag. Over the gold ribbon strip we glued a section of a lace paper doily.

On top of the "flange" we glued a gold paper doily covered with a smaller white paper doily. On top and in the center of that we glued our angelic head.


We flipped our angel over on her backside one more time to glue down a gold raffia bow to give her wings.


Next we glued dry, brown, craft moss (is that what it's called?) on the top, sides, and back of her head to give her hair.

The last touch was a little loop of gold star tinsel for her halo.

I am soooooo glad Leigh asked to see her, for it inspired me to dig her out! I haven't seen her for at least 7 Chistmases, and I'm sure she was as lonely for me as I was for her!


I found her a place of honor - - -


Right on my antique dressing table doubling as a sideboard in my favorite yellow dining room where I never go, except to turn on the light and look around 'cause I love it so.

And with that, I wish you an angelic Christmas with lots of Harking and Heralding and Singing!!!
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I'M A GREAT AUNT!!!!

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Well, of COURSE I'm a great aunt! But now I'm also a Great Aunt!!!


My ONLY niece in the whole universe, Misti, gave birth to this beautiful little girl, Carson Mae on Saturday, December 19.

I TOLD her she had to WAIT to come until MY birthday on the 30th, but she wanted to have her OWN birthday!!! Smart little cookie!

Mother and Carson are doing well.

We are all PROUD AS PEACOCKS!!!
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Bells and Bows and Book Lights

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Have I mentioned that I'm out of school for TWO WHOLE WEEKS????? The joy can barely be contained!

Friday was our last day. After exams were over, we had class parties. I have lots of class, so we had quite a party!

Oh I do jest.

I am one of the sponsors of the Class of 2010. I decided I'd whip up a little gift for each of our seniors. Of course, I didn't decide this until Thursday night - - -



I won't even try to tell you how LONG it took me to "whip up" these little gifts. Let's just say, those bows were A LOT harder to tie than I had anticipated - - - A LOT HARDER, so it took me much longer than one would think necessary, and there was absolutely NO whipping involved.


But when they were all finished and lined up in my room, they did look very nice, don't'cha think?

Let the party begin!!!

We had lots of happy girls full of Christmas cheer - - -

And three scrooges.

Don't believe them, they are faking.
Really they are just as happy and excited as the girls.
Can't you see it on their faces?

First we piled our plates full of food.

These are what we like to call walking tacos.
You might call them haystacks or taco salads.

They were yummy!!!

We made a "circle of trust"
In which to eat, open presents, and play games.

MOST of us ATE in the circle of trust.

Then the kids declared it time
For the sponsors to open their gifts.
They were just giggly with glee
Over the gifts they had chosen.

Well, no WONDER they were giggly!!!
Our gifts were Snuggies and - - -

Book lights.

These funky little "inch-worm-esque" book lights.
As you can see, I chose to model mine.

I got the leopard print and my co-sponsor got beige.
I can't speak for Lou Ann,
But I shall WEAR mine with pride.

To be strictly honest,
I've been coveting a Snuggie - - -
It will be PERFECT for watching
All those NCAA bowl games!

Not to mention blogging.
As a matter of fact,
I'm wearing it right now as I blog!

And besides, it makes a GREAT Mary costume!
By the way, I'm pretty sure "Miss Mary" here was the
Brains behind the Snuggie idea.

Then it was time for Mrs. Santa Leopard to hand out presents
To all the good little boys and girls.

It was also time

For the good boys and girls
To exchange gifts with each other.

There were dart guns

And soft furry socks

And grapefruit juice.
GRAPEFRUIT JUICE????
Yes, grapefruit juice.

Then just to top it all off,
We played "Catch Phrase" - - -

Dots vs no dots.

It was a fabulous finish to exam week!
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And Then There Was ONE - - -

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Colts 14 - 0

Saints 13 - 1
(both photos from zimbio.com)

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages - - - I rock along on this blog for days on end scratching my head trying to be creative and come up with FUN stuff to post to keep y'all interested and coming back to "snort and spit."

And then, all of a sudden on a day like today, I have so much to post that I don't know where to begin!!!!

So, I began with a little bragging about our Indiana pride and joy - - - the Colts.

But hang on all you football challenged bloggers - - - come back again soon - - - for I have TONS of stuff up my sleeve and a HUGE big ole spoon in my hand, and I'm about to STIR IT UP!!!!

Wink Wink
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A Sunday Rerun of a Christmas Card

Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting Sunday Favorites.

"My Christmas Card to You"
(First posted 12/18/2006)

Light the lights, Trim the tree--
Hang the wreath for all to see.

Christmas comes but once a year,
Makes me want to stand and cheer:

"Hooray for stockings in a row!"
"Hooray for windows all a-glow!"

And when the Day has come and gone,
College football bowls will have JUST BEGUN!!!!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!

Love,

Fisherhubby & Keepie DaNiece
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