Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject: Christmas in My Heart and Home
Christmas is my favorite holiday of the entire year.
The main reason I love Christmas is because it celebrates the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a joyous time in the lives of my family members. In future posts I may recall some of my family memories and put them into words to share with everyone, but for now I will post some of the pictures I took this past Christmas.
I have always had a wonderful time decorating for Christmas. My chosen theme has always been an "Old Fashioned Christmas".
Last edited by God's Warrior on Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
We have always cut our own cedar trees in the woods and decorated them in very old fashioned ways. That is the kind of tree we had at home when I was growing up and I have continued that tradition to this day. The smell of the tree in the house always brings wonderful memories of past Christmases that come streaming back into my thoughts.
My older sister, Bobbie, pictured here, taught me how to decorate our tree when I was very young.
Click to see full size image
She was a real stickler for having the shiny icicles hung straight just like they would hang outside if they were real. She always comes from Houston to visit us each Christmas and we decorate the tree together. (That is one of my favorite things that we do each year.) We still make sure that the icicles hang straight as an arrow... for the first day at least. After people throw the ones that fall to the floor back on, they become rather clumped but that is part of the fun. Almost anyone bending down to get something from under the tree will wind up with icicles in their hair or on their backs.
Last edited by God's Warrior on Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:25 pm; edited 3 times in total
My dear husband is the "tree gatherer" in the family. We have trees that vary in size from year to year. Sometimes they are quite tall and big around. Other years they are about the size of the one in the picture. The huge trees have to be put in a room other than the room in the picture. That room has a very tall ceiling and often the trees reach all the way to the ceiling. Whatever size tree the "tree gatherer" brings home is the one we use and are thrilled to decorate. We did find that we were better able to gather around that tree and actually see everyone better than we had been in the past with really big trees. I have pretty much concluded that it is easier to deal with a reasonably sized tree also. Of course, what I think this year won't have anything to do with what I will want next year. Hey! I am a woman, so that is ok!
When my husband and I first married my mother gave us an angel to put on the top of our tree. My precious little plastic angel has always graced the top of each and every one of our trees. She perches there each year and reminds me of my beloved mother who loved Christmas so very much and taught her children to love it as much as she did. She has been gone from this earth and has been in heaven for many years. She died at age 52 of breast cancer but her memories linger on in the traditions that my family has kept through the years that were a part of my childhood.
P.S. - The angel is now 54 years old. She has held up quite well, don't you think? (Lots better than i have. )
Click to see full size image
Last edited by God's Warrior on Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:24 pm; edited 1 time in total
When they were still living at home, my two daughters and I used to create a lot of craft items. We loved to make and sell various "soft" crafts and also enjoyed making lots of our own Christmas ornaments and decorations. Some of the things we made have become outdated and were consequently discarded. Others have been sold, thrown away or given away. I will show you a few of the ones that I still have and use every Christmas.
This picture (showing my two daughters) was taken in my home this past Christmas. That is Lynn on the right in the green shirt and Annette in the middle. The cute guy is Annette's hubby.
Click to see full size image
Last edited by God's Warrior on Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:29 pm; edited 2 times in total
This is a "Skinny" Santa that I saw in a picture. I copied it just by using my imagination.
Click to see full size image
His head and torso are made in one piece of unbleached domestic. The face is lightly dabbed with rouge or acrylic paints that have been almost all dabbed off the dry brush. The features are made with acrylic paints. The brown legs (husband's old sock) and green arms are sewn on separately. His black belt is just a black fabric band tied at his side. The bag is burlap stuffed with fiberfill. Lots of materials can be used for the hair. I used a wool looking - backed fabric from the fabric store. His robe and hat are made from red cotton fabric. I put a white pom-pom on the tip of the hat. I didn't hem the robe but did turn under the edges on the sleeves. I also turned under the neck area and the hat edges.
I made these little cats using the same simple pattern for each.
They hang on the tree every year. They can be made out of many different fabrics and decorated many different ways.
Click to see full size image
Click to see full size image
My daughter, Lynn, made the little baskets filled with hemlock cones. She made, sold and gave away many of them years ago. The ribbon on the basket is red velvet. I still put several of them on the tree each year.
I made this small bell wreath. It hangs on the doorknob by a red ribbon that I tie in a bow around the knob. That way it jingles when the door opens and closes. I just gathered the bells on a med. weight wire. The bow is tiny satin ribbon.
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