♪♫ Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree... ♪♫

A symbol of both Christmas and Yule, Christian and Pagan tradition, of what we hold dear throughout the year...a place to display treasured holiday memories - and like a snowflake, no two are exactly alike! Each year, the tree trimming tradition unfolds just a little differently, ornaments hung and garland strung in a new way; familiar, yet unique to that particular year...

Yesterday found us trimming our own tree. Lights...


Ornaments...

And finally, beaded garland...

Unwrapping and hanging the ornaments always brings back memories, and at the same time feels a bit like a new discovery. The "Cup of Christmas Tea" ornament, a gift from my Mother one year, with the book of the same name...


The woodland gnomes (elves?) and the tiny wood burned stag ornament, a gift from an artist friend...



The mercury glass moons, found a few years back at Strawberry and Co, a favorite downtown Lancaster shop...

The sparkling bird's nest with gilded walnut "eggs", purchased at Sheldons, a gallery where I once worked weekends...

Courtney's kindergarten milk-carton ornament...

And my own very first ornament, purchased by my parents sometime in the early 1960s...


Yes, I know, the tree is artificial - something in younger days we swore we'd never do. And it's a bit smaller than in years past, more easily manageable. As we age, we find there's a lot to be said for convenience. ;)

But large or small, real or artificial, there's that moment when it's finished, when the boxes are put away, the cocoa is made, living room lights are turned off, Christmas carols are playing, and we just sit back and enjoy...Such a priceless moment...

How about you? Do you decorate a tree? Does it hold special meaning, invoke memories of Yuletides past? Or perhaps your tradition is Chanukah, or Kwanzaa, or Ramadan, which have their own treasured symbols and memories? Please do leave a comment and share...

And finally, Happy Holidays from our house to yours! I say Happy Holidays, knowing full well it rattles those who feel "Merry Christmas" has been lost. But I like "Happy Holidays" just fine - it says whatever holiday you observe, whatever beliefs and traditions you hold dear, I wish you a blessed and merry time of it!

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

Hand Made Holiday Ideas - and a Kahlua Recipe

2011 being our fifth year of a largely hand made Christmas, I'm building quite a store of easy-peasy, make-at-home (or in some cases on the go) gifts for friends and family.

Here's the first one completed this year, a winter scarf (which still needs blocking, thus the slight wonkiness, hehe) knitted from Caron Dazzleaire...

Other projects this year include some small counted cross-stitch pieces, boxes of springerle cookies (check out my favorite stag mold below), and of course home made Kahlua (which I'll get to in a minute!)

Have someone on your list who's short on time to cook? Soup mixes are a great idea - layer beans and spices in an attractive jar, tie a ribbon around it with a recipe, and instant (well, OK almost instant, it does have to cook) dinner. This works well with cookie mixes too. :)

Another idea is scented trivets. Instructions are easy to find online, but it basically involves sewing together two pieces of cotton fabric in such a way as to create strips, or pockets, filling with a mixture of rice and spices, then sewing up the last edge. These smell soooooo good when you place a hot dish or teapot on top.

Remember old fashioned pomanders? They make wonderful gifts - oranges and apples studded with cloves. My grandmother always had a couple tucked away in her linen closet.

How about coupons - for babysitting, for car washing, for house cleaning? When my daughter was little, an evening out with hubby was soooooo appreciated, as was any help I could get with the house.

One year my husband - a musician - composed a song for me and recorded it. It was a beautiful acoustic guitar piece, which I still treasure.

Sooooo many ideas....

Including, as promised, this one. My homemade kahlua recipe. Delicious, and fun to collect the bottles and make homemade labels too. I use old vinegar bottles (thoroughly washed of course), old maple syrup bottles, old screw-top wine or liquor bottles, etc. Here's the recipe (can be doubled or tripled):

3 c. sugar
3 c. water
3 Tbsp. instant coffee (not freeze dried)
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 quart vodka

Simmer water, sugar and coffee for 1 hour, being careful not to let it boil. Cool, then add the rest. Pour into bottles, dividing the vanilla bean as best you can. Keeps for several weeks.

Enjoy!

Do you have favorite handmade gifts? Please share...

And with the time we're not spending at the mall, let's make time to enjoy the season; mix up some old fashioned cocoa, pop some popcorn, watch an old movie...make snow angels if you're blessed with snow, make cookies with your kids, cuddle your furkids (or if you have room, adopt another), sing carols, host a holiday potluck, visit friends and loved ones, and tell them how much they're loved and appreciated.

Wishing you all the blessings of this most *magical* season!

♥ Carolee

A Fairfax Preview

It's deja vu all over again, as I return to my crafty roots and spend next weekend personalizing welcome signs at the Holiday Craft Show in Fairfax, VA...

I look forward to meeting old friends and new (always the best part of any show), but for those who live too far, or can't make, it, I'm offering just a few of these personalized signs (only 2 of each design available) at the craft show price of $35 + shipping, this weekend only.

Designs include grapevine wreaths on a sage green or ivory background...

Mailbox signs in forest green or cranberry (fun, because you can also add first names)...

And two different snowmen...

The lettering shown here is just a sample of what the finished piece might look like, so if you'd like to claim one of more of these, shoot me an email at carolee@kingofmice.com with your location, and what you'd like the sign to say. :)

It's very late here, and we have a busy day tomorrow, so I'm calling it a night now. But I'll be back first thing in the morning to respond to emails and such.

Thanks for taking a peek!
Back very soon....

♥ Carolee
11:20 AM Sunday, ETA: The signs are now on their way to Virginia, but can still be purchased and personalized, with shipping sometime the week prior to Thanksgiving. :)

An Ode to Collectors - Thank You for Buying Handmade!

As the holidays approach, and the creative season gets busier and busier, it's important for artists to take a breath, and pause long enough to express our gratitude to those of you who enable us to Do What We Do.

So this post is for collectors.

Every time you make a purchase from an individual artist or crafter, you're buying something infused with love and care. You're choosing a one of a kind treasure made from the heart, something mindfully created, something personal and meaningful. You're helping an artist live their dream, and you're helping to support an individual rather than a large corporation.

You're celebrating creativity, and you're supporting an economic model that rewards imagination, initiative, hard work, and self reliance. And you're making a direct connection with an individual, the way purchases and transactions used to be made. You're enabling someone's vision to become a reality, and that's priceless.

So THANK YOU to all the collectors, and art supporters. And THANK YOU to all of you who are buying handmade this holiday season. As an artist, I appreciate it more than words can say. It warms my heart, and I am truly blessed to know each and every one of you.

Much love,
♥ Carolee

A Home Made, Hand Made Holiday Here!

Warning: Stepping up on my annual soapbox...

By now, most of us in the blogging world have seen this badge, proclaiming a commitment to purchase handmade goods.


But how many of us really take it to heart?

Sure, we agree with supporting the handmade movement in principle - but will our friends and family (especially the younger ones) understand and appreciate it? And if they don't, is it our job to indulge their sometimes extravagant wish-lists? Is it our job to put our dollars to work for corporations instead of individuals?

I'm writing this as someone who has admittedly by necessity as much as choice, had to seriously cut back on gift giving the last several years. My husband's two open heart surgeries and subsequent cancer diagnosis, along with my own self-employment in a slow economy, have meant a fairly drastic income cut in our household, so we've had to get creative with gifts; tins of homemade cookies, soup mix in a jar, bottles of home made kahlua with illustrated labels, knitted scarves and shawls, felted purses and totes, painted pottery and treasure boxes, ornaments, and even recorded guitar compositions make up our gift-giving.

This year will be no exception, and while finding the time to create all these gifts is a challenge, I no longer struggle with whether they're appropriate or well received, and in fact, like it better this way, and find more meaning in the holidays as a result. Handmade gifts are filled with love and attention, with time and thought, and give me the warm fuzzies in a way a new sweater or bottle of perfume just can't.

Besides, a gift is just that - a gift; that which is given freely - and with love, not expectation.

Here are a couple I made last year, the top of an ornament chest for my sister, and a scarf and reader's wrap knitted for my niece and Mom respectively...



All of this said, what to do if you're not one of those people who's handy with a paintbrush or needle and thread? If you don't knit or crochet, and aren't Martha or Rachael in the kitchen?

Consider buying gifts from Etsy, eBay or other handmade marketplaces (of which there are no shortage, both online and in our communities!) Put your dollars back into the local economy, in the hands of artists and artisans, rather than in the pockets of department stores and mega-marts. I'm pretty sure their executives have large enough holiday bonuses without boosting the profit margin further.

But the single Mom who works a full time job and spends her evenings making jewelry, for instance, or the student who's supporting herself by sewing, the artist trying to feed his or her family, the retired couple needing to supplement their small income with a little woodworking business; these are the people who could use a bonus this year, and the people who will most appreciate our patronage.

I don't want this to sound like a lecture, and truly realize we all do what we can do. And however you celebrate Christmas or Yule or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, whatever you give and however you spend, I wish you a joyous time of it! I just thought I'd throw this out there as a gentle (I hope, hehe) reminder that there are alternatives to the mall. ;)

Blessings,
♥ Carolee