Making Christmas, Part 2

I don't mean to brag, but we've gotten a zillion Christmas cards this year. I also SENT some Christmas cards this year -- I think that's the key. This is just a sampling:

We get cards!

Next year maybe I'll have to get one of those Christmas card trees!

This Christmas I've gotten loads of Christmas style decoration cheer. Notably in the ornament department.

Sam's mom got us this one:

Old World Pumpkin.

So appropriate! We were married on Halloween, and I love Autumn, so it's only fitting we have a pumpkin ornament on our tree.

My Aunt Laura gave me two new ornaments:

The Horse.

This to commemorate my enduring love of horses. It was also crafted by Wayan, and a portion of the purchase goes to a nonprofit.

The Cat.

This I feel commemorates my cat-centric job. Plus, I love how this cat is painted -- orange with green circles.

I also stole some ornaments from my mother's collection. Okay, so stealing isn't the right word. I got these passed down to me ;)

Star Trek Starcraft. Don't be jealous of my nerdiness.

The Sleeping Squirrel. My favorite ornament as a child.

The Peppermint Unicorn. Adorable!

I was also super excited to recieve TWO nativity sets this year. I have previously had NO nativity scene to display, so this was a real treat.

This set was given to me by Sam's mom:

Fontanini.

The figures are very realistic in the sense that they look like people and animals. Detailed features, clothes, and so on. I got a stable, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, manager, and two dogs. The dogs are for Locksley :) and the tradition is to keep Jesus hidden and ONLY place him in the manger Christmas Day. Like magic. This set is soft and probably unbreakable! I also hear it has loads of other figures available -- notably, all sorts of animals.

This set was given to me by my mom:

Willow Tree.

It was on my wish list :) They're made of wood, I think, and are far more abstract. It's definitely more arty looking, and even though there aren't any features on these faces they are still very expressive.

I love that both of these nativity scenes are distinct and lovely. I can't wait to display them--and all of my new found Christmas decorations--year after year.

Yule Log

Nothin' better than sitting inside some cold winter's day with the Christmas Tree twinkling, the Yule Log channel a' glowing, and presents wrapped. Cracking and eating mixed nuts for old times sake!

Gingerbreading

Are you ready for some pretty epic Gingerbreading? Thanks to Molly, tonight was filled with the triumphs and hilarious failures of making Gingerbread houses.

The mood was set with a laptop cranking Christmas Music, ready with Gingerbread icing recipes, and Christmas themed movies playing in the background.


There was also the exciting privilege of seeing, in its natural habitat, Molly's Ridiculous Cabinet Handles.

(and creepy knife set)

Step one was making the icing, using our handy recipe. Four egg whites, Four cups of Confectioner's Sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat until firm!

...or beat until it resembles a Jackson Pollock.

Step two was copious amounts of candy. Which we had IN SPADES.


And the Gingerbreading commenced! It was hard work.


Emily's Creation:

Starting out with a solid foundation.

A roof! And a peppermint ribbon chimney.

The roof is amazing! Post modern!

Also, did you know a hippo lives here?

Also living here: a pirate gingerbread man and his friend.

My Creation:

It was super promising... but then..

NooOOoOOo!!!

Maybe it just wanted to be a big cat zoo exhibit?

I salvaged it into a house -- with a Locksley Dog, poopin on the roof.

Molly's Creation:

Solid foundations -- with a cyclops gingerbread man supervising.

The roof -- steady as she goes!

The cyclops, tearing the roof from the house, to access the people inside.
RUN FOR YOUR LiIiIIife!

A near tragedy -- the walls start to slip!

But an epic recovery! The cyclops carnage is complete with the house on "flames"!

As you can probably tell, Gingerbreading was a success.

Making Christmas

When it comes to holidays, my heart belongs to Halloween. I was married on Halloween, for pete sake. But for the first year ever, I'm actually getting kind of excited about Christmas. Starting out, I was a little worried about this blossoming Christmas Holiday relationship. I didn't have any decorations, after all. And the few that I bought looked a little silly amongst all the deer skulls, black furniture, and orange accents.

But it's okay! I think it's starting to look like a legitimate Christmas.

Smells like a pine tree! Okay, no it doesn't. Faaaake!

I know it's leaning. SO WHAT.

Our star, and a "My First Christmas" ornament with our smoochy faces. (Thanks mom)

Dorsia isn't sure what to make of the tree.

This is Dorsia's ornament.

This is Locksley's ornament.

Snowflake!

Sam's armadillo.

Purple glass owl, and vintage glass mushroom. (thanks Lore)

The red nutcracker. (Thanks Allison)

The blue nutcracker. (What? I like nutcrackers, okay?)

The fox.

I was super organized this year and have nearly everyone's present wrapped and ready. If I get them mailed on time it will be a Christmas miracle.

Krampusnacht

Just when you thought Halloween was over -- Krampusnacht is here!

The Krampus is an entity celebrated in central Europe (though primarily in Austria) who comes around on December 5th as a minion of Santa to torment children who have been naughty for the last year.

Read more about Krampusnacht.





On Krampusnacht young men dress up as the Krampus, creating their own wooden masks and costumes. They then rampage the streets with switches and chains, terrifying observers.




Pretty impressive, right? Who knew Christmas could be so sinister...

Pony Blankets

Thanks to the sudden onset of winter with extremely chilly temperatures, the horses at HorseNet Horse Rescue had to be blanketed. Some of them -- like my favorite, Gobie -- didn't need a blanket because they are healthy enough, and already super furry. But many of the rescue horses needed blankets because they didn't have their own furry warmth, or were sick, or skinny, or old.

But that meant we got to groom the horses, and fit them with blankets.

Robey wanted some attention, too. But he didn't need a blanket.

He was extremely nosy about the grooming box.

The girls, grooming one of the horses.

Everyone on the hill, some with blankets, some without. All happy!

It was a pretty mellow day at the horse barn. Maybe it was because it was so cold. Or maybe it's because they know Christmas is coming.

Sleeping and soaking up the sun.

I wonder if Santa will leave treats for the horses in these stockings?

Happy Holidays!