tales and a giveaway

Okay, here we go... I've been making more ornaments, and duplicates of these are here for you. Yes, that over-hyped giveaway is finally here folks...

So four handmade recylced, upcycled, sweet, sweater ornies could be yours-- for a comment:) How about your favorite or worst holiday story if you've got one too-- please do tell. Inquiring minds want to know;) Or just stop and say "hi!"

*****

So here's my Christmas tree decorating horror story: Christmas 1992. We had just moved back to Utah from a three-year Air Force stint in England. Mike had decided to take the Air Force early out option available at this time, and so we were able to settle down and buy our first home that October. We were excited to celebrate the holidays in our hew home as civilians. We had also promised the kids a dog after the move and house-buying. And so we did. We found a darling, young, spotted black and white shitzu mix at the pound. Ainsley instantly named her Spotley: in honor of herself-- Ains-ley, Spot-ley. (Because we are narcissistic like that sometimes.) Cute dog, cute house, cute kids. Christmas time. Life was sweet.

There was only one problem in the happy holiday homecoming story... I needed to have a painful, heel/bone spur removed before our military benefits ran out. Two days before Thanksgiving, I went in for the surgery. Two hours later, I woke up with a full cast (just below the knee) on my right leg. No one had told me any casts would be involved. No one?!! I was then told I would be in that cast for six weeks. I was an angry woman when I left the hospital... It was Christmas time, I had a seven-year old and an eighteen-month old baby, a new dog, and shopping to do. I couldn't drive. I couldn't walk. I had crutches. (There was no Amazon computer shopping back then.) It was icy outside. I had two pairs of sweat pants to wear for six weeks; jeans wouldn't go over my cast. I became an angrier woman in a hot pink sweatsuit. I looked ridiculous. Poor Mike.

Three weeks into cast wearing, it was time to get a new cast. The orthopedic tech asked if I wanted a colored cast this time. I somewhat sarcastically replied: ya, why don't you alternate the red and white cloth strips and make it look like a candy cane for Christmas... He did. Now I was an angry woman in a hot pink sweat suit with a candy cane cast on my right leg. And crutches. And Christmas fast approaching...

I think I'm making a long story longer here... Okay, onto tree decorating... Before my surgery, I made sure to bake dozens of our traditional gingerbread ornaments for the Christmas tree.  Four weeks in a cast had also made me a determined woman on crutches. I hobbled and hopped around the tree decorating the night away. I meticulously hung all those tucked-away gingerbread ornaments too. The tree was beautiful, and it was midnight. I hobbled to bed.

In the morning, I did my skip/hop/hobble downstairs to find a COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED Christmas tree. Almost every single ribbon hanger was empty of gingerbread ornaments. THE DOG HAD EATEN THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!! I learned that the cute new dog was apparantly part kangaroo, and could jump really high; while simultaneously eating gingerbread cookies. It never crossed my mind that I had made a tree bakery for the dog! (I grew up without a dog in the house.) I sat on the stairs and cried. After a really good feel-sorry-for-myself cry, I pulled everything off the tree and started over, minus gingerbread ornaments. I have never baked gingerbread cookies for a tree since, and I probably never will. As long as we have a dog in the house, anyways. Sheesh.

******* 

So tell us your stories-- good or bad about the holidays! And since you've stayed with me to the end of a post that was preeetty long, here's a little something extra.

 I've been making wreath brooches for my charity boutique this week.

They remind me of my grandmothers' and great aunts' pretty Christmas brooches. 

 
  

They're super simple to make. I'll post how-to's for sure next time:) 

And I'll leave this post up till Tuesday, Nov. 10th. Then we'll do a random draw. So pretty please... leave a comment or a story, I'd love to hear the tales!! xoxoKelly

P.S. If you are a local-- the MOTHERS WITHOUT BORDERS charity bazaar is this Friday and Saturday In Layton and Lehi, Utah. See above for details, and come if you can! 

Comments

[No.17CherryTreeLane]

My best Christmas memory is our first Christmas after we were married. There was a HUGE family fight after Thanksgiving and the family was divided. Because of it, my brother had to move out and moved in with us and lived with us on Christmas. It was a sad, but wonderful Christmas that lead to my very strong relationship with my brother. Now, every year, no matter what, my brother comes over on Christmas morning and eats with Sean and I. 7 years and counting.

Love you!!

[Laurie]

I love Christmas every year it is a little crazy alot of running around because we go to three different houses in order to get everybody in but it is so good to see all the family and get together. At least we are all in the same state and the few that are not always fly in. This year will be extra special because my grandson just turned 2 and I can't wait to see the look on his face Christmas morning. Thanks for the giveaway and hope your holidays are wonderful.

[robin(rsislandcrafts)]

Love your ornaments! When we had cats there was always a tree disaster with them. They loved to climb the tree or bat the ornaments. We would wake up to a big crash until we tied the tree to the wall. In the morning there would be ornaments all over the floor.

[cindy geilmann]

32 years ago I had given birth to a little girl who had to be put on life support. Several holes in her heart, tracia hooked to the wrong place, esophogus hooked to the wrong place. Many proplems She was at Primary Childrens Hospital in intensive care during Christmas.

We had 2 other children and I don't think I had done anything for them. Not even a tree.

The door bell rang on Christmas
Eve. No one was there, just 3 big boxes. We pulled them in, a turky, dressing, yams, potatoes, rolls, pie - stockings filled with candy. Presents for everyone, and toys for the children, and notes of promished baby sitting and service. My heart began crying and tears covered my face. I had no idea people could be so kind.

My children had a christmas after all. Thank you for letting me share and for putting me in your drawing.

cindy@stitches

[Robyn]

I can't think of too many "extra" special ones because I love Christmas and I have seen so many miracles happen. Last year we were tight on money and three times we came home to gifts on our doorstep. There were so many that this year I only have to buy 3 gifts- and I have 3 kids! And they are each getting at least 6 gifts. Miracles do happen!

[Jeni]

Your Christmas story had me rolling with laughter. Thanks! I really needed that after a full day of painting.

Love your designs!

[Julie]

I felt your pain as you described your tree void of cookies....I decorated a tree entirely with frosted cookie ornaments one year. It took a ton of time, and days later, I think the cookies shrank because the hard royal icing just fell off of the cookies in chunks. It was a mess and I had to refrost every single cookie.

[traci]

oh my gosh kelly. i am laughing so hard. that was not your best christmas i take it, but it does make for a great story. i can not even touch that one.

but on the dog naming tangent. karlie's middle name is Rae. so, every dog we've ever had has been given the same middle name. and she uses it all the time...buddy rae, luke rae, bow rae.

have a great day!!

[Jayne]

My story is really about our upcoming xmas. When I was a kid I lived with just my mother, me and my mother always. We lived in the mountains in upstate NY and it was COLD and every xmas our pipes froze and we ate pb&j sandwiches on the couch under blankets and opened presents from my far away grandfather. It was not fun! So, after dh and I had our first son, there was nothing that I wanted more than a full house for xmas, which pretty much meant having more kids since our families are small and far away now. So we started working on number two when our first was only six months old. And we worked at it and we worked at it an nothing happened, for a long, long time and it was terrible and then we started having proceedures... and after 4 1/2 years I got pregnant and our new little one will be ten months old at Christmas this year. And he's got such a huge and joyous personality that it feels like there are ten people in the room when he's here! lol He's just what we needed! And I think the four of us are going to have great Christmases together! And now we have gotten news that there is a cousin in the works, after all, who will be about a year younger than our baby, so future xmases may be very lively, indeed.

[Deb]

These are the stories that make for wonderful Christmas day "remember when" stories around the table :-) We love to pull out all the old Christmas tapes ~ we always end up crying with laughter! One I remember in particular was when my daughter was 7, my son 2, both sitting amongst a pile of wrapping paper, heads barely visible and my daughter looked at her brother and said "Santa didn't bring us much this year" as she flattened out the paper in order to SEE his face :-)Love the felt ornaments and sweet little wreath pin Kelly!

[Mary]

I love your Christmas ornaments...found them via Flickr. Wish I had a funny Christmas story to share but can't think of anything--too sleep deprived from young children! :-)

[Cindy]

ohmygosh...rofl...I know it was not funny to you at the time...but now...LOL...too great! Seriously, they put a candy cane striped cast on you? LOL. ohmgosh...great story!!!!!

-c

[Quick Shelf Hangers Affordable Overhead Basement Garage Shelving Storage]

Quick Shelf Hangers Affordable Overhead Basement Garage Shelving Storage,basement storage,shelf hangers,hung shelving,storage capacity

[Kaye Prince]

I don't think I have any crazy Christmas stories to share. The only Christmas story that pops into my mind right now is from a couple of years ago: my Mum and I made an entire pitcher of martinis (I think it was grapefruit vodka with grapefruit juice) on Christmas Eve, but we didn't drink it all. The next morning I woke up at about 7am to find my Mother in the living room sipping from a large glass of martini. I thought it was pretty funny that she was drinking that early in the day, but then I said "what the heck" and grabbed myself a glass too. It was pretty refreshing actually.

Not a great story, I know, but it's one of those things I always remember when thinking about Christmas.

[Maria]

Your Christmas story was hilarious! The dog eating the ornaments! I can't picture a zhisu (sp?) jumping up and grabbing those from the tree, but maybe they turn super doggy at night... ;) I don't have any horror Christmas or extra special stories to tell; just following your blog post because they are sweet and fun.