New Years Eve and 6 Days of Creation~

Happy New Year! I started my blog at Thanksgiving in 2010, so this is the first full year I have been posting and sharing my creations, teatimes, & family life. I have 'met' many talented, creative, and caring women and enjoyed glimpses into your lives. I hope the year ahead fills your heart to the brim with precious times and wonderful memories~ Here are a few photos from this past year of blogging:

                                                                                                             

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days between Christmas Day and Epiphany (January 6), and represent the length of time that the Three Wisemen took to reach the manger in Bethlehem.

The Six Geese-A-Laying represent the Six Days of Creation.
The "true love" in the song refers to God Himself. And the "me" receiving the gifts is every Christian.

What are your plans for 2012? Do you make Resolutions? I do not make resolutions at the New Year...just a personal idiosyncrasy! I'd rather form goals and plans on my birthday, or when the mood strikes me.

Five Golden Rings ....necked pheasants?

Well, we may never get to the bottom of this 12 Day Of Christmas song...some sources say it is a catechism carol, others say it was originally a French forfeits/memory game! I bet you think of jewelry when it comes to the 'five gold(en) rings', eh?

But some sources state that the five gold rings refer to five golden Ring Necked Pheasants! Charity Suthard writes,

"And on the fifth day, five golden rings. Finally, a gift that's not a bird, right? Wrong! The fifth day is not referring to the finger-adorning jewelry, but rather, to another type of bird, either the ring-necked pheasant or the goldspinks which is an old name for goldfinches. Even though, the song originated as five gold rings, it is often sung as five golden rings, because it flows better. In the religious aspect of the song, the five gold rings represent the Pentateuch which is first five books of the Bible's Old Testament also known as the Hebrew scriptures."

Ring Necked Pheasants or five gold bands, it is still a nice day leading to New Years Eve... and then eventually to January 6 which is Epiphany. And, it also gives us singers a chance to catch our breath!! ('five golden riiiiings!' Inhale! lol)

I had to chuckle when I read a blog post by BJ. She said her house is clean as a whistle and all the Christmas decor is packed away until next year....and it is still December! Wow, you go, girl! However, we have a tradition to keep Christmas decor out until Epiphany, the 12th Day Of Christmas. It is somebody's birthday here, and the grand finale of the Christmas season for us.

I made a New Years' card  today and couldn't keep away from my tea themed stamps~

I used~

• Martha Stewart corner/edge punches
• green Bazzill cardstock
• Stampin Up teacup
• white ribbon, inked pink
• Distress Inks
• black and white bakery string

Fourth Day Of Christmas~ 4 Collie Birds!

 

The fourth Day Of Christmas~ Happy birthday to my friend Karen in Mississippi! Have a big cuppa and enjoy your day.... I am thinking of you 'Anne girl'.

Most resources say that the 4th Day of Christmas refers to the Four Gospels Of  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The 12 Days of Christmas is a catechism carol written when Catholics were persecuted in England centuries ago. Doing a bit of research on 'Calling birds' I came across a blog that stated "...four calling birds is actually a corruption of the English word colly or collie. So, the song is referring to four colly birds. 

What is a colly bird? It is a black bird. In England a coal mine is called a colliery and colly/collie is a derivation of this and means black like coal. For a long time in England, blackbirds have been referred to as both blackbirds (as in the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence) and colly birds as in The Twelve Days of Christmas. Today many published versions of the song in the U.S. and Australia give the birds' name as calling birds rather than collie birds. Blackbirds were plentiful and were a common food.
From the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence we see them being served in a meat pie, and this may have been the way they were commonly served."

And though there are not Colly birds on our sweet Winter fountain, I love having it out and hearing the tinkle of water from it. I found this battery operated (no cord!) tabletop fountain at TJMaxx a few years ago. I was surprised to discover it is sound activated, so it runs for a bit, then stops. When there is a noise in the kitchen it turns on again! I came downstairs one night to find our kitty dipping her paw delicately into the water for a sip. That solved the mystery as to why the water was low each morning! lol

Here is the reverse side~

It says "Have a Wonderful Winterwood Season".

Whatever birds are in your neighborhood, I hope you have a 'wonderful winterwood season'! 

Nice surprise...I won!

The Altered Alice Challenge blog had an Alice In Wonderland Christmas greeting challenge in the month of December. Here is the card I entered~

I am so happy that I won, but you should check out the blog to see the other entries...a nice variety! Thanks, Lynne, for the opportunity to win a Custom Crops credit and giving me the nudge to create despite the 'have to do's' on my list. It is always great to take out some time to nurture one's crafty side!

Three French Hens~ 3rd Day of Christmas

I had one of those rare nights when you just lie awake knowing the dark is ticking away and you are trying to fall asleep. I got up and drank warm milk, which was good but did not have the desired soporific effect. Oh well, I got to see the sunrise and was actually up before my sweet hubby! lol (that is really rare!)~ Ran some errands, got groceries and stopped by Michaels to get a nose for Herr Nutcracker. Remember the Advent Nutcracker I got for a steal yesterday? Check out the 'before and after'; look at his nose...or lack of... won't pass muster here~

And now with his new nose he passes inspection!

My husband sanded one side of a wooden bead and I painted it with Adirondack Paint Dabbers in a mixture of white, brown and rose. Sehr gut!

Today is the Third Day Of Christmas, which means we sing about French Hens. Why?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote The 12 Days of Christmas carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. One belief is that three French hens represent faith, hope and charity. Some also believe the hens represent the three wise men or the Trinity. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh is another explanation, since like French hens, they were very costly during the 16^th century.

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Here is a quick card I made using an Inkadinkadoo Mad Hatter stamp and a Stampin' Up teacup stamp~

I used;

• vintage book page, stamped with music score
• sheer ribbon and bakery string
• brads
• Bazzill cardstock
• houndstooth cardstock
• Distress Inks
• Foam dots to mount teacup
• Recollections mini rose, inked
• Zig H2O pen to color teacup and Mad Hatter

I am sharing this with~
Uncommonly Yours link party

Second Day of Christmas...Boxing Day~

I hope you had a lovely Christmas! Today is the second Day of Christmas; 'Turtle Dove' Day and Boxing Day.

I did a bit of research to find out the origins of  Boxing Day but it seems nobody is quite sure of the actual beginnings. Some think it had to do with alms boxes in churches that were opened the day after Christmas and the contents distributed to the poor. One online source states, "The day after Christmas was the traditional day on which the aristocracy distributed presents (boxes) to servants. Both the church boxes and the servant presents existed, although historians disagree on which practice inspired the holiday. But Boxing Day's origins aren't especially important to modern-day Brits. Today's Boxing Day festivities have very little to do with charity. Instead, they revolve around food, soccer, visits from friends, and drinking at the pub. Boxing Day has been a national holiday in England, Wales, Ireland and Canada since 1871. The Irish refer to the holiday as St. Stephen's Day, also known as Wren Day. The Bahamas celebrate Boxing Day with a street parade and festival called Junkanoo, in which traditional rhythmic dancers called gombeys fill the streets with their elaborate costumes and headdresses. And there's the shopping. England and Canada's Boxing Day evolved into a major shopping event in the 1980s."

 Speaking of shopping, I took a quick trip today to look for bargains and came home with a Nutcracker Advent box to add to our collection. He is missing his nose, but that is easily remedied and garnered me an additional 20% discount on the already low Christmas clearance price!

I have a sweet little cup to share today too.

It has pink roses and tiny Hearts Ease, or Johnny Jump Ups on the saucer~

It was made in England~

              It has gold trim along the edges and handle~

There are pinks, blue, green and gold in the bouquet~

 My daughter baked up batches of Crackle-Top Molasses Cookies

from our favorite cookie recipe book...mmm, crunchy with a bit of spice!

Natalie H. Haughton filled this book with fabulous recipes that never fail to please~

I am sharing this post with:
Ruth's Antiques and Teacups

Martha's Favorites

Terri's Artful Affirmations

Rose Chintz Cottage

One More Sleep til Christmas Day!

"It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself."
Charles Dickens

Well, it is here! Christmas Eve. What will you be doing this evening? After dark we will set the paper bag luminarias outside along the curb and up the street. They give such a warm glow. As families nearby return from church or visit relatives I hope they catch a glimpse of our little 'lanterns'.

Although many people associate “luminarias” with the holiday lighting of candles placed in small, brown, sand-filled bags, luminarias first appear historically around the 16th century, as a Spanish tradition of lighting bonfires along the roads and churchyards to guide people to Midnight Mass on the final night of Las Posadas.
The night of Las Posadas (Spanish word meaning lodging or inn) is a festive celebration that was first introduced to the indigenous people of Mexico by European missionaries, and is a reenactment of the story of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem. The tradition continued into modern times—with the decoration of rooftops, walls, sidewalks and driveways of individual homes—as a way of guiding travelers to their destination.
The candlelit brown paper bags are also called "farolitos," the Spanish word for little lanterns. In the early 19th century, U.S. settlers on the Santa Fe trail brought Chinese paper lanterns to hang from their portals and light their entranceways. They were beautiful but expensive, and eventually, the paper bag version became the tradition. Today, luminarias and farolitos have become an American holiday tradition and a southwestern tradition of welcome. As well as the traditional paper bags with candles, modern day versions also include the electric luminarias or farolitos. Whatever you choose to call them, honor the history of luminarias by setting some out this Christmas and adding a new tradition to your holidays regardless of where you live.

How to make your own candle luminarias:
1) Turn down the top 1" of brown or white paper lunch bags to make a sturdy rim.
2) Place about 1" of sand or cat litter in the bottom of the bag.
3) Place a votive candle in the center of the bag (or use battery run tealights)
4) Place luminarias on sidewalk and light candles.

These would also be nice for New Years Eve! Put them on the porch to greet guests. Inside the house are all our Advent calendars, old and new~ There is a wooden house...

and paper...

and two that stand up and have mini storybooks inside...

and one Santa!

Isn't this the cutest fabric? I think I will whip up a couple of quick pillowcases with it just in time for our last sleep before Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my Followers and visitors! I look forward to sharing teatimes and stories with you and reading the lovely comments you leave here. Wishing you...

And last, but not least, I saw this on Miss Kathy's  blog and wanted to share it with you. (below) Do visit her! You will love what she has there~

Sharing this post with~

Uncommon Designs Online

Whatever You Want Wednesdays

Brambleberry Cottage