More Nuts to Share!

I've been shirking my duties here on my blog, not that anyone is paying attention anyway. One other nuthead is for sure! I had promised some nut ornaments and here they are!
The first two I found in a local thrift shop. I can't tell you the joy these little buggers give me. First that someone would go to all of the trouble of making such tiny ornaments in the first place and second because they rarely cost more than a quarter!
Not a creature was stirring......



The next one I must apologize for the picture quality. I tried and tried, but I do love this little nut shell full of yarn balls and knitting needles!



And last, but by no means least, is one of my very favorites! I found 2 of them in Portland when I was there, so Linda got one and I got one. Can you believe the Nativity made of peanuts? And Jesus in a nutshell with a popsicle stick creche. I love the child-like simplicity of it. So endearing.

Another Treasure to Share

When I was out looking for that illusive teapot, I happened across this adorable little tea cozy. I originally bought it for resale, but when I put it on my little 3-cup tea pot, how could I resell her? She was a steal at $3.00, don't you think? I guess the lack of desire to take tea in this area has its benefits!

And Another Nuthead Joins the Family!

So it's a week before everything needs to be done here and I decide to go shopping. Not that there's not a ton to do here. Oh, there's plenty. No tree up, no decorations. Walk away from it all and go on a treasure hunt. I really only had one specific thing in mind today and that was a Christmas teapot. I got this wild, hair-brained idea and went on a search. I didn't want to waste my whole day, but wound up wasting a good part of it. Nix the idea. It's not flowing.
But do you want to see what I did find?
Yup! She's a nuthead! Pecan to be exact! He arms and legs/shoes are raisins and prunes! Crazy, but at $4.50 I had to have her! I couldn't just let her sit in that big mall all alone. She came home to join the rest of the nutheads here. Did I tell you I am the Queen?

As I had promised, this is another nuthead ornament I found at the bins when I was visiting Linda! We walked in and there was a Christmas tree set up and the first thing I saw in the whole warehouse of bins is this crazy little nuthead/pinecone ornament! I had to have it! Such fun. It is shown in this picture hanging from a peg on one of Linda's shelves. The square wooden thing around it is not part of it.

St. Nicholas Day

My family traditions did not include St. Nicholas Day. Our Dutch neighbors, however did so quietly. As kids we never knew they put their wooden shoes out for Sinterklaas to fill. Santa came to our house, but on Christmas Eve. I don't remember it being a competition or even comparing notes of who received what. We celebrated quietly amongst ourselves.
It wasn't until I joined the Take Peace list, a group of like-minded folk who all admire Tasha Tudor, that I really discovered Dec. 6. We have an ornament exchange each year and have tea and a treat to celebrate the beginning of Christmas. This year the theme was anything from a Tasha book, so that left the field wide open.
Melinda had my name and she admitted she forgot about the theme, but I think it fits in perfectly with all of the lovely borders Tasha is so well-known for in her books. Melinda volunteers at the Tasha Tudor museum, so I was gifted with a couple of wonderful items from there as well.



You can't quite see the TINY glass mouse coming out of the box. I thought I had gotten a good close-up, but I apparently deleted the wrong photo.
The itty-bitty cross stitched Noel and stocking are for Annabell. I can't get over the tiny perfectness of them. Thank you, Melinda!

I had Kristen's name and as soon as Suzanne mentioned a theme, I knew exactly what I was going to make. I had started this project a while back with good intentions, but as I often do, it was set aside. Timing is everything and I was able to go right to this project, add some details and get this little fella in the mail! I wrote to Kristen that she may well have the ugliest ornament of the exchange and on her tree, but one must know Tasha Tudors work to know what he is!




Wilhelmina wrote to the list that being a part of this makes her feel like a kid again! She nailed that one. Thank-you Kindred Spirits!