Countdown to Christmas Days 2-5

To make up for being absent to continue my countdown here's an extra long post filled with christmas myths.

Saint Nicholas was said to have several companions who helped him with various tasks on Christmas, mostly involving giving out gifts.

Belsnickle-

Belsnickel is a man wearing fur which covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a rather scary creature who visits children and delivers socks or shoes full of candy, but if the children were not good, they will find coal and/or switches in their stockings instead.

Krampus- According to legend, Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children.

Zwarte Piet-

The tasks of the Zwarte Pieten are mostly to amuse children, and to scatter pepernoten and candies for those who come to meet the saint as he visits stores, schools, and other places. Zwarte Pieten are often portrayed as mischievous but rarely mean-spirited characters.

Le Père Fouettard-

An Inn Keeper captures three boys who appear to be wealthy and on their way to enroll in a religious boarding school. Along with his wife, he kills the children in order to rob them. One gruesome version tells that they drug the children, slit their throats, cut them into pieces, and stew them in a barrel. St. Nicholas discovers the crime and resurrects the children. After this, Le Père Fouettard repents and becomes St. Nick's partner. A slightly altered version of this story claims that St. Nicholas forced Le Père Fouettard to become his assistant as a punishment for his crimes.

Knect Ruprecht-Tradition holds that he appears in homes on St. Nicholas day (December 6), and is a man with a long beard, wearing fur or covered in pea-straw. Knecht Ruprecht sometimes carries a long staff and a bag of ashes, and wears little bells on his clothes.Sometimes he rides on a white horse, and sometimes he is accompanied by fairies or men with blackened faces dressed as old women.

According to tradition, Knecht Ruprecht asks children whether they can pray. If they can, they receive apples, nuts, and gingerbread. If they cannot, he beats the children with his bag of ashes.

Countdown to Christmas Day 1

Glitter Candles

Materials and Tools:

pillar or taper candles
Candle DecoPaint (by Marvy Uchida)
ultra-fine glitter
manila folder

Steps:

1. Use the Candle DecoPaint to add Halloween-themed drawings to the pillar candles. Crazy stripes also look spooky.
2. While the candle DecoPaint is still wet, sprinkle ultra-fine glitter over areas that you wish to highlight.
3. Work over a manila folder so that you can easily funnel any stray glitter back into its canister.

Allow the candle to dry for 24 hours.

Pumpkin Party Cooler

Want your own cool pumpkin cooler? Follow these simple instructions and you can have one of your very own. :)

What you'll need:

• Pumpkin
• plastic/glass bowl ( must be slightly smaller than pumpkin)
• ice
• drinks
• pumpkin carving tools ( or whatever you use when carving)
• newspapers ( to lay down underneath your pumpkin)

Okay, let's get started.

• First take off about a quarter or so of your pumpkin off ( as shown in the picture). Now comes the icky part, scoop out all the pumpkins innards and make sure it's nice and clean inside when done!
• Now that your pumpkins nice and clean take your bowl and place inside.
• Fill with ice and your choice of drinks (I reccomend cream sodas) for a creative cooler for your party!

Spider Garland

• Cut a 5"W x 18"L strip from a 12"W x 18"L sheet of construction paper. Measure in three inches from one of the five-inch ends and mark. From there, measure and mark four more times.
• Fold paper at the first mark. Then flip over and fold again at the next mark. Keep flipping and folding, making an accordion shape.
• Print the template of your choice and cut as directed.
• Center it atop the folded paper, and trace around the shape with a pencil.
• Carefully cut out the shape, going through all the layers of folded paper, and unfold to reveal. To create a longer row, repeat steps and adhere garlands together with tacky glue.

 

Smore Pops!

So I saw a picture of these online and just had to make a small tutorial for you guys that everyone in the family can do and is easy to boot! Don't these just look delicious?

 What you'll need:

• marshmallows
• graham crackers
• kabob sticks
• chocolate ( chips, disks, whichever you prefer)
• wax paper

Okay this is a simple recipe that will take minutes to make. First boil some water and melt you some chocolate! Make sure you don't burn it by stirring constantly and it's smooth. ;)
Next skewer you some marshmallows and in a small bowl crush up some graham crackers until you've got nothing but tiny pieces and crumbs and set out some wax paper.

Now that you have all of this done let's get to the next part. Take your marshmallows and dip them in the chocolate, make sure to get them nice and covered. Make sure you let any excess chocolate drip back into your pan. Then take it and roll it in some graham crackers and set it on wax paper to cool. Rinse and repeat until you have enough. Place in the fridge to cool quicker.

And that's it, now you've got some yummy treats for that Halloween party you've been planning.

He did the Monster Mash!

Do the Trick-or-Treat!

I'm carving pumpkins
It's almost Halloween
All my friends are wondering
What they're gonna be
The monster mash is playing
You're moving to the beat
And now we're gonna teach you
To do the trick or treat


Everybody scream
Everybody scream
It's almost Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It's almost Halloween
Everybody scream


There's a devil in the corner
In candy apple red
Dressed up like a fire
Burning through my head
I got a little closer
And offered her a drink
Who took me to the graveyard
And we did the trick or treat


Everybody scream
Everybody scream
It's only Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It's only Halloween
Everybody scream


Before I learned her name
We were already asleep
When I woke up in my coffin
She was nowhere to be seen
Was it all a dream?
Who can I believe?
It can't be what it seems
It was only Halloween
What does it all mean?


Everybody scream
Everybody scream
If it's Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It was only Halloween
Everybody scream


Everybody scream
It was Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It was only Halloween
Everybody scream

I'll Put A Spell On You - Hocus Pocus

One of my all time favorite movies. I really need to rewatch this, it's been a few years. Makes me wish Disney would put some qulity into their 'Movie of the month' films nowadays.

Anyways, ENJOY!

It's Almost Halloween

Getting close to Halloween guys. Are you preparing for all the ghouls and witches this year? I know I am.

My newest creation for this holiday season. Dark and lovely earrings that I might have to make a pair for myself.

Red, White, and Blue

With summer just around the corner I thought I'd make some cute piece that any girl can enjoy. They'll look even better come 4th of July. :P As always, these pieces and more can be found at my etsy shop!

 

These flower hair pins are perfect for a day out on the beach! In bright red, blue, and white, dahlia and chrysanthemums rest on silver plated bobby pins. Great for this holiday season or just any occasion.

 

Each hairpin measures 2 1/4" long. You will recieve three hair pins.

Chrysanthemum's represent optimism, fidelity, long life and joy. The flower symbolism associated with the dahlia is dignity, elegance, forever thine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ring is perfect for spring! A red chrysanthemum rests on a bright white filigree adjustable ring. This ring will come to you in a gift box and will be shipped with tracking number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ring is perfect for spring! An ivory chrysanthemum rests on a bright cherry red filigree adjustable ring. This ring will come to you in a gift box and will be shipped with tracking number.

 

Easter Eggs!

So I've spent the last few hours making eggs. Started out with boiling eggs and realised I didn't have dye or vinegar. Luckily I never clean my car out so after some digging around in my trunk I found an egg kit and looking in one of the cabinets I found what looks like a bottle of vinegar made in the 70's. I should have taken a picture of that. 

And while I don't post often, I thought it'd be fun to post of few tidbits on easter eggs. :) Taken from wiki:
~*~*~
The egg is a pagan symbol of the rebirth of the Earth in celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.

There are good grounds for the association between hares (later termed Easter bunnies) and eggs, through folklore confusion between hares' forms (where they raise their young) and plovers' nests.^[3] The mention of eggs left for children in connection with the Germanic goddess Ostara in the supposed Old High German lullaby is considered a literary forgery.

~*~*~

Anyways I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter! Hope you're eggs turn out colorful and you get some gifts from the Easter Bunny. :P

Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas

Saw this on youtube and had to post it. This is just fun and reminds me of my dad who is a huge Elvis fan. <3

Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Who hasn't grown up to this song? It's a part of my chldhood as I'm sure it is many others. It's kinda sad that my youngest sister doesn't really appreciate the classic Christmas music, but someday I'll get her to like it. :P

Another great song I wanted to share this holiday season.

A Season of Color

Christmas White and Red Flower Earrings

Perfect for this Christmas or just any day, these earrings are made from frosted white lucite flowers that are adorned with antique brass filigree components with red crystal rondelles dangling delicately underneath. They measure just shy of 2 1/2" long.

Dark Emerald Vintage Glass Earrings

These vintage glass earrings are a beautiful pine green and are perfect for this holiday season. They measure 1 1/2" long.

As with any vintage item, there will be some marks. On the back of each jewel are a few wear marks that does not hurt the earrings at all and gives them a bit of character.

Elegant Faceted Glass and Gunmetal Necklace

Part of my new collection for the holidays!

This unique necklace is the perfect gift for your special someone this holiday season. The pendant is faceted glass pointed drop wrapped in gunetal filigree and measures 2 3/4" long. The necklace measures 18" long in a lovely gunmetal color.

Let's start off the season~!

I believe I sing this song at least a hundred times everyone christmas and watch the most several times too.

Spook. Halloween Hairpins

These hairpins would add a cute touch of the halloween spirit to your outfit this year! With dahlia cabochons in midnight black, ghost white, and a ghoulish purple these hairpins are sure to make people take notice.

Each hairpin measures 2 1/4" long.

You will recieve three hair pins.

The flower symbolism associated with the dahlia is dignity, elegance, forever thine.