DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Decorating Christmas trees became popular in America in the early 1800s as immigrants from Germany brought hand-made ornaments to America with them. In 1880, Woolworth stores began carrying ornaments although Mr. Woolworth was not too sure about the prospect of selling ornaments. Within 10 years, his stores were selling $25 million dollars worth of five and ten cent ornaments.     It was around 1973 when Hallmark decided to try their hand at the ornament business. It all started with some yarn ornaments and six glass bulbs. Hallmark now has more than 100 ornament series in addition to approximately 3,000 other ornaments that they have introduced over the years.     The Hallmark ornament designers are true artisans and design ornaments with subjects that have special meaning to them. Many Hallmark artists design ornaments that bring back heartwarming Christmas memories or design something current they love. Therefore, the consumer can relate to many of these charming Hallmar

   The Thanksgiving proclamations are the declarations made by the various authorities in regard of the Thanksgiving Day celebrations. It is believed that first Thanksgiving Day celebrations were held in 1621. But later it seemed to be a difficult task for the authorities to decide a perfect day for the Thanksgiving Day celebrations. So in different years the presidents of the United States issued Thanksgiving proclamations and came up with new dates for the Thanksgiving Day. The First Thanksgiving Proclamation (1676)    "The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with ma

   Unlike other holidays, Thanksgiving is really all about the food. More than that, the food is steeped in tradition — hundreds of years of it, in fact — but whose? The thing about Thanksgiving is: Not everyone does it the same. So we asked some of the some of the best chefs around what they think of Thanksgiving: what they love about it, what they hate about it, the personal practices they've turned into annual traditions. Don't forget to tell us about favorite tradition in the comments. 1. Marshmallows on the sweet-potato casserole? 2. Homemade cranberry sauce: Worth it, or never as good as the canned stuff? A few words: "Hate to say it, but the balance of sweet and tart, as well as the texture that comes from cranberry sauce in the can, is something that can't be replicated. Also, there's something to be said for the way it comes out of the can with the lines on the side. I also love using it to make my leftover sandwich the following day

   This great diy comes from www.greylustergirl.blogspot.com .  Put some of these on your Christmas tree or anywhere around the house that needs a little decoration. 3-D Cardboard Star I have one thing from my Fourth of July mantel done, wahoo! I better get cracken cause the 4th is just around the corner! If you are in a Independence Day mode too, why not make one of these fun 3-D cardboard stars! Here is what I did: Grab an empty box of cereal. Trace and cut out two stars. Score both stars from their tips to the indented parts (5 times each star). Push the stars out on the score lines by the tips and push in by the indented parts. If that doesn't make sense to you, head over and follow this tutorial . Glue the stars together. I used hot glue. Once dry, spray paint them your color of choice. Distress with ink if desired.

   This one comes to us from www.craftaholicsanonymous.com .  Make a few to hang anywhere, or to give away as a simple gift.   Hi, I’m Lori–an obsessed scrapper, photographer and lover of paper! You can often find me at my blog “A Scrapmom’s Musings” found here . I’ve been scrapping for almost 12 years and love the freedom of creativity and sense of accomplishment it gives me. I was thrilled to be invited by Linda to be a part of Reader’s Tutorial Week and show you how to make a wonderful Pinecone Ornament. This would make a great gift that can be cherished for years to come. Here are instructions on how to create a Pinecone Ornament. Materials: * One (1) 12×12 sheet of patterned paper * One 3″ styrofoam egg * 18″ length of ribbon to match (not shown) * Dressmakers Pins–also known as bridal or lace pins or even ‘common’ pins * Glue Gun * 12 inch cutter * Assorted greenery, faux berries, faux pearls, or other embellishments (optional) 1. Start by cutting your pat

   This comes form www.ourbestbites.com .  I thougth these looked really cool and delicious. Scince it’s Friday (woo hoo!) I thought we’d do something fun. These little turkeys (speaking of turkeys, did you see what mine did yesterday ??) are perfect for school parties, family nights, and Thanksgiving place holders. At the end there’s an easy pilgrim hat as well. I don’t really know where this idea originated from- I made the turkeys as a kid as I’m sure many of you have and I’ve seen the little hats all over the internet. Both Turkey Day classics, so go have some fun! Ingredients/Supplies: Double Stuff Oreo Cookies Candy Corn Whoppers Peanutbutter Cups Chocolate frosting Yellow Frosting Optional: Red frosting Optional: black sprinkles for eyes *For these kinds of things I love to use the little pre-filled tubes of colored frosting you can buy in the baking isle. The chocolate is easy to make, and homemade actually works a little better because you can m