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Showing posts from December 19, 2011

DIY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TICKETS!

This diy comes form www.misscutiepiegoes80s.blogspot.com . Very cute and unique. Printable vintage style christmas tickets Hi all! I'm slowly recovering from my flue. Been sick for almost 3 weeks and I can't wait to get back to my normal life again. Meanwhile I want to share something a bit different with you all. These tickets were inspired by old vintage photos, Christmas cards and all around Christmas spirit. They are ready to be printed (in a high photo quality for the best result) cut and used on your paper scrap layouts, Christmas cards, gifts and altered projects. All I ask in return is that you link back to this blog if you post your finished projects online. This way more people can find their way here and download the tickets :) ♥ Download Vintage Style Christmas Tickets ♥ To make your tickets more personal use the edge of your scissors to distress the edges and for an aged look use a bit of fluid chalk around the edg

EGG NOG MILKSHAKE!

   This recipe comes from www.bravetart.com .  A change of pace than your average egg nog recipe.   Probably better to consume and enjoy as well.  Good luck! Egg Nog Shake ·  (serves 4) I originally shared this recipe for my column on Serious Eats. You can read more about the terrifying ingredients found in a McDonald's Egg Nog Shake , but I’ll give you the short story: there are thirteen ingredients in the cherry alone . Not kidding. So, skip the drive through and make something you don’t have to be scared of. What gives this egg nog its distinctive flavor is chopped, not grated, nutmeg. Whether with pre-ground nutmeg from the jar or freshly grated as needed, most people only use nutmeg in its smallest form. Now imagine if you only used garlic that way in cooking. No sliced garlic. No whole cloves smashed open. No chopped garlic. No minced garlic. Only garlic paste. Yeah. More than vampires would die in the aftermath, that’s for sure. Used like that, garlic would often ove

CHRISTMAS IN PURITAN NEW ENGLAND!

  Christmas celebrations in Puritan New England (1620–1850?) were culturally and legally suppressed and thus, virtually non-existent. The Puritan community found no Scriptural justification for celebrating Christmas, and associated such celebrations with paganism and idolatry. The earliest years of the Plymouth colony were troubled with non-Puritans attempting to make merry, and Governor William Bradford was forced to reprimand offenders. English laws suppressing the holiday were enacted in the Interregnum, but repealed late in the 17th century. However, the Puritan view of Christmas and its celebration had gained cultural ascendancy in New England, and Christmas celebrations continued to be discouraged despite being legal. When Christmas became a Federal holiday in 1870, the Puritan view was relaxed and late nineteenth century Americans fashioned the day into the Christmas of commercialism, liberal spirituality, and nostalgia that most Americans recognize today. The Puritan v

THE CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

  hy do we have a decorated Christmas Tree? In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry. Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity. The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night. Christmas Markets    In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German towns, to provi

5 SECRETS TO WRAPPING THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT!

   'Tis the season to get creative with your gift wrapping. Here are five secrets that will make your packaging extra special this holiday season. 1. It's not just what's on the inside that counts: The best wrapping says something about what's hidden inside. Of course you don't want to give it away, but the best presents under the tree are the ones that pique your giftee's curiosity. Select gift wrap and embellishments that hint at what you're giving. Look for colors, textures, and patterns that tell a story and make your friends and loved-ones excited to see what's inside. 2. Gift toppers need not be store-bought: A quick survey around your home will yield ample gift topping solutions. Why not use Baker's Twine to tie an old cookie cutter atop a gift for the epicurean on your gift giving list? An extra ornament or two can be strung on with Luxe Ribbon for a festive look that will delight anyone. 3. Think outside th

PEPPERMINT PRETTIES, A NEW CHRISTMAS COOKIE TRADITION!

   This comes from www.craftaholicsanonymous.net .  Make a batch of these and you'll surely add them to the list of cookies you need to make for that next party or cookie exchange. Enjoy! Peppermint Pretties {a Christmas Cookie recipe} contrary to popular belief….. i do know how to bake ….. a little bit. i will be the first to admit my kitchen skills are not so hot. { huge understatement} but there’s always something about this time of year that makes me want to dust off the cookbook and give it a go. and this is the new christmas cookie recipe i tried this year…. the recipe calls them Peppermint Meltaways. but that’s a bit on the dull side for these lovely little peppermint cookies. so i decided a new name was in order. so i called them Peppermint Pretties! and yes, i have to say it…. they are kinda pretty, don’t ya think? these deliciously light morsels melt in your mouth and dance their way down with a peppermint kick. yum! Peppermint Pretties {adapted from Tast

CHRISTMAS IN IRELAND!

   Christmas Day in Ireland is December 25.    Here the Christmas celebrations last from Christmas Eve to the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, which is referred to as "Little Christmas". Christmas in Ireland is a religious as well as a festive occassion. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom and hence, Christmas traditions here echo those of the western countries. In preparation for Christmas, Irish families bake Christmas cakes, puddings and mince pies. Mantelpieces are decorated with flowers (such as holly) and ornaments . A popular tradition here, as in other western nations, is hanging the mistletoe in a doorway and to kiss under it. Before the holidays , families give gifts (usually money ) to all those who provide service to them throughout the year, such as the plumber or the milkman. Chirstmas shoppers Homes are cleaned and often whitewashed, as a means of purification. Christmas trees are set up and decorated with tinsel, colourful

A THUMB-NAIL HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND!

   FIRST MENTION OF FEAST OF NATIVITY ON 25th DECEMBER: Possibly the earliest mention of a special feast for the Nativity on the 25th December is in the Philocalian Calendar in the year 354. This does refer back to earlier information from 336. However, in 388, St Chrysostom wrote that the observing of the festival of the Nativity (on December 25th) was not yet ten years old. *WHEN CHRISTMAS CAME TO BRITAIN: The first records show that St Augustine came to Britain with his missionary monks from Rome, and on Christmas Day 598 it is said that he baptised more than 10,000 English people in the Christian faith. *According to the Venerable Bede in his History of the English Church, the legendary King Arthur was crowned by St Dubricius on Christmas Day, somewhere very close to this date. *In the year 816, the Council of Chelsea enforced the observance of Christmas on December 25th in Britain. This date was formerly called 'Mothers Night, a vigil in honour of the re-birth of t