DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

The Original Christmas Tree Ship     The story of the beginning of the Christmas Tree Ship is the story of the Schuenemann family, and most particularly the story of Capt Herman Schuenemann and his last ship, the Rouse Simmons. In approximately 1885 August and his brother Herman Schuenemann moved to Chicago to seek out their fortune. Chicago’s Harbor was one of the busiest in the world at this time with over 20,000 vessels entering and leaving annually. As competition was fierce, the brothers became excellent businessmen as well as sailors. Although they made a relatively good living, two-thirds of their annual income was generated between Thanksgiving and Christmas with the sale of trees. August had become a truly competitive trader and by 1895 had a well-established reputation as a Christmas tree merchant. In early November of 1898, August was in Sturgeon Bay looking for trees that he would bring to Chicago on a ship named the S. Thal. He purchased 3,...

This diy comes from  www.thriftyparsonageliving.blogspot.com  . They look like they been outside and the snow and ice has crystalized on them. Very nice. Enjoy! DIY Epsom Salt Ornaments and Candle I know there's been candles and ornaments made with Epsom salt floating around blog land for a while now, but I thought I'd share my version which utilizes simple things most of us have lying around our homes. Here is what I had and you'll need if you're going to make these. 1. Styrofoam balls 2. Candle 3. Paint 4. Mod Podge or Glue 5.Epsom Salt I made this project for mere pennies because every thing I used I already had in my home. Three styrofoam balls - from a "free" box at the local thrift store. Paint  (deco art)  given to me by a friend who no longer had a use for it. Glue I didn't have any Mod Podge in the house, but you can substitute glue watered down with a few drops of water as a homemade version. Begin by painting the balls. Next...

   It is the most wonderful time of the year! From trimmed trees to twinkle lights to knit stockings hanging over the fireplace, you really can’t escape the christmas cheer. Although we have many christmas time traditions, the christmas tree is definitely the first and foremost.    This timeline takes us through the history of the christmas tree from the first decorated tree in 1600, to the first christmas tree in the white house, to the griswolds A Christmas Vacation. It is easy to see the influence of the different fads and trends through out the century, like the bubble lights from the 1940′s. My best friend’s tree has bubble lights each year! Its their christmas tree staple.    The other main aspect of the timeline is the debate between the real and artificial tree. My family are a bunch of real tree advocates, claiming that they will never own an artificial tree ever. I do agree and love the real tree, but artificial trees are so easy and require n...

    The childhood magic of anticipation comes rushing back with one of these treasures packs of promise!     Christmas crackers  or  bon-bons  are an integral part of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. They are also popular in Ireland. A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people, and, much in the manner of a wishbone, the cracker splits unevenly. The split is accompanied by a small bang or snapping sound produced by the effect of friction on a chemically impregnated card strip (similar to that used in a cap gun).    Crackers are typically pulled at the Christmas dinner table or at parties. In one version of the cracker tradition, the person with the larger portion of cracker empties the contents from the tu...