2021 Christmas Preparations
This year I was somewhat late with my Christmas Preparations. I like to have my tree decorated by Dec 1st, so I have time to enjoy it during my pre-Christmassy mood. I got delayed by building a faux fireplace, but that is another story :). So I got to decorate my tree on the 12th…
DEC 15, 2021
Tree Ornaments
As every year, I just couldn’t resist buying some new tree ornaments. I am always looking for the ones with a vintage feel, unusual looks, and character. I also prefer quality where I can, and I support small local handmade manufacturers. The best ornaments are made from lightweight glass and are hand-painted. Although I have some nice ones made from porcelain, metal, and resin. Few are even from polystyrene, but don’t tell anyone. They are only temporary “mockups” until I find or make a comparable substitute. And few are just mementos for which it is not that important how they look.
It is obvious I like the vintage look. And according to my short historical research, the historical trees used to be decorated with tinsels or pearl strings. Tinsels are way too attractive for my cats, so I’ve decided on pearls. I was able to acquire seemingly the last pearl string in the market. That I found in the last store, bought all they had, and still was short of a yard :).
To give the tree some color, I bought a bunch of big peach and gold artificial flowers a couple years ago. I thought they would complement my wallpapers nicely. And I tied it all with a few matching simple baubles. It’s a tree style in process, changing and improving every year.
Christmas Baking
But Christmas preparations is not just decorating. Our family is all about baking. My grandma used to bake more than 30 different Christmas cookies every year. But as she is getting quite old, she downsized to a variety of about 16 types. All of them are famous for their lightness, tenderness, and deliciousness.
When I was little, I could never understand how anyone could say they don’t like Christmas cookies. Until I grew up and tasted what some other people bake. Oh, how spoiled I grew up with some of the best cookies on earth! I had no idea how RARE it is.
So several years ago, I made it a point to learn all the tricks from my grandma. I’d like to carry the knowledge and skill to the next generations. If there is any interest, I can list my favorite classic Christmas cookie recipes. Maybe even make some baking videos for my CraftyHanded YouTube channel.
For the right Christmas preparation mood, please watch my Christmas vlog on my CraftyHanded YouTube channel.