Hello poor neglected blog.
I think that two posts in one week might be a new low for me. Yay for achievements.
I'm completely bewildered by it being eleven days until Christmas. ELEVEN DAYS PEOPLE. How did that happen? Despite buying our very first Christmas tree yesterday (and watching Elf, which we both found more than a little disturbing. Anyone else?) I don't feel that festive. I think I need to get down to making some decorations for our poor, slightly naked tree. She is sitting in our living room atop a table (rabbits + trees = frenzied trips to bunny A&E. And a nibbled tree) covered in lights but very little else. Which looks great in the dark when the lights are on, but during the day? We've pretty much just got a tree in our living room. A huge tree. Enormous. Well, not that tall actually, about five and a half feet, seven once you take the table into account. But I kid you not, that tree is at least five feet across. It's almost completely spherical.
I have paper and fabric and glue (idontlikeglue) but no ideas. HELP ME. What can I make?
(I really just want to go and buy these but I feel bad enough after spending So Much Money on the tree and we'd need roughly 100 of them to make Big Bertha (that's what she's called, our tree) look like anything other than someone who picked out a very nice pair of earrings in the morning but forgot to put any clothes on)
And for no other reason than because I like it, a picture of a cow.
Actually, now that I remember. I was at a cookie exchange on Saturday (Best Idea Ever) and the subject of cows came up. In particular the subject of mooing at cows. Now apparently not everyone does this. Neither, apparently, do very many people bark at dogs, baa at sheep or quack at ducks. Who knew?
And with that I will wish you a happy Monday.
. Belted Galloway by Grass Doe
Monday, December 14, 2009
cookies, christmas, cows
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I baa at sheep, and moo at cows. I don't bark at dogs, maybe I should start?
ReplyDeleteAs for Big Bertha, decorate her with jewellery! Strings of beads and costume pearls, earrings, bracelets will all look beautiful twinkling in the lights. Use the paper and glue to make a fairy for the top and job done! x
People don't moo at cows? I always talk to animals in their own language. It seems only polite.
ReplyDeleteI have no useful suggestions on how to decorate Big Bertha. I had planned to go all crazy and make my own decorations for our tree, but the Boy snuck out and bought some baubles while I wasn't looking. I love him.
How do I get a Cookie Exchange near me? Sounds like a fantastic way to spend a Saturday...
I watched Elf too last night. It was.. odd. That is all that I can summon in descriptive words about that film.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen Lupin's etsy shop? http://www.etsy.com/shop/lupin Alas I am too poor to afford such luxuries but I tried making some (poor imitations) myself and it is really fun! Or if you are heading down the paper route, how about some quilled snowflakes? http://www.flickr.com/photos/starshaped/54440046/ (tutorial http://www.reesedixon.com/2008/12/quilled-snowflake-ornament.html) I made one of these a while back and although I pretty much sucked at it, it still came out pretty in the end :)
Hope those give you some ideas!
Love to the Christmas-tree-munching bunny
oh! and this http://www.oneprettything.com/?p=8138
ReplyDeletePaper snowflakes! Cheap and lovely! here's some templates: http://www.marcels-kid-crafts.com/snowflake-pattern.html
ReplyDeleteThen how can the cows understand you?!
ReplyDeleteAm also creeped out by Elf. Something about how tall Will Ferrell is, maybe.
Why not give your amazing photographs as gifts? You make those! (I wish I could make something so artistic. We're probably giving something much cheesier.)
Elf is my sister's favorite Christmas story, though I'm fonder of "A Christmas Story". Cows are the only ones that I make noise, Horses just get a "hey horsie" from me.
ReplyDeleteI suggest paper chain garland and lots of tinsel for your tree.
Silly peoples. It is the rules to moo at cows.
ReplyDeleteOREO COW!!! You just made my day with that picture. DJ took me to feed Belties the day we got engaged. They, and Herefords, are probably my favourite cows. And Nelori, because they remind me of Brasil.
ReplyDeleteAs for tree decorations...paper snowflakes are a quick and easy option. You could make some of those ruffly flowers from Design*Sponge. Do you have any little rabbits you could stick in the branches? (Like one of these, since you love them.) Or pictures. You could hang pictures from the branches, since you take such pretty ones.
Ikea has buckets of cheap ornaments if you're willing to make a trip there. They aren't quite as pretty as those glass baubles, but ₤3.49 for 40 pieces is hard to beat. Plus, they're shiny.
"someone who picked out a very nice pair of earrings in the morning but forgot to put any clothes on." I will repeat this to myself all day long.
ReplyDeletewhat about salt dough decorations painted?
ReplyDeletewe only have a few decorations. I buy one new one every year. so far we have 4 (one for each year we have lived together) plus a few more I have been given as presents.
I can't imagine meeting a cow and not mooing - how strange.
ReplyDeleteOne christmas we had just moved house and couldn't find any of the decorations so we made them very quickly out of food in the kitchen. Strings of pop corn (easy with with a needle and thread) Chillies, cinnamon sticks and oranges cut into disks (with the skin still on) and dried in the oven for a moment and then tied to the tree with garden wire and red ribbon - looked and smelled lovely. And we made an angel in the same way that Artimis did here http://simetra-junkaholic.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-christmas.html only with tin foil.
Paper cutouts of snowflakes or any shape you like with glitter is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteJust looking at the variety of glitter out there is enough to inspire.
I added to my ornaments with a little DIY. I collected large Pine Cones (free!) and sprayed them with adhesive, then threw Aurora Borealis glitter flakes on them. Since I live in a small town, I had to order the AB glitter online.
They look amazing. But I did get adhesive on the wood floor. Anyway, I expect I'll have them for years.
I also collected smaller Pine Cones still on the branches and gave them the same treatment. I put them down the center of the table with candles.
Candy canes are cheap.
Get some Walnuts and spray paint them gold or silver . . . or both.
Get some wrapping paper with pretty pictures or shapes and cut them out. Glue them back to back and punch a hole to hang them.
Endless possibilities and even if you buy ornaments later, you won't want to part with the DIY ones.
I did not realise that there were people who did not moo at cows? Who are they?
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure my grandparents taught me that mooing at cows was a MUST. However, my brother calls all animals dogs and barks at all of them as if they are having a conversation. Also he is 33.
ReplyDeletei think i like this jewelry idea. or you could decorate your tree with your rad polaroids. that's all i got, cause i suck at crafts. oh, and elf totally creeped me out.
ReplyDeleteI make animal noises at animals, and normally the right ones, sometimes I'll say hello moo cow which is almost the same right? I too am surprised there are some out there who don't. Hmmmm
ReplyDeleteha ha that sounds like our tree! Literally just lights and about 5 decorations on it at the moment! I need to get more festive!
ReplyDeletethat cow reminds me of an oreo. here is a great idea for tree decorating... http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/2009/12/love-tree.html
ReplyDeletexo meg
We just picked up our tree last night, in an attempt to jump start our holiday spirit!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite inexpensive way to decorate a tree is popcorn and cranberry garlands. They look awesome and you can eat popcorn while you make them!
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ReplyDeleteThat is possibly the cutest cow I have ever seen. I want to moo at it.
ReplyDeleteI vote for doing a bunting for the tree- I have seen buntings everywhere this year but not on a tree.
I grew up with the understanding that barn yard/grazing animals (cows, sheep, horses, pigs) should be greeted in their native language.
ReplyDeleteThe day I passed a llama farm I was baffled about what to do. Spit? Since then I have learned that llamas hum, so now I know what to do the next time I meet one.
BEST POST TITLE EVER.
ReplyDeletehonestly, i don't know what you can make. paper bunting wrapped around the tree would be quite nice.
the first year i had my own christmas tree, i thought it would be fantastic to make tons of origami ornaments. well yes, fantastic in theory. after about 6 hours of failed attempts, i said "fuckitall" and decided i could no longer like japan because it's culture was obviously way above my understanding. we've since reconciled.
Lots of very nice ideas already- definitely do paper bunting. if you have a stapler and a pair of scissors you could make lovely decorations in about 40 seconds.
ReplyDeleteAs far as i can see, the things that look best on a tree are the bits that wrap around them The bau bauls are lovely- but the best thing about them is the buying (the squealing, the excitement- the cuteness etc) . On the tree they do indeed look like earrings on a naked woman. I have wrapped all sorts round my tree. Tape measures, long bits of ribbon, some old lace i have inherited. I also ripped strips of fabric and just wrapped them round too.
Anything can be strung on a piece of string-leaves, cigarette cards, bits of lace, doilies... (Ive gone mad with garlands in my flat- blogged about here http://seedsandstitches.blogspot.com/2009/12/treehugger-christmas-decorating.html.
P.s I cant understand the lack of mooing. I have a whole uncle called mooing Ted.
I am enraged for I cannot find my christmas cookie cutters. They were RIGHT THERE in the junk room isweartogod. However if I get round to it, spiced gingerbread-type cookies for the tree tied up with ribbon (i'll just cut stars with a knife). Or for permanent ones, salt dough: 1 cup flour, half a cup salt, tablespoon of oil and up to half a cup of water. Add food dye for colour (or paint later) and you can microwave them for 2 or 3 minutes to set, apparently. I haven't tried that bit though.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of edible decs, sugar plums, orange slices ot pomandes, oh, you could make paper cornucopias and fill them with nuts or other edibles.
Wow that sounds like one OTT tree. My dream tree is about 20 foot tall by the way, has all these things and more and is lit by candles. Oh yes. Presently ours is three foot, and half-decorated btw and no crafts have been done :D It's fine though.
i agree with Bells... there's something special about popcorn strings and dried oranges and apples cinnamon sticks and ummm can't think of any more! Be warned though.. if you like in a old house the mice love them!
ReplyDeletethis year i'm going to make a few pom poms... haven't picked colours yet.. was meant to be putting up the tree for the last two days but dull old life has once again stopped me.
I'm sure i'll find my christmas mojo once I've got my tree up!
My aunt shouts "horseradish!" at cows, "mint sauce!" at sheep, etc.
ReplyDeleteI stick with the mooing.
Those baubles are beautiful. £8 each in the sale? Eep.
Can we see a picture of Big Bertha?
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous cow...kind of Gothic Americana...
ReplyDeletemy boyfriend is informing me those cows are scientifically called "oreo cookie cows" and that he knows because they had them at the farm across the street from where he was born. because obviously he remembers everything from back then. ;-)
ReplyDeletenow that's an interesting cow!
ReplyDelete