Creative Gift Giving and Other ways to get the best Holiday Photos!

     

My son, Ross, has been wanting a set of double kick pedals for his bass drum but did not request them for Christmas. We had already spent a bundle on a huge Star Wars Lego set with 1758 pieces and I was looking for some things to fill their nesting boxes...a little Christmas tradition in the Taylor household.  Every year I divide up the 10 boxes between the boys and tie them up with two different color ribbons (one for each son) then tell them which color is theirs on Christmas day.

I have taken photos of Ross standing by these nesting boxes for the past few years.

Then, call it a Christmas miracle, I actually found a gently (if you can use that term in percussion speak) used pair on craigslist for a very reasonable price. Unfortunately, the double kick pedals were way too large to fit in even the largest of the nesting boxes so Phil (my husband) decided to take off one piece that would fit and just wrap that.

What happened on Christmas morning made for some interesting photography and fond Christmas morning memories.

He finds the piece in the largest of the nesting boxes.

We ask him if he can figure out what it is.

Then after several agonizing minutes and failed guesses, his Dad gave in and went to retrieve the REST of the gift from the closet.

 

I just love the look on his face!

I think he is pleasantly surprised!

And that's what makes great Christmas memories.

Cypress Knee Santas, Popeyes and other ways to Celebrate Christmas!

I have just spent about 40 hours painting 8 cypress knees most of which are going to the daughters-in-laws of a very sweet man who harvests the cypress knees from his property, boils them til the bark is soft enough to pull off, and dries them in his oven.
There is nothing quite like the smell of cypress knees drying in the oven.
Why I forgot to photograph the naked cypress knees before I painted them, I have no idea, but there is something curious about the twists and knobs on the knees that just speak to me.  Just check out this LINK to get an idea of what they look like naked.  Not all cypress knees can be a Santa Claus, although I've seen other artists just slap a face and beard on any old thing (actually, I've done that as well) so I like to "find" the Santa in cypress knee.
My friend, who began bringing me his cypress knees to paint about 10 years ago, made some special requests for this year's lot that reflected the individuals who would be receiving them as Christmas gifts.

My friend's family has grown in the past couple of years with the addition of two grandson's, a 21 month old and one just born on Monday the 20th, and two more special grandsons by marriage all who call him "Popeye".
So I want to share these with you all.  The tallest of the lot is only 9 inches tall and the smallest (not pictured with this group and was to be a gift for a friend at work) was only 2 inches.
Here are some other photos of the individual cypress knees.

 

 

Decorating for the Holidays and Other Reasons to Hoard

I have been collecting Corn Husk Scarecrows and the likes for many years.  I only collect the ones with the corn faces (many of the contemporary ones have fabric over Styrofoam faces) and I have rarely, if EVER, paid over $2 for any one of them.  There is a certain thrill to coming across one at a garage sale or thrift shop.  They stay tucked away 11 months of the year, along with my other Halloween decor, then make their charming appearance on my mantle or buffet for the month of October.  I just love their little faces.  There is something about a bunch of cute little faces that can't help but make you smile!

Another element of my Halloween Hoard are crows...dolls, scare "crows" and other objects d' art featuring crows.

Years ago I picked up a few more Scarecrows at an after-Halloween sale (75% off probably), a needlepoint harvest scene from a garage sale (another cast-off masterpiece) and when I added one of my original batiks " Indian Corn", that created a festive fall mood I have used in some combination over the years. 

A pierced tin cat (originally off white, now painted black) who holds a votive candle giving of an eerie glow sat on the hearth with a wonderful old harvest basket (I found at a garage sale for 50 cents) and a couple of pumpkin baskets.  

However, some of my favorite "faces" glow on Halloween night from a collection of Jack o' Lanterns that flank my front entry.

But too soon passes the month of October!  

However, I have a stash of Thanksgiving decor to swap out with the jolly Jacks.

This year I added deer antlers (a gift to me from a friend in Del Rio, TX over 10 years ago) into my fall decor using the same basket as background over my television cabinet.  The silk leaves are cheap and pitiful (a Rolling Hills find from last year) but the colors are perfect!  And as soon as I find a better solution...they'll just have to do.

 

On my mantle is a wonderful old turkey print in a handsome barn wood frame.  I found the stained and dingy framed print at an antique store for only $15 and paid another $70 just to have it cleaned, matted and put back in its frame.   It was still a great deal for the quality of the old print. 

Another "hoard" I have amassed is one of wooden candlesticks.  A similar rule applies (the cheaper, the better) and for less than a couple of bucks a piece, I have quite a large collection.  

Even though a local decorator said colored candles were out and white candles are in, I disagree.  I LOVE colored candles and can always find some at my favorite haunts (garage sales, thrifts stores, and of course, Rolling Hills) that reflect the colors of the season.

So, have fun, as I have, decorating for the fall holiday season, and with any luck, I will post a blog soon on my Christmas decor!  

Did I mention I collect Santas?

Creativity Runs in the Family

Yes, it has been a while since my last post, but none-the-less, creativity runs rampant in my home.
Halloween is the best venue to show off the talent of my two sons.

Gray, 17, invested a few hard earned bucks doing yard work and washing cars into his Batman costume.  He pulled it all together for Ruston's Fire Department's "Hot Halloween Happenings" on the Saturday before Halloween.  Not only did he dress the part, but played the part with his dark, mysterious air making him a very popular photo op with the kids.







Ross designed his costume out of K'nex and won the costume contest at our church's youth party.

More Fun with Ross But This Time with LEGO Bricks!

If I haven’t said this already, after all it is my favorite quote, “If the Lord meant for me to have it, I’d find it at Rolling Hills”, once again, this quote proves fruitful. I found what an engineer might decipher as a two cubic foot bag full of interlocking bricks and mini-figs at Rolling Hills this past Saturday for a mere $7.55.



By the way, a special thanks to ALL the parents who have grown weary of the LEGO wars and have contributed, by their generous donations of LEGO bricks to Ross’s designing of his weapons of mass destruction for his future career as a Weapons Engineer.

Ross demonstrates his latest WMD.

Having just returned from Star Wars Celebration V, where Ross spent the majority of his time at one of the four LEGO booths, he so wanted to add to his collection of LEGO Star Wars Ships building sets and, if you’re aware of the exorbitant prices for LEGO sets you’ll know how we keep those MIT graduates in the lifestyle of which they’ve grown accustomed, (by the way, Ross wants to be a LEGO designer and spent much of his time at SWCV talking to actual LEGO designers just in case that whole Weapons Engineer thing doesn’t work out) you’ve probably guessed our answer was no.

Approximately ½ of the bag (or 1 cubic foot) of the interlocking blocks were LEGOS and several of the much desired and absolutely adorable mini-figs were Star Wars characters.

One, in particular, BOBA FETT, made the sorting through the less desirable Mega Blocks and TYCO bricks worth the effort. We also added Chewbacca, my favorite, two Lukes, two Old Ben’s (verses new Obi-Wans), a C3-PO, I believe two R2-D2s but Ross dashed off with them along with another astromech droid in a ship he “designed”, along with a wonderful assortment of other mini-figs to our collection.

I just LOVE LEGO mini-figs! I may be a LEGO hoarder.

We are LEGO (and Bionicle, don’t get me started!) purist and I have spent hours sorting through flea market, thrift shops and garage sale finds for LEGO bricks then sent the TYCO bricks and Mega Blocks over to my Mother-in-law’s so Ross can have something to build with when he’s visiting with her.

I tried to organize Ross’s LEGO bricks SEVERAL times but he defeats me EVERY time by dumping my efforts on the playroom floor (now you know why it is over the carport in the barn and NOT a part of my house!) and leaving them their until I go up and have a breakdown about it! Anyway, he has enough LEGO bricks to fill a bathtub and STILL has the nerve to ask me for more!

Did you know you can order specific pieces you need at http://www.bricklink.com? And, although expense per individual piece, for me, it sure beats buying a whole LEGO set so that Ross can build the set one time then tear it apart to design his own creations. You can also sell your LEGO pieces on this site…which may be the way we put Ross through college!

Also, and perfect for those parents who do not wish the discomfort of stepping on those sneaky little bricks embedded in the carpet or who dread the distinctive rattle of LEGO bricks and their hard earned money being sucked up a vacuum hose, there is LEGO Digital Designer at http://ldd.lego.com/ one of Ross’s favorite sites. It has FREE software (Windows PC and Mac OSX) to download but be warned parents! There is a way to PURCHASE the creations you child has so BRILLIANLTLY designed and, believe me, they are very desirable and they don’t come cheap!