Christmas Treats from Mini Bread Loaf Pans

 For the Christmas holiday, I occasionally make fun bread baskets using different types of loaves in miniature versions to give away.  Although sometimes I do the traditional cookie buckets, I like to offer an assortment of loaf flavors when holidays are rushed.  Making the different bread loaves  require less preparation - especially if you choose to use a mix instead of "from scratch" recipe.  I also like to make sure each loaf is a different flavor, color, or shape.  This way people can easily tell the difference in loavrd the get to pick from.  Most min-loaves are considered two servings, so they work great to give to inviduals or couples.  

Examples of big bread baskets I have made included 4-flavor combinations for people I worked with to choose two they preferred from the basket. In the past, I have offered: eggnog bread (or banana) using a snowman-shape pan, strawberry bread (or pumpkin or gingerbread) in rectangle pan, zucchini bread (or apple) in a tree-shaped pan, and orange-cranberry bread (or fruit with raisins or chocolate chip) in a bundt pan to represent a wreath.  I wrapped the shapes in colored cling wrap: red for rectangle, clear for snowman, then used geen for tree and wreath.  

Short URL for sharing post = https://tinyurl.com/23y8njzb  

Tioa for making mini loaves:  

• For most recipes, you can adjust the cooking time by reducing it by 1/4 for mini loaf pans or use the time listed for cupcakes/muffins.  
• Be sure to grease and flour any pans you use so the loaves will come out easily.  If using shaped pans that may be hard to cover well, you may try a baking spray that mixes the four and oil by shaking the can before spraying.
• Do not top or glaze mini loaves, since it would cause sticking when you put them in cling wrap for stacking and storing.  
• If you plan to make several different types over different days/nights, freeze the wraped loaves in freezer bags to keep them resh.  Then thaw the ones you are giving away by setting them out the night before the day you plan to deliver them.
• If you are not bothering to do special shapes, consider using decorative mini-bakng dishes that you can give as part of the gift.  Or consider little disposable loaf pans so you do not have to worry with removing loaves from pans.

Pennies from Heaven

My brother likes to tell the story of his pennies from heaven.  As he tells it, several times after our Dad died, he found pennies on the ground when he was feeling low.  Finding a penny may not sound like much, but to him it was a message from Dad.  The message was that everything would be okay.  This made my brother feel like Dad was still looking out for him.  How does he know these pennies are from Dad? 

They both collected wheat pennies as a hobby.  Wheat pennies were incidentally were last minted the year of his coming into this world.  (Coincidentally, the original movie and song “Pennies from Heaven” were released just the year before Dad was born.)  Although Lincoln/wheat pennies are not rare like the Indian head/wreath version, they are also not as commonly abundant in the current economy as the Lincoln reverse-sides of either  shield or memorial.  On the occasions where my brother found the pennies, he explained they were always wheat pennies.  This is not to say he never found a common penny or a commemorative  Lincoln bicentennial  penny, just that he always found a wheat version when he needed some assurance in his life.  It was like a little gift of love from Dad.

I found my brother’s story thought-provoking and inspirational.  Since my brother shared his story with me, I have also read many other inspirational “pennies from heaven” stories in magazines and on blogs.  Do you have a penny story you want to share?  Please feel free to do so in the comments of this blog post.

Hand-painted Leather Handbags

Do you want a fashionable handbag that is different form everyone else?  Do you like hand-made items that have that one-of-a-kind look?  Do you know someone who loves carrying a new purse evyerday?  Then you may be interested in the leather handbags by Anuschka or Sukriti for yourself or as gifts.

Thanks to shopping channels, everyone has easy-access to those expensive hand-painted leather purses and accessories.  The most famous in department stores is Anuschka with offices in the USA (NJ) and England (London) and India factories.  View their manufacturing process in 7 minute video below.   Anushka factories also produce the Anna brand.  Typically the handbags, wallets, shoes and more sold on shopping channels (Evine.com)  are designs or colors made especially for them.  The advantage to shopping channels over the manufacturer website or a department store is pricing and payments options.  Typically the shopping channels will offer a payment plan on a major credit card (mastercard/visa) or through their own card so you do not have to pay all at once. Wherever you purchase a new Anuschka handbag, it typically comes with a tote-type bag to keep it in as a dust cover. The shopping channel also has leather wallets by Buxton, embellished handbags by Sharif,

There is a newer option for hand-painted leather bags, accessories, and belts called Sukriti.  It is also made in India but only sold via shopping channels (ShopLc.com) for about $100 less than the above options..  The Sukriti brand produces multi-color scenes similar to Anushka but with an ombre effect on many of their purse handles.  The  newly purchased Sukriti leather purse options typically come a dust-cover bag as well,   Sukriti also has another line called Vivid, which is dyed pattern brand rather than hand painted images. You can see a tour of the Sukriti factory by going to this video.  Another leather handbag option that is not Sukriit on this shopping channel is woven bags under the brand Chaas by Elsie.

Both Anushka and Sukriti guarantee that their dyes will not run/bleed or transfer onto your clothing.  If anyone reading this blog has a comment regarding quality of either brand to share, please add a comment to this blog post to help others make the best decision.

Men's Gifts for Father's Day

Past posts on this blog for father or husband gifts have included jewelry and technology gift-giving around Christmas time.  Links to both ideas and deals were in those posts.

Short URL for sharing = https://tinyurl.com/mrxb2aer

Below are a few links suggesting new ideas to check out for Father's Day this year:

• 22 Standard Dad Gifts
• Personalized Gift Ideas
• 10 Gifts for Sports Fan
• Tech Gifts under $100
• 38 Geeky Gifts 
• Men’s Ring Guide

Giving Children’s Adventure Book Series – Flavia, Harry, or American Classics

1st books from Harry or Flavia series

Are you looking for the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for a child?  How about the timeless gift of reading?  Most children love books, especially if there is adventure to experience a puzzle to solve!  You will find Amazon links below for several good book ideas.

You may know about the various American classic children and teen adventure and detective series featuring Bobbsey Twins (1904-1979), Encyclopedia Brown (1972-2012), Hardy Boys (1927-2016), Nancy Drew (1930-2003), and Tom Swift (1910-2008).  If you liked those classics and want to share them with the new generation, you can buy individual copies at many used book stores to see if they enjoy the stories as well.  If you want to get them every book in the series for a gift, click links above.

 

Of course you have also heard of the popular fantasy (1997-2007) series containing the adventures of Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling (English) .  Her individual book titles are listed at the bottom of this post if you are looking for one your child or grandchild may be missing from the series.  You can also buy the movies as well.  Bonus short stories in Hogwarts ebooks only.

Have you heard of Flavia De Luce mystery series (2010-present) by (Canadian) Alan Bradley? Flavia is into solving murder mysteries and science, especially as they relate to chemistry and botany.  Her older sisters are into literature and classical music.  So the reader learns a lot about science and is exposed to literary phrases and songs that may lead them to want to know more.  Below are the Flavia novels in order of publication.  Start with the first, as each novel references something in a previous murder.  My family loves these books!  Bonus short story only in ebook: The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse.

Flavia De Luce books	Harry Potter books
1.  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie  2.  The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag  3.  A Red Herring Without Mustard  4.  I Am Half-Sick of Shadows  5.  Speaking From Among the Bones  6.  The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches  7.  As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust  8.  Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd  9.  A Grave's a Fine and Private Place  10,The Golden Tresses of the Dead	1.  and the Socerer’s Stone 2.  and the Chamber of Secrets  3.  and the Prisoner of Azkaban  4.  and the Goblet of Fire  5.  and the Order of the Phoenix  6.  and the Half-Blood Prince  7.  and the Deathly Hallows

Handmade Mom and Grandma Gifts

In an older post, I talked about making Christmas Stockings for all your family members as gifts or decoration.  This time, I want to just focus on gifts for Mom or Grandma, whether for Christmas, birthday, or Mother’s Day.  Most mother gifts can be easily turned into a gift for grandma with just a little added creativity.

One year for Christmas (December 1986),  I made my mom an apron with the hand sizes of her 9 grandchildren on it.  She wore it on a few occasions but never to actually cook in, as she was afraid she would stain it and it was one of her greatest treasures.  To make the apron, I had each of my brothers’ wives trace their kids’ hands and send them to me.  Then I traced them onto a white sheet, embroidered the hands in red and green (for Christmas, however you could do it in pink and blue for Mother’s Day).  Then I cut the apron skirt out, as well as a bib that I embroidered with the name she preferred the grandchildren to call her.  I then cut out ruffles and ties with along the bias.  I also added the date on one of the ties so we would remember how old each child was when it was made.  My mom got 4 more grandchildren years after the apron was given to her.  When we moved my mom closer to us and I was packing I found the apron in her stuff and packed it for the move.  Then after my Mom passed, I found the apron again and passed it on to one of the mothers whose child’s handprints were on it.

A similar gift we gave my mom was a purchased necklace that said “grandmother” and had baby shoes with the birthstones of her grandchildren on it.  That we kept adding birthstone booties to that until it was too heavy for her to wear.  She wore it often until then though because she liked it when people asked her about it and she could tell them about her grand-kids.

Other handmade gifts I have shared over the years with new moms were quilt blocks made for hanging on the wall.  These blocks included the applique Dutch boy or girl pattern with the child’s name and birth date embroidered on it.  Baby showers usually got crocheted booties, caps, or blankets.  Most of the people these were given to kept the handmade treasures even after the children outgrew them. 

Want more ideas? See 24 Ridiculously Easy DIY Mother’s Gifts and 19Homemade Mother's Gifts That Kids Can Make  in picture slideshow. 

Pearls are a Perfect Frame

When I say pearls are a perfect frame, I mean that they are an excellent way to draw attention to a pendant by layering it with the strand of pearls.  I find that a 24-inch or 30-inch strand sets off a large pendant or medallion quite well.  A 60-inch pearl strand doubled as a wider frame can also work.  The pearls should be longer than the pendant so they will draw other’s eyes toward you and then people will notice your pendant. 

This idea is similar to the current fashion of layering of silver or gold chains with pendants.  Using pearls over chains gives you a classier of funkier look depending on the shape and color of the pearls.  Using pearls also offers a variety of choices in soft or bright colors over the traditional metals.

You can get freshwater pearls at great prices in multiple colors around Christmas and Mother’s Day.  Match the color of the pearls with the color of a pendant you have. 

Faux pearls can also make a very nice picture frame, check out Vintage Necklace Frame for a crafty idea to make a unique Christmas, bridal, Mother’s day, or birthday gift.  

Cross Jewelry – Gift, Fashion, or Symbol

Silver & Gold
Cross Necklaces

Cross jewelry fluctuates as a fashion statement throughout the seasons and decades.  Big chunky crosses on long chains or chokers are both Goth and Bohemian.   The large ones are worn by women and men.  Now not only are the fashionable stainless steel or brass crosses worn around the neck, they are worn in the ears and around the wrist or ankle.  The newest cross fashion craze include ones that tilt or lay on their side rather than standing with points North, South, East, and West.

Then there are the more delicate simple crosses and crucifixes given as gifts for religious events, birthdays, or holidays. Typically these are in gold or silver.  I remember getting a silver cross for my 16^th birthday as my first real piece of jewelry.  Tiny gold, silver, or steel crosses are also available as an ear piercing option.  The gift options also include crosses embellished with birthstones for birthdays or diamonds for anniversary gifts.  These faceted stone crosses are most prevalent in necklaces but are also available as earrings, bracelets, and anklets depending on where you shop.  Multi-color stone jewelry is now in fashion so crosses with more than one color on them are available on many shopping channels.

Cross, crucifix, and fish jewelry originally started as a symbol of Christian faith. Cross jewelry has a long history of design, symbolism, and popularity.  Embellished and various types of crosses were usually worn by officials of the Church or royalty.  Other citizens might have a plain or craved cross made of metal, stone, shell, or wood.  Now anyone can proudly wear their cross as a symbol of their faith or as a fashion statement reflecting their personal style.  Other religious jewelry includes Catholic saint medals and rosaries, as well as Jewish stars and symbols.

See also Meanings Behind Ornamental Crosses post on The God Bless Girl blog.

POST SHORT URL = https://tinyurl.com/yc4uvahz

Shopping For Things Japanese and Unique

Diaso Pink Fish Bag/Purse

My son likes many things Japanese and is studying the language to move towards linguistic mastery.  He travels some with his current job and often meets tourists from Japan with whom he can converse to personally test his proficiency.  Someday, he aspires to possibly work with Google Japan where language mastery is required.  Anyway, he currently is into all things Japanese. 

Therefore, when a Daiso store was opened locally, we went to check out shopping for Japanese items.  I was surprised to find they sold more than candy, snacks, and trinkets like the smaller “far east” type stores do under a different name inside shopping malls.  They had lots of home items for the kitchen, as well as storing and organizing!  The variety was surprisingly larger than they offer via the internet. True, they are no Container Store, but they do offer several unique storage and organizing items at reasonable prices. 

There was too much to see in the short time we were there.  We bought some snacks to try, a bubbler, and I got a cute pink fish drawstring bag to store a long strand of pink freshwater pearls in.  Since you are supposed to store real or glass pearls in bags to protect the pearls and string, rather than hanging them which stretches the string prematurely.  I thought choosing a bag the same color as the pearls inside it would make it easy to quickly find the pearls I wanted to wear.  They also had a red fish bag, but I didn’t have red pearls and worried that the color might fade onto anything stored in the bag. The fish bags inside the store came in 2 sizes (priced the same regardless of size) and would be great gift bags for small items like jewelry. The largest fish size is less than 6 inches in diameter.  The store also has finger nail polish and hair accessories that could be good gift items to put in the bag.  The larger bag is may also be used a cosmetic purse or travel jewelry bag – so using it as a gift bag is like giving 2-gifts-in-1.

I plan to drop by again when I am in the area so I can more closely browse the aisles. 

Little Girls Want a Doll for Christmas - doll 3

Walking Doll

My story of Christmas dolls is continued below.

For two Christmases, I asked for a Baby First Steps doll (see video).  It was a new battery-powered doll that walked a few steps and looked like a toddler rather than a baby doll.  When I finally got my doll, I named it Mary which was the girl name I liked best at the time.  For my birthday and the following Christmas, I got outfits made to fit this doll.  My Grandma P handmade most of the doll outfits for me and my cousins.

My cousin Sherry got the Baby First steps that talked.  This did not really bother me; I always felt those dolls that you pull the string on were really not so fun.  They never said what you wanted them to say when you wanted it.  Instead they said only "Mommy", cried, or you got a sequence of 4-5 phrases.  How unimaginative!  I would rather make the crying sound myself or create a cute phrase from my baby.

This doll was so popular at my house because it moved on its own.  I could even get my brothers to play with me and the Baby First steps doll.  I would be at one end of the hall and one of my brothers would be at the other end.  They would turn her on when I called out “walk to momma” and send her my way.  Sometimes their aim was not too straight and she would hit a wall.

If you are looking for a doll that walks for your little girl, you can still find Baby First Steps on e-bay.  Or check the local toy store or Amazon for the newest version.  At the time I wrote this post, the current walking and/or talking toddler doll is called Baby Alive or Wanna Walk.

Start over with part 1.

Little Girls Want a Doll for Christmas - doll 2

Bride Doll

In part 1, I promised another doll story.  Here it is.

One year, at my Grandma’s house all the girls between certain ages got a tall Bride Doll for Christmas.  It was called a walking doll because you could hold its hand and pretend it walked beside you.  But it really did not walk.  It arms did move up and down, and you could bend the legs to make it sit. 

Once we were too old for dolls or if the bridal dress got torn, Grandma P converted the bride doll to what she called a bed doll.  She made a long circle skirted dress for the doll.  When you put the doll on your bed, you fanned out the skirt into a circle that covered the dolls legs, your pillow, and the entire width of the top of a twin bed.   It bacame a decoration instead of a toy.

I still have this doll too.  I don’t know what happened to my original bridal dress and veil.  Grandma did make the doll into a bed doll with a dress in my favorite color.  Over the years that organza dress also wore out.  

I found a copy of a doll dress pattern about the size of my doll in a magazine and altered it to fit my doll’s measurements to create a new wedding dress and matching veil.  I used wide lace and made the skirt layers of ruffles the width of the lace.  I choose beige rather than white to give the dress a vintage feel.   The doll now stands on a shelf in my home office.

Come back for part 3 tomorrow.

Little Girls Want a Doll for Christmas - doll 1

Baby Doll

My cousin and I had sound alike names, Sherry and Shirley.  We often got the same dolls for
Christmas, although hers sometimes were the newer model.  I’m not sure when this trend started with my mom and her sister buying us similar gifts (BTW: the dads were also brothers).  I am sure it has something to do with the fact that we were best friends from toddlerhood (yes according to the internet that is a valid term) through adulthood.  The earliest I can remember matching toys was a baby doll we got when we were really young.  On this blog, I will share stories for three special Christmas dolls that my cousin and I shared.     

On the last Christmas that I remember with Grandpa D, he gave Sherry and I each a plastic Baby Doll.  He told us he had shopped with Grandma for the dolls and helped pick them out.  Sherry’s was in a blue blanket and mine was in a pink blanket, each was wearing a diaper and came with a matching bottle.   Although mine was in pink, the baby was very generic looking so I decided mine would be a boy too. (No anatomically correct baby boy or  baby girl dolls back in the old days.)  I named mine Tommy.  Our baby dolls were so special to us at the time and even more so after Grandpa passed away.  

I still have my baby doll.  It lost the blanket and diaper many years ago.  When my son was a toddler, I made him a couple of pairs of overalls.  Even though I am not the pattern-maker my Grandma was, with the scraps from that sewing project I made overalls for my doll.  For about a year, my son loved carrying the mini-version of himself around the house.

Come back for part 2 tomorrow.

The Christmas Boots

Christmas spending can be hard on families whose main provider works in the construction business.  The construction business has building booms as well as collapses due to the economy.  Even when there is work, seasonal cycles of inactivity may exist due to Mother Nature.  If you work outdoors like my dad did, then you may not be able to work due to hard rains, snow, or ice. 

I remember one Christmas when I was in my teens.  There had been lots of work and extra money to come in so it was a good year for my dad financially.  He and my stepmother decided to splurge at Christmas as they had not been able to in the past.  They bought all the boys fishing rods and some fishing lures.  My brothers were so excited they got up early the next day to go down to the creek and try to catch some fish.  It did not matter that the creek was not stocked with fish, they just wanted to try-out casting with the new poles.

Even though I like to fish too, I was secretly glad I did not get a pole.  What I got was a small purse size bottle of Charlie, which was my favorite cologne at the time.  Later, while the strewn paper and bows were being picked up and put into a trash bag, my dad came and sat beside me on the couch.  He told me that the cologne was not to be my only gift and that I would get the opportunity to select an additional gift to match the cost of the boys’ presents the following day when the stores opened.  Since I was too old for dolls, he wanted me to be able to select something I really wanted.  He asked if I had anything in mind I might want.

I had been drooling over some fashionable knee-high style boots for some time that a school mate had. I had asked my mom for boots as a Christmas present and did not get them.  So I told my dad I wanted some boots for Christmas in either black or white.  Being a practical girl, I specified colors that should go with any outfit I had.

The next morning, after breakfast, Dad and I headed out on the long drive from the country to the nearest large town.  Since I said I wanted boots, dad took me to a Western store as he was thinking cowboy, not fashion.  We looked around for some time to no avail.  So we went to a second boot shop (still not a regular shoe store) and he started by asking the clerk “Do you have any knee-high boots that zip up the side?  My daughter really wants that sort of boot.”

The sales clerk replied they had some but they were on an after-Christmas clearance so she could not guarantee they would have my size left.  She showed us where the boxes were to look through.  Not only did they have my size, they had one of my desired colors!  We found my Christmas boots and I was thrilled. Before we got in line to purchase the boots, my dad noted because they were on sale I was not spending my allotted limit.  I said I did not care as I was getting what I really wanted.  The sales clerk recommended we buy a pair of knee socks to wear inside the boots.  She showed us socks and we picked out a pair, then went to the register.

All this shopping and driving had taken some time and it was afternoon.  Dad suggested we have lunch before driving home.  We stopped at a Denny’s-like place and ordered.  I was a picky eater so I quickly turned to sandwiches to save time looking at the menu.  I do not remember what dad ordered but I believe it was steak, either rib-eye or chicken-fried as that is what he often got at restaurants.  When my order came, I must have had a strange look on my face.  Dad asked me if there was something wrong with my food.  I said I had ordered a roast beef sandwich which came with fries and I thought they brought me the wrong thing.  He noted it was called an open-faced sandwich with au jus  gravy on top to be eaten with a fork.  He suggested I try it and if I did not like it, we could order something else.  I tried it and I loved it!

The best thing about the lunch was not the food, it was all the stuff I learned about my dad’s childhood and interests that I was not aware of before.  With desert, we were in the restaurant for about one and a half hours.  Dad asked me about myself and school. I was a one-word answer kind-of-gal, so he really had to carry the conversation.  In doing so, I found my dad was more than a ditch-digger on a Caterpillar; he was a very interesting guy.

We drove home content and full.  I was happy with the boots sitting in my lap.  I showed them to everyone when we got home.  My baby sister loved them so much she asked if she could get some too (which she got for Christmas the next year.) 

I wore those boots almost every day, except summer break when my mom insisted I wear sandals, for over two years.  I wore them even after they begin to crack and show much wear.  The only reason I was able to give them up was because mom bought me new ones so I would be willing to change.   As you can see, these were not the last boots I owned.  According to mom, they were not even the first as I had faux-fur trimmed “Beatle boots” for winter wear in elementary school.  However, the Christmas pair are the boots I remember best and they are what truly started my romance with fashion boots and footwear.  Yes, I am a shoe-aholic!

Cookies or Candy? Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Recipe

Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal

This cookie recipe below is great for summer, since it is best served room temperature or even chilled.  It also travels well because it does not break easily.  So it makes a great gift when placed in a cute tin or box.

It is another one of my mom’s revamps of a school cafeteria recipe into a smaller batch (make 3-4 dozen depending on size of drops from tablespoon).  Mom was the “cook in charge of baked goods,” now they would call her a pastry chef.  Anyway, this recipe is also called “unbaked” or “no-bake” or “drop” oatmeal cookies.  The name implies no cooking.  However they are made in a stop-top pan instead of in the oven.  The cookies are almost like candy and can be made into a small bon-bon for parties by using a teaspoon instead of tablespoon to drop the batter onto waxed paper.

This cookie became the signature dessert of one of my cousins after we became adults.  She tried a batch of Mom’s once when she was visiting me and fell instantly in love with them.  We were in high school, so my Mom thought it was cute that she asked for the recipe - never thinking she might actually make them! For years, my cousin brought either this recipe or her homemade chocolate chip cookies to almost every family gathering.

No-bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine
2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa
½ cup milk
3 cups Quaker Oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup peanut butter
Optional: ½ cup coconut

Directions:

1.    Mix margarine, sugar, cocoa, and milk in pan on top of stove burner.
2.    Bring slowly to boil, stirring constantly.  Boil 1-2 minutes.
3.    Remove from heat.  Immediately add oats, vanilla, peanut butter, and if desired coconut.  Mix well.
4.    Drop by spoonful on waxed paper.  If it does not come off easily, use knife or fork to push off.
5.    Cool completely before eating or storing.

Nail Art – Not a New Fashion Fad

Nail Art Kit

Nail art is everywhere on the fingernails of teens, tweens, and their moms or grandmothers!  Is this really a new fashion trend?  Not really!  When I was in high school, we did nail art by painting the nails then doing designs on them with a felt-tip pen in the desired color.  I also remember nail tattoos and decals as a passing fad.  Hey, even flower children of the 60’s dotted flowers onto their nails! 

Now this can be done using tiny bottle of polish that come with a 2-3 hair paintbrush or that have a pen-style top.  Besides polish, you can buy kits, glitter, decorations, tape, stamps, stickers, pens, and tools to do it all!  The kits make great gifts for nail enthusiasts.  Do not forget to stock up on nail polish remover in case you do not like the results.

So is it as hard as it looks? I know people who pay a lot to have it done as well as others who have the courage and creativity to do it themselves.  I did a little research and found some sites for people who want to try it themselves.
·        Nail Art 101 provides step-by-step picture and text beginner tutorials
·        Style Craze offers 50 designs with tips to get the same look
·        Nail Designs offers photos of many ideas from simple to complicated
·        YouTube offers nail art tutorial and designs by nail polish manufacturers and nail artist. 

If you have a link to a favorite art design or “how to”, please share URL in comments of this blog so we can all benefit.

Memorable Valentine Gifts: Candy, Flowers, or Jewelry

Heart-shape Box of Valentine Candy

Are you planning to buy candy or flowers for a valentine this year?   Yes, that is nice… but it does not last more than a week.  Would your valentine prefer a more memorable gift?  Try jewelry instead!  You can buy jewelry in flower designs so they have a bouquet that lasts forever.  You can go with the traditional heart motif jewelry for your valentine. You can even buy jewelry that looks like a Hershey Kiss candy. 

For your valentine, make the gift even more memorable by putting it in a nice box she can use to store it in.  If the jewelry store or on-line shopping site did not provide a storage box, buy an inexpensive travel jewelry box or cute trinket box.  Then place the piece of jewelry in an appropriately sized slot.  This way she gets two gifts in one!
If you really want to give candy too, make it the jewelry wrapper.  Do so by opening the box and removing a candy.  Then place a ring or pendant in the empty slot. She will be pleased, he will be surprised.

If you want to give flowers as well, try a single red rose or a potted version of the valentine’s favorite flower.  For the single rose, slide a ring over the stem past a leaf section and secure it with a rubber band, ribbon, or wire twist-tie.  Or give a “dozen roses” in the form of a bracelet or brooch, similar versions of which can be found in some department or drug stores around Valentine’s Day.  Wrap the pin or bracelet onto the single stem rose with a ribbon or rubber band.  If giving a necklace, it can be draped around the flowers to hang down in front of the pot.  The trick here is to make a memorable moment that lasts a lifetime instead of only a week.

Pocket Watches as Memory Makers

When my dad passed away, he left behind several pocket watches that he or my mom had bought over the years.  I asked my mother if she wanted me to try to sell them.  She wanted instead to give each of her children the choice of a watch as a remembrance of dad at our Christmas gathering.  So I took the watches home to clean them up, wind them, and see which ones still worked.  Since I had them I decided to do a little research on the watches so I could provide my brothers with some background.

One of Dad's Pocket Watches

Most of the watches came from Colibri, a company that featured men’s accessory in its history but no longer makes watches.  I’m assuming the reason my dad went with that brand most is because it was the brand on his own dad’s watch, which was part of the collection.  My youngest brother took grandpa’s Colibri watch to someday pass to his son even though it seemed to no longer work.  Of course my dad often would take the watches to a jeweler who would clean them and then they would start working for a little while again.  The watches could get pretty dirty in the pocket of a man who was an all-in-one welder/carpenter/farmer really fast.

Dad did not have many fancy watches since function was more important than looks.  I remember that one year my mother bought him a collector’s pocket watch from a full page magazine ad.  It was his Christmas present from us kids that year.  In his collection were only 2 watches that would be considered collectables if they were working and still in their original packaging – Flying Tigers and Kennedy Half Dollar (no manufacturer listed on outside).  They had little monetary worth but each had a chain so different brothers took them to use as a display in their home.

My dad also had a wrist watch after he decided it was more acceptable for men to wear jewelry during the age of “Flower Power.”  He said it was dangerous for a man who did his kind of work to wear anything on his hands or wrist.  So the wrist watch was only worn to Church on Sunday.   His wedding ring was sometimes worn on his hand that day too.  Otherwise his simple wedding band hung on a chain around his neck that was tucked into his shirt.

Short URL for sharing post = https://tinyurl.com/5cm8cm45 

Last-minute Christmas Gifts?

If you are one of those people who wait to the last minute to buy your Christmas gifts, you need to start shopping.  Many of the shopping channels and site listed in my gift posts from last year promise to get gifts to their destination by Christmas as long as you order 2-3 days before.  Many of the on-line deals mentioned in gift posts last year may still be available this year; however you may have to pay more for jewelry items since gold, silver, and labor costs went up in 2012.  So get shopping on-line now if you want to avoid the malls and still get the gift there on-time.  

If you don’t mind the crowds at the mall or major department stores, then you better get there fast!  Yes, the longer you wait the better the deals – but you might miss out on the colors or sizes you need for those on your gift list.  Before you take off, check out the store sites to see if what you want is at your local store and if it is on sale or note:  Kmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Penney’s, Sears (coupons!), and Walmart.

Short URL for sharing post = https://tinyurl.com/bddb8z69  

Do not be the person (as in the classic “Friends” episode) that goes to the gas station to buy gifts on Christmas because everywhere else is closed!  No one really wants a tree-shaped pine-scented car deodorizer or Twinkies as their holiday gift.  Well, I take that back - with the closing of Hostess maybe Twinkees are now collector items...