"…but Mom, you forgot the centerpiece!"
Recipe for a centerpiece:
1 tray (clean off a year’s worth of tarnish first)
1 crystal vase (wash off the dust and dry)
raffia (hey, we were wrapping presents so it was available)
twigs (harder to find than we thought, perhaps we should have used tumbleweeds)
leftover silk flowers, greenery, and berries
Russian Nesting Dolls (gifts from Christmas Past)
Glass “Present” from Grammy
candlesticks, coasters, anything glass and shiny
1 placemat
Chase the cat away from her sunbeam spot in the middle of the table, *clean* the table, then position the placemat in the center, followed by the tray centered on the mat and the crystal vase centered on the tray. Ignore grumpy expression on cat’s face. Trim the vase with berries (make sure they’re wired), fill vase with raffia, add twigs, and poke remaining greenery, flowers and berries throughout. Fill in with remaining raffia. Have fleeting thoughts about how raffia might look remarkably like tinsel to the cat. Shudder once or twice, then make sure candlesticks are free of dust and wax. Add candles, and arrange sticks, coasters, and glass present on placemat in any and every configuration possible until your brain screams “ENOUGH” and you stop. Enjoy a flashback to Christmas Past when you received the nesting dolls as gifts, then add to the tray. Remember that you have not only a cat, but an-eager-to-explore toddler in the house, so get the camera.
Holiday Vignette Countdown, Day Four
I love open soffits. I know many people who don’t, and they’ve explained that they hate what they see as “dead space” above the cabinetry in kitchens in particular. Where others see dead space, I see vignette potential! I promised “twinkle,” so you’ll get extra photos today to see the kitchen vignette during the day, and during the night.
In sunlight:
…and in the evening:
The family newsletter is finished, the wreath is hung on the front door, and I have just enough time for a cup of tea before wrapping presents to be mailed, decorating the tree, and hanging the lit wreaths in our front windows. The decorating will be done soon, and you know what that means: time to BAKE!
Happy holidays to you all at this very special time of year. Extra-special thanks and “welcome” to those visiting my blog from Canada, India, Egypt, Poland, Norway, Great Britain, Australia, Italy, Thailand, and Germany. I hope you have enjoyed the vignettes, perused my other entries on education and life, and will come by and visit often in the new year.
Peace.
Vignette Intermission
With a bare door, it’s nice that these
can become *this*
…and to think, it was the toddler who picked out the white poinsettias!
Yes, yes, yes, there will be another vignette posted tomorrow!
Holiday Vignette Countdown, Day Three
Lets’ see, I’ve used furniture (my game table by the front door) and part of a Santa collection (yesterday’s post) for holiday vignettes… so today we’re heading toward the kitchen, stopping off for some candy and nuts hidden among the “silver and gold” of my epergne.
If I can’t find vintage Christmas postcards, I’m happy to use reproductions tucked in with the raffia, pinecones, and candle:
This sweet bird is keeping our childrens’ baby cups company…they hold just the right amount of mixed nuts, with a cracker and pick nearby:
Santa is driving through, enjoying the gold-glittered pinecones:
I wonder what we’ll find in the kitchen tomorrow? Something twinkley, I’m guessing. Until then, here’s to finishing up the Christmas cards:
Holiday Vignette Countdown, Day Two
Though this year’s holiday decor was inspired by 1) missing Alaska and 2) Target’s faux birch winter decor, I’ve kept a traditional red vignette in one corner of the dining room, and it’s a favorite of my children! With textural pip berries, Shannon’s Mr. and Mrs. Claus shelf-sitters, and various candle votive holders/sticks tucked away into an old tool box, not to mention two more Santas keeping the whole scene company, all I need to do now is bake some gingerbread cookies or cake to get that *smell* of Christmas in the air to complete the effect.
The stand-up felt Santa was purchased by me in Alaska at a holiday bazaar (do they still have the UAF Women’s Bazaar each winter?), the Santa in the basket was a figurine given to me by a former student, the shelf sitters are from Shannon’s Angel Kisses, the faux birch snowflake is from Target, and two of the candle votives were gifts from students, the crystal candlestick from my mother-in-law, and the Russian lacquer cup from my own collection. The white flowing “snow?” An extra curtain sheer we’re not using this year.
See you tomorrow for the next vignette, it’s time for my family to sign Christmas cards! Happy holidays!
Holiday Vignette Countdown (and kudos!)
The harvest decor has been taken down, dusted, and safely packed away until next year (and our next home), which means it’s time to decorate the house for the holiday and winter season. Each day this week I’ll post photos of one new vignette (here’s where you can find helpful tips and ideas for areas of focus and interest for your home, office, or even classroom)- let me know what you think!
Also, *kudos* to In Practice, nominated for Best Group Blog for the 2007 Edublog Awards. It’s been a terrific blog to contribute to (thank you again Alice, for the invite!), and a wonderful resource to ask you to consider voting for online.
Mother Nature’s Holiday Encouragement
Twenty-four hours have certainly made a difference! Perhaps this is Mother Nature’s way of getting us in the mood for December.
Before: 
After: 
Alaskans have to “remember” how to drive with each first snow of winter, sliding through a few red lights or stop signs before getting their winter rhythm down, but here in the Bordertown, I’m guessing we’ll be limiting our driving to post *only* today, since most drivers here don’t understand the equation:
snow+rain+ice+4 lane highways+ 60 mph speed limits= TROUBLE.
Reading sounds like a good idea today. Here are some of the stories we’ll be enjoying with the toddler this month:
…and oh, dear Santa, if you could find this book to add to my collection, you’d make my Christmas!
The Day After, Happiness is…
Mincemeat stars, mini-cranberry bread muffins and coffee…
and
cooler temperatures. I’m sure the “cold” won’t deter the holiday shoppers today, and my husband and I are even braving the mob in an attempt to replace the Christmas tree the last set of movers “misplaced” somewhere between Kansas and Texas. I’ve already purchased some holiday trees from Target along with some birchbark ornaments and decor, but until we have the tree up (not until December 1), I have some time to pack away the harvest decor, do a good winter cleaning around the house, and get our annual holiday letter typed up and printed for our Christmas cards.
This year I discovered the best way to prevent the fridge from being stuffed to the brim with leftovers from turkey dinner: invite five soldiers away from home over for dinner and set the twenty-five-pound turkey with all of the fixin’s in the middle of the table between them. The meal was delicious, the company was good, and I even managed to add “new mixer” to my Christmas wish list after my husband broke ours making REAL smashed potatoes. To think, several of our guests, including my husband, were deployed overseas this time last year. “Thankful” is just the beginning of the description of emotions the kids and I have been feeling since June.
One of our dinner guests was a soldier from Singapore. He’d never had pumpkin pie, so I was very pleased that I made the pie myself, cinnamon crust and all (sorry Mrs. Stouffer) for his first experience.
We’re off to Lowe’s. Enjoy a turkey sandwich for us, will you?
Kindergartners See the Light
If you’re like me, issues, ideas, and questions that stay with you for some time become your guide when it comes to life’s little explorations and discoveries.
Due to my own “high mobility rate” thanks to Uncle Sam’s repeated relocations of my husband and our family, my attention has been focused on diversity. Moving from a twenty-four year residency in Alaska to White Sands, NM for a year, then Kansas for two, here in Texas this year, with another move slated in July 2008, the visual and cultural terrain has done nothing but change in front of my eyes. Don’t get me started on how long it’s taken to acclimate from wind chill to the heat index- apparently you can take the girl out of Alaska, but can’t take the Alaska out of the girl.
With each move to a new state, our relocation includes living in new military communities that provide amazing multi-cultural experiences because of the ethnic and cultural diversity found in not only this country’s Armed Forces, but in the Armed Forces of other countries who allow their soldiers to participate in “exchange” type training programs here in the States. Communities surrounding each military post have had their own “flavor” too, and so far we’ve managed to live (and I’ve managed to teach) in communities that don’t deal with diversity as a distraction. Many public school teachers with whom I’ve worked have only recently begun to complain *not* that they have to “celebrate all holidays or celebrate none,” but that thanks to the demands of assessment schedules, there isn’t enough time for their students and families to share their cultural traditions year-round as learning experiences for classmates and teachers.
Though holidays occur throughout the entire year, many schools seem to recognize Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as prime art project and “class party” times. My students (so far) have been lucky, as kindergarten mediums still include glitter, play dough/clay, paint, beads, string, construction paper, food, etc. Their learning is hands-on, so in December, parents are happy to help my students make potato latkes for Hannukah, Kwanzaa necklaces, and glitter-nosed Rudolphs for Christmas. Poinsettias have been donated to my room and pinatas made for Las Posadas, and parents have helped my students make clay lamps to sit in a row (lit in the classroom with a string of electric lights) while learning about Diwali.
My students have been much more….bonded… to eachother when they’ve been able to share cultural experiences, and have enjoyed not only finding similar interests and practices, but learning about new ones as well. Kindergartners have a way of working cohesively, being tied together almost like family members when an inclusive environment is maintained around them, no matter their cultural background. Diversity is interesting to five year olds, not threatening or weird. Learning that Nancy is Chinese and celebrates Chinese New Year is as cool as learning about chlorophyll in plants and how some birds can fly while others can’t. Learning about our immediate environment, and then spiraling out from there, with some tangent branches, “grabs” at new information that has caught their interest thrown in for good measure, is what young children do. Nancy really enjoyed learning about Hannukah by the way, as it helped her to understand and feel closer to her best friend, who is Jewish. Thankfully, the kindergartners I’ve taught haven’t sorted and classified their peers with judgement on who is “right” or “better” based on their physical, cultural, or even socioeconomic characteristics, though I’m sure birthday invitations or play dates have been selected carefully by their parents behind the scenes.
Tim Graves’ “We Can’t Talk About That” is what had me reminicing this morning, and his article caught my eye because of the recent questions, opinions, and dialogues that have been taking place amongst the other blogs and various articles I have been reading lately. Ultra-conservitive rants worry me, especially when ethnicity and multi-cultural issues in this country turn into a “them versus us” schpiel when in my mind there is no ethnic-group-du-jour. “They” ARE “us.”
One of my students last year told me he was glad that his (very diverse group of) friends could all “see the light” during the winter. 
I’m wondering what will happen when our next family move takes place, especially since we could end up in Washington, Colorado, New York, Hawaii, Japan, Germany… though if we end up back in Alaska (it’s considered an overseas tour, did you know that?), fry bread, here I come!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, and quyanaqpak for reading.
Forecast
I’m so happy!!!!!
“SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS WILL ENJOY NEAR RECORD
TEMPERATURES TODAY AND PLENTY OF SUNSHINE BOTH TODAY AND
WEDNESDAY. BUT LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY WILL BE 15
TO 20 DEGREES COOLER THAN WEDNESDAY’S HIGHS. ALSO ON THURSDAY A
WEAK UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING THE THREAT OF LOWLAND
RAIN SHOWERS NORTH OF LAS CRUCES AND SNOW SHOWERS IN AREA
MOUNTAINS. ON FRIDAY WE WILL CONTINUE WITH TEMPERATURES WELL
BELOW NORMAL. AGAIN THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A RAIN OR
RAIN SNOW MIX IN THE LOWLANDS…WHILE AREA MOUNTAINS COULD SEE
SOME LIGHT SNOW. ON SATURDAY A SECOND STORM SYSTEM WILL TEAM UP
WITH A SECOND COLD FRONT TO BRING A MIX OF WINTRY WEATHER TO THE
BORDERLAND. THE EXACT FORECAST TRACK OF THE STORM SYSTEM IS STILL
A BIT IN DOUBT…AND THIS COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND TYPES. BUT RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE MUCH
OF THE LOWLANDS WILL SEE RAIN OR A RAIN SNOW MIX EARLY ON
SATURDAY WHILE AREA MOUNTAINS COULD SEE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
SNOW…ESPECIALLY THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON
MOST PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE LOWLANDS WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW
AS THE SECOND COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. SNOWFALL TOTALS COULD
RANGE FROM A TRACE TO A COUPLE OF INCHES IN THE LOWLANDS WHILE
THE SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS COULD RECEIVE SIX INCHES TO A
FOOT OF SNOW.”
Blogged
