Candy Cane Christmas Company

 

 I recently found the Candy Cane Christmas Company on Instagram and decided to check and see if they had a website.  They do!  I took a few screenshots to show you all the sort of decor that they carry.  It has a nostalgic, vintage vibe that many of you will enjoy greatly!

Oh, the ornaments!

The most popular categories include Boxes & Buckets, Ornaments, Reindeer, Santa, Snowmen, Tabletop/Mantel Decor, Throw Pillows, and Wall Decor.

In the Nostalgic Feels corner, you will find Bubble Lights, Shiny Brites, and Dummy Boards.

Many of the items here are out of my price range, but they do have sales.  And it's an inspiring, delightful place to visit just for the fun ideas!

Head on over for a sparkling visit at Candy Cane Christmas Company and see what's new!

The Festive Touch

 

 Now here's a fun little recipe leaflet from 1961!  Published by the Nestle company, this little booklet would have come bound inside a magazine.  Its 14 recipes feature Pet evaporated milk and Nestle baking morsels.  

Pet Evaporated Milk, we are reminded, has "twice the country cream in every drop" and is "the velvet ingredient -- thin milk would never do."  And "Nestle's makes the very best chocolate (butterscotch, too).  Only Nestle's Morsels melt so smoothly, blend so evenly."

All of the recipes are pictured. They include Hot Fudge Sauce, Chocolate Frosting, No-Bake Brownies, Pineapple Bavarian (with a peppermint variation), Apple Nut Dessert, Chocolate Cherry Creams, Nut Fudge (with a double layer fudge variation), Easy Graham Bars, Chocolate Logs, Fudgy Macaroons, Toll House Marble Squares, Polka Daters, Butterscotch Crunchies (with several variations), Pumpkin Pie, and Festive Fruitcake. Most of them look really scrumptious, and it may be that someone reading this has been looking for one of these recipes for decades!

I just noticed in the photo above, which shows the entire leaflet from the back, that the colors used for the words "The Festive Touch" resemble butterscotch and chocolate.  I think that is likely purposeful.  

To me, one of the most endearing things about this little leaflet is the little scribble of red ink on the front, just above the ellipsis after the word "touch".  It looks as if someone, about to write a Christmas card or a gift tag, was testing their festive red pen to make sure it still worked.

Such a fun find!  This has just been listed in my Etsy shop.

Sweet farmhouse style ornaments

 

Photo from Simply Designing.net

 Remember those adorable colored-pencil coasters from last week?  While browsing around at Simply Designing.net, I discovered these sweet farmhouse ornaments and fell in love with them.

You can see that the components are very simple: embroidery hoops, ribbon, berries, and bottle brush trees.  There's a complete list of what you need to make these ornaments (including a glue gun, and black spray paint) on the post, along with the step by step instructions.  

I already have a good number of embroidery hoops on hand, so this will be a good way to use some of them.  I believe I have a few bottle brush trees also, and quite a bit of ribbon.  The berries may be the only thing that I have to purchase.

This would be a fun craft to work on this summer!

Another beautiful Christmas poem

 

Today I'm sharing another poem from an older Ideals Christmas magazine.   This is such a beautiful description of a festive Christmas room.

CHRISTMAS

A golden taper burning on the table,
A pine tree dressed in brightly colored light,
A row of boxes tied with scarlet ribbons,
A single star appearing in the night.

A wreath of evergreens outside the window,
The mistletoe and holly spread galore,
The smoldering branches in the open fireplace,
A group of carolers singing at the door.

The smell of ginger cookies in the oven,
A beaming child that scurries far and near,
The twinkling eyes, the ringing merry laugher --
Oh, Christmas, what a joyous time of year!

-- Carolyn Sue Peterson

I couldn't find a vintage Christmas card in my collection that really fit the picture this poem conjures up.  So I ended up choosing two -- a living room (I think) and a kitchen.

What a joyous time of year indeed!  I can almost smell those ginger cookies baking in the oven, can't you?

More fabulous Christmas fabric -- "Oh What Fun"!

 

Christmas fabric is such fun, isn't it?  I especially love those with a vintage look.  The one above is a fun and festive length from my own stash.  I always like seeing new fabrics for each Christmas, and I've been seeing quite a few on Instagram.

"Oh What Fun" by designer Elea Lutz for Poppie Cotton is one that I recently noticed.  One of my favorite creative Instagrammers -- Dori Troutman from The Red Feedsack -- posted a photo of a gorgeous wall hanging she made using Oh What Fun fabric.  Head on over to either Instagram or The Red Feedsack to see her fabulous mini quilt!

Here are just a few screenshots of some of the fabrics from the Oh, What Fun line:

The green and pink plaids are some of my favorites.

The skating deer is just plain fun!

The snowflake fabric comes in several colors.  This is my favorite.  Just look at the sweet colors here!

 There's even a panel to use for various craft projects.  A banner, I'd guess; gift tags; ornaments -- there could be multiple ways of using this printed panel.

Feeling inspired to craft for Christmas?  I sure am!

A vintage farmyard Christmas card

 

 This is a sweet vintage card I found in the stash I am trying to list on Etsy.  Oh, my, I think I must have thousands of cards still to list.  And so little time.  But this one is too cute not to share.

So many details!  The farmer hanging a wreath while his wife looks on apprehensively (that ladder does look pretty rickety).  Chickens and roosters eye the farmer from above and below.  In the barn, a cow inspects the Christmas tree by the light of a wall lantern.

Inside the card, a very large barrel contains candy sticks and holly, while a green-eyed black cat peeks from behind the barrel.  The greeting wishes the recipient a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in a jolly vintage font.

The tall thin size of the card is nifty, also, and I like how the lantern motif is repeated on the front, back, and the inside of the card.  I'm guessing this card is from the 1950s -- it's a Sunshine Card.

Just a fun little card!  Hope you enjoyed seeing it!

Christmas church scene from 1964

 

I acquired the magazine pictured above (Things to Make for Christmas) when clearing out the family homestead.  I hadn't really had time to look at it, but when rearranging some of my Etsy listing stash, I came upon it again recently.  And took a closer look at the cover.  Wouldn't it be nice if there were directions or a pre-printed scene bound inside the magazine?

But no.  Instead, there was this little blurb on page 2: "CHURCH SCENE: It's made by Hallmark, has nothing to assemble; simply open it like a book and it will pop up.  Set it on your holiday table and accent it with evergreen sprayed with artificial snow.  You'll find it in major stores everywhere."

 Well, not anymore.  But just for fun, I decided to check and see if one was available on Etsy or eBay.  Sure enough, check this Etsy shop listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1258279708/vintage-hallmark-christmas-centerpiece.  

 

For $14 plus shipping, you can have your own.   When I looked at it a few days ago, it was in one person's cart.  So maybe not.  But isn't it sweet?

There was also this one: 

But that one is sold out. It seems a bit simpler and I think I almost like it better.

Who else wishes they made sweet items like this today?

What a fun handmade coaster idea!

 

Amazing project and photo from Ashley at SimplyDesigning.net

 This is an idea I've had saved for Christmas in July for some time.   It's a fun drink coaster made from a cork coaster with slices of colored pencil glued to it.  Ashley shared the project -- Colored Pencil Drink Coaster -- in 2015, so you can see that I've had it awhile.  

It looks as if the most time-consuming and difficult part of this project is sawing the colored pencils into slices.  If I make these, I will assign that part of the production to my wonderful and handy hubby.

And I really want to make two of these.  My teenage granddaughters are really into writing, and these would be perfect gifts for them, perhaps with a special mug each.

You can sort of glimpse Emily's "I Am a Writer" T-shirt in the photo above, and Julia loves writing as much as she loves books.  In fact, at the time this was taken last summer, they were both participating in a writing challenge to write 100 words a day for 100 days.  And they talked me into joining them!  Maybe I should make a coaster for myself, as well.

7-Up Punch!

 

Here is a fun vintage advertisement that just might inspire a beverage option (or 3) for your holiday entertaining!  The advertising blurb reads, "Which one will it be?  They're all delicious tasting.  And they're all different.  But they have this in common: 7-Up -- that gets them off to the best possible start.  Seven-Up -- with the fresh, clean taste that accents (never covers!) the flavors of the other ingredients.  Seven-Up -- that adds the sparkle.  Spring a surprise on your holiday crowd ... Remember!  You'll want plenty of 7-Up for drinking 'as is', too!"

And, as you look at these recipes, you'll see that you will also want plenty of 7-Up for filling ice cube trays -- for two of the recipes require 2 trays of 7-up "ice cubes" each.

The first is 7-Up Red Satin punch.  It calls for apple juice and cranberry juice in addition to 7-Up.

 Next, Santa's 7-Up Surprise looks interesting. It calls for pineapple juice, orange juice, 7-Up, maraschino cherries, and --- peppermint extract?!  Just not sure about that combination.

And lastly, there is 7-Up Evergreen Bowl, which is pretty and calls for only 2 simple ingredients -- 7-Up, and lime sherbet!

This ad is from 1962 -- so, over sixty years ago!  These punch recipes do still sound good,  so you may wish to file them away for December use -- or, try them out now, in summer!  But I think I would skip the peppermint extract.

Mystery fruitcake #2

 

 So here's another vintage mystery fruitcake recipe, this one apparently from the year following the spice cake one I featured last week.  This recipe notes that the dark mystery fruitcake was "last year's holiday sensation!"

Like its predecessor, this recipe uses a white cake (pre-baked from a mix) along with candied fruit, cherries, raisins,  cut-up coconut, and blanched almonds -- and a package of fluffy white frosting mix.  As I mentioned yesterday, I was curious about that last ingredient.  I remember using fluffy white frosting mix in the past -- was it possible this product is still being made?  As it turns out, yes, it is.  Look here: Betty Crocker Fluffy White Frosting Mix.  

One crumbles the baked, cooled cake into a very large bowl and mixes it with the fruit and nuts.  Then, one prepares the frosting mix and mixes it thoroughly with the cake crumbs and nuts.  This mixture is packed tightly into two loaf pans or one tube pan (foil lined in either case), covered with foil, then chilled in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  It should be kept refrigerated and sliced with a sharp knife when ready to serve.

Betty Crocker describes this recipe as "a surprising new way to make fruitcake that's oh! so easy!"

I don't care for candied fruit much, so I would modify that requirement a bit, probably candying my own pineapple and cherries and possibly orange peel to come up with the four cups of candied fruit.  For the cut-up coconut, I've noticed that Walmart carries an organic unsweetened coconut in fairly large flakes that would probably work.  And although I'm not using mixes much these days, I'm thinking I just might give this recipe a try this year. 

What do you think?  Would you try this recipe?

A lovely Christmas poem -- "Going Home"

 

Here is a lovely poem -- "Going Home", by LaVerne P. Larson.  I found it in a Christmas Ideals from 2000, but I believe the poem to be a vintage one.  

GOING HOME

I'm going home for Christmas,
To that lovely place aglow
With a special magic splendor
I have always treasured so.

I'm going home for Christmas,
Where love waits at the door
And my heart is ever welcome
To share happiness in store.

I'm going home for Christmas,
Across the sparkling snow
To hear stories, bells, and carols
And bask in candleglow.

I'm going home for Christmas
To help trim the Christmas tree
And give gifts to all my loved ones
Who mean so much to me.

I'm going home for Christmas
Because I love it there;
Its open arms envelop me
With blessings I may share.

-- LaVerne P. Larson

This just conjures for me a picture of my grandmother's farm and how so many of the aunts, uncles and cousins would come "home for Christmas".  It seems to me that this poem describes how we all felt about coming to the farm for Christmas.  If you would like, you can read about those midcentury memories here: Christmas on the Farm.  

How blessed I am to have such memories of Christmases past!

Black Friday in July at Dayspring!

 

 I decided to check Dayspring to see what deals they might have that would work as Christmas gifts or as part of a family's Christmas celebration.  They are having a wonderful Black Friday in July sale that you might like to take advantage of!

The Bring on the Merry set here might be a meaningful gift to share with a family ahead of Christmas.   The book features 25 days of devotions, activities, and classic Christmas stories.  The ornament book contains 7 pop-out ornaments with coordinating Scriptures and devotions.  $12 for the set is a real bargain, as the regular price was $36.99.  That's 2/3 off!

This t-shirt would make a fun gift for a teen girl: Joy Love Peace T-shirt.

And this festive tea towel could be a great hostess gift!  It's only $5 and there's a coordinating mug for $5 as well.

Or maybe you just need some wrapping paper or cards.  Both of these are on sale.  These great Thomas Kinkade cards are only $10 for a box of 50.  Now that is a deal!  Regular price is $30.

The wrapping paper is $8 for the 4 rolls.  And the paper is reversible!

In addition to the Black Friday sale (which includes quite a few more items), Dayspring's clearance sale for gifts and home decor has many wonderful goodies.  And they've also got a clearance sale for Bible journaling items -- lots of delightful gift possibilities here too.  I can see these as great gift ideas for my teen granddaughters.

So head on over to Dayspring and check out their sales.  I think you will like what you find.

Vintage Betty Crocker Recipes (that make wonderful gifts)

 

Here's another find from the old homestead -- or possibly from a stash of recipe booklets I inherited from my grandmother.  I'm guessing it's from the late 1940s.  It doesn't look like much -- simply printed in three colors and measuring only 3 1/4 inches by 6 1/4 inches.  But it actually contains a wealth of information.  

The booklet's title is a lengthy one.  It appears to be: Betty Crocker Recipes that Make Wonderful Gifts with Gift Wrapping Ideas by the Makers of Scotch Cellophane Tape and Sasheen Ribbon.  Wow!  

The back of the leaflet features step by step "The 'easy' way to wrap a gift package" and "How to tie the Magic Bow".  Both tutorials have sketches to show the steps in pictures.  You can double click to see them better.

 
There are six cake recipes featured in this booklet: Bit O' Walnut Chiffon Cake; Fresh Orange Layer Cake; New Choco-Nougat Cake; 

Loaf O' Gold Cake; New Maraschino Cherry Cake; and Golden Layer Cake. 

Four of the cake recipes include icing recipes to go along with them: Browned Butter Icing; Creamy Nut Icing; Easy Penuche Icing; and Orange Icing.

In addition, there are three gift wrap ideas for presenting cakes as gifts from your kitchen: Gift Wrap your Bit O' Walnut Cake for Beauty and Protection; Pretty and Practical; and Say "Happy Birthday".

What a fun find this is!  By the time you read this, I will have listed this one in my Etsy shop.

Christmas paper dolls

 

As promised, here's another post about the Paper Doll Review.  This time I'm featuring their Christmas themed paper dolls!

Merrie Christmas paper dolls by David Wolfe features a family of five: Dad Kris, Mom Noelle, and kids Holly, Nick, and Candy.

Little Miss Christmas paper dolls feature two charming little girls: Little Miss Christmas and Holly Belle.   This one may well be my personal favorite.

But Candy Cane Christmas paper dolls, which feature little girls Maia and Barbie and cute outfits along with their toys and dolls, are sweet and colorful too.

 
Paper dolls can be so much fun!  I may purchase a set of these for a special little girl in my life!