Figuring out what I wanna be when I grow up.
Oop..I AM grown up...


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Festiveness at karen's






Everyone! Look!  I, karen the uninspired and uninspiring, made THE most fabulous, rustic Christmas-ish centrepiece!  Hooray!

Okay, too many exlamation points.

I have this fabulous bowl/vase thingy with a bird motif on it, because I lurv birds.  I got my girlie and The Man to go out and get me a bag of pine cones from a nearby park.  I filled up the bowl with the pinecones, some cinnamon sticks, and some curls from the skin of a clementine.  Then I set it on this crazy little silver dollar-store tray, added my little birdy buddy who I found in a thrift shop, chopped a branch off my golden cedar and VOILA, awesomeness.  Oh, and I threw some oranges on the tray for colour.

You know you like it.








My mother in law was kind enough to give me a big hunk from her juniper bush.  Apparently juniper is the good luck bush, and has some biblical significance, but I am NOT a bible person, so I'll leave that up to y'all to meditate upon.  I like the Christmasy look of it.  The smell is a cross between a Christmas tree and CAT PEE.  HOORAY!

YOU CAN TIE A RIBBON AROUND ANYTHING AND MAKE IT FESTIVE, APPARENTLY.

That's a picture of my grandfather in Poland beside the juniper.



Oh! Everyone! Here's a romantic story for you!  See those FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC rustic Santa stick guys in the square glass vase?  WELL, one day I was looking at Christmas decoration stuff online, and came across a site that featured easy, do-it-yourself crafts.  I freaked for the Santa sticks, and pleaded with The Man to make them for me.  Then one night I went out Christmas shopping, and when I returned home, he surprised me with them.

He had sneakily collected some sticks at a nearby park one afternoon when he was out with the kids, and then he quickly painted them all up when I was out one night for a couple of hours.

ROMANCE AT MY AGE!

Damn, I love those crazy Santa sticks.

You have no idea.




At MY house, this year we fill the bowls with FRUIT, MOTHERF***ERS.
THAT is how WE roll.

I don't know...it looks pretty, right?





Charming table of Santas.

Luckily, my son has stopped messing with the letters for fun.  "LEON" does NOT spell "CHRISTMAS."



Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...




Do you know how much I lurv Santa?!?  I FREAKING HEART SANTA.  If someone gives me a card with Santa on it, that is GUARANTEED to be saved FOREVER.





I love you Santa! SNIFF! xoxoxo





I got this card a long time ago from a friend.  It's a reproduction of a German postcard from the early 1900's.  My son says he hates it because Santa looks like "a lady."

Whatever.
















freaking Santa Claus....so awesome.







True story! I made this little clothes peg soldier when I was in grade 1.  I concentrated so hard while I was painting it, that I didn't realise I'd painted the face sideways to the body.  So, soldier buddy looks over his shoulder forever.  This is not a big deal, but it IS so typically KAREN that it's a little bit painful.





suck it in....drink up all the Christmas...









Stained glass Santa in the window




my poinsettia survived a whole year


hey! Any idiot can make RICE KRISPY SQUARES.  
Why not make SUPER SQUARES?!?  You know you want to try it.






yummy...


karen's Super Squares

5 cups of HEALTHY cereal.  NO glucose fructose, damn it! 
 ( I used: 2 cups honey nut cheerios
   2 cups bran flakes
   1 cup organic bite-sized whole wheat )
5 cups marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
1 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

on medium heat, melt butter and marshmallows in a large pan

when that goo is melted, remove from heat and add cereals and stir quickly.  Then add peanuts and chocolate chips and stir till combined.

dump into a buttered 9x11 baking dish and press down to fit.  When cooled, cut and use your hands to lightly mold them into rough, sticky balls.  

Seriously--everyone loved them, and they are crammed with fibre. 






Happy Holidays, everyone!



15 comments:

  1. :) Merry Christmas to you! Thanx for the laugh---you are so right about the mix of scents--between a Christmas tree smell and cat pee! You made me laugh out loud. I haven't done much blog hopping or writing lately, but I'm glad I spotted yours today. I love your rustic Santa sticks, too, and isn't it funny how a simple little act of love can make you treasure them! And what a great idea, putting fruit in all the candy dishes! We should do that here this year too!

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  2. Love your decorations - especially your Santa's! Our whole mantel is literally covered in them and hubby is worried I will keep adding to the collection. Which of course I'm going to do... ;-)
    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  3. Thanks for sharing all your pretty christmas thingies.... except for..I am sorry to say... the santas...
    GAH! I can't even look at them... creepy santa....!!

    um... I like your tree :)

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  4. Crikey!! Don't you think you're taking this all a bit too far?!
    And,there is no such thing as too many exclamation points!!!
    YEEHAH!
    Aside from the bah humbugness,it really does look lovely and rather like Chrissy!
    How's those booboids? Mine say hello!
    XXX

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  5. Thanks. You too. My wife loves to decorate as well. We have three trees.

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  6. I did so much drinking up of your Christmas that I won't be able to drive for hours and will have a freaking hangover tomorrow. The Christmas Santa sticks warmed my heart. And your clothes-peg soldier - only the wisest soldiers know it's best to look all around, not just forward. Poor Christmas LEON though... LOL.

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  7. Now you have surprised me here, Karen. You? A Santa-loving Christmas-arrangement-making festive fan? I never would have thought it! But I'm glad you make your home look gorgeous, your tree is beautiful, those Santa sticks are a sign of leeerrrrve for sure, and your little clothes peg soldier is adorable. He's just checking no one is following him. He's alert.
    So are you ready for the festivities to begin? Are you excited? Will all those Santas be bringing you something heavenly? I hope so, you deserve a mountain of gorgeousness!
    Happy Leon to you and yours! xxxxx

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  8. I love the stick Santas that your husband made for you. Love all the Santas, I like to have them around too. Perfect little clothes pin soldier, my son would go nuts if he saw that you could make them. It really is the simple things that are important. Have a wonderful Christmas Karen.

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  9. The original Christmas Miracle...a poinsettia that survived a whole year. Let's toss back an eggnog on this one.
    When are you gonna bake Tim Burton inspired gingerbread cookies?

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  10. My god, you have been busy, the squares look delicious. I love the Santa overload in your house! It looks fantastic, though I do agree that Santa looks a bit feminine in that picture - Tranny Claus perhaps? xxx

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  11. According to one of my friends, the way to make anything festive is to wrap it in bacon. Thought you should know.

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  12. I like the wrapping everything in Bacon Idea that Richard shared... then I can die fat and happy! *winks* And The Son making Leon out of your Noel letters... priceless! My Grand-Daughter was hawking my stuff out of the back of my pickup Truck Sunday morning for a dollar in a Wee Enterprise to replace her Bike that was stolen just before Christmas! So... needless to say The Man had to rush out and buy her one for Christmas so she wouldn't sell all my Heirlooms like some Carny barking for everyone to step right up! *Winks* Gotta lurv them kids, never a dull moment and lotsa crazy priceless Memories!

    Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  13. I want....yes I want that recipe...hey I got it...now time to make them! Happy Hollerdays!!

    Ron and Sophie Doodle!

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  14. I LOVE all your decorations!

    Hope you guys had a wonderful holiday!

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