Santa Candy Jar

 I have had this Santa candy container for a good long while.  I was excited when I stumbled upon this ad featuring him!

Image Source: Kitschy Living

From the 1964 Sears Christmas Wish Book.

Santa came with a snowman friend, a duet, each containing 20 oz. of cello-wrapped hard candies. Ideal family gift, centerpiece. Price: 1.88.

Santa Swigs

Check out these super cute glasses I got at the flea market for 2 bucks for the set (four of them).  As you turn the glass around to view each scene it tells a little story...

Ending badly for poor Ol' St. Nick!

I also found this single glass at the flea for a quarter!

ATOM~ It's A Wonderful Life

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mom and I were invited to decorate three aluminum Christmas trees in the infamous ATOM ( Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center) in Brevard, NC this year.

Here is my It's A Wonderful Life Tree...ATOM Style.

Scientific Classification
Genus: Silvercus
Species: Moviemous
Common Name: Hee Haw and Merry Christmas (It's A Wonderful Life)
Arborists : Mary and Mary (my mom and I)

For this tree we had the addition of  'gifts' covered in vintage 1940's wrapping paper under the tree.

So there you go... If you can't make it to the actual show then you at least have had a virtual tour of the trees we did this year!

Also see our ATOM styled The Andy Griffith Show and "Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly" trees.

ATOM~ Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mom and I were invited to decorate three aluminum Christmas trees in the infamous ATOM ( Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center) in Brevard, NC this year.

Here is my Buddy Holly tree...ATOM style.

Scientific Classification
Genus: Silvercus
Species: Bigblackglassus
Common Name: Deck The Halls With Buddy Holly (Happy Holly Days!)
Arborists: Mary (me)

The only thing that we added additional to this tree were plastic sprigs of fake holly and some small reproduction record album covers for under the tree.

The decoration placement on the tree didn't turn out looking uniform but for that fact, it makes this tree more along the lines of what ATOM really is....the aesthetically challenged part of it.

Here is an image where you can see some of the decorative paper I put on the back of an ornament off to the right.

I love this image of Buddy Holly in a photo booth acting silly!

Also see our ATOM styled It's A Wonderful Life and The Andy Griffith Show trees.

ATOM~ The Andy Griffith Show Tree

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mom and I were invited to decorate three aluminum Christmas trees in the infamous ATOM ( Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center) in Brevard, NC this year.  The curator makes 'scientific cards' to go under each tree, which are kinda fun.

Scientific Classification
Genus: Silercus
Species: Mt. Airyious
Common Name: Andy Griffith Tree
Arborists: Mary and Mary (My mom and I )

The primary tree I spent a lot of time plussing up was The Andy Griffith Show Tree. When I made the TAGS tree ornaments back in 2011, I had a few other ideas after the fact that I decided to make happen this time around.  But first, I'll show the 'regulars'.

Here are the new additions I made:

A "Just Call The Man!" ornament with a deep freezer and mouse trap image juxtaposed.  For die hard fans they will remember that a mouse trap was put in the freezer because a mouse had climbed in there to keep warm! I like when Gomer sticks his hand in it accidentally and says to Opie "Tell yer Pa' he got a nibble!".

The other new ornament I made is a reproduction Christmas card from the Christmas TAGS episode where the Hubacher brothers send Andy and Barney a holiday card from the state prison.  I found an image of a vintage Christmas card that said "From Our House To Your House"...I was thinking the "Big House"!

I found a slightly usable image from the internet of the boys but had to redo the text and wording myself for the interior.

(image from the TAGS episode)

Another idea that I had was 'presents' under the tree that referenced several different episodes.

Seen above to the left are sticks of dynamite for Jimmy the goat from his owner Hud.

There is also a huge rock from Ernest T. Bass to his beloved Romena.

Some 'elixir' for Otis from the Morrison sister's flower makin' machine.  Only for special occasions.

And a box of Miracle Salve to Opie Taylor Sr. from Dr. Pendyke.

You could be the one to win that pony!

See our ATOM styled: 'Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly' and It's A Wonderful Life.

ATOM!

Image source: Seasons Gleamings

As I mentioned in several posts previously, I have been devoting a great deal of time to being part of a national touring apron museum show with helping to curate it and being the showcased apron collector.  The thing I hadn't let slip yet is that I have also been busy preparing to be a part of ATOM or Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum  !!

I have been a huge admirer of ATOM for quite some time (see our 2005 visit).  The guy who started it, Stephen Jackson, is quirky and clever (example: A Tammy Faye Bakker tree with makeup putty knives) and a true inspiration to me.  The "museum" has always been his vast collection of oddly decorated aluminum trees that he sets up at different museums near his hometown of Brevard, NC since 1991.  However for several years a few years back he did not host the museum at all, at least I couldn't find anything about it.  I would search it out online but nothing came back until last year.  The Transylvania Heritage Museum in Brevard has taken over a part of the permanent collection from the original curator, Stephen Jackson.  I quickly called my mom, who is also a fan of ATOM and told her that ATOM was going to be up in a town a couple of hours away from her.  She high tailed it to Brevard for their opening reception...which was also appropriately a tacky Christmas sweater party as well.  She mingled with Stephen and the new curator, Pat Childress,  and by the end of the evening she had it set up for she and I to decorate THREE of the trees for the 2015 showing!

Our trees.

We choose three themes from past years that already had ornaments: The Andy Griffith Show , Buddy Holly, and It's a Wonderful Life.  However that doesn't mean that there was nothing to do or prepare for.  Some of the ornaments had to be repaired. Some had to be completely made to ensure we had enough. All of the backs of the paper ornaments had to be covered with decorative paper because before it was just exposed packing tape and manila folder. We also wanted to add several new pieces/ornaments to each tree.  I will be posting on all of this post haste.

At the opening "sneak peek' reception this year they had a few cute handcrafted items for sale I wanted to show.

These aluminum tree branched reindeer antlers on a headband. You better believe I got me a pair.

And these chocolate silver coated candy pop trees. 

It took us several hours to set our trees up and in the mean time Hubs and PB got to help decorate one of the permanent collection trees: Rock n' Roll Tree.  They even got credited for their work on the description card...only Hubs was called Jeff, which is not his name but rather funny.

ATOM has a huge following from the local newspapers and publications around Bravard and Charlotte.  My mom and I have been mentioned in several of them for the trees we did.

As it stands right now in this moment in time, I have two museum showings that I am a part of, actively taking place!  As I have said earlier I have been very busy.

If you are in the area of Brevard, NC check out ATOM!
 There are about 20 more trees in the show decorated by other people.  One is a Star Wars theme and very well done.

Transylvania Heritage Museum

189 West Main Street

Brevard, NC

(828)884-2347

Wed-Sat., 10-3:00pm

November 28-Dec. 19, 2015

O' Little Town of Deathlehem

Yes, I absolutely snagged that line from MST3K's Christmas offering of Santa Claus.  But when you see our decorating theme this year it will ring true.  Just look at this creeper Santa I got recently at the thrift.  Tell me it doesn't invoke fear of murder.

I am soooo far behind on posting..I mean really behind.  I still have more Halloween and more Cave City to share along with a fun trip we took during the summer that has yet to make it up here. They all will have to wait till next year because christmas is right around the calendar corner and I am in my "I f*%king hate christmas" mode right now. 

So without further ado, let's get this nightmare started.

Dick Van Dyke's 90th Birthday!

Happy 90th Birthday to one of my most favorite famous persons,

Dick Van Dyke!

December 13, 1925

Last year I wrote a post about my admiration for him and about Hubs getting Dick Van Dyke to send me a signed birthday card.  

I decided to send Mr. Van Dyke a birthday card last year and again this year.  

Here is the front.  It is made by Threadless.

"Just like sprinkles...you make everything more fun!"

Here is the inside, altered by me!

I made him into an ice cream cone with loads of sprinkles everywhere!

Funny, funny man!

PS:  Dick Van Dyke just released a new book all about not acting your age!

Frosty Freezer Wonderland

I came across this image above awhile back and wished that they still made these adorable ice cream christmas trees.

Guess what!? (and don't peek!)

Recently I found the trees!  along with some big mouthed ice cream snowmen! at Target!

Of course the 'serving suggestion' on the front of the box is better than the real life versions.  For my picture I had to scrape off the original sprinkles the trees came with because they had blended into a nasty shade of brown.   There is nothing I could do to help out Frosty, he was a bit odd looking from the beginning!

Still fun though!

I love me some ice cream novelties!