Thursday, December 31, 2015

Gumdrop-dead Goody Tree


Our Christmas theme this year was Creepy Santa.  The kind that you may see drunk or surly, possibly with a scared kid sitting on his knee.  Most of our holiday season involved him in some way.   We decorated our Christmas tree and front door wreath with his creepy mug, made a scary Santa cake, and even had our holiday photo taken with a real live Santa Creep Claus!

Since we thought we make be tampering too much in his evil domain and angering the overlords, we decided to ward off the evil Santa spirits by decorating our gumdrop tree with impaled cinnamon juju Santa candies! 

Yikes! He got it in the eye!
A little voodoo juju just as a precaution!

Hope everyone had a creep free holiday season!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Elf Antics

PB's elves, Glupert and Bumpkins, generally come to our house the last couple of weeks of December.  Santa just can not spare them for the entire month.  They then hitch a ride back with him on Christmas Eve.
Here a few of their holiday antics we were able to catch on camera!

They consulted the Ouija board to learn if PB had been being good.

They trucked in a load of peppermints.

They had a holiday fiesta!

I also made some Elf inspired cupcakes in their honor one night while we watched the movie together.  We all know how much elves love sugar!

They are 'spaghetti' (yellow tinted frosting) topped with chocolate sauce, marshmallows, pop-tarts, and candy m&ms.

Here are some of their past shenanigans:
2014
2013
2012

PB didn't seem too impressed or interested in them this year...I think their magic has run out.  I have heard that happens to a lot of elves when their kid reaches PB's age.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Nesselrode Pie


I first heard of Nesselrode Pie on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show called 'Aunt Bee and The Lecturer'.  It's a color episode and I generally steer clear of those.  If you do as well, here is the pie-only-involvement-run-down:  Aunt Bee has got a gentleman suitor on the line who just loves the Nesselrode Pie she made for their dinner....but it's because the pie and Aunt Bee remind him of his deceased wife. Needless to say, Aunt Bee packs up the pie in a paper sack and scoots him on his way.  Actually I don't remember how she gets rid of the guy but we aren't here to talk about that.  
We are here for the pie!

I liked the pie's intriguing name and it seemingly had some super powers of persuasion (due to the alcohol content) so I decided to make it for Christmas this year.


I have several Mayberry Cook Books with a few different variations of the pie.  I also looked up some recipes in several of my old cookbooks.  Some had a chocolate layer, some called for a hard to locate jarred fruit called Nesselro, some called for dark rum and some included instant vanilla pudding.  To add to the mystique of the pie, it is classified as extinct  due to no restaurants or bakeries serving it any longer.

I decided to still venture forward and rise the Nesselrode Pie from the culinary graveyard.  I went with the basic recipe called 'Clara's (Not Bee's) Nesselrode Pie' from the Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook with a few variations I liked from other recipes.

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Nesselrode Pie

1 baked 9 inch pie shell
1 tsp. plain unflavored gelatin (which is 1 pkg of Knox gelatin)
1/4 c. cold water
2 c. heavy cream
2 eggs, separated
1/4 c. sugar
6 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. rum (I used 1/4 tsp. rum flavoring)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Whipped cream (I used cool whip)
8 oz. Candied Cherries
Chocolate shavings (I grated a dark chocolate bar with almonds for this)


Bake pie shell (I went with a pie mix from Jiffy )
Soak gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes.
Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks, add the heavy cream and 1/4 cup sugar. 
Pour into a small saucepan and heat slowly until mixture is smooth and slightly thicken.
Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour into a bowl and chill until it begins to thicken (but not  totally set)
Meanwhile, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar to form stiff peaks then gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and continue beating.

Fold into chilled custard mixture, add the rum (flavoring), and chopped up candied cherries reserving several for the topping. 

Pour into baked pie shell; chill until set.
Just before serving, top with whipped cream. Then  shave chocolate over the top and decorate with candied cherries.
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The other twist to this Aunt Bee and The Lecturer episode, is that her man-bait pie was actually Clara's recipe! 

In the real world, the fam really liked the pie...but that could have been the rum extract talking. 

Saturday, December 26, 2015

PB's Gifty Stickers

 Generally every year PB hand makes his christmas gifts for the fam.  This year he made everyone personalized family portrait stickers similar to those copiously seen on the back windows of vehicles (my zombie family ate your stick family).  Only the ones he made are far more creative.

 He also made a few random fun stickers too.
Here is a selection of some of his art stickers. 
 He made these by drawing on vinyl decal material with permanent marker, so they should hold up fairly well.

Here are a few past handmade gifts by PB:

Friday, December 25, 2015

Scary Christmas to all!


...and to all a good nightmare!

We happened to scrounge up one of those drunk and surly Santas we have been 'admiring' as our Christmas theme this year for our holiday fam photo!  Just had to pay him in beer.

Happy Creepy Holidays Everyone!

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Hall Decking 2015


Here are a few images of the house drenched in vintage christmas stuff.  The felt Santas in the above picture are vintage handmade napkin rings.  When a white napkin is placed inside them it becomes the tip of his hat and his beard.  I got a ziplock bag full of them for 1.50 at a thrift.  I decided to hang them from the edges of all my lamps.

SantaCon 2015.

I feel kinda bad that I just tossed all of the smaller guys in a pit... mass execution style.

I like how these two are each snuggled up with their own dismembered Santa head.

The green display shelf is chock full!

I decided this christmas that I was going to do my best to use just about all of my christmas stuff, which is causing the shelf to reach maximum capacity.  I wanted to prove that having 12 storage containers of Christmas stuff is logical and not wasting space.."I use all of it!"  Basically making excuses for myself and my christmas collecting (hoarding).


There are some items that didn't make it out but very few.  Displaying 6 Christmas trees would have turned my living room into the artificial tree lot on the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

I picked this guy up last year at a thrift.  I like his angry eyebrows.

With this blog being 10 years old, I like looking back through all the photos/posts of past holiday endeavors.  Below are some links to a few past posts that focus on holiday decorating and show some stuff that I didn't photograph but do have decorating some spot in my home this year, because like I said earlier...I used just about everything I have!  Look out for a Robot Attack Village, a huge christmas crap discards wreath, an entourage of Empire blow mold Santas, and a team of red flocked reindeer!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Aluminum Christmas Tree themed Aluminum Christmas Tree

 Did that title make sense? I'll try again.  For our four foot aluminum christmas tree we decided to go with kind of an ATOM theme since we were a part of the museum this year.  I picked and printed images and ads of vintage aluminum Christmas trees...to hang on the aluminum tree.  Maybe that is more clear!



 I also hung a few vintage christmas bulbs as ornaments since it's extremely understood to never hang electric lights on these trees.


I really love the idea of the theme for this tree only I just couldn't come up with that something  to pull it all together.  Something is missing. I truthfully think my creative brain is fried right now from all of the other stuff I have been doing lately.  So much still to do...

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Creepy Claus Wreath

 For the front door wreath I decided to extend Santa's demonic glare (red glitter encrusted eyes) to the public.  I am hoping that it will help ward off evil door solicitors...

...and scheming burglars...  
...and those loud mouthed, off key carolers.

Creep Cake Claus

In keeping with our Creepy Santa theme this year, we made a Creep Cake Claus!

I found this cake pan at the thrift last week (99 cents!) and it was meant to be, considering our theme and how much we love looking up 'cake wrecks' of santa cakes anyway.

PB and I collaborated on this, with him decorating the face exclusively.  We also made sure our Santa had his sack of skulls on hand (Halloween candy skull sprinkles).  I am not sure if he is collecting them or doling them out though....

PB making a creepy face while eating the head of Creepy Claus!

Monday, December 21, 2015

Creeper Claus Tree

He sees you when you're sleeping...
He knows when you're awake...
 He knows if you've been bad or good...
 So be good for goodness sake!
 You better watch out...
 You better not cry...
 You better not pout, I'm telling you why...
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Our christmas tree theme this year is based after old photos/images of creepy Santas and the fear they evoke in the faces of the unsuspecting.  I found some really great images online of Ol' St. Nick with a black eye, drunk, surly, disgruntled and getting arrested.  I also included some of my felty Santas grasping on to old victims gouged with those little candy canes he hands out after his traumatizing, while other victim's skeletal remain dangle from candy cane nooses.

Here is my Santa Nightmare Fuel Pinterest Board if you need some of this in your life as well.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Santa Jar Craft~ Scrap Crafty!


I found this cute little felt Santa made from a baby food jar last year at a thrift.  


I was thumbing through some past issues ( December 1961) of one of my favorite magazines, Pack-o-Fun when I came across something familiar...


The instructions say to use crepe paper not felt but I think it certainly was the inspiration for mine!

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!


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.