Hello everyone. July already! If my mother were still with us, she'd already be knitting 
Christmas stockings. In keeping with this week's theme and my challenge to give you a Crafty Saturday post each week, I'm fondly remembering our first Christmas away from home and family.
We booked a cruise on the Paul Gauguin which travels around the islands of French Polynesia. I wasn't sure how I would feel being away from home for the holidays but it was hard to be down when we spent a warm sunny Christmas day on an island in the South Pacific with Santa in shorts. Christmas Eve was special as well. The crew gathered together and sang songs from their various homelands that celebrated Christmas.
Bob and I had decided not to exchange gifts--the cruise was gift enough. But gifts are a part of Christmas that I didn't want to give up entirely. At the dollar store, I found small six inch stockings and lots of Christmas candy. I bought all hard candies since I didn't want to worry about anything melting in my suitcase. On Christmas morning, I fixed a stocking for our cabin stewardess and an extra one for her to give to a friend. She was so excited when she received it, she went squealing down the hall to find her friend and give the extra to her. I don't remember anyone ever being so thrilled with just a tiny gift.
The dollar store is a good source for tiny stockings but if you have some leftover Christmas material in your fabric stash, now would be a good time to make a template of a stocking from an old file folder, trace the pattern, sew the seams, trim the top with a little left over bric brac or ribbon and be prepared for Christmas fun. Fill them with Christmas candies and you will always have something ready for unexpected holiday visitors or someone who needs a little stocking full of good wishes.
Christmas stockings. In keeping with this week's theme and my challenge to give you a Crafty Saturday post each week, I'm fondly remembering our first Christmas away from home and family.We booked a cruise on the Paul Gauguin which travels around the islands of French Polynesia. I wasn't sure how I would feel being away from home for the holidays but it was hard to be down when we spent a warm sunny Christmas day on an island in the South Pacific with Santa in shorts. Christmas Eve was special as well. The crew gathered together and sang songs from their various homelands that celebrated Christmas.
Bob and I had decided not to exchange gifts--the cruise was gift enough. But gifts are a part of Christmas that I didn't want to give up entirely. At the dollar store, I found small six inch stockings and lots of Christmas candy. I bought all hard candies since I didn't want to worry about anything melting in my suitcase. On Christmas morning, I fixed a stocking for our cabin stewardess and an extra one for her to give to a friend. She was so excited when she received it, she went squealing down the hall to find her friend and give the extra to her. I don't remember anyone ever being so thrilled with just a tiny gift.
The dollar store is a good source for tiny stockings but if you have some leftover Christmas material in your fabric stash, now would be a good time to make a template of a stocking from an old file folder, trace the pattern, sew the seams, trim the top with a little left over bric brac or ribbon and be prepared for Christmas fun. Fill them with Christmas candies and you will always have something ready for unexpected holiday visitors or someone who needs a little stocking full of good wishes.
3 comments:
Santa in shorts...I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it! What a clever and simple idea, thanks for posting it.
Well I saw a few Santa's in shorts yesterday at the National Christmas Center in Paradise PA. I talked about the even they had on today's post.
Leann
Actually, Santa had very cute knees.
One of the best things about the cruise though for me was remembering that Christmas wasn't just about all the traditions we've built around it. It's about celebrating the birth of a Savior.
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