Happy 2009 to all my blog Viewers!

May the New Year bring you good health, peace & prosperity.

Needle Felting

I have always wanted to learn needle felting but had no idea where to start- I found this online tutorial that seems pretty good- adding a needle felted applique to a purchased felted item.
http://www.nicolehindes.com/2006/12/02/needle-felting-a-tutorial/

My Aunt Nellie- 1894

I received this picture from a cousin a few days ago.

It is my Grandma Temple's half sister Nellie

Nellie was born in 1894. After her mother died her father remarried my great grandmother Zilla Dow- they had two children Temple and Harry- thus the half sister status with Aunt Nellie. I do no think they thought of themselves as being half sisters as my grandma & Nellie were very close.

Note the long shaggy rug she is on- I did not know they had anything like that in those days!!

Hanging Kitchen Towel Tutorial

I was searching the web for some quick & easy craft ideas and found this link
http://corinnaquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/kitchen-towel-tutorial.html
It says it can be made in 20 minutes- my kind of craft!
I think I will try to find a solid red pot holder & make the towel part out of red ticking for a more prim look.

Make a Cranberry/Peanut Garland

Maybe now that Christmas is over ( almost!) I will finally find the time to make one of these garlnds- I have wanted to for quite some time now. I think it would make a great primitive garland for a fire place mantle.
I could not find a picture of one but did find instructions:
Grab a bag of cranberries and a bag of peanuts (still in their shells).
. Next you will need a needle and some heavy cotton thread. Make a great garland of cranberries, by stringing them on a doubled length of thread. Make a delicious peanut garland by stringing whole peanuts on a doubled length of thread- just push the needle through the center of the peanuts. You can hang your creations on a branch- the birds will love it!
I plan on alternating the peanuts & cranberries.
If you happen to make one before I do- send a pic & I will post it here.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my blog readers!

Peace on Earth, Good will toward men.

Pilgrims & Pioneers

The Birth Of Christ

7And she ( Mary) brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

BRRR! It's freezing here!

Old Man Winter has arrived with a vengeance! It was-6 here last night with 25 mile an hour winds- had some drifting! It only got to 0 degrees for the high.
Tonight it is going to get down to -13 degrees!
I made 3 rice cozies tonight! 2 are for gifts- the other one is for myself! Goig to take it to bed with me tonight!
If you do not know what a rice cozy is - it is a rectangular fabric filled bag filled with rice and then heated in the microwave for 45 seconds- make a great portable, moldable heating pad- put it on cold feet, a sore shoulder or knee- any where you need heat!

St Lucia Day

St. Lucia day marks the start of the Swedish Christmas" God Jul" celebration that lasts until the 13th oh January.

The eldest daughter in the house hold portrays the "Queen of Light" to help dispel the long dark winter days.

She is dressed in a white robe, with a wreath of leaves, berries and candles ( battery operated candles are now used) and she brings coffee & sweet treats to the other family mebers in bed.

Usually St. Lucia buns are one of the sweets. A yeast bun infused with Saffron and includes two raisins on the top of the bun.

Santa comes on December 24th in Sweden and the tree & decorations stay up until Jan.13th.

The Dala Horse- a Swedish Tradition

I have mainly posted about my English ancestors here- but my great grandparents are Swedish -coming in 1841 to America from Kristianstadt, Sweden.

In wanting to add to my genealogy items about them, I had asked a friend of mine that was going to Bishop Hill- A historic Swedish settlement- to see if she could find a Dala horse for me.

Today she came bearing a Chrtistmas gift- a Dala Horse!

This is the Dala Horse history:

A small horse, hand-carved from a scrap of wood during the winter evenings by the fire perhaps 300 years ago in Dalarna, in the Swedish parish of Mora,was the beginning.
The carving of Dala horses is thought to have started in the village of Bergkarlas, though the nearby "horse" villages of Risa, Vattnas and Nusnas were also centers of horse making. The villages were involved in the art of furniture and clock-making, and it is likely the leftover scraps of wood were at first whittled into toy horses for children as a winter pastime.
But the art of carving and painting the small horses quickly flourished in the 1800's, as economic hardship in the region inspired greater production of the little horses, and they became an important item of barter. Horse-making may have started as something to while away the hours during the long winter months but soon the Dala horses were traded in exhange for household goods and their carving and painting blossomed into a full-fledged cottage industry. The rural families depended on horse production to help keep food on the table, as the skills of horse carving and painting were passed from one generation to the next.
The decoration on the Dala horse (the first horses were not painted or were only one color) has its roots in furniture painting and was perfected over the years. Perhaps the most famous decorator was Mora artist Stika Erik Hansson from Risa, the first of the horse painters to paint with two colors on the brush at one time.

1796 Mince Meat Pie Recipe

Four pound boil’d beef, chopped fine, and salted; six pound of raw apple chopped also, one pound beef suet, one quart of Wine or rich sweet cyder, one ounce mace, and cinnamon, a nutmeg, two pounds raisins, bake in paste, three fourths of an hour.Observations : All meat pies require a hotter and brisker oven than fruit pies, in good cookeries, all raisins should be stoned.

Courtesy of www.pilgrimhall.org

The Yule Log Tradition of Long Ago

The Yule log was frequently associated with winter celebrations until Christianity became widespread. As Christianity grew, the yule log became more commonly associated with Christmas celebrations and Christianity adopted the Yule log tradition. For centuries, Christians cut their own yule logs at Christmas time or they would try to find a yule log to burn. During the 1700s and 1800s, it was a regular Christmas tradition for men to go an expedition to find a yule log. Many European countries had somewhat different traditions surrounding the Yule log, but a Yule log was burned either in the days preceding Christmas or possibly on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Help for Hope

As most of you know I am a big dog lover. I am so sensitive to abuse of animals that I try to steer clear of any mention of it.
But of course steering clear of it does not help the animals.
I first learned about this poor dog named Hope for my friend Patty's blog
http://tailsfromthedogpatch.blogspot.com -
Hope has been severely abused & neglected. She is in a foster home but has heartworm & money need to be raised for her treatment or she will die.
I am going to donate 10% of my sales on my website www.brandyannescandlesandprims.com for the next three weeks towards her care. Hopefully others will take up the cause & she will survive.
Donations for her treatment can be sent to:
APLMC, P.O. Box 663, Celina OH 45822. Please mark that is it for HOPE!!

More Vintage Santa's

Right cliick and save to your hard drive!

Free Vintage Santa Graphics

Right click & save to your hard drive. Enjoy!

The History of the Victorian Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree tradition began in the Victorian era, with the custom of a lighted evergreen (Tannenbaum) originating in Germany. German-born Prince Albert, Consort of Queen Victoria, brought the idea to England and by the mid-19th century, Christmas Trees at Windsor Castle were decorated with wax candles and laden with presents. As citizens copying the Royal tradition spread this custom, the Christmas Tree soon became a popular English tradition.
It was (and still is) considered bad luck to remove the Christmas Tree and other Christmas decorations before Twelfth Night (6th January). Superstition stated that it was also bad luck to put up a Christmas Tree before Christmas Eve, although other Christmas decorations might appear some time before Christmas.

No Christmas for the Pilgrims

At least not as we know it.Since I have been researching my Pilgrim heritage I have often wondered what Christmas was like at Plimoth Colony for my 10th Great grandfather- I found this article written by a minister's at http://garlandsgrace.wordpress.com/ I was surprised by what I learned.
Though they came ashore on Christmas Day, it’s a little odd to talk about the Pilgrims at Christmas, since they did not celebrate Christmas, and they would have frowned on us for doing so. They would have gone to church, though, for they never missed Sabbath worship for any reason. In fact, Sabbath worship is the whole reason for their coming—their worship was the most important part of their lives, and they valued it above their lives.
They would not have complained about a long sermon, or a long drive, since they would have happily walked several miles in the cold or rain. They would not rush off to Christmas dinner; instead, they would sit and savor the Word of God in their hands. They would give a hearty “amen” to the sermon. They would wonder at the books of hymns and they would beg to sing yet another one. They would rejoice that they had a church building where they could meet openly without threats of imprisonment and they would weep with happiness that their children would not have to live in poverty, that they could receive an education, and that they could worship in freedom.
On Christmas Eve, remember the Pilgrims and their first night ashore. It was a beginning for them and for us. Think of them when you go to church, somber with gratitude for what they suffered for us, hopeful and determined to carry on their vision.
But keep the truth in puriety and walk in all humility take heed of pride & contention for that will bring distruction Seeke love & peace & unity and preserve faith, & sanctitie and God will blesse you with his Grace and bring you to his resting place. William Bradford

Snowman Ornies & a Sale

These great snowman ornies are perfect for a tree, a garland or for small gifts!

We are also having the last sale of the season at my website http://www.brandyannescandlesandprims.com/ get 15% off of your total order before shipping- just enter code MC15 at checkout.

Also checkout our "Specials" page for great deals on our square mason jar candles.

A Typical Pioneer Christmas

Christmas Eve would generally find most families singing carols around the Christmas tree or fireplace. On Christmas Day, most would attend church, return home for the traditional Christmas meal, and spend the day visiting with friends and neighbors.
Many of the homemade gifts, including corn husk dolls, sachets, carved wooden toys, pillows, footstools and embroidered hankies, might have had the family members working on for months ahead of Christmas. Others knitted scarves, hats, mitts and socks. If the family had had a good year, the children might find candies, small gifts, cookies and fruit in their stockings.
For some, there might even be a Christmas tree, gaily decorated with bits of ribbon, yarn, berries, popcorn or paper strings, and homemade decorations. Some of these home made decorations were often figures or dolls made of straw or yarn. Cookie dough ornaments and gingerbread men were also popular. In other places, wood was simply to scarce to “waste” on a tree, if one could be found at all. Other pioneer homes were simply too small to make room for a tree.
At the very least, almost every home would make the holiday a time of feasting -- bringing out preserved fruits and vegetables, fresh game if possible, and for those that could afford it, maybe even beef or a ham. Many women began to bake for the holiday weeks ahead of time, leaving the plum pudding to age in the pot until Christmas dinner.
Though perhaps modest, these hardy pioneers made every attempt to decorate their homes for the holidays with whatever natural materials looked attractive at the bleakest time of year, such as evergreens, pinecones, holly, nuts, and berries.
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote of the preparations for Christmas on the Kansas Prairie: "Ma was busy all day long, cooking good things for Christmas. She baked salt-rising bread and r'n'Injun bread, and Swedish crackers, and huge pan of baked beans, with salt pork and molasses. She baked vinegar pies and dried-apple pies, and filled a big jar with cookies, and she let Laura and Mary lick the cake spoon. “That very Christmas, Laura Ingalls was delighted to find a shiny new tin cup, a peppermint candy, a heart shaped cake, and a brand new penny in her stocking. For in those days, these four small gifts in her stocking were a wealth of gifts to the young girl.
Many I know have gone back to a simpler time much like the pioneers by decorating with natural materials, making cookie dough ornamnets & gingerbread men, and buying or making hand made gifts.... and this my firends is a good thing!

The Winner Is...

Sharon of Primthyme is the first place winner
Judy of The Princess Ponders won 2nd place
Karen of Farmgirl'In Ga. Style won 3rd place
Congrats to all of you. I will contact you for your mailing address.

I have to admit when I took the bowl to hubby to draw the names my feet were heavy as I knew there could be just three winners and I would love to have given everyone something.
But since I am saving the names to add to my monthly website drawing you never know when I may be needing your email address too!
Thanks so much to all of you that enetered!

A Sad Situation That Opened My Eyes

Today as I was leaving the Market where I sell my candles and craft items, and feeling disappointed because sales had not been what I hoped for, another vendor stopped me and asked if I knew where the homeless shelter was in town. I saw that she was talking to a young man in his 20's that was clean & dressesd as well as the rest of us.I assumed that he wanted to volunteer or make a donation to the shelter. I started asking him if he knew where some businesses were in town so that I could help him find the shelter. He did not know where any of them were so my husband stepped in and gave him directions.
We went out the door and was almost to our truck when my vending neighbor came up to me & asked us to give him the directions to the shelter- he said" we have to get this young man something to eat".
I stood there and looked at him for a minute before reality set in. I said is that young man that wanted the directions homeless? The answer was yes- someone had told him we had been serving breakfast that day and he had come in looking for food.

I have just emailed the vendor to see if he did indeed get this young man to the homeless shelter.
I have not been able to stop thinking about him.
Several times over the past 10 years since my husband's illness I have many times wondered how I was going to pay for necessity items but somehow have always managed to do so. Many times I have been sad & sometimes bitter about this.
Today as I have thought about this young man having no home, or food to eat I have realized how fortunate I really am even though I do not have a lot of expensive fancy things.
When I sit down to eat my supper tonight and go to sleep in my nice, warm bed I will pray that the young man did indeed get some help & thank God for what I do have.

Giveaway Update

There has been such a great response to this giveaway- and since it is the Chritmas season I have decided to have a 2nd & 3rd place drawing for some tarts.
Also since I have a monthly drawing on my website I will add all non winning names to that list.

200 Post! Giveaway!

I finally have made 200 posts so I am having a giveaway!

The winner will recieve a Praire Prim Bar tart in Harvest Spice and 6 unscented Prairie Prim soap balls. The bar tart lets you melt as much as you want a little or a lot!

The prim soap balls are a primitive dark brown( darker than shown) and look great in a small wooden or enamel ware bowl setting next to your kitchen or bathroom sink.

To enter just leave a comment telling me what your favorite candle scent is ( mine or otherwise).

Mention the giveaway on your blog & be entered again- place an order on my website and be entered again!

Winner will be drawn on Sunday December 7th at 7:00 pm.

If you do not have a blog make sure you leave your email address!