Christmas and Holly!

I have been updating my " Linkin"  profile and I have joined a couple of groups, Etsy Handmade and

 Upcyclers.  They provide a lot of information on sharing ideas.

My recent find was an on-going one and I added to my two other " Gutters" I found at the recycle site.

I found another one and I could probably have 10 more to mold my ribbons in my attic craft room which is still a work in progress.  I just saw them and thought 'Great Idea" for ribbon roll holders and they worked out perfectly.

Here is a photo:

 This is when I just had two gutters for my ribbons

And, more of my ribbon collection

And, I have a few more bins full. Overload!

Another thing I have been thinking and seeing in the forest in the Holly Bushes, they are so beautiful but ours do not have red berries on them. I have transplanted a few of the small ones and they pull right up with roots in tact. 

Enlarge this photo to see the awesome tree stump covered in moss and fungi

 Also I newspaper had an article on them as American Holly "Ilex opaca" and thrives in mixed hardwood forest which is what we have. It has a rich history, the ancient Celts used the holly tree in their summer and winter solstice observations. The pointy leaves of the holly were thought to be magical protection against evil spirits. Holly Springs were also brought into their homes as shelter for the fairies, those tiny spirits of the forests.

Evergreens such as the Christmas Holly were adopted by the Christian faith. In Christian folklore, the presented the drops of blood shed for humanity's salvation. The beautiful carol" The Holly and the Ivy" reflects this symbolism. The prickly leaves of the holly tree were associated with Jesus crown of Thorns while the berries represented the bloodshed for humanity's salvation.  The beautiful carol " The Holly and the Ivy " represents this symbolism. The Native American Indians also used it medicinally. This article was posted by Jennifer Cordier of the Plant Rescue Team at the Georgia Mountain Research Center where I volunteer working with native plants at the Research Farm in Blairsville, GA. in the North Georgia Mountain weekly newspaper.

Here is Lily and Black resting together on the daybed on the front porch, an unusual find with them together; but now and then they do cuddle.

A photo of Lily when our dogs brought her to our back door weighing 10 1/2 ounces, July 2010

8 x 8 brownie pan was her littler box

Bailey and Lily

And Blak and Bleu in previous years, Bleu went missing after we moved here and I miss him so badly! 

   

Living in the forest I will NEVER get the leaves raked and moved from the yard. I was playing around our side yard and removed from the cover of moss just with a stick and my hands the leaves covering them, It is amazing what I can find just moving them around.  Well, I went a little too far.  I had three huge galvanized buckets full and put them in the campfire before starting it and it was so full, it would not burn. They were also wet and I will have to removed them and start over burning as I add them. I supposed it needed more air circulation.

Most of our Christmas decorations are on the front porch since our inside room is so limited and we live on the porch anyway! Click on the photos for an enlarged image, The smoke in the snowman's pipe is cotton I found in Alabama.

My Mother crocheted the snowman and the Santa way back in the 60's I believe, I have had the a very long time and cherish them. 

A garland wrapped around a candle

The last photo here is my incense holder where I made an acorn and pine cone ornie tied with cedar branch on a vase that holds my incense. 

  

And here I was playing around with some of the forest finds as I had two orders on forest variety boxes on Etsy, I always get too much and these are in empty burned votive candle cups and acorn tops.  The other candle holders are on bottles that had a vintage bed spring coil on them with a candle on top and tied with greenery and pods.

A small ceder branch in a candle holder and pine cone rosettes the squirrels have made 

I did not know when to quit 

and more 

A fairy cross glued to the votive holder tied with twine and a little ceder branch in a votive cup my daughter gave to me.

The front porch lamps

My husband loves this Forest Santa, it used to hang on our Christmas tree

Inside on the staircase are my Woodland  Father's of the Forest with a lamp I am up-cycling, (not finished)

My Mother painted the Santa in the 1970's and then got into china painting later in the 1980's

And finally, this is a squirrels nest on our side yard high in the tree. 

My Birdhouse I love that I won in our Dirty Santa Party at the Warne, NC community center

My biscuit breakfast my DH cooks for me, drizzled with local honey , honeycomb included, 

MMM, so good! 

Thanks for looking at my blog post, I hope you leave a comment! 

Smiles, Cyndi