Gingerbread Invades Crooked Creek!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Dear Ones,
As you can see this post first appeared in 2010; however it is, once again, our year to host Christmas On Crooked Creek! So~o~o. . . what better time to re~visit the invasion of Gingerbread On Crooked Creek than Christmas in July???
Gingerbread
Invades Crooked Creek! 2010
It's true. . .the gingerbread have invaded On Crooked
Creek's kitchen! ! ! . . .and quite nicely, I might add! For the past three
years my kitchen Christmas decor has become an invasion of gingerbread cookie jars, dolls, people, villages. .
.you name it. . .I probably have it!
What began as a sweet gesture from one of my
library helpers has grown over the past years to enormous proportions. Every
year there seem to be more added to the collection! Just when I think this tiny
little kitchen can't possibly hold one more gingerbread item. . .another one arrives! Amazingly enough, I always
manage to find space for the newest arrival.
The darling gingerbread doll came to
me in the early 90's from Sarah. Her mother told me Sarah had seen it in a mail
order catalog, brought the catalog to her and said, "Pat needs that
in her country kitchen! This gingerbread
doll is one of the few that
actually has a name. Can you guess what that might be?
Next came the arrival of this darling little gingerbread lamp. It showed up in the work
room at the middle school where I was employed. One of my fellow co~workers
hosted a craft fair of handmade items and had brought those that didn't sell for
us to purchase. How could I resist? I couldn't!
The next two years, same co~worker. . .same
scenario, different purchase! I found that the gingerbread man brought back fond memories from our military years of
baking cookies for the troops in my husband's command. Yep! He came home in a
brown
paper bag! Don't you just adore his flour sack and rolling
pin?
The following year, I came across that same
co~worker at our Church Bazaar! You guessed correctly. . .this time the gingerbread girl made her way into my heart with her jar of ginger, rolling pin, flour
sack and heart~shaped cookie! That same year we were again tempted with the
bazaar left~overs.
This darling little mason
jar filled with peppermints gingerbread girl with her
sweet dolly couldn't be left with
no home for the holidays! Now could she?
The same year
another co~worker gifted me with this sweet gingerbread doll ornament
made from a
brown paper bag with a fabric dress! The
list just keeps going, and going, and
going!
Now, even "Mr. Ed" is clued into
this conspiracy and brings home these darling ornaments of Mr. and Mrs. Gingerbread so~o~o. . . you guessed
correctly again. Thus the gingerbread tree
was created to hold all the soft
felted gingerbread people!
You'd think by now that would be the end of my
story. Wrong! My darling daughter~in~law tied this little gingerbread man
sitting on the rolling pin cutie to my
Christmas gift one year!
The gingerbread tree was becoming a bit too brown, so I dug into my
collection of metal cookie cutters and placed them on the tree! I used red and white gingham
checked ribbon to tie them on the tree remembering each place and duty
station where they had been purchased. To complete the look, "Mr. Ed" brought
his mother's donut and biscuit cutters up from the basement
storage.
One of the funniest additions to our gingerbread collection was the year we both purchased gingerbread houses for the kitchen. Yes!
We have two! Both could be used for cookie jars,
but we just use them in our decor! The same year, for my birthday "Mr. Ed"
gifted me with the gingerbread plates!
A dear friend, now deceased, brought the gingerbread metal tray over
one day and said, "Here. . .this
belongs in your kitchen!" Wouldn't it be great to live long enough to gift your things to those you want to have them? I cherish that little plate and
find a special place for it year~after~year! This year it is nestled on an easel
in my favorite vignette.
New, already, this year are the cute little gingerbread couple on the stove top. Purchased early in
the season for only a dollar each at the Dollar General! The recipe cards are
from years, long ago!
I replaced the red
terry cloth gingerbread towels with new flour sack
gingerbread towels! They add a country look and accentuate the little
yellow stool from my husband's youth! I placed these cuties on the range handle. Gingerbread boy and girl made
of corduroy on red and white checked fabric! Did you notice the rick~rack trim?
In keeping with the brightly hued decor to
compliment the gingerbread, I hung red
berry garland from my chandelier and varying heights of red and gold
vintage appealing ornaments on red and
white checked ribbon and bows.
"Mr. Ed" and I seldom agree on candies and
condiments, thus the difference and variety in my apothecary jars! Can you guess
which one of us is plain and which one
is peanut?
Just another quick look
around and then it will be time to begin my Christmas cookie baking.
Confession
of the soul:
This
is our year to host Christmas On Crooked Creek. I was wanting to change out the
kitchen decor this year for something different. As we talk and reflect on
family Traditions, last years Christmas came to mind.
Our son stopped by with his list of food items for
me to contribute to Christmas dinner at their home. While I was going over the
list, he stepped over to the Gingerbread Tree and gently caressed a few of the tin
cookie cutters. Our
cookie baking Tradition started when he was three years old and could help
"cut out" the cookies. A tradition we kept together through his
college years! I'm sure those memories of the people who helped make the cookies
and the recipients of our labors must have come flooding back over him. A
gentle, quiet soul; he only smiled. No words were spoken; none were needed
between Mother and child.
As I
began to finalize those decor ideas and prepare for our Christmas On Crooked
Creek, I carried each box upstairs with a smile on my face and warmth in my
heart. Dear ones, the Gingerbread
Invasion Continues On Crooked Creek! ...and it will again in 2012!!!
Until next time. . .
On Crooked Creek will be joining our dear hostesses, Anita@ Cedar Hill Ranch on July 23rd and Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict and her precious Staff on July 24th for A Texas Christmas in July! Be sure to visit and come away inspired for your best holiday season yet!!!
Hi Pat! Oh, my look at all of your darling gingerbreads! So many lovely Christmas vignettes too! Love your chandy with the pretty glass ornies hanging down! Now the important question - where's my present? :)
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
It's beautiful. Pat! That chandy is amazing! And I love your gingerbread tree...so cute! I have a few gingerbread pieces, but now you have inspired me to be on the lookout for more! Thanks so much for sharing at the Christmas in July Party!...hugs...Debbie
ReplyDeleteI adore your kitchen all decorated for Christmas with gingerbread men! I decorate mine the same way and I too have a Christmas tree. I have a tree in every room actually . I also have a lot of candy things in my Kitchen too!
ReplyDeleteI was touched by the story about your son and the cookie cutter.
As my mother 2 sons, I know what you are talking about.
I so enjoyed seeing your Kitchen!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hugs,
Debbie