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This year the decorations will be about toys. I have to admit, I like toys.
My toys will have a chance to come out and play.

A lot of my toys and some of the decorations are items that have fond memories associated with them. I'm sure this is true for most of us who have had children and who've seen them grow up.

The red jointed teddy bear is one I made many years ago while making many teddy bears and other toys. I couldn't afford the price of a Care Bear when the boys wanted one for Christmas so I tried my hand at making toys. I found out that I couldn't sew a dress or pants, but could certainly whip together a difficult toy! 

The Christmas Teddy bear is sitting on a Turtle stool.

The stool was made by a man named Orlando Potts who was an uncle or grand uncle to Rich's daughter. He handmade that turtle stool. It is dated.... and signed. I found it in the garage years ago. It was under a pile of junk and it was very dirty. Rich commented that his daughter no longer had a use for it and he didn't know why he saved it, he just did.

I cleaned the Turtle up and put it in our house. The Turtle has a story and a history. Besides, when little people play at my house, they always drag out the Turtle to sit on!

The nesting box for chickens was an item used as a coffee table in my mother in laws house as long as I could recall.

My father in law knew I loved it and promised to build me a replica. He cut up all the boards and was set to do the woodworking when he died.

I coveted this odd piece of furniture for years. When it came up for auction at my mother in law's estate sale I went for it. I probably paid too much money for it. But I wanted it. It suits my house in all seasons.

The boxes on top of the stack are actually drawers from old fancy pedal sewing machines. I found most of them in the shed or garage filled with rusty nails and bolts. I spent a lot of time cleaning them up. I found ones like them for sale at an antique store for a ridiculous amount of money.

Below the drawers is a bolt shipping crate.

On the bottom is a Dynamite box. I'd love to know more about who got a box of dynamite and how it was shipped! The tiny button bears I made live there right now with a cowboy snowman and a felt needled snowman I'd used to decorate my MIL's nursing home room.

I suspect that those toys will move around. The tiny teddy bears will no doubt get into things when I am not looking.

Those gnomes sound like they are plotting against their nemesis: The Elf on the Shelf.

The Lego people are just waiting until I turn my back.

I saw this just before I went to bed!

Santa! It isn't time yet.

He yelled out that he was just taking the reindeer out for a spin to get them warmed up for the big night...

What surprises will the toys have for me? 

Sunday Stills #33 ~ Handmade

The first thing I think of when hearing the words Handmade are my Grandmother's incredible mittens. 

Lucky for me, I was able to get a box of mittens that she and my Aunt had made. Often I wear the double layer mittens to do chores in. When the weather gets very cold, nothing is better than homemade mittens.

Bear models a child's pair here:

The knit mittens have wool over them. Often I wear mine with those tiny stretchy gloves you can get that are cheap and three for a $2.

This week I had some waiting around the house to bid my time while the winds blew down limbs and whisked anything that was not tied down away...

I cut up Elderberry stems and cut them apart. I made my own Lincoln log cabins for my toys to enjoy.

Homemade log cabins and glittered pinecones for decorations:

And last but not least my handmade button bears. They love to play in the woods and chase Elf on the Shelf.

But today they posed for him on a log.

That's my story...

and I'm stickin' 

to it.

More at Sunday Stills

Girry got lost and...

That nasty little Elf was up to no good again. Hiding gifts in hollow trees.

However, the little Christmas Bears were on to him. They are Christmas Ninja Bears. More stealthy than the Elf on the Shelf.

They caught up to the Elf and shoved him into the hollow tree to teach him a lesson.

One simply does not mess with these little bears. 

And what happened to Girry? He had been told by the big bears to meet up at the Mossy Rock. 
Girry went to the forest and discovered that there were so many rocks with moss on them. He climbed the highest one and waited.

and ... 

waited...

He waited through the night and listened to the spooky forest sounds.
And he waited because he wasn't sure how to get back to the house where all the other bears were.

It started to snow. Girry figured he was lost or the big Christmas Bear had tricked him and he wasn't really wanted.

What Girry didn't know is that the Big Bears had asked some of the other bears to search for the funny Giraffe. After all, Giraffes were not native to the woods and they figured Girry had gotten lost. 

A search ensued.

And Girry listened to the wild forest noises. He figured he was a goner. Some wild creature would come by and carry him off...chew him

to bits...

pull out his stuffing...

or worse???

However the Christmas Bears tracked him. As I said, they are like tiny Ninjas. Nothing escapes their attention.

They may have only buttons for joints, but they sure can get around!

Girry was found with a huge sigh of relief.

They warned Girry not to wander off by himself anymore and to definitely not trust the Elf on the Shelf ever!

That's my toy story and I'm stickin' to it.

If the weather service is correct, we could have a dozer of a snow storm coming.
That makes me happy.