Christmas at Home with Johanna Parker

A sweet tradition of opening our home and offering eye candy delights for the gift-giving season will see it’s 10th year this December! As such, a Colorado Christmas would not be complete without a visit to our annual Holiday Folk Art Show & Open House! Folk Artist, Johanna Parker (that’s me) and my husband JP d’Andrimont transform our 1939 cottage home into a cozy holiday shop each year. After weeks of shuffling furniture, decking the halls and walls and arranging my holiday collectibles, we are ready to open and share the spirit with friends!

Snow often blankets the ground and frosted flurries fall, creating a nostalgic winter wonderland for guests. Vintage Swing-style holiday tunes fill the house as collectors frolic in to see the latest curios I have created for the season. One of a kind snowmen, Santas, wintery owls, cats, mice and such traipse across the mantel and dangle from feather trees. These hand-crafted papier mache delights serve to both spread smiles and often can hold sweets. Guests arrive early from both near and far in hopes to acquire a one of kind character or more. Alongside originals, I also offer a fun medley of my licensed designs. Signed figurines, ornaments and illustrated notepads create a well-rounded blend of wares. Lights twinkle, candles flicker and the sweet scent of spice and hot cider fills the house. The mood is magical, and guests meander from room to room collecting special treasures along the way to give as gifts and to keep.

The festivities take place on the first weekend of December just outside of Denver in Lakewood, Colorado. Like last year, the exterior of our home is still undergoing an authentic facelift. A cozy vestibule addition is in the works and visions of an arched entry are slowly taking shape. Craftsman of many trades, JP has undertaken this enduring task to revitalize our old home. As we are both artists, the attention to detail and the desire to make custom each and every aspect can be a process indeed! While the visions of a storybook cottage unfold outdoors, the inside is certainly warm, whimsical, cozy and very inviting!

Folks interested in attending this year need only to join my Mailing List for the official invitation. Please visit my website johannaparkerdesign.com for more information on my schedule page.

Figgy Pudding by @alwayswithbutter

Figgy pudding is a Christmas dessert traditional for many, but brand new to me. Pies always reigned in my family, never going outside that realm. But when thinking about something new to try I couldn’t help but be inspired by the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. I look forward to seeing the play every holiday season. It’s the same production every year, and every year that mysterious figgy pudding gets mentioned. So after scouring Internet, I found an old recipe that I could adapt into own. Reminiscent of a bread pudding and fruit cake, this figgy pudding is my new holiday classic.

Figgy Pudding (from FOLK’s Christmas 2012 Issue)

STORY: JULIE MARIE CRAIG

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

3 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp of each, nutmeg, allspice and ginger

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1 pound dried figs, finely chopped

Grated peel of 1 orange

1 cup almonds, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

1 cup milk

2 tbsp rum

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Set aside.

Combine milk and rum. Set aside.

Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add in the egg yolks then molasses.

Add in about half the flour mixture. Once combined, add in half of the milk mixture.

Then the remaining flour mixture, mix, and then the milk mixture.

Fold in the apple, figs, orange zest, almonds, cherries and dried bread crumbs.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks. Then gently fold into the batter.

Pour into a two-quart buttered bowl or pudding mold. Then cover top with parchment paper or foil.

Place in a large saucepan, fill with boiling water to 2/3 of the mold is in water.

Steam over simmering water for 4 hours, or until it is risen and toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm.

Sweet Traditions: Christmas Recipes from Home

I have enjoyed coming into your home every other month and sharing with you easy recipes from the heart of Kentucky.  I hope that you have tried a few to share with your family and friends. I simply share with you things that I love and hope that you will love them too! I wish for you a blessed holiday season, filled with love, laughter, and good food — blessings, Sandy

DATE PUDDING

1 cup dates, cut fine

1 teaspoon soda

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped cream for topping

Place dates and soda in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let cool.  Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg. Add flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and pecans.  Mix well.  Add date mixture and mix.  Add vanilla.  Pour in 8x8 inch pan.  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.  Cool.  Store in refrigerator; top with whipped cream when serving.

*This is my friend Sheila’s mom’s recipe, Sheila said that her mom used to make Date Pudding every Christmas.  Thanks to Sheila and her mom, Doris Jean*

DANISH WEDDING COOKIES

½ cup butter, room temperature

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Powdered sugar for rolling

Beat butter and sugar until creamy.  Mix in vanilla.  Add flour and salt.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Shape into ½ in balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven.  Quickly roll hot cookies in powdered sugar.  Completely cool and roll in powdered sugar again.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

SUMPTUOUS BREAD PUDDING WITH CHANTILLY SAUCE

1 (1lb) loaf French Bread

1 quart half & half or whole milk

3 eggs beaten

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped black walnuts

2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup butter, cubed

If you cannot get day old bread, leave the loaf out overnight.  Break bread into bite-size chunks in a very large bowl.  Add half & half, squish the mixture well with your hands (you can wear gloves if you wish).  Mix the eggs, sugars, vanilla, spices, dates and walnuts.  Spoon the batter into a sprayed or buttered 9x13 glass pan.  Cut chunks of butter and place on top of mixture.  Sprinkle additional cinnamon and sugar over entire surface.  Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes or until the pudding is firm; the middle might be a little more soft than the edges.

CHANTILLY SAUCE

1 pint half and half

2 cup powdered sugar

½ stick butter

1 teaspoon Vanilla

½ teaspoon Nutmeg

Slowly heat the half & half with the butter until the butter melts.  While this is heating, add a little milk to the powdered sugar until it becomes a liquid.  Pour the sugar mixture in to the warm milk stirring so it won’t lump.  Let this cook until the cream gets smooth but not thick.  Add the vanilla and nutmeg.  Serve this warm over the bread pudding.  Sumptuously delicious!

Repurposed Traditions: Christmas with @earthangelsstudios & @skippydoodledesigns

Traditions are kept by the certain magic of sharing them—whatever “they” might be—among family and friends. By imbuing a holiday with them, a collective memory of the annual event is passed along the generations in taste, color, song and story. Traditions evolve as they’re enjoyed in familiarity; the best nod to all that’s fresh among those that share in them, with something new added each year.

Story by Jen O’Connor | Folk Art by Sue Parker

MORE THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN HOLIDAY, CHRISTMAS IS TETHERED TO CHILDHOOD through a web of memories. Many of our fondest recollections are fragranced with yuletide’s annual treats, those fancy cookies and lovely cakes that beg us still to indulge each season. Along with those home-baked confections, carols, and of course, gift-giving form the cornerstones of so many of our holiday traditions.

So, while the season simply wouldn’t be as fond in memory without the scents and tastes we know and adore, there’s another truly handmade tradition to note. Each year, amongst the platters of sugar cookies, eggnog and rum drenched tortes, chances are there’s something handmade that’s serving to set a mood as holiday décor, and has been used as such for some time!

It’s often these decorations that are touchstones in memory; they’re the handmade something that comes out of its box in basement or attic year after year to stand sentinel to the season, again and again. The object—whatever it is—becomes dearer as the years accumulate along with the patina of age.

You must know something like that… something you recall from Christmases past and still might see on your mother’s hutch, mantel or Christmas dinner table?

For me it was a small hand-carved wooden Santa I played with each Christmas as a little girl. He slid down a thin spring only for me to pull him up and drop him time and again with his sack of toys into a flocked paper chimney. He was special to me because I played with him year after year while he was out of his storage box and displayed on the coffee table. I adored that this tiny handmade decoration waited for me, much like I waited for Christmas each year, a child truly smitten with the season.

Most of us – even if it was a decade or two ago – have made some kind of holiday decoration and kept it out of sentiment. Or maybe what we treasured most was something handmade and given to us as a gift …something for the home or tree that reflects the season and its sparkle.

Indeed, crafting for the season was de rigueur in the earliest of modern Christmas celebrations. The idea of gifts or decorations being mass-produced and widely available is something that has come late to this largely handmade holiday, and seems to miss the festivity’s spirit.

As gift-giving emerged as a tradition in Germany, Austria, and soon after in England, the dark evenings of fall and early winter were spent making special treats by hand to gift loved ones. Early American celebrations followed these Western European ways, and small wooden trinkets, knitted things and hand-cut paper whimsies were all common gifts to present as tokens of love and friendship at the holidays. How perfectly wonderful to still share something handmade; a simple gift from the hands is a gift from the heart.

As folks reach to preserve and refresh the tradition of handmade and add to our own Christmas memories, nothing could be more fitting for the holiday than the freshly repurposed crafts from Skippy Doodle Designs of Columbia, Connecticut. Crafting maven and designer Sue Parker concocts the sweetest of holiday décor from castoffs and vintage loot. In her merry and able hands everything from recycled cigar boxes, forgotten tree-trimming paraphernalia and even tinsel fragments find new life on her one of a kind assemblages.

Indeed, her studio reflects the North Pole as she merrily combines textures and objects creating a crop of new holiday décor that simply suits the season’s folly and joy. Among her favorite techniques are marrying disparate castoffs in color to tell a new story. In her able hands and with a dose of festive imagination, an oddball 1950s paper house might meet up with a lonely reindeer and become something more fitting in a frenzy of mica-drenched snow. Likewise, a wayward elf finds a new home among vintage bottle-brush trees and wee tarnished bells. Her pieces each tell a story of Christmas past with a nod to the freshness of recycling and renewed crafting traditions.

Handmade things hold all the joy and sentiment with which they were created. Season after season they can be visually relished, and then tucked away to keep the good memories in store for the next holiday. So, if you don’t have something handmade around the house to help celebrate the holiday, consider the handmade spirit of the season and reach for something – or gift something -- that can become dearer as it holds the memories of each annual celebration.

A New Heritage: Christmas with @mustloveherbs

Deep in the eastern Kentucky mountains Lauren of @mustloveherbs is creating a new style of heritage.

LAUREN, A TEACHER BY TRAINING, IS AN AVID BAKER, GARDENER AND FORAGER. Her New Heritage style of cooking embraces using ingredients at hand, while paying homage to tradition and old-fashioned simplicity. She loves spending her time reinventing traditional family recipes to fit today’s tastes and ingredients. Lauren’s kitchen garden not only feeds her household in the warm months, but also throughout the winter by utilizing many ancestral food preservation techniques.

Where do you live? Where did you grow up? I live in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky, in the same small town I’ve lived in all my life. My family’s roots in this area run over 200 years deep. The road I grew up on was actually named after my great-great-great-grandmother. 

Tell me a little about yourself. I grew up in an a very artistic family. My mother is a teacher with a degree in developmental psychology, and has a gift for decorating and making things beautiful. My father is a talented musician who owns a recording studio/production company. I grew up in a home with a beautiful garden, next door to my grandparents. My grandfather, Big Daddy, had an acre garden and a greenhouse; this is where my love of gardening started. My family spent a lot of time together. We were known to share multiple pots of coffee and stacks of magazines in the evenings.  I met my now-husband when I was a junior in high school. We have traveled, remodeled, and raised 5 wonderful pups together in our 13 years of marriage! So much of who I am now, I can attribute to his love and support. 

What role have food and cooking played in your life? When did you start cooking? I come from a long line of very good “country cooks” as well as professional bakers. I was taught at a very young age how to string beans and peel potatoes. My grandmother would put a chair at the kitchen sink for me while she cooked, and let me make my “stews” with scraps from whatever meal she was cooking. I truly felt like I was making something delicious along with her. As I got older, she taught me how to correctly make gravy and cornbread, along with countless other meals. 

Who taught you to cook? Was your family culinary? My maternal grandmother, Meme, taught me how to cook. My mother and father are both excellent cooks, but were afraid I would burn the house down. My grandmother often nearly burnt the house down herself, so that didn’t faze her. 

When did you first realize you had a passion for cooking? Around the age of 5. I have always been drawn to the kitchen. If someone was cooking, that was exactly where I wanted to be. Seeing someone stir a pan of gravy is almost hypnotic to me. 

What is it about food and cooking culture, or dining, that you love? I adore that we can share so much of who we are through cooking. Heritage is often spoken through a dish or while enjoying one. Cooking bonds people by allowing us to try new things together or to enjoy comfort foods that bring back the fondest of childhood memories.

How would you describe your cooking style? New Heritage -- country cooking that has been updated only when it needs to be, in order to adapt to today’s ingredients. 

Where do you find ideas and inspiration for your recipes? My biggest inspiration is my garden. In the winter this often means I pull out things I’ve stored from summer harvests or use what is in season, such as apples, root vegetables and cold-weather greens.  I am also heavily inspired by family recipes. Lately I have been doing my best to make my grandmother’s Christmas cookie recipes! They are a family tradition that I am determined to get right.

What is your favorite thing to cook for others? Bread. Whether it is cornbread, biscuits, focaccia or even a Babka, everyone loves bread! 

What is your favorite item in your kitchen? My favorite kitchen item is my grandmother’s cast iron skillet. It was originally my great-great-grandmother’s. She received it as a wedding gift in 1919. It has been passed down through the generations of our family ever since. 

What has been your biggest challenge with your cooking? Your biggest accomplishment? My biggest challenge has to be my newly-developed red meat allergy. Being Appalachian means that pork goes into nearly any dish. Cornbread is often made using bacon grease. Soup beans aren’t complete without a ham hock. Making all of my favorite meals taste just as good without using pork has been my proudest moment. Even my pork-loving momma said, “they taste just like Granny’s” when referring to my fresh green beans.

CHOCOLATE & PEPPERMINT BARK

Ingredients:

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chips or bars)

Chopped old fashioned peppermint candy sticks and/or candy canes

Holiday themed sprinkles

Directions:

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl using 30-second increments. Stir after each increment. When the chocolate is nearly all melted remove it from the microwave and continue to stir until it becomes smooth and glossy.

Pour the melted chocolate onto your prepared baking sheet and smooth it out until desired thickness is achieved.

Sprinkle the peppermint candies and sprinkles evenly over the melted chocolate. You may need to lightly press in some of the ingredients.

Allow the chocolate to cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours before breaking. You can also place in the fridge for 30 minutes if you are in a pinch.

Once completely hardened, carefully break apart the chocolate using your hands. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve or gift!

CRANBERRY, ROSEMARY & ORANGE CAKE WITH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients for Cake:

⁃3 cups of flour + more for dusting

⁃1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

⁃1/2 tsp of Baking Powder

⁃1/2 tsp of Salt

⁃Zest of 3 oranges

⁃Juice of 1 orange

⁃Zest and juice of 1 lemon

⁃3/4 cup of buttermilk

-2 cups of cranberries

-2 sticks of butter (1 cup) at room temperature

⁃2 cups of sugar

⁃2 tsp of vanilla

⁃5 eggs

⁃2 tbs of fresh rosemary

Ingredients for Icing:

⁃2 cups of confectioners sugar

⁃4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

⁃1/2 tsp vanilla extract

⁃3 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice.

Directions for Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Grease and flour your Bundt pan.

In a medium bowl combine 3 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. In a small bowl combine the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon with the buttermilk. Set aside.

In a separate bowl add the cranberries and 2 tbs all purpose flour. Stir until all the cranberries are completely covered in flour. Set aside.

In your stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla. Add the eggs in one at a time. After all eggs are added turn the mixer off and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl making sure there isn’t any unmixed butter and sugar.

With the mixer on low add the buttermilk and flour mixtures to your butter & sugar mixture by alternating between flour and buttermilk until both are gone. Add the rosemary in and mix until evenly distributed.

Take the cranberry and flour mixture and fold it gently into your batter. Make sure the cranberries are even throughout the batter but do not over mix.

Pour the batter into your greased bundt pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a minimum of 30 minutes. This is imperative to it coming out cleanly! After 30 minutes flip the cake out carefully onto a wire rack and allow to cool for another 30 minutes. While the cake cools you may prepare the icing.

Directions for Icing:

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the confectioners sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and orange juice. Use an electric mixer on medium speed mixing thoroughly until icing is smooth and creamy. Add more juice 1/2 tsp at a time if the icing is too thick. Add powdered sugar in 1 tbs at a time if mixture is too runny. The consistency should be somewhere between a frosting and a glaze.

Spoon the icing evenly over the cake. It should spread nicely over the edges on its own.

FUDGE & ALMOND PINE CONES

Ingredients:

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 oz unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

7 oz sweetened condensed milk (1/2 a standard can)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sliced almonds

Directions: In a heat safe bowl combine the chocolate chips, butter, salt, condensed milk, and vanilla. Using the double boiler method, heat your ingredients. Be careful not to let the water touch the bottom of your bowl. Stir constantly until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Take off heat immediately and place mixture in fridge to cool for 20-30 minutes.

The mixture should hold its form but still be moldable.

Form the chocolate mixture into a cone shape and place it on parchment paper. Begin sticking almonds into the bottom of the cone. Move your way up placing each row behind the next in an overlapping pattern until you reach the top. Place the finished pine cone in the fridge to set up for a minimum of 1 hour! Makes 15 pine cones! Recipe Can easily be doubled.

Springerle Stories: A Visit to Genesee Country Village

Share in this 500-year-old holiday cookie tradition courtesy of our friends at the Genesee Country Village and Museum

TEXT + RECIPE BY PAM FRIEDLER WITH DEANNA BERKEMEIER PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOOR STUDIO

SPRINGERLE IS A TYPE OF MOLDED COOKIE THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. Some of the earliest springerle molds found in Switzerland date back as far as the 14th century. The molds used to make springerle were usually carved from wood or made of clay or metal. Some of the earliest images portrayed in springerle were Biblical scenes, and they were used to educate those who couldn’t read or write.

Eventually other scenes were carved, and the cookies soon reflected images of holidays, events, and scenes from everyday life. The cookies were also used to celebrate births, weddings, and used as betrothal tokens. Exchanging springerle during the holidays was a common practice very much like we exchange cards today.

Springerle are delightful cookies that take about three days to make, and the outcome is a splendidly embossed, tasty cookie that is lightly crisp outside and wonderfully soft inside. Once the cookies are molded, they must be left uncovered for 12 to 24 hours to set a crisp crust with a sharp, clear imprint that holds when baked.

Traditionally flavored with anise, one 1787 receipt (recipe) we have that was translated into English from the original German has the dough laid on top of a pan strewn with anise seeds as the flavoring. These days the flavor possibilities are only limited by your imagination and the wide variety of flavoring oils available on the market. Springerle can be stored up to three months in an airtight container, where the flavor will continue to develop over time.

At GCV&M, we strive for historical accuracy, therefore we have chosen to use a recipe that dates back to the 1600s but has been slightly altered to account for modern changes in flour milling and the fact that we no longer must pound our sugar from a solid loaf.

This recipe, from House on the Hill called “Perfection Springerle,” calls for a leavening agent called hartshorn or baker’s ammonia, aka ammonium carbonate. Hartshorn is a form of ammonia and gives the raw dough a distinct ammonia flavor that will completely disappear upon baking. Hartshorn produces the “spring” (leavening) that helps the cookie keep its delicate internal texture while retaining its crisp embossed top. You can always substitute an equal amount of baking powder for the hartshorn if you need to, but it is readily available online.

When painting the springerle, always mix your color with an alcohol, such as triple sec. Do not use water as it will soak into the cookie, whereas the alcohol will evaporate quickly and leave the surface dry. We paint them with powdered or very finely ground historical food coloring agents, such as beetroot, spinach, black walnut, turmeric, annatto, cinnamon, and cochineal, by mixing the powder with a small amount of triple sec. Most of these, in addition to powdered blueberry, tomato, pumpkin, and more, can readily be purchased online. You can also use the triple sec with modern gel food colors to paint the cookie.

HOUSE ON THE HILL PERFECTION SPRINGERLE COOKIES

These whisked-egg holiday cookies date back to at least the 1600s and were made in Bavaria, Switzerland, and the Alsace area of France. This recipe is just perfection for flavor, ease, and print quality. Historically, springerle were anise flavored. Anise seeds were scattered on the cookie sheet and the molded dough was placed on the seeds to dry before baking.

Makes 3 to 12 dozen cookies

1/2 teaspoon baker’s ammonia (hartshorn) or baking powder

2 tablespoons milk

6 large eggs, room temperature

6 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon anise oil

2-pound box sifted cake flour (Swansdown or Softasilk)

Grated rind of orange or lemon, optional (enhances flavor of traditional anise or citrus flavors)

More flour as needed

TO MAKE THE DOUGH

1. Dissolve hartshorn in milk and set aside for 30 to 60 minutes.

2. Beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored (10 to 20 minutes).

3. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the softened butter. Add the hartshorn and milk, salt, preferred flavoring, and grated rind of lemon or orange, if desired.

4. Gradually beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the remainder of the 2 pounds of flour to make a stiff dough.

5. Turn onto floured surface and knead in enough flour to make a good print without sticking. Wrap dough tight in plastic wrap or zipper bag and refrigerate overnight.

TO MAKE THE COOKIES

6. On a floured surface, roll dough into a flat pancake approximately 3/8-inch thick. Roll thinner or thicker dough based on the depth of the carving in the cookie press you are using. Shallow carvings will need thinner dough, while deeper carvings will need thicker dough.

7. Flour your cookie mold for each and every pressing. Press the mold firmly and straight down into the dough.

8. Then lift, cut, and place the formed cookie onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

9. Do not cover the cookies while they dry. The goal of drying is to set the design. Let the cookies dry at least 12 hours; 24 hours is best. Larger cookies and warm humid weather may require longer drying times. Cookies that are not dried long enough will not retain the beautiful designs, but will taste fine.

10. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 255°F to 300°F until barely golden on the bottom for 10 to 15 minutes or more, depending on the size of the cookie.

11. Store in airtight containers or in zipper bags in the freezer. They keep for months, and improve with age.

GENESEE COUNTRY VILLAGE AND MUSEUM

Genesee Country Village and Museum is the largest living history museum in New York, the third largest in the country, and was founded with the goal of preserving and sharing architecture of the Genesee region with a focus on life in the 19th century. The founder of the Museum, the late John L. (Jack) Wehle, envisioned a museum village of authentic examples of 19th-century Genesee Country architecture, showcasing the art of typical village artisans. Beginning in 1966, buildings of the style, type, and function found in the rural communities of Western New York State were acquired and reconstructed in the configuration of an early Genesee Country hamlet. Genesee Country Village and Museum opened to the public in 1976 and eventually grew to 68 historic buildings, including a working 19th-century brewery.

The Museum also includes the John L. Wehle Gallery, which houses a world-renowned collection of wildlife and sporting art, and the exquisite Susan Greene Costume Collection, composed of 3,500 rare 19th-century garments and accessories. The Museum is also home to a Nature Center with over five miles of trails and a vintage baseball stadium, hosting a full season of games.

All year long, GCV&M runs a robust season of classes, events, and special programs. The Museum is located 20 miles southwest of Rochester and 50 miles from Buffalo.

Around the Christmas Tree

An Essay by Ellen Tichenor

I suppose it all began a few years before my birth in 1952. My grandparents, Russell and Hilberta Pannett, were visiting a Christmas worship service where the altar table was adorned with a small tree branch wrapped in cotton and decorated. Russell leaned over to Hilberta and said, “If they could do that with a branch, we could probably do that with a whole tree.” I was told those were his words. Thus began the tradition of the “cotton” Christmas tree.

As long as I can remember, my family never had a normal evergreen like most families.But, the cotton tree was truly a family affair. I don’t remember how old I was when I first went with Daddy to cut down the sweet gum tree, for which we had been searching since early fall. Momma was always ready to get started immediately after Thanksgiving, after helping her mom, Hilberta, with her tree.

Each branch of the tree was carefully wrapped with a strip of quilting cotton. This was usually Momma’s job, but we all had our turn to help. Daddy’s job was to put on the lights-C7s, not the little mini lights used today. Next came the tinsel, or icicles, as you might call them. They were gently placed on each limb to cover the entire branch. Then the ornaments were carefully placed throughout the tree. Last of all we did “the bottom.”

My grandfather made a fence in which Momma placed a little village to the right of the trunk. A pebble path led across a bridge (placed over a mirror pond) to the manger scene on the left of the trunk. Newspapers were wadded, and a piece of quilting cotton laid over them for the snow on which the village and manger were placed.

For the entire month of December we had friends over every Sunday night after church to see the tree. Everyone would comment that it was even more beautiful and bigger than the year before. You see, nighttime was the best time to see it. The darkness from the picture window made the tinsel shimmer more brightly from the lights.Many pictures were taken of the tree, but none could capture the true beauty of it.

We didn’t know that the 1986 cotton tree would be the last one that Momma would ever do. She died just 2-3 weeks after Christmas. As far as I was concerned, this tradition died with her-too much trouble if you asked me!

As Christmas 1987 approached, my sister was planning a trip from her home in Indiana to wrap the tree. Over the past 18 years, she has used Mom’s decorations (even the same tinsel) to have a cotton tree in her home if it were big enough and time allowed. Four years ago, my brother’s children experienced this tree in his Utica home.

Despite my thoughts of a dying tradition, I too, will be proud to share a cotton tree with my friends and community this year. My new home will be featured on the Ohio County Hospital Auxiliary home tour December 4. However, the only place large enough for my tree is my bedroom! I am very excited about sharing this tradition, but this will be the last one for me!

It's Spectacular: Christmas in New York City with @ethanbarber.co

Christmas in New York City is unlike anywhere else in the world. Ethan Barber shares his memories and images from past years of merry moments.

GROWING UP AS A KID IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY, DAY TRIPS TO NEW YORK CITY WERE A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURRENCE. My family’s annual Christmas trip to the City however, was by-far my favorite of them all. As far back as I can remember, December has always been synonymous with New York. I can still vividly recall a childhood moment of holding my mom’s hand while walking up 34th Street—the blistering, cold wind stung whatever small peeks of my face were still visible behind layers of my favorite scarf and Carhartt hat.

While the long days of walking around Midtown would quickly switch from fun to exhausting, the magic flowing through the City always made up for it. From the moment I emerged off the escalator at Penn Station on to 7th Avenue, I could physically feel a shift. Car horns were blaring, Christmas music was flowing in the background, and people were rushing in all directions. From the edge of Central Park and the tree at Rockefeller Center, to the Empire State Building and Macy’s on 34th, down Broadway into Soho and even further still; Manhattan was always full of people rushing to get their gifts and souvenirs. While the smell of candied nuts overpowered the city air, an inexplicable energy swirled around me—one that could only be best described as the magic of Christmas—just like in those cheesy Hallmark movies

Ultimately, I think it was these annual trips into the City at the holidays that inspired me to work towards being based in the City full-time. While I love the City and it continues to be the main source of my creative inspiration, I think I’ll always be a Jersey boy at heart. (It’s likely the root of why I refuse to move into New York City proper—I just can’t let go of my suburban roots on the west side of the Hudson!)

My current office is based in Soho, the neighborhood where I derive the most inspiration for my work. From historic cast irons to cobblestone streets, I’m drawn to the most minute details—they don’t make ‘em like they used to!

If you wander into the city on the right winter day, you just might be lucky enough to catch a passing flurry or the beginning of a strong, winter storm. Seeing whirlwinds of snow rush across the historic facades of Soho up to the towering skyscrapers of Midtown is without comparison—just mind your hands and face, or you might catch a touch of frostbite!

Homestead: Christmas with @underatinroof

Under a Tin Roof (@underatinroof) shares Christmas memories and traditions from the Iowa farm she and her family call home.

GROWING UP, CHRISTMAS WAS A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE MADE UP BY ALL OF ITS SHINY BAUBLES AND ORNAMENTS, the glitter and the flashy wrapping papers. I spent most of my Christmas holidays walking down Michigan Avenue in Chicago and staring with wonder at the decorated windows of Marshall Fields. It was mesmerizing and beautiful to me as a child, and for that, I will always be grateful. Now that I am an adult, I’ve turned to a more simplistic way of living. Christmas is not as shiny and high-strung as before; rather, it feels as if we’ve stepped back in time.

When we bought our Iowa farm several years ago, never having farmed or homesteaded before, we made the decision as a family to live a more sustainable and wholesome lifestyle by cutting out the unnecessary. We loved the idea of an old-fashioned Christmas. You’ll find our packages wrapped in brown paper we’ve saved all year long, our wreaths and garlands are fresh from local farms and our own yard, and we decorate with natural materials that we’ve foraged like pinecones and bittersweet.

We make time for family activities rather than spending all of our time hunting for the perfect gift. While we will still always spend a day or two holiday shopping for the thrill of the season, my hope as a parent is to spend our wintry days baking cookies and sweet breads, decorating the tree, and snuggled up with a warm cup of homemade chocolate listening to a favorite Christmas record. To us, family is everything, and we hope to pass that down to our children as well, when they move on to their own homes and families.

On the homestead, the winter months bring a period of rest. It is about keeping warm. We pile the bedding high in the chicken coop and hang a wreath of evergreens on the door for a touch of fun. The field is tucked in under a blanket of snow and compost to prepare the beds for the spring season. We spend our days by the fire inside, working with our hands yet again on projects we cannot seem to get to when the weather is warm: knitting hats and gloves, decorating our home, and sewing up clothing and quilts. The larder, where we keep the delicious food we grew and preserved over the summer, is slowly but surely emptied ready to be restocked in early summer. Our Christmas supper table is graced by the animals we raised and butchered in the fall, and we say many thanks over what was sacrificed and harvested. Gifts are made with our hands, tied in twine and scrap pieces of fabric. We make new traditions to pass down to our children from the old ones of generations past.

I am not sure that we will ever leave our home here on the farm. Because we live in the beautiful, hilly countryside of southeastern Iowa, we are graced each winter with the gorgeous cover of snow on the rolling fields. We are lucky to live in a place that honors the traditions of older generations, where food is still canned and preserved and cooked upon the stove at home. Christmas makes the place we live even more special, as we gather with friends and neighbors to celebrate the season and say a blessing for the year ahead. I do not know of anything more wondrous and magnificent!

The Best Santa

A love of Santas becomes a collection. By Sharon Schwalbach

Santa Photo: @ryaninmanphoto

YEARS AGO, I’M THINKING AROUND 40 YEARS OR SO, MOST EVERYONE HAD SOME SORT OF COLLECTION, SPECIFIC COLLECTIONS. Some collected salt dips or butter molds, maybe baskets or pewter. It wasn’t so much like the collections of today where you have a few of a special type of antique or vintage item that you choose selectively to add to your home, I’m talking a collection. I think that might be defined as many, like maybe a hundred or more. I know many of you remember those days, and for those of you who don’t, it was real. I chose to collect Santas and all who knew that seemed to find one more unique than the one before, just for me. I purchased some myself but many of them were gifted to me by family and friends. Each year I emptied a big cupboard to make room for them all to be displayed. I found so much joy each year in unwrapping each one and remembering where he was discovered or who gifted him to me.

There were so many Santas that held a special meaning, invoking thoughts of those who had gifted each one. Some were more special than others, much like many things to all of us, but one of my Santas was the most special of all. My Dad was always on a mission to find me an antique that he knew I would love, and he was so very good at it. From a wonderful old Hoosier cupboard and later the bread board with the shoofly to display on such cupboard. The two of us were junking when I purchased my very first memorable antique, a #3 salt glaze bee sting crock. I was 18, didn’t really have the $5 they were asking. Dad offered them $4. They accepted and that crock is a treasure to me still today.

I still hold dear the memory of the day he dropped in with the brown paper bag, handing it to me with a grin and an “I think you’ll like it”. I opened with anticipation.  A bit tattered and torn. A smudge of age here and there. An arm with a bell in the hand that no longer was able to animate as the motor was worn out. Shiny little black boots and the sweetest of faces. His beard was less than perfect and his cap a bit askew but to me he was the most perfectly beautiful Santa I had ever seen.

Each Christmas I take this special Santa from the tissue he’s wrapped in and most often a tear falls.  He finds a special place to sit to enable him to view those who surround him and all the holiday happenings. The happenings of a family enjoying life and its offerings. A son and daughter, the grands and all the extensions. A family who misses their Patriarch, each and every day, but most especially over the Holidays. Thirty years have passed and Dad has been gone 25 of those 30 years. He left us at 62 years young. He spent his last Christmas in the ICU waiting for a heart transplant, a heart he would never receive. I like to believe that there just wasn’t one out there quite good enough for him. Yes, that’s what I believe. I also believe that somehow through the eyes of my special Santa, Dad sees it all and the love he created. Through the eyes of that tattered and torn, but still so perfect Santa with the sweetest of faces. The Santa gifted to a daughter who loved him more. The Best Santa ever.

Eliza Meets Santa: Christmas with Christie Jones Ray

a Christmas story by Christie Jones Ray

THERE WAS A VISIT TO NEW YORK CITY FOR ELIZA THE MOUSE to attend a performance of the The Nutcracker Ballet. She had always dreamed of being a ballerina, but alas, her feet were too wide, her ears were too big, and as hard as she tried, she could not twirl. But oh how she had loved watching the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy...and would dream big dreams sleeping in the ballet slippers worn by a real ballerina.

The next day, we made our way to the Plaza Hotel to see Santa Claus. Little Eliza had quite a conversation with Santa, sitting in his gloved hand, whispering into his ear all her hopes and dreams...her pink whiskers mingling with his whiskers of white.

I enjoyed a conversation with that jolly elf, myself. We sat upon the chaise, there, talking for quite some time, and I found myself believing in him all over again. Upon our arrival back home to Tennessee, I relayed to my friends and family, “this Santa is the REAL one!” He had listened to me tell all about my toy mouse...for it really is all about her....and I had given him my card.

I didn’t need his, because we ALL know where to find HIM! Anyway, I shared that we lived in Franklin, Tennessee, and silly me, asked if he had ever been there, to which he replied “I’ve been everywhere...” Well goodness gracious, of course he has!

We had been fortunate to have such a long chat as it was mid-afternoon, and there was a lull in the stream of visitors. He was smitten with Eliza and told the photographer to make sure she could see her. To my delight, he had been the one to ask to hold her. As I reflect upon that visit, I wonder...do we all just turn into little girls and boys when we sit and talk with Santa? He was as wonderful as all of you have always hoped he’d be!

What a magical time we enjoyed there in the city that never sleeps...where little girl dreams do come true at Christmas.

This is the illustration I created based on the photo of that visit, and it is included in the pages of my book, Eliza Visits the Ballet. — christiejonesray.com

Mazzarino Family Struffoli

  BY STACY MAZZARINO CURRIE

I WAS BROUGHT UP IN A TRADITIONAL ITALIAN AMERICAN HOME AND FOLLOW MANY ITALIAN TRADITIONS, like the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, attending Midnight Mass, and of course making Struffoli, also known as Honey Balls. They are light, crispy little balls of deep fried dough, drenched in Honey and topped with colorful sprinkles. My family and I would gather around the kitchen table to make them together. Christmas music on the radio and elbow deep in flour, my dad and grandma would roll out the dough into thin strips, my brother and I would cut and roll the dough into balls and my mom would fry them. We used to fight over who would add the sprinkles at the end, and that’s still my favorite part! There was never a shortage of laughter and memory making, and 40 years later, we still carry on the tradition with our children. From generation to generation we continue to make memories and share our delicious treats with friends and family. My daughter Allie and my niece Segi particularly love these sweet treats and my niece asks to bake them throughout the year.

STRUFFOLI RECIPE

4 Cups Flour

Pinch of salt

6 Eggs

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Jar Honey

Colorful Nonpareils/Sprinkles

Oil for frying

*Optional: Zest of an Orange

Combine flour, salt, eggs, baking powder, vanilla and zest together. Break off pieces and roll into long strips about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the strips into pieces and roll into little balls about the size of a small marble. Heat oil in a dutch oven and fry the balls in batches until puffed and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Once they are all fried, heat honey in a small saucepan and pour over the balls, and immediately sprinkle with nonpareils. These stay nicely in a sealed container for up to a week.

When I think of Christmas I always think of Struffoli, a very sweet memory for our family. Though this year we will be making them in our separate houses, we will still carry on the tradition, together on Zoom.

Sweet Christmas Traditions with @tifforelie

an essay by Tiffany Mitchell

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR TRADITIONS.  I grew up in a two family home in the suburbs of northeastern New Jersey where Christmas was the event of the year.  Birthdays were fun, Thanksgiving was exciting, but Christmas was the big deal - the major deal.  Our traditions started on Christmas Eve.  The whole family would gather at my aunt’s house where we would play games, eat, do the “cousins grab bag”, eat some more, and sing Happy Birthday to my aunt (who was born on Christmas Eve).  At midnight, everyone would trek out to the front yard in the freezing cold where we would complete the nativity scene with a baby doll and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  We would then sing carols until us “kids” began sneaking off one by one either out of fatigue, or the desire to avoid scaring any more of the neighbors.

Getting home from the Christmas Eve party was a tradition in and of itself.  Whoever snuck away first would arrive at the house and ascend the stairs to our second story living room where they would be met with the warm glow of a fully decorated Christmas tree and the familiar scent of pine needles.  Christmas morning was only hours away and even though as adults we don’t experience it the same way we did when we were kids, it’s somehow just as magical.

I’ve always been the first to wake up on Christmas morning.  My mom had a rule not to wake her until 7:30, so my 3 siblings and I would tackle the stockings while we waited for her to join us.  Once we were all up, we would open one gift each (in age order) until we ran out of presents.  At that point we were both starving and exhausted, so lots of eating and napping followed.

We’ve done the same thing every year for as long as I can remember.  Without those traditions, I don’t think Christmas would have been the grand occasion my family made of it.  When my husband and I moved to Lexington a year ago, we had only been married 2 years and were looking to start holiday traditions of our own.  This will be our 4th Christmas together and it still feels like we’re starting from square one.  Maybe it takes a few years before a tradition actually starts to take root.

Each year we’ve added something new.  The first year it was visiting our families.  The second year it was making hot cocoa from scratch.  Last year we visited our families, made the cocoa and took funny Christmas card pictures of our cat.  This year we’ll be adding something to complement the cocoa - sugar cookies!  Our traditions seem so simple, but I guess that’s how all great traditions start out, right?

Bringing Back the Magic of Christmas

An essay by Melissa McArdle

WHEN SHE THINKS OF CHRISTMAS, I want shimmering stars, scents of evergreen, warm cups of hot chocolate, and rooms filled with jolly laughter to fill her mind. Cozy blankets wrapped around our shoulders as we read classic tales beside the roaring flames of a burning fire. The tingling trace of pure peppermint oil as she continuously licks the stick of chalky peppermint candy, the old-fashioned kind that my great-grandfather used to fill his shirt pocket with and hand out as if we won the jackpot of tasty bliss. Afternoons spent in the kitchen preparing baked goods with our own hands, chasing flour clouds in the air, decorating our noses with buttercream icing, and giggling non-stop from the sugar high. Choosing the tree we know needs the most tender loving care because no one else would have it…channeling A Charlie Brown Christmas. Creating gifts for those we love, cherish and hold dear to our hearts, gifts that mean something and have a story we want to share. Decorating our tree with offerings from nature, garland strung of cranberries, pinecones hand-painted with glitter, leaves gilded golden, and mistletoe hung in all the right places.

Christmas is meant to be magical. The very roots of Christmas are considered other-worldly. When did we lose touch with this magic? For me, it is vital to plant the seeds of wonderland in her mind, fill her thoughts and soul with the simple beauties of giving with love, receiving with pure gratitude, and absorbing the true essence of the season. A season meant to be filled with joy and peace. She is young, she is impressionable, and now is the time to engrave the pureness of Christmas onto her heart. Lists can be made, but let’s allow those lists to be filled with good tidings, wishes for others and special achievements, and prayers of hope for better tomorrows. She is my one and only, and I have vowed to bring back the magic of Christmas. So far, her enthusiasm for painting cut-out stars, singing “O Holy Night”, and running with wild abandon through a Christmas tree farm lead me to believe I’m on the right track.

The Gift Guide Wrap

The Gift Guide Wrap

And to all, a good night.

Wrapping up this gift guide series with some favorite brands and makers. Products and treats made to last or savor in the moments, so be sure to check them out for this giving season.

Girl Meets Dirt Website

The Cheese Board Companion Box

Girl Meets Dirt

A sampler pack of Girl Meets Dirt preserves to complement your charcuterie. Not sure how to build your board? Visit their website for best cheese pairings

Skippy Cotton Website

Party Bear, Lavender Ornament

Skippy Cotton

Add some embroidery to the tree this year. These scented tokens are such a sweet and unique touch for your holiday decor.

Teressa Foglia Instagram

Traveler’s Hat Box

Teressa Foglia

Gorgous design with luxury look and feel. Already in love with each Teressa Foglia hat and this traveler’s box is the greatest accessory.

Peg and Awl Website

The Harper Journal

Peg and Awl

I’ll always love the look of a leather bound journal. Hand stitched with quality hand-torn pages for a beautifully classic design.

French Press Candle Co. Website

Holiday Cheer Mini Collection

French Press Candle Co.

Another candle, another collection, another Christmas win. As a plus, French Press donates a portion of their proceeds to animal rescue organizations across the country. We love to see it.

Schoolhouse Website

Ion Lamp - Portland Edition

Schoolhouse

For your favorite little nook. Minimal style with an industrial feel, this Ion Lamp can pull together your coziest space.

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The Gift Guide Classic

The Gift Guide Classic

All things timeless.

The list to get you through. Classic gifts and sets to last from season to season. Happy Holidays from The Gift Guide Classic. May they be merry.

The Foundry Home Goods Instagram

Rustic Wool Blanket

The Foundry Home Goods

For nights you just need to cuddle up with a good book. Cozy and warm with that minimal aesthetic, perfect for home. Find your favorite style at The Foundry.

Jonathan Adler Instagram

Gilded I-Scream Vase

Jonathan Adler

Simple but statement. I’ve long loved the designs of Jonathan Adler, adding them to any gift list is a must. Beautifully unique, a little something for everyone.

Civil Alchemy Instagram

The Tan Tote Bag

Civil Alchemy

Everyone needs a classic tote. Sturdy, full-grain leather for a sleek and clean design. Made to last and complete your look.

SAULT New England Website

Wool Herringbone Overshirt

SAULT New England

Included in SAULT’s Gift Guide Vol. 2, along with other amazing products. Textured detail and versatile style to get you through the winter season.

Boston General Store Website

Holiday Spirit Gift Box

Boston General Store

A collection for your cocktails. Anything from Boston General Store is a yes but I love each gift box selection. Snag this one before it’s gone.

Lightwell Co. Instagram

Winter Tumbler

Lightwell Co.

Choose your tumbler, minimal black and white with fragrances fit for the season. Handmade for a design to love.

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The Lifestyle Gift Guide

The Lifestyle Gift Guide

For the everyday.

A little of everything for every area. This gift guide is all about function and style, the essentials that create your space. Here’s what we’re loving.

Vermont Linen Company Website

The Baker’s Bundle

Vermont Linen Company

Vermont Linen Company is all things lovely. Quality products and pairings to meet your lifestyle and home-making needs. Definitely gift their gorgeous bundles this year.

Bridge and Burn Instagram

Essential Button Down’s

Bridge & Burn

Essential anything really. Timeless wardrobe pieces to complete any closet no matter the season. Versatile and functional so you’re sure to love.

Firsthand Supply Website

Stock Up Set: All Purpose

Firsthand Supply

The All-Purpose Pomade is already a perfect stocking-stuffer but you can up the game with this stock up set. Can’t get enough of Firsthand Supply? This is the way to go.

Stoneware & Co Website

4-Piece Louisville Pottery Collection

Stoneware & Co

I love a clean, neutral, minimal look, especially in the kitchen. Functional products you can use as statement pieces and cozy up a little nook. Make it a set for easy giving.

Sunhouse Craft Website

Walnut End Grain Cutting Board

Sunhouse Craft

In the phase of my life where a beautifully made cutting board brings me such joy. Another kitchen essential that can bring out some personality and texture.

Sister Golden Website

Flower Art Prints

Sister Golden

Honestly, how do you choose? These floral prints from Sister Golden are so unique, each tells their own story. Gift to your loved ones who love statement artwork.

Clayton & Crume Instagram

Rocks Glass - Set of Two

Clayton & Crume

A very classic look. Handcrafted full-grain leather and complimentary monograms to keep it personal. Glasses aren’t your thing? Clayton & Crume has so many other amazing gift options to choose from. Check them out now.

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The Gift Guide For Home

The Gift Guide For Home

Sounds like a night in.

A warm evening in on a cool winter night is one of my favorite things. And I love this list for that reason. It has something to help build a special space or bring some sweet “treat yourself” moments. Sometimes it’s the little things, friends.

Nade Website

Dune Pillow

Nade Studio

First, if you don’t know about Nade you should. Second, this season is the perfect time to learn. Ethically made and naturally dyed, Nade has a little bit of everything to gift beauty to home.

1767 Designs Instagram

Hand-crafted Artwork

1767 Designs

“Statement Pieces That Tell a Story.” Beautiful works to choose from or you can go custom to fit your home and style. I think I’ve fallen in love with every piece.

Greenhouse Mercantile Website

Everyday Oil - Mainstay

Greenhouse Mercantile

For anyone and for everywhere so you really can’t go wrong here. Calming and cleansing oils to love and complete your skincare.

The Halsey Homestead Etsy

Antique Lace Christmas Stocking Garland

The Halsey Homestead

Very sweet and special. Made from antique lace and red ticking stripe fabric, these mini stockings put me in the spirit and I’m really loving that.

Lineage Goods Instagram

Lineage Candles

Lineage Goods

A staple really. It’s not a warm and toasty night in without your go-to candle. So many amazing options and if you don’t love a candle, snag yourself some room spray.

Goods Apothecary Etsy

Natural Face Gift Box

Goods Apothecary

Can you tell I love a gift box? Such a great wrap up of popular goods to make it so easy and convenient to gift. Also, Goods Apothecary offers many other sets if the Natural Face isn’t your cup of tea.

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The Comfort Gift Guide

The Comfort Gift Guide

Yes, please.

For work-from-home or occasional outings, which, let’s be real, is all you need this year. This guide is bringing some comfort to the holiday season and you know your friends and family would love. Go ahead, get shopping.

Little Birdie Design Instagram

Design Knit Wear

Little Birdie Design

Very, very cozy feels right here. Knit wear gets me every time and I’m not even mad about it. Perfect to gift or treat yourself or, ya know, both.

Lostine Home Goods Instagram

Candle Holder and Tapers

Lostine Home Goods

Candles are some of my favorite decor pieces. They can really elevate your space and be such sweet gifts. Unique and personable to fit each style of your loved ones.

The Maple House Co Instagram

Antique Bread Boards

The Maple House Co

Calling out these gorgeous bread boards but so many amazing antique finds at The Maple House. Shop these or go more everyday. All a win if you ask me.

Elsie Green Instagram

Stoneware Tumbler Set

Elsie Green

Everything Elsie Green, please and thank you. How lovely is this set of stoneware tumblers? Truly, I could scroll through her page forever and never get enough.

Mark Albert Boots Instagram

American-Made Footwear

Mark Albert Boots

A personal forever favorite. Mark Albert boots are on my must-have list and I think you need them too. Gift to share the joy.

Farmhouse Pottery Instagram

Honey & Beehive Honey Pot Gift Set

Farmhouse Pottery

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything Farmhouse Pottery, but I’m in love with every gift set. Very perfect for the holidays. This honey and honey pot set screams homey, cozy which will always have my heart.

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The Must-Get Gift Guide

The Must-Get Gift Guide

Truly. Must get.

Very much so falling in love with everything on this list. Add them under the tree or just treat yourself (still a gift if you ask me), these items are needed for your must-get guide.

Song of a Sparrow Instagram

All Natural Orange Spice Soap

Song of a Sparrow

I can already smell the warm and cozy. Plant-based and all natural with an extra pep of energy. Gladly welcomed this time of year.

Great Bear Wax Co. Instagram

Campfire Candle

Great Bear Wax Co.

Take me to any campfire and I’ve found a happy place. Candles will always be a perfect piece to gift so share the love with this beauty.

Lady Lancaster Website

The Midi Duster

Lady Lancaster

I’ve fallen in love and it’s with this duster. A statement piece for sure but truly, you can never go wrong with Lady Lancaster.

Millstream Home Website

The Essential Pottery Collection

Millstream Home

Why choose when you can have it all? This essential pottery collection is exactly that. Something every home needs for that clean homey vibe.

Farmhouse Frocks Website

Lena’s Box

Farmhouse Frocks

A little of everything over here. I love the gift of Lena’s Box. Every Monday a new box is unveiled and is available while supplies last. Personalized and limited edition so get it while you can or wait for next week’s drop.

juNxtaposition Website

Silver Plate Handle Pendants

junXtaposition

Vintage feels forever please. Each pendant recycled and unique so we love to see it. Find one that fit’s your loved one’s style.

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