You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Ornaments and Wall Hangings’ category.
I had to make a Target run that day because I needed to buy a few things. I found some pretty unusual stuff on sale, which were both a tie-in to the upcoming Christmas holiday season.
I saw this really cute toy Target shopping cart on sale. It looked like it was scaled to an 18-inch doll (such as American Girl, Our Generation, Disney ily 4EVER, and My Life As).
This next item was even goofier. It’s a Spam ornament. That’s right, a Spam ornament. You couldn’t make this stuff up if you’ve tried.
That ornament is like a Monty Python sketch come to life.
On that day I went to a few Christmas-related events. I first went to the exhibition of entries in a gingerbread house contest that was held at Darnall’s Chance in Upper Marlboro, which I wrote about yesterday. After I left Darnall’s Chance, I went to another Christmas event, this one was in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Mowatt United Methodist Church was the setting for an event known as the Winter Wonderland. I was impressed with the decor at the front of the church.
For a donation, where the proceeds went to a local Boy Scout troop, one could walk along a wooded path that was behind the church.
Along the path one could see a variety of Christmas displays, which were all pretty neat to see.
Santa Claus was there sitting near an ambulance where children could visit him.
Someone had put up a model railroad layout where one could see a toy train riding along that track.
There was a table where people could use small scratchboard paper to make their own paper Christmas ornament.
Here is the scratchboard Christmas ornament that I made.
I’ve been taking a break from this blog so I could focus on other things, such as enjoying the winter holiday season.
This season I had the idea that may sound crazy. I did a series of short videos about my ornaments and decorations, which I uploaded as TikToks, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. It’s basically a video remake of my Tabletop Christmas series that I wrote in this blog back in 2016. (You can click here to access part one. That post has links to the rest of the series at the bottom of the page.)
The main difference is that I highlighted my ornaments that I didn’t mention in my previous series. I shot every Christmas tree ornament and every Christmas decoration that I currently own. Once I finished the last ornament I made one video compilation of my video shorts and uploaded it up on YouTube. The entire compilation lasts around a half-an-hour but I intended it as a kind of video that one can watch at any Christmas in order to get in the proper holiday spirit.
This video compilation even includes my hippie merman, which I once shot this short video slideshow about way back in 2009.
The only decoration I didn’t include in my video compilation was my animatronic Mickey’s Clock Shop and that’s because I had already shot a video about that one back in 2014. You can view that one below.
My Mickey’s Clock Shop still works this year, which I’m grateful for.
Working on that series was stressful because I shot the videos while I was decorating my home. My original blog series only focused on just some of my ornaments and decorations while, for the video series, I shot every single one of my ornaments and decorations that I currently own. It took twice as long to decorate my home this year but I was relieved when I finished shooting and uploaded the whole thing online.
Why did I put myself through this? It’s due to the uncertainty in my life. First, the life insurance money that came from my mother’s estate will run out sometime this year. It was great that I was able to live on that during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I used some of the money to undergo retraining through a program that was offered through Google and Coursera where I received an IT certificate. But I’m now looking for a day job and I’m hoping to find something before I run out of money. (The fact that I’m no longer a twentysomething person that corporations prefer doesn’t help. Or the fact that I’m not a white man. Also the price of food has gone up due to inflation, which sucks.) If the money runs out before I find work, I may have to move out of my home and I don’t know where I’ll end up.
Then there are the elections. With Donald Trump threatening to rule as a fascist dictator should he get reelected, I’m starting to seriously consider my options should he come to power, including fleeing to either Canada or Mexico. Regardless of whether I find work or not, I simply don’t want to live under a fascist dictatorship.
In a nutshell, if I have to leave home for any reason, I won’t be taking any of my Christmas decorations with me because I won’t have room in my car. With shooting everything on video and uploading it online, I’ll be able to look at the decorations I once owned no matter where I’ll end up.
Even if I find a stable job and Donald Trump doesn’t get reelected, there may come a time when I may feel so old and creaky that I may decide that I don’t want to deal with putting up Christmas decorations anymore. I had seriously downsized my ornaments and decorations when my husband left me because having a huge collections of ornaments that could decorate a six-foot tree is a bit much for one person. I really love my tiny artificial tree that I can easily put up. I also haven’t had to buy any new ornaments because my tiny tree is already full of the ornaments that I have.
But there may come a year when I might decide that I just don’t want to deal with Christmas decorations anymore. My mother got like that after my father died (but before she became ill herself). She didn’t bother with a tree and had opted with getting poinsettia plants for the living room instead (which she would then toss after the holiday season ended). She also bought a couple of small animatronic angels that she would display in the large living room bay window and a plush Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. To her those decorations were easier than dealing with a Christmas tree and ornaments.
If I ever get to an age where I decide that I no longer want to deal with decorating at Christmas, I’ll still have that video to remind me of how I used to decorate my home.
I know that I recently announced in this blog that I’ve decided to have an indefinite temporary moratorium on making any more videos about unboxing blind boxes. But I came across these Real Littles Micro Craft kits in the toy section at Target and I decided to buy a couple.
While these craft kits look like blind boxes, they come with labels describing what kind of a craft kit it is along with a photo of what you will be working on. So it’s technically not really a blind box.
I only purchased the Unicorn Terrarium and the Canvas Art kits. (There were others, such as one where you make your own bath bomb and one where you get a black and white tiny backpack and you get to color it using the included markers.) Each kit costs around $10 each, which is pretty affordable. I made videos about them both and I even included some of my Disney Nuimos to show how they are perfectly scaled for them.
So I first worked on the Unicorn Terrarium kit. I found it to be relatively easy to work on and it definitely helped that the kit came with easy to follow instructions. The result resembled a Christmas ornament ball (and it came with a hanger so you could hang it on a Christmas tree or a car rearview mirror or somewhere similar). I shot the video and uploaded the results on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Next I worked on the Canvas Art kit. That one came with two tiny canvases with image outlines already printed on them, tiny vials of acrylic paint, a tiny paintbrush, and a single small easel that could only fit one of the canvases at a time. All I had to do was just color them in with the included acrylic paint. I have to admit that I liked working on them even if I usually prefer to create my own paintings from scratch. The included canvases had some really cute images—one was a hybrid of a panda bear and a cupcake and the other was a hybrid of a kitty cat and a thermos full of bubble tea. I’ve been really slacking off on creating new art lately and I think I really needed something like this to remind myself how much I love to paint. All I had to do was just decide which areas I wanted to paint in which colors without thinking about it too much and that was nice. I shot a video of what I did and uploaded the results on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
It was really cute filming my Disney Nuimos next to both the finished tiny craft projects and the cases that they originally came in. I can imagine that they would also be great accessories for Barbies and other dolls of similar 1/6 scale.
My support group for people who are separated or divorced have been meeting exclusively via Zoom since the Coronavirus pandemic arrived in 2020. I go to the occasional online meeting but I don’t go as often as I used to in the early days after my husband literally ran away from home without ever telling me that he was the least bit unhappy. (I later learned that he basically pretended that he “loved” me in an effort to get me to marry him so he could prove his parents wrong about being a lifelong bachelor. He only stayed married to me because he wanted our marriage to last exactly one year longer than his parents’ marriage had lasted.) I’m further along in recovering from my divorce so I’m less screwed up emotionally than someone who’s newly separated. These days I only go to a meeting if there’s an interesting topic.
Prior to the pandemic the support group would have an annual party between Christmas and New Year’s that featured a White Elephant Gift Exchange where people were encouraged to either bring an unwanted present that they received or buy a brand-new present that cost less than $30 to bring for the exchange. I last attended back in 2018. There was a party in 2019 that I didn’t go to because I was financially struggling at the time. (The project I was working on behalf of the 2020 census had ended a couple of months earlier and the next phase of the census project that I was subsequently assigned to hadn’t started yet.) It turned out to be the last such party before the pandemic arrived just a few months later.
Even though the weekly meetings are continuing online only for the next few months, the organization decided to try holding its first in-person party since 2019. Unlike other years, which were usually held between Christmas and New Year’s, this year’s party was held on January 2, the day after New Year’s Day. This year the government and many businesses decided to observe New Year’s on January 2 because January 1 fell on a Sunday this year so there would be plenty of people who would be off from work.
So I decided to go to the party, which was held at a church in Columbia, Maryland. A few days earlier I had purchased this raccoon nutcracker that was on sale at Michael’s Arts & Crafts for 80% off. (Yes I purchased it after Christmas Day. I only paid $7 for this nutcracker.) It was pretty cute. Here’s a shot from the front.
And here’s a shot of the raccoon nutcracker from the back.
I never thought of raccoons as being synonymous with Christmas like penguins and polar bears. But there was this cute little North Pole sign.
The details were pretty cute, such as the raccoon holding this tiny pair of ice skates in its hand.
The knit cap on top of the raccoon’s head was pretty cute as well.
So I got my gift all selected. I was feeling lazy about going up in the attic to get a roll of wrapping paper that’s sitting in a storage box so I decided to go to the Harris Teeter that’s located closest to the party venue to purchase food to share (the party was potluck) and buy a gift bag for the nutcracker. There were a lot of people at Harris Teeter that day (due mainly to so many people having the day off) and I waited in this long checkout line. While the line moved I saw a rack that had these llama Christmas ornaments on display. I thought they were so cute that I decided to buy one at the very last minute for my White Elephant gift back.
Here’s the front of the llama. After I took this photo, I tore the tag in half to remove the $4.99 price listing.
Here’s the back of the ornament. The one thing I remember most about this ornament is that it was so incredibly soft. It it weren’t for the fact that I now have a small tabletop artificial tree that’s full of ornaments, I would’ve bought one for myself. But my tree is so small that space is at a premium so the days where I could buy Christmas tree ornaments are over for me. (Don’t feel sorry for me. I live alone these days and I don’t have much family left so it doesn’t make sense for me to have a large Christmas tree. If I ever did what my late mother-in-law did and get remarried to a man with children and grandchildren, I may switch back to a larger tree for the kids’ benefit. But right now I’m perfectly happy with few Christmas decorations that I can set up and take down by myself in two hours or less.)
So I dropped off my gift back with the raccoon nutcracker and llama ornament at the White Elephant table when I arrived at the party. The party basically drew around 10 people, which was pretty small. (I remember the pre-pandemic days when these parties used to draw up to 30 people and there were much laughter as people opened their presents and people would steal gifts.) I didn’t really recognize anyone from the days when I used to attend the meetings in person each week. The people who were there were pretty friendly as we all socialized with each other. We all admitted how strange it was to be talking to people in person again after spending a long time avoiding each other (unless we wore masks and kept our social distance at least six feet apart). I have a feeling that it’s going to take a while before most people can be sociable on the level that they were prior to the pandemic.
When my number was drawn I selected this white gift bag with green wrapping paper poking out.
I got this really pretty cloth that had the colorful illustration of a crab and two pieces of Lindor chocolate candy balls.
Here’s a closeup of the crab illustration.
And here’s a closeup of the two Lindor chocolate balls.
Even though the party went off without a hitch, the regular meetings of my support group are still going to continue via Zoom only for the time being. But it was still nice to see people in person for a change. And, on that note, this blog post officially closes out the 2022-2023 Winter Holiday Season posts. I didn’t do as many winter holiday activities as other years (the rain and the Artic chill had definitely put a damper on my enthusiasm to go to many places to enjoy the holiday season) but I feel okay with that.
This past year (I can’t believe that it’s 2023 already!) I went back to the Christmas Village in Baltimore for what turned out to be my one and only visit. I wanted to return one more time on my birthday (December 15) but, as I wrote previously, the weather was absolutely horrible. (In fact, I later learned that the weather was so bad that the Christmas Village ended up closing early.)
The weather was relatively mild so I enjoyed myself as I ate outside, checked out some of the outside vendors, then entered inside of the main heated tent. At one point I shot video footage of a very talented fiddler who played a variety of Christmas songs, which I uploaded on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube.
I shot a bunch of photos that I later compiled into a video slideshow and uploaded on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube. Enjoy!
Nearly one month ago I went to the Festival of Lights opening ceremony in Greenbelt, Maryland. That event was held for the first time in over two years due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It was pretty enjoyable and I ran into some of my friends while I was there so it was all good. I shot some video footage of the opening ceremony, which you can watch on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, YouTube.
As part of the festivities the nearby Greenbelt Museum was offering free admission where it was displaying vintage Christmas and Hanukkah decorations from the 1930s. I found the displays to be quite fascinating. I took some photos and I made a video slideshow, which you can watch on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube.
I recently discovered that the whole blind box package craze has gone beyond toys and spread to Christmas ornaments. While I was grocery shopping I saw that Lidl was selling Hallmark Mystery Christmas Ornaments featuring characters from Star Wars. It cost around $6 so I bought it for the heck of it, despite the fact that I really don’t need anymore Christmas tree ornaments. (I have a small artificial tree these days so space is definitely at a premium.) I made an unboxing video, which you can see on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. (SPOILER ALERT!: I got Yoda. He is definitely cute and he’s small enough that I can probably find room for him on my small tree this year.)
I was waffling on whether to return to this festival this year. I found last year’s festival to be underwhelming. I know that part of the reason was due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but that festival just seemed sad with its relocation to a racetrack. In fact, I ended up spending far less time there than other years.
I decided to give this festival one more chance, especially since it was once again being held in the same building on the grounds of the Maryland State Fairgrounds that it used to be held in before the Coronavirus arrived in 2020. Despite that, things weren’t promising when I attempted to take the Baltimore Light Rail up to Timonium only to have no train arrive at all. (Which I wrote about in my last post.) It was pouring rain and I didn’t feel like making the trip to Timonium so I ended up going to my hometown of Glen Burnie instead (which I also wrote about in my last post).
The next day the weather was better but commuting on the Baltimore Beltway was hell. There is currently major road construction going on and there were long patches of road that were literally grooved highway and it made it a total bitch to steer. (I ended up not driving fast because of it. Of course I had to deal with surly drivers who wanted to speed like crazy despite the grooved pavement.) Driving on those grooves also made a horrible noise while I was driving and it drove me nuts for several minutes. Thankfully I was able to get on smooth streets just before the exit but driving was totally annoying. I was so glad that the other side of the Baltimore Beltway didn’t have that construction so I didn’t have to deal with grooved roads when I was driving home from the festival.
But when I arrived at the German Festival I forgot about my driving troubles.
That German Festival is just the way that I remembered it in previous years. There were all kinds of arts and crafts items for sale. I saw people dressed in traditional German clothing. And the food they had was delicious! (I had the bratwurst and sauerkraut platter for lunch and it was delicious!) It was such an improvement over the 2020 one. Here are a few photos I shot.
Someone had left out all kinds of board games for people to play with, such as this couple who played with giant-sized Jenga blocks.
Unlike other years, the live entertainment was held outside in this pavilion. The footage was streamed on a TV set inside of the building where most of the festival was held but there were also seats for people who wanted to watch live music outside.
I shot some footage of people playing polka music. First up was this band playing generic German polka music that I uploaded on to TikTok, Instagram, Clapper, and YouTube.
Next is this polka version of Santana’s classic “Oye Como Va” song, which I uploaded on TikTok, Instagram, Clapper, and YouTube.
Then there was this polka version of Bobby Vinton’s “My Melody of Love,” which I uploaded on TikTok, Instagram, Clapper, and YouTube.
Then there were some more traditional German polka music, which I uploaded on to TikTok, Instagram, Clapper, and YouTube.
Finally here’s a polka cover of The Who’s “Squeeze Box,” which I uploaded on to TikTok, Clapper, and YouTube.
For some reason it’s not on my Instagram account. I don’t know if I uploaded it and Instagram took it down or if I forgot to upload it on that platform.
I bought a few things at that festival. Right before I left I purchased this chicken schnitzel sandwich on a pretzel roll, which I heated in the microwave oven and ate when I got home.
I purchased three baked goods. Two were apple turnovers while the third was a small black forest cake. I took me almost a week to eat them all. I found them to be very delicious.
I bought this small German flag for only $1. It’s perfectly scaled for my smaller dolls and Disney Nuimos.
And, finally, I purchased this Bavarian hat that gave me fairy tale vibes. It’s made from heavy felt so I probably won’t begin to wear it in public until around the fall (when the weather will get cooler). In case you’re wondering, I still wear a mask when I’m in an indoor public place because the Coronavirus has not gone away and scientists are predicting that there will be a surge in new cases later this year.
I recently did a short video about a special Christmas ornament that Macy’s released back in 2000 to commemorate the fact that its annual Thanksgiving Day parade that year had started off with a balloon depicting Mickey Mouse dressed as a marching band leader. It’s basically a remake of a blog post I wrote about that same ornament back in 2011. I’ve uploaded on to TikTok, Clapper, and YouTube for you to enjoy.
Sagittarius Dolly 
You must be logged in to post a comment.