CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

ROANOKE THROUGH THE AGES

Roanoke through the ages snow village

When my grandchildren were young, yet old enough to remember, we started another family tradition. We decided to create a unique Christmas Village. The village is of our own town of Roanoke. The children and I decided to make it not only a winter village but one that depicts Roanoke in various time frames. It is Roanoke through the ages. In creating the village, we also strive to add items to our collection that represent our own lives.

Every December we all load up in my art car, B-dazle, and begin our search for a new treasure.

B-Dazle

The Christmas store has an entire array of many different styles and themes for Christmas villages. It is there we visit every December in anticipation of finding something new and exciting.

Zack, Beth, Alli and Marcy

One year we found the Hotel Roanoke, which is an exact replica of our historical hotel.

Hotel Roanoke

Another year, we purchased the famous Roanoke star.

Mill Mountain Star

There was the year we found a zoo and called it Mill Mountain Zoo.

Mill Mountain Zoo

Happy's Flea Market

We found a flea market and named it “Happy’s” which is where I spend a lot of time looking for embellishments for my work.

Here is our Ferris wheel

Santa's workshop with Santa and reindeer

Santa’s workshop is always placed in the higher elevations with Rudolph leading the way down to help deliver toys.

Skater's pond

This year we found what might be the most unusual scene for our village yet. It is a depiction of a flying saucer landing! It is equipped with an FBI truck, yellow sticker tape, policemen, green aliens and an astronaut approaching them. The saucer lights up as well as the capsule with a green alien.

Alien landing

After the trip to the store, we assemble the item and place it in the village. The village is only brought out once a year by my oldest granddaughter, Marcy, whom I lovingly call “Miss Christmas.” Marcy walks in the door, flips on the Christmas music and begins decorating Woodloft, my home. She enjoys decorating the Christmas table, that is filled with angels, but the village is her favorite challenge. At the end of Christmas, Marcy carefully repacks each piece.

Marcy creating the village

On the day we shop for our Christmas Village addition we traditionally also make my great Aunt Myrtle’s sugar cookies. I’m sure these cookies are pretty much like any sugar cookie but there is something special about pulling out her old recipe and paying homage to her that adds to the cookie making.

Can you imagine what my kitchen looks like after the cookie baking each year?

More cookies-another year

My hope for the village is that someday, when and if I ever downsize (which seems unlikely since I’m still upsizing) the village will be divided among the children. Each will take turns in choosing those precious items to take home to their own families. Each child will have a memory associated with the village and a memory of our time together.

Here is my Aunt Myrtle’s recipe for Rich Sugar Cookies.

Alli and Bubba

"Miss Christmas" at work

Decorating tree

Christmas table

CREATING GODDESS MAGIC CREAMS

CREATING GODDESS MAGIC CREAMS

Goddess Magic Creams

In a previous blog post I jokingly said I feel like Madam Curie whenever I start to concoct my creams. As a sculptor, I never expected to be creating face and body creams but when I found some beautiful glass jars with lids, the inventive side of me kicked in.

Goddess Magic Cream with turquoise accents

I sculpted faces out of stoneware clay and added interesting embellishments to each jar. I experimented with various butters and oils and It took me over two years of research and development to finally decide my creams were worth selling.

Ingredients

I finally settled on almond oil, shea butter, bees wax, glycerin, silk protein, grapefruit seed extract, panthenol, essential lavender oil, emu oil and coconut oil. and water.

More ingredients

I heat the oils and butters until they are completely dissolved. I also heat the water. Next step is to whirl the mixture in a food processor set aside strictly for the creams. I first add the liquid ingredients and water, then slowly drizzle in the heated oils and butters.

Cream being heated

I place the cream in a freezer for about an hour. I then re-whip it in the processor until it becomes creamy and fluffy. This is probably the hardest part because everything I’ve done prior to this step depends on what the texture will be like. I was disappointed by a bad batch when I first started making the cream but seem to have perfected it now. The cream batches are now consistent.

Whipped cream

The one ingredient I am missing right now is the Holy Water that I collected from the sacred grotto of St. Bernadette from Lourdes, France. I brought the water back two and a half years ago and decided to add small portions of it to my cream. I am surprised that the water lasted so long! Now, I am out but have good news. A friend of mine is headed on a pilgrimage to Israel and has promised to bring me back Holy water from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, if that is possible. I guess the tradition of the Holy Water will live on when he returns in January.

Filled jars

Close-up of filled jar. Yum, it looks good enough to eat-but don't!

Large Cream Jar with amethyst

Turquoise jar with horse embellishment

Hematite Turtle and embellishments

Antique looking jewels

Brass and intricate beadwork

Antique beads

Antique broach placed on top of medium size jar

Refill jar

Labels and Scrolls awaiting the finished jars

Each cream comes with a scroll listing all the natural ingredients. If you’d like to purchase one of my jars of cream, just e-mail me and we can work out the details on availability and shipping. I just know you’ll love them. They also make fantastic gifts. cherdolby@cox.net.

PS: It’s December 4th and my snapdragons and geraniums are still blooming! Maybe I won't need to purchase a poinsettia this year!

Snapdragons

Geraniums

"DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY" CALENDAR

"DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY" CALENDARS

Thirteen years of calendars

In 1996 I decided to create a family calendar. I named it the dysfunctional family calendar because, quite frankly, we are! Little did I know then that this creation would become a tradition and that every year I would be scrambling around during the month of November trying to outdo myself in creating “the best calendar yet.” The calendars evolved each year. Now the calendars include: a Family Funny Fotos page which shows some of the year's strange and offbeat family pictures; an Activity page, where I describe everyone's activities; a Family Recipe page, which gives some wonderful recipe that we have found during the year; and sometimes, a Funny Comment section dedicated to laughable comments made during the year.

Activity page

Family recipes

Funny Family Fotos

If our world has had an unusual event take place, like the tragedy of September 11, 2001, I designate a page for it.

September 11, 2001

Sometimes I show special events, like the children’s camp I had several years back or the “Sunflower Journeys.” The journeys featured trips I took with my four grandchildren to various places in the world. Each child chose a place to visit with very specific rules. Each had the freedom to choose a destination for his or her trip. But each also had to agree to three stipulations: the trip had to be one that stimulated them both physically and mentally; it had to be to a place where they learned the ways of a different culture; and, they had to be kind to everyone they met along the way, whether fellow passengers or natives of the land they were visiting.

Children's camp

Sunflower Journeys

The front cover of the calendar presents a special challenge to me each year. I almost always feature the grandchildren and try to come up with something fun and unique. One year I created four small dolls, each having the face of a different grandchild. The dolls were backed with a refrigerator magnet and could be removed from the calendar.

Doll calendar

Two dolls from calendar

Another year the cover featured a removable puzzle.

Puzzle calendar

My favorite was the year of the contest. I used different items from my home, Woodloft, and hid them in the background of each page. Each family member had to write down what they thought the hidden item was. The person with the most correct guesses won a large prize. We had partners for this one. Marcy and Alli won.

Contest rules

Marcy and Alli win

Over the years, technology has advanced to the point that my old-fashioned method of cutting out pictures and fanciful stickers with scissors has become outdated. My oldest granddaughter, Marcy, has come to the rescue. She has helped me with the calendar for the last few years. Marcy likes to rev up the calendar by morphing our faces and adding items of hilarious interest.

Yours truly and Marcy

I love the way the calendar has evolved through the years and I love the fact that the family can keep track of all the events of our lives. I know these calendars will be cherished by my descendants many generations down the road. I hope the family will carry on the tradition.

Picture of my mother in her youth

You might enjoy creating a family calendar, dysfunctional or not. There’s no time like the present for beginning a new tradition. Even if your first calendar is a simple one, at least it’s a start. There are years ahead for improvement. Include your children and grandchildren on this project but above all, try to make it fun!

Christmas card my father sent to my mother from Europe during WWII

Note: Cory Trusty at Aquarian Bath is having a December "Blogparty." Please click this link (http://aquarianbath.blogspot.com/2009/12/herbal-aesthetics-decemeber-blog-party.html)
to join the party!