O.K. Fair warning. The writing portion of these posts is going to get shorter and shorter the closer we get to Christmas. Even though I got everything done I wanted to by the Christmas Pledge deadline I'm still screwed.
I have no idea how this is possible, but it is and I don't want to hear anything more on the subject.
And I can't write when I'm stressed and rushing. The words are stubborn and just don't want to come out when I'm trying to hurry to get them out. Not unlike a poop.
So bear with me. And my words.
This year's wrapping. To be honest with you, this year's wrapping doesn't differ a whole lot from last year's wrapping other than it's a little bit worse. So that's something I guess. Not quite as fun, not quite as eye catching and nothing really to write home about. Certainly not on the good stationary. Frankly, this year's wrapping is barely worth a text message let alone the embossed cardstock with matching envelopes. That you stole from your last hotel stay.
The gift tags however? That's another story. The gift tags are fantastic. In fact that's one of the reasons the wrapping is so subdued. I really just wanted the tags to be the star of the show. And the bows. Which aren't really bows so much as crap I found at the bottom of my chicken coop. This is sounding very elegant already isn't it? Boring, bland and possibly shit covered.
I KNOW HOW TO DO CHRISTMAS.
I guess since I'm letting it all hang out, now would also be a good time to tell you that I'm a thief. Both my idea for my bow and tags were stolen, STOLEN I SAY, from the Internet. 'Cause I'm a dirty, rotten thief. Plus I can recognize a good idea when I see one. And why come up with your own good idea when someone else already did?
The idea for the "bows" came from Pinterest. I searched for a half an hour trying to find the original "pin" but couldn't. If YOU are the original creator of these, not someone who saw them on Pinterest and copied them (found a lot of those) lemme know.
The idea for the tags came from the ever popular Mrs. Brooklyn Limestone.
O.K. onto the show ...
Plain brown paper, string, white and red satin ribbon.
Looks nice enough ...
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
But this is where I'd like to draw your attention ...
The tags are inspired by the ones done by Mrs. Limestone at Thanksgiving, but hers were a woodland theme. And to everyone who wanted to know what I was going to do with all the feathers my chickens lost during moulting? This is what I did.
All I did was lay the feathers flat, covered up all but the tip of the feather with a block of wood, and spray it with my handy 24k Gold spray paint.
The tags I made by copying sketches of chickens I found on Google Images. Which I probably shouldn't even be showing you on this site, because they're copyrighted images. Which is why I can't give you your own to copy. Because ... I'm a thief, but a thief with principles.
I can however give you the link to the beautiful woodland tags from Mrs. Brooklyn Limestone. They have a similar feeling to mine. Which can be explained by the fact that I copied her. Instead of chickens she has deer and foxes and such. Just click here to see them and print your own.
Kay that whole thing about the writing getting shorter and shorter the closer we get to Christmas? I'd like to revise that sentence. It shall now read "the writing will be getting badder and badder the closer we get to Christmas". 'Cause clearly I'm still prolific.
I figure by December 20th or so you'll be getting 2,000 words of nonsense followed by a fart noise. Something to look forward to.
Merry Christmas.
Cathy Reeves
You could have trotted out the chicken stamps I sent and used those. Perhaps a bit large but just right for the gifts themselves. I can see one stamped strategically in a corner.
Any chance you'd give the okey dokey if I wanted to use your little tree in truck photo for a Christmas card? ( from last year's diorama).
Karen
I didn't have the chicken stamp them Cathy, lol! Otherwise, yes I would have! I did however use your stamps to stamp the back of all my Christmas card envelopes this year! Oh and yes, go ahead and use my photo. I was going to make cards out of it myself this year but ended up going in a different direction. ~ karen!
greenhouse
My sister indicated I'd in this way website. He had been entirely right. This kind of placed actually produced my personal morning. You should not take into account the best way much moment I'd used because of this information and facts! Thank you!
Deirdre
HA!!!! I made the chicken tags! And I love them!!!
Now I need to get me some real chickens.
Karen
Yay! Glad you like em. Less work than real chickens. ~ karen!
Bols
I love the chicken tags. The brown paper wrap is very elegant, especially when adorned with gilt-tip feather.
Anemone
That red bow is really sexy. I love how everything looks. Beautiful setting.
KimS
You are so cool. That's all I can say.
Julia at Home on 129 Acres
I used Mrs. Limestone's tags for my month before Christmas dinner, and love yours just as much. The engravings style of the images is beautiful!
Lani
Ok- want some fabulous free chicken/rooster images? have you hit up the NY Public Library Digital Gallery- its a smorgasborg of amazing images. I myself am quite taken with the octopi photos. But for you, here's a link to the 212 images they have that deal with "chicken" http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?keyword=chicken
qtpuh2tme
Niiice!
Shauna
What a frickin' fabulous idea to do with the chicken feathers. Why didn't you tell me earlier so I could have prepared? hmm, why? pff, whatever, I'm sure I can still get some feathers out of my girls.
p.s., I can steal too, and I think I just might - those tags are da bomb diggity.
Now that's some good writin'
Barbie
I'm going to try and find a "rooter" to steal for a tag. Hey where is the best place to buy the gromets? Is that how you spell it? The little things you put in the hole of your tags? If you already TOLD someone in the comment section...sorry...I didn't have time to read all the comments today! OH WAIT! Those are NOT grommets..(see I spelled it differently this time) probably still wrong. :( They are just printed and then you hole punched them? Correct?
Karen
Correct! I just Photoshopped a circle and then punched out the hole in the middle to make it look like a grommettrreerrmmmtmet. ~ karen
Barbie
......GEEZ and I meant ROOSTER! Not rooter! ha ha haha! That's what I get for not taking the time to spell check.....which obviously happens quite often!
Chris
Gotta thank you for this blog! Just when I am about to have a meltdown here I decided to make a coffee and read your blog and laugh. Trying to finish renovations and decorate and havent even started shopping or baking. But after reading your blog I am reassessing my lists and have put you on it. Must read Karens Blog once a day!
Dawna Jones
Ok that's just brilliant Karen! I love it!
http://www.dawnajonesdesign.com/
Karen
Thank you ma'am. Now if I could only conjure up enough time to wrap the rest of the presents. ~ karen!
DianneT
Great post as usual, Karen. Yours is the first blog I read every morning so I always get started with a good laugh.
Karen
Thank you very much DianneT! ~ karen
Andrea
They look great...but why not go even more rustic and use twine instead of ribbon, or strips of burlap and make big bows?
Karen
Andrea - A few of them are string. I actually did all twine last year. ~ karen!
Nancy Blue Moon
They are so you Karen..Love the gold tips..that's a great touch!! I'm just wondering who is going to do the fart sound at the end of your posts..You or the Fella..lol
Leslie
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I so know how I'm merchandising all my future poultry products now!