Every morning my Twitter feed is filled with ideas for holiday baking, holiday decorating, holiday entertaining, some of the ideas more useful than others. This morning, I was intrigued by a link that promised to show how to wrap irregularly shaped gifts. It is fantastic, and I spent much of the morning wrapping irregularly shaped gifts. I even used this method to wrap regularly shaped gifts. I had an unfortunate episode yesterday involving advice I found online, so the fact that I was willing to try anything new today is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
I even was inspired to create my own variation on the idea, which was to paper-punch two holes in the top to close the package. This is not a post about how to wrap gifts. It is a post to announce that the Academy of Vintage Christmas Ornaments Arts and Sciences Awards are on hiatus this year. The founder may have a statement on that tomorrow, the traditional day of the awards. The founder is feeling a little frazzled this year, as am I.
At every step this holiday season, I have found a way to make a simple task more complicated. I wanted to decorate my kitchen for the holidays, but first I decided to tear out a built-in piece of furniture. Wall patching, sanding and painting ensued.
Instead of merely decorating the dining room, I decided it needed to be rearranged, and a heavy piece of furniture removed, and I needed to find new homes for the items stored inside the heavy piece of furniture, and there were quite a few of them.
Instead of buying people simple gifts (gift cards) they certainly would like (cash), I thought of complicated schemes, one of which involves a belt sander. (I can't say any more just now, as the gift has not yet been given. Although the sound of the belt sander surely has them curious.)
Instead of merely vacuuming my carpet yesterday, I followed some advice I read online about cleaning for the holidays, which recommended sprinkling your carpet with baking soda to freshen it up. It seemed harmless enough, but at some point I realized the baking soda was not so much freshening up an area rug but becoming embedded in it, and the best course of action seemed to be to drag the area rug outside to try to beat the baking soda out of it, which left a trail of baking soda through the house, and particles floating through the air, much like snowflakes, but smaller and less attractive, and there was snow on the porch, and the rug got some snow on it as I beat the living daylights out of it, and as I dragged it back into the house, the snow melted into the trail of baking soda and left an unfortunate residue on the hardwood.
Although I do not believe the carpet cleaning went as intended, the area rug is fresh and bright, all of the surfaces that had been dusted once were dusted a second time to remove a light coating of bicarbonate of soda, and the hardwood floors were scrubbed. My house has never been so clean, and for that, I suppose, I should thank the baking soda.
I wish you well as we head into these next few chaotic days. As for me, I need to get back to the belt sander.
Will miss the awards, but your posts are gift enough! Merry Christmas to you!
Posted by: Ruthann | December 21, 2014 at 10:14 PM
Baking soda trumps Award Ceremonies every time - a good lesson for next year less you try something similar then (though my curiosity about the belt sander is piqued!) LOL Have a wonderful holiday B - I am off to my home and native land for time with the rellies.....
Posted by: Jewels Welsh | December 21, 2014 at 10:21 PM
LOL!!! Sending hugs, dear friend, for a calmer new year which is just around the corner!
Posted by: Kathy | December 22, 2014 at 01:27 AM
Ah, yes. That sounds familiar. Making something simple into something complicated. Anytime I'm creating or decorating, I can never leave well enough alone. My mind says "Ooh, you know what else you could do? That would be cool!" A blessing and a curse.....
Thank you for my morning laugh.....:)
Posted by: Maria (Magia Mia) | December 22, 2014 at 01:34 PM
Capable women unite!!! Once I learned my way around a cordless drill- I was unstoppable. My junior high school sent every student to wood and metal shop. Hear me roar!!! I can't wait to see everything you've done.
Posted by: vicki | December 22, 2014 at 09:38 PM
I think we can all relate to projects that get out of control. Wishing you a very blessed Christmas.
Posted by: Musings from Kim k. | December 22, 2014 at 09:51 PM
I will miss the awards but understand the frazzled end of life. Your baking soda story reminds me of my Dad and his twin brother when they were little. They decided that if they got spoonfuls of flour and went into the living room and the flour in the air it would be as if it was snowing. It was not fun for my grandmother to clean up.
Posted by: laurie mapgie ethel | December 22, 2014 at 10:48 PM
I have a list of similar stories from this holiday season, only I can't claim an exceptionally clean house. Have a Merry Christmas, Barbara!
Posted by: Tina | December 24, 2014 at 01:06 PM
Merry Christmas Barbara!! xo Heather
Posted by: vintage grey | December 24, 2014 at 02:45 PM
I hate it when things snowball like that. Sounds like my life! I think every project is going to only take 15 minutes, and it always turns into days. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Mrs. Oodles!
Posted by: Carol @ Old Glory Cottage | December 24, 2014 at 02:57 PM
I'm Polish-American (2nd gen), and I'm writing a short story about Xmas Eve at my grandparents' dairy farm in CT. Does anyone know the history of Indents? Is there a reason for the indent? Symbolism? Thank you.
Ted Wojtasik
Posted by: Ted Wojtasik | December 27, 2014 at 12:11 PM