Everything. All The Time.
In the last installment of 2017’s Christmas Camp, we tackle the “how to” of one of the most famous lines in all of Christmas music. The line–“Chestnuts roasting over an open fire”–is from “The Christmas Song”, written by singer Mel Torme (known as the “velvet fog”) and Bob Wells in the summer of 1945. The …
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The tradition of the Yule Log goes back centuries. Originally, the Yule Log was a very substantial log–sometimes an entire tree–that was brought into the house and burned on Christmas eve. Tradition says that the new Yule Log was lit from the ashes of the previous year’s log, which were saved in the house (Yule …
Continuing with baking (you’re in the kitchen already and prep is a snap now), here’s some instruction on how to create the quintessential Christmas goodie–the fruitcake. There are some people who absolutely love fruitcake (it’s great with a good cup of coffee) and others who just don’t like it all. We’ll assume those that don’t …
Paying Attention: The holidays mean holiday cooking and–most importantly–holiday baking. You are making Christmas cookies this year aren’t you? The correct answer is yes and with this short video giving you the basics, you should have no problems whatsoever. This video features the recipes and techniques for 10 different types of Christmas cookies–it does assume …
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A refresher course in Garland stringing (see yesterday’s slowed-down/more instructive video on how to make a popcorn/cranberry garland. What we like about this one: it gets the point across in a very short period of time and we all know how stressed for time we all are during the holidays. Set the Holiday mood, check …
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Paying Attention: The beauty of having a Christmas tree and decorating it is the continuing story it tells about your life and that of your family. If you want to go the designer route, you can do a tree all in a single color, using only high end, color-matched and purchased ornaments. Or you can …
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In past decades–before Christmas decorations could be picked up at everything from a hardware store to Target to an online website–families made their own decorations, for the house, the landscaping, and the tree. One of the most popular decorations–typically used on a tree–was a garland made of popcorn, or popcorn and another element, perhaps …
The Bow is the package topper. Good bows are a guidepost to good gift, and even if it only has a very short shelf life–one package–it’s the time it takes to create a good bow is time very well spent. Our presenter is young, enthusiast, and knowledgeable (perhaps not as traditional in dress as we …
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Wrapping a package is not hard once you get the technique. Here’s a nice, short video on the basic package wrapping technique that you need to know for the holidays and other special occasions. The same video hostess is also featured in another video on the making the perfect bow. Set the Holiday mood, check …
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Ever walk into a house that has the fire going and the smell of Christmas all around? There is a special smell to the season of Christmas and it should be a part of your decorations just like hanging garland and decorating a tree. Although there seems to be a bit of mystery to creating …
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