Then Somebody Fainted

It took me three passes to make sure I had read this right. Then out poured a hearty belly laugh, which was followed by some giggling. This seemed to happen every time the thought came back in my head. You know, some of those little aftershock bursts of laughter. The same kind that make you look crazy if someone was to see you a few minutes after the punch line had been delivered. You try to explain the joke, but the more you speak the more you seem to confirm their belief in your lack of sanity, and consequently your chances of ever being invited back to their Christmas parties.

I used to assume humor was different for every generation and that I needed to remember my manners for the company I was in. I have an aunt who will give me "that look" if I forget my manners and let my other personality join in the conversation. Have you ever seen "that look"? If you visit this blog regularly I bet you understand. It is that polite yet, slightly confused smile that says, "She was such a nice girl."

*Side note: "that look" is very different from "the look."
"The look" is what you get when you put your new red t-shirt in the wash with your mother's fancy white sweater. Getting "the look" means chances are you will be dead by morning.

To my complete surprise last summer I realized my grandparents have a perfectly wonderful sense of humor. For some reason, they just never let me know it when I was younger. We had gone out to pick vegetables in the garden. I was near the squash and my Grandma was picking tomatoes. After a while, she quietly brought one over for me to see.

"Oh, it's a conjoined twin," I said.
Grandma responded, "I know, Grandpa and I got quite a chuckle out of this pair."

I looked at the tomato twins again and realized I was so blinded by my manners I didn't see that they were quite the pair indeed. They would have been a size DDD on Barbie, complete with perky nipples. I could have fainted. I now know where I inherited my lowbrow humor. I like to picture my grandparents giggling about vegetables shapes like immature teenagers out in the garden where nobody can catch them.

Fresh Fruit

All of these lovely tags were found here.

You are...

We have been meaning to finish this poster for a while now. Here it is finally done, in all it's blinging glory. Now available in the shop in you want to take a closer look.

And the winners are....

Congratulations to yvette and Jeannie for winning our craft tag giveaway! Please email the name you wish to have them personalized with and the address where you would like your tags shipped to farouche@cruzio.com. There were many inventive handmade gifts to choose from. Certainly a crafty bunch!

Gift Guide: Yeti and Abominable Snowmen

Lets not forget our Yeti friends this holiday season. We have compiled some great ideas to ease your shopping dilemma.

A cashmere covered hot water bottle would be both luxurious and functional for those long cold Himalayan nights.

It is becoming easier these days to find Yeti appropriate clothing thanks to the Large Legendary Mammal Awareness Act. You can show your support by purchasing a t-shirt.

There are also some wonderful artists open to doing Abominable Snowmen family portraits such as Berkley Illustration. They are willing to take on these special clients despite the fear of being eaten and we salute them. They also have a large range of other animal portraits available in their shop.

We have found that well stocked stores are not always near the areas our friends live. A large supply of quality floss and toothpaste can be a thoughtful gift. Imagine having a piece of a some villager's bone stuck between your teeth for three months. Then you would be wishing someone had been thoughtful enough to send you dental floss for Christmas, huh.

A Yeti can never have too large of an ice chest. Sure there is snow all around the house but, who wants to chance keeping your cold ones anywhere near yellow show? These ice chest are also practically bear proof which is an added bonus.

A fashionable white fur cap can be a wonderful gift if your friend is beginning to show signs of balding. There are many caps on the market these days to help hide the embarrassment of premature balding in Abominable Snowmen.

Our last gift idea is one we think is best for Abominable Snowmen and Yeti of all ages. With an over abundance of ice near their homes what better gift than a snow cone machine? Guaranteed to delight with hours of family fun. Happy Holidays everyone!



For links to all gift items please click on the images.

Holiday Giveaway: Craft Tags

Bring more spirit to your holidays and let your creativity shine. This year make gifts for your family and friends. In honor of all of you crafty types that see this as a chance to warm someone's heart one stitch or scissor trim at a time, we are giving away two sets of personalized craft tags from Farouche.

Each set includes thirty tags in ten different designs. So warm up your knitting needles, and get that stack of fabric you have been saving for a special occasion off the shelf. It is time to show others how much you care about them with a handmade present.

To enter all you have to do is post a comment about what is the best handmade gift you have either given or received. The contest ends Sunday December 13th. We will announce the two winners on Monday December 14th, so please check back to see if you have won. Happy Holidays everyone!

Gift Guide: Librarians and Bibliophiles

A beautiful collection of classics from Penguin Publishing is a must for every home library.

You couldn't go wrong with vintage bookplates- just make sure they are pH neutral!



She could never have too many comfortable cardigans or darling blouses to wear while perusing the Dewey Decimal System.

Make their bookworm heart go pitter-pat with a trip to the Library of Congress.

The beauty of a librarian would only be enhanced with specks as charming as these.

For the young book lover may we recommend a paper doll librarian. She is complete with several outfits and also comes with a stack of returned books that need to be put back on the library shelves. Did you notice her two sidekicks? There is a wise owl and friendly cat guaranteed to curl up in her lap while she reads.

Who could resist a bibliophile bear in front of a card catalog?

Knock their socks off with a rare vintage flash card game that tests their knowledge of famous authors.

For links to all of these items please click on the images.

And the winners are....

Congratulations to Meaghan and Whit for winning our holiday baking tag giveaway! Please email the name you wish to have them personalized with and the address where you would like your tags shipped to farouche@cruzio.com.

I loved reading everybody's wonderful stories. With fond memories of snow, cookies, Grandmas, and early Christmas mornings I started getting nostalgic for my own holiday memories. This was truly a tough decision to make. For all of you who did not win, keep checking back because I think we will have one more giveaway before Christmas.

Gift Guide: Outdoorsy Beer Aficionados

For the man who has everything... personalized leather beer cozies for back at the campground.

Guaranteed to make Mr. Ranger jealous.

How about a leather bound book of the national park maps of America. They may still get lost but, this time it will be in style.

The perfect pocket knife for whittling by the fire, sharing an apple with a friend, or in case you find yourself in a knife fight with a squirrel. I know you may think that sort of thing could never happen. Next time you pickup an acorn it could be in the wrong part of the woods and it all goes down hill from there.

Beer soap- sure anyone can drink the beer but, why not smell like it head to toe. The best part is that it's quick to cover up the, "I don't need to shower- I'm camping!" smell that knocks you in the face when he returns from a week in the wilderness.

I like beer, therefore fish like beer.

Perfect for the outdoor drinker already carrying his trophy fish and tackle back to camp yet does not want to be without a libation.



For links to all of these items please click on the images.

Paper

It is amazing what can be done with a little paper and a dose of imagination. For links to more surprising paper art click on the images above.

Holiday Giveaway: Baking Tags

Just in time for all of your seasonal baking we are giving away two sets of personalized holiday baking tags from Farouche. Each set includes thirty tags in ten different designs. This year you can delight your friends and family with a bundle of delicious goodies topped off with an equally festive personalized tag.

To enter all you have to do is post a comment about your favorite holiday memory. The contest ends Sunday December 6th. We will announce the two winners on Monday December 7th, so please check back to see if you have won. Happy Holidays everyone!

Black Friday

A few lovely black pieces I found today.
Click on the images for a link to where each item came from.