Final Christmas (but don't worry I've got stuff saved for next year already thus ensuring that the blog will still be happening come next November)

Behold! The Christmas table. I thought it was festive. And modern. And urban. And, if it were personified my dad would lean toward me and ask, "Is that an urban hipster?" To which I automatically reply, "No dad, geez."

A tribute to the best craft ever

That baboon amazes me. I can't even tell you all the reasons why this is one of the most awesome objects I've ever beheld. And I've been to the Louvre, seen Mona Lisa. I've gone to the Met and the National Galleries in DC, and the Chicago Art Institute and the Victoria & Albert Musuem, not to mention a semester's worth of train travel across Italy to see every last Baroque wonder, but seriously, this baboon figure is one of the best things ever.

And I bought him for a quarter at the saddest antique store in the saddest town in the saddest quadrant of Arkansas, which I'm not about to call "one of the saddest states in the US" though I'm sure many people would take such liberties when ranking US states by, oh, educational systems, poverty levels, etc. However, I love the Natural State enough to give it its own label on this blog. Anyway, main street of Ashdown, Arkansas houses some truly sad offices and junk stores. And as I rummaged through the sadness, I found THIS and many of his friends (think giraffe, penguin, bunnies), each for a quarter. Obviously, some truly talented crafter of yesteryear took felt, sequins and a permanent cloth marker and had some fun.

I actually sold all of his friends at my October craft sale ... making a tidy little profit. I mean, you gotta admit, it's worth more than a quarter, if nothing more than for the sheer retro awesomeness of the colors and shapes.

Baboonie was used as my tree topper on the first ever Hilary live tree. I know I seem like the type that would have a holy angel or something, but really, once the thought of topping the tree with Sir Monkay came into my noggin, I couldn't resist!

I know, enough with the Christmas already....

And I promise to do that very soon. But I couldn't resist showing this sock monkey Santa Claus I made out of my forever gingerbread dough.

I think I mentioned this earlier, but naturally am too lazy to check, but the dough is 500% more pliable, smell-goodier, smoother and easier to work with when it's been heated in the microwave. Nuke the stuff for half a minute and you're really cooking with gas. Notice Santa's lovely complexion and smooth skin. Quite nice for a monkey man.