Finding some unusual Christmas gifts for those you love is something of an art form. If you’re like me, you don’t like to buy boring things for people you care about. While clothes, jewelry, electronics, or steak knives are all great, they just aren’t very creative, are they? Finding unusual Christmas gifts is a great opportunity to show off your creative talents and get a real surprise from people.
One great unusual Christmas gift that I fall back on a lot is live animals. Most people would just say ‘pets’ but I’m saying live animals because traditional pets aren’t really all that creative either. A cat, dog, or hamster is certainly different, but isn’t what I would call a truly unusual Christmas gift. I’ve had some great reactions presenting loved ones with different amphibians and reptiles. Opening a box (with some well concealed air holes) to discover a live iguana is a sure fire way to get a priceless look on that special someone.
While the scaly critters are good, oversized insects are even better. One of the most unusual Christmas gifts I’ve given was a three-pound Brazilian beetle I affectionately named Bub (Big Ugly Bug). Oh how I wish I had a camera handy when my then girlfriend opened that lovingly wrapped box.
One of the most exciting gifts a person can give is a new car. Just the words ‘honey, come outside, I have something to show you’ can inspire a rapid heartbeat on a Christmas day, especially if said while dangling a pair of keys. Cars are great gifts, but are far from unusual. Playing on this instinctual excitement is a great way to get an inspired reaction from your true love. When I lead my last girlfriend outside to present her a brand new llama, explaining that the keys I’d dangled in front of her are for the chains binding it to the fence, it was truly a beautiful moment in our relationship. What better way to say “I love you forever” than with a flea ridden 6-foot tall quadruped that spits? As an alternative to llamas, donkeys and kangaroos also make good unusual Christmas gifts.
If live animals really aren’t your thing, consider dead ones. If you follow more vegetarian persuasions, you might consider a box of assorted fungi as an unusual Christmas gift for the one you care about. Also, broken glass, piles of mud, expired medicines, straw, and driftwood make great unusual Christmas gifts for those on a tighter budget, and are all sure to get you some adorable reactions.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Victorian Christmas ornament
One of the most popular themes in holiday decorating ideas stems from the Victorian era. This time in history is filled with beautiful images of holiday style that include vivid colors, lace and glowing candles among other things. You can embrace this timeless classic in holiday fare by adding a Victorian Christmas ornament collection into your decorating theme.
The idea of bringing the past back to life during the holiday season is quite romantic and very important. This time of year is for celebrating love, family and sharing as well as taking a moment to remember generations past. A Victorian Christmas ornament collection can help you bring some of the past into your home during this special time of year.
There are a few approaches that you can take to find the ideal collection of vintage holiday decorations for your home. Typically, people used to shop for an antique Christmas ornament at local antique stores and resale shops. Yard sales and flea markets are great places to find these holiday accents as well.
Today’s savvy shopper knows that he can find everything he needs on the World Wide Web. Vintage Christmas ornaments are available on many online stores. This is a great approach for finding exactly what you want in relatively little time. Online shopping is a time saving approach to getting the right Victorian Christmas ornament collection for your home.
While many of us are quite taken by the notion of including vintage holiday decorations into our holiday theme, many of us like an element of the present in the mix as well. There are a couple options to consider if you are shopping for Christmas decorations in a Victorian theme.
Reproductions are lovely, cost-effective items that can help you get this era’s look and feel without investing in antique holiday decorations. The options are abundant, especially if you browse on the Internet for various Victorian holiday accents. This is a nice place to find great ideas as well.
You can also opt to make your own Victorian Christmas ornament. There are plenty of online sites that offer detailed instructions as well as links to find the supplies necessary to make your own holiday decorations. This is a wonderful arts and crafts activity for the family to share.
Each of these options is wonderful but I have a personal favorite approach that I really love. You can have a Victorian Christmas ornament made for you. This is a fantastic approach that truly merges the past with the present. Find a site that offers to create the ornaments out of real vintage materials for the perfect start to your antique holiday collection.
Some companies use scraps from this era to hand craft new holiday decorations that are truly one-of-a-kind. Of all the options available in the quest to find a Victorian Christmas ornament, I find this to be the most appealing.
The idea of bringing the past back to life during the holiday season is quite romantic and very important. This time of year is for celebrating love, family and sharing as well as taking a moment to remember generations past. A Victorian Christmas ornament collection can help you bring some of the past into your home during this special time of year.
There are a few approaches that you can take to find the ideal collection of vintage holiday decorations for your home. Typically, people used to shop for an antique Christmas ornament at local antique stores and resale shops. Yard sales and flea markets are great places to find these holiday accents as well.
Today’s savvy shopper knows that he can find everything he needs on the World Wide Web. Vintage Christmas ornaments are available on many online stores. This is a great approach for finding exactly what you want in relatively little time. Online shopping is a time saving approach to getting the right Victorian Christmas ornament collection for your home.
While many of us are quite taken by the notion of including vintage holiday decorations into our holiday theme, many of us like an element of the present in the mix as well. There are a couple options to consider if you are shopping for Christmas decorations in a Victorian theme.
Reproductions are lovely, cost-effective items that can help you get this era’s look and feel without investing in antique holiday decorations. The options are abundant, especially if you browse on the Internet for various Victorian holiday accents. This is a nice place to find great ideas as well.
You can also opt to make your own Victorian Christmas ornament. There are plenty of online sites that offer detailed instructions as well as links to find the supplies necessary to make your own holiday decorations. This is a wonderful arts and crafts activity for the family to share.
Each of these options is wonderful but I have a personal favorite approach that I really love. You can have a Victorian Christmas ornament made for you. This is a fantastic approach that truly merges the past with the present. Find a site that offers to create the ornaments out of real vintage materials for the perfect start to your antique holiday collection.
Some companies use scraps from this era to hand craft new holiday decorations that are truly one-of-a-kind. Of all the options available in the quest to find a Victorian Christmas ornament, I find this to be the most appealing.
vintage Christmas ornament
The holiday season is strongly connected to fond memories of years gone by. Consumers can embrace the spirit of years past by integrating antique ornaments into their collection of holiday decorations. A vintage Christmas ornament is not only an attractive addition it is also a lovely reminder of Christmases that have gone by.
Anyone who grew up during the 1960’s knows how popular the outer space theme was back then. People embraced all things futuristic. These elements emerged even during the holiday season. You can find plenty of wonderful Christmas ornaments in this theme including cosmonauts, space ships and iridescent orbs.
Some may find the irony in collecting antique holiday decorations that revolve around a futuristic theme to be intriguing. These interesting elements make for wonderful conversation and they serve as wonderful prompts for stories that kids really enjoy. You might want to look to the future for a vintage Christmas ornament.
There are plenty who find the futuristic theme to be intriguing but others might prefer to stick to a more traditional theme. You simply can’t go wrong by choosing a Father Christmas theme. There are so many holiday decorations that are inspired by Santa Clause that you are certain to find many different styles to suit your theme.
The benefit of choosing a Santa inspired theme is that you can choose from among many unique holiday antiques. If a Victorian holiday theme is appealing to you then you can look for the traditional Father Christmas decorations from the Victorian era. These Santa decorations are easy to spot with their long robes and antique colors.
Kris Kringle is a character that is strongly tied to this holiday and there have been countless representations of him produced over the years. Some of these representations have really stood the test of time. We commonly think of the burly white-bearded man in the red suit when we think of Santa. Many prefer to collect holiday decorations that stay true to this image.
Santa is a great representation of the holiday season. However, there are some of us who really love to bring a little nature into our homes during this festive time of year. I commonly look for an animal-inspired vintage Christmas ornament. Of course, I have my fair share of Santa decorations around but I really love the animal characters.
The animal theme is another great choice for a collection of antique holiday decorations. There are plenty of wonderful nature images that can be incorporated beautifully into any home’s décor. Children love animals, too, so this makes for a perfect choice that will have the kids browsing through the tree’s decorations with awe.
The best place to start looking for the right vintage Christmas ornament collection for you is in your heart. Try browsing online for some inspiration. You may find a theme that sparks some warm holiday memories for you.
Anyone who grew up during the 1960’s knows how popular the outer space theme was back then. People embraced all things futuristic. These elements emerged even during the holiday season. You can find plenty of wonderful Christmas ornaments in this theme including cosmonauts, space ships and iridescent orbs.
Some may find the irony in collecting antique holiday decorations that revolve around a futuristic theme to be intriguing. These interesting elements make for wonderful conversation and they serve as wonderful prompts for stories that kids really enjoy. You might want to look to the future for a vintage Christmas ornament.
There are plenty who find the futuristic theme to be intriguing but others might prefer to stick to a more traditional theme. You simply can’t go wrong by choosing a Father Christmas theme. There are so many holiday decorations that are inspired by Santa Clause that you are certain to find many different styles to suit your theme.
The benefit of choosing a Santa inspired theme is that you can choose from among many unique holiday antiques. If a Victorian holiday theme is appealing to you then you can look for the traditional Father Christmas decorations from the Victorian era. These Santa decorations are easy to spot with their long robes and antique colors.
Kris Kringle is a character that is strongly tied to this holiday and there have been countless representations of him produced over the years. Some of these representations have really stood the test of time. We commonly think of the burly white-bearded man in the red suit when we think of Santa. Many prefer to collect holiday decorations that stay true to this image.
Santa is a great representation of the holiday season. However, there are some of us who really love to bring a little nature into our homes during this festive time of year. I commonly look for an animal-inspired vintage Christmas ornament. Of course, I have my fair share of Santa decorations around but I really love the animal characters.
The animal theme is another great choice for a collection of antique holiday decorations. There are plenty of wonderful nature images that can be incorporated beautifully into any home’s décor. Children love animals, too, so this makes for a perfect choice that will have the kids browsing through the tree’s decorations with awe.
The best place to start looking for the right vintage Christmas ornament collection for you is in your heart. Try browsing online for some inspiration. You may find a theme that sparks some warm holiday memories for you.
western Christmas cards
Sending western Christmas cards can provide a unique touch to your holiday cheer. When most people think about holiday greeting cards, western Christmas cards are probably the last thing on their mind. This should not discourage you from sending out a western Christmas card. ON the contrary, if anything it should encourage you. I mean, who wants to send out exactly the same boring seasons greeting cards as their neighbor does. Wouldn't you rather be different. I know that, since I began sending out western Christmas cards instead of the regular kind, I have been receiving all sorts of compliments on them.
You might not have ever even seen a western Christmas card before, so I guess that I should explain just what they are. What makes western Christmas cards different from other more traditional ones is the layout and the design. Rather than some kind of Charles Ives sort of scene of a winter wonderland, where kids with rosy cheeks throw snowballs or ride around on sleds, western Christmas cards send a greeting from a part of the country where it never snows. They have all kinds of southwestern motifs on them, including interesting borders and tan, dusty backgrounds. They will usually feature something a little unique and quirky, something that most people would not think of with Christmas, but which makes sense nonetheless. For example, some western Christmas cards have pictures of cacti on them. Others have pueblos covered with Christmas lights.
One of the things that I like the very best of all about western Christmas cards is that they help you to show your friends, families, and loved ones how universal the spirit of Christmas is. With traditional Christmas cards, there is this very Eurocentric take on the holiday. It is all from the experiences of Northern Europeans on Christmas, with snow and thick, evergreen forests. But when you send or receive western Christmas cards, you get to acknowledge that people all over the world celebrate Christmas It also makes you rethink the traditional images that are associated with the Christmas season. Take the manger, for instance. Bethlehem is in Israel. Do you think that it was really snowing there? Of course not. Like the decorated Christmas cactus in the western christmas cards I sent last year, our own ideas of Christmas reflect not on the traditional reading of the bible, but on our own cultural understandings of what Christmas means to all of us.
You might not have ever even seen a western Christmas card before, so I guess that I should explain just what they are. What makes western Christmas cards different from other more traditional ones is the layout and the design. Rather than some kind of Charles Ives sort of scene of a winter wonderland, where kids with rosy cheeks throw snowballs or ride around on sleds, western Christmas cards send a greeting from a part of the country where it never snows. They have all kinds of southwestern motifs on them, including interesting borders and tan, dusty backgrounds. They will usually feature something a little unique and quirky, something that most people would not think of with Christmas, but which makes sense nonetheless. For example, some western Christmas cards have pictures of cacti on them. Others have pueblos covered with Christmas lights.
One of the things that I like the very best of all about western Christmas cards is that they help you to show your friends, families, and loved ones how universal the spirit of Christmas is. With traditional Christmas cards, there is this very Eurocentric take on the holiday. It is all from the experiences of Northern Europeans on Christmas, with snow and thick, evergreen forests. But when you send or receive western Christmas cards, you get to acknowledge that people all over the world celebrate Christmas It also makes you rethink the traditional images that are associated with the Christmas season. Take the manger, for instance. Bethlehem is in Israel. Do you think that it was really snowing there? Of course not. Like the decorated Christmas cactus in the western christmas cards I sent last year, our own ideas of Christmas reflect not on the traditional reading of the bible, but on our own cultural understandings of what Christmas means to all of us.
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