Today in the Christmas market we have a stand selling nuts. Whether it's roasted chestnuts (which I've never actually seen - are they good?) or candied cinnamon nuts there's something festive about them and they feel like they belong in our little market. I suppose I could have made a batch of candied nuts but we have a collection of walnut shells floating around so I thought I'd made a decoration out of one. I decided to use some little scraps of yarn to make this mini knitting basket.
Today's addition to the Christmas market is a snow globe stand. Making a little snow globe to put inside the tube was an appealing but ultimately impractical idea. So I settled for adding a couple of glittery snow globe stickers that I found in my stash.
Today's market stall is the music stand. I had considered making a little drum or something to go with this one but when I got out my peg dolls I spotted Emmet Otter and I knew he was perfect. I suspect he's looking for a guitar.
I'm doing something a little different for my crafty countdown this year. Between work demands and the desire to reduce clutter and waste, 24 distinct crafts seemed a bit much. So I've decided to go a little simpler and do variations on the same thing for each day. I'm making a little Christmas market. Each stall is made from half a cardboard tube with details drawn on. I'll probably be adding some extra little surprises along the way.
Today's stall is knitwear. If you've been to a holiday craft sale you've seen a couple of booths selling hats and mittens and things. There's nothing quite so cozy as a hand knit stocking cap. For extra fun I've made a little ball of some of my rabbit fur yarn that tucks inside.
In addition to my rabbits I have 18 (currently) chickens. The most recent set I purchased were six Wyandottes. Since I had some experience with chickens already I figured I knew what to expect from these ladies, all of whom I named after hobbits.
They let me know pretty early on that I shouldn't underestimate them.
When I attempted to move them between pens, one got out and managed to lodge herself in a cement block.
Let's be real - politics aren't a huge selling point for young readers. Most of us don't have a great deal of interest in modern politics, much less historical. And candidates who lost aren't especially compelling reading. For the average person this is going to be a brief curiosity. While the text is quite readable the interest level is low so it's best absorbed in short bursts - read a single profile and put it down for a while. If you have a particular interest in the political system and how it has changed this makes for a solid resource as we explore shifts in political parties and the particulars of how our voting system has shifted.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What are you currently reading?
Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe - A privileged teen is kidnapped by a man who causes him to question the world as he knows it.
What did you recently finish reading?
Defeated by Martin Gitlin - Gitlin walks us through the candidates who lost each presidential election since our country's founding.
What do you think you'll read next?
Agent Cupcake by Mel Hilario
