A H'artfelt Christmas Party

Welcome to the first H'artfelt Christmas Blog Party!  Be sure to click the link on the right to the official H'artfelt Christmas Blog to find a list of guests.  Enjoy!

Quick Reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow is the blog party, and I hope to see you all there!

Hugs, K. <3

What A Treat!

Early this evening my doorbell rang. I had been running around like a mad woman all day doing things and I kind of groaned inwardly because I have a no soliciting sign and I didn't want to deal with whatever it was.

When I got to the door I saw a group of high school age kids standing there. So I opened the door, and they started singing!

I actually had Christmas caroler's. They were so cute...and COLD. The poor things were out there caroling in 7 degrees. I wanted to invite them in for cocoa, but my house was in such a disarray from decorating that I didn't. I applauded, thanked them, and gave them a big handful of candy canes.

But what a treat! I have never had caroler's come to my door before. When I was in high school, we used to go caroling though. It's heartwarming to see that some traditions don't die out altogether!

The Forgotten Toy's Christmas

Hello and welcome to the Christmas Tea For All The Toys Blog Party hosted by Bearbits! For your enjoyment, I present the following original story:

"The Forgotten Toy's Christmas"

In a far corner of the attic sat a dusty old trunk filled with forgotten things. Inside the trunk tears welled up in the shoe button eyes of a little teddy bear. Evangeline didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. She had been waiting decades to be wanted and loved again.



She felt the soft cotton hand of the Raggedy Doll pat her paw. "Please don't cry Evangeline" she whispered. Bingo the elephant reached over and swept away a tear that had escaped with his trunk. His own bottom lip quivered a little. He knew how she felt.

For the past hour they had listened to the Holbart children downstairs in the kitchen, excitedly making out their Christmas lists for Santa. Timmy had wanted a new electronic game player. Sue Ellen wanted an MP3 player, and some cash cards for an online game. Tory, being the youngest had wanted a robotic dog since she wasn't allowed to have a real one.

Children never asked for simple toys like them anymore, everything had to be electronic or computerized these days. But every year they laid awake in the trunk listening to the kids in the house and hoped that by some small chance they would wish for a bear, doll, elephant or rabbit. Sadly it never happened.

Bitsy Bunny sat in the far corner of the trunk twirling her ear, lost in thought. The magic had gone out of Christmas for the four of them long ago, but she was determined to get it back this year. She wasn't sure how, but she would do it! They had waited long enough, and if the children of the house weren't interested in playing with them, they would just make their own fun!

Many years before, they had belonged to Annabelle Hobart, the children's grandmother. They had been her prized possessions when she was a child and they went everywhere with her. They had wonderful tea parties and picnics, played dress up, and traveled with her when she had gone abroad. But they had been packed away in the trunk when Annabelle had grown up.

When Annabelle had her own daughter, Clara, who was now the children's Mother, she had played with them a few times. But they had mostly sat on the shelf as decoration. When Clara had grown up they had been packed away in the trunk again and completely forgotten.

Bitsy finally stopped twirling her ear. She had an idea! She began rummaging around in the trunk. Finally she pulled out a little tin tea cup. She waved it in front of her friends noses.

"We could sneak down on Christmas Eve after everyone has gone to bed and have a tea party in front of the Christmas Tree!" She exclaimed.

Evangeline looked thoughtful. "Do you really think we could?" she asked.

"Why not!" said Bingo, "The children go to sleep early so Santa will come. We wouldn't get caught. I sure would like to see a pretty tree all lit up again!"

Raggedy Doll peered at the tea cup. "Let's do it!" she said, and began to dig through the trunk with Bitsy for the rest of the things they would need.



When Christmas Eve arrived, they made sure to wait until everyone was asleep, then pushed open the lid of the trunk. They took the tea set and a small table and chairs they had found, and crept quietly down the stairs. They started setting up their tea party with great excitement. They hadn't been out of the trunk in so long that everything looked absolutely sparkly and magical.

Suddenly they heard a voice above them, "Well hello there! Did Santa bring you?" it said.



The four of them looked up startled. They didn't immediately see the source of the voice and were afraid they had been caught. They soon realized a tiny stuffed gingerbread man was hanging on the tree.

"No Santa didn't bring us, we came down from the attic where we had been quite forgotten. What are you doing all the way up there?" asked Bingo.

"Ah" said the little gingerbread man, and nodded knowingly. "I used to belong to Sue Ellen when she was very small, but she lost interest in me I am afraid. Mrs. Holbart just hangs me on the tree every year now. Then I get packed away with the ornaments."

"Oh that's terrible" said Evangeline. "Would you like to join us for tea and cook...er cupcakes?" she asked, quickly hiding the cookie she was about to eat so as not to offend their new friend.

"I would be delighted!" exclaimed the gingerbread man. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Yum Yum!" He tried awkwardly to bow while hanging on the tree.

Bingo lifted the Raggedy Doll up and they helped Yum Yum down.




They talked and laughed all through the night, losing track of time. In fact they were having so much fun that they didn't even notice Santa Claus peeking in through the window.

Santa looked at his list and then back to the toys having their tea party thoughtfully. He tucked the game player, MP3 player and robotic dog back into his sack. He snuck in and blew some magic dust towards the five little toys and snuck back out quietly without making a sound. Santa smiled to himself for being able to leave one of the best presents of all at the Hobart house and got back into the sleigh and flew off into the night with a jolly "Ho Ho Ho!"

The first rays of sunshine peeked brightly in through the windows on Christmas morning waking the children. They ran downstairs noisily,excited to see what Santa had brought them. Mr. and Mrs. Hobart, awakened by the sound of their children followed right behind them.



A strange sight met their eyes when they got to the tree. Beneath it was a tea party scene with a bear, doll, elephant and a rabbit. Even the little gingerbread man had somehow fallen off the tree and looked as if he had joined them.

Tory ran forward with a squeal and grabbed up Raggedy Doll and Bitsy Bunny for a hug. Sue Ellen sat down and lifted a tiny tea cup, she held it out in front of Evangeline enchanted. Then she spied Yum Yum and said "Yum Yum! I wondered where you had went! I've missed you!" Even Timmy picked up Bingo and smiled. "What a great elephant!" He thought.

Mrs. Hobart knelt down. "These toys used to belong to your Grandmother Annabelle" she said. "But how did they get down here?" Then she looked up at her husband and smiled. "You found them didn't you John?" Mr. Hobart scratched his head, puzzled. "No Clara...I didn't, I swear I didn't! Santa must be responsible!"

Mrs. Hobart smiled, she didn't believe him of course. He was the only one who could have brought the toys down from the attic. She was delighted too, her children were taking an interest in something that didn't require batteries. The children begged for stories about their Grandmother as they played with their new treasures. They had completely forgotten about the things they had asked for.

As the years went by, the toys weren't packed away again. They were passed on to many more generations of Hobart children, and they gained new friends along the way. Every year it was tradition that they were set up under the tree for a tea party. Stories were passed down about Annabelle Hobart, and the toys that had been given their own special Christmas gift of love by none other than Santa himself!



Merry Christmas to you all, and don't forget to spread a little love and cheer to those who may have been forgotten!

Hugs, K. <3,

Christmas Tea For All The Toys

I just wanted to remind everyone that Saturday is Ginger's Christmas Tea For All The Toys blog party. I will be attending the party and (hopefully) entertaining you with a short story I wrote. So I hope to see you all there! Also don't forget to stop by Ginger's blog and check out the rest of the guests posts.

Hugs, K. <3

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

We are all born with talents. Those things we don't seem to have to learn because they are inherent. Some of those talents can be pretty obscure. Some of mine include being able to mix the perfect shade of paint on the first try nearly every time. As an artist that one is pretty handy. I can belch at will. That one I don't use unless I have a trapped gas bubble because it's pretty disgusting. Another gift I was given was that I have always been able to do that high stepped catwalk strut that runway models use. I can still do it.

One afternoon when I was 15, my Mother and I went grocery shopping. A man had been following us around the store staring. I assumed he was interested in my Mother. She had forgotten something and sent me back to get it. He approached me at that point and started taking stock. He said I had excellent posture and carried myself well. He grabbed my face and went on to say that I had great facial features and perfect bone structure. I stood there like a deer caught in headlights because I had been rigorously taught the pitfalls of talking to strangers. Also because I was really shy at that age.

But all he did was hand me a business card for a modeling agency and tell me to give them a call. My Mother didn't let me do it. I don't know why, maybe she thought I was too young, or maybe she didn't trust it, or maybe she simply didn't want to deal with the whole thing. Whatever the reason, I didn't care. As much as I loved clothes and fashion magazines I never aspired to be a model. It's probably just as well, I doubt I would have "made it" because I have never been very photogenic and at 5'7" I was barely tall enough for runway work. I cherish the fact that I was asked though.

However a few years later, through my job doing singing telegrams I did get offers to model locally, which I did a few times. (I also got a strange offer once to mud wrestle, which I did NOT do despite the crazy amount they pay for that.) One of the things I did was a lingerie show. It was tasteful and pretty, and along the lines of what Victoria's Secret offers. Back in the 80's you didn't have to have a negative number for your dress size to model. At any rate I know how those girls feel. It doesn't matter how tasteful the lingerie is or how confident you are, you are still out in public in your underwear and it's a bit disconcerting, especially since everyone is staring at you.

I recorded the show from two nights ago. I really like to watch it. I get a lot of inspiration from the show every year. The wings and extras they put on the models are fun, and I really loved the steampunk inspired wings in the enchanted forest part this year. I always tuck away a few ideas for bears. I know...lingerie show to bears...quite an odd pairing. But I have told you before that I get inspiration from everywhere.

They said that these are the most beautiful women in the world. While I don't dispute that they are pretty, I think there are beautiful women the world over...most of whom never make it into ads or on TV because they lead ordinary lives. Besides I think aside from Doutzon Kroes, most of them have gotten too thin. You need a little meat to pull off lingerie properly. A bone bag wearing lacy undergarments isn't attractive, and some of those girls looked as if they were nothing but sinew with zero body fat. I do like the fact that they encourage their models to show personality though. I get tired of watching models with a blank expression on their faces.

All in all though it was a pretty show this year, and there was a tweed teddy that I really fancied. (Not the corset shown above, I couldn't find a pic of that one.) If you missed it, you should go check it out on their website. You might get a little inspiration too!

Busy Busy!

I probably won't be posting a whole lot this week. I've been decorating the house for Christmas and I have a lot to go. I also want to get things done for Ginger's Christmas Tea For All The Toys Blog Party coming up Saturday, and a new little animal that I want to use for my own a H'artfelt Christmas Blog Party the week after.

So be patient and bear with me...pun intended! *winks*

See you soon!