It's been a very relaxing week here. We spent the days after Christmas lolling around, reading, sledding and just generally taking it easy. We are getting ready to pack Christmas away, but I have some last few Santas to show you before we do. My favorite gift this Christmas is this Santa made by Chloe! She carved it out of maple with a simple pen knife. She got the piece of wood from the garage and was carving in secret. If we'd known I would have recommended a softer wood. Anyway, it's just marvelous and I was so surprised! He fits right in with the other Santas.
We picked up this tall Santa at a craft fair this fall. We met the artist and found out that these are made from huge cedar logs that wash up on the beach along Puget Sound. The husband carves them and the wife does the painting.
This is my favorite stocking of all the ones we have. I started this for Ryan when I was pregnant, but finished it just in time for his first Christmas. I have many cross stitch Santa and Tomten patterns, but this is the only one I've done. Maybe I ought to make another one.
This is another one of my favorite gifts this year. This is a hand painted cheese server that my sister sent me. She didn't make it, but she bought it at a tiny shop in the San Bernardino Mountains. My sister went back to the shop after the fires there in October and this shop was still standing while the lumber store next door had burned down!
Isn't this guy's beard marvelous? I love it!
Tomorrow's a big day for me. I'm having my lumpectomy surgery. I hope to be back here within a few days. Happy New Year!