Johanna Parker's Delightful Christmas Folk Art

 

I just know that you'll be tickled by these adorable 

Christmas folk art creations by Johanna Parker!

Whether an ornament, figurine, bell, or perched atop a candy dish,
each papier mache character smiles with personality and vintage charm.
Shiny tinsel or a sweet dusting of glitter add a magical touch.

Along with rosy-cheeked snowmen and Santas, you'll find

other whimsical cuties like owls, mice, penguins and cats

to help you celebrate Christmas!

More of Johanna's work here:

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A Fun Stop at the PEZ Visitor Center - Orange, CT

On our way to a weekend in Connecticut, we bumped into

a perfect example of one of those "off the beaten path" attractions:

The PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, CT!

We couldn't resist taking a slight detour to pop in and check it out!

Some fun facts:

PEZ candy was first created in 1927 in Vienna Austria.

They were originally round, but were shortly thereafter

changed to the brick shape that we know so well.

The first PEZ flavor was peppermint, and that's where the candy got its name.

"Pffefferminz" is the German word for peppermint;

they took the first letter P, an E from the middle, and the last letter Z. 

There are only 2 PEZ manufacturing locations in the world.

One is in Orange, CT, the other in Traun, Austria.

Every year they ship 5 billion candies & 70 million dispensers to 90 countries!

Since we grew up with PEZ, and our children grew up with PEZ,

we had a blast looking at all the memorabilia.

Here are some of our favorites~

Appreciating my nurse friends~ 

Mare, Lee, Kendall, Paula, Cris, Tara, Joanne, Darlene...

Just for "pun"...

 By the way, the Star Wars Collectors Set was introduced in 2005.

It was the first of many PEZ limited edition sets.

Here are a few of them~

...and on a more serious -and patriotic- note~

Shout out to the alma mater.

So, yes, I am truly famous!

Enjoy this YouTube video!

Such a fun place to visit!
35 Prindle Hill Rd, Orange, CT 
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A Vintage Christmas - In the Pink!

 

Not your traditional red and green here;

these vintage Christmas illustrations embrace the color pink!

Rosy hues give a confectionery twist to delightful, retro designs!

It's a Norman Rockwell Christmas!

savoringsimplicity

I've always loved Norman Rockwell's paintings!
Come to think of it, who doesn't love them?
They're true Americana.

Rockwell illustrates real, honest-to-goodness people
in relatable, everyday circumstances,
with old fashioned charm, humor and warmth.
And he always leaves us with a smile!

Here are several of his Christmas paintings.
They're sure to bring some warm fuzzies!

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