Friday, December 4, 2009

The Stockings Were Hung....


It's Pink Saturday and for the month of December Beverly has asked us to share a response to a weekly theme. This week we are to share a childhood memory of a special holiday.



I suspect that as a child I considered every Christmas a special holiday, but I do remember when I received this pink stocking. I was one of four children, and one of our aunts hand beaded each of us a special Christmas stocking one year. Each was made of felt and adorned with sequins, beads, and little jingle bells.



My stocking was pink with a baby blue cuff, and my name was spelled out in sequins and glass beads. I thought it was the most beautiful Christmas stocking I'd ever seen. I was so excited at the thought that Santa would fill it with goodies just for me.


Santa was even right there on my stocking toting his bag of toys. My aunt had beautifully appliquéd different figures on each stocking, and meticulously outlined each appliqué with shiny glass beads.



The Christmas tree on my stocking was filled with sparkly sequins to represent ornaments and more sequins sprinkled across below and on the little packages under the tree.



On the toe were two shiny jingle bells positioned on a blue strap so they would ring when the stocking moved. We didn't have a fireplace and mantel, but we always hung our stockings somewhere in the living room near our Christmas tree. Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve, and we woke to delights of surprise on Christmas morning. There would always be two or three gifts from Santa for each of us children along with something that we all could share and enjoy as a family. I have vivid memories of rushing into the room on Christmas morning to find my gifts from Santa. One year it was a little red cash register, another my beloved teddy bear, and some years it was a special doll. My stocking would be filled to the top. Santa always filled it with an apple, an orange, nuts, a big peppermint candy cane, other candies, and some special gift. Sometimes there would be coloring books with a new box of crayons, a paint set, or perhaps a book of paper dolls. As the years passed and we became teenagers, Santa continued to fill our stockings. He always knew just what would make us happy! My stocking was my favorite part of Christmas. Today this little pink stocking has lost its luster of my youth, but it will always be special to me. I appreciated the love that went into making this treasure.

My husband and I continue the stocking tradition with a bit of a twist. We don't wrap gifts for each other to have under our tree. Instead we fill each other's stockings with presents. Our stockings are larger than the pink felt stocking of my childhood, but still it is a challenge to find things that fit within these special socks. I often find things through the year and save them for my husband's Christmas stocking. Our tradition requires a bit of creativity as well. Sometimes there might be a clue that leads one of us to something too large to fit within the stocking. One year my stocking was filled with lots of old, costume jewelry, but when I pulled out the last piece it was a beautiful strand of pearls. Wonderful gifts can come in small packages!



Thanks for visiting today. Please leave a comment below to let me know you stopped by.

And a big thank you to our hostess Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound for organizing Pink Saturday each week. Be sure to visit all the other participants who've left a post today sharing a childhood memory about a special holiday.



Don't forget to stop by Anything Goes Here on Monday for more Vintage Christmas.
Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

33 comments:

  1. What a delightful post, glad to hear you are carrying on the tradition, we do too.
    Have a great weekend, my dear friend.
    Maggie

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  2. On this first Saturday of December ♥Jappy Pink Saturday♥. I was away for a while and sure missed running around the blogs arnd seeing all of the goodies everyone was sharing.

    Thanks for the memory...

    It was a blessing for you to make my morning so much fun. Hoping that you and those you care about spend a wonderful weekend making memories that will last a lifetime☺

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  3. What an adorable, cherished stocking, Sarah, and stockings were always one of my favorite parts of Christmas, too. They still are! I have a large collection of them, and when people (family or friends) come to visit for a meal or to stay, they each get a stocking (we recycle the stockings!). I try to find fun things that make them laugh or are sentimental. I enjoy giving toys to adults, too. Something whimsical.

    I love that you still have your stocking. Our early felt ones didn't make it, but I still have my pink one I got later and my sister's mouse one. And I have the first stockings Mr. Magpie and I got from my mother the year we were married (Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus).

    I enjoyed this post so much, and your pink stocking hasn't lost it's luster to me... it's gained an aura of age. :-)

    Happy PS!

    XO,

    Sheila

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  4. Sarah, what a treasure you have in that beautiful stocking. The memories associated with it are priceless too. My stocking always included fruit and nuts too, wonder if today's childen would appreciate those things?

    Have a nice week end. Thanks for sharing your traditions.

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  5. That stocking is so wonderful! What a treasure and handmade for you! I love that you and your husband continue the stocking tradition. Happy Pink Saturday!

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  6. I will take pearls over diamonds anyday... they hold there value. I love this memory. I can't hardly sew a button on. Things have changed so much haven't they?
    Lee

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  7. Sarah,
    Thank you for sharing your pink stocking, filled with sweet memories. There is so much love stitched into that stocking.It's a wonderful blessing from your dear aunt.

    Jane (artfully graced)

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  8. I enjoyed your memory!
    In our family the stockings are the favorite part!

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  9. That is, quite possible, THE sweetest Christmas stocking I've ever seen . . . barring the one my grandmother made for me. ;) But PINK & BLUE -- how wonderful!

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  10. What a beautiful pink stocking. You are so fortunate to still have it in such wonderful condition.

    Happy Pink Saturday!

    Carol

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  11. What a sweet stocking and a sweet memory for you aunt to give you. My hubby and I do the stocking exchange too. One year it was filled with nothing but socks and underthings. I'll have to tell him about your jewelry. Just a little subtle hint! LOL
    Happy Pink Saturday!

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  12. Hi Sarah,

    I am loving your tradition. What nice memories you have and are making.

    hugs,
    Barb

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  13. I LOVE your pink stocking from your Christmas Past! What a loving gesture from you auntie. Maureen

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  14. What an adorable stocking! This is a true little treasure. <3

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  15. Your stocking still looks great and I adore the stocking tradition of yours and your hubby's. Precious and how fun! Mollye

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  16. Your stocking is so sweet. Something handmade is always, somehow,just more special. And I love the idea of your gift tradition with your husband. It does make it fun to have a little challenge. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  17. Sarah!! Please email me with your address...you won my giveaway!!!! myshabbyrosecottage@gmail.com

    Warm Hugs,
    Linda

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  18. You are so right, wonderful gifts come in small packages. I love filling up stockings with little gifts, wrapped with love. The stocking is most exciting to me for all the reasons you gave. One really does need to think about what goes into a small space and be creative. Even a book of stamps to someone who loves to write can be the perfect stocking gift. I love your handmade stocking, what a treasure, Happy Pink Saturday, Char

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  19. It is a wonderful stocking and it has obviously given you much pleasure over the years. Thank you for sharing your memories with us. I hope you are having a wonderful day and looking forward to the holidays ahead.

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  20. What delightful Christmas memory and how wonderful that you still have that stocking. It's really beautiful!

    Manuela

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  21. What a special Pink Stocking from a very thoughtful Aunt. I've found some really fun stuff in the bottom of my stocking from my Husband...except the year the cord to an 'Electric Skillet' was in the stocking! My reaction was enough of a hint that I never got another kitchen/cooking thingy again!

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  22. What a delightful story. Your stockings are adorable. I think it's wonderful you and hubby try to find the right gift to fit the size of the stocking. I went back thru your cloche post. They are wonderful snowmen. What character they have. hugs ~lynne~

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  23. What a wonderful holiday memory! My husband and only buy gifts for our stockings too!

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  24. Sarah, What a beautiful Christmas memory and stocking. And, what a gift of love!!!! How special! This must be one of the most cherished things you own. Beautiful and uplifting and full of love.
    Thank you so much.
    Yvonne

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  25. Oh Sarah, what a precious stocking! I have my childhood stockings (yes, I have 2 of them!-2of my mother's friends made stockings for her daughters), but mine doesn't have as much bling as yours. One of them does have a very similar Christmas tree on it. I love that your aunt thought outside the "red" stocking box and made you a pink stocking. Your tradition with your husband is so sweet, and how fun to find the real pearls hidden under all of the costume jewelry! laurie

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  26. Precious post Sarah! I LOVE your stocking--wow it s great!

    love, kelee

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  27. Sarah, I really loved reading your stocking story. Your dear aunt certainly excelled in beading, decorating the stocking so beautifully - what patience to do all that. Glad you still have it -such a wonderful childhood keepsake.

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  28. Ooooh, I love that PINK stocking...I bet you thought you were hot stuff...I know I would have! Lovin your blog...hope you have a FUN week!

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  29. Happy Pink Saturday, Sarah.

    Your stocking is beautiful, and I know it is still a treasure to you. My stocking was made for me when I was an infant, and I have used it every year.

    I like what you and your husband do with your gifts. A thoughtful gift is the best kind of all.

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  30. Hello Sarah; I really enjoyed reading your sweet Christmas memory.. the Pink Stocking is so pretty,, what a treasure.. and just using your stockings for gifting each other is a great idea,, I might just use that one.... have a great week.

    Hugs;
    Alaura

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  31. It was such fun to read about your memory. What an adorable stocking. You kept it in great shape. Just SO cute! Thank you for sharing!
    *hugs*Deb

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  32. Oh Sarah Jane, this is the most beautiful story "Ever"!!! I LOVE that stocking, what a treasure it is PLUS all the memories. Joey and I had a jingle bell on our stockings and Mom had a hard time getting me to LEAVE it hung because I wanted to take it to bed with me(I LOVED IT SO),hehe! Your stocking is gorgeous, It has a Victorian look that is timeless... Hugs to you, Donna

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  33. Sarah I am SO glad that you sent me this link. Your stocking is SO SO beautiful. Your dear aunt must have spent hours as everything is sewn so fine. I had based this years living room design on Christmas inspiration from the 50's and a few people questioned my choice of pink and blue but here is the living proof that this was a popular color combo. The stocking is just gorgeous. Thank you for sharing it with me.

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