Sunday, November 22, 2009

Need to Get Creative!

Calling all creative thinkers...calling all cooks/bakers...calling all decorators!

As I'm sure you are all VERY aware, Thanksgiving/Christmas is coming up! I am an AVID decorator for the holidays, and am finding myself in a bind here in India...I have no decorations. :) So, I've decided to get creative...I've determined that this very cold house WILL feel festive!

And with that, I'm pleading for your help! I have three requests.

1. Thanksgiving Recipes: we're hosting a HUGE Thanksgiving potluck at our house, and I want to make some GREAT comfort foods. Limiting Factors: we have no turkeys in India, and we don't have an oven. Our neighbors have one that we can use, but it's small!! Any great recipes you can send me?!?!

2. Thanksgiving Games/Decorations: I want to play some games with the group that's here...or at least, have things around the house that they can do while they eat and wander...pin the feather on the turkey, write what they're thankful for on a big piece of paper, things like that. Any game ideas? My favorite other idea is to dress the Americans up like pilgrims, and the non-Americans (British, Scottish, south African, Australian, Canadian) up like Indians. Any costume ideas? And last, I want to decorate the house. Any decoration ideas? Limiting Factors: we don't have access to any colored papers...bummer, huh?!

3. Christmas Decorations: I HAVE to decorate for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I just need fun, easy decoration ideas. ...sewing, gluing, whatever! No limiting factors, just give me what you got!

It's really interesting how important it is for me to have things "feel" like Thanksgiving or "feel" like Christmas...it's such a family time, that I somehow think that if it "feels" like the Holidays, I won't get so lonely. :) I'll let you know how it works out!

One more request...favorite Christmas music?!?!?!


*****Only 24 days 'til we get to go home!!!!!*****

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

you can get colored paper at the Stationers... used to be in the part of the bazaar by Anant the fabric guy (well before you get to Clock Tower).

And I found a good recipe online last year for pumpkin pie that used real pumpkin and melted vanilla ice cream... turned out pretty well. Do Jennie and Megan still have my recipes in their kitchen? If they do it might still be there...

Amy LaVonne said...

oh... I got the christmas music covered. Sam just gave me some sweet new christmas songs and I have the classics too. I'll send you some soon!!!

The Paine Family said...

I understand the need to bring the holidays wherever you are. It doesn't take Walmart, just a little Christmas joy! I know you will fill your home with a wonderful spirit of love. Here are my ideas (straight from Kindergarten)
- green and red paper chains, love these!
- cut out paper snowflakes and hang in the window, no colored paper required
- use shaving cream to make frost in your window pane (actually I think I made this up, not sure if it works)
- float cranberries (or any red looking berry) in a bowl with candles
- don't forget the mistle toe (smooch)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sweetie!
Do you have crayons? they can make any white paper into colored paper! That could make the feathers for the "indians". Do you remember how to make turkeys out of apples, toothpicks and marshmallows or gumdrops? Do you remember how to make turkeys out of tracing your hand?
For a Christmas tree...one year we traced our hands, cut them out, curled the fingers and hung them upside down to make a tree on the wall. Remember that? We couldn't afford to buy a tree that year.
remember, too, that if you can do no bake cookies you can form them into whatever food item shape you may be currently missing and MAGIC...you have gingerbread boys or christmas trees (ok, the color may be wrong!)...but the idea works.
veggies make fun food creations, too! And they have LOTS of color... Love ya! Mama in Story City

Anne Lind said...

Hi Nicole - in the 1970s we lived in Palisades and I made a Christmas tree shape out of dark green cotton cloth and hung it on the wall in our house. The kids made decorations out of various things and we just pinned them to the cloth. Very festive and simple. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

hey, i've got some sweet christmas music. Amy's probably stinks, I heard her brother has way better taste.

bwagner said...

So my mom saw these on T.V. and made them they are super cute and I hope you can make something of the sort.. I don't know if you can or not, but I thought it was worth the try. They are little Chrismas balls/ornaments that are home made out of styrofoam and an old tshirt.

http://www.hgtv.com/holidays-and-entertaining/how-to-make-christmas-ornaments-from-old-shirts/index.html

The website also has some other neat ideas. Pinecones always seem christmas-y too.