A Tale of Two Stockings

Once upon a time, I decided it would be a brilliant idea, because all my ideas are fabulously brilliant (in my demented head), to make felt stockings for Ben and I for Christmas.


You know the ones.

I ordered a Santa one for Ben, and a more whimsical one for me. A sugar plum fairy with all sorts of wondrous little peppermints and gingerbread men and candy canes! Look, there's even a cupcake!


You see, I adore Christmas. I love the baking. I love the decorating. I love finding special little things to get loved ones. I love the magic that's in the air, the love and caring that comes out at such a enchanting time of year. I love the old classic Rudolph and Frosty cartoons. I love the new version of the Grinch. I love the Muppet Christmas Carol. I love White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life....

Ben on the other hand, is a bit more blase about it.


When we first got married, we didn't even have a Christmas tree. We had just moved down to the Pond and I had just gotten a job a few months beforehand. Since we weren't spending Christmas in the Pond at our house and we were on a budget, we simply decorated the two foot tree I'd had at my college dorm room and my childhood bedroom before that.


At that moment, I decided I would make Christmas special for us every year after that. I vowed I would collect one or two decorations and create something special every year.


Visions of appliqued Christmas pillows hugged by children and grandchildren and homemade stockings danced in my head. Forget a store bought Christmas--I was going to create the greatest one any family could ever have!



Last year I made a wreath for the door. But this year it was all about stockings.


Before, we had used the basic red and white fuzzy ones you get at Wal-Mart for like a dollar. But now, we were going to have whimsical stockings. Fun stockings. Homemade stockings.


There was only one problem.



I had forgotten I hated sewing. When I was eight I tried to sew pillowcases. I finished the same pillow case at 11.

I had officially entered myself in the Moron Club. A moron with a lot of work to do. For weeks, I took a few hours out of every weekend to stitch and work on the Santa stocking seen above. As of last week, I had a row of crooked sequins, three gold stars and the white top of the beard.


And I was miserable. This wasn't relaxing. It wasn't fun. It wasn't magical at all. Since I like to share things with the people around me, I kept Ben updated (whined, moaned and complained) about the state of the stockings.


Finally, his lips curled back and he roared, "Throw the stupid things away and we'll buy some stockings!" I desperately wanted a magical, memory making stocking. But I didn't want to pay for it. And I didn't want to admit defeat. For another few weeks, I checked every store, scrolled through Web sites and pondered my inability to sew with everyone around me.

After staring at the stocking display at Target for an hour Sunday, Ben clutched my arm and stared at me with the wounded eyes of a man who has been at a retail establishment way too long. "Blond Duck," he pleaded. "Please just pick one. A stocking isn't what Christmas is about. I mean you're always ranting about how people don't know the true meaning of Christmas. All that matters is we hang out on Christmas, right? It's all about being together."


Suddenly, my vision blurred. It had happened.


I had forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. I had become so caught up in creating the perfect Christmas, obsessing over creating a perfect tradition that I had let the true meaning slip by me. Instead of thinking about others or my family, I had been obsessing over an over sized sock with sequins. I was trying to be the perfect Christmas elf, and not the usual creative person I am.



You see, normally my creative ventures look as elegant as this. I'm all about the randomly compiling things together from scrounging around the house. This was a product of my college internship: a sequin and rhinestone covered snowman clutching a bottle of Tabasco and a top hat. That's what my dad gets for paying for a four year private university!


So I came up with a new plan. We're going to keep our old red and white fuzzy $1 stockings. But we'll do whatever we want to them.



I might put sequins on it. I might stick the fuzzy bird on it. I might put glittery rhinestones. I might put something special on it every year. Heck, I might just wipe my nose on it.


But it will be made with love and joy, not obligation and expectation. And I'll have plenty of time leftover.... To give you a present! That's right Invisible Friends! I'm giving you the untouched Bucilla Sugar Plum Fairy Stocking Kit! This little beauty can be hanging from your mantle in no time! Perfect for girls of all ages! Tell your friends, tell the world.

Whoever posts a link to this on their blog gets an extra point in the running. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me about your favorite stocking or gift you got in the stocking and you're in the running. The contest closes Nov.25 at midnight and the winner will be announced on Thanksgiving.



Don't you think it's a brilliant idea, cookie stealing bunny?

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new edition of "Twirl" tomorrow and a tasty surprise Thursday, along with another whimsical tale and a new edition of "Kitchen Magic!" Let's hear those comments, Friends!