Brrrrr…. Its Getting Cold Out There

I think by now we are all feeling the chill of the changed season. Sadly, some of us are dealing with a shockingly bad version of this seasonal transition.

This is a link heavy post, filled with seasonal favorites for you to puruse. You will find hints for keeping warm as well as contemporary readings for Christmas. You will also find a fun project.

Let’s start by keeping the body and home warm with “Keeping Warm this Winter” and last year’s “A Practical Look at Winter Clothing.” For an event prep list, check out “Are You Ready.”When thinking about winter clothing, you know I would love you all to make up my Quilted Hood Pattern. *wink* But, if you happen to be focusing on the 1840s, do give the pattern developed by Bevin Lynn for the Genesee Country Village a try.

Do you have gift making in mind? Last year, my series on the 12 Homemade Gifts seemed quite popular. (I’ll be sharing a couple passages from mid-century magazines and books for making more gifts and ornaments in the upcoming weeks.)

A few mid-nineteenth century readings…

The First Christmas Tree , an 1869 publication translated from the French – http://books.google.com/books?id=gcMBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP6&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

The Christmas Tree: A Story for Young and Old, translated from the German in this 1866 version – http://books.google.com/books?id=C6cDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

A Present from Germany: The Christmas Tree, 1840, by E. Perry. http://books.google.com/books?id=TccNAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

The Christmas Tree and other stories, for the Young, by Mrs. Lovechild, 1863 – http://books.google.com/books?id=m6AXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

I would be remiss if I did not include Charles Dickens’ Christmas Books with the well known “Christmas Carol” – http://archive.org/stream/christmasbooks00dickrich#page/n15/mode/2up

Household Words – Christmas Stories: 1851-1858 by Charles Dickens http://books.google.com/books?id=W8xbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

And to close, a way too fun project:

Check this out – Christmas village! http://archive.org/details/SantasChristmasVillage