"And The Stockings Were Hung......"

For as long as I can remember Christmas, I remember our Christmas Stockings.  I wish I could remember where there was a picture of them.  But what I do know is that they were a tradition in our family and one that I gladly passed on to my family. 

These are hung here because the room our fireplace is in isn't finished yet!

Of course there is a story to how they came to be a part of my family's Christmas Tradition.  My mom happily decorated our house each Christmas in matching red and white decorations.  Every Christmas she added one new decoration.  So as the story goes (circa 1976) my parents decided that because of money being tight they would only buy for each other's stockings.  So my mom came up with the idea to added new Christmas stockings to the Christmas flair.  The stockings were made of red and white gingham quilted fabric adorned with different color trim and rick rack at the top.  The "mom and dad" stockings were a little bigger than the "Dionne and Zach" stockings.  But what made these stocking unique is that they were over 2ft long and over a 1ft wide.  They were big enough to actually put them on like boots and walk around! (Yes we did try that out as adults one late Christmas night where in a few drinks had been consumed).


At first sight one may think that the size was a bit much.....a bit over indulgent.  But what they became was the best part of our Christmas.  It is what we waited for.  The made the saying "big things come in small packages" real!  My mom was the QUEEN of filling that stocking.  Over the years there was toothbrushes, socks, lip gloss, matchbox cards and chocolate.  When we got older it was jewelry, money, videos and gift cards.  My mom is the "stocking stuffer master".  She shops all year long to find just the right and sometimes quirky thing that will end up in someones stockings.

And soon the days of going home for Christmas were over my brother Zach and I were charged with finding our own Christmas traditions.  But one tradition that we chose to keep from our childhood were our stockings.  So from my Mom's original stockings, patterns were made by my Sister in law Kimberly and by me (although Kimberly indeed made hers and I had someone make them for me :/)  But just like that I found myself scouring clearance aisles all year long looking for the right and sometimes quirky thing that will end up in Cora's stocking! Great things like band aids, hair brushes, videos and fuzzy socks. 

A picture of our stockings from last Christmas!

Zach, Kimberly, Bear and Kody's stockings.....she will be making another one for next year!

As for Steve, I am sure this was a tradition that he had to get used to.  After all the stockings are larger than the normal stocking!  And for the past few years he has done a great job.  But this year.....we have done a lot of work on our house....."and money is tight".....  So we are going to take The 20 in 20 challenge .  However because of the size of our stockings it may need to be a 30 in 30 or a 40 in 40.  So we are getting a sitter for Saturday night and we are going shopping.  And the tradition of "the just right and quirky thing" will live on!

But at the end of the Christmas season what I so hope for is that when Cora gets married her husband will welcome our stockings into their home.  And hoping that she will enjoy filling them like I do....and my mom does.  So please don't judge us when you see our stockings....just know that they are filled with love and memories!

.....By The Chimney With Care,
~Cora's Mom