A Surfer Nutcracker???

Alright already, I am ready for Christmas!I think I suffer from this each year; I put the decorations out so dang early that, by mid-December, I start to feel smothered by my trazillion Santas and glittery decor and question daily "do I really have to put ALL of this away now?" But I'm plugging on with my festive attitude and putting those Grinch-y thoughts behind me. Which by the way, after finding The Grinch DVD for $5.99 at Target the day after Thanksgiving, I must have seen it at least 15 times now with the girls. Who would have known that the Grinch makes such a great babysitter! (yes, I just admitted that.)
   So the last few crafts on my list have been completed, and I am actually guilty of already looking at the Valentines decorations that have been put out at JoAnnes - Not that I agree with this one bit  - Is it really necessary to put those out already? - but see, it's people like me that encourage them to do just that -- rush right through the holidays! I didn't purchase anything though so I'm not that guilty.
     My fun creation of the week was figuring out what to give my eleven year old boy cousin. If it's not Godzilla, a sword of some sort, or some $75 video game for his umpteenth video system,  (Dear God, please don't let my aunt be reading this!) then I am just plain clueless as to what to buy the boy. But upon seeing them for half price, I did remember that he collects something: NUTCRACKERS! $7 later, I am covered! And is it me, or do all of these nutcrackers start looking the same after awhile? Not much of a variety of them, is there?

So after questioning myself one too many times about whether or not he already has this one, I took it upon myself to make sure he didn't: hence,the

CALIFORNIZED NUTCRACKER

a little bit of shells, a palm tree, a crab and some pretend-it-is-seaweed moss...

a surf board, tied-dyed beach towel, and a  few other little tidbits...

...and the end result -  this  pretty cool surfer nutcracker!

I'm not a nutcracker collector, but maybe this is my craft fair / Christmas boutique calling for next year!

Hope that spoiled little cousin of mine likes it! I am betting he will!

...and another little cheapo transformation - I got these little girls for 90% off last year in February and dolled them up with the initials of my girls and my nieces -- sewed them together at the hands and added a few scarves -- worth every penny spent!

ONE WEEK AWAY!

 

Linking to The Shabby Chic Cottage & Fabulous Finds