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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1974-12-25, Page 20.`r,r;ovraAs • reetings sat. - Try an old. fashioned Christmas this year For Christmas parties till your house with fragrant recollections of warmth', the clean smell of evergreens, the exotic scent of herbs, the aroma :of spices. When company is coming why not welcome them with a hot spicy Christmas punch? Let it simmer on the stove for hours — a mixture that might include cider and tea, lemonade and sugar, cranberries, and candied fruits, plus cinnamon, mace and whole orange stuck with cloves, At party time the aroma alone with create a festive mood, The idea is, again, simple and old-fashioned — but' the pleasure of the old-fashioned idea of do-it-yourself is very special, Holiday season 1974 promises to be a very special time: a time of needed respite and reunion, a time of return to simple things and real meanings. And nothing is more in keeping with this nostalgic spirit than a good old-fashioned Christmas, What is an old fashioned Christmas? First of all, it's a do-it-yourself affair. Whether you're decorating cookies or decorating the tree, there's a unique satisfaction in offering the work of your own hands to the , family and friends with whom you share the holidays. Take tree trimmings, for instance. In the old days, Christmas tree decorations were largely made at home, of homey things — like loops of shiny red cranberries or snowy popcorn. Stringing them is a task easy enough for small children — and a lovely way to spend a family evening, 1974. You may be popping the corn in an electric popper instead of at the fireplace, but the fun is the same. Once you get into making decorations, you'll find more and more ideas coming to you — yards of cranberry-colored ball, fringe can be substituted for berries if "You are hurried and don't have the time to string the real thing. Paper doilies make lovely, lacy snowflakes when cut and hung on the tree. And the ends of shiny tin cans can be hung like to make mirrors all over the tree, to make the most of your electric lights — or just to provide sparkle and glow without using a single watt of power! Another easy adornment for y our tree: scraps of ribbon, tied in bows. You can enliven an entire tree with ribbon bows of different sizes , patterns And colors, or just use one color to coordinate with y our room's decor. ' There's no doubt the old-fashioned Christmas has another very timely virtue: it's economical. By using simple, modern helpers and doing things yuo irself, you save money while you conserve valuable energy. And with today's shortcuts, some of the energy you save will be your own! For example, festive cookies don't need to be made from scratch. You can use animal crackers or other shaped cookies, and decorate them with colored icings — a job the youngsters will love, Other holiday cookie's, gay enough for a party platter, can be ordinary vanilla wafers which you top with red or green sprinkles. (The secret: first coat the wafers with a mixture of confectioner's sugar and butter, thinned with a little water.) And the wherewithal to decorate your house may be found lying right now in the nearby conntryside: pine cones, crabapples, evergreen branches, maybe weeds like Queen Anne's lace or catkins. Gather what you can, assemble them into wreaths or other decorations, then spray the whole works with gold paint for inst ant elegance! And, speaking of instant elegance, you'll certainly want some for yourself when you entertain over the holidays. For instance — did you know that y ou can buy fabric with an elasticized edge that becomes a ready-made waist band? Stitch up one • seam, make a hem and presto, you have a new evening skirt! Wear it with a lacy blouse — a cameo and crown the effect with an old-fashioned hair-do that's all curls and waves, today's latest look in party hair-dos. For a festive Christmas touch, try a small decoration, a sparkly barette or even a sprig of mistletoe or holly nextled in your hair. WEEKLY SALE BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS LTD. EVERY FRIDAY AT 12 NOON PHONE 887-6461 — BRUSSELS, ONT. McCutcheon Grocery Phone 887-9445 We Deliver 19-oz. 390 Schneider's CRISP FLAKE SHORTENING lb 65 Heinz —10-oz. TOMATO SOUP „.3 for 570 Weston's —2-pk. BROWN & SERVE ROLLS 890 Martin APPLE SAUCE .t.; • - -p Let's celebrate this Christmas season with sincere wiskes for a simply wonderful holiday. To all our friends and neighbors go many thanks for your continued patronage and goodwill. ISTAILIONIED- els Post INIUSIRELS ONTARIO Theyublishers, the Staff and everybody assOciated With the Brusselt post extend Best Wisheto our readers, advertisers and correspondents and all those who have contributed in any way. Evelyn Kennedy, Liz Watson, Torn Haley, Carolanne Doig, Pat Langlois Dave Robb, Andy McNichol, Susan White and Andy McLean .. 5 - r r r r r r r -Th• • r -r ' tr- 2O= THE BRUSSELS i:*DS'ir, DECEMBER. 25, 1974