Category Archives: Christmas Memories

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A Sprinkling of Christmas Memories… Blog Post 2- The Stockings

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The opening paragraphs are the same if you read the first blog in this series… but just wanted to share the beginning again with those who may have missed the first blog post A Sprinkling of Christmas Memories

When my son was much younger, he loved sprinkles. We literally put sprinkles on everything… cookies, ice cream, cupcakes… anything he deemed sprinkle worthy. I had a specific kitchen cabinet where the bounty of sprinkles were stashed away, ready for a quick, special treat. We had multiple flavors and colors to select from and it was such a joyful experience for him.

Christmas memories are very much the same way, a sprinkle of sweetness in our hearts and minds of a very special Christmas moment. These moments can be recreated by establishing traditions that are repeated year after year during the Christmas season… like the sprinkles of sweetness on top of a very special treat.

A very happy Cowboy… a sprinkle of sweetness from a Christmas past

Sometimes as I am working inside our hardware store, I often see glimpses of these special Christmas memories from interactions with our customers, or stocking the shelves with products, and yes, even the endless search for new product offerings to bring to you, can create a sense of nostalgia of Christmas past. So here’s a small sprinkling of Christmas memories through my eyes as I wander through the hardware store… I hope you will enjoy this mini series of blog posts centered around on of the most wonderful times of the year, Christmas.

Wilkes County Hardware has been featuring unique hardware store Stocking Stuffers each day leading up to Christmas Eve! Head over to our Instagram and Facebook stories each day to find some great ideas for everyone on your gift list!

The Stockings

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there…” Clement Clark Moore

This classic Christmas story written so many years ago and is and read aloud to children across the globe

Stockings are treasured memories of Christmases past. I can’t imagine a Christmas without Christmas stockings and a tree… or having to choose between one or the other. Yes, I have read that the Christmas tree did try to replace the tradition of the Christmas stocking, but luckily it didn’t come to fruition… both remain as solidified Christmas traditions that should continue on for many more generations to come!

Our Christmas tree is full of family ornaments, a sprinkling of sweet memories of Christmases past.

The history of the Christmas stocking is centuries older than the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree! Christmas stockings date back to the origins of Saint Nicholas … Christmas trees, well, a much younger history, Victorian times.

Christmas stockings take center stage this year in our family room… family favorites are on display

My Granny used to tell me about the Christmases from her childhood when a great Christmas meant that candy(like hard peppermint sticks) and oranges were in found in the toe of her Christmas stocking.

Granny would have loved these 💕… memories of family can be found everywhere even in the smallest things.

Did you ever wonder why an orange in the stocking??? The tradition of stashing an orange into a stocking reveals a legend of a very poor man who had three daughters who were unable to wed without a decent dowry. On Christmas Eve, St. Nicholas, placed three golden balls inside their home. The three young ladies were overjoyed with the gift. Over time, the golden balls were replaced with oranges as the legend reveals.

I may begin to stash a few oranges in our stockings each year… a great way to carry out a sprinkling of a Christmas memory of my Granny, and a bit of history of Christmas all wrapped up into one stocking.

The photo I provided for you today is a cherished Christmas treasure that is always found at our house each year, my Christmas stocking.

This is definitely a sprinkle of sweetness of Christmas memories from my childhood, Mom and Dad have shared several Christmas pieces with my sister and I so that we can each have a sprinkle of sweet memories of our Christmas times together even when we can’t celebrate Christmas Day together.

My mom made this Christmas stocking when I was kid… my sister also has a matching one with her name as well. Mom is an amazing seamstress, she could make anything she wants to make. Presents didn’t usually go in these beautiful stockings, but they were always hung up each Christmas. For some, I would venture to guess, that this might be the purpose of Christmas stockings, as a treat to the eye, hanging by the mantle as a symbol of each family member at Christmas time.

Yes, our pups even have their own stockings too! These pups are worn out Christmas Day after opening up their Christmas stockings gifts! Snacks, toys, treats!!! What a great day!
Stop by Wilkes County Hardware for dog toys, and treats for Christmas!

After I married, Christmas Stocking gifts were always a big tradition at the Searcy house. Christmas stockings were always completed FIRST before opening presents under the tree. Each one of us would begin to dig into the Christmas stocking gifts, eventually each family member revealing the carefully curated collection of small gifts from “the stash” tucked inside the stocking.

Martha’s Christmas stocking… a sweet sprinkle of Christmas past memories

Everyone had their own special Christmas stocking. Martha, Richard’s mom, made sure that each individual stocking was unique to each person within the family. None of the Searcy family Christmas stockings were alike, and that tradition still lives on in our house as well.

Our stockings are hung, and now we wait! Notice, mine aren’t hung over the mantle.

Christmas stocking gifts don’t have to be expensive or “only Christmasy” type gifts. The great thing about Christmas stocking gifts is that you can target the gifts to suit each individual person and what they need or use regularly. Christmas stocking gifts are much more intimate gifts… indicating to the recipient that you know them well enough to know what they need and love.

Teenagers, or young kids who have electronic toys, batteries are an IDEAL stocking gift of choice!

No matter how big or small your Christmas celebration might be this year, remember that making Christmas memories is the best way to celebrate the season.

As I conclude this blog post, I have decided to definitely stash a few oranges in our stockings each year. A new tradition to carry out a sprinkling of a Christmas memory of my Granny, and also a bit of celebration of Christmas history all wrapped up into one stocking. Merry Christmas Y’all!

Merry Christmas 🎄 from our family and staff to yours this holiday season!
blogging, Christmas, Christmas Memories, family, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Home, memories, Natural World, southern living

A Sprinkling of Christmas Memories

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When my son was much younger, he loved sprinkles. We literally put sprinkles on everything… cookies, ice cream, cupcakes… anything he deemed sprinkle worthy. I had a specific kitchen cabinet where the bounty of sprinkles were stashed away, ready for a quick, special treat. We had multiple flavors and colors to select from and it was such a joyful experience for him.

One of my favorites… B in front of the tree. Christmas memories in picture form from so many years ago… the sweetest treat of all

Christmas memories are very much the same way, a sprinkle of sweetness in our hearts and minds of a very special Christmas moment. Luckily for us, these moments can be recreated and fondly remembered by establishing traditions that are repeated year after year during the Christmas season… like the sprinkles of sweetness on top of a very special treat. Memories are simply timeless treasures of the heart.

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service… some of the best Christmas memories

Sometimes as I am working inside the hardware store, I often remember glimpses of these special Christmas memories from interactions and conversations with our customers, or even stocking the shelves with products. Yes, even the endless search for new product offerings we might bring to you, can create a sense of nostalgia of Christmases past. So here’s a small sprinkling of Christmas memories through my eyes as I wander through the hardware store. I hope you will enjoy this mini series of blog posts centered around one of the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.

Wishing y’all a wonderful Christmas season in 2023, make some lasting memories with family and friends

The Tree

Let’s get right into this one. Typically, each Christmas season begins with the decision of the Christmas tree. The joy of the holiday season launches once your tree is up, leaving you to find splendor in the glow of the Christmas lights and glistening ornaments.

Picking out the perfect Christmas tree … my boys 💕

I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas tree shopping with my boys, and decorating the tree each year… like the Christmas tree full of ornaments that B made in preschool, ornaments handed down from family members, all of these memories are sprinkled into my heart each year as we begin with the tree and the decorations.

But, one memorable tradition from my childhood was the search for the kid-sized Christmas tree that was put in our bedroom each Christmas when my sister and I were younger.

Dad would grab his hand saw, and axe… no chain saw was needed for this small task… He would tell my sister and I to find our coats and off to our woods we would go seeking the perfect small-sized Christmas tree.

Stop by Wilkes County Hardware for your hand tool needs and repairs.

I think we probably skipped all the way into the woods. Dad handled all that endless child energy bubbling over… always smiling and redirecting our silliness towards our purpose, finding the best Christmas tree.

Often times, my sister and I would select a small 3 foot cedar tree that was abundant in our woods.

I must admit, as I reflect back, my sister and I were always so excited about our own special Christmas tree that we selected ourselves and decorated with our own ornaments. These ornaments never went on the family tree. Mom made these especially for our kid-sized tree. The love and care modeled by both of our parents in creating a bit of extra special Christmas magic with this wonderful gift of the tree each year probably wasn’t fully appreciated until reaching adulthood.

Our trek in the woods often brought us to a patch of tiny sized cedar trees. The aromatic scent of the cedars was pleasant and the size was appealing to our “smallish” eyes. As a result, the cedar tree was our typical “go to” little Christmas tree that we selected each year. The cedar tree was cut down, giddy girls in tow, and we carried the tree back to the house from our journey into the woods.

A walk in the woods always brings back memories of the treks I took with my parents into our woods behind our house… looking for the best sticks, or even wading in the creek.

That cedar tree might not have been great for hanging our ornaments, as cedar branches are not as sturdy as a Fraser Fir, but we didn’t care. Mom, of course always helped us in decorating the “pint sized tree” so that our ornaments had the sturdier branches.

Battery operated trees are available in “pint size” versions at Wilkes County Hardware

The delight of spending time with our dad, and hanging the ornaments that our mom made especially for us are memory sprinkles of joy from past Christmases. My sister and I enjoyed the beauty of the Cedar Christmas tree lights every night…providing us the opportunity to experience the Christmas season in our little corner of the house.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!