All Dressed Up for Halloween

Another sock monkey Halloween ornament recently arrived via the magical, mystical powers of ebay. What did we do before ebay came along? I can't even imagine. In any case, this little guy is all dressed up in a cute cape and mask, holding his jack o'lantern candy bucket.

I'm in the process of figuring out our Halloween decorations, which will go up as soon as we finish a small home improvement project. My daughter is extremely anxious to put out the Halloween sock monkeys and truth be told, so am I.

Run, Run Rudolph

While scrubbing various sites to see if I can magically intuit holiday sock monkey stock I stumbled across this little guy at Pier 1. This little guy is just too cute for words! His big red "nose" and antlers remind me of Rudolph, everyone;s favorite reindeer.

Sadly he is not available yet but he will be in store come October 13 or so. My husband put the date on our calendar so we can make sure to add him to our collection in a timely manner. I think what slays me the most about this ornament are the holiday lights in the sock monkey's antlers...as we all know, untangling a string of holiday lights often ends up with the person getting all tangled up.

Sock Monkey Ornaments - What's Left? {Plenty}

I've undertaken an exhaustive inventory of my current collection of sock monkey Christmas ornaments versus what is available out on the interwebs. I'm happy to say that I am closing in on the goal of owning at least one of every style out there. I'm sad to say I have a bit of a way to go, and thus some money to budget and spend.

Here's what I think is left...

 

Sock Monkey Cheerleader: I have the Macy's 2012 Holiday version of this but not this one. This one has shiny pom-poms, and you know that makes all the difference.

Itty-Bitty Sock Monkey: I just find him to be meh, but still, for the purpose of this exercise I will have to acquire. It seems he will have to be sourced via ebay.

Armed Forces Sock Monkeys: These appear to be new this year. Alas I will have to get them all. They are pretty darn cute, though.

Team Sock Monkey: I wish I would have purchased him last year when I saw him half off. Lesson learned.

Sock Monkeys in Ugly Sweaters (you know the kind): I have the one in the red sweater, but not the white and green.

Sock Monkeys in Knitted Hats: Another style that seems to be new this year. Argh! Still, these are my favorite of the "must acquire" bunch.

Sock Monkey in stocking: This one is all over ebay. It's not the cutest or my favorite but I feel compelled to own it.

Sports Sock Monkeys: Yep, I need them all.










I'm looking at a pretty penny in ornaments here. Eeep! I had better start saving my pennies, and nickels, and dollar bills. I suppose I should take solace in just how many ornaments I already have.

{Amazing} Sock Monkey Tree Skirt

When I first start this blog to chronicle Our Epic Sock Monkey Christmas I wrote of my plan to source the tree skirt from a local crafter, Ellen of The Chilly Dog. As I noted, my request was vague, along the lines of, can you make me a tree skirt?

Well, she took on the challenge and produced an absolutely amazing result. See for yourself....

My daughter pulling it from the box

Little miss checks out the tag

I think my smile says it all

So amazing

Isn't it epic? It's so unique and I was so blown away when I first saw it. Now I'm hoping to engage her services for stockings.

You can find more pictures of the tree skirt and read all about her process for creating this tree skirt over at The Chilly Dog. The pattern is also available on Etsy for all you talented knitter folk.

Handmade Sock Monkey Gift Tags and Holiday Cards

Back when we began planning our Epic Sock Monkey Christmas I asked local crafter Ellen of The Chilly Dog to create our tree skirt. Well, she did an amazing job and I can't wait to show you pictures. But before I do so I wanted to show you some adorable holiday cards and gift tags she made herself and was kind enough to gift me.

They are so different and unique and will definitely add even more pizazz to our holiday. You can find helpful tutorials for making the tags and cards over at The Chilly Dog.

Stay tuned for the big reveal of the tree skirt!