Look! Something Shiny!
Part of the reason that I love having multiple Christmas trees is that I love being able to "theme" a tree, giving full attention to that special thing I love. I'm crazy about the combination of red, white, silver, and snowflakes, so BAM! I built a tree around that. I adore Boyd's plush ornaments, so BAM! I created another tree just for them. Classic Pooh ornaments make me all warm and fuzzy, so BAM! There's a tree for that.
But then there's a whole slew of other things I love, but can't quite do a whole tree around them. There's the motion ornaments that I have been collecting since high school. As much as I love them, it's just not possible to buy more than one per year (HOLY EXPENSIVE ORNAMENTS, BATMAN!). There's also the ornaments that represent each of our pets, including the ones that are no longer with us. It's probably a good thing that there are only a half dozen or so of those.
Most cherished, though, are the ornaments that Alexis has made. Last year was the first year that she came home from school with a handful of fantastically tacky and oddly-shaped ornaments. I LOVE THEM. SO MUCH. This year we added to those handmade ornaments with something special--blown glass ornaments from the Pittsburgh Glass Center. They aren't perfectly imperfect like the cookie cutter ones Alexis has made in the past, but they are amazing in their own way. Bonus: We made them.
We headed to the Pittsburgh Glass Center early on a Saturday morning, converging with @JanePitt and her son, who Alexis totally has a crush on (GAH!). I listened intently as the instructor told us how the process worked. Alexis stared at @JanePitt's son, not listening at all. The instructor was super patient as he had to repeat a few things over and over because HELLO, I SUCK AT LISTENING and my kid didn't even try. In my defense, it really didn't help that Alexis had decided to throw on her Shy Cloak the minute she saw her not-so-secret crush. Between prying her off of my legs and trying to make sure I didn't bump into some molten hot glass, it's a wonder I heard anything the instructor said.
When it got to be our turn, I picked out the colors I wanted to use for my ornament. The instructor picked up a gob of clear glass, layered some blue and white glass over it, heated it up over and over, and then held it on the end of a long tube as he told me to blow into the other end. Slow. Fast. Slower. Faster. More. More. Did you know it's impossible to look cute while blowing into a giant straw? IT IS.
Photo courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis
And when that long tube keeps moving back and forth so that the glass didn't fall off? SO. NOT. CUTE.
Anyway.
Then it was Alexis' turn to make her ornament. She decided she wanted to do white and clear so that her ornament would look like little snowflakes floating on glass. She's kind of a genius for thinking of that, but she's kind of an evil princess for being all, "HECK NO. I am NOT blowing into that thing because that boy over there is cute and not even *I* can make blowing into a giant straw look cute."
She made me do hers. NOT. CUTE.
Photo courtesy of Nathan J. Shaulis
But she was more than willing to take credit for the whole production once it was done. Go figure.
Photo courtesy of Nathan J. ShaulisEver since then, she has told *EVERYBODY* about how she made a, "pretty glass ornament with snowflakes." She doesn't even slightly hint that I might deserve a tiny bit of credit for that. OF COURSE.
And here are the ornaments:
History will say that Alexis made that one, but history will be lying.
History will say that one is MINE ALL MINE. And it'll be true.
Big thanks to the Pittsburgh Glass Center for inviting us out!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Reader Comments (9)
I took Mrs. Crappy to the center last week for her birthday; the ornaments we made turned out to be beautiful, and we had a blast while we were there. We will do that again.
Ooh. I don't think time allows for us to hit it up this year, but maybe next year. Very cool.
@Uncle Crappy--We're definitely doing it again as well. Hopefully Alexis won't get distracted by The Cute the next time, though. ;-)
Aw now I want to go, so pretty!!!!
the year mom died i took several aunts to the glass center on mother's day so that we could make glass flowers. loved the experience. that place is such a hidden gem of the city!
I want to do this SO BAD!
@Tiffany and @Gina--DOOOO IT! Like @hellohahanarf said, it's definitely a great place to go.
I am so doing this next year. I've always ALWAYS wanted to get a chance to do something like this but as a hobby it's so expensive... but THIS is incredibly affordable and it looks like an amazing experience!
Oh, my. Those are gorgeous! I'm going to start calling you Michelle Chihuly. ;-)