Decorating Your Home For a Fabulous Western Christmas

Christmas is soon approaching, so it is time for you to make plans and preparations for that very special western Christmas. Whether it is your first Christmas or one of many Christmas' make it a memorable one for friends and family. The following article provides design tips, available resources, and a few western decor products to help you get started creating that one-of-a-kind western Christmas.

For those who are not suave western decor designers, this is a must read article! If you love western decor design and publish articles in glossy magazines, this maybe a yawn for you. We can start with western decor tips. Often people panic at Christmas because of the increased cost of gifts, food, travel, lodging, and all of the other hidden expenses of the holiday. So, if you are on a tight budget, but want to decorate in a big western way, try pulling from your own resources. How about used boots, hats, western ties, spurs, and the list could go on! Now, what would you do with old used cowboy gear? Probably spray a little Lysol in the boots for starters, but don't clean or very little. Rustic appeal is hot right now, so don't go overboard with shinning up the ole' cowboy boots. Take all of your own western items and turn them into decor- centerpieces for the table, stockings for the kids and adults, lariat rope wreaths, spurs for hanging stockings, western tie card holders, cowboy hats on the tree, star garland made from discarded Texas or Wyoming license plates, red hankies for napkins, and the possibilities are endless. Do not be afraid to experiment with fabric, lights, and greenery, they accent the beauty of your decorations and home.

Don't forget about fresh sprigs of ceder or pine for the front porch or foyer decorations, some can be found at no cost from local farms. If you do not live close to a ranch or farm that has ample supplies, check at your local farmers market or tree stands to purchase your own. Want to add some more flavor to your home other than pine and cedar? What about fresh apple cider or coca brewing when guest come calling, smells create memories! Try serving in the old western styled tin cups- sometimes your local resale or thrift shop will have them available for purchase. Don't be afraid to scour the used clothing and resale shops for items that may make your western Christmas perfect without tipping the bank.

Decorating Your Home For a Fabulous Western Christmas

The best way to decide what kind of western Christmas decor you want to display and use are print and the Internet. You will find a host of magazines for free or to purchase at a reduced cost at your local library. Out dated magazines still have valuable information and a ton of ideas-even if it is only one idea that helps pull your western Christmas theme together, it is well worth looking through the old ones first. Of course current issues of American Cowboy, Cowboys & Indians, True West, and Western Horseman are all magazines that can be purchased at your local shopping venues on a bi-monthly bases. AC and C&I are two of the most popular western magazines, they offer western shoppers a host of ideas, resources, and opportunity to purchase merchandise.

A large percentage of western decor shoppers use the Internet to quickly access western decor ideas, resources, and the opportunity to communicate with other western enthusiast. Some of the best resources for western Christmas ideas are found at Cactus Creek Daily, http://www.cactuscreekdaily.com - a daily blog that provides not only information about western decor, but vintage, mixed with shabby chic. Readers will also have access to western shopping events and new product lines. There are many online western decor resources who offer a full line of western decor- even western Christmas items. Consumers should select online retailers who offer shoppers a place to blog about purchased products, new western decor ideas, and links to other western decor shopping. This Christmas, be sure to check out new cowhide Christmas tree skirts, cowhide Christmas ornaments, cowboy wreaths, assortment of rodeo glass balls, boot stockings, and so much more. Hot trends for this Christmas? Acid wash cowhides and teal blues and brown colors. Whatever you are searching for this Christmas, it is at the tip of your keyboard!

We hope that you not only have a beautiful western Christmas, but take time to enjoy creating a lasting Christmas filled with the smell and feel of a western holiday. If you need more information about western decor products or western decorating be sure to follow one of your favorite western decor blogs, Twitter, or Facebook. Use these communities to connect with other people who love rustic and western Christmas themes. Valuable resources are available at numerous western or country blogs and social media venues. Be sure to keep your collection of western print media handy as well. Even though the year has past, old ideas are always circulating.

Decorating Your Home For a Fabulous Western Christmas
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Anna Mayberry, owner of H&M Valley Ranch Store. Viewers may find western decor of interest at our online western decor shop http://www.h-mvalley.com Need to ask a western decor question? Follow H&M Valley Ranch on our western decor blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

The Rich History of the National Finals Rodeo

Even though the sport of rodeo has been around almost forever, the National Finals Rodeo, or NFR as it is commonly called, has a much more recent history. The first National Finals Rodeo was held at the Dallas State Fair Grounds in 1959, and since then, the NFR has gone through many interesting changes including a name change in 2001 to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Said to have been the brain-child of South Dakota legend Casey Tibbs, the idea behind the first ever National Finals Rodeo was to bring together the bets rodeo athletes and the toughest livestock in the world. Many now-famous cowboys competed at that first NFR including Tibbs, Jim Shoulders, Jim Bynum, Jack Buschbom and Dean Oliver. No one quite knew what to expect but hoped for the best since this was the first ever world championship of rodeo. The cowboys who entered competed for the first NFR purse of ,000!

Shoulders, still considered the most successful cowboy ever with 16 world titles, placed in six bull riding rounds in 1959, walking away with the NFR prize money and the world championships. In 1979, Jim Shoulders was honored in the inaugural class of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Placing sixth in the rankings, Tibbs rode in his final saddle bronc riding world championship during that 1959 National Finals Rodeo. Today Tibbs is remembered as the first cowboy to capture the hearts and attention of the media. Tibbs was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the additional honor of being depicted in the museum's signature statue -- a 20-footer of Tibbs riding a bronc named Necktie.

The Rich History of the National Finals Rodeo

Jack Buschbom won in the first round of the 1959 National Finals Rodeo's bareback riding and continued on to claim the NFR average crown and world title. Twenty years later, he, too, was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

For many years the NFR flourished, spending a few years in Los Angeles and then another 20 years in Oklahoma City. Cowboys still worked toward the what became known as "the Last Rodeo," but the media attention and purses did not really grow until the NFR moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985. The NFR always appealed to those cowboy athletes as a culmination of that year's hard work. With the move to Las Vegas, the appeal doubled -- in the form of a total of .8 million in prize money.

The performance of rookie calf roper Joe Beaver was arguably the most unpredictably exciting event in that first Las Vegas Finals. Very few had heard of him before that week, but with a roll of Vegas luck Beaver took the world championship and became one of the best known cowboys in rodeo. In that very same 1985 Vegas NFR, roughstock sensation Lewis Field of Elk Ridge, Utah, easily captured the world bareback riding title in what became his first of three world all around championships. The 1998 National Finals Rodeo counted Ty Murray as the new champion when he won an unprecedented seventh world all-around title while Dan Mortenson garnered his fifth world saddle-bronc riding title, falling just one short of Tibbs' long-standing record.

Many rodeos have come and gone since then and world titles can be won and lost in less time than the 8 second buzzer but the excitement never dims at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and the lights never go down even after the cowboys go home.

The Rich History of the National Finals Rodeo
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J Cobb is the Vice-President of Team One Tickets & Sports Tours, Inc., an independent ticket and travel broker specializing in tickets to the National Finals Rodeo as well as premium seating in the secondary market to sports, concerts and theatre worldwide since 1979.

Official NFR website

How to Make Funny Song Parodies in a Jiffy?

It seems that whenever there is a popular song. There are people who want to make a funny song parody out of it. They take the song from it's original state and convert it into something different. In most cases, these are simply made into something silly or funny. A parody is simply taking an original idea and making it into something else still using the basic elements of the original. Today you will learn how to make funny song parodies all on your own.

The first step is to pick a song you know well. It is hard to make a song parody when you barely know the original words. Most songs on the radio make great material. You can either download or go listen to the song on the internet. Once you are familiar with the song you are then free to play with the words. Print out the original lyrics if you can.

Second, Take the writing process one line at a time. Don't expect to write out a whole parody in an hour. When you are first starting off it can take a little bit of time. Take some time to brainstorm ideas. It helps to think of wacky things or even things that annoy you. You can use these to give your parodies a theme and then go on from there.

How to Make Funny Song Parodies in a Jiffy?

Thirdly, if you are having problems coming up with something just read the lines of the original song to yourself. Then think of something that rhymes. For instance, the original song would say---I like to go out to rodeo. Then you could say something like--- I like to go out to the clown show. Just have fun with your funny song parodies and don't be afraid to do something unusual it might surprise you how well it turns out.

How to Make Funny Song Parodies in a Jiffy?
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Nixon Lee is a singer and parody songwriter. He enjoys making others laugh. Learning how to make a parody song does not have to be hard. Find funny song parodies and more at his site. Go to=>>> http://www.facebook.com/funnysongparodies

A Child and a Wooden Toy Barn

What parent and grandparent does not want to give their child a unique toy that can be uplifting? A wooden toy barn would be a toy that would be high on the list. Children love to be in their own pretend world and what better world to be in than a play farmer?

Raising my children on a dairy farm, their dad built a barn for his children before they were born. This barn was not only a barn but represented a lifestyle. Children can play out their own world of parents and grandparents with a wooden toy barn.

I place a lot of emphasis on wooden toy barns because I believe that they are so much better in construction than the many plastic toy barns that are made and found in many stores today. Wooden toy barns are greatly detailed and become a unique, wooden toy that is manufactured here in the USA.
Some wooden toy barns have 4 sides and other wooden toy barns are open in the back so that a child has easy access to the inside with a loft and stall inside to play with all the animals that they "own."

A Child and a Wooden Toy Barn

Other wooden toy barns are large enough to be used as a toy box and even climb inside them and hide! No matter the size of wooden toy barns, they can all be used as toy boxes to keep their farm implements and animals inside. This also helps to keep things organized and helps a child to learn the skills of organization as well.

When playing with a wooden toy barn another toy that is almost essential is a wooden toy fence. All livestock farmers need to keep their animals corralled somehow and so does the little farmer. The best fences I have seen are the wooden toy fences that are expandable. These fences are nice as they can be in square or circle and fold up and can be stored inside the barn once the educational playtime is over.

Wooden toy barns made in the USA can be an excellent choice for a parent to give a child if they want to give a unique, quality built toy. A wooden toy barn can be purchase but there is another gift that comes with a different price tag. This gift can not be bought but it is spelled T-I-M-E. There is something special about that word when you see a child playing with a barn, fence and animals. When seeing a child so involved with their "real world", I would recommend that you put the remote down and join the little one and spend that last hour before bedtime feeding and caring for the livestock and encouraging the little farmer.

A wooden toy barn can be passed from generation to generation if given tender, loving care, and just as it seems like you blink your eyes and your child is grown and gone, there may come a day when the wooden toy barn that you gave your child, can now be given a new life playing once again..... this time with a wonderful grandchild! Yes, a wooden toy barn is a toy of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

A Child and a Wooden Toy Barn
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http://www.myuniquewoodentoys.com

Author: Teresa Martin