Thursday, December 4, 2008

CHRISTmas Collections

Do you like to collect things? CHRISTmas is a perfect time begin a collection. Sweet Linda Charlene (my sis-in-law) collects "puffy" ornaments. You know the blown glass type. My friends Paula and Brenda collect SNOWMEN. Another friend collects Wizard of Oz ornaments. Well I was never a "collector" until the first year Prince Charming and I were married. That year I began collecting Old World SANTAS. I think I've mentioned that on a previous post. I thought I would show a few of my favorite ones. I was going to post a project on using old garden urns to display extra ornaments, unfortunately I had a few "technical" difficulties. That's code for "my paint did not set as intended because of a heavy NC frost". It's always a good idea to NOT forget your project on the back deck overnight. Ha,ha. So we will revisit that project later - much later. This is one of my favorite SANTAS. I love his light green damask robe trimmed in dark brown fur. He fits perfectly with my family room decorations this CHRISTmas. His beard is made of frayed white velvet strands. I received this SANTA the first year we lived in North Carolina This SANTA is about 5 years old. He is wearing a blue and red plaid robe trimmed in gray sheep skin. I love the little Teddy Bear he is carrying in the top of his sack and the rustic rope tied at his waist. His staff is fashioned from a real wooden twig with real pine cones attached.

This was the last SANTA I purchased while living in FLORIDA. He matches the new window treatments I featured in an earlier blog. His robe is almost an exact match with the gold, brown and deep red brocade of the window panels. I really like the SANTAS that feature shorter robes and boots vs. the tree topper styles. They are more stable and hold up much better. The plastic cones under the long robes tend to warp after a couple of years.


I usually group my collection is threes or fives. Always use ODD numbers especially if you have varying heights or sizes. During the holidays I clear away most of my accessories from end tables, consoles and shelves. This makes room to display seasonal collections. Sometimes I will arrange my regular accents and accessories "under" my end tables. I saw this trick used in a model home and thought it was a great way to make space for your CHRISTmas decor while solving the question of where to store things during the holidays.

This was a new addition to my collection last year from Sweet Linda Charlene. Prince Charming L-O-V-E-S to "go" fishing! In honor of her Big Brother's preferred past-time, this SANTA enjoys some down-time after the hectic holiday rush! No matter what you collect at CHRISTmas time, it is always fun and sentimental to unpack your collections each year and remember the people and the moments that make the collections special.





1 comment:

  1. Fun to see all your Santas.
    I'll be watching for the urn project!

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