Show Me Christmas

Fruit and Vegetable Wreath

Why not mix things up this Christmas and try something different on your Christmas tree.  Try a garden tree with fruit and vegetable ornaments, tractors, flower pots, garden tools and dried flowers. 

This will really get people talking about your Christmas tree.

 If you always loved the fruit and vegetable ornaments, but never wanted a fruit and vegetable themed tree,  think of this wonderful wreath in your kitchen window. 

 It really is delightful through the winter months, when the sun glistens off of these wonderful ornaments and reminds us that Spring always comes.

However you decorate for winter do it with a spirit of joy and fun!

Even though Christmas is almost a year away, it is never too soon to start making preparing for the holiday season. Here are some helpful pointers for decorating next holiday.  First off would be to hang some Christmas lights outside the house. This way, even your neighbors will be in a festive mood. Next is to find the perfect Christmas tree. It could be a real pine tree or you can choose a store-bought one.

Think of a theme for this year’s Christmas decor. You can adorn your tree with angel ornaments or blown glass Christmas ornaments. Or perhaps you choose to layer your tree with icicles and ribbons. To complete the look of your home, hang a Christmas tapestry on a wall. Now you’re all set for the holidays!

It can seem like you’re in a rush to do a hundred things all at the same time when you’re preparing for holiday guests. To make your party or gathering seem manageable, consider taking the time to plan out what you need to get done each day. Start bringing out your holiday décor early, and clear off tables, shelves, and mantles where you intend to display it in advance. If you happen to have kids and think they are careful enough to handle your Polish ornaments, allow them to help placing them around the house. This will help save you time and give them something to do.

Once you’ve finished decorating, you will want to do things like food preparation and lighting candles closer to last minute, but be prepared with recipes and matches.  Organizing your schedule will keep you from going mad under all the pressure!

Each Christmas I look forward to decorating the tree with my family. We always pick out a big Douglas fir and decorate it about two weeks before the holiday with our vast collection of Christmas tree ornaments. My family has so many decorations; it’s hard to get them organized. It usually takes my brother and me more than an hour to carry the bulky boxes of holiday decorations downstairs.

After we get the boxes into the living room we like to go through them one by one. It usually takes a while because we always find little treasures from the past. The ornament I made in third grade from a blown-out eggshell or the funny picture of my brother when his front teeth were missing. After we get done unpacking the ornaments we like to sit on the couch together and gaze at our beautiful tree and wondrous Christmas home décor.

The holiday season is about togetherness, giving, appreciating ones family and friends, and being thankful.  The Christmas tree is a central part of the Christmas, and as such should become an important part of family tradition.  Giving children, spouses, or loved ones a new ornament every year provides a way for families to reminisce about years past, and also to look forward to adding to the tree each year. Christmas ornaments should not only serve as aesthetically pleasing objects, but as reminders of Christmases past and objects which celebrate Christmases to come.

Kids will love getting their new ornament each year; try purchasing something unique each year that will remind them of that year in particular. For example, if your son can’t get enough of Bob the Builder at age four, purchase a Bob the Builder ornament to serve as a reminder of that phase in their life. My husband and I have more sophisticated tastes and always buy each other handblown glass ornaments at Christmas time.

Rooster Minstrel

The domestic chicken has a long history in the United States.  Chickens provided meat and eggs for the settlers, and they are still a big business for many farmers.  It is no wonder these fine-feathered friends are depicted and collected in many forms.  Roosters are more colorful than chickens and there are many species to choose from.  Bantam roosters are probably the most popular type of bird, primarily because their long plumage is very colorful and attractive.

The origin of Kauai’s chickens come from the original Polynesian settlers, who brought them as a food source.  1992’s Hurricane Iniki caused the roosters to be dispersed throughout the island.  Kauai is now home to thousand of wild chickens.  Wild roosters have often been known to disturb at very early hours with their crowing and are often seen just walking down the road.  A very unique experience to the islands of  Hawaii.

The American designer and artist, Abigail Pfeffer designed a colorfully dressed rooster strumming a musical instrument.  It is a hand blown glass ornament beautifully hand painted and created in Poland.  A truly unique ornament for the rooster collector!

The Beekeeper

Many have collected bears of all sorts for many years.  The teddy bear is a uniquely Amerian gift tht is over 100 years old.  The name “teddy” bear dates back to president Theodore Roosevelt.  A toy shop owner made a small stuffed bear and put it in her store window.  She sent one to Roosevelt and requested permission to call them “teddy’s bears”.  Roosevelt was delighted with the toy, and agreed to allow the name to be used.

In the next few years bears became something of a craze in American.  In 1906 Roosevelt even used the teddy bear as a moscot in his bid for re-election.  And the rest as they say is history!

Today, there are all kinds of uses for bears:  Romantic gifts, children’s toys and of course, Christmas ornaments.  Abigail Pfeffer, the American designer and artist has designed an unique beekeeper bear ornament.  It was hand blown and hand painted in Poland.  This mouth blown glass ornament is an unusually unique, beautifully detailed and truly elegant ornament.  Children and adults will love this ornament.  If you are a collector of bears, this is the ornament for you!

Puss-in-Boots

“Puss-in-Boots is a French fairy tale about a cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for his penniless and low-born master.  “Puss-in-Boots has provided inspiration for composers, choreographers and other artists over the centuries.

It has also inspired Abigail Pfeffer an American designer and artist, who designs the most stunning and unusual Christmas ornaments. Abigail has developed an extraordinary collection of glass hand blown Christmas ornaments.   Her design of Puss-in-Boots was hand blown and exquisitly hand painted in Poland.  It is a most unusual collectible!

Rainbow Heart

Rainbows can be observed whenever there are water drops in the air and sunlight shining from behind a person on the ground.  The most spectacular rainbow displays happen when half of the sky is still dark with raining clouds and the observer is at a spot with clear sky in the direction of the sun. 

Rainbows can be caused by other forms of water than rain, including mist, spray and dew.  The mist from a waterfall may also result in a rainbow.  Rainbows may also form in the spray created by waves.  That’s why Hawaii with its many waterfalls and waves is often called the rainbow state.

I think it is fun at this time of the year, when I am often missing the glorious days by the beach or in the sun, to create a themed Christmas tree.  I love all things that remind me of the sun, sea and beach.  All of the rainbow ornaments that are so colorful and cheerful are perfect for that seaside themed Christmas tree.  You can also add shell, fish and sea animal ornaments as well.  Anything that reminds you of summer fun or vacation fun by the beach. 

A perfect addition to this tree is the rainbow heart ornament from the Abigail Collection.  It is a hand blown and hand painted glass ornament imported from Poland.  This colorful ornament is so cheerful it is sure to light up the holidays!