Show Me Christmas

First Christmas in Our New Home

For most people Christmas ornaments often hold special memories.  A new ornament added to our collection is often to commemorate a special event or occasion.

A really special event is someone celebrating their first Christmas in their new home.  Remember this special year with this beautiful hand blown and hand painted glass ornament from Poland. 

This ornament makes a perfect gift for a new home owner, a perfect housewarming gift or for someone celebrating Christmas in their first home.

This is not only a wonderful gift, but a life time keepsake!

Twelve Days of Christmas

Abigail Pfeffer presents her interpretation of the Twelve Days of Christmas in this beautiful collection of hand painted and hand blown glass ornaments made in Poland.

These ornaments continue to be my all time favorite set of ornaments.  I love the way each ornament presents each day of the twelve days of Christmas in such beautiful and exquisite detail. 

I love traditional ornaments that never go out of style and that I am excited to get out each year for my Christmas tree.   A truly remarkabe set of glass ornaments representing the Twelve Days of Christmas.  They make a wonderful collectors item!

Penquins on Ice

What is it that makes penquins just irresistible to most people? 

One thing we are fascinated by is that penquins spend half of their life on land and half in the ocean.

Another fascination is the way penquins move.  Penquins either waddle on their feet or slide on their bellies across the snow, a movement call “tobogganing” which conserves energy while moving quickly.  They also jump with both feet together if they want to move more quickly or cross steep or rocky terrain.

We are fascinated by the way penquins look.  All penquins are countershaded for camouflage – they have black backs and wings with white fronts.  A predator looking up from below water has difficulty distinquishing between a white penquin belly and the reflective water surface.  The dark plumage on their backs camouflages them from above.

Another fascination is that penquins for the most part breed in large colonies which results in a high level of social interaction between penquins.

If you are a penquin lover, this is the ornament for you.  This penquin family is dressed in brightly colored hats and scarves and has been hand blown and hand painted in Poland.  This will make a great addition to your ornament collection!

Bride and Groom Ornament

If you know someone that has married this last year or in the last few years, and are thinking  of a unique gift for them this year at Christmas time then take a look at this delightful old fashion bride and groom ornament. 

I love the idea of  starting keepsake ornaments for the couple that they can add to each year.  What a perfect way for them to start their Christmas collection.

This is the nicest bride and groom ornament which was  hand blown and hand painted in Poland.  The detailed work is exquisite!

Ginger Jar Ornaments

  For many, many years people have decorated with ginger jars.  It might be as a lamp base, a vase or other art object.  Many collectors are attracted by what is know as the old blue and white. 

I love looking for unusual Christmas ornaments and really fell in love with these unique hand blown and hand painted ginger jar ornaments from Poland.

These ornaments will really be new and different for your Christmas tree this year.

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.