Show Me Christmas

Hawaii, the Rainbow State, is the inspiration for a collection of handblown glass ornaments, and a trip there introduces you to their favorite quote:  No rain — no rainbows!!  During a recent trip to Maui we counted 42 rainbows in just one week.   

For those of you with the “Aloha Spirit” a collection of rainbow ornaments is just for you.  All handblown glass ornaments are handpainted by the finest Polish artisans and will bring to life the aloha spirit in your home. From the Rainbow Santa to the Rainbow tree topper, each ornament will bring a swirl of color to your tree.

Mix among the rainbow ornaments some tropical fish ornaments and fish garland to provide the  finishing touch.

A child’s first Christmas is often an important day for him and his family.  Many families remember this day not only with photographs and toys, but with baby’s first Christmas ornament.

Baby’s first Christmas ornament can be a treasured keepsake that not only grows up with the baby who originally received it, but can go on to become a family heirloom to be passed on to future generations.

 German Christmas ornaments are often in the shape of nutcrackers, which represented officers or other officials.  The earliest wooden nutcrackers were very simply made, originating in the Erzgebirge region of Germany a century ago. 

New nutcracker models are created each year, but the creation of beautiful folk art in the Erzgebirge Mountains of Germany has remained largely the same since the early days.  Nutcrackers not only serve the very purpose that shares their name, but are perhaps the quintessential German Christmas ornaments.

Twelve Days of Christmas!! What a fun song we all remember from our childhood. But is it just a fun song?

Actually, the song was written in the 16th century for the children as a way to help them remember some of the religious teachings. For instance “A Partridge in a Pear Tree” symbolized Jesus and Two Turtle Doves represented the old and new testament of the Bible.

It has evolved through the ages to the present day song that refers to the 12 days from December 25th to January 6th known as epiphany.

Whatever the meaning, the hand blown glass ornaments pictured above create a beautiful tree. All are handcrafted and hand painted by the best artisans and imported from Poland.

To add variety to your Christmas decor try a theme tree this year.  The Alice in Wonderland tree pictured at the left is a perfect example of a gorgeous theme tree that will appeal to young and old alike. 

The ornaments bring to life the old time favorite storybook tale beginning with the White Rabbit to the watch he carried while he said “I’m Late!  I’m Late!  I’m Late!”

Be sure to check out the Queen of Hearts, Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpiller and the teapot for a complete look.  Of course all of these handpainted ornaments are of the finest quality hand blown glass imported from Poland.

Happy Decorating!!

Tree toppers have been around forever, but you might not have heard of the term finials.  Finials sound exotic, but it is just another name for tree toppers.  I suspect that many, including myself, started using the term finials as we found many of the following ways to use them to decorate.

Finials make a gorgeous display on a mantle!  You may use a finial stand, which may hold a single finial or a multiple stand which may hold three are more finials.  I love to use glass candle holders. Use a small piece of dowel rod the size of a candle (not too thick or your finial will not fit down over the rod) place one end of the rod in the candle holder and place the finial over the other.  That way you may have groupings of finials at each end of the mantle or throughout the greenery.

Finials also are beautiful in a table centerpiece.  I often use finials instead of candles.  Since the experts say not to use candles on a table unless you intend to light them,  I love the use of finials in my favorite crystal candlesticks.  It gives you the height of candles without the mess of candles.  To make your Christmas table unique try using finials this year.  You will find a wonderful assortment of finials at ShowMeChristmas.com  They have beautiful hand blown glass ornaments and finials.  It is a great website to find traditional as well as non-traditional colors and styles.

Of course, if you must you can still use a finial on the top of your tree, but I encourage you to try decorating with finials in other aspects of your Christmas decor.

 Happy decorating!!

Santas are my thing and I have been an avid collector for years.  I often do a Santa theme tree at Christmas.  After collecting Santas for years I have every shape and size.  In recent years I have been a lot more particular about the Santas I collect.  I have to be – my husband questions – How many tubs of Santa ornaments can one person have? Well, I just find that a silly question. Of course, there is always room for one more. 

 But as I have tried to be more selective, I find that my favorite ornaments are hand blown glass ornaments usually from Germany or Poland. I find these to be the best quality and I love the fact that they are mouth blown and hand painted. I put Santa ornaments into the two following categories: 

Traditional – for a Santa to be classified as tradional it has to be in typical Christmas colors of red, green, gold, white etc. I really love the old style Santas with Santa hat, beard, red suit and large bag. This category is probably my favorite with the addition of something unique like a pearl coat or a gold staff. Something that makes the ornament especially appealing and different. It amazes me what beautiful workmanship and hand painting is involved. Two of my personal favorites are  Santa with the Pearl Coat and Holly Santa from ShowMeChristmas.com. 

Non-traditional – for a Santa to be classified as non-traditional it may be any color and dressed in any way. These Santas are always fun with a beautiful array of colors and unique characteristics. These are often beautiful with gorgeous workmenship and lovely details. For non-traditional the more detail the better. I love the Celestial Santa or the Leopard Santa or even the Santa’s Steed all from ShowMeChristmas.com. 

Well, it’s time to start thinking about that time of the year. I always enjoy seeing what is new for the Christmas season.   Happy collecting!!