Show Me Christmas

Amarllis Assortment

At this time of the year with the snow falling almost daily, I spend a lot of time thinking of the beautiful flowers of spring.  There are several things about spring I love.

First, the number of daylight hours increases.  It just makes you feel like you have so much more time.  Daylight hours seem more productive.   Second, Spring is a wonderful time of the year.  In the spring, plants and trees sprout new leaves and my favorite flowers bloom.  Spring flowers are beautiful and fragrant.  Last and most important spring gives you a new lease on life and certainly a better attitude about life.

If you have been a little depressed about the weather outside, you might start a floral ornament collection.  It will certainly give you something beautifully to see while we wait for spring.

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.

Candy Hearts

Nothing says ‘Be Mine’ like the gift of candy hearts. 

But the gift of handblown glass candy hearts imported from Poland will continue to say ‘Be Mine’ for years to come so be sure to give your VALENTINE the gift that keeps on giving.

Heart with Gold Vines

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  Make that box of chocolates SHINE with a decorative hand blown glass heart tied in with the bow. 

After the chocolates are long gone, the handblown glass heart will remain as a reminder of that special day and be a great collectible to cherish for years to come.

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.

Twelve Days of Christmas

One of the best ways to spread the Christmas spirit is by decorating the Christmas tree. Christmas ornaments and Christmas lights are always guaranteed to brighten every living room. Hand crafted Christmas ornaments with a Santa water-color painting inside or nativity scene will be beautiful additions to your tree.

Every Christmas ornament usually represents a personal Christmas story to tell. Let each member of the family remember a story that can be shared to everyone. A Christmas ornament inherited from grandparents can serve to inspire and remind everyone in your family about the value of sharing and giving.

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!