a vintage Christmas

When I walk into Hobby Lobby at Christmas time I am amazed at all the new decorations. How do they come up with such great new things every year?  They are so sparkly and glittery and trendy, and, well, they are really cute and I want them.  I think to myself, my stuff is so old and so out of date, I should just re-do everything and catch my house up with the times. 

But I don't. 

 Because the bottom line is, so many of my Christmas decorations have a story, they have a place in my heart, and I know that I will never get rid of then to make room for the glitter.

  These decorations of mine are what, in my opinion, make my house magical at this time of year.

Here are just a few. 

 

My carolers.

 

 Their feet have fallen off and their twiggy hair is getting sparse, But they have been singing their hearts out on my bookshelf since the early years of my marriage. 

Way back when wood and tole painting were really in. 

 

 

 

  My Santa on blocks.

 

I actually made this one.  I carefully hot glued my new last name together out of baby blocks, putting a fancy twist on that one letter L.  I thought it was the cutest thing I ever made. 

Sometimes, when I pull it out, I still think that.

 

My nativity.

 

On a back alley, in a dusty little shop on the streets of Jerusalem I very carefully picked out each piece of my olive wood nativity set.  Each member had to be perfect.  I can clearly remember looking at the swirl of the wood on the back of Mary's robe.  I remember thinking that my future children would someday gently hold each piece and love them like I did. 

Their staffs have long been broken by those future children of mine, but the pieces are loved and it is consistently a highlight to set it up each year.

 

My homemade napkin holder. 

 

 Painted by a little scout.  So proudly placed on the counter that first year with big wide eyes that said, "are you going to use it mom?"

 

 

 

My trees.

 

These glass trees were our very first Christmas decorations.  It was our first Christmas together.  We were living in our tiny little apartment.  We didn't have much.  I found these trees at DI.  I think they were 25 cents each.  I brought them home, washed them up, stuffed tissue paper inside them and if you look closely I even sprinkled some gold confetti inside to really make them special. And you want to know what? 

Even without the confetti they are special. 

Always will be.

 

  

 

 

Ornaments.   

 

This one is so precious and one that makes us laugh every year.  Ethan's frame.  It is huge.  He has a big glob of food in his mouth.  The year he brought it home from nursery he hung it smack in the front of the tree.  The older kids kept moving it to the back.  The next day he would find it and move it right back to the front.  This went on day after day.  Now, there is no debate.  It is front and center every year.  That cute big glob of food for all to see.

How about the pretzel ornament?

 

 Whose idea was it to make an ornament with pretzels?  Yep, they are going on 10 years now, those pretzels.  Yummy.  I was just informed this year that the reason there are some pretzels missing from this delicious little ornament is because there happens to be a dare taking place for someone different to eat a piece of the 10 year old pretzel each year.  No one has died yet, but I guess at this rate this one's not going to be around forever. That makes me sad.

 

And we can't forget creepy gingerbread man. 

 

 Another one of Ethan's creations.  He was so proud.  He was on an art kick one year.  I think he made, like 20 little paper ornaments. 

This is the only one I kept. 

I love it. 

Oh, over the years I have added some new decorations.  I have succumbed to the new and the sparkly.  But these few decorations above will be here as long as I am, and then when I'm gone who knows. Perhaps they will all end up at DI, where some of them started,  perhaps they will grace the tables and bookshelves of some of my children.  Perhaps my grandchildren will hold each nativity piece and notice the marbling on Mary's back.  Or, maybe they will just be with me and Trev in our mansion in heaven. Our sparkly heavenly home dotted with these precious keepsakes from our earthly home. 

 I know this won't happen, but the thought makes me smile,

just like these decorations do.