It's been a great weekend. I was feeling pretty stressed last week because the house wasn't decorated, the Christmas shopping wasn't done and I was about two weeks behind schedule. Thanksgiving weekend is my usual time to get ready for Christmas but with us being out of town, nothing got done. Add to that, I had a number of deadlines after I returned.
Last year, I remember going through the same thing and then just hurriedly doing the prep so that I could say it was done. There was honestly no enjoyment of the moments...and consequently, no great memories of that time. This year, I had a "come to Jesus" discussion (i.e., very serious discussion) with myself on Saturday morning. I was going to take my time. Savor the moments. Enjoy the process.
It was GREAT. FUN. JOYFUL.
As I was climbing up and down the mega ladder with armfuls of Santas, I thought about previous years and how everything that was important always got done and maybe all the other stuff didn't really matter.
So, as I'm sitting here typing away, smelling the baking ham, listening to the Christmas music in the background, I thought I'd share some of the scenes from around the house...
These are the Santas above the three armoires which store all my "stuff".
Here's a close up of the center section. I was too lazy to bring the mega
ladder back in so I'm shooting up into their faces...the shots aren't the best!
This is Marvin the elf helping out...he's trying to put the silver and crystal
garland on but he's made a huge mess...so it's all sitting out on the table :)
This is what you see when you walk in through the front door...the highest
point of the ceiling is over 20 feet high which gives me a lot of space on the
shelves. To put it in perspective, the center Santa on the rocking horse is
over two and a half feet high.
This is our "tree-o" (I know...cheesy!) in the corner. Sounds more impressive
than what it really is. Three skinny trees ranging in height from 7' to 5' to 3',
all covered with Santa ornaments. The jester keeps watch.
A close up of the jester. Ashley gave him to me for my birthday last year and
we jokingly told my sister-in-law that he was her blind date for Christmas
Eve dinner...the general consensus was that he beat the last blind date she had!
This is one of my favorite guys...he was custom made for me by Cindy Gray,
an artist is Maryland who makes museum quality Santas. All of the clothing
is made from vintage pieces of fabric or clothing and she hand made the tin
lantern and wooly lamb.
Another of my favorites which I hand made in 1999. What was so weird about
him was that he ended up looking like my maternal grandfather. I was really
close to Dyedushka...maybe the subconscious mind took over when I was
sculpting. I was distracted from sculpting when I started scrapbooking but
I'm thinking I'd like to take a week long clinic in Montana this summer from
an incredible Santa artist.
Can't forget the outside. A piece of a cypress tree with barbed wire wrapped
around it...and satiny glass ornaments (which the hummingbirds have been
buzzing this afternoon :). Our nod, really our only nod, to the Southwest...
Looking forward to this coming week...the Christmas shopping, getting the house in order for Christmas Eve dinner (an invasion of 17 people), doing cards, buying cookie tins for our commercial clients...joyful about the coming celebration of the birth of Christ!
That is quite the Santa collection you have there! Very nice displays. Love all your armories...especially the black ones. Couldn't help notice the reference to your 'dyedushka'....are you Russian? One might say you have quite the 'Father Frost' collection!
Posted by: Annette | December 10, 2006 at 09:56 PM
Girl I am loving your Santa collection and how gorgeous your house looks.
Posted by: Lee | December 10, 2006 at 11:39 PM
wow!!!!!! Amazing!! Whatever do you feed a crowd like that?! So beautiful Carol!!
Posted by: teresa | December 11, 2006 at 03:47 AM
Glad you took the time to enjoy the Christmas preparations. That is what it's all about. I've made the decision to stop doing the th ings that I don't enjoy and take the time to enjoy the ones that I do. It's made a huge difference for me.
You really go all out with the decorating. You should make sure lots of people see it. Pretty amazing!
Enjoy the season.
Posted by: debbie | December 11, 2006 at 08:58 AM
You may need to build an addition to your home for all those Santas if you continue to collect them. And they are divine!!! Of course my favorites are the neutral-toned Santas.
Posted by: Jeanette | December 11, 2006 at 01:35 PM
Carol, thanks for sharing! I collect Santas also, but your's put mine to shame. Guess my snowmen are more unusual! Have a wonderful and blessed holiday!
Posted by: Judy in Carefree | December 11, 2006 at 10:20 PM
Yur collection is blowing me away - it is just beautiful! I ADORE the one with the wooly little lamb. I can see why he is a favorite!
Posted by: Jennifer Sizemore | December 12, 2006 at 10:53 AM
Wow Carol, you have a truly impressive, unique and beautiful collection...and what an amazingly huge job to stage it all so perfectly! I'd love to see it IRL some day!
(p.s. from what you shared, I think Marvin is my favorite...I'm hopeless with garland too, lol!)
Posted by: carlene | December 12, 2006 at 07:36 PM
Your Santa's brought a Christmas smile to my face. I am also running a month behind. Perhaps I should plan on celebrating next month.
Have a great day!
Tina from Moncton
Posted by: Tina MacGougan | December 15, 2006 at 04:14 AM
I too am a Santa Collector. My DH has a Christmas EVE Bday & our anniversary is Dec 27....27 years this year. Woo Hoo! So it was a Natural fit. After counting them up a couple of years ago he said I had to D@#& many Santas and started giving me Angels. He soo doesn't "Get It" since I now have 11 angels to go with my 140 Santas, most of which he has given me! LOL I love the one you sculpted yourself! I've never tried that.
Posted by: VanC | December 15, 2006 at 06:59 AM
Holy Kris Kringle, woman!
you have Santa issues, methinks!
;-)
(that's just the envy talkin'...they look AWESOME!)
Posted by: Kimberly Kwan | December 22, 2006 at 12:27 PM