~ Ho Ho Ho ~

I am lucky enough to have a Bernina sewing machine that also does embroidery. I love my Bernina, but I cannot tell a lie ...

I use the embroidery options ... rarely. But, when I do ... I'm always tickled with the results.

It tickles me to put a little holiday cheer in some of the ... other ... nooks and crannies in my home.

Santa really likes to hang out here.

(The mall restrooms can be so gross sometimes.)

~ The Lighter Side of Santa ~

I have amassed a fairly large collection of Santas.

This guy joined the family this year.

I put him in the living room with other ... paler ... Santas.

All those above were purchased at a TJMaxx / Marshalls kind of store.

This guy ... possibly my favorite ... was purchased at The Dollar Store.
For a dollar.

Many of my Santas didn't make the cut this year.  This year I approached my Christmas decor with a much lighter touch.  I have to say that I'm very happy with the results.
I'll be even happier when the time comes to put them all away.

How about you?

Do you put it all out every year or do your collections get to take turns?

~ Ornamental ~

Just as I have had a lot of years to collect Santas, I have also collected ornaments. For many, many years I have had two trees, one large and one small. (There was a year I had three ... but let me assure you ... it was not worth it.) The ornament you see above is the very first one I made as a newlywed at a church craft event. It still goes on the tree every year. For the record, the mix of the ornaments on the big/small trees is different from year to year. There are so many categories of ornaments now that they must sometimes take turns. I try not to hear them weeping if they didn't make the cut that year.

Handmade. A "bird" phase.

Handmade. Everyone gets an embroidered stuffed ornament.

More birds.

Gift ornament. From my sister. Love these beauties.

More of the gift.

A gift from El Salvador from my daughter, Mrs. Dub.

Old (from the seventies) and very sentimental.

New (um ... two years ago) and becoming sentimental.

Let it snow ...

... let it snow.

What's a tree without a bird in it? (Note: not from my actual "bird" phase.)

From my continual Santa phase.

All surrounded by a blanket of snow on the ground.

Now excuse me while I listen to some carols at the spinet.

Linking to Home Sweet Home
Linking to Feathered Nest Friday
Linking to Common Ground

~ Yes, Virginia ~

At my house, Santa has not only come to town, he has brought a lot of relatives with him. Most of them are staying in my Family Room.

Some of them hold toys ... some of them hold trees ... and some of them hold more smaller Santas inside.

One of them sings a very hokey version of "You'd better watch out" when you press his hand, but trust me, he is one of the most loved.

This one above has been designated as an official play thing for my grandson, Mr. Gee. He knows he can nest and un-nest them to his hearts desire.

All of them look really old. None of them really are.

Lot's of them still have the Marshalls price tags stuck to the bottom.

These lighter colored ones earned a place in the living room with the greens and the blues.

These one even has a little bit of pink to go with my new pillows.

This one has a coat of blue which tickles me pink.

This one is the most recognizable as an art form. It's a beautiful Jim Shore that I cherish for his patchwork hem ...

... and the village he wears on his bowl full of jelly.

Oh yes, Virginia (I really truly do have a daughter named Virginia) there is indeed a Santa Claus. You still believe that don't you?

Linking to Coastal Charm

Linking to Savvy Southern Style