Special Santas ~ Favorite Things

I have lots of Santas to be displayed at Christmastime, but two are very special ones.  They both belonged to a very dear aunt and I am so glad that I have them today.

 I remember this roly-poly one on display in her home every Christmas. She painted it and I remember asking why the fur on his hat was black. She said it was so that you could see it since it was right next to his beard. I guess that satisfied me, but when Noli asked the same thing she insisted that it should be white and "of course you can tell his beard from his hat!" Can you believe it -- some 50ish years later, she asks the same question!

As you can see, he has a very round tummy! He's heavy so I guess he must eat a lot of Christmas cookies! He's made of a solid plaster -- I imagine my aunt painted him back in the 40s or 50s. She would spiff him up and repaint where necessary every few years but I have left him as he was when she gave him to me. I don't want to paint over her art!

I was thrilled when she gave him to me after I had married! She knew how precious he was to me and now he brings back lovely memories of my aunt.

This Santa, on the other hand, has been on a diet so he's not so chubby. The same aunt painted him in the 60s or early 70s and gave him to me sometime in the 80s.  At first I wasn't so wild about him but, over the years, have grown to love him. Sometimes I put Christmas cards in his bag, but lately I've let him hold some poinsettias.

He has sparkly glitter on his fur, and I love his blue eyes and cute bald head! Oh yeah, questions from Noli on the bald head too!!

Now I need to get these two guys put up in their rightful Christmas places. I kind of stopped on the decorating after Noli put the ornaments on the tree!

She decided that those yellow ornaments (another favorite thing by the way) should all be clumped together and there was nothing I could say that would change her mind! We ended up with a big area with nothing, not an ornament in sight, and those yellow ones all clumped together -- that girl can really decorate a tree! LOL! (Not to mention that red bead garland -- her idea of draping and mine are two different things!)

I don't care -- I'm just thrilled that this has become our little tradition each year. Doesn't matter that the tree isn't perfect! Because Noli is.

The yellow ornaments were made as a Christmas gift by my sister-in-law for her mother -- her house at that time was decorated in yellow and green. So Jan made six yellow and six green ornaments. After my mother-in-law's death, Jan asked me if I would like to have a set -- of course I did! -- and chose the yellow ones.

Aren't they beautiful? She wrapped styrofoam balls with ribbon and created the design with gold rick rack, gold sequins and pearl pins. I love them!

..... but I'd prefer them to be spaced out a bit on the tree.....  

♥♥♥  Linking my Santas to A Favorite Thing over at Mockingbird Hill

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Two Special Santas

Today, being Rednesday, I wanted to share these two very special Santas. They were made by my aunt many, many years ago.

I remember this jolly Santa sitting out every year -- she always told me that I could look at it, but not pick it up... I'm glad she did because, after I grew up, she gave it to me! And I could pick it up all I wanted! I've always been very careful with my special Santa, because so many happy memories are associated with him.

My aunt would occasionally spruce him up with a bit of paint here and there where needed -- no sprucing needed on my account I can tell you!! But I have chosen to leave him just as he is -- the little chippy areas just make him all the more special. I don't know his real birthday, but he's at least 60 something... or he could be in his 70s or 80s for all I know, depending on when she painted  him!

Side view -- isn't his tummy the best? Or, in his case, I believe that roundness might be officially called a "belly"!! He's made of plaster and is quite heavy, probably because of all those cookies he eats each year!


This cutie ceramic Santa is a bit newer -- my aunt only signed her name on the bottom but did not date him.  But she probably made him in the 60s. She gave him to me in the mid-80s.

Sometimes he carries Christmas cards in his pouch, sometimes candy canes, sometimes poinsettias -- you just can't ever tell what Santa will have in his bag!

I love his blue eyes -- and his cute bald head! Did you know that Santa was bald on top? Why else would he wear that hat all the time? And you know that every picture of him in his jammies shows him with a nightcap on. Bald, for sure!!


Linking up my special Santas to Rednesday on It's a Very Cherry World. Be sure to stop by and check out more reds!

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Old World Santas

I love the look of Old World Santas. They have so much character and charm, and the ones from other countries give a peek into other traditions and history.

That's not to say that the "jolly ho-ho-ho" Santa that the kids love isn't cool too, but you see the old guy everywhere! Maybe a mall Santa should dress in old world garb for a little something different.... OK, the kids probably wouldn't recognize him, so the round guy with the fluffy white beard stays! (And, I do have a bunch of his likeness around my house at Christmastime!)

Anyway.....

I used to do ceramics, even had my own kiln. Back in the 80s or early 90s one of the mold companies came out with Old World Santas, and I fell in love! I only painted two and wished I had done more!

During the Christmas season, these guys reside on my piano, along with an assortment of old Christmas music booklets sent out by businesses during the holidays.

There is also a book of "A Christmas Carol" sent out by a family and the solid red one has Christmas traditions from all over the world. They are all old but, unfortunately, none are dated. They may have originally belonged to my hubby's grandmother. I'll have to do a bit of research on them!

Linking my Santas to Rednesday hosted by It's a Very Cherry World. Link your something red  and read about other reds too!

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A Red Vintage Christmas and some candy canes too!

Good grief! My last post was a Rednesday post too!! And it was more than a month ago! Sorry 'bout that but I think I'm back in blogland again...

This Rednesday I want to share a few vintage Christmas goodies that are just now listed in my Etsy shop. I love finding little treasures like these in thrift stores! (PS - click on the pics and you'll be whisked away to my shops!!)

I love this mug -- happy reindeer with bows on their antlers are just the best! And a great place to stash your candy canes (you know who you are, storing them in the back of the pantry where no one will see!)  So quit hiding them and let them experience a little Christmas cheer!

I found this red and white granny square pot holder in a tiny thrift shop but didn't get it. Then I found the green pitcher one a few days later in another shop -- went back to get the red one 'cause I thought they'd make a cute Christmas pair. Yay! it was there! The green one is so unique -- it's crocheted in the round so that it's open like an oven mitt. Wouldn't it look cute sitting on your bakers rack with some of those candy canes in it?

These cool Christmas ribbons are from the 80s (the RN number on the holly one indicates it might be from the 70s, but I'm not sure). Anyway, they'd be perfect for Christmas crafts or gift wrapping!

OK, no candy canes here -- but you could use the red and green patchwork ribbon to tie up a bundle of the peppermint yummies to give to your sweet-tooth neighbor....

Linking up my candy canes : ) to Rednesday over at It's a Very Cherry World. Find more red goodness there!
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