Oodles and oodles

Saying hello

 
Some friends of mine want to say hello.

 
You remember them, don't you? (And perhaps my obsession with pinecone elves?)

 
There are a few new ones on the pinecone elf tree this year, but it's largely the way it was last year: in the same spot, next to the Hoosier, with just elves and some striped Shiny Brite bells and balls.

 
Oh, and something else ...

 
The glass mushroom I found earlier this year. Because you know how mushrooms just pop up unexpectedly. (Thanks to Sarah for the elf-and-mushroom inspiration. Don't know if she's up for doing her woodland tree this year, but it was a beauty.) Acquiring more mushrooms is high on my list of priorities. And speaking of mushrooms... 

 
how cute is this tablecloth?

 
It was a little too 1960s for me, much as I loved it.

 
So I listed it on Etsy, and I swear it sold a minute later. Love when that happens. Now it's happy in its forever home. I prefer to think of this business more as rescue and adoption, kind of like the way we got our pets.

 
Speaking of pets, there are two dogs (mine on the right, not mine on the left) (but we love him) (sort of, sometimes) eager for a romp in the snow. We've already been out for one romp in the snow. It's like having a toddler.

 
And I have stuff to do inside.

 
The bottom of the tree looks kind of naked, for one thing, and that lone elf (which didn't hang properly on the tree) looks kind of lonely.

 
I'm thinking there could be a full day of fussing ahead.
 

 

Here and there

 
 
Some of the Christmas collections came out of storage over the holiday weekend.

 
I whittled down the Santa collection this year. The Santa candy containers made the cut.

 
So did the Santas riding in sleighs.

 
As did the Santa snow globe sub-collection. Yes, I think they're a little weird, and it's best not to think too literally about snow-globe bellies. I only collect them; I didn't come up with the concept. While we're on the subject, here are two controversies we're not going to revisit this year: whether Santa mugs are creepy or not, and whether it's just wrong for snowmen to have legs. Until last year, I didn't know that people felt strongly about either. It's OK. I can see both points of view. We're an inclusive community here. I'm just going to go out on the cultural relativism limb here and say: When it comes to Santa mugs, Santa snow globes and snowmen with legs, there is no right or wrong.

 
Here is a wholly unintentional collection of vintage Christmas napkins. They usually come in a box lot of something, and I don't really know what to do with them, and before I know it, there's a collection of them. So I think I'll limit myself to what can fit in this extremely cute napkin holder. I may actually use a few of them. Some, as you might be able to see, are printed with the lyrics of Christmas carols, which are perfect for those around-the-dinner-table singalongs that I'm sure the young adults in our family will enjoy. I'll let you know how that works out.