Welcome to the 2013 AOVCOA&S Awards!

Welcome to the fifth annual Academy of Vintage Christmas Ornament Art and Science Awards! To mark this milestone, the founder of the awards ceremony is offering a special feature this year: an up-close look at the guests arriving at the awards ceremony! The guests arrive, of course, by sleigh.

The traffic is bumper to bumper, or runner to runner, as the case may be. You'll recognize Big Pink Hand-painted Santa, winner of the 2009 Best Santa award, in his Big Pink Party Sleigh. Big Pink Santa has been a little obnoxious since winning the award in the inaugural year of the ceremony, but everybody puts up with him because he's so handsome.

Other attendees choose sturdy, unassuming sleighs, like this cardboard sleigh covered with glass glitter. It combines reliability with classic style and that hard-to-beat German engineering. As for the ornament? Let's tune in to the ceremony and see what happens!

Best indent

This ornament scares the dickens out of the founder. It is paper thin, and the indent is so deep it nearly touches the back of the ornament. (From the judge's notes: "Best indent, certainly, but a worthy nominee for Best Use of Glitter to Represent Snow and Best Flower!") The founder just hopes it survives the after-parties.

Best figural ornament 

The mushroom ornament set off a flurry of excitement among the judges. ("Is it new this year?" "Why have we not seen this before?") When the judges learned it had never been in the running because it goes near the top of the tree and has a hard time making it down to the stage to accept the award, they were stunned and vowed to never let the founder plead inconvenience again. 

Best organic, locally sourced, sustainable ornament

A tiny silver ornament with raised cherries, and a runner-up, no doubt, for the Best Figural Ornament and the Best New Ornament of the year.

Best organic, locally sourced, sustainable ornament in a supporting role

 
 A tiny gold ornament with hand-painted cherries, and a runner-up, no doubt, for the Best Hand-painted Ornament and the Best New Ornament of the year.

Best Santa

Some may see an old, chippy ornament. The judges see lovely patina and hand-painted charm.

Best bird

 In a real break from tradition, the judges chose a hand-painted bird over a bird-shaped ornament this year! Guess we know what tomorrow's Twinkle headline will be! (Twinkle is the trade publication for the AOVCOA&S. Kind of like Variety is for the film industry.)

Best flower

Wow! Maybe tomorrow's Twinkle headline will be "Hand-Painted Ornaments from Poland Sweep Awards!"

Best Shiny Brite

Squiggles, glitter, bells. Pink, Shiny, Brite. Good no matter what three-word combination you choose.

Oldest ornament

If this cotton batting Santa isn't the oldest ornament on the tree, then he's had a very, very hard life. But the judges think he's pretty old.

Best new ornament

The founder found several of these clip-on candle ornaments this year and wants a lot more of them. The founder is like that.

Lifetime achievement award

The winner of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award is worthy just on good looks alone: a sparkling white ball with bits of colored confetti glitter, like a charming snowball. In the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the ceremony, the founder actually stepped on this ornament. She managed to avoid putting her full weight on it, however, and in something of a Christmas miracle, the ornament was spared. If that does not merit a Lifetime Achievement Award, the judges do not know what does.  

That about does it for this year's edition of the awards. The Academy would like to take this opportunity to thank you for coming, and to remind you to be careful driving home, especially if you are sharing the road with the Big Pink Party Sleigh. And as always, friends, Merry Christmas!

 

 

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Comments

[Ruthann]

I knew my front center seat would pay off!

"Hand-Painted Ornaments from Poland Sweep Awards!" is exactly what I was thinking just prior to this comment. I should have had a hint at the previews where the box of pink polands premiered. Of course the Shiny Brite is my favorite.

[Beth Leintz]

I look forward to the awards every year. I heard Neil Patrick Harris is angling to host next year....

[Lavender Dreams]

I'm going over these again and again! I always marvel at the wonderful vintage ornies you have every year. My fav? The Santa...all handpainted and perfect! Merry Christmas my friend!

[Kathy]

That uber-fragile indent is my personal favorite and, for the record, The Founder's sense of humor is a hit again this year!

[Shara]

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Great awards show this year. Where's my gift bag full of vintage Christmas items to take home?

I have a few of those really, really far back indented ornaments and they scare me too. I had one fatality this year. If I had a photo you could add it to the "Departed in 2013" film reel during your award show.

Merry Christmas!

[laurie magpie ethel]

Love the awards and the sleighs lined up with the guests is brilliant! Am glad the last ornament survived the mishap with the foot...phew!
Partial to best flower...
Merry Christmas and happy day

[Carol @ Old Glory Cottage]

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the judges choices. But there's just something special about that glittery white one that almost bit the dust that has my vote this year. Reminds me of those old tree skirts I think. Oh, and I simply MUST get my hands on a copy of Twinkle!

[Sue]

Hilarious as always!!! And I agree with the Lifetime Achievement, though I'm partial to stripey ones….

[Linda @ A La Carte]

Bravo! Again the most wonderful of awards shows! My fav this year (and as always its a hard decision) would have to be the bird ornament! Love the hand painted little bird. I'll be driving my own pink party sleigh with care as I leave the show!

[Musings from Kim K.]

Bravo, bravo! I look forward to your witty dialogue as much as your fantastic ornaments. Another wonderful award show. I have to say, it's a tie for me between the raised cherries and the mushrooms. Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

[cynzano]

I look forward to these awards every year. *snaps your photo with a bright flash in your face*

[Sharrieboberry]

Congratulations to the sparkly winner! I was rooting for Hand-Painted Flower ornament but am still pleased with the judges' final decision.

Bravo!

[vintage grey]

So fun!! Love them all!! Merry Christmas! xo Heather

[Melissa's Antiques]

This is one of my favorite posts you do around the holidays! The addition of the "arrival" pictures is awesome :)

[JKaye]

I see a snowman behind Big Pink Santa -- it had me a little worried that those pesky snowmen might start twerking or do something else to take over the show again this year. I guess BPS laid down the law. The Academy made some excellent choices this year.