Here Comes Santa Claus!

I love Santa Claus - one of the best things about christmas - and there are lots of great things about christmas.  I'm not sure how my Santa collection got started - but it certainly has grown.  Today I was wandering about the house taking pictures of not just my Santa collection on the piano - but other Santas that we have too - and it was amazing how many there are.

Most of the Santas are on the tops of my 1898 Piano - they are perfect there.  Before we got the piano the Santas were on windowsills and where ever I could find space for them

There is no method to my collecting - if I like a Santa it usually comes home with me.  Many have been lovely gifts too.  Most are from thrift stores and yard sales

I like the tin rolly polly Santa a lot

Big and little Santas

A Russian Santa

He's making a list - he's checking it twice

And drinking cocoa.

This is my newest Santa - Don brought him home one day last week.

And we mustn't forget Santa Paddington

This Santa was a gift from one of my favorite blogging friends

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake

This Santa is a little tippy and made of ceramic - so he sits here on the side of the piano - propped up so he doesn't fall over

I cut out and painted the wooden Santa with the bundle of sticks on his back -many,many years ago

Santas on the piano - sometimes at  night I hear them singing christmas carols

And then there are many Santas who are not on the piano - this old fashioned rocking Santa toy was a gift from my dear cousin Linda, in Oregon.  We are like little kids - we make Santa rock and sit and watch him with big grins on our faces.

And Santa teapots - tea for one with the rolly polly Santa

Tea for one - another Santa

I'm a little teapot short and stout - here is my handle - here is my spout.

A fabulously elegant Santa teapot - a gift from Don

Ho Ho Ho! Mary Englebreit Christmas to all!

We have Santa Ted - a cookie jar from when the kids were growing up.

And this Santa Reindeer will wish our neighbors Happy Holidays - he's just waiting to go out to the end of the deck and greet friends and family.

And here we have Sandra Claus (really it is Elmo - but he likes the hat with braids the best)  As you see, he's been to the nearby San Juan Islands for a ferry ride.

Grampa Bear Santa and his pet reindeer

Two little Santa door hangers - they came home with us from West Virginia when we went out there 8 years ago for Rusty and Jamie's wedding.  It was the first time I'd seen a Dollar Store.

Peace Sign Santa Salt and Pepper Shakers

Mr. And Mrs Santa Salt and Pepper Shakers - we've had these almost 50 years.

More Peace Sign Santas - I just can't resist them - they sit in the china cabinets at christmas time.

A pair of Santa Teddies on a music box

One of our favorite Santas - he is filled with Chex Party Mix - our son made this in second grade.  The teacher got those candle jars - the kind that used to be on every cafe table in the 70s - cleaned them up - and the kids  made Santa hats from felt, glued on cotton balls for beards and made the faces from googly eyes and felt features.  One day it will go to Rusty's house - but not just yet.

Even our bathrooms get to have Santas - these were all from the same thrift shop a few years ago

Happy Santas - one and all.

Do you have a collection?

I know here are more Santas - especially ornaments for the tree - but we don't have the tree decorated yet.

Some Christmas Trees

We are just beginning to decorate for christmas - and I see by the calendar that it is just 3 weeks and 1 day until christmas eve.  I've been battling a huge cold/cough - but I'm winning.  Don started with putting the lights on the tree this past weekend - this post is not from this year - this is a repeat from 2009, but I enjoyed it so much I thought I'd share it again - with a bit of updating.

And now - how to put lights on the christmas tree - this idea came from our youngest daughter - who is an expert tree decorator. She has as many as three themed trees some years. One year she had a Cello tree -  her trees always look like a professional did them, she has such wonderful details on each tree.

Her idea is for how to put lights on an artificial tree - obviously it wouldn't work on a real tree.

When you get the bottom layer of branches put together - spread the lights all over the branches - clear in to the center stem of the tree - this way you have lights all through the tree and not just on the ends of the branches - and you don't get scratches on your hands and arms by reaching inside the branches to put the lights in.

Add another layer of branches - and more lights - spread out all over the branches - it is easier to do it this way because you are working from the top of the portion of the tree that has just been put together.

More rows of branches - more lights. We use a zillion small lights for a wondrous, sparkly effect.

And almost to the top - this one was a little squiggly but I like the looks of the lights in it . . .

And a REALLY squiggly picture - but I kind of like it .

So some of you probably already do the lights this way - if not, maybe give it a try next time, it sure does make light stringing faster if you like lots and lots of lights.

Or

You can just do like I did for our second tree, the teddy bear tree - just go buy yourself a prelit tree and be done with fussing with the lights. Don does the lights on the big tree - I bought a prelit tree one year.

Here are some of our trees over the years - it is fun to see how different each year looks - even with the same artificial tree and the same ornaments.

We also have bubble lights, and lights shaped like bells and snowballs.

The teddy bear tree with all white lights, and teddy bear lights . . .and of course, only teddy bear ornaments.
An angel teddy on the top - and somewhere on the tree is a wooden partridge (you know the song - A Partridge in A Bear Tree)

Strings of popcorn and cranberries . . . plastic ones that we bought at Sears many, many years ago.  The lighted tree top we have had for well over 40 years - it has melted a little on one side and is hard to get to stand up straight - but we wouldn't trade it for anything.

The Three Bears in the front of the tree were purchased when we lived in Kansas.  We went to The Plaza in Kansas City - we had been told it was the first mall in the US - and of course, being from California, we thought Mall meant, well, Mall - indoors, lots of people rushing back and forth.

Oh the surprise - first of all - the Plaza is OUTDOORS - and at Christmas in Kansas it is COLD - we were wearing our light California jackets and while we did enjoy the buildings all lit up - we spent a lot of time ducking into the shops to warm up.  One of the shops had the printed fabric of the Three Bears and I couldn't resist.    They have been under our christmas trees since 1976.

I like the shiny glittery tree at night . . . in a house built in 1920 . . . from a kit purchased from Sears

Another christmas we lived in a very big  farmhouse - and you can see the lights reflected in the windows
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And now some photos of our youngest daughter's trees . . .

A Baby Harp Seal Tree . . .

The same Baby Harp Seal tree - different house . . .she also made the felt stockings hanging on the mantle - one is race cars - the other is Sasquatch's Big Foot.

With a flash - so you can see all the Baby Harp Seals on the tree . . .

Her Sea Turtle tree - she can find the most interesting ornaments. . .

Sea Turtle tree - all lit up . . .

Do you have a favorite kind of ornament for your tree, or do you use the ones collected by the family over the years?