Favorite Ornaments

[wei yau]

In this thread, we can show off our favorite Christmas tree ornaments.

Our family collects Hallmark ornaments, terribly pedestrian, I know. Still, they make some really good ones for us since we're not actually all that interested in the "true meaning of Christmas". So, the wealth of pop culture ornaments from Hallmark fits our needs quite well.

This year, I've spotlighted the Christmas tree with this lighting effect (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/8ed4/). This has made some of my favorite ornaments really standout:

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo139/wei_yau/DSC_0094.jpg

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo139/wei_yau/DSC_0092.jpg

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo139/wei_yau/DSC_0097.jpg

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo139/wei_yau/DSC_0087.jpg

What are some of your favorite ornaments?

[livius drusus]

I love ornaments. My favorite is a glass swan my parents got the year my ballet class did Swan Lake. It's a lovely frosted white that picks up the light behind it.

[BrotherMan]

neeeeerd!
:loud:

[freemonkey]

One of my favorites is a Santa head carved in bone or antler that we picked up in a little gift gallery in Deadwood, SD about 12 years ago. If we get a tree this year and I make the climb into the dreaded attic, I'll take a picture.

[Pinecone]

Here is a bell santa that is one of my favorites.

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=457

[Pinecone]

Here is another favorite on a different tree. I have two little trees instead of one big one. The santa is on the traditional multi-colored tree and this guy is on the mostly white/crystal white light tree.

http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=456

[viscousmemories]

I think (hope?) my Mom still has the ornament with glued-on glitter that reads: "Tom - 1976". If she does I'll try to get a picture.

[roastelk]

I have to find my camera....I've got ornaments of Darth Vader and Chewi, And both are wearing red Christmas caps

[Ensign Steve]

I don't have any Star Trek ornaments. Shame on me, right?

Our tree this year is fairly "traditional" since I threw it together on sort of a whim Thanksgiving weekend when I was fairly hammered. Usually my new family does a theme tree that's all color-coordinated and beautiful, or so they tell me, but this year it's just white lights and all my ornaments that I knew where they were.

So my ornaments are all the ones my grandma gave me when I was little (that have my name and the year engraved on them), and the ones I made in school, and a whole bunch of cute ones my mom sent home when she was living in Germany. Oh, plus a couple that we bought at Stone Mountain this year.

:tealdeer:: I don't have a favorite.

[Demimonde]

Mr. Monde and I get an ornament every year for our baby tree. Our first tree was a foot high, then two, then three, now four, so it looks like our tree grows slightly every year. I like pretty ornaments, natural ornaments with some silver and gold for bling. Mr. Monde will usually get one that compliments mine, because he's an angel like that. One year he was adament, though, and we came home with this:

http://www.ornament-shop.com/pic/06/qhc4056.jpg

It could have been worse, he really really really wanted the sexy leg lamp. When your tree is only a coupld feet high, it sticks out like a sore thumb. :brooding: Not so much anymore though. :vibes: and I'll admit it is beinging to grow on me.

[lisarea]

We don't have our tree up yet this year, but I have a picture of my favorite ornament from a picture I posted a few years ago, of our Very Politically Correct Holiday Tree.

[LadyShea]

Oh shit, I've collected ornaments my whole life so they're all my faves :)

[wei yau]

alright, for those of you who will not choose.

Suppose a mass of ornament eating ferret-sugar glider hybrids have descended upon your tree and you could only save three ornaments, which would they be?

[Ensign Steve]

The new handmade one we bought from the glass-blowers at Stone Mountain. But only because it was expensive.

[LadyShea]

I seriously can't choose. I have 40 ornaments from my grandma...one for each year. I have a blown glass fish that Pesci gave me. I have one that best friend made me when I was 5. I have Swarovski dated ones I bought when I needed a pick me up by myself. I have souvenir ornaments from like other countries. I have dozens for Kiddo already.

[Sock Puppet]

Our Dr. Seuss ones are probably my favorites, as evidenced by the annual ... discussion ... Mrs. Puppet and I would have about how they were going up even though they didn't match the color scheme she was using on the tree that year. Since Li'l Puppet got old enough to take my side and gang up on Mom, there have been no further discussions; they just go onto the tree. Actually, a couple years ago we started decorating a couple fake trees in addition to the main one, so sometimes they get consigned to the fake-tree ghetto, but whatevs.

Although we have this one: http://cherylrainfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/book-ornament-hallmark-cat-figurine.thumbnail.jpg

It's not my favorite, which I can't find a pic of on The Google. It's another Cat In The Hat, but he's riding in a hot-air balloon with a basket that's an upturned hat like his. I've had that one for a good 15 years (and it's the main catalyst for the aforementioned discussions).

I found a lot of Grinch ornaments, but those are more predictable. Maybe if I find one complete with Max in his pathetic reindeer disguise, I'll get one of those.

Oh, and my search turned up some based on that Mike Myers abomination. :puke: Yeah, we ain't gettin' none of that.

[LadyShea]

Yeah, many I know have themed trees, and they are gorgeous. I don't roll that way though. I like my eclectic and highly personal trees (Kiddo has his own tabletop tree)

[Ensign Steve]

I used to feel like theme trees only belonged at the mall and in corporate lobbies. They are fabulous but a little impersonal. But I'm coming around to putting them in my home, especially if I can have more than one!

:gimme:

[LadyShea]

My SIL has 5 differently themed trees.

[Ensign Steve]

I was at my aunt and uncle's in North Carolina (I've been told this multi-tree thing is a Southern thing) and they had a theme tree in every room. In the guest bathroom they had a little one-footer decorated with Spongebob and Patrick ornaments, and seashell garland, and real sponges (kitchen sponges, not animal sponges) and real starfish (animal starfish). This was years before the movie came out, so you know the movie totally stole the idea from my aunt and uncle.

[Janet]

I don't even have a Christmas tree or celebrate Christmas, but I still bought this last year.
http://geoff82.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/carlton-cxor-118t.jpg

When you press a fin at the back of his head, he roars. It sits on top of the shelf with all my DVDs and I love it.

[Sock Puppet]

Best. Ornament. Ever. :unzilla:

[Ensign Steve]

For next year:

Coolest Comic Book Inspired Christmas Ornaments | Walyou (http://www.walyou.com/blog/2009/12/08/comic-book-christmas-ornaments/)

http://www.walyou.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/batman-ornament.jpg

[freemonkey]

We decorated the tree yesterday and I found I have lots of favorites! Most of my ornaments are Santas or astronomy-themed. Here are just a few:

The antler Santa I mentioned before. Mostly I like it because it's different.

The mercury glass crescent moon, photos do not do it justice. (I have two of these!)

That ragged star was made more than 10 years ago by an artist friend. I had just taught her how to make paper and she made me the star by clumping paper pulp and glitter onto a piece of window screen. It's so perfect in it's punkitude.

The one with the walnut shell is also handmade by the wife of a guy I worked with. I've had that one for more than 15 years.

The pearl egg is one I got last year. The photo does not di it justice. IRL it looks very rich and Victorian, yet simple and elegant.

I love the Santa with the owl. I don't know if it's hand carved. If it's clay or resin or wood, or what.

[livius drusus]

I :heart: the pearl egg. What a genius idea.

[freemonkey]

It really is gorgeous, I'll try to get a better pic of it.

Meanwhile, I forgot to show my husband's contribution to this year's tree.

[livius drusus]

:lol: It looks like a Robot Chicken still.

[Qingdai]

Whooo! Party at Freemonkey's tree!

This is the first year I've had a tree, it's amazing what having children will drive you to, so I don't have a favorite ornament yet.