Christmas ornaments I love, on our tree

I wandered around the tree last week and just enjoyed the various arrangements of ornaments and bows. Our tree is very very eclectic--no designer colors and trendiness here, just old-fashioned glass and variety and sentimentality. Ah! I thought I would share some of them, new and old.


This is a very new one, a birthday present from my sister- and mother-in-law, a tribute to the shared love of gardening. Isn't it pretty? Surprising light for it's size and heft.


OK, this is a really cheap little thing from Target a few years back. I have them in every jewel color of the rainbow, and love love them. I have always had a thing for snowflakes... how appropriate this year of super snow everywhere!

A leaf, yet another new-ish acquisition from sweet auntie MJ. I love it. This one didn't actually make it onto the tree this year... it hangs out down by my end of the dining table so that I can see it all the time! It has some of my very favorite colors in it, and a leaf to boot!

This one was a wedding present (or was it a gift on the first Christmas of marriage? Hazy memory...) and is a very favored ornament. I got a companion red one for my birthday this year, and can't think for the life of me why I didn't take a picture of it too. I just love them both--there are those gorgeous maple leaves that make me very proud of my Canadian heritage!

This is one of a series that includes Noel, love, peace, etc. Very Christmas sentiments... I love the round typeface and the idea of words on my tree? How cool.

This one is the oldest ornament on the tree. It's my very first ornament, from my childhood. (I can hear the "ahhs" now.) So probably 30+ years old... and probably a Hallmark one as well. I love hanging it every year.

We have lots of different birds on our tree, from cardinals to bluebirds in all forms--glass, wood, carved, etc. This snowy owl is my favorite, mostly because he seems to be watching me no matter where in the living room. While that might seem spooky, it's really not. It's more comforting. I would do a whole tree of birds some day, but keep it really a mixed bag of materials and forms so that it looks funky and natural still. We'll see. I would have a hard time not hanging the ornaments that mean so much to me and bring back happy Christmas memories every year...

Wishing all of you a merry Christmas and a very wonderful 2009. May it be filled with all good things. And if it's not (and, well, we already know it won't be, because it's life, right?), may we have the grace and strength to deal with what comes and be supported/supporting and loved/loving along the way!