Ornamentation Ruminations
Dec 10th, 2007 by Nola
We decorated our Christmas tree tonight. We are now at the point that each and every ornament has special meaning. There’s the one given to us by friends in San Diego just after we were married, and the matching ones that have “Nola” and “Sunshine” engraved on them–my grandmother took her granddaughters to the mall one year and we all got matching, engraved ornaments. Somehow, I ended up with my grandmother’s, too.
Last year, my mother gave me a bunch of ornaments from when I was a child–ornaments we made as kids or received as gifts. There’s the one that looks like a gingerbread cookie and has a very real bite mark in it (yes, I was a naive child):
and the ugly sequenced mushroom I made with my other grandmother:
Then there’s my favorite ornament–the frog prince one:
This is one that “nests” a little something inside. After a horse-drawn ride through City Park’s Celebration in the Oaks some six years ago, CS got down on bended knee and told me he was just like that frog prince, needing a kiss. I kissed the ornament, he opened it, and there was my ring, nesting inside.
Even our tree topper is special, albeit a bit unconventional–it’s the Abominable Snowman with the star held gingerly in his fingers. CS and I saw him (he’s a stuffed animal that makes some sort of noise) in a store the year we were married. He is not intended to top a tree, but you’d never tell by how well he looks up there:
This year, we’ll add a “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament to the tree. And as the years pass, our tree will only get more crowded as Sun adds her special ornaments to it, too.
Stumble it!
Oh, my gosh, Bumble is the perfect tree topper!
I love your tree topper.
My aunt gave me an ornament every year for Christmas until she died. I have them all and the other’s we’ve bought to mark momentous occasions. Mish-mash trees are my favorite. I love the stories they tell.
Moondance, I didn’t know his name was Bumble! How’d I not know that?? god bless the blogosphere!
Mamma, that was great what your aunt did! Maybe I’ll do that for Sun….
Why is it that all gingerbread cookie decorations have teeth mark and why do they taste sooooo terrible? I remember well smelling and touching our gingerbread cookie houses ornaments. Knowing they were fakes, but the lure of Hansel and Gretel was too great and I bit into the side.
Best tree topper ever.
Thanks for saying hi on my profiles page at cre8buzz.
Regarding the gingerbread cookie ornament, the bite mark sure leaves a nostalgic feeling to it, I think.
Looooove that tree topper! It’s like cute, festive King Kong atop your tree. Happy hollerdays!
Love the tree topper!
That ugly mushroom ornament is really buggy me.
I LOVE the snowman. This year I have Evel Knievel on his Harley at the top of the tree.
Roger, send a pick of EK!!
I LOVE your tree topper! Bumble rocks!!
It’s a wonderful walk down memory lane every time we decorate and undecorate the tree 
I hope y’all share many wonderful memories, as we do!
Every year since birth, my granny and my parents have given me an ornament. 2 per year. When i got married, my husband got included in this and we get a couples ornament. Now 4 per year. Now we do the same for each of our kids. 1 from us, 1 from Bebe, 1 from Granny.
We now do 8 ornaments per year in our family
[...] needles were everywhere. Bumble, so proud just days before, hid face-down in [...]