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| From In the Garden |
As a child in the 60s, and the oldest of four girls I have some really great memories of Christmas. You see, my mother always went all out for Christmas and has continued to do so even to this day. She would put decorations on all the walls, in the bedrooms, on the kitchen counter, and even under the tree. My Velveteen Santa sat under our Christmas tree along with Mrs. Santa, and a most beautiful angel. I don't know where the plan started in my family but somehow the Santa became mine since I was the oldest and he of course had rank. Mrs. Santa belonged to my sister Dawn (the next oldest), and the angel belonged to the third girl in our family, Joanne. The youngest of us four girls did not get her own 'velveteen' Christmas character. Perhaps the stores stopped selling these characters in the late 1960s or perhaps my mother just couldn't find the perfect complement to the three characters we already had but my youngest sister was left out. I'm not really sure why we didn't have four but this I know, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the Angel were the most loveliest things I ever saw on Christmas eve. They were a comforting presence and always happy and cheery. When I see my Santa I am taken back to the excitement of being a child and waking up to a bunch of presents and the love of my family.
A few years ago my mother went through her Christmas decorations and as a surprise she sent these characters to her three oldest girls (myself, Dawn, and Joanne). When I saw my Santa it was tears that came to me, along with happiness for the connection to my childhood and family. Today I share him with you and wonder if you all will recall your very own 'Velveteen Santa' for us during this Christmas week.
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| From In the Garden |
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| From In the Garden |
Additionally postings on Christmas decorations:
Barbara from Gardening in Mannheim Germany
I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season spending time with family and enjoying those wonderful childhood traditions and memories that take you back....
in the garden....
I will see you all after the holidays sometime next year so in the meantime please do share your memories with us.
Happy Holidays to all of you from all of us here at In the Garden.
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,
In the Garden
our favorite is the ceramic Christmas tree that my mother-in-law had forever made by my husband's aunt...my mom made one that we had out forever so it reminds me of that one too...we light it nightly
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post filled with delightful memories of your childhood Christmases. I love the baby jar tree, and your Christmas tree is really pretty.
ReplyDeleteI love decorating with the ornaments from DH's childhood, a few from my late MIL as a girl and her mother as well. Plus I love setting up the creche and nativity and the heavenly host. I love doing it all, seeing the colors, the lights, it seems like the rooms are more alive, if you know what I mean.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a great new year.
FlowerLady
Tina, Your Santa is a Georgene Avreil from the time before she aquired raggedy ann. I believe the angel is the only one left with a tag but they came as a set.
ReplyDeleteMerry chrisstmas to you all.
I enjoyed reading about your very special velveteen Santa. I have a few treasured decorations- an angel from my grandmother- I have very few keepsakes from her and so it is extra special for that reason and a santa from my mother- it was originally a pin that she got at a party- now I hang it on my tree. I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't velveteen but we had a santa who sat under our Christmas tree too. My mom still puts him under there tree every year. Enjoy your Christmas!
ReplyDeleteA delightful post, Tina! Your baby food jar Christmas tree brings back memories--my grandmother had one of those; now I wonder what happened to it. My favorite Christmas memories as a child are of going to Christmas Eve services and being so excited because Santa always came early to our house, and by the time we came home from church there would be presents waiting to unwrap under the tree.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite decorations are probably the handmade ornaments each of the four kids made with their pictures on them in kindergarten. They're all getting a little tattered--especially oldest son's paper angel:) But each year when I put them on the tree, I'm flooded with happy memories of those special times when they were young.
This sounds like a very special Christmas for you, Tina; I wish you and your family a blessed and very Merry Christmas!
Tina, I am so happy for you that you have your special Santa!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours!
All joy to everyone In the Garden, Tina and Skeeter! Love the story of your Velveteen Santa...
ReplyDeleteMERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of trying to get my parents out of bed each Christmas morning. My brothers would send me into their bedroom to wake them up because I was daddy's little girl and could get away with stuff like that. (LOL) Unknown to me (until a few years ago), my parents knew this and intentionally stayed in bed each Christmas morning and pretended to be a sleep. I would tug and tug on them to get them out of bed. I will never forget Christmas mornings of how full the living room was with presents.
Some of my favorite ornaments are the ones I made with children while I worked in Day Care. I think homemade ornaments are the best but must confess, I have few homemade and many store bought ornaments.
I normally have a house full of decorations but this year with so much traveling; I only decorated the front porch and the hallway to the house. My snowman tree is the only one in the house this year. I miss all my trees but will enjoy the decorations with the Saints family this year. I always enjoy looking at the ornaments on their tree that the Saint made when a child.
Ahhh, the memories….
Oh my Tina, you are so sweet and your post brought tears to my eyes. Terri-Lynn did not have one as after she was born, I could not find one made like that at all. I always had a soft spot for them but I did buy them for you girls so when you grew up enough that I knew you would take care of them, I had to give them up to their rightful owner. I waited many, many years after that time came as I really had a hard time letting them leave my house. In fact the first yer they were gone I looked and looked for them and then it came to me, "you fool, you gave them to their rightful owners"!! I think I bought them at W.t.Grant's. Can not remember what I paid for them but I know they were way more than I should have spent on a Christmas decoration back then but now I am ever so glad I bought them.
ReplyDeleteI just love the baby bottle deco!!!
Tina no wonder we get along so well, we're both the oldest of 4 girls!
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing your memories and how much they mean to you. That to me is one of the best parts of Christmas. The Santa is so sweet! Sometimes it pays to be the oldest :)
Merry Christmas to you and your family. I look forward to seeing your posts after your break.
(thanks for the link too)
Tina, your holiday decorations are precious. That Santa is a treasure for sure and the tree made from baby bottles is very cool. I've never seen one like it. I recycle glass so fast here, I never take a minute to think about what else it could be used for!!
ReplyDeleteI have too many favorite holiday decorations to pick one. They really do bring back childhood memories. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family too. Hope you have another wonderful year in the garden.
When I open the decorations for the tree it is a little journey down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteHello Tina and Skeeter, with all the memories and mementos of the past holidays, may you have the years ahead still full of memories and health as well. God bless you and your families, always healthy and full of love. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my post too.
How can you not be in love with the velveteen Santa? I'm glad he's there with you to help you celebrate the holidays. Peace and warmth to you, and best wishes for a terrific new year!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen one of a Velveteen Santa or a baby food jar tree before. They are adorable! My favorite ornament is one with chickadees on it -- beautiful and very well done.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a happy holidays!
Merry Christmas Tina, Enjoyed you post, memories are great.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Tina. L, H.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all of you and all of yours! And thank you for your wishes on my (rather dormant) blog. I haven't heard the word "velveteen" for ages. My favorite Christmas decoration is the "December Angel" my grandmother gave my mother on the occasion of my birth, and which has been on our festive table now for 60 years. I just posted a photo of it on my blog - thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteAw, your velveteen Santa is wonderful Tina! Christmas brings back so many happy memories from childhood, and from my kids growing up too, and now it's wonderful enjoying making memories with the grandchildren!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing some of your favorite Christmas memories. I hope you had a wonderful holiday.
May 2011 be a wonderful year for all, filled with happiness and good health, and a very successful season In the Garden!
That santa is so cute!!
ReplyDeleteSweetpea (Catherine's daughter.)
I love your Santa and remember them fondly. What a collectible. Your tree is very pretty and all the memories are priceless. The baby food jar tree is so cool. I hope you had a most wonderful Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet childhood memory, it was nice of your Mom to send you girls those treasured mementos. :) I have ornments from my own childhood that grace the tree every year along with the ones my boys have made.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen a Christmas Santa with more character than yours. I'm glad you know how to cherish him! I think my favorite decoration is collectively the insect ornaments I've amassed over the years. They're unusual and even bug haters tend to like them. :)
ReplyDeleteMy best memories seem to center around Christmas time. Growing up and watching our sons do the same.
ReplyDeleteHands down, the favorite Christmas decoration to get out is the Advent calender. Every day we get a treat.
ReplyDeleteThat santa is mighty precious!
I wish you a Happy New Year, and look forward to new posts 2011!
I do love that colorful baby food jar tree! Retro cool, indeed. Yes, I made my penny ball. It's just an old bowling ball with two layers of pennies glued all over it with E-6000 glue. The glue wore out after a few years, so I glued back on the ones that fell off. Easy peasy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post, sorry I didn't find it until after Christmas! I too have lots of Christmas decorations that evoke happy childhood memories, much more preferable to going down the "what theme shall we go with this year" approach advocated in the magazines. I really like the retro lights-in-jars tree - we put lights in cut glass vases, but I may just have to pinch that idea... Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteTina what a great post. I have an old Santa I bought when I was pregnant with Yvette and every year his home is sitting in one of our stockings we hang. He's gotten pretty ragged looking at this point but I don't think it would be Christmas without him. I can't really pick a favorite Christmas decoration although I do love my Dickens Village that I painted. One ornament that is kind of a mystery is a little rocking horse. I'm talking little at about an inch or maybe less. I have to wrap him real good and make him bigger with lots of wrapping so he even shows in the box. I have no idea where he came from so that's the mystery. Your tree looks like mine with goodies handmade by the kids hanging proud.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and your family and may it bring nothing but good.
It looks like your post inspired a lot of wonderful memories, Tina. One of my favorite Christmas traditions as a child was the lighting of the advent candles and watching those little brass angels fly faster as more candles were lit.
ReplyDeleteI hope your 2011 is filled with blessings and the making of more sweet memories. Happy New Year to you, your family, and the rest of the In the Garden team!
The holidays were so busy that I didn't have time for much blog visiting. I hope you enjoyed them and wish you the best in 2011, Tina.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little my grandma knitted me a stocking. It depicted the head of Santa and the beard was made with white angora. I don't know what happened to it, but I asked my mom and she said "I may still have it somewhere..." I think she is just afraid to tell me she hasn't got a clue where it is and may be gone forever....
What beautiful memories and images!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and yours!
Greetings from London.