Honor Christmas

I've been unpacking the (yikes. ten.) boxes of Christmas decorations since the week after Thanksgiving, but it's just not Christmas until I find this little sign. Every year, I'm tempted to keep it out, but I'm afraid that I'd get used to it, and not see it with fresh eyes the way you do when you bring something special out. And this is my special Christmas thing.

Of course, I have others. And I have new treasures. Like Santa Chef. You've seen him before, but here, again, ta dah...

A Santa that cooks.

 

Santa, will you marry me?

And then there's Mr. and Mrs. Santa, my Santa Vincenzo finds:

And, this year, finally, I instituted the kitchen tree I've been thinking about for so many years.

In last year's after Christmas markdowns at Williams Sonoma in Mashpee Commons, I found a fantastic set of kitchen ornaments, with an Italian coffee maker, a Cuisinart toaster, and a copper bundt pan. I added the fantastic Santa Claus rolling pin ornaments my cousin Beth made. And this week, I was poking around KMart after work, and I found the wonderful cooking utensils from Martha Stewart. I needed something else, something, something....then I remembered!

 

The tea kettle my cousin Jan sent me years ago. I keep it in my china cupboard all year long because it reminds me of Jan whenever I see it. I opened the door, grabbed the kettle, added a ribbon link et voila!

Love my tree. Love Christmas! Love you all!