My mantle was recently described by a friend as "eclectic." After she said it she looked a little embarrassed, as if she said something that had offended me. No worries, I am not offended by much especially when it is true. My Christmas decorations are eclectic.
As you may have guessed I am sentimental. I like things that have a meaning. It doesn't necessarily have to be a deep meaning but something with an emotional tie will always be front and center on my heart's fireplace mantle.
When Mac and I got married one of my besties bought us a variety of snowman Christmas decorations which started my snowman collection. Every year I buy a new snowman to add to my collection. Some of my snowmen stay up all year, causing an eyebrow raising experience for some of our visitors. I guess it is a little strange to see snowmen on display in July, but strange works for us.
A1 had her first Christmas in 2006. As I was dragging out all of our decorations and my small snowman army, I realized A1 needed decorations. It was at that moment I decided every Christmas I would buy her a Santa decoration. By the time she moved out and was decorating her own house for Christmas she would have quite a collection started.
A2 and A3 also have a collection of Christmas decorations started. A2 gets a gingerbread man, while A3 gets a reindeer each year. I didn't think about the challenge I set up for myself when I selected gingerbread men and reindeer. Every store has Santas everywhere. Finding a gingerbread man and reindeer is hard. Some years I have to stop at several stores before finding one. The hunt is worth it when I show A2 her newest gingerbread man and I get to see how excited she is to have her very own new Christmas decoration, the pride she has when she sees her new gingerbread man go on the fireplace. I am sure that one day A3 will be just as excited but right now she really doesn't care.
I am excited that one day eclectic collection of decorations will become their eclectic collection of decorations.
