Joy To The World December 9, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Gratitude, Happiness.trackback
To celebrate the Advent of Christmas, I’m going to share some of my beloved Santas (and Reindeer) with you.
* The two hand-carved Santas (on the right) are 21 and 22 years old, respectively. Of course, Santa, himself, is timeless and ageless.
* I painted this watercolor “Welcome” sign of reindeer antlers in 1998. Each year when I unwrap it . . . it sings to me:
Joy to the World! . . .
And heav’n and nature sing.
And heav’n and nature sing.
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing!
For a beautiful Christmas Plea . . . visit this post by Joss, The Crowing Crone!
Want more craft and decorating ideas? Visit the 2011 Virtual Home Tour!
Related posts: Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Celebration (WP Prompt) * Santa Claus is Coming to Town * Joy To The World * 10 Holiday Classics + 2 Year Round Faves * Ho~Ho~Ho! Merry Christmas! * Christmas Music (Sidey) * Joy Maker (Under The Oaks)
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Oh, I LOVE the reindeer! So adorable!
Painting reindeer is a FUN Christmas Craft . . . just pencil in the WELCOME before passing around the paint. 😉
What a cute reindeer. He’d be my favourite too. 🙂
Thanks, nuvofelt! You’d be able to craft up those reindeer with one hand tied behind your back. 😀
Isn’t that a zebra on the cup? Or it could be Mitt Romney who changes his stripes from week to week.
It IS a ZEBRA! My zebras love it when Santa and his tiny reindeer visit for the holidays. 😀
And the pewter cup was my grandfather’s “baby cup” (in the days BEFORE plastic sippie cups).
I love accumulating decorations like these. Every year, unwrapping them is like a brand new gift.
Exactly how we feel. Unwrapping our holiday decorations and watching favorite holiday movies together is the GIFT we give each other for Christmas.
That . . . and CHOCOLATE! 😀
I like that jolly santa http://wp.me/pdJ7S-rK
Thanks, Brandon. From now until “the big day,” I’m going to share our favorite decorations on SLTW . . . with bits and snippets of holiday trivia.
Kind of like opening the doors and windows on an Advent Calendar to reveal a surprise each day.
What wonderful decorations/memorabilia. I love Christmas accoutrements that have some special meaning to the folks displaying them. And the reindeer are adorable. They remind me of that online Christmas card that went around with Santa singing some Christmas song in a lounge lizard voice, and the reindeer providing the harmony. It was great.
Thanks, Sandra. I thought about doing a slide show, but decided it would be “too much.” Instead, I plan to reveal one photo a day . . . like opening the door of an advent calendar.
I will also try to include some holiday music with each post.
I’d love to find a youtube of Santa singing in a lounge lizard voice with his reindeer providing harmony. 😆
Love the santa in blue – he is wonderful!
That little guy was handcarved by a artisan in North Carolina.
greetings by
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Love the decorations! Hope your holidays are merry, bright . . . and crafty 😉
Thanks, Cecelia. Hope you have the happiest of Hannukahs!
I love things with stories!
Same here. And I’m going to do my best . . . but I expect that some of the stories have evaporated into the ether.
I love getting a couple new Christmas decorations every year so I can put them up all over the house.
That’s what we did for years. Eventually, I had to “downsize” my Santa collection because I had close to 150 ~ the smallest was the size of a marble and the largest was almost four feet tall.
I gave some to my nieces and nephews and others to the AmeriCorps members who served in Salisbury each year.
At this point, our decorations (except the tree and the wreath) fit in one space ~ a 400 year old antique Scottish sea trunk. Opening it each December is a treat.
I love the painting…have not got into the Christmas spirit yet….it will probably happen in January!
Maybe when you get back from your holiday, you’ll be ready to Deck The Halls.
I postponed decorating this year until the 5th because I wasn’t ready to welcome the season with open arms. I enjoy the tree lights at night . . . All is calm. All is bright. 💡
Your reindeer welcome sign is adorable! I love all the different depictions of Santa. My MIL collects them…I think they’re like Father Time or Old World, really cool!
Thanks, Suzi. I look forward to sharing more of my Santa collection in the days ahead. Seems a perfect prelude to the “big day.”
The santa on the right looks like Mr. Piglet!
Mr. Piglet must be tres jolie and tres jolly! 😉
As long as he has food!
Same with my BFF.
He’s rather like the gentleman at the Exchange who is asked whether he’ll go to Ebenezer Scrooge’s funeral (during the visitation by the Ghosts of Christmas Future) . . .
“I’ll go . . . but I must be fed!”
Love those racks, Nancy!
Reindeer rock . . . with racks! 😉
Beautiful Santas. It’s one of the wonderful things about Christmas that recycling – using what we have, year after year – is part of the fun. We put these things away in January and they are like a friend re-found by December. Your delight in these beautiful little things just spills out and it’s wonderfully infectious, Nancy. It makes me smile. Thank you.
Thanks, Kate! As we simplified and de-cluttered, we pared down our possessions (including Santas, Reindeer, and Zebras) to a more manageable number. Now, we have the time and energy to enjoy the “remains of the day.”
Less is More. 😀
Those Santas are so great! Thank you so much for sharing. And less is more indeed. -kate
Thanks, Kate! I’m going to share holiday decorations from now until Christmas . . . a cyber Advent Calendar.
‘Tis the season to be jolly . . .
I love the painting and the little song! I actually felt my energy move up when looking at the painting, the Santas and reading your message. Good energy here! 🙂
Thanks, Marie. It’s awesome when our energy levels get a cyber boost from the posts we share. I felt the same way looking at your post about the Power of Words. 😀
How adorable, reindeer antlers with a message of welcome! The bald santa head is making me feel cold, but wait he is in Florida so I guess he is ok. I see you have the Christmas Vacation movie. I watched it just before Thanksgiving and just laughed myself silly especially at the part where Chevy Chase was in the store trying to buy something for his wife. Funny how certain years one part of a movie will strike you as funnier than another time in your life and you’ve already seen the movie a thousand times.
We love that movie and watch it every year . . . there are so many parts that have us laughing out loud with the Griswalds.
SQUIRREL!
I love getting out the decorations every year… so many good memories. 🙂
I agree. I love unpacking them each year and look forward to sharing some of my favorites between now and Christmas Day.
We’re just opening our Christmas box. I can’t remember making some of the ornaments but the kids remember. They love telling me the stories again.
We have some wonderful homemade decorations ~ from nieces and nephews as well as my parents. It’ll be FUN to share them.
those reindeer are brilliant. what a way to welcome the Christmas season! thanks for sharing.
i love getting out old, familiar decorations as well…. love this time of year!
Merry Christmas.
Thanks! I love those Christmas reindeer . . . like a mini Welcome mat. It’s fun sharing ornaments and decorations with visitors over the holidays.
there is a lot of beauty in so many of the Christmas Carols, isn’t there?
Absolutely. I tended to playing the piano more during the holidays than at any other time of the year . . . because of the beautiful melodies:
O Holy Night . . . O Come, O Come, Emmanuel . . . Good King Wenceslas . . . What Child is This?
Love the reindeer antlers spelling out “welcome”…and it sounds like we’re in for a daily treat…I love advent calendars, so this will be it…. : ) We just got our tree today and will get down the boxes of decorations tomorrow… : )
Oh, how fun. You’re sure to enjoy unpacking and unwrapping and placing the decorations around.
Definitely swing by for your Advent fix everyday. I’m looking forwarding to sharing a different vignette and song each day from now to Christmas.
Love your treasures, Nancy!
Thanks, Cin! It’s such FUN having them visit for a few weeks each year . . . without outstaying their welcome. 😀
Thanks for sharing, Nancy. What I most love about our Christmas tree is the memories I unwrap with each decoration. Seems like we share that!
Ornaments that bring us JOY in the NOW make the holidays Merry and Bright. Any that make us yearn for the past are best forgotten and left unpacked.
Nancy your reindeer are darling! You collect Santa Claus figures-Iove that. And yes, Joy to the World! I am excited that you are going to post a picture a day similar to an Advent Calendar, how fun! JoY jOY! And Nancy thank you for the link back to my blog 🙂
Thanks, Pix! Reindeers and Santas make me smile. And so did the darling snowman in your post. Here’s to holidays overflowing with JOY.
I Love this post ,PEACE:)
Thanks, Jake. Hope your holidays are filled with Peace, Light, and Love.
You are inspiring me to go upstairs and find the decorations to unwrap. I was thinking of not decorating this year.
I pondered that myself, Ruth. I waited to decorate until inspiration arrived . . . and it did. 😀
Amazing and colorful. Happy Christmas to you!.
Mine are a bit different –
http://nandinidhiman.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/illuminations-and-fragrances-diwali-decorations/
Thanks! I’ll be around to check them out shortly, Nandini.
nice post. happy holidays
Thanks, Amar. Hope your holidays are merry and bright.
Reading your lovely post just as Bing Crosby is crooning ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas” over the radio. . . .
Thanks, Patti. Hope your holidays are a delight to the senses!
Wonderful, wonderful, Nancy (and is that a zebra at a watering hole I spy there? :-D)
Do those Santas come from one of the Nordic countries? They are marvellously unusual.
The one in blue looks Nordic to me. I expect that the craftsmen who fashioned my Santas took inspiration from around the world.
And, yes, that’s a zebra! 😀
Amazing take on the challenge 🙂
Thanks! Weekly themes make for fun challenges.
Cute ornaments. They’ve been around the block and back. 😆
They have! They’ve lived in NC, NJ, VA, MD, and FL! 😉
I love the watercolor ”Welcome” sign of reindeer antlers. Of course the Santas are beautiful too. Wonderful entry!
Thanks, Theresa! It’s a welcoming time of year, isn’t it?
Lovely. Thanks for sharing. Are you still painting?
I don’t paint as often here because I don’t have a dedicated “studio” area for painting or supplies. In MD, I had a wonderful entertainment center with shelves to store paint, paper, books, etc.
All I needed to do was grab a cup of water.
Lovely picture of the “Christmas Family”. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Greetings from Switzerland,
– Pierre
Thanks, Pierre. My dad traveled to Switzerland many times in his career with Bell Labs and AT&T. He brought back some wonderful souvenirs for us ~ Swiss Army Knives, Swiss Chocolate, and Raclette!
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