Christmas in July!

As far as decorating goes, the Wms. women don't know how to hold back. Visit any of our homes or attend any of our parties for a not-so-subtle reminder. Christmas ornaments are no exception.

I think it was my great-grandma Zella (my mom's dad's mom) who started the tradition of hand beading and sequining ornaments--and it's become quite a passion for our family. I grew up thinking everyone's tree ornaments must be as beautiful as ours. The ornaments typically have a theme and are placed near each other on the tree--The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion), Cinderella (Prince, Fairy Godmother, Pumpkin,), Raggedy Ann and Andy, Twas the Night Before Christmas, etc...

In the last few years, as my sisters and I have gotten older, my mom's been in an ornament frenzy! And that zest has passed to each of us. I've learned to bead and sequin, and our Christmas gifts to each other in the last few years have been peppered with ornaments created by hand. Let me tell you, those gifts are my favorite--because they're long lasting and I know how much painstaking detail and time went into each one.

Last Christmas, I sorted the ornaments in my cedar chest (Christmas '07. Gosh it's great being from a family of girls) and I'm amassing quite the collection!

I've hesitated in bringing them East because I typically spend half of December in Portland, but maybe this is the year to bring them out to Boston!