I joining in with my friend Amy and her monthly Round Robin. I am going to show you just how crazy I am. The picture you are about to see is not my decorated tree! The ornaments you see are not in their normal place, they have been placed here to take a picture for this post. I am showing you what it is like to be a die hard ornament collector from Hallmark. I will also share some tricks of the trade! But before I do that I will show you two items that I have made recently since we usually come here to show you some craft or tasty treat.
So this is a Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake that I made. I had seen it on Pinterest and it was delicious!
I am making these for Christmas for the children I give little gifts to. Of course they are for making S'mores and I have directions on the back for putting them in the microwave. I made these for my friends little boys when we went to visit their new baby girl.
Okay, back to my ornaments. She this picture, these are the new ornaments I got this year. I actually did this for my benefit more than years. I cannot believe I bought this many ornaments but this isn't the first time. Sure I have always loved Hallmark ornaments but years ago I made a point of not going into a store until the day after Christmas when they were 50% off. That is pretty much how I control myself because I am an impulse buyer. If I stay out of the malls I don't waste my money. Of course that worked a lot better before the Internet came around!
Back around 2000 I started working in a Hallmark Gold Crown store and that's when the true obsession started. Not that it matters but I do know people who are worse than me. Hallmark makes over 200 new ornaments every years. When I was working in the store I would buy about 75 each year. No wonder I have well over 800 ornaments on my tree. I actually thought I was doing pretty good since I left but I seem to still be getting about 50 each year. It is crazy, I can't keep this up. It takes me at least a week to put the ornaments up. I will work several hours each day on it before I have to stop. My arms get tired. So I am going to put up a picture from my tree last year so you can kinda see what it should look like when finished.
Now when you have this many ornaments you have to be creative in how you pack them up each year. For years I had been opening each box to take out the ornament and then returning it to its box after Christmas. Not only is this time consuming but storage for that many takes up tons of space. A few years back I bought some awesome ornament cases at the Container store in LA and they have worked out great. So since then all of my ornament boxes have been opened and flattened. That is a huge space saver and a great way to keep the boxes in excellent condition compared to opening and closing them each Christmas.
This is a public service announcement: Don't get caught up in the insanity of Christmas. Jesus is the Reason for the Season! It's too late for me to be saved. Not by Jesus but by the OCD ornament bug!
I am going to try to stay off my computer today and tomorrow. (Sunday is Wicked)I have got to get my trees decorated and my cards in the mail along with the out of town gifts but don't be surprised if you see me around your blog! It is next to impossible for me to stay away but I am really going to try. I know I sound like a broken record. I will however be reading my emails and responding to them.
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30 comments:
Wow...that is quite a collection of ornaments, Debby! I used to collect them, as well, but stopped once my girls reached a certain aga. Plus, I didn't have any room left on our tree!;) That Blueberry Breakfast Cake looks heavenly!
hope you have a productive weekend...my Mom worked for a Hallmark store in Branson for several years...love all your ornaments..
I hope you get lots done this weekend. I will have to set foot inside an Apple store...ours is insane even when it's not Christmas so I can't imagine what it will be like less than three weeks before Christmas!
Oh my gosh! I feel extravagant if I buy more than one ornament a year!! But your tree does look very festive.
As you know, I've collected them too...but not as many as you...
The last few years, I've bought the Cat ornaments that are photo frames. I put them on the fridge and they stay there all year. I try to put a photo of Smokey in them for that year....I have started collections for my grands but this year I only bought for the two who live nearby...Wonder Boy gets a snowman and the Princess gets one of Mary's Angels. They have their own tree to decorate in their room.
Thanks for the recipe. I usually buy a couple of packs of Blueberries and freeze them. I'm trying to remember if I did that this summer.
Have a great day,
Mama Bear
Your tree is incredible!!! I love it and glad you weren't saved...from the OCD bug. ha ha I like the smores gift..can you send me the link?
I really think it is so cool to have such wonderful ornaments. I am going to try Hallmark the day after Christmas to see if I can find me some ornaments. I know you are so excited about Wicked. I can't wait until you tell us about it. I want to go see it so bad. Maybe next year.
Have a good rest this weekend and enjoy Wicked.
I love ornaments too and these are gorgeous - but that is a huge amount of work, money, and time girlfriend - all of which I don't have a lot of.
Think I will enjoy yours - take pictures of it.
Love,sandie
Oh you are way too sweet to post for the Round Robin.. I love all of those treats.. I want to do the gift on maybe.. We shall see. if I have time.. I hope to get a tree and get it decorated.. Who knows. I love your ornaments. They are amazing.. I think your tree looks so pretty.. Have a great weekend..
Those S'mores gifts are too neat! I'll have to try to remember that for little ones in years to come! :-)
The Blueberry Cake looks amazing! It definitely wouldn't last more than a day here ;-)
I love your ornament collection! And I love how you've started storing them...I'll have to look into those containers! :-)
Hi!
What fun - all those delightful ornaments! The holidays are so enjoyable. I love decorating, and I like to make a party of undercoating, too. I usually put on Christmas music, or a good movie, and have eggnog, or something similarly delicious.
Your blog background is festive and cheery!
☺ Hope
Have a great weekend & enjoy Wicked.
I love all the ornaments. That Blueberry Cake looks so Awesome. Ridge my son & I love Blueberry muffins.
xoxox God Bless you my darling bloggy friend
Your tree must be so awesome this year.
I used to do some Hallmark before they closed around here.
Now that the Renegades are bigger we try and make some each year.
No wonder we have three trees up.
those treats look awesome! the tree looks amazing!! wow!! Everytime u look at it u notice something else! hope u get it all done u would have to be well organized!
I pinned that cake! I'm going to have to try it!
Ok girlie I'm stealing the s'more idea that is so awesome!!!
Love the tree and the new ornaments. the 50% deals are the best :)
I love last year's tree, just gorgeous.
LOVE LOVE your service announcement.
Have fun at Wicked!
MUAH
i love the smore kit! genius.
That is so cute with the smores! I bet the kids will love them! Your tree, like I said before, is a labor of love! Enjoy Wicked!
betty
Holy Manoly that is a lot of ornaments!!!! (Tried to tell Hallmark about my video but they gave me some automated response... thanks again for the shout out a few blogs ago!) I LOVE the smore thing and that cake looks divine! Did you find them both on Pinterest? I am afraid to check it out... I think it would just have me doing more things for work (and already I feel my plate runneth over)... perhaps in the summer I'll be ready!
I don't know how you do it! My tree looks so paltry in comparison.
Oh. My. Sweet. Goodness. That blueberry cake looks delicious! Definitely going to have to try that one.
I don't think I have ever seen a more gorgeous tree! Stunning!
I hope you will take a picture of it with the lights off except the tree lights. I think that would be gorgeous too. I can't fathom trying to store that many ornaments.
What's the oldest ornament that you have? Do each of them have special meaning or a purpose that they were purchased?
Wow!
Ya, I have pinned that blueberry breakfast cake because it does look divine!
WOW! That is a lot of ornaments! I can't imagine having that many! The tree is awesome though! :)
I think your ornaments look great! I love the way your finished tree is so colorful and festive!
That buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake looks amazing! I just love blueberry pastry type foods!
Wow, you have been busy! Those s'mores kits look fun!
Can't wait to hear how Wicked was!!
I have cut back on my ornaments this year...after spending hours decorating over a period of days, I said "enough!" Lol
Youe tree is beautiful! It would be nice to see it up close and personal...enjoy every ornament Debby.
Oh, I am about to walk out the door to mail my Christmas Cards...haven't baked a thing yet.
That tree of yours is IMPRESSIVE! And beautiful! I truly would never find the patience to carefully place so many of those ornaments on there!
I'm going to be checking out that breakfast cake...looks delicious!
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