...and a Merry Eclectic to you!

I've been perusing different blogs on the internet lately. Boy oh boy...there are some pretty talented folks out there. People who look at throw-away aluminum foil pans and see Christmas stars! People that take ordinary stuff and turn it into a gorgeous, designer-look holiday display. These are the same people who can match their shoes to their outfits...and make Christmas trees look like they were in a magazine shoot. But me? Can't do it...my poor little Christmas tree doesn't look like its had a "Martha" within 10 miles of it! Instead, it's a scrapbook of our travels and family history. Whenever we go somewhere, we look for an ornament for the tree (or keychain because some places just don't "do" ornaments! like Indiana!) We also have treasured family "heirlooms" that need to go on the tree every year. When my kids were little, they got a new ornament every year and I've hung on to a couple of them. Take for example this one: My nephew made this one for me out of shrinky-dinks and a walnut shell. Love it!

This one is when we visited the site of Sweetie's favorite film...yes, they built it and we came!

Ah...Scotland! Charming country, charming people! They aren't "thistly" at all!

and the Netherlands, aka Holland. Someplace I would love to visit again and again...especially at Christmastime! Pastries and cheese and delicious things to eat.

and Blind Mickey! This was Son #1's very first ornament and I've kept it for all these years...even though the eyes fell off long ago. It just wouldn't be Christmas without him!

So while my tree may not look like something from Macy's window, at least it's a conversation starter...there's a story behind every ornament!