My Favorite Things Pt 2

So today it's all about the special ornaments that I love that aren't necessarily home-made.

First up is a prized Christmas ball from my parents first tree together.  They are small, inexpensive balls with a snowflake pattern.  A few have been crushed over the years.  I was so happy when my mom gave me a couple for my own tree. 

Next, is my little drummer boy.  It's another of my parents old ornaments.  It came in a little box of three.  It was always one of my favorites to unpack and I loved to play with them as a kid.  Now I have one to enjoy every year (though he has already survived a decapitation once!)  You can also see another of my parent's first balls hanging behind him. 

Next is an invitation to a great Christmas party my friend Rachel threw when we were in college.  Her mom lived in the next town over and it was so nice to dress up and have a little Christmas cheer in a real home to break up the stress of the end of the semester push.  It's also a great memento of that night.  Rachel still throws amazing holiday soirees, though I sadly live much further than the next town over to enjoy them.

This Altoids tin always makes it onto the tree.  It is from my Husband's collection.  Really, who couldn't love a little Abominable Snowman?!

I have a collection of colorful snowflakes and balls that I actually picked up on a trip to Ikea several years ago.  I love the little bit of sparkle they add to the tree.  The glowing ball behind the snowflake is also one of my most favorite things for the tree.  It's a set of large, golden and slightly iridescent balls that actually snap onto the lights of the tree so that the whole tree glows.  It makes me think that I've sprinkled the tree with little Glinda the Good Witches descending into Oz.   The balls actually don't fit the lights on my big fake tree very well but I make them work somehow. 

This little bird came from the Husband's collection.  I don't know the story behind him but he makes me happy and I'm glad he's on our tree.

The Husband is a bass player by love and profession.  These two are a small sample of our Christmas basses.  I especially love the reindeer playing bass.  Behind him is another from my husband's collection.  It's a Star Trek shuttle craft (I may have gotten that wrong) and it used to play Spock's voice when you plugged it into a light.  Again, our lights don't cooperate very well.  I love it and it makes the Husband happy too.

Thanks for taking in a small sampling of the things that we love.  What are some of your favorites that you can't wait to pull out every year?