Merry Day #16....

 ~ Welcome to my ~

Merry Day #16!

Well with the stand reviews done and 10 days before the big event that I wait for all year long, I thought I'd share our family traditions with you each day until Christmas Day is here!

As I know it is for all of you...

Christmas is a time of memories. One of the *best* memories of Christmas I have is the ones of my maternal Grandma. Her name was Eileen Campbell Weber and I loved her with all my heart, and she loved Christmas as much as I do. When I was a young girl, every feast of St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6) we would get all dressed up and my Mom would drop us off at Granny and Pap's house. The house was always lit up with Christmas lights, but inside we ate in candlelight and then we would get to open one gift. I can remember the excitement I always felt when I was little going to our "fancy" party on St. Nick's day. It brings back warm memories and smiles remembering my grandparents. 

My grandma...

was a very "fix-y" lady and would always decorate her house to the nines each year. One of my most favorite decorations she had was of a large, painted ceramic set of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Oh I loved them! I can remember standing by the buffet she always put them on and just staring at them, taking in all the details of the painting and what Mrs. Claus had in the large bag at her feet and the twinkle in Santa's eye. When my grandmother passed, I always hoped I'd get that set, but my brother inherited the house and Santa stayed with the house. 

As an adult...

I always thought about those ceramic pieces. Did they still make them? Was ceramics even a thing anymore? So one summer I had time on my hands (hardy har har!) and I started searching for them. Through my research I found that they molds were made by Atlantic and that the ones my grandmother had (the very large ones) were hard to find (well at least they are hard to find for me). But I could find a set that stood about 15 inches tall - the Santa was the same, but Mrs. Claus had a different pose. But it was close enough so I bought the set. Now here is the dilemma....Remember I couldn't paint! So...I got the set and sat out to do what I could to make that set look like what I remembered my Granny's to look like. I was successful! Here they are....setting on my "buffet" in my own entry way! (really mine is just an antique dresser from my husband's grandparents)

The Antique Ceramic Christmas tree....

was from my paternal Grandmother that I inherited. Her name was: Frances Eleanor Epperson and I loved her with all my heart too. The table cloth the pieces are sitting on is from my Granny (Weber) too and is from the late 1950's - early 1960's. Very different ladies - in terms of style and demeanor - but both had character and charm - I learned lots about keeping home, hearth and family traditions from these fine examples. As I sit here writing this, I'm crying a bit because I love and miss them. But it is my hope, that through me and my memories they remain alive and their traditions and values are passed on to my children. Family was *very* important to both of these women and I have tried, with all my might, to instill that in my own family. I think I've been successful because although we are not without our own struggles - I have a very tightly knit family. We do (literally) everything as a family - even those of us that has left the nest, still fly home to do our traditional things and as my chicks fly the nest - I hope that our traditions are stitched in their DNA to pass on. 

Between us....

I am again searching for a set of the ceramic Santa and Mrs. Claus. I would like to paint a set of the Santas and a ceramic tree to gift to my daughter, Katie, next year in her first year as a married woman. I feel it a way to bridge her childhood home and her new home - as well as remembering her ancestors. We will see how that goes - I'm nothing but ambitious when it comes to these sorts of things - and I have a huge wedding to plan and execute as well as help with a second one. And we are planning a trip to Washington DC in July. HA! Big Ideas....that possibly could come true. Tenacity. See this is why I don't sleep at night. Thankfully I can share all of this with you because Katie doesn't even realize I have resurrected this blog. 

OK so that does it today for Merry Day #16!

Thank you for sharing these days with me!

Merry Christmas!

All my love, 

Vonna xxxx