Mom's Christmas Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 31

This is Mom's (1933~2010) Mr. and Mrs. Santa,  singing mice and Santa's reindeer. If I recall correctly, the mice are from Germany, which are very cute. Mom always had this set up just like this (I copied from past photos) in the entry way of her home. Mrs. Santa's candle lights up and she moves side to side and Santa waves. The lantern Santa is holding lights up also. I took quite a few shots when all was plugged in but for some reason, I am not locating them on my computer. The grandchildren really get a kick out of this little display . . . it's fun to see the smiles on their faces.

This is one of two Nutcrackers that mom always had standing by her front door. I put them up on my entry way antique dresser . . . I felt they were safe there. The other Nutcracker has his nose missing, not sure if that happened before or when they were removed from mom's home and transported here. It's nice to see them as you walk in my front door.

I very much enjoyed sharing mom's Christmas treasures here . . . when I started, I didn't realize that I would learn so much about Christmas ornaments . . . mom has beautiful Christmas Jewels and I feel so very fortunate to have some of them now . . . there is still so much more that is still in her home . . . I am hoping to bring the remainder to my home, someday soon. Mom loved Christmas and when she bought her home here in Southern California, one of the first additions she made was to have cabinets built along one entire side of the garage . . . those cabinets are full of just Christmas decorations and Christmas treasures. Hopefully next Christmas, I will be sharing those treasures here again. Thank you for visiting and sharing in mom's treasures with me. 

~ Happy New Year! ~

Mom's Christmas Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 30

Mom (1933~2010) owned two Mangers, both given to her by her younger twin brothers, my uncles,  Helmut (1940~1994) and Adi (1940~2004),  from Germany.  Since mom purchased her home (1986) here in Southern California, she would always have two Christmas trees, one in the living room and one in the family room, each Manger would be next to each Christmas tree. I don't have the room for two trees in my home, so I put one Manger in my living room where our Christmas tree is and the other smaller Manger (bottom photo in collage) in my family room.

Emma put the snowman puzzle together and then glued it to a piece of cardboard and created an artful border around the puzzle. These Mangers are very special to me now for so many reasons and that they are from Germany and from my uncles to my mom . . . who all are no longer with us.

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 29

~ Click on collage to enlarge ~

These are just a very few of Mom's (1933~2010) beautiful German Christmas tablecloths. Over the years she brought them home with her on her yearly trips while visiting our family in Augsburg . . . she always made sure she added to my collection too. So between us, we have quite a collection of these very pretty and special Christmas linens. The ones in the collage are just some that I used this year throughout the house.

Just after mom passed, I was able to get a small part of her linens . . . I am still in awe of the wonderful shape they are in. She had had them for so many years, yet, they are perfectly ironed, folded and 99% stain free . . . I have always wondered how she did it . . . I have always been afraid to use them because in this family, we are pretty rough on our stuff but I know she would want us to enjoy them  . . . that's what her intention was all along . . . and . . . I don't mind the washing and ironing to take care of them . . .  I feel very blessed to have such special treasures.

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 26

ca ~1960's

This teardrop ornament belongs to the same set as the one ~ here ~ as I said in my previous post, I believe mom (1933 ~ 2010) purchased these in Germany. This is the only one in this teardrop shape. 

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 25

ca ~ 1950's 

This ornament is quite old and still in excellent condition . . . you can see a bit of the faux spray snow mom (1933~2010) used back when it was popular. This is a Shiny Brite dented teardrop ornament from the late 1950's to possible early 1960's from Germany. This collection  ~here~  and ~ here ~  is in my top favorites and bring back so many past Christmas memories.

I have several more of mom's ornaments that I haven't shared yet, along with several of her Christmas tablecloths and linens from Germany she collected over the years . . . I plan to share those here for the remainder of the Holidays and hope you enjoy mom treasures too. 

~ Merry Christmas to you and yours ~ 

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 23

Mom (1933~2010) gave me a set of these lovely star ornaments several years before she passed. I recall her telling me that my cousin in Germany made them . . . I will be emailing my cousin to verify if I have this correct. Whether they were hand made or purchased, they are so pretty and sparkle under the lights . . . one of my favorites.

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 18

ca ~ 1960

I love this silver teardrop ornament in Mom's (1933~2010) collection. I found only four of them and I believe mom purchased these in Germany . . . they are so pretty on the tree. 

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 17

I am honestly not sure when mom (1933~2010) acquired the five traditional German bells that go at the top of the tree. I do recall mom telling me that these belonged to her father and that having five bells at the top of the Christmas tree is a German tradition . . . I hope that I am recalling correctly . . . I wished at the time I had paid more attention to the story. These red bell ornaments are so pretty and I have them placed at the top of the tree just as mom had done for many years. I will inquire with my Aunt in Germany . . . perhaps she can help me with the tradition and it's history.

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 16

ca ~ 1960's?

I have been trying to research mom's (1933~2010) Christmas tree ornaments . . . this one I could not find, not even close. Just by the design, I am guessing the 1960's  but it could be earlier . . . just not sure. It's the only one in mom's collection but I do remember there being more. Many of mom's ornaments are of the Shiny Brite brand both from Germany and USA.  I am hoping to find more history on this ornament. 

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 15

ca ~ late 1950's very early 1960's 

Mom (1933~2010) has four of these sweet Santa's. 

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 10

~ 2008 ~

This ornament was another that mom (1933~2010) had hand carried from Germany in 2008. She brought me two of them and then she had several also. This Christmas dove has held a special spot on our tree ever since.

~ Happy Holidays! ~ 

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 8

~ 2008 ~

Mom (1933~2010) hand carried a set of these traditional pine cone ornaments for me from Germany, in 2008. As far back as I can remember, all of our Christmas trees always had pine cone ornaments, a German tradition. I didn't have any so mom thought it was time I got with the program! I love them, and they are very special to me. Eventually, I will have her set of pine cone ornaments to add to our tree here . . . where they belong.   

~ Happy Holidays! ~

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 6

ca ~ 1960's

I am not sure of the year mom added this one to her collection, it looks very similar to the ornament I posted yesterday ~ here ~ so I am guessing it maybe early 1960's. Mom worked at Montgomery Wards in the 1960's, so that maybe where she purchased it from at the time. 

Mom's Christmas Tree Jewels ~ Memory Count Down ~ Day 5

ca ~ 1960's

I am not sure of the year that mom may have purchased this ornament. I know it's been around since I was at least seven or eight years old so that would put right in the 1960's . . .  it's been around for a while! Mom only had two of this type of ornament but it's colorful and has a little bit of that faux spray snow on it too. 

Christmas Angel ~

This sweet little Christmas angel was among several items I received in a package from my cousin in Germany . . . a nice surprise waiting for me on my front door step today! She also sent me several books on the history of the city of Augsburg, where I was born and where she still resides . . . thank you dear cousin!

In Oma's memory ~

Liselotte 'Oma' Haf 

1913 ~ 2010

This Bayern, German pewter plate sits on a shelf in my kitchen. It was sent to me by my Oma in Germany, many many years ago . . . you will see one in each of the Haf family homes.  There are 12 city crests or coat of arms, etched into this plate. My birth town, Augsburg, is at the 10 o'clock position. Oma always sent me neat things that surrounded our home and family of our German heritage . . . thank you, Oma, you are all around me. 

~ Schalf Gut . . . Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh ~

(Sleep well . . . Sleep in heavenly Peace)

~~~~~~~~~

Starting at the twelve o'clock position and continuing clockwise, the following cities and their coat of arms, within the Bayern State, are etched into this pewter plate . . . Muenchen, Landshut, Lindau, Passau, Hof I/B, Erlangen, Nuernberg, Eichstaett, Straubing,

Regensburg, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, 

In the center is the "Bayern" State coat of arms

Oma's bottle of Kolnisch Wasser ~

This little bottle of German Kolnisch Wasser (cologne water) originally belonged to my Oma. She gave it to me many many years ago on one of her visits to us here in California from Germany. I cannot recall the exact year, but it's been at least over 30 years or more now.  When I open the bottle, it smells like my Oma and takes me back to some very special memories of her.  I love the shape of it and have a hard time using or draining the bottle...it smells as if you just purchased it... this little bottle will always stay with me.

Old Augsburg, Germany ~

The larger drawing/picture of Augsburg, Germany has been in our family for a long time. You can't tell in this photo, but there is a tear in the top middle portion and the corners are curling. I have been wanting to scan this piece for many years...it's quite large and does not fit on my Canon printer/scanner.

I received a Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for Christmas and love it. I hadn't tried the "stitching"option yet. I became inspired when Vickie scanned a page from her James Madison Hall journal and stitched the page together. I scanned the drawing and then used the stitch option. Well, I have to say it worked great for me! The stitched copy is above the larger original (in photo above). I printed the stitched copy onto "book" paper (8.5 x 11) I have. The color didn't come out as bright as in the original...I will have to work on that part of it.  Now it will fit perfectly in my Haf surname binder.  Thank you for the inspiration Vickie...I hadn't taken my flip-pal out since New Years...the possibilities are endless.

Mr. Bear ~

This cute little bear that now sits on my bed, belonged to my mom. Mom loved this little guy, and it was very special to her because one of her twin brothers had given it to her several years before passing away. 

I recall mom telling me that both brothers had given it to her at the same time, during one of her yearly visits back home to Germany...I am not sure now. I have emailed my cousin in Germany to see if my Aunt Gitta recalls this wonderful little bear and his story, and hopefully his name too. Mr. Bear, as I have named him, is now very special to me.