Christmas in July

Those of you who know me know that I love Christmas. I was so excited the other day to walk into Hobby Lobby and see that they've already started putting out Christmas stuff. If I had all day, I would craft Christmas to my heart's content. But I don't, so I have to do what I can when I can.

Another Christmas love of mine is Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. As many of you know, Hallmark releases their ornaments in July. I really am very excited!  As in:

I really don't know where to start! I think the only downside is that they tend to run over $12-15 each and when you want about, oh I don't know...20 or so...it tends to get pricey. Like own special budget each month pricey. My justification in this, though, is that there are about 2-3 (OK, 2) that I buy for other people:

 Star Trek for the hubby.

And cupcakes for my mom.

The rest are for me!!

 Frosty Fun Decade (3rd in series)

Mickey's Christmas Carol (4th in series)

Visit from Santa (4th in series)

These are the five I've kept up with for the past four years. There were three series I wanted to start last year (Pixar Legends, Angels Around the World, and Twelve Days of Christmas), but due to budget restraints (aka - saving to marry the man of my dreams), I was doing good to keep the series I'd started going. So I'm looking for them online at a reasonable price. The Partridge in a Pear Tree ornament from last year is already selling for almost $50! But that was the one I wanted most, so I may just have to bite the bullet on that one. I'm not too concerned about Pixar and may just buy the ornaments from the movies that I can't live without. Last year was UP, this year is Monsters Inc. I'm OK without those, but I will need Brave and possibly Cars when/if they come out.

Now, if I were only going for the five continued ornaments and picking up last years starters and this years seconds, I might be fine. But this is where Hallmark gets me/you. They continually put out new series!

Cookie Cutter Christmas

Holiday Lighthouse (plugs in and lights up)

Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces

Really, what's a girl to do!? Guess I'll just have to buckle down and save those pennies. Cause I don't know if I can let these little gems go.

We just might need a second tree this year!
*ornament pictures taken from Hallmark website; gif taken from photobucket*

Social Sunday - Week 7

Here is my second attempt at being consistent with this new link up. In my defense, I kind of had a crazy last two weeks.

Anywho....here are this week's questions and answers:

1. What is your dream job?

     * Stay at home wife (mom when the time comes) and/or photographer* 

2. If you had just won the lottery and didn't need to work for money, what would you do with your time?

     *Photography. Or open a Hallmark Store in my parents town and let them run it (seriously, there is no Hallmark in Cottonwood/Sedona/Flagstaff, Arizona. There is, however, one in Prescott)

3. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

    *I don't remember wanting to be any one thing specifically. I remember wanting to be a nurse or teacher at some point, but that's it.*

4. What piece career advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?

     *Don't throw away any emails/receipts/business cards!! You will definitely need them when you don't think you will. (I currently travel for work)* 

5. Biggest Pet Peeves either in life or in blogging or at work

     *Inconsiderate people, as a whole, annoy the crap out me! When someone takes up two parking spots because they're in a hurry. People who stop in the middle of the main walkway causing a pile up behind them. People who meander slowly down the sidewalk/aisle taking the whole space and don't get out of the way for those who walk with purpose. (all these I deal with in airports, mostly.)*

6. Biggest Fears

    *That I won't be a good mom when the time comes. That I've missed my chance to be a mom.*

Now that I've shared my heart, come join up with the rest of us. Make some new friends. Who know who you might meet!

Peace out...
   (yes...I went there)

 

Christmas in July

That's probably the thought they're going with this weekend. I mean, they are premiering their Christmas Ornaments...in July. It's trendy, I admit. And for most it works, present company included.
Who?

Hallmark!!!!

Tomorrow and Sunday (July 10 & 11) is the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Premier Weekend! And I am so there! Good thing I don't have a lot of money to spend, otherwise I'd have no money when it's all said and done with. Yes, I'm addicted...and I have no desire to quit!!

It all started quite innocently three years ago. I bought my first, first edition keepsake ornament in 2007...Doorways Around the World. I'd always been intrigued by the HKOs, but never ventured into purchase mode for any of the series. I thought I'd dabble...give it a whirl. And it probably wouldn't have been that big a deal except for one tiny little problem: my mom. I love her...don't get me wrong...but sometimes she aggravates the schnikeys out me!!

Here's how it happened: I bought the Germany door.
Here's my mistake: I told her about it and how I was all excited about starting a series.
Here's where it went kaput: Christmas 2008 gets close and she tells me not to buy MY ornament this year...she will...and for future years for the series.
Wait....what?!?! Don't get me wrong, I'm not ungrateful or anything. But this was MY thing..to do for ME...I WANTED TO DO IT!!!! ARGH!!! (See what I mean about driving me CrAzY!?!)

So, I blame her for this addiction (yes, that's right, I take ABSOLUTELY NO responsibility). Because if she hadn't decided to steal my thunder, I wouldn't have had to go looking for a new series to buy.
I will say my addiction was postponed a year due to my move to CA. But Christmas of 2009, I started two new series. And I made it EXTREMELY clear to her that she was to keep her grubby little paws OFF!!!

And I plan on two, or more, this year.

Maybe even delving into one or two or three that started in the past few years that I missed...which would mean hunting the interwebs for last years, and previous years, editions and trying not to pay too much for them. What? I can't have a series starting with second/third/fourth in series. The series must be complete!!!
And I can quit whenever I want to...I just don't want to!!

For those wondering, here are the addictions:
*Doors Around the World: Germany (07), Mexico (08), Ireland (09), and Italy (10). Sadly, Italy is the last in this series (oh, and Mom has them all in my "hope chest").
*Visit From Santa: Santa w/Polar Bear (09), Santa w/Deer (10) - this is one I started last year.
*Mickey's Christmas Carol: Mickey as Bob Cratchit (09), Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge (10) - another I started last year...one of my favorite Christmas movies!!

New this year: *Frosty Fun Decade - "Look forward to ten years of fun with this frosty new ornament series. A different snowman will arrive each year to help commemorate the season.
*Oh So Sweet - "Each ornament in this new series will feature a delightfully decorated cupcake."
*STAR TREK™ Legends: "Each of the ornaments in this new series will feature a different character from the original STAR TREK™ television series." (This is a maybe. It'd be for Stephen, but he's not a fan of the original series...he's more of a "Next Generation"-er.)

Potential pick ups:
*Season's Treatings - this is only on the second year. The only problem...all the online prices for last year's are about $100!! This year's ornament is only $10.95. Last year's is apparently very hard to find and very popular...all it has on it is a couple mini cookies and rolling pin stamped with 2009. We'll see how that goes.
*Santa's Sweet Ride - on it's 4th year.

It's just too cute!! Only problem is it's four years in, and I'm not really a Santa person. If it hadn't been for the polar bear (and promise of future animals), I probably wouldn't have started the "Visit from Santa" series. I'm not fully committed to this one: 07 found Santa in a car, 08 was a plane, and 09 was a boat. I can't imagine there's much left in the transportation industry. We'll see...

And there you have it...one of my many addictions that I am refusing to seek help for (unless it's monetary help in the form of you giving me money to buy these!). On another day, I'll discuss a current, year-round addiction: Vinylmation!!