A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


During an early scene in my December 2018 Harlequin Heartwarming novel, FAMILY BY DESIGN, my hero and heroine discuss hobbies.  He’s never taken time for such things, while she enjoys cooking.

Me?  

I have more interests than I have hours to indulge.  Some of the major ones are rocks, genealogy, painting, photography, reading, sewing, beadwork, and, yes, collecting.

The background piece is a cross-section slice
of petrified wood, probably from the trunk
of a small tree.  My passion for rocks
is a challenge because they are weighty,
unlike my pins
At various periods in my life I’ve collected coins and stamps, tiny perfume bottles, cobalt glassware, paperweights, teapots, fairytale books, marbles, pins, and more.  When some of these started crowding me out of the house, I let a lot of them go and weeded the others down to more manageable proportions.  But pins don’t take much geography, so I feel free to pick up more when I find something I like. 

I suspect a few of my earrings
 may be repurposed
Christmas ornaments😃




As much as I enjoy photography, I discovered
 it wasn't easy getting pictures of jewelry.

Holiday pins (also holiday earrings and pendants) are a special part of my collection. 



Christmas jewelry is fun.  My pieces are all costume, most aren't even sterling silver.  I never buy anything valuable in terms of money; I don’t want to worry so much about keeping something safe that I can’t enjoy it.



I don't collect a single style of Christmas pin.  Rhinestones are nice because of the sparkle, but ones with a message are equally appreciated.  

Of course, humor is always a plus! 
I prefer the old St. Nick
style of Santa Claus, though
I'm not sure where one
this fits

I like bells, light globes, animals, Christmas trees...along with funky and traditional.


Ice dancing, anyone?




Another part of my Christmas collection are non-holiday earrings I’ve gotten at yard sales and benefit shops.  I hang them on a small wire tree around 20 inches tall.  (The tree was originally intended for Christmas cards, but I repurposed it.)  This project gives me an excuse to get earrings that I think are attractive or interesting, but don’t fit my personal style.  

It all started when I wanted to decorate a small tree with animal ornaments.  Ones that are small enough are hard to find, so I was hooked when I saw some large cat earrings (too large for me to wear, the right size for the tree).  And they come with their own "hanger."  I'd share a picture, but haven't located any worth showing.  Since I have a wild man feline, who's still getting over his adolescence and chewing on everything in sight, this particular holiday decoration is staying safely packed away in 2018.  I don't want any emergency trips to the vet on Christmas Eve.


Back to writing...


I wrote about FAMILY BY DESIGN on my 
Sit-Down-Saturday this month, but missed putting in a link to the reviews from Goodreads.

I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to write a review, so want to give a special thanks to the Goodreads readers. See:


At the moment I'm working on edits for my April 2019 Harlequin Heartwarming release, FINALLY, A FAMILY.  This will be the fourth book in my Emerald City Stories series.  After the edits go in, I'll return to work on a proposal for a character from FINALLY, A FAMILY.  Laurel was suggested by my editor and she simply insisted on having her own story.

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

Callie




Comments

  1. Callie, love your pins, love your books. So looking forward to the next in the Emerald City stories. I collect (or did) Longaberger baskets. I have hanging trees of them, and standing trees of them, until I had to say enough. And my kids even say, mom, we don't want your baskets. That's harsh. Not really. I laugh about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My mom collected several things and I kept a couple of samples for a remembrance. I've never heard of Longaberger baskets, so I'll have to look them up online. My mom probably had a few - she loved baskets.

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  2. Callie, Wow. You are a true collector. I love the cat with the Christmas tree tail. I have a Santa Claus collection and my husband and I collect vintage soda bottles. It's fun to have something to search for at garage sales and flea markets. Congratulations on your Emerald City series! Merry Christmas to you!

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    1. I agree, it's fun to have something to look for at various sales. My collector gene came from both parents. My mom was better than me on her collection; she numbered her hundreds of cups as to where and when she got them.

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  3. I adore your Christmas pins, especially JOY and the moose, and your petrified wood. I just finished the story a couple of nights ago. Loved it. I'm a sucker for cute kids and Livvie is the cutest. Love Simon and Rachel, too.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I love kids too and they fit so well into Heartwarming stories. The pins that got pictured are just a few of many (I should be embarrassed to admit it, but there it is!) I've collected pins of other kinds, too.

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  4. I don't collect anything, but I really like your pin collection. And yes, jewelry is VERY hard to photograph. lol

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    Replies
    1. You've probably got a lot less trouble dusting!

      I couldn't believe how fuzzy so many of the pictures were. Flash didn't do much, I had to get into natural light and even then it was hit and miss whether it came out. I'm glad for a digital camera because at least you can keep trying.

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  5. I don't collect, either, but admit to a real soft spot for Santas and snowmen. I enjoyed your pictures, and I LOVE the fact that you don't want things you're afraid to enjoy. Merry Christmas, Callie, and thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. It isn't fun to wear something that's too valuable. The pictures are just the tip of the iceberg as far as my pins go. But it's interesting, I rarely end up with a duplicate. Some might be similar, but not exactly the same.

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  6. Merry Christmas, Callie! I'm not a collector, really. I don't have the space! One day I hope to have more space and be able to spread out a bit more. :)

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    Replies
    1. Warning, collecting can be addictive. At least the pins don't take up much space. I love Depression glass, too, and everyone seems to be dumping it at benefit shops and other places. I could go crazy getting it at rock bottom prices, but glassware takes up too much real estate.

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  7. I have a few vintage pieces of Christmas jewelry

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    Replies
    1. I doubt any of mine are vintage, though I have to laugh when I go into an antique store and they're trying to sell a pin for $29.99 that I bought two years ago at a department store for $3.50.

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