Saturday, December 20, 2008

On the 8th day of Scrap-Mas ...

... the Pretty Committee gave to me: an inspirational mini-challenge from design team member Jessica!!

Every Christmas, my family has a tradition that we all have to decorate the tree together, and that every ornament's story needs to be told before it is hung. There is one very special ornament, a small, delicate bell, which has the most well-remembered and most-told story of all. My mom's father passed away when she was only 6 years old, and one of her few memories of him is that when she was a really young girl, each Christmas he would hoist her up on his shoulders to place this very bell near the top of the tree. She had four older siblings, but this treasure was hers and hers alone; none of the other kids got to hang this ornament. It's gone on the tree in loving memory each year since, and the story is told year round. This precious little ornament is a yearly reminder in my household to always be thankful: for friends, for family, for moments in time that seem insignificant but are so cherished.

What is your bell? Do you have an ornament whose story is always retold? Do you have a childhood Christmas memory that has been passed down to the next generation, and holds as special a place in their heart as it does in your own? Maybe your favorite ornament has no story at all. Does the sound of a bell- any bell- at Christmastime grab you more than it does any other time of the year? Maybe there is one Christmas ornament or decoration that you always get to put up, because it's your task, and yours alone. What is your bell? Be inspired to go through your Christmas decorations, and see what fond memories lie in boxes in your attic almost year-round. Cause maybe, just maybe, your bell isn't a bell at all.

xoxo Jess

And congratulations to our RAK winner ....

Txracy said...
I have seen some of these types of ornaments filled with curled/rolled strips of patterned papers also.They WOULD be awesome filled with flowers!

Send us your addy and we'll send a holiday treat your way. :o)

~Stay Pretty!!~

5 comments:

Txracy said...

Holy Scrap, I won! =P Awesome!

Liza said...

Love this inspiration. It made me think and look back at the things that we've placed in our tree this year. What I do miss seeing on trees lately is the star on top of it. I miss seeing it there since it has a lot of meaning for the Christmas celebration...

Bekka said...

This is such a great post. I have to say that one of the coolest ornaments on my parents' tree is the one my little brother made out of yarn and two icee lids when he was three.

rpfangirljr said...

CONGRATS to Txracy!!!

I love this tradition. It's something so special to that person. I try that with my kids making sure that they get their own thing every year.

Stephanie Baxter said...

We don't have a tradition like this in our family, but I want to start one now!! So sweet!