Nutcrackers....

I collect nutcrackers and right now I have 37. One day I would like to get a really large one like the one below. What do you collect?

And the collection continues to grow...

center: very special beer holding, music playing off limits Nutcracker

When I was a little girl I performed in our local Nutcracker for many years so that is when my Nutcracker collection began and it has continued to grow over the years. The above picture of our mantel is just a fraction of my many nutcrackers. Maybe one day I can have a Nutcracker room in a bigger house but for now having them take over my mantel for the holidays is fine with me. Will also has a love for Nutcrackers he finds them fascinating and this year insisted on finding whole walnuts so he could try to crack them open... let's just say it didn't work so well. I do allow him to play with a few at a time but not my very special music box, beer holding nutcracker that my brother gave me for Christmas last year, that one is off limits.

What do you collect?

Is it too early?

Nutcrackers December 2008

I am very tempted to put up a few outdoor holiday decorations for Will's entertainment. I just can't bear to put up any decorations in the house yet, this is a bit too early if you ask me.
We usually put our tree up around Thanksgiving weekend.

When do you put up your holiday decorations?

P.S. While you are here please enter my Twilight/New Moon countdown giveaways

Forever necklace HERE

Betcha Can't Read My Mind necklace HERE

Also stop on by my friend Amy's Keeping up with the Schultz Family for a fun Round Robin!

Thousand Words Thursday: A boy and his nutcrackers

Well actually they are my nutcrackers! At last count I have 17 nutcrackers on my mantel. I collect nutcrackers, I guess you figured that out. I performed in the Nutcracker from childhood and well into being an adult. I was just about every character. I never understood why a child would receive a gift of a nutcracker but Will is obsessed with my nutcrackers. He will play with them on and off all day and has given them names, and BUTTCRACKER is one of them. At least Will can rhyme! He did ask me why the ballerina one has her nutcracker on her boobs and isn't like the other ones. Will is giving the nutcrackers a big hug in the above picture, I can't believe I let him play with them. Jenni over at Jiggety Jigg doesn't like nutcrackers, you can find out why here.

What would Christmas be with out a Lighting McQueen ornament?

What do you collect and why?