Since 2008, I have had a Christmas blog and each year these blogs receive a different name. This year I chose "Mistletoe and Elves". Why? Well, first of all, I love elves. I suppose you know that by now though, considering the names of my previous blogs ("RetroElf" and "Vintage Elf Gazette"). It's true. I love elves. I love the brightly colored, cheerful patterns of their clothes. I love their rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes. I even love their pointed shoes with bells. I can't say exactly when I fell in love with elves. I remember thinking a few years ago about how most of the women in my family had a favorite Christmas character or symbol. It seemed to be something that really defined their Christmas style; something that appeared throughout their Christmas decor. I remember one of my grandmothers especially loved Christmas. My mother told me that my grandmother loved Santa Clauses. When I thought about it later I can't see how I missed it. She had little figures and tiny ornaments. She even had a tree topper which my sister and I adored when we were children. It was a small fireplace topped with snow with a ladder laying against the side. A mechanical Santa climbed up and down over and over again at the top of the tree. When she caught us staring at it, she'd chuckle.
My mother, well, she loves all things Christmas. *I wonder where I get it from?????* She loves Santas and elves and snowmen (which Daddy really likes) and silver bells and.....you can imagine the rest. Gingerbread men, however, seem to be her favorite. She has a teapot with a gingerbread man, bowls and platters, a stocking all her own, and several other items all bearing the cutest, most cheerful little gingerbread men you'll ever see.My sister has found that nutcrackers are her favorite. She loves the ornaments, the figurines, and, of course, the play. "The Nutcracker" was a favorite when she and I were little. Our parents often took us to plays when we were younger. There we would watch favorite children's books come to life. "The Nutcracker", however, surpassed all others. It was beautiful. To watch a story being told through no more than music and dance, all the while understanding each event before you, seemed unbelievable. My sister claims that it is in part due to that favorite Christmas tale that she loves her nutcrackers. Hand painted wooden figures (painted by our mother) are perfectly arranged in my sister's bedroom each year.
I, on the other hand, love elves. I love to draw them. I even managed to paint one onto a canvas for my room a few years ago. I love anything that reminds me of them. Large candy decorations. Glitter. Tiny bells. My parents bought me a set of three elf figures just last Christmas. Each figure sits working on some task or another. They are old and fragile, but they make me smile. Of course, let's not forget Bernard. My Daddy hates the poor thing, but I still think he is precious. He is the most cheerful looking elf I have. I found him in an antique store for just $4. If I'm not careful though, Bernard may end up at the "North Pole". Daddy insists that the doll is creepy and clownish. I am hardly a fan of dolls and I do NOT care for clowns, but.....Bernard is not a clown. He is an elf and he only sits out at Christmas.
That explains the elves, but what about the mistletoe you may ask. Mistletoe is an old fashioned tradition. It is both sweet and humorous. It is also something I wish I had a use for. I read the other day that hardly any has been seen since WWII. Can you believe? Anyway, they sell fake sprigs to hang up with your Christmas decor. I am actually debating looking for some just for that vintage appeal. While looking for old mistletoe images the other day for my blog header I found a few vintage prints.
Something else to point out about my blog title this year. It is both old and new. Elves are cheerful and have changed with the times in both style and color. Sometimes they are painted in faded colors and given an older appearance. Other times they are brightly painted and are given a more youthful look. While elves may change, however, mistletoe has not. I can hardly think of mistletoe without picturing a clip of an old black and white movie with a mischievous man stealing a kiss from a lady beneath the mistletoe. My Christmas decor lies in both the old and the new. Some of it looks as though I stole it off the set of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", while some of it looks as though I went back to the 30s, 40s, and 50s to shop. Amazingly enough, it all pulls together in the end.I shouldn't really be surprised by that. Christmas is filled with so many memories. It is a time filled with excitement and anticipation. It is a time so full of love and laughter that it becomes so much easier to forget one's prejudice. Bad days dissipate and aggravating moments flee quickly. Sweet smells fill the air and bright lights light up the night. Even in all of the excitement, a wonderful peace can fall over me. The dark night seems nothing to fear against the twinkling of the lights. The heavy traffic only reminds me that their are so many others wrapped up in the same excitement as I. I hardly change the radio station at all because there is nothing but cheerful music to listen to. I think about what Christmases were like in the past. If my great grandparents could see the work that my parents put into decorating our home at this time of year, what would they say? What would they think if they saw my own Christmas decor? What did they do differently? What tips would they give? It is so easy to become sentimental and nostalgic at this time of year. It becomes a true desire to capture those lost bits of excitement, to include the same joy that filled the homes of those we loved and wish we'd known. It becomes a mission to include the past and traditions of Christmas in our everyday life during this season. To express your joy, to share the love that fills your heart, to celebrate together is what you strive for because the season is truly contagious.
-Paige
