Cirque du penguin

I could probably fill a small tree with circus clown penguin ornaments. What? Penguins aren’t funny enough without putting them in big shoes and funny hats? Here are a bunch of comical penguins I bought on a trip to the mall. Some came from Macy’s and others came from Penney’s. That was two Christmases ago. Wait ‘til you see what theses two stores did to me last year. (That’s a few months away.)

Clown-like penguin with green coat and purple hat sitting on a big blue ice cube

Acquired: November 19, 2009, Macy’s Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0725

Size: 5.75 inches tall

Price: $8.50

Flying penguin with butterfly wings and purple pants

Acquired: November 19, 2009, Macy’s Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0726

Size: 3.5 inches long

Price: $8.50

Rocketeer wearing red helmet with white stars

Acquired: November 19, 2009, Macy’s Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0727

Size: 3.5 inches long

Price: $8.50

Falling or jumping penguin in a yellow raincoat with a splash

Acquired: November 19, 2009, Macy’s Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0728

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $8.50

Red Santa hat and coat with papoose

Acquired: November 19, 2009, Macy’s Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0729

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $8.50

Mini red Santa hat and coat with papoose

Acquired: November 19, 2009, Macy’s Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0730

Size: 2 inches tall

Price: $8.50

Red jingle bell body, green boots and coat with rainbow-striped top hat and legs, wearing big red bow and holding peppermint candy

Acquired: November 19, 2009, JC Penney, Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0731

Size: 5.5 inches tall

Price: $4.99 (originally $9.99)

Same as No. 731, but no jingle bell body and holding candy cane

Acquired: November 19, 2009, JC Penney, Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0732

Size: 5.25 inches tall

Price: $3.99 (originally $7.99)

Penguin in red and green striped ring with wire hands and blue and white bead legs

Acquired: November 19, 2009, JC Penney, Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0734

Size: 6 inches tall

Price: $4.99 (originally $9.99)

Flying home

I have two pilot penguins: the one from last week and the one above in the blue airplane that was just added to the collection last year. I’m flying home from Mexico today and I’ve got some penguins flying home with me in my carryon luggage. Did I score any penguin ornaments? Not really and not surprisingly. I knew it would be a challenge. But I did find some knitted penguin finger puppets in the old town market in Puerto Vallarta. I'll stuff them with something and sew on a loop of hanging string. I already have an ornament made from a similar finger puppet, but these look a little different. And they were cheap (20 pesos each, about $1.70) so I bought them both because their feet are different colors.

Another penguin is flying home with us too. It’s not a Christmas ornament or decoration, but I haven’t started a blog called “My Other Penguins” yet, so I thought it would be O.K. to show it off here.

North Pole collection 2009 penguin in a blue airplane with wire “hands.” A huge red felt tie and a green felt hat.

Acquired: November 19, 2009, JC Penney, Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Number: 0733

Size: 4.5 inches long, 4 tall and 2.75 inches wide

Price: $5.99 ($11.99 before discount)

Two knitted penguin finger puppets, one with pink feet, the other with yellow.

Acquired: March 13, 2010, Old town market square, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Number: 0770, 0771
Price: 20 pesos each, about $3.50 total U.S.

Knitted finger puppet ornament

Acquired: December 17, 2004, Be Seated (a.k.a. Tabwa), Greenwich Avenue, New York City

Number: 0261

Size: 3.5 inches long

Painted wood penguin figurine, about 8 inches tall. Puerto Vallarta airport, March 11, 2010, $66 U.S.