Fun afoot

A spur of the moment trip to Cape May, N.J., Rehoboth Beach, Del., and St. Michael’s Md., increased the size of my penguin ornament collection substantially. I even passed the 900 milestone. I feel like I rescued these playful penguins, one of which is holding a cookie-like snowflake with the year 2008 on it. The other three are holding a cardinal, a gift and a tree. All of them are wearing strange star-shaped snowshoes. Or are they cookie cutters? Even though the 2008 cookie and the star stompers are different shapes, it makes me wonder.

Set of 4 silver star snowshoe stompers

Acquired: August 7, 2010, Gifts Galore, Cape May, N.J.

Number: 0787 0788 0789 0790

Size:3 inches tall

Price: $7.99 each

Sweet Nutcracker

This penguin with a Christmas-colored snow cone is the third and last in a series of Noël Nutcrackers by Hallmark. Seems like a pretty short series to me, like the minimum amount to qualify. The first in the series was “Candy Claus,” a skinny Santa that looked like it was made out of pieces of candy. The second was a grinning “Jolly Snowman” holding a broom. The penguin is a very sweet little ornament that actually functions like a nutcracker with a moving tail lever to open and close his beak. It’s really not big enough or sturdy enough to crack any actual nuts, but who cares. It’s a penguin. It’s a Christmas tree ornament. And it’s cute as can be.

Hallmark Keepsake “’Snow’ Happy to Serve” Noël Nutcracker No. 3 and last in a series

Acquired: July 11, 2010, Jill’s Hallmark, Broadheadsville, Pa.

Number: 0786

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: $14.95

Buds

Everybody likes the penguin. Hallmark has a series of ornaments with a penguin and polar bear as pals, and here’s No.13 in a series of “Snow Buddies” with a penguin and his snowman friend. I don’t seem to have any of the others in the series, which makes me think it might not always be the same two buddies every year.

Hallmark Keepsake “Snow Buddies,” No. 13 in a series

Acquired: July 11, 2010, Jill’s Hallmark, Broadheadsville, Pa.

Number: 0785

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Holiday hoedown

It’s another musical ornament, but this time, in place of the snowman, a reindeer joins the penguin and Santa in the ensemble. The trio plays “Deck the Halls” with a country beat.

  

Hallmark Keepsake Magic ornament, Jingle Jamboree

Acquired: July 11, 2010, Jill’s Hallmark, Broadheadsville, Pa.

Number: 0782

Size: 3.75 inches tall

Price: $32.95

One more time

For the second day in a row, we have a penguin hanging out with Santa and a snowman, but this time they’re all together on one ornament. There’s a lot going on here. The three Christmas pals are singing karaoke in front of a giant (to them) picture frame and the whole thing is recordable. I could sing a song into it and play it back later. I could also find a photo of my own to go in the frame, but I haven’t decided what that picture might be. Any ideas are welcome. This is one of Hallmark’s “Magic” ornaments. The characters might dance around a little bit, but I’m not sure, because I haven’t tried it out yet. The ornament is one of a bunch I bought during Hallmark’s ornament premiere weekend last summer.

Hallmark Keepsake Magic “North Pole Karaoke” 2009 recordable poto holder , Nello Williams, artist

Acquired: July 11, 2010, Jill’s Hallmark, Broadheadsville, Pa.

Number: 0781

Size: 3.375 inches tall, 3.75 inches wide

Price: $5 (75 percent off)

Snowboard, Santa and snowman

I went a little crazy last year with the Hallmark ornaments after I found out they have events starting in the summer to release each year’s Keepsake ornaments. I made sure I got to the Hallmark store early so I wouldn’t miss out on any of the penguins, and there were a lot of them. One of the benefits of going ornament shopping in summer was that Jill’s Hallmark had a big discount aisle in addition to the new releases for 2010. This set of ornaments, featuring a snowboarding penguin with a dancing snowman and Santa was marked down. I know, it’s three ornaments, but I only assigned it one number, because there’s only one penguin in the set. I used the penguin on the winter sports tree at the Trolley Museum, but left the snowman and Santa in the box. Next year, I’ll probably find a place where I can hang them together again.

Hallmark “Santa’s Merry Crew”

Acquired: July 11, 2010, Jill’s Hallmark, Broadheadsville, Pa.

Number: 0780

Size: 1.75 inches tall, 1.5 inches long (penguin)

Price: $3.75 (75 percent off)

Double header

What are the odds I would find back-to-back baseball penguin ornaments? The number on yesterday's penguin and this one are two apart, but that's only because I bought another ornament when I was in Cooperstown. This wooden Dad penguin came from an antique store in Jim Thorpe, Pa. I didn't write down the name of the store, but I think I can find it the next time I go  for a visit. The town named for the famous Olympic athlete and baseball player is about 40 minutes from where I live.

Wood baseball player Dad
Acquired: April 21, 2010, Jim Thorpe, Pa.
Number: 0777
Size: 3 inches tall
Price: $3