Star of wonder

I finally made it to the annual Christkindlmarkt in Bethleham, Pa., a crafts festival based on German traditions. Not only did I get a lot of Christmas shopping done, but I also found some Christmas goodies for myself, including this nice glass penguin from my old friend Käthe Wohlfahrt, the big Christmas shop empire from Germany. The ornament has her trademark shooting star emblem attached at the top. You can see some of the treasures I found on a visit a couple of years ago by clicking here. You have to go through a few posts to see them all. And stay tuned for more from Bethlehem’s Christkindlmarkt in the next few posts.

Käthe Wohlfahrt glass penguin with tree

Acquired: December 18, 2011, Christkindlmarkt, Bethlehem, Pa.

Number: 1020

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $8.62

Double the fun

When I got these ornament as gifts, I was hoping that they weren’t duplicates of some I bought several years ago, but that wasn’t the case. Not that I mind getting duplicate ornaments. The other S’mores ornament I bought was one of several from a baseball trip to Missouri, but the new one is the only one from a good colleague and friend. The other snowman ornament is like one that I found in a drugstore near where I live, but this one came from my sister and brother-in-law who showed up with his parents at one of my retirement celebrations.

Midwest CBK S’mores snowman

Acquired: December 14, 2011

Number: 1018

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: gift from colleague, Karen, my last week at work

Snowman on a sled with two penguins in red and blue hats

Acquired: December 14, 2011

Number: 1019

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: gift from my sister Xena and brother-in-law John at retirement celebration

Big blue

It’s a big ornament, but I’ll always find room for another blue penguin at My Penguin Tree, especially one decked out with a holly boutonniere.

Blue knit penguin with holly boutonniere

Acquired: December 10, 2011, Kmart, Mount Pocono, Pa.

Number: 1017

Size: 6.5 inches tall

Price: $2.39 (originally $3.99)

Where’s the penguin?

From the front it doesn’t look like a penguin ornament, but spin the Snowbaby around on her sled disk and you’ll see she has a passenger.

Wait. Is that a speck of dirt on my computer screen? Oh, it’s just the little penguin’s itty bitty eye. This is my third Snowbabies ornament. Click here and here to see the others.

Snowbabies In a Spin

Acquired: Dec. 9, 2011, Boscov’s department store, Steamtown Mall, Scranton, Pa.

Number: 1016

Size: 2.25 inches tall

Price: $15.50

Early bargains

I was surprised when I took this ornament and the parachutist from yesterday’s post to the checkout counter and found out how cheap they were. Christmas was still weeks away, but the ornaments and other decorations were all marked down from an already marked down price. Nice.

Black glittery body, red top hat, red and yellow candy cane, bow tie, red and blue buttons

Acquired: December 9, 2011, Bon Ton, Steamtown Mall, Scranton, Pa.

Number: 1015

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Price: $3.84 (double markdown of 60 and 20 percent from $12)

Jumper

I added about 140 penguin ornaments to the collection this season, but I don’t think any of them are more fun than this one.

Living Quarters red glittery parachute

Acquired: December 9, 2011, Bonton, Steamtown Mall, Scranton, Pa.

Number: 1014

Size: 7 inches tall

Price: $3.20 (double markdown of 60 and 20 percent from $10)

Jingle bells . . . all the way

This is where I get into trouble. I was in the local Lowe's looking for some practical household items, but I couldn't help stopping by the Christmas decorations department. They had a display of these penguin jingle bell ornaments with about 20 different varieties of penguins celebrating different walks of life, like motherhood, golfing, nursing, beach bumming, etc. I tried to stick with the most generic Christmas themes, but I couldn't resist the cowboy.

Eight jingle bell penguins, three with green hats, 2 with red hats, 1 with earmuffs, 1 with top hat, 1 cowboy
Acquired: December 9, 2012, Lowe's, Bartonsville, Pa.
Number: 1006 through 1013
Size: 2.5 inches tall
Price: $2.97 each