So…. wanna see my holiday pride and joy… A little peak at my Shiny Brite Collection?
I thought you’d never ask.
What is a Shiny Brite? Only the most fabulous of all vintage Christmas ornaments. A mon avis.
Shiny Brites!
Even Wikipedia knows about them for goodness sake. Though I am a craaaaaaaazy history buff it’s not the history that get’s me… it’s that craaaaaaaazy shine…
and more importantly… the HUNT.
Yes. It’s the adrenaline rush of finding that worn cardboard box on the back table of a garage sale or even better… a whole pile of worn out boxes in the back corners of a church rummage sale ran by little ol’ ladies who think their Shiny Brites are out of fashion and ready for the trash bin. I get positively giddy when I see a pile of them… it’s so rare these days. But I’ll barrel thru the thickest of rummage sale crowds (dragging my five hoodlums behind me) in order to snatch up that dusty cardboard box before anyone else can. Don’t get in my way.
I’m totally biased. I can’t think of a more lovely ornament than a round, patinad, fragile, Shiny Brite. I inevitably loose a few each year to crashing to the floor and in just breaks my heart. They are so hard to find. In fact, it’s been years since I’ve found any.
Sigh.
Sure there are new ones here and there. But those aren’t for me. I want that discolored glass and the story that goes with the find.
I hope your tree is up, I hope it’s decorated and is lovely to your eyes.
We are celebrating the cookbook arrival here this week (get yours HERE!) and the color and excitement of our tree reflect the joy in our hearts. It’s been a trying month for us as a family but we have much, much, much to be thankful for.
…
At those rummage sales next year I’ll be dragging six little hoodlums behind me to get to those Shiny Brites!
OMG..I AM OVER THE MOON..LOVE IT ALL..CANT
WSIT TO GET MY PRE-ORDERED COPY OF ANGELA REED’S FIRST COOKBOOK..THRILLED FIR HER AFTER ALL HER HARD WORK..SHE FABULOUS AND HOMEY ALL AT THE SAME TIME!
Did I read correctly 6 hoodlums. I’d I counted right there are currently 5 hoodlums. So should I be saying congratulations ?
Congratulations! I don’t know how you do it all. Wish I could get more done with the just two kiddos! I’ll keep on trying….
~Angela W.
Congratulations on the new baby! May God bless your family!
You know I love my old ornaments! Inherited and found! They bring such joy! Looking forward to seeing the book and later this coming year, #6 hoodlum! Merry Christmas Angela and Family! Many blessing in the New Year!
What wonderful news, congrats to you and your family. As always, a very lovely post and I totally agree, the old ornaments are special. They already have memories attached!
Congratulations on baby number 6! That is so exciting. You are always an inspirations. Looking forward to getting my hands on your new cookbook.
Joyeux Noel
Wow, I’m impressed girl! Welcome to the six kid club 🙂 My sixth little one is 18 months old, and you know six kids is easy peasy, after five… No big deal 🙂 I love Shiny Brites, I have my great grandmothers, and the few I’ve collected over the years. I’m truly in love with them. I will be ordering your book, next pay check! I can’t wait, I’m so excited for you in so many ways, you have truly inspired me that dreams come true if you work hard, that is something I know you do.
– Abby Jo @ Forgotten Way Farms.com
Congratulations on baby #6. I also love the Shiny Brites as well! Enjoy this lovely Holiday Season.
Shinny blessings to you this Christmas! May you find all the old ornaments you desire next spring/summer at the garage sales.
d
Congratulations on Baby Reed! Your Shiny Brite collection is beautiful! Wishing you and your family a peace filled Christmas.
From one of your older followers, my shiny brites story. January 1968 ~ back to college for my final semester after Christmas break, I was feeling a little homesick. I missed my boyfriend of 7 years ~ on again, off again. Before break I had met a guy. Not knowing where my heart would go, I moved back into my studies. While shopping for a sewing lab project, I wandered around the basement of the town department store. Shiny Brite ornaments on sale for 50 cents a box of 9. A splurge. Why not? I would be on my own in a few months. So I purchased two boxes ~ 1 red and 1 green. By the following Christmas, I had graduated, married the new guy, and we decorated our first little tree with those two boxes of Shiny Brites. 46 years later, on St. Nicholas Eve, we hang the aging ornaments ~ just the two of us. A special evening. Only one ornament was broken over the years. We have joked it was the beginning of the end of our marriage ~ but then there are 17 still to hang. I think we will stay together a little longer. Thank you for sharing, Angela.
GAH! So excited for you on Baby #6!! You’re tree is lovely. I don’t have that many, but my favorite ornaments are the old ones with all the patina. My son mentioned that we needed to get rid of them and get new ones. No way! That’s what makes them so lovely. I’m looking forward to getting your new cookbook as soon as I have the pocket change. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
OKay, somehow I MISSED this post on the blog. So when you replied ‘preggo brain’ to me on your facebook page I freaked, thinking you had ‘accidently’ leaked that. I even messaged your sister! Phew. All is okay.
Now, onto the shiney brites. Do you even know how I search for these? My aunt has tons, but I can’t ever find them.
Six is a perfect number. Awesome news
Congratulations Angela! I assumed from the post that you had another child visiting. It wasn’t until I read the comments that it even clicked that you could be expecting again! What a blessing!
I love your Christmas decorating – it all looks pretty & your shiny brights are beautiful! I have one left of the two packages given to me for my first Christmas. Some broke when I was a child & some through my children’s actions. I am too scared to pull at that one now in fear of it breaking!
Just a quick note – the header at the top of the page advertising your cookbook spells unique unqiue. It may be a French word, but it jumps out to me as a spelling error.
Have a lovely day!
Blessings
Renata:)
I will order the cookbook Friday! I can’t wait!! I got some of those beautiful ornaments when my mom passed on. Every one has a good memory behind it. They are fragile but precious! Congratulations on Baby #6!
Oh my goodness!! Congratulations!!
Dear Angela, I just ordered your cookbook and can`t wait till it will arrive;-)
This evening I will cook once more the wonderful steaks with your flower pepper and the divine sauce. This summer I planted the nasturtium also in our garden, now I have all the flowers of the pepper in our garden. Thank you so much for all the inspirations you give us, I love your PFG style so much!
xoxo from Switzerland
Dani
And now I will at least cover my roses for winter, it`s getting colder….
Congratulation for l’enfant!