Christmas time in the kitchen

One of my favorite things to do
at the start of the Christmas season

is to change out the hutch/buffet.

I just love pulling out all the Christmas cookie jars.

I have a Radko Shiny Bright Holly Jolly Santa cookie jar.

He is very reminiscent of the old spaghetti Santas.

  Here's an example from Ebay 

of a vintage 60's spaghetti Santa bank.

Can you see where Radko got his idea? 

Next is a baker gingerbread man cookie jar.

Doesn't he look tasty?

 And a very friendly snowman cookie jar.

I just adore these Radko Shiny Brite

"Little Toy Soldier" candle holders, I found on Ebay.

They're at attention for the big man himself.

 Behind this soldier is a Bordallo Pinheiro

green holly pitcher and plate,

they kind of go with the "Holly" Jolly Santa.

I'm happy to find a mischievous little Annalee Elf

circa 2002 (but I just got him this year at HomeGoods.)

He's the keeper of the Cadbury Snow Balls

They are so addictive 

I can never eat just one!

Above Santa I put a mini Christmas tree light. 

I 've seen small lights displayed in hutches

in little tchotchke boutiques.  I found this one

at Pier 1 last year and thought it would add a little charm.

I think that Santa head mug

was my very first Dept 56 possession.

I didn't even know it was Dept 56

till a few years later, when I looked at the bottom.

I just liked its quality at the time.

The other mug and matching plate

are for Santa's milk and cookies on Christmas eve.

They were from Hallmark two years ago.

This is a Hallmark Snowman Mug

from even further back.

Isn't the little snowman face simply delightful?

I just love his little pink cheeks and the candy stripes.

This little fellow is from

the Becky Denny line called "Retro Santa"

I wrote about it earlier this month here.

He is a little dip bowl with a candy cane spreader.

To the left of Santa we see the

Radko "Peppermint Puff Snowman" salt and pepper shakers.

My parents have always had two plastic

snowmen that are an exact match to these.

Theirs are hollow and the sacks have an open hole

designed to hold Christmas candy.

Here's a picture I found of one on Ebay

  I would play with them every year

I think I might have broken their pipes off. 

When I saw these Radko copies

a flood of memories came back to me.

They just had to be mine.

The Radko "Nutcracker Suite" salt and pepper set

was a lucky find at Marshall's last year.

I love all the detail in something so small.

What's this?

Another little sprightly Annalee elf!

He looks like he might have helped himself

to a few Cadbury candies.

What's you favorite Christmas candy?