We found a cure for holiday shopping stress…we skipped the mall and headed to our Christmas street fair! The roads along the square downtown are blocked off and the regular flea market is turned into a winter wonderland with booths showcasing everything from Christmas collectibles to handmade decorations and tasty homemade treats. Snow much fun!
We always look for another Santa for our collections, but this year it was snowmen that caught our attention. It started with a doll maker we see now and again. She showed us a primitive snowman crafted out of cotton duck painted white and dusted with glitter. He looked like a real piece of folk art with felt details and a twig nose sewn on with orange thread. She said that a lot of her doll artist friends make snowmen this time of the year.
Kitty went gaga for a one-of-a-kind ragdoll snowman. He was made from printed quilt scraps and had a sweet embroidered expression. He was a steal for $34. Jennifer was drawn to the paper-mache snowmen and bought a tiny round box with one on the lid. It was hard to decide because all the snowmen were so charming. We couldn’t believe how we had overlooked this quiet holiday star!
Dashing Through The Snowmen
Half a block down we found more snowmen, but these were the dime-store kind from our childhood. Kitty pointed out a mini Frosty sitting in front of two Putz houses like he was out on the lawn! She bought him and the glittery houses for $8 to display under a bell jar. Jennifer found a trio of snowman carolers to greet guests in the hall bathroom. We finished off the day with quite a find—a real vintage Annalee snowman in pretty good condition. He was over two-feet tall with a hand-painted face, smiling at a little green bird perched on his mitten. We put together all the cash we had left and took him home to share for $42. Our first snowman Christmas!
Frosty The Showman
The most famous snowman is, you guessed it, Frosty! He was introduced to the world in a catchy song recorded by Gene Autry in 1950 as a follow-up to Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. All sorts of Frosty figurines followed. As long as he had an old silk hat, button nose, and two eyes made out of coal, he was Frosty. In 1969, a new Frosty The Snowman came on the scene in an animated television special. This recognizable snowman had a groovy flower in his green hat, wore a yellow and red scarf, and had legs. If you find a Frosty styled like this, you’ll know it was most likely made after 1969. But we think a Frosty from any era can melt your heart.
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