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Dec 10, 2023Liked by Jolene Handy

I love your tree, Jolene, in all its "Shiny Brightness." I remember those ornaments well...we had them on our trees for years, always careful not to break any. The cookies are amazing. You are so artistic! 🎄

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Thank you, Pam, how is your holiday season going? ❤️

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Oh, II LOVE this. I remember these boxes as a very young child, along with packets of tinsel ribbon.

I even remember stringing popcorn and making construction paper chains to go around the tree. Pretty sure we only did the popcorn once - my mother was not a patient woman. ;) And every year you would take out the ornaments and hope these shiny balls were still intact. They shattered like the dickens if you dropped one. Thanks for the links! Sharing multiple places.

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Thank you so much, and, yes, fragile and precious, thanks for sharing!

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I knew nothing of Shiny Brite’s history. So many wonderful immigrant stories in our USA. Your bar cart tree is so gorgeous and festive!

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Thanks, Domenica, I really love your comment, so many people who came here and so many stories, love learning about their lives. ❤️

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your ornament cookies are TOO CUTE

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those are my faves 💗

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☺️

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I just love this, Jolene, and I’m so touched at the shoutout! The picture of Tillie plotting to take down that tree is precious and makes me miss our late kitty. Those cookies look like they would brighten anyone’s holiday. Thanks for all of it! 🎄🎄🎄

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Thank you so much, Ruth and have a wonderful trip, can’t wait to hear about it! ❤️ 🌲 🐈

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Please ship me a hundred of your cookies STAT! As gorgeous as the shiny brights!

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Hahaha, running 🍪 🏃‍♀️ to the post office, Amie! Thank you so much ☺️

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Dec 13, 2023Liked by Jolene Handy

I'm with Tillie in every regard here! Sparkles, history, cookies, lights, admiration and awe...

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Thanks, Jess ☺️ 🎄🐈

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Good morning, Jolene! Tillie is celebrating and plotting. lol. Beautiful and luminous tree. I love the Shiny Brites and you as a Sparkly writer. All good things for your holiday season.

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Thank you, my friend! Tillie is a menace! 😂 🎄 🐈 but she’s worth the trouble. All good things to you, too, Amy! ❤️

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Ha! Thank you, Jolene! Keep her in cat nip and treats. All will be well.

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I remember those glass ornaments, and the silver tinsel Christmas trees that would cut a limb off!

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Omg, YES!

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And that circular light that made the tinsel tree appear to change colors, if that light wasn’t a fire hazard I don’t know what is!

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I never liked those color spectrum things, I thought they looked like the nuclear ☢️ logo, only in color. No thanks 😂

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They did look like thee nuclear sign logo, and they threw off heat like a nuclear reactor!!!!

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Yup! 🔥

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Love this entire, nostalgic and delicious post, Jolene.

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Hi, Megan! Thank you, come back and visit again soon!! 🤗

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the ornament cookies 💗 the decorative sugar high i'm feeling from here 💗

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Danyel! I had unbridled decorating enthusiasm! 😂 (also: sugar high;) ❤️

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I love that the "fantasy" versus "reality" photos are...basically one and the same. Your tree is gorgeous beyond words, made even prettier by the history behind the ornaments! (As you know, I'm over here living vicariously thanks to my very destructive kitten.)

Thank you *so* much for allowing me to share your beautiful photos and words in my little corner of the Internet this week! ❤️

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Maddie, it was my pleasure and I’m so glad our paths crossed this year. Thank you for including me in your gift-to-yourself post, it was so great, and thanks for being as enthusiastic about my little 🌲 tree as I am. Next year: Chicago and Pie Cottage visits for us, and all the bits of glamour we can find! ✨✨❤️

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I loved my parents’ vintage ornaments so much. My mother loves to tell everyone how as a toddler I took all the glass ornaments and threw them and smashed them into my baby sister’s crib (while she was in the crib). I then framed the baby. My mother’s first job was at a Christmas ball company. My grandmother was infuriated at her for skipping college for this “real” job.

Anyway, I love your tree and the delicious looking cookies--also the ornaments hanging off the antlers of that majestic creature 🩵

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Sorry the comment about the antlers was to Kristin who shared this lovely post

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Yes, I love her card, too!

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Wow! She worked at a Christmas Ball factory? Was it a Shiny Brite factory? That’s some story about the crib, Adrienne! :)

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Terrific read, but also, it's like you read my mind. I've been on the hunt for a good sugar cookie recipe (not too buttery and not too dry) and I'm guessing Anne Byrn's is the one. Thanks so much!

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Thanks, Melanie and yes to Anne’s cookies! I went a little overboard with the decorating sugar 😂 but they are perfect sugar cookies! :)

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Charming!

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Thank you, Vicki! ❤️🎄🐈

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Jolene, I LOVE this!! I have a few boxes of Shiny Brite ornaments and adore them. That photo of the factory is incredible...and I adore the cookies!

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Thank you so much, Kristin, I LOVE your card that you posted on Notes! Hope you’re well, I’m reposting something I did last year on St. Lucia, I will tag you! 🎄🐈❤️

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Aw thanks so much Jolene! I'll look forward to your St. Lucia post!!

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🕯️

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