I used to have plenty and I loved every one, but someone didn't do as I asked several times, and they disappeared. Not naming names, but I'm married to him. When we were moving in 2006 I sorted through and saved all the ones we'd collected from vacations and all my pretty Hallmark ornaments. My DD's and the GK's homemade paper and ceramic ones. You know, the ones that really mean something and you're excited to see from year to year.

I had the big box I had saved--which also contained my beautiful Santa and angel collection--by the doorway in his workshop. I'd asked him repeatedly to put it up on the screened porch, but he didn't do it.

We moved in June and when Christmas rolled around I got out the decorations and discovered they were all gone. I cannot tell you how it broke my heart. In fact, it still hurts today. When my daughter turned about 15 she started adding to my Hallmark collection. She would be so proud at how happy it made me.

This is way too long, but that's my sad story--I can never get them back, especially the ones from our vacations and the Hallmark's are way too expensive to replace.

I have been trying to make myself throw out the old ones that have lost their paint or silvering. My daughter received all the ornaments from her mother-in-law as they were downsizing to their smaller house.

I took 95% of mine to Goodwill after Christmas last year - just too, too many. I no longer put up a big tree - now, it's just a pre-light tree with a few special ornaments, so the rest went to new homes.

Patti, I know just how you feel! When my son told me his ornaments were stolen, we cried together on the phone! His first Christmas ornaments gone~~~he had just gotten married and some of the first married years were gone:(
He was most upset over his Christmas stocking my mom had a friend knit for him when he was born~~BUT~~about 2 days ago he sent me a picture text with the stocking in it!! YEA! One thing was saved;)

I am trying to downsize too. I took a box to the local Family Outreach Community Center and the director told me people had been in looking for Christmas decorations. A couple of years ago my church youth were having a yard sale to raise money and I took several boxes to that. I also have given my children some. You may be asking how come I had so many decorations? When I worked the office girls would buy small gifts for each other and 90% of the time it would be Christmas stuff. Yes, stuff and I had an overload of it.

I used to decorate like a crazed person, inside and out. No doorway, window, tabletop, fence, railing etc was safe, haha. When my Mom died in my arms in 1998 it truly sucked the life out of me for a long time. I wasn't even going to decorate that year, my dear true friend who happens to be my SIL came over and MADE me put up some decorations. Each year got a little better.

I think my resolution this year is go get my decorating down to 2 or 3 storage bins and the rest goes. My sister had over 35 huge plastic containers for just Christmas. She worked hard this summer and got it down to I think 10 or less.

I really feel the urge to purge lately. lol

I can relate..I have so many ornaments. My daughter got married in June, so for Christmas I plan to buy her an ornament keeper and on Christmas morning let her pick some off my tree for her.

AWW Little Bit that is a cute idea! I should have thought of that~~~I am jealous;)

I'm also in a purge mood. Including the Hallmarks.

Funny how we spend our live saving stuff and then one day we realize we need to downsize, or purge. Kind of sad. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ornaments. However, if it wasn't for my little grandchildren, I wouldn't feel the desire to decorate like I have for years. I want them to come to my house and feel a winter wonderland! :) Just like I did when I went to my grandma's. :)

I collect raccoon Christmas ornaments and have enough to do an entire big tree. I also collect vintage ornaments....and I have literally hundreds of them. *sigh*

I'm still putting most of them on the tree. I have thought about downsizing though..thought about it a lot. I had 4 wooden ornaments that the strings (hangers) broke during storage last year. I haven't gotten them repaired yet. Still the big tree and all the trimmings here. sigh..I'm tired. LOL but it's pretty.

I was a fanatic for decorating the house when I did all the cooking and everyone was here. Now that all holidays take place at our daughter and son's houses, I only put up a four foot table tree and wreaths on the doors. I gave all of the decorations to Salvation Army after my kids took what they wanted which was very little. Now I light a few Thymes frasier fir votives and the tree and some music make it feel just as good as the old days.