Christmas Always Finds Me

So long ago, when I graduated from college, I decided that I wanted homemade ornaments for my Christmas tree.  And, when I saw some Ukrainian eggs in a magazine, I decided that I could decorate eggs for my ornaments.  Now, when you decorate egg ornaments for as long as I have, you understand why my tree now has a collection of around 800 eggs hanging on it. 

Those first egg ornaments are simply terrible!  None of them go on the tree.  I used what I had in my art supplies -- water color paints and Decoupage.  On top of that, the first ornaments never had any kind of theme.  The whole concept of my egg ornaments improved greatly when I decided upon different themes for each set.  And, as I moved around the world, I incorporated different international themes to my designs.  Additional themes include Christmas carols, personal travels, my mural projects, and children's books that I've written and illustrated.  The tree is truly my life's story painted on eggshells.  

I've also spent a whole lot more time on my more recent ornaments.  It's not uncommon for me to spend ten hours on each egg.  Multiply this by 800 some ornaments and you begin to realize what a special collection this it. 

It has become more and more difficult to select Christmas songs as a theme.  I mean, seriously, after all of these years, it's hard to find a new song to illustrate.  I've used up most of my favorites at this point.  This song was a discovery for me when I went online in search of a new song.  Christmas Always Finds Me, by Ingrid Andress, quickly became one of my favorite carols.

This set is another one of my very biographical collections.  I hadn't planned it at the beginning, but as the project started, the concept came to me.   I illustrated different places around the world where I have lived.  On top of that, I included my favorite muraling locations.  Okay, I enjoy all of my murals, but four of them were so special that I had to compiles all my stories and photographs into books.  (Mexico, Brazil, Liberia, and the Holy Land)  The are individual links throughout the song.  If you click on them, you'll see a closeup of each ornament as well as a bit of explanation about the location.

...........Christmas Always Finds Me

..When silver bells and silent night
..And mistletoe's nowhere in sight
..With no chance of snow falling down.
..Another year older
..Little harder to believe
..But somehow Christmas always finds me.

..It takes me back to younger days
..Of stocking on the fireplace
..And presents stacked
..And waiting by the tree
..And even if I'm all alone
..A million miles away from home
..It shows up in a warm memory.

..Another year older
..Getting harder to believe
..But somehow Christmas always finds me.