The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 25

Well, we made it again through another Advent to another Christmas. If you were good this year, then you experienced a visit from Santa. Based on the weather this year, it's more than likely that the Jolly Old Fat Man needed to use the services of a certain ruby schnoz caribou. In honor of that possibility, let's wrap things up with a look at ornaments based on the Rankin-Bass 1964 stop-motion special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!

First up in this 1987 ornament from Kurt Adler. This ornament is made of wood and that just really seems out of place since most of the baubles made from the manufacturer are of glass. There's a pull string that when pulled raises Rudolph's ears. I've owned one of these ornaments since I was 10. Sadly, one of the ears is broken. But if I can ever figure out how to fix it, you can be assured I will!

Next up is the Hallmark ornament of misfit elf Hermie astride good ole' Rudolph. There's an interesting fan theory about Hermie going around and I think it's got quite a bit of merit. See, Hermie doesn't have pointed ears like the other elves. I think he's really Santa's son and he hates having to follow in dad's footsteps. Thus in order to rebel, Hermie dreams of becoming a dentist. 

Speaking of Hermie's possible pop, I really like the Jim Shore ornament of Santa taking some of the Misfit Toys on to their new homes. As for favorite Misfit Toy ornaments, I like this one of the cowboy riding an ostrich. I don't understand why this one is a Misfit. I've read that some cowboys in Australia ride ostriches. So I just think that this toy was accidentally shipped to the States instead of where he belonged: store shelves in Brisbane.

In honor of Rudolph and Hermie's partner, Yukon Cornelius, I like this felt ornament found on Etsy. I've heard that in a now deleted scene, the reason Yukon keeps licking his pick axe isn't because he's got some sure fire way to locate gold. The prospector is actually searching for a vein of peppermint! 

Then we've got this 2016 Hallmark ornament of the Bumble. From the looks of things, he's taken to his new job as official Christmas Tree Topper of the North Pole. But he still needs some training on putting up the lights! There's just one problem though- I thought Hermie had pulled out all of the Bumble's teeth. What is he doing with chompers on this decoration?

Finally, I pay tribute to the great Burl Ives with this Sam the Snowman ornament. I like that the body is a bell. Pretty clever and adds to the festive charm.

We've got just enough time for one last DIY ornament. Although, you might have to go to the beach to do this one. You will need 2 medium size clam shells. 6 small pistachio shells, paint of the colors brown, light blonde, black, white, pink and red, 2 paperclips, string and hot glue. 

First of all, hot glue 2 pistachio shells on each clam shell to represent ears. Then take another shell, turned sideways and positioned on the clam shell to represent a snoot, hot glue. On the back of the clam shell, hot glue a paperclip in which a small loop shows from atop the head. Once dry, use the picture below as a painting template. Once dried, tie a piece of string through the paperclip loop and form a loop in order to hang through a branch on your tree.

And now my final Advent present of 2022. We've made it through the hustle and bustle. The stress and the fears. Now I hope you get a chance to sit back and relax. Hopefully, we can all laugh at how silly getting ready for the perfect holiday experience with this, one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. 

I present to you The 12 Pains of Christmas. As with this entire Advent, I hope you enjoy it!

Until next year's Advent- Merry Christmas!