Guest Author - Jennifer L. Thompson

An unexpected FedEx delivery... Hmmm, what fun! What could this be?

Upon unwrapping the outer and then the inner package (wrapped beautifully in a pink paisley gift bag, unquestionably with Hallmark style... I felt like such a girl! This was definitely a Hallmark moment.), much to my pleasant surprise were selections from the "Joy to the World Collection" of Hallmark ornaments. For those of you who might not recall, these were offered in the prize package for the Woman's Day Magazine - Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments Sweepstakes.

The lovely hand-crafted ornaments come two to a box, with each design based on a particular country. One of the ornaments in each box is a traditional house designed to its designated country, the other is a child dressed in its traditional clothing.

Did I say these ornaments are packed with little details?

Some of the details of each house include ornamental decorations, traditionally styled roofing, and even opaque windows for the light to shine through! Each child also holds a toy or decoration and the clothing is done with such detail that it could seem like you might like to wear it yourself.

The colors are done in warm and inviting tones, with each loop for hanging the ornament solid and securely placed.

Although information on what specific materials these are made of is not included (upon calling the customer care line, it did not have a department that I could find, to get information on these types of things... and with what seems to be hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of questions on the website, I just could not find anything), it seems to be some type of resin. Well-made, I must say, and solid, and they do not appear to be something that could break easily.

Countries included in this box were:

Ireland

The House is decked out complete with curtains and a wreath on the front door, with the little girl in a green dress embellished with gold thread.

Germany

Peek through the window at the decorated tree inside the house, and enjoy the little boy dressed in green holding his nutcracker-style toy soldier.

Norway

This blonde-haired little girl in her black. white, and red dress holds a Norwegian toy ram, which compliments the "hand-made" decorations strung on the house.

Mexico

This adobe-looking house with a poinsetta plant sitting outside the front door comes with a little boy proudly carrying a pinata.

China

The house is strung with Chinese lanterns, with the little girl dressed in a bright pink jacket and white carrying another lantern.

Africa

This warm and inviting hut is strung with lights, with its little girl dressed in a beautiful multi-colored dress, holding an ornate star.

These retail at $15.00 each.

As an added bonus, a miniature collection was included with six ornaments depicting these six children, retailing at $20.00

The artists for these fine selections are Katrina Bricker and Kristina Kline.

The final ornament included in this box is called "A Perfect Afternoon", designed by Sharon Viskar. This one is an outdoor lounge chair done with such exquisite detail that you'll want to climb right in and relax!

A beverage sits on the arm of the chair, complete with a slice of fruit on the edge of the glass, two magazines await your reading pleasure on the seat (these are also so detailed that you can even read the titles), and a pillow with a palm tree design on it calls you to cozy in. The retail price for this one is $12.50.

Each ornament is also stamped with its year of release and the Hallmark copyright.

I look forward to seeing what this year's collection will bring.