This is a public service announcement.
When I was making my rounds through my local thrift shop, I spotted this furry little woodland creature made by the Godinger Silver Art Company and I went nuts!
$3.50 later, his head was peeking from my purse and I was headed home with little Julio (naming nutcrackers is the first sign of trouble).
He reminds me of when I was a kid around Christmas time. We would crack walnuts with our very plain and boring nutcracker as we sat by the fire.
I justified my purchase by telling myself that I would start that tradition with my girls.
One small problem …
my girls are allergic to tree nuts!
So you know I have an issue when I bought that little furry critter anyway.
And guess what? Now I have this deep, burning desire to start yet another collection.
I can picture it now.
Thousands of nutcrackers as far as the eye can see nestled in every nook and cranny of my house …
next to the piles of old newspapers …
until one day, a concerned friend calls Hoarders and I’m forced to part with my collection then I’m hauled away to “rest” from an extreme case of “exhaustion” for a very long time.
That once cute squirrel will soon haunt your nightmares with this evil grin …
So I feel it’s my civic duty to set up a toll free number …
1-800-SOS-KELLY
I’ll also do my best to get celebrities to join my telethon to raise awareness of this serious issue.
Collecting is a slippery slope.
Please be very careful because you never know which innocent purchase could lead to a hunt for more and more and even more …
until you’re buried underneath a pile of squirrels.
Check out all of my hoard … I mean thrift shop finds.
P.S. Do you name inanimate objects?
P.P.S. We won’t judge you – tell us what weird thing you can’t stop collecting?
Ha! Too funny! I collect owls. And they are always watching me! ;0)
Love him! Evil grin and all!
And I’m hoping you will get some more because I’d love to see that collection.
We used to crack nuts by the fire too with boring nutcrackers 😉
Dust bunnies. I collect dust bunnies. Actually some of mine have morphed into dust HOGS! Just kidding~~I have a huge German Shepard and an equally huge Lab, so…… I seem to have an affinity for paper. Specifically, bills. Yup. I collect bills~~electricity bills, water bills, doctor visits and pharmacy, etc. Once they’re marked ‘PAID’, they are displayed in neat piles here, there, everywhere! I can’t let them go! I might need them for something, proof maybe. I should have some of them bronzed. Yeth, some can even be called vintage. I actually do have the bill from my youngest son’s birth. He was a preemie and the hospital sent us a bill for $10,000.00. Best buy I ever made. The doctors told me he was going to be mentally challenged and extremely small. He’s 6′ 1” and has a college education and is an IT guy. So, a raspberry to them : ) But I do appreciate their saving him.
What a coincidence – I collect dust bunnies too! One day, they will be worth a fortune and we can sell them! So glad you son turned out to be such an amazing man – lucky you!
Kelly
Haha – too funny, Kelly! Every year at Christmas my mother put out a basket of nuts and yes, it had one of those boring nutcrackers in it. Yawn. I find myself doing the same thing today, with the same old nutcracker even tho I own not one, but two of those cutey patootey squirrel nutcrackers.
Break those squirrels out of captivity right now and get them out and on display! Then we can get your two and my little Julio together for a play date.
Kelly
Squirrels. Don’t even get me started about their evil ways of chewing through your soffits and making nests in the eaves and costing thousands of dollars in damage. And the dead birds that fell into the house and died in my bathroom ceiling because of the hole the squirrel ate in my roof. The only good squirrel is a metal nutcracker squirrel. Oh, a little off topic. I do find myself creating collections from one little object I picked up at a yard sale. But not squirrels, never squirrels. Or bats.
I love that you named him Julio. I think having an inanimate squirrel in my home might drive my dogs crazy, but he’s kind of cute.
Dogs ruin all the fun!
Kelly
Funny Girl! You made me laugh out loud this morning ! I’m always on some kick , most recently Brown Betty’s , English teapots , I see something I like it , i have to get it ; now I’m not talking big bucks , they were 2.99. I know I can brighten some ones day along the line , this is my way of thinking ! Let’s se what else , Johnson bros dishes , pretty glasses , pendeleton skirts , curtains , textiles , the lists goes on , it’s fun , period …
You’re my kind of gal Maureen – keep on collecting!
Kelly
I would have gotten him just because it is a squirrel. My mom always had a bowl of nuts with the boring nutcrackers out at the holidays, too. I never started that tradition here because I remembered the mess it made. Funny I’m talking about one of my collections today, too. It is very hard to stop once you start one.
ha ha ha!!!! too funny! and you know i love him!
He would fit right in in your house – the land of the cute woodland creatures!
Kelly
Hey DFF: I am jealous! I have a collection of weird squirrels – those little wood cut-out kind someone’s father used to make in the 50s – but what I wouldn’t do for an aluminum squirrel nutcracker! He would not only fit with my nutty squirrels, he’d fit with the aluminum tray collection! 2-for-1!!!!
I have aluminum trays too – you definitely need a silver squirrel in your life!
Kelly
“If you collect it, you eventually have to dust it.” That is what I think when I get the urge to collect. But, I do name inanimate objects, especially the ones I repurpose for resale. Last week I named a table “How Do You Like Me Now” and another was named “Live and Learn”.
They sound like perfect names for race horses! I’ll put $20 on How Do You Like Me Now to win!
Kelly
He is stunning for a nut cracker. I remember a large wooden bowl with the typical boring nutcrackers that would come out for Christmas at our house when we were kids. The unique thing was the cracker and nut pickers would insert in the center space and stand up. Wish I knew where that bowl went, it would be cool to have now. Collections: several over the years that have gone by the wayside; salt/pepper shakers when I was a teenager. Had them on little shelves all over my bedroom walls. Brass candlestick holders. All sold at garage sales now. Music boxes; most of them gone, kept 3 special ones. Perfume bottles; still on display on glass shelves in my spare guestroom. Jewelry Suit pins; still have them all that I collected over the years in my business career from my travels or gifts. Crafting and scrapbooking supplies, old items for garden art. Not at the hoarder stage yet. You are right….we have to be careful about that. Love your website and your creative inspiration.
Thanks Eloise! My very first collection were mice figurines! They were all over my bedroom until I got bored and got rid of them! I remember wearing stick pins too – wonder where they went?
Kelly
Hahaha, you’re a hilarious! I still have my boring nut cracker and we actually used it recently to crack crab claws. Worked well, I might add. Although, it would have been more fun to see that cute little squirrel chomping down on the crab leg. Here lately, I’ve been collecting vintage things to store my crafting goodies i.e. small dishes, pans, anything that floats my boat. So my hoard is growing inside of a hoard. Make sense?
Ohhhh – a double hoard – that’s dangerous! And I think Julio would love to get his jaws on a giant crab claw!
Kelly
I DO name inanimate objects. I have Jax (a dog on my front porch), Gueniviere (a cat among my flowers), and Gerhardt, Wilhelm & Helmut (3 gnomes).
I have a little gnome collection too but why haven’t I named them?! Will have to take care of that right away.
Kelly
I love that squirrel. I name kids and pets, that’s all, but have a daughter who names everything.
I hear naming things skips a generation!
Kelly
Haha
I “collect” almost everything
In fact, I save boxes and cardboard “incase I need them” and I often DO need them!
I have stashes of papers, fabric, beads and chickens…
Chickens … now that’s one collection I would love!
Kelly
He is totally cute! I could see how he would be inspiration for many, many more…I’m always a sucker for a vintage brass woodland creature. 🙂 Life to the full! Melissa
I was searching for old brass creatures today -but only found duck bookends! Had them in my house growing up so do not want them again!
Kelly
Could be worse. You could be buried under a pile of nuts!
I don’t name inanimate objects though my husband’s family does and I don’t collect…unless you count the stuff that “temporarily” rests in my collection on display in my home until it sells on eBay, which makes my collection very eclectic indeed! I am proud to be the curator of a wide variety of interesting objects and you never know what is going to turn up next. I wouldn’t have been able to resist the charms of your squirrel either.
Fun post; very nice nutcracker!
I don’t know how you part with your finds?! I wish I could – and need to – or I will be buried alive!
Kelly
When you buy to resell, most items become just merchandise or stuff but I love being the temporary custodian of say a musical Christmas tree from Hallmark just before Christmas or a pretty blue cobalt vase that I really don’t have room to keep but can spare the space for for a month or so. I had fun testing a vintage flopper toaster. It was actually comical because toasters are a pet peeve of mine and this vintage one cooked toast much better than my modern brand-name toaster! I was really tempted to keep it but couldn’t trust that I would remember to open the toaster and remove the toast when it was cooked…
You’d have burnt toast … but burnt toast done in style!
Kelly
I name my cars! The Dove, the Black Gazoobe, Raccoon Hunter (a headlight shone into the trees) and most recently Old Blue our 2003 Ford Escape that has taken us across the nation on Rt 66 and many trips to Hilton Head SC.
Evidently I am drawn to anything small, as in butter pats, tiny pitchers,inkwells, books. I know this because I recently had to pack it all in a recent move!
I love your squirrel nutcracker. I had the whole nut thing going on at Christmas for my kids, but didn’t let them do it for fear of pinched fingers!
My mom’s car was named Betsy – not very original – but it was handed down to me and the name stuck! Your names are soooo much better
Kelly
one of my most bizarre collections is, vintage scissors, you know the ones that are steal with a black handle… i have them in all sizes around my house. i also collect heart shaped rocks, collecting is so much fun, but i do get a little carried away…
I have two old scissors – one with a red handle and one with a yellow handle. It takes three to make a collection so I am on the hunt for another pair – oh no!!
Kelly
I collect vintage poodle figurines, teapots & teacups, votive candle holders, really anything pretty! And yes, I do name inanimate objects! It drives my parents nuts 🙂 I just got a cow head wall mount & immediately named it Sidda Lee! I’m crazy I Know, but all the best people are!!
I have a little ceramic cow head – maybe she could be Sidda Lee Jr!
Kelly
We have this incurable disease of collecting…so all I can do for you is to give you a referral to Antiqueanonymous..1-800-GET-HELP . . Love that nutty squirrel!…
putting it on speed dial Shirley!
Kelly
He’s adorable! How could you not bring him home?
I agree – please try telling that to my hubby!
Kelly
I collect glass. A lot of glass. Mason jars, apothecary jars, demijohns, cloches, bottles, bowls, vases, and candlesticks! I love glass.
I love glass too Nickki! I have green glass, mid century decanters, milk glass … I seriously need an intervention!
Kelly
I don’t really care for squirrels but I wouldn’t be able to resist your little guy either. Too cute!
I collect vintage suitcases and hat boxes (both make great looking storage), old books (started by gathering some for craft projects but couldn’t bear to cut them up :0), and balls, decorative balls that is. I buy one from everywhere that we travel to, and also printers wood block letters. I spell little sayings or words that are hiding all over the house.
I just got the cutest little red vintage makeup case today Rose! I’m sure it would be perfect in your collection of suitcases!
Kelly
I just started squirrels, I found a ceramic jar that is a nut with a squirrel on top of it. But now I want to find one like yours, so cute!!!!
Fingers crossed for you Cindy!!
Kelly
OMG!!!!!!! I love little Julio and I want him!!! 🙂 What a great find!!!! I have way too many collections. It’s getting a little out of hand. The recent collections I’ve just started are vintage rug beaters and oil paintings of houses in the woods. Oy!
Maybe someone needs to use those rug beaters on us every time we bring a new collection home!
Kelly
Bahaha! Yes! Maybe that’s what we need to keep our hoarding tendencies in check!!
Oh! Btw, did you get my email with the links you asked for regarding pictures of my home? Just making sure everything came through ok.
That is so cute!!!!!!!
thanks Susie!!
Kelly
Oh Kelly Julio is so cute! I would have had a hard time passing him up too. I’ve had a weakness for pig shaped cutting boards for years now. Instead of a plate wall? I have an oink wall! And yes… they all have names. Wilber, Charlotte, Bacon ect….My husband thinks I’m crazy. (But it’s okay if he names his truck right?)
Now I need pig cutting boards! When will the madness end!
Your next one should be called Pignacious!
Kelly
Great post. I have an inanimate object I named Mr. Duck, Sir Duck, Cluck, so yes, I do that. Love this squirrel and us nonhoarders might come over and steal him he is so special.
He’s so sweet!
You are a total nut. Your collecting habits may be hard to crack. I collect chairs. I have a stack of chairs waiting to be redone about 10 feet high and 10 feet wide. I just can’t stop. Some day the chair pile will fall on top of me and people will wonder what became of me.
Chairs are the gateway drug of hoarders!! Seek help immediately.
Kelly, I’m afraid I may be joining that 12 step group and calling the help line very soon. My hands shake whenever I pass a vintage mall, antique shop or yard sale! Yes, I do have a few objects that I’ve named. My latest obsession is for equestrian (a nod to Downton Abbey) and religius artifacts from Spain and Italy (some are a real work of art) The beauty is we can rotate and when were tired of a collection sell at a yard sale or online. Great looking nutcracker and cute post with a nugget of truth in it 🙂
Welcome to the club Sandy – it’s where all the crazy collectors hang out! Your religious artifact collection sounds amazing!
What a funny story – so easy to get started on yet another collection, isn’t it 😉
Whether he gets added to a collection or not, your little squirrel is an awfully cute find!
I am not sure if you go the manufacturer right. How tall is this one. My father designed and built one that looks like this one with his aluminum foundry. His was about 12 inches high. Same markings. From the late 1940’s to the early 1950’s.