Bottlebush trees and bell jar ornaments

If you're like me, you probably have some "collections within collections." I knew that among my Christmas decorations, I had a "thing" for bell jar ornaments a few years ago, and I began to notice that many of them had bottlebrush trees inside. Then I realized that I have quite a few little bottlebrush trees as well. This year, they're all lined up on the mantel in the living room.

I usually pick up a new bell jar ornament or two most years, and I love how these tiny little worlds all have something different inside. 

I've never really collected a Christmas village (although I'm jealous of my friends who have villages of tea shops!), but I do use ornaments like this one as village pieces. Can this count?

And of course when I'm going all Shabby Chic, my cream-colored teapots and candle holders are never far away, and neither is one of the vintage teapot ornaments I collect.

One of my favorite little trees is this one under glass, which I nabbed the minute I saw it at a Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic store in Atlanta a few years ago. The store didn't stay in Atlanta long, so I'm glad I got this when I did!

Another bottlebrush tree with a Santa, and another bell jar ornament with tiny bottlebrush trees inside.

Another vintage teapot ornament gets worked in here as well, alongside another doodad with a tiny bottlebrush tree and, in a nod to our Wisconsin family, a Green Bay Packers ornament that lights up and turns all different colors at night. It's the one "modern" addition to this vintage grouping, and I think our little Packers snowman fits in quite well!