Ornament Review: 'Tis the Seasoning! - Snow Couple - 2013 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Introduced us to a great series

Cons: Production issues keep it from matching up like in the picture.

The Bottom Line:

Pre-series starter

Gives us shaky beginning

Completests only

I’m Still Cool to this Unofficial Start of the ‘Tis the Seasonings Series

Just in case you hadn’t notice, I have a serious Hallmark ornament problem.  My collection has outgrown my ability to display or store, yet I keep buying more.  At least half of what I buy each year are series ornaments, which is why I swear every year I will not start any new series.  Already this year, I’ve caved, and that was on an already in progress series.  That found me going back to get the 2013 'Tis the Seasoning! to complete my new collection.

The idea behind this series is that each release is actually a pair of ornaments, a themed salt and pepper shaker set.  The first year’s release was actually a pre-series set released only to the members of Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornament Club.  It features a pair of snowmen.  They are decked out in hats (with the holes for the salt and pepper to come out if they were real shakers) and scarfs.  They are leaning in to kiss, and they are each holding a candy cane.  When you place them next to each other, the candy canes meet to form a heart.

Or at least that’s the way it is supposed to work.  I know from friends who are also collectors that many received candy canes that didn’t come close to meeting.  I bought mine off the secondary internet market, so I was pretty much going to be stuck with what I got.  They don’t quite meet like they do in the picture on the box, but it isn’t too bad.  The female snowman’s candy cane is too straight up and down and needed to be angled back more to really form the heart.  So this is a strike against this set.

Additionally, while these are cute ornaments, they aren’t super special.  The scarfs are certainly colorful enough, so I can’t quite figure out why I don’t love them.  Maybe it’s because I’m a guy (and a single guy at that), and having something that is kissing doesn’t appeal to me.

Because these are supposed to look like salt and pepper shakes, they have nice flat bottoms.  I’m coming up with a display idea I can make this series part of that doesn’t involve hanging them on a tree, so this will be wonderful.  Since this was a pre-series release, there is no series marker on the bottom.  However, you can see the molded stoppers that you would use to add the salt and pepper if, you know, they were real salt and pepper shakers.

However, you can also hang the ornaments.  The loops are in the top of the hats, and when you hang them you’ll find they hang straight.  Unless they hang crooked, or course.  Which is very different from being crooked.

I used the fact that I wasn’t a fan of this set as a reason not to start ‘Tis the Seasoning last year.  Now that I’ve given in, I bought this set, but I have a feeling this snow couple will always be at the bottom of my favorites in this series.

Be sure to check out the rest of the 'Tis the Seasoning! series.

Original Price: $14.95