It's been a couple of years since my last Christmas tree - last year we were in Seville, and the year before, with Mum galavanting off in Europe with my sister, Dad and I couldn't really be bothered.
This year however I decided I needed something.
It may have been the Christmas cheer of a work colleague rubbing off on me, or simply the fact that there weren't any Christmas decorations up when I arrived at the house I'm house sitting (not that I'm complaining).
So I decided to make my habits of London into a tradition. My Christmas decorations all have a European connection and so it seems practical to counterbalance that with the family's Australian tradition of using some bit of one of the natives plants taking over the garden.
Being situated in Freo, this time I politely inquired if I could swipe a bit of my Aunt's red capped gum, which was then carefully balanced in a heavy vase.
This little guy and the Bilby in the last photo were presents from the parentals when I was in London, to remind me of home. They've continued the tradition now with my sister.
The Magpie is particularly appropriate as growing up the three Wise Men, or Magi, were sometimes referred to as the three Magpies.
The pillowy reindeer in the corner is from my sister when I was still in London.
One of my favourite things about being in Europe over Christmas is the Christmas Markets and truthfully I have yet to find somewhere that does them as awesomely as Germany. I think very German town I visited had upwards of 4 markets and I tried to visit as many of those as possible.
I was particularly drawn to the laser cut wood and the lace ones, and would have liked ones of each of the towns I visited but it was not to be. I managed one of the Fraukirche in Dresden but the rest are mainly in the style of lace doilies or Moorish tiles.
Mingled in amongst the lace and wood are two ceramic stars, both Meissen ware from Dresden. Mum bought me the more traditional brown one whilst I got the white one the following year.
It has a few more days until it needs to be taken down (our tradition says January 6); the crisping curling leaves added to the mulching heap and the ornaments nestled in bubblewrap and stored in a Christmas tin until next time.
This year however I decided I needed something.
It may have been the Christmas cheer of a work colleague rubbing off on me, or simply the fact that there weren't any Christmas decorations up when I arrived at the house I'm house sitting (not that I'm complaining).
So I decided to make my habits of London into a tradition. My Christmas decorations all have a European connection and so it seems practical to counterbalance that with the family's Australian tradition of using some bit of one of the natives plants taking over the garden.
Being situated in Freo, this time I politely inquired if I could swipe a bit of my Aunt's red capped gum, which was then carefully balanced in a heavy vase.
This little guy and the Bilby in the last photo were presents from the parentals when I was in London, to remind me of home. They've continued the tradition now with my sister.
The Magpie is particularly appropriate as growing up the three Wise Men, or Magi, were sometimes referred to as the three Magpies.
The pillowy reindeer in the corner is from my sister when I was still in London.
These two are symbolic of my stay in London, the first referencing the first time it snowed and we borrowed our landlady's silver platter and went tobogganing in Greenwich Park. The Second is for the second year, when I finally found (I haven't really looked before then) the deer who live in the South East corner of the park. They were both bought at the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
This little guy was from the Southbank Christmas markets. I'd had this ornaments in this type of ornate glass in my childhood and decided to replace the concept. This was a cutie; the quintessential Christmas Tree that mine will NEVER look like.
One of my favourite things about being in Europe over Christmas is the Christmas Markets and truthfully I have yet to find somewhere that does them as awesomely as Germany. I think very German town I visited had upwards of 4 markets and I tried to visit as many of those as possible.
I was particularly drawn to the laser cut wood and the lace ones, and would have liked ones of each of the towns I visited but it was not to be. I managed one of the Fraukirche in Dresden but the rest are mainly in the style of lace doilies or Moorish tiles.
Mingled in amongst the lace and wood are two ceramic stars, both Meissen ware from Dresden. Mum bought me the more traditional brown one whilst I got the white one the following year.
It has a few more days until it needs to be taken down (our tradition says January 6); the crisping curling leaves added to the mulching heap and the ornaments nestled in bubblewrap and stored in a Christmas tin until next time.
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