Why I don't like themed Christmas trees....

Don't worry. This isn't a 'bah humbug, I hate Christmas' post. In fact I love Christmas and all that goes with it. I was a bit concerned with them turning the Christmas lights on so early this year as I feared we would all suffer rather quickly from Christmas fatigue. But so far, so good. I'm not fatigued just a bit worried that I haven't done anywhere near all my Christmas shopping and I've only a couple of weeks to go... but that's another story.

No, this is simply that I really don't like themed Christmas tree decorations. Two women on the tube the other evening were discussing Christmas and the decorations they were going to put up this weekend. One woman was going to pull out the same box that she has every year from the back of the wardrobe. The other raised an eyebrow and exclaimed 'Oh no! I like to do a different theme each year - this year I'm thinking of oranges and purples!'

This made me feel quite sad and also took me back to my time on a home interest magazine when in July we were all shooting Christmas room sets complete with roaring log fires, festive displays of Christmas cards on shelves and that all important Christmas tree. And each year we had to have a different 'theme'. One year it was blue and white not dissimilar to this one....

Another year it was all white backgrounds (white sofas, white painted floors) and multi-coloured Christmas decks.... not dissimilar to this.

And these do look great in a magazine or as a shop display, but the spirit of Christmas is not just about who can be the most up-to-date in terms of decorations, but those little family traditions that are done and indulged in year after year and will be long remembered after we are gone. One of the most important for me is the decorating of the Christmas tree using the decorations that have been amassed over the years. Now I know they are a hotch potch of design styles and colours. Some were made by the girls when they were children. Some were chosen by them years ago (much to our disgust I have to admit). But it's the fact that each year we gather as a family and decorate the tree with the same, much loved baubles that really kicks off the holiday season for us all.

As I am writing this the rest of the family are putting up the finishing touches to the tree and hallway. A suitable Christmas cd is playing and it's all beginning to feel just like Christmas. Let me share some of our baubles and decorations that come out every year and although they will mean absolutely nothing to you, mean a lot to me...

Rudolph painted about 11 years ago...

A Rococo Angel finds a home next to a Medieval inspired house imp, some glass berries and  a decidedly  Nordic  baboushca

I'm not sure what she is dressed as but we like her...

A completely over-the-top angel for the tree

Little metal Santa

Our tree - we avoid tinsel though why we worry about overkill I have no idea!

My Grandma had these glass birds on her tree when I was a child - they were real 1950's numbers and this is a modern day replica
Merry Christmas Everyone!