For those of you that don't know, Shimelle leads a 'Ten Things on the Tenth' extravaganza at http://www.shimelle.com/ each month. Here's my contribution. As it is December, and I'm feeling very festive, I've decided to show you my favourite 10 decorations on our Christmas tree:
1. A deer that was always on the family tree when I was growing up. I'm not sure of it's history - I'll have to ask my mum, but I love it's vintage look:
2. The same goes for this kitsch angel:
3. This cardboard stocking is one I made as a child (about 7 or 8 years old I think). It has a picture cut from an Argos catalogue showing what present I wanted most that year - a 'Lite-Brite' pegboard toy. I did not get this gift. I'm sure I got some lovely other presents, and I think one reason I like to put this on my tree each year is to remind myself that it does not matter that we won't ever get everything we want for Christmas. I'm sure I was disappointed at the time that I didn't get this toy, but in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter, I had love and a happy home and that's what Christmas should really be about - and it's something I'm trying to teach my daughter this year:
4. This little elf is one I made at 6th Form College (when I was 16). I studied Textiles A-Level, and we had a challenge for the first autumn term, to make a Christmas decoration from material. Everyone else made big items, but I hand stitched this elf with teeny tiny stitches. He's about 7cm tall. I won the challenge because my teacher was so impressed that I could stitch so small (you unfortunately can't see his cute gold boots in this photo!):
5. And along the elf theme, I made this elf lady (I think she might have been a fairy originally, but if so her wings were lost long ago!) when I was at University. We had a Christmas crafting session in our house, 5 of us making little bits and pieces, as we didn't have enough of our own decorations yet to make the place feel like home:
6. Now for a few shop bought decorations. First up is this one with Aslan on. I absolutely love the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis, and when the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe movie came out I snapped up some Christmas decorations in the Disney Store, and this is my favourite from the set:
7. This one I like because I adore the colours. I also think it's special because I bought it the Christmas before we had my daughter, when I also I bought a lot of other 'grown up' luxurious looking decorations as I was feeling like a proper adult. And then realised the very next year, when my daughter was already crawling around and grabbing at things, that I couldn't put any of them up as they were all delicate glass! Apart from this one which is safe. So it's my one really 'posh' decoration on the tree, for now at least!:
8. This one is simply because penguins make me laugh. And this bauble makes me smile every time I look at it:
9. I also like owls, a fact which my mum is well aware of and she buys me lots of cute owl-themed pressies (thanks mum - I love them!), this is one of her gifts to me:
10. And I'm going to finish with another handmade one. This one was made by my daughter last year at her nursery. I have made wall decorations and cards with her each year, but this was the first tree decoration she'd made and I hope it's the first of many:
I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse at my Christmas tree decorations! I love having such a mix of old and new, handmade and shop bought. It's nice to have bits of my history and personality all displayed each year. Do you have a favourite tree decoration?
Hope you're all having a festive weekend. :-)
