One two tree

Recently I had a discussion with a friend about decorating the christmas tree. I stated that I usually themed my tree, and kept my decorations in colour order, so that if I went for say, gold and burgundy one year, gold and cream another year, or silver and blue, I'd be able to kind of mix and match the 'sets' of decorations and pull together a few different looks for less money.

She was apalled - she laughed at me. In her house they just get out the suitcase full of mismatched decorations and chuck them on the tree - like WILLY NILLY!. Some of her decorations are really old, from when she was a child and before. To her, a themed tree is sterile and contrived and not in the spirit of Christmas at all.

Her colourful tree is a reminder of her own childhood, the magic of christmases past is held in those old glass balls and bits of tinsel from prior generations. It's passed down to her children, who get out each decoration with a 'remember this one..?' and they feel the excitement of the advent of christmas through these heirloom peices, no matter how tatty or cheap they may be.

And I understand that fully. But here's where my friend and I will never agree, because no matter what I just can't do 'random'. Can't do it. Random to me equals ugly and messy and want my house to be beautiful and polished. Especially at Christmas, when the tree is the focus of the home, the place you unwrap your presents, the thing you light up for the street to see.

And it's not like I don't love old stuff. If I had a suitcase full of vintage christmas decorations from christmases past, (I wish I did - how awesome) then I'd happily do a vintage themed tree. I'd love an old christmas tree full of wonderful memories, but it would have to look 'put together' in a non-put together way. I'd love to have matchboxes lined with cotton wool made by my grandmother, and glass baubles from days gone by. I'd box them in tissue paper and put little notes about them in the boxes for the kids to read, year after year, it would be like a family 'tree' - in a real organic sense. However, just like a 'bedhead' hairstyle, it would take a lot of work to make it look like it just crawled out of the sack.


However, I've been thinking about this conversation, and thought that this year I'd go for something different. You see, normally I have a serious tree; burgundy and gold, gold and cream, silver and blue - my tree always looks kind of 'formal'.


This year I decided my tree was going to be a riot. A colourful riot - because Christmas is after all, a heap of fun. So, for the first time EVER, I've allowed decorations of more than one colour to go on the tree. I've dispensed with the Star of the East or the Angel on the top, and gone for a madcap santa instead. Gone are the glass teardrops, instead are huge orbs of metallic coral glass embellished with crimson and lime green velvet. There are multicolour stars; shiny santa boots in red, lime and aqua. There's an overdressed poodle powdering her nose, fuschia angels trimmed in marabou feathers, and hundreds of glass balls in sherbet pink and pistachio green. It looks like there's a party going on in that tree.

But it ain't random.



















*Footnote: In the interests of the parenting judgement brigade out there, don't fear - it isn't mommy dearest around here.

When we trim the tree - and we always do it after dinner, I let them go beserk and put what they want where. Then, after they go to bed, I re-arrange every ornament the way I like it. After that every time I walk past it, I check it for SYMMETRY and BALANCE, and move an ornament or two to a better place.

** Footnote 2: Please don't look at the apricot walls or vile curtains. I can't afford to replace them just yet, and they aren't my taste at all. Rest assured, when I do you'll know all about it.