Decorating the tree
Have you decorated your tree yet?
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| A tree I spotted in the vintage market |
They are so beautifully decorated and lots of money is raised, a mother with her son followed me. The little boy was looking at all the trees in awe, and he enjoyed putting money in the charity boxes placed below his favourite trees. There was even a tree filled with decorations made from egg boxes and covered with foil - that me made me smile remembering these decorations on our trees in the past. The trees will be on display until 15th December at Bridport United Church if you are in the area.
The one above on the left was for the Somerset and Dorset Air ambulance - can you see the yellow helicopters? The one of the right was sea themed so I had to take a picture!
After all that inspiration I just had to come home and put up our tree too! What is the oldest decoration on your tree? I have a few baubles that date back to the 70's (not pictured). Our newest decoration was baubles given to us at my nephews wedding a few days before Christmas last year which we will treasure and bring out each year (also not easy to see in the picture.)
I then made some homemade mince pies using CT's recipe they were delicious. That plate looks a bit empty! My husband had gone to watch Plymouth play football and he was lucky there were still a few left when he got home! I will have to make another batch before Father Christmas appears.
Hope your preparations for Christmas are going smoothly.
PS. Many of you have been commenting about the paper tree. I saw a similar idea on the internet last year, and went to a jumble sale and bought a book.However, I found that I couldn't bear to damage the book and tried to do it with a small magazine instead ,which wasn't quite so sturdy! If you would like to try and make one follow this link here.
Sarah x
The trees look beautiful Sarah :) sending lots of love your way for this festive season !
ReplyDeleteDear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI love this little book tree! So many beautiful Christmas trees.. What a wonderful day trip this must have been.
Yes, I see the helicopters!
Great post, enjoy the holiday season,
Penny
Ooh, so glad you tried out the recipe (and even more glad it worked and you liked it!).
ReplyDeleteYour tree looks lovely and how wonderful to have a special display in Bridport (which I remember fondly from holidays just down the road on a friend's farm).
We decorated ours this weekend (and managed to keep it Poppy proof- if it remains that way it will be a miracle in itself!).
CT x
Just doing that now. Why is it we can send a man to the moon, but we can't make Christmas lights which work every year!! Our were new last year, and about a third are not working and they cannot be fixed.....an hour or two's bad temper is just part of Christmas I guess. Your tree is lovely!
ReplyDeleteLuckily our lights worked ok this year, the led lights have been better so far....
DeleteSarah x
Your tree looks so beautiful, you was really inspired Sarah! My mum had a fake Christmas tree and she was putting on baubles of one color only.Unfortunately I have nothing from all this stuff.This little pie seems delicious for morning coffee!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice and creative week!
Olympia
Your tree is looking beautiful Sarah. There are so many decorating themes to choose from. We prefer the eclectic look on ours. Lots of memories with each bauble. Lots were bought on our travels. We also have some that are about 40 years old that belonged to Tonys mum.
ReplyDeleteMince pies are so tempting - one just isn't enough.
ReplyDeleteI decided no christmas tree this year, but this morning I have decorated a small fresh one, it must have been my guilty conscious. Glad that I have done it now, Christmas wouldn't be right without a tree.
I do like that tree made out of an old book, and yours looks very pretty.
Loving the book tree and the tiny bunting! Cx
ReplyDeleteI remember making egg box decorations - I had totally forgotten until you mentioned it. The trees are all wonderful, what a great idea - hope it catches on in other places. I did see a tree made of a book in our Oxfam book shop last week, not sure I could do that to a book.
ReplyDeleteI love to see a collection of Christmas trees. Our church holds a Christmas tree festival every year similar to the one you visited. It's such a good Idea to raise funds for charity. Most of my tree decs have been collected over the years but I do have two freestanding candles in the shape of Santa and a Snowman which we bought when the children were tiny and I get them out every year. Can't bear the thought of lighting them though!
ReplyDeletePatricia x
Good morning Sarah! WOW, I love that paper tree, and of course all the other fantastic decorations that follow. We are getting lots of snow in the middle of a very cold day, and I am enjoying all of the lights and silence in my house today. Wishing you lots of love and fun as you bake more mince pies! YUM! Anita
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of the book page tree. I am going to pin it and try to make it.
ReplyDeleteYes Sarah my tree is up and the lights are all around the house-finished that today. We don't have any old decorations sadly-just ones that look very old. What a lovely idea at Bridport.
ReplyDeleteAll of the trees are lovely, including yours! I love that you have special ornaments from over the years on your tree, it is so nice to remember all the times past as you decorate your tree each year isn't it. Hope you have a good week - and that santa gets some more mince pies! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely plate and mug. And a lovely mince pie! The tree display is a wonderful idea. We raise money for our local air ambulance at school quite often. In fact I saw it flying overhead twice today. A worthy cause indeed.
ReplyDeleteYou are way ahead of me Sarah. But mince pies are definitely on the cards.. and soon!
ReplyDeleteDear Sarah, that paper tree is such an eyecatcher! I envy you a little bit... however, your tree looks lovely and magic too! We put up ours only on December 24th. The mince pies.. oh my... I love them! Next Thursday we shall be visiting London and I hope I get one or two of them... Have a warm evening! Christa
ReplyDeleteI love the book trees too but think I'd be like you and struggle to actually do that to a book! Mince pie looks yummy- I haven't made any yet. on the list though. juliex
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful and interesting trees there. I love your tree as well, it's very classically beautiful.
ReplyDeleteour local Salvation Army are doing a similar tree thing in their hall, the shop I volunteer in is having one, I might just go and have a look at all the trees!
ReplyDeleteYour tree looks lovely and I love the book-tree in the first photo. We don't have any old baubles for our tree. My parents replaced all their decorations a few years ago and didn't save any of the old ones and Dave and I are just starting out on our own Christmas traditions since he moved here a couple of years ago. We are trying to buy one or two new decorations each year though and I know most of them, if not all, will become treasured items for trees in the future and I hope one day be very old! Christmas preparations are not going terribly well around here, I've been so busy, we've only bought one and half gifts and are totally clueless regarding what to buy anyone else... I don't have much time!
ReplyDeleteThe charity Christmas trees are a lovely idea. My Christmas tree decorations aren't very old, but my parents have some lovely old family decorations on their tree.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy all those mince pies!
I haven't even thought about the tree yet - I haven't got any old treasured baubles and because I had so many tree decs I gave a load away to a charity shop last year as I just don't have the space to store everything. I have seen these Christmas tree festivals and am always in awe at how inventive people can be. I love all Christmas food and especially mince pies but tend to put off making them till Christmas Eve so I won't be tempted - they are incredibly fattening!
ReplyDeleteThe charity Christmas trees are such a good idea! I like the fish one!!!x
ReplyDeleteAll of the trees look beautiful. We finished up our trees today along with all the other decorations too. Our oldest decorations go back to the early 1980's. The Mince pies sound good.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous idea to have charity Christmas trees!!! Bridport has come up trumps again!!! I bought a Driftwood 'Christmas tree' from a stall at the Hat Festival last year, I love it!! It's not very big, but it reminds me of lovely days in Dorset! Our tree hasn't survived this year, so hope to get another one this week, but have put a few deccy's up, more to follow!! Off to Bath Christmas Market on Thurs, hoping No.2 son will drive so I can have a Winter Pimms!! Haven't made Mince pies yet, I'd only eat them!!! Next week is cooking week!!!
ReplyDeleteThe book tree is a great idea, my sister told me about them but I couldn't visualise it, thanks for the link! :) x
ReplyDeleteThank you for the inspiration! I made a paper tree like the one in your first picture last year, I still have it, maybe I'll decorate it that way this year ;) I feel like a colourful Christmas this year. Haven't started any Christmas decorations yet. I just don't seem to get to it this year which is strange... I feel like I'd rather just skip Christmas this year... Don't even feel like putting our tree up. Always such a hassle to find room for it. Think I'll keep it simple but colourful.
ReplyDeleteMarian
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteLovely to see all the Christmas trees and such a great idea.
Your tree is beautiful and how yummy the mince pie looks - I have to put up our Christmas tree and make mince pies.
Happy new week
hugs
Carolyn
So many lovely trees, what a nice thing to see. Your tree is looking very pretty.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely blog!! I enjoyed seeing the trees and the stories. I
ReplyDeletejust had to come and find out the source of the visits to my blog. Thanks for the link to my Paperback Book Christmas Tree tutorial. :)
Wishing you a most joyous Advent.
~Diane
What lovely Christmas trees. I love the idea of baubles from the wedding.
ReplyDeleteI love your new header phtographs!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovey idea for charity. Such lovely decorated trees. A sight for sore eyes Sarah.
ReplyDeleteThe little boy must have felt so happy.
I will be having christmas at my son's home.. So will not be decorating this year..
Also Mr. M.. is not well. It will be good for us to be with the children.
I have a few bobbles and some tinsel.. from my tree when i was a little girl.
I will make some mince pies next week. Once we make them..they do go quickly. happy baking.
and putting up your tree.
best wishes
val x x x
What a great idea for a fund raiser! It must have been fun watching the boy plunk his money into the boxes of his favourites. Thanks for the link to the paper trees site. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the Christmas tree on your first photo and I do like the sound of homemade mince pies.
ReplyDeleteI like this charity idea, what a great way to raise awareness and funds. Yes, the book tree is amazing. BTW I also love that little bird mug - oh how sweet is that. I've collected vintage and antique ornaments for many years. They won't be on my tree this year though. I will be using old ornaments that I found an didn't particularly like, and put out on the curb last year and marked them free - I had no takers, so they are on my tree this year. Happy happy to you.
ReplyDeleteLovely friends!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you my dear Sarah, that nature has the most beautiful decorations for this season...more beautiful than we can recreate. And miss Daisy is a prime example of how stunning nature can be....I bet she just graces your home!
Thank you for commenting on my post. I just want to celebrate the goodness of the earth this year...
The mince pie looks so very yummy, to have with tea !
ReplyDeleteThat little santa is adorable, I love the detail.
Your tree is lovely! The oldest ornament I have is a striped glass ball that my mom gave me when I got married. She had three of them she had gotten from her father when she was grown. They had been bought and used by her mother who died in 1949 at the age of 29. My mom was a little girl of eight when she lost her mom. My mom, my sister and I each have one of the fragile glass ornaments. It is of course my very favorite.
ReplyDeleteA lovely Christmassy post! I have a bauble on our tree that was on the tree when I was little....so it is old! That book Christmas tree is gorgeous. Xxx
ReplyDeleteyou are so kind to come by and meet Dimity! Thank you so much for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteblessings to you
Penny
Oh how I love that book Christmas tree!!! So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour tree does look wonderfully festive, and I'm loving the book tree idea.
ReplyDeleteStill no decorations up here, but we have a DIY job to do in the living room at the weekend that should give us a bit more scope when it comes to prettifying the place for Christmas
Gorgeous post- love all the trees- including the book tree and yours. The mince pie looks good too:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea with all those Christmas trees - very clever. Very clever book tree too - there are some fantastic ideas out there using old books....I have one or two old books now that I think about it...ahem!
ReplyDeleteI might go to the beach tomorrow to see if I can make a Christmas tree out of some flotsam and jetsam
Keep warm
Best wishes
Jenny
Happy holidays hun! Lovely pictures, you tree looks really nice!
ReplyDelete