It’s tradition in my family to decorate the Christmas tree a couple of days before Christmas Eve. When the tree is up, you know that the Christmas spirit has truly evaded the house.
When I was a kid my grandpa had a friend who owned some land and he gave us permission to go out and chop down our very own Christmas tree from his grounds. We never had a Chip n’ Dale moment (to my great disappointment), but it was a lovely experience nonetheless.
For the past few years I’ve become a sort of tree decorating Nazi and have banned tinsel, garish baubles and multicolour lights. We’re going for the sophisticated look (who am I kidding, really…) and certain decorations just don’t make the cut. However, there are some ornaments that I treasure dearly. It doesn’t matter that they are 15 years old, that I made them in kindergarten or that they have a full on 90’s vibe, their place in the tree is a given.
These are my favourites. A homemade angel on icing and a sparkling bauble that appeal to the little Essex girl in me. They’re no Fortnum & Mason decorations, but for our little tree, they”re just perfect.