I had good intentions for today which involved Christmas card writing and some festive baking but got off to a bad start after an epic oversleep wiped out the morning and a big dose of apathy put paid to cards (tomorrow or maybe Tuesday I swear). On only a slight tangent I've been canvassing my friends about Christmas decorations and whether to bother. Once upon a time when I still lived at home we had a tradition of no decorations before my birthday (just over a week away), when I started living alone I made an effort for the first few years because I like decorations but recently it's seemed pointless. Ironically although I no longer have to work 60+ hour weeks over the festive period I feel like I'm at home less than ever and much as I love putting decorations up I hate taking them down. Everything seems so dismal without them and January doesn't need much help with being dismal, also with no one in to see them it's increasingly hard to find reasons to do it.
However the consensus seems to be that decorations are the way forward so I'm aiming for a compromise. My Fair Isle bunting has gone up - it's not tinsel so it can stay up indefinitely as far as I'm concerned, and the stick tree my sisters boyfriend gentleman caller made has come out. (I drenched it in pine essential oil to make it smell festive but it mostly smells like disinfectant now so that wasn't one of my best ideas. Whisky might have been more appropriate - it's working for the cake.) More concessions to the season are on the way but need some consideration, chief amongst them being what to put on the tree. I've thought about meringues to look like dollops of snow which I think is a pretty idea but may look a bit silly in this case, biscuits or gingerbread are another option but I'm worried that it might end up looking somewhat like I knitted the whole thing out of yoghurt, and then there's the proper old fashioned sparkly but specifically Christmasy baubles which will have to come off. What to do?
I love both the fair isle bunting and that tree - festive but tasteful. Good luck with hte cards!
ReplyDeleteHow about a Wish Tree? Have a supply of tie-on tags or labels (maybe with a bit of glitter or a Christmas sticker on each) and people can write their wish on the label and tie it to a branch.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a token tree or bunting is all that is needed.
ReplyDeleteI only have a small tree which I will put up this weekend, and with a few handmade items strewn about the flat that is me done. Like you, when you are living alone you try to not go too mad when it is only you who sees it most of the time.
I know what you mean about taking them down - and I confess mine are always down on the 27th December! All clean and tidy ready to start a new year without having to clear up after the last!
I think you should take the plunge and dress your tree in meringues and gingerbread, I'm sure you'd make it look great and if by some strange mischance it didn't work, you could at least eat the failures.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely print on your wall!
Verity - I still haven't started the cards. Beginning to panic about cards.
ReplyDeleteCurzon - I'm not letting that many people in my flat, not tidy enough at the moment.
Jo, you sound organised. I'm quite pleased with my little tree (which is still bare but due for decorations any day now. They do need an audience though and as I'm working till ten most nights at the moment I don't even get to see them myself.
Helen - edible is dangerous, not sure if they'd make it to the tree but I'm going to bake for presents soon so it may yet come to pass...