My glitzy bauble tree

Come Christmas season, out comes this artificial tree..for it will hold my glass baubles and bits collected over time the best.I can bend the tips of the branches back to secure the ornaments will not slip of.

A collection of blown glass balls and birds,  hand painted, decorated with Sharovski glitz, and glass glitter..all unite on this little tree on a landing between floors.It is quite magical when sun sets and the little lights inserted in crystals are switched on..visible from down stairs looking up, from upstairs looking down, and inviting from outside as well. 

Early morning  sun makes the glass ornaments glisten. 

When we renovated this house, I planned the landing  area around accomodating this tree. The ornaments looks best on a smaller tree, and needs to be elevated to really see each one. For this reason as well I had a floor plug installed next to the table, to allow for the lights to be plugged in close by.

I started collecting these special birds and balls a few years ago on a trip to Basel, Switzerland.

It is quite overwhelming to see all the different colors and shapes together, and then to  decide if one should go for the fashion color at the time, or to stay with the classic designs and colors. Since I love traditional and old..I chose the silver, gold and duck egg colors...each one decorated right there in front of me and ready for collection later. On collection , they are securely packed in their little individual boxes complete with little metal tag and design no.

   

 

Around the same time I fell in love with the glass balls covered with cut out lace, which  started the addition of chrystals as well as  blown and sandblasted glass ornaments.

 The pearl swag was found

in a ribbon and haberdasheries  store.

Pretty ornaments on top of special boxes,

reused and filled with favorite bon bons each year.

Our " Real "Christmas tree, as Dd refers to it,

is a large fresh pine from Elgin forest,  

put up on the 15th, collected from the Christmas tree  lot next to the  main road between 

Stellenbosch and Somerset West.

The "real" tree, goes up in the orangery, real candles in clips to be lit on Christmas eve, 

handmade decorations made by Dd and myself,

and fresh pine cones.

These are collected from our secret little corner not far from home, which also traditionally is part of a outing that includes a picnic next to the Eerste Rivier..

We dip the  pine cones in fragranced white wax ,

and after Christmas  save them untill winter to start the fire with.

Noel has arrived in our kitchen 

by way of this Prague statue on the window sill, flanked by little Norwegian trees.

Every year Dd chooses one little gingerbread house from the local Christmas market,

and saves it all year long under a  glass dome!

I wish you peace full and blessed days with loved ones, wherever you may be ..

Colette