O Christmas Tree

My Christmas Tree is up!

It's tiny. I have put a full sized tree up in the past (usually from Ikea), but decided to go small this year for a few reasons:

1) I will be at my parents' for Christmas and then in Montreal for the New Year, so wouldn't get to enjoy the tree during the Christmas week.

2) Darcy peed on a friend's tree not once but twice last year. I thought a small raised tree would help disabuse him of the notion that I had conveniently brought a peeing post into the house for him.

3) The small size means I can undecorate the tree and take it to my parents' place, where it can be enjoyed for a longer period of time.

4) And finally, I'm not having a party this year, so all the work of putting up a big tree for only me (and Darcy) to look at seemed like too much work!


An international tree...

I realised a few years ago that a Christmas decoration is one of the best souvenirs you can buy. It doesn't clutter your home year round but then once a year, when you pull the decorations out, you can remember all the wonderful places you have been to.

I traveled a lot while I lived in England a few years ago, but sadly didn't start the decoration trend right away. I guess that means I just have to go back to places like Spain, Budapest, Scotland and Ireland to pick up my souvenir ornament!

Below are some of the decorations I have managed to accumulate that brighten up my tree every year.

Hand painted folk eggs I bought from the Czech Republic and Poland.

Blue penguin from New Zealand.

 Kangaroo from Australia. I also bought a parrot like bird while I was there.

Two elephants from Thailand. One was an actual decoration, the other was a keychain I converted into a decoration.

A santa from Brazil. I didn't actually buy this one (even though we were in Brazil over the holidays), but a friend kindly got it for me when she was there.

This is a llama from Peru. Sadly I haven't been to Peru, but my friend went and gave me this, so I think of her trip when I put it on the tree!

A little pottery house from Cancun, Mexico.

A round Santa from Tallinn, Estonia. I was there in November last year and it was like visiting a Christmas town out of a cartoon. The historic centre is so picturesque and had the cutest Christmas market with a huge Christmas Tree. I loved it.

The iconic Vegas sign from, you guessed it, Las Vegas!

And finally, I realised I don't seem to have a decoration from England, which is crazy as I lived there for over 3 years and am a Brit Canadian! I did however have some British soldier pegs, so put one of them on the tree.

Here's the little guy all lit up and up on a table suiting a table top tree.

Finally, for scale (and cute) purposes, here's the D man posing for all he's worth.