damn straight, it's all happy and Santa

Every year, when we go to get our tree, we get  new decoration. This year we were late, and both were pretty much gone. Agh!

But let me give you a tour, which I wanted to put up days ago, but.. didn't.

This is Olivia's fox. How cool is he?

Mr and Mrs CocaCola Claus. Normally I'd be sickened, but I've had them since before I was born, and I loves 'em. Kitties!

Olivia's Rudolph. Won't sit straight, that maverick.

Um. See the scruffiness! Bodhi has been undecorating at a rate this year. But I made the little Christmas tree, decades ago.

My mother had lots of pretty golden things, trains, planes, a rocking horse. They glow nicely, even though this one got a bit washed out.

And THIS. How wonderfully, beautifully disgusting is this? I remember getting them, when I was about four. Maybe six of them, in a clear plastic rectangular box. The most glitteringly fabulous Santa you will ever see. And now he looks like he has a head wound and a nose bleed. Don't you love it, D? Hahahahaha

Ikea, this year - black and clear!

Olivia's Owl, it's sparkly!

My godmother got me these in NewEngland. Gold, and made from real leaf skeletons. SO beautiful!

Sesame Street... oh yes.

My Aunt Sue's beautiful crocheted Christmas tree. And one of four ugly ass Santas my mother in law gave us to keep forever and ever as heirlooms - !

Well it's over. New Year next, grey and gloom and resolutions. Hah Bumbug...

snow snow

I was walking towards the toyshop this morning, slightly surprised by the bitterness of the cold, and wishing I'd brought my scarf and worn more under me cota, when out of the tiny teeny little dots of ice floating down here and there, what looked like a perfectly formed snowflake flew right at me, for a second I thought I could see its intricacy, and landed on my mouth, a tiny frosted melting kiss.

I love the snow. But there's apparently going to be blizzards this weekend. Which will severely cramp my stressed out last minute Christmas prep if it hits. Thankfully I now have a bootful of toys that promise enough of a Christmas if all else fails. Phew!

Tanenbaum

Well, my head is in the sand, here, workwise, or possibly I've a beach up my arse, as I'm posting instead of working, but anyway, v quickly -

I love the Christmas Tree, I don't know how anyone can have a fake one. The smell, the sense of welcoming it into the house, of gratitude that it's here to be our Christmas tree! The decorations from my childhood, the gifts, the little glowing berry lights, placing the star or angel on top. I love it all. Nothing is so familiar and evocative.

Decorations of particular note (and I might get round to photos at some point: The Mr and Mrs Claus, who scream Coca Cola, but I don't care!, with armfuls of kittens. The tiny kitsh sparkly Santas. The wooden painted pictures. All dating back beyond my babyhood. There's the baubels we bought in Brown Thomases years ago (ball!ball!) and the homemade stained glass ones, the stained glass red apple and gold leaf skeletons my godmother gave me, Italian ones from a friend, some cute little cartoony angels, singing, Sesame st Christmas decorations, a fat bellied robin, this year's sparkling dove chosen by Olivia, and perfect fox made of some sort of - I don't know, natural, brushy stuff!

I love them all, little gems of Christmas magic.

I need some more coloured berry lights though, I had some from Habitat for years, that had the best glowy, classic colours. The ones I have now have blue and pink, not so good. And there's too much white, it's too bright. But I didn't find any others this year. Any ideas?