It’s a bit early, but I put up the Christmas tree yesterday at the children’s insistence. And by “put up” I mean assemble. Since we moved to the Middle East we’ve made do with an artificial tree. You can actually get a “live” Christmas tree here in Cairo, depending on your definition of live. You could buy a large potted Norfolk pine or another sort of vaguely pine tree shaped evergreen shrub, neither of which have branches strong enough to carry large ornaments (and potted are nearly too heavy to move later on!) or you could spend several hundred dollars and get a cut spruce imported from Lebanon which is likely quite dry when it arrives.
Our artificial tree cost me about $20 and we’ve used it for three years. It’s good enough for now.
The best part of having the tree up is looking at all of the ornaments we’ve accumulated every year. I’m not one of those super color / theme coordinated tree decorators. I pick up ornaments as I see them, wherever I see them. Some are from the grocery store, some were from bazaars, some were gifts. A few I have made over the years, like these:
(click image to enlarge)
This one is roughly 3″x3″ and is a tiny quilt block called Secret Garden (a variation on Cathedral Window). It’s based on fabric folding rather than sewing so it’s a fun take-along project. This one was an “assignment” by a friend in a former quilt group. She later taught me to make Cathedral Window blocks and I have one row of what is intended to be a queen sized charm quilt for my daughter completed, oh, seven years later. I obviously need to take that one along more often!
This tiny stocking is filled with whole cloves and bits of cinnamon bark. I made them from fabric and batting scraps one year when I was participating in a craft sale at Christmas time and I wanted to have some smaller, impulse items to offer. I think they were the ONLY things that sold that year!
Looking at these ornaments has made me think that I really ought to make some salt dough and let the children make some ornaments over the school holiday. I think the same thing every year of course – but maybe this year I will actually do it!
The florists near my house are all awash in beautiful poinsettia as well and since all of my stragglers from previous years finally died while I was away this summer, I stopped on my way home from work at my favorite shop to pick up a couple more. I’m not sure why, but the guy who works there really likes me and the children. I only shop there half a dozen times a year but I walk past several times a week on my way other places and he often runs after me and hands me a flower. I indicated some poinsettia that were displayed on the sidewalk and the florist guy shook his head at me and said “no good” and gestured at me to follow him.
He took me around the building to a lean-to covered with a tarp and showed me yet more poinsettia and said they were better. They looked much the same to me and the price was the same so I said okay. It was only when I got home did I realize the difference. They are HUGE! I had intended to put one in the dining room but had to change that plan once I removed the first plant from it’s plastic sleeve.
I bought three of these monsters, all of which are now sitting floor level in our living room. They are gorgeous. I will have to go back and get some minis for the dining room. Or maybe that was his evil plan all along…
I also have a motley collection of ornaments which serve as a walk down memory lane every year when I decorate the tree! Love your little cathedral block. Hmmmm. I bet I have one in my sewing box.
by anny cook December 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pmDang and drat, now I want to make some ornaments like yours! Thanks for the picture. I’ve seen ones made with the Cathedral Window block before . . . really like the fabrics you used. (Wish I had my tree up already!)
by Mama Pea December 4th, 2009 at 8:39 pmWe buy ornaments each time we travel so it’s like bringing out memories every year. That said we’ve decided not to put the tree up this year. I don’t feel Christmasy this year.
by Shelley Munro December 5th, 2009 at 3:23 amJenyfer, I used the same articial tree for twenty years. It was huge and beautifl at the beginning, them bending a little more every year but my DH insisted that it cost so much we needed to use it more and more. It became our traditionol tree. We gave it to the church when we moved to an apartment.
by Mona Risk December 5th, 2009 at 6:28 pmMona – I wouldn’t describe our tree as ever having been beautiful but it’s nice enough once it’s decorated and the kids like it so that is all that really matters. I do love the smell of a real tree though…
by Jenyfer December 5th, 2009 at 11:30 pm