The timeless tradition of the tree

As they turned on the lights on the Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square last night, I had my own little ceremony – switching on the twinklers that adorn my alternative Trithrinax Brasiliensis (Brazilian Needle Palm).

Traditional Christmas trees cause me a great deal of stress. Firstly, finding a tree that fits the height of the room – preferably one with branches in all the right places, is not always a simple task. Then locating the Christmas decorations can be somewhat bothersome, as I’m never quite sure where I put them after last year’s festivities. I know some people love decorating their tree, but I personally find this rather an annual chore. The biggest challenge of all, is keeping the damned thing alive until after the event - by which time, almost all the tree's needles are deposited over the floor, leaving a huge mess to be cleared up (don't even think of going away!) Oh, and there’s the added awkwardness of disposing of an enormous tree trunk from a seventh floor apartment…



It's hardly surprising that others seem to share my mixed feelings - as illustrated by these photos of even more unconventional Christmas trees posted on the internet (click on the pics to enlarge):

I’m not sure this inflatable tree (left) has quite the aesthetic appeal of a real one – and those kitty Santas are a decidedly odd addition... even the cat looks curious.







However, this multi-functional tree of beer bottles solves the problem of where to store your Christmas booze… and you can consume the contents over the Xmas break, hmmm.







An upside down tree is certainly an original idea, but what about the effect of gravity on the needles? This one’s probably best reserved for the artificial variety.








Talking of which, I also spotted some high-tech, designer versions that are most unusual. How about a spinning tree?






Or what about this flat-packed, eco-friendly affair by Australian design team, Buro North? I'm not certain this is quite so timeless in its appeal - and minimalism doesn't come cheap - apparently, this costs nigh on two thousand dollars.









A less costly solution might be to grab a few blocks of wood and add some household candles for decoration (see right).





Or better still, omit the wood and invest in some exquisitiely scented curiosity candles by Mad et Len, from ShopCurious - to ensure that your home smells simply divine over the festive break. By the way, these make affordably luxurious Christmas gifts too.















In any event, although I’m impressed with the innovative array of curious Christmas trees featured on the net, I tend to agree with Amy Jorgensen that, “no matter how a tree is decorated it still symboliszes the timeless Christmas tradition of families gathered together exchanging presents and love”.

Do you?

Multi-functional madness?

What is this multi-functional madness? From printers to mobile phones and modern home furnishings: contemporary design is obsessed with the all-singing, all-dancing, all bells and whistles, multi-purpose answer to everything.

I was just reading about a device from BMW that’s a remote locking ‘smart key’ – so smart, in fact, it can also be used as a credit card - and can store electronic information, such as radio stations and contacts' phone/address details. I guess it’s not nearly so smart when it’s stolen?





Multi-functionality does have advantages - for instance, you’ll probably save money by investing in one multi-purpose item, rather than buying several things for separate jobs. The down side of multi-style products is that they often look clunky, or just plain weird, like the ‘hat bag’ or ‘bag hat’ shown here.





The fashion world is responsible for a whole host of curiously creative multi-purpose garments, like the incredible ‘multi-functional cleaning dress’ – perfect if you enjoy wiping your bum across the floor… You never know, it might catch on as a new (though somewhat sartorially inelegant) form of 'statement' exercise?

At ShopCurious, we think we’ve come up with the ideal solution to stylish multi-function dressing, with our reasonably priced range of unique dress-coat-skirt-cape-top-thingys.




Each garment is made from just one piece of fabric that can be worn however your mood takes you. The variety of ways each piece of clothing can be arranged is purely a function of exactly how innovative are...






And, there’s no need to worry about getting in a twist if you’re not feeling particularly inventive, as each design comes with its own instruction sheet for styling options. By the way, if you’re looking for some matching accessories, how about this multi-strand charm necklace, which also doubles up as a belt?



What’s so great about these items is that they’ve all got style with brains.

As for multi-functional madness, do share your thoughts and experiences.

Will you?