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?

Unusual Christmas gifts - a matter of personal taste

Ever received a totally tasteless gift for Christmas? What on earth were they thinking of when they gave you that tacky Santa loo seat cover? Were they expecting you to actually use it?

What do you do with your unwanted Christmas gifts? Do you rush down to your local charity shop as soon as Christmas is over, have you time to spend hours uploading on e-Bay, or do you keep a secret stash of untouched presents hidden away under your bed?

I found these extraordinary pink plastic flamingos, a gift from several years ago, lurking in the bottom of a cupboard. Fortunately for anyone remotely connected to me, the legs are missing, so I’m unable to pass them on… though I have to admit to ‘re-gifting’ some presents that I know I’ll never use or wear myself.


Even though I’m doing the sensible thing by recycling the stuff I don’t want to keep, handing someone else’s gift over to a friend or relative makes me feel curiously uncomfortable. Ultimately, the gift we give someone says a lot about our own taste. If a gift has been chosen by someone else, it’s their style statement we're making, not ours. Is this an overly sensitive or conceited way to look at re-gifting? After all, the recipient may in fact prefer another person’s taste to our own.


Anyway, here are a couple of gift ideas I’ve picked out from ShopCurious, which may or may not suit your personal taste. The items featured here are vintage pieces, that have been beautifully handmade from natural materials. They’re also useful too: the hand painted, lacquered musical box can be used to store all manner of things – from jewellery to personal keepsakes – and this unusually exotic, silver filigree card holder is multi-functional too. Plus, very importantly, each of these items is totally unique, so your choice of gift cannot be replicated by anyone else.







By the way, if you do happen to receive a totally tasteless gift, are you brave enough to say what you actually think?

Are you?


PS Apologies to Tony and Jan, but does anyone want a pair of legless pink plastic flamingos?