Friday, December 18, 2009

Our Tree

Time to ‘fess up’ and admit that we're a family of 'foodies' and Christmas is our favourite time to throw caution to the wind! It then naturally follows that our Christmas Tree reflects our culinary leanings. I thought I'd share some of our favourite decorations.
We visited a beautiful little town in Germany called Monschau at the House of Glass where we bought our first hand blown ornaments and glass became my passion from then on.My husband Michael found the first food ornament when he was on a work related trip in Peachland BC. This aubergine started it all and is still a favourite!
The garlic bulb looks so real. The pickle and the garlic were gifts from my daughter Ngaire and never fail to make me smile. There is a tradition related to the pickle, it is said that who ever spots the pickle on Christmas morning gets to play Father Christmas and pass out the presents. I found the Swill cheese at the Hudson’s Bay Company of all places, you've gotta love it!We picked up some of the wine bottles in the Okanagan Valley which is one of Canada’s premier wine producing areas and where we are lucky enough to live. Love the tomato!But the Champagne bottle brings back special memories of a family summer in the south of France.I found the ice cream cones while on a trip to the Rockies with friends from New Zealand----go figure!The pineapple and the chili were purchased along with far too many to mention at a wonderful Christmas shop in Spokane Washington.So my Christmas Tree serves many purposes it's a reminder of many family holidays and lovely meals planned and enjoyed together. It's also a wonderful visual reminder of how very fortunate we are....Merry Christmas to all.

Lynnette and Ngaire

7 comments:

Sharon said...

I agree with you. I do love the glass. I also love the clear pressed glass ornaments. It takes hours to put up the tree but each ornament must be duly appreciated. No theme ever - just memories. I even hung a plastic one this year of the Guggenheim which we visited in October. Gorgeous tree - Merry Christmas!

Margreet said...

This is truly a uniquely decorated tree. Never seen any of them before. How lovely to have all these holiday memories together in the tree each Christmas!
Have a Merry Christmas.
Margreet

Theresa said...

Beautiful tree and those are wonderful ornaments!
Ah yes, the pickle. There is a wrapped pickle surprise
in Gene's Christmas box this year. ;-)
Have a wonderful day!

bspinner said...

Thanks for sharing your beautiful hand blown ornaments with us. They are truly wonderful little pieces of art.

Life Looms Large said...

I'm with you - definitely a foodie!! Those are great ornaments. I'm a slacker about putting up a tree, but maybe next year I'll venture into the attic and bring down a few more cool ornaments. I have a huge collection from my grandmother, plus ornaments that have been given to me over the years. Thanks for the inspiration! (Of course, my intentions the day after Christmas might totally change by next Christmas!)

Remember how you said you'd like to visit Vavstuga??? Maybe, just maybe, if you start taking your workshops on the road, you could come teach at the Boston Guild and then work in a visit to Vavstuga!! (There might even be another guild a little closer to there....I'm not sure...but the Boston Guild meets west of Boston, toward Vavstuga.) We'd love to have you visit New England!!!

Sue

charlotte said...

Those ornaments are fantastically fun, I've neer seen anything like this! Merry Christmas!

Marion B. said...

I love your tree. My sister buys the most ugly, really ugly tree ornament she can get every year. Now, after 25 years she has a georgious ugly tree. Unique, like yours.