Holding onto Traditions

What do the holidays mean to you? What traditions do you enjoy the most?   For me, it’s all about a real tree, covered in a wide assortment of ornaments made, collected and received over the years. 

Growing up we usually travelled to see and stay with family, so decorations at home were minimal. My mum and I would make lots of heart shaped gingerbread biscuits to share. Each was decoratively iced with delicate patterns. 

One year we did get a tree, a small but real one. My mum made little red painted wooden hearts and we added decorative tin candle clips and some silver tinsel, I loved it.
When all the needles fell off my mum kept the tree, painted it white and we reused it for years. Wrapping paper was also saved to be reused over and over. She was ahead of her time repurposing and reusing. 

When I had my own family, all I wanted was the lovely scent and sight of a real tree, Ikea special or choice local farm tree, either worked!
Along with the multi coloured lights, the tree is covered in a wide assortment of ornaments of every style and shape with stories of their own and the collection grows each year. But still one of my favourite things to add are hearts. 

After enough people telling me that they were putting my brooches on their trees, I started making ornaments. They are a popular favourite at this time of year, hearts still resonate for many, along with my wee birdies too of course! 

This year it’s one of the few things that can be enjoyed just the same.