A little over 20 years ago I started collecting Victorian ornaments and gradually turned our tree into a Victorian tree. I love the dolls, the birds, the poinsettias, lace, pearls -- I love all of it and I look forward to decorating every year.
I don't like the new pre-lit tree as much as our old tree that finally hit the curb two years ago. The ornaments seemed to fit it so much better. But Beau likes this tree better because the furniture doesn't have to be moved around too much and, most important of all, his bed does not have to be moved at all. He does not do well with change.
Each year I buy a new ornament. This year, I visited the Henry Plant museum for the Victorian Christmas Stroll and stopped into the gift shop after I completed the Christmas Mouse Hunt. Yes, you read it correctly. One of the highlights of touring 14 rooms decorated to the hilt with gorgeous trees adorned with ornaments of every description was to try to spot little white mice hidden throughout the museum. I made a collage of all my mice pictures. Click on it to see the enlarged version.
I bought several new ornaments and a little white mouse.
They blended perfectly with my older ornaments. I also took a few pictures of them as well.
Too many to post all so I made a collage of them as well.
I posted a photo of the tree in my last blog entry. When I was a kid still believing in Santa Claus, I never saw the tree until Christmas morning. After I stopped believing in Santa Clause I got to help with the decorating and I loved it. Dad was so creative. We had holly trees gilded with gold paint, flocked trees, color wheel silver trees (I hated those) and all manner of evergreens. No two trees were the same.
That was great then. Today I prefer the comfort of the old and familiar along with just a touch of the new.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
