It’s called Murphy’s Law, that tendency for your toast to land butter side down if you drop it. So, in keeping with this tradition when Christmas Baubles with a front always twizzle around showing their least favourable side, I have named this phenomenon Rudolph’s Law. A few hours and scratched hands later they are hanging the right way on our Norwegian Spruce. OK, I know the Spruce drops needles but it’s the only one true Christmas tree IMHO. And it smells nice too.
Our favourite Christmas Tree decorations have special memories attached and part of the magic of this time of year is remembering all those lovely places and people. So I’ll pretend that my tree has made it to the Antiques Roadshow and give you a short biography and provenance of featured baubles.
Best shop in Amsterdam for buying traditional painted baubles, is the Mechanish Speelgoed Winkel on the Westerstraat at number 67. For children aged 0-90 years old. The owner imports many of his toys from Germany. Lose yourself in its magical interior and I bet you won’t leave empty-handed.
Nellie the elephant broke a few years back but the shop still stocked the design so resurrected she joins her Toy Soldier once more! Who knew that Christmas baubles could be gender specific?
The Nutcracker candle comes from the Dresden Striezelmarkt and the rather gaudier one is from a dollar shop in Williamstown, Massachussetts. The characterful frog is from Aachen Christmas Market. Still no sign of a Prince on his way though…
From the Bijenkorf before it got ideas above its station and Pradaified everything. Bought in guilders! Although, I had a quick look and it seems they still do stock some nice decs for the discerning buyer. The horse went off his rockers a while back, but he looks pretty happy about his newly liberated situation.
Handcrafted by friends, Pam Barick (present) and Rozie Keogh (chandelier) these two make it to the tree every year!
This opulent mermaid beckoned me into a shop on Monterey Bay in California as evening fell and the shop windows lit up. I wonder if she ever regrets leaving California and living in a box most of the year?
Last but not least two angels. The embroidered angel was purchased as part of a set from Tuin Centrum Osdorp in the nineties. She was hand-embroidered in Hungary. I usually hang her far away from the gobby mermaid as she is a gentle soul and likes to practice her harp in peace. The felt angel is by the wonderful Hannah Kemp who sells some of her creations in Talgarth, Wales and on Etsy via the link.
So from Frank, me and the baubles I wish you a very Merry Christmas and A Sparkly New Year!
Amsterdam Oriole 
Lovely blog, Angela, and thanks for addresses. Yes, all our Christmas decs have their history too and I enjoy reviving it each Christmas. This time decorating with my 2 grandsons. Trouble is I have to put up my lately acquired ACTION kunstboom. It’s SO complicated!
Lots of good wishes to you and Frank for Christmas and the New Year.
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Thanks for commenting, Sally. I read online that real Christmas trees carry a fungus that can cause an allergic reaction. It seems everything is subject to health and safety these days. I imagine a kunstboom would be better for one’s health if perhaps less ‘gezellig.’
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Thank you for sharing tales of your special Christmas ornaments. Decorating the tree and remembering the friends and times attached to each ornament is one of the best reasons for having Christmas.
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How nice to hear that other people feel the same. I can’t understand folk who have a whole new set each year. As you say it’s one of the best things about Christmas!
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Love this post! Thanks for sharing, Susan’s! Collecting Christmas ornaments every Christmas for the past years, am always on the lookout for nice ones.
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You’re right, it’s an ongoing thing! I just picked up a really nice parrot bauble from a budget supermarket. The last place on earth I expected to find something like that!
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Great blog, Susan, and lovely photos. What a fantastic collection of baubles! Ours are much more prosaic – just the round coloured variety. But doing the tree is a Christmas ritual that we always look forward to, even if the Xmas lights never work. Since my husband is Swedish he consumes a glass of glögg (mulled wine) while doing it. We’re collecting our tree on Saturday.
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Yes, a glass of sherry wouldn’t go amiss but we never have sherry in the house so a glass of wine also fits the bill. Since we switched to LED lights there’s no more panic with the lights failing. But the light is not as warm as traditional lights.
Good luck with collecting the tree and have yourselves a Merry Christmas with a glass of glögg!
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Lovely! Since our ‘home’ is usually somewhere hot, we just drag in a tree in a pot from the garden…and I am very minimalist about decorations. But yours are really special!
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Thanks Paola!
We just took it down and took the tree out for the rubbish. The needles have got absolutely everywhere and the ornaments are back in the Christmas box for 350 days 😦
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