I love Christmas decorations! I also love the unconventional. Since we got married, I have never had a traditional Christmas tree. I like to use objects from nature and decorate them. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of all of them! (That will teach me to always take pics!)
This one was for Christmas 2008. It was a dead tree I picked up in Paarl while driving. I had it at least for 7 months before I decided what to do with it.
I am sorry the picture does not do it justice, it was really beautiful!
This year, I was fascinated by a certain sisal or “garingboom” as we call it in Afrikaans. I saw one on our wedding anniversary in Parys, Free State on 1 December 2010. I was totally in love with the shape and structure! I had to have one!
Then began my relentless search for a fallen one. I didn’t want to chop done a living organism, but the desire for one took me over! Whenever I was driving, wherever I went, I was looking and searching.
Ashley and I drove to Pretoria on the N14 when I saw one! I had to have it! But Ashley couldn’t appreciate my vision and we just passed it. I had to accept the fact that time was running out, and I might have to buy a plastic one from the shop. How boring!
Then the impossible happened. I found one!
And guess what, right on my doorstep. And just in the nick of time! I have been driving past one for the last 7 months and never even noticed it! It must be less than 500 meters from our home. And luckily it was a stagnant one!
It is such a great tree. It is sturdy and the shape is just gorgeous! I white-washed it and just put some baubles here and there. Don’t you just love it?
Lilly Loompa 
