Time to say a few goodbyes.............

........... to some old friends we shan't see for another year

Here in the UK it's traditional to remove all your Christmas decorations by Twelfth Night which is the 6th January or the Feast of Epiphany

To be honest most years I could happily get rid of the lot well before New Year

But this year, for some unknown reason, I'm sad to bid all the fripperies farewell

Our tree ornaments have been collected over the past 25 years or so from destinations both near and far

A painted pewter Father Christmas from the Mosel valley in Germany

A wooden angel from Schwerin in the old East Germany not too many years after the Wall came down

A dainty little nativity scene bought on a holiday in Lubeck in northern Germany - bit of a German theme going on here

Another nativity, this time in a poppy seed pod bought on a city break to Budapest

A lace bell brought back for me by my sister from a visit to Vienna

A beaded Santa from Berlin

A pine cone made specially for me by one of the ladies at my Monday morning quilting group

Louise's favourite decoration - a Santa with the softest beard you can imagine that I bought near my old home town in Yorkshire

A nutcracker - one of Sarah's favourites - he has several similar friends that she always insists on putting on the tree

A china bear with a heart bought from Harrods in London

The angel on the top - so similar to the one Mrs M bought the same year as ours from the same shop - Harrods again - ours has, somewhere along the line, gained a little bling put there by the children which I'm loathe to remove

A star bought from the Traidcraft stall at the church we used to attend when we lived in Gloucester - this always sits directly beneath the angel

A little blue and white horn from a trip to Amsterdam - it has several other blue and white cousins bought at the same time on other branches - well it would have been rude to resist I say

A die cut wooden ornament from the same Austrian trip by my sister

And my all time favourite tree ornament - an acrobatic Santa from a wonderful trip to Venice whose detailing is so fine and whose price seemed so breathtaking - he has a special red box to live in when off the tree - I'd be devastated to break him - but he is very naughty as he just wouldn't stay still long enough for you to see his face properly

All back safely in their boxes, to be joined by two new friends bought this year who are too big to go on the tree

A metal jingling Father Christmas I bought locally just because I fell in love with him

And last but by no means least my new much larger Nutcracker bought for me as my Christmas present from Louise - I've always wanted one of these, but could never justify the frivolity of the purchase - he has a spot just made for him on our hearth and will be welcomed each year from now on

Finally, now all the boxes are back in the loft and the furniture returned to its usual places I did promise to show you the twins' completed quilts.........

Libby's on the left, and Amy's on the right