First on the agenda – tree shopping. I debated whether or not to get a
tree for a week. Reasons Against: Our place is small, we don’t have
any ornaments with us nor do we have lights. We live in a building
with 75 stairs and no lift (yes that’s right, I say lift now!) And the
number one reason against – after my initial research (i.e. I walked
around Chelsea and Phoned a friend) - tree’s here cost upwards of £55
or $89 based on today’s exchange rate. And that’s for a little tree
(around 4 ft). So, it was a no until I discovered they have trees at
North End Market!
North End Market will receive a post all on its own because it’s that
fabulous, but in regards to Christmas Trees, I found three vendors.
In most of London I found it difficult to find trees above 5 feet, but
two of the North End Vendors had those. They were around £45,
which was a steal compared to other tree areas. However, I still had
those stairs to deal with and a husband who was out of town…
I talked to each of the vendors and pulled a goldilocks as the last
vendor was just right. Not only was she friendly, but she had the
best trees. I opted for a 5 foot tree that was listed at £25.
After chatting with the woman we added in delivery and dropped the
price to £20 because I smiled so nicely and it was legitimately all
I had.
That evening the tree came to my doorstep via our friendly vendor who
is about my size and carried the tree on one shoulder with one hand.
So, I carried it up those 75 stairs like a proper lumberjane. I
didn’t fall at all. I didn’t hit the wall with the stump of the tree
and bounce back. And I certainly didn’t turn around and start pulling
it up by the top… Or maybe all of those things happened and I
concluded the tree lady is the proper lumberjane
As far as decorations go, I decided to be creative instead of
purchasing loads of ornaments and lights. I remembered my three R’s
and reduced (tree is smaller than American ones), I reused some Minnie
Mouse Ears I had from Halloween as the tree topper as well as our
“Happily Ever After Buttons” from Disney, and I recycled by decorating
the tree with our beautiful wedding cards and a red bow given to us on
a bottle of wine.
While I might not be a lumberjack and our tree might not make it in
Martha Stewart Living – it’s perfect for our First Christmas in
London.
No comments:
Post a Comment