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You know it well.
First strange shiny and glittering things start to appear around you when you are out and about, then the music changes from groovy elevator music and sing along oldies to Michael Buble, Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby and then you know it's upon us once more.
That's right - CHRISTMAS season has arrived !
Don't get me wrong, Mike & I LOVE Christmas.
Mike's passion is Christmas Lights and while I'm sure we have ALL OF THE LIGHTS you can get, he always seems to find more each year.
I'm slightly concerned that one day we will end up one of the documentaries about couples obsessed with Christmas Lights who live out of one room while the rest of the house stores the lights and decorations.
My passion is the aforementioned Christmas Music (yep - I'm that person but I listen in private and don't inflict it on those who might prefer anything else), and decorations, and no I don't dress up the cats (though I'd probably consider it if they would let me without the need for a Tetanus shot). And of course the cooking and eating and other general festive fun that happens around this time of year.
A new business idea
So a number of years ago (before we started this little maker business), my parents were having a really hard time including losing their precious kitten not long before Christmas and putting up a tree and decorating were a bridge too far for them. We decided to try and find someone to send them a decorated tree (they are in NZ) so they wouldn't have to worry about it. I searched and searched and couldn't find anyone that could help. Enter our crazy wine induced idea one evening of there being a need for this type of thing.
So long story just a little shorter, we decided we were the people for the job.
We did give it a red hot crack at our Decorated Christmas Trees business but the logistics beat us in the end trying to manage our full time jobs and other commitments at the time.
What next ?
Fast forward to now and we have quite a lot Christmassy things left over from when we started up the business. Not wanting any of these things to go to landfill and always ones for a bit of repurposing we decided to put a Christmas Shop on our website this year and create some new things from old.
While Wally and Eva is all about our handmade and crafted creations, the Christmas Trees and Angel Hair Tinsel are not made by us.
The Christmas Trees are stunning. We put a lot of research into finding the perfect tree so we can promise they are amazing quality
We worked with Royal Christmas, a Christmas Tree Company based in Netherlands and Hong Kong that has been making realistic looking trees for over 85 years.
We have been using one of them for several years and it comes up a treat every Christmas.
The Angel Hair Tinsel which I believe is an absolute essential part of the Christmas kit for tree decorating and have been using it ever since I can remember (and while I can barely remember why I walk into a room sometimes - my long term memory isn't too bad) just creates the perfect finish to a beautifully decorated tree.
The Baubles
Our Christmas shop also contains baubles and they are not just any baubles.
I have created a gorgeous range of rustic-boho-farmhouse style hand-painted baubles repurposing our previously bought baubles.
So why are they awesome I hear you ask ?
1. The colour palette is to die for !
- I have chosen captivating on-trend tones and created 2 different sets
- 1 set contains the luscious warm tones of Terracotta, Mustard and Oatmeal (sounds yummy too !)
- The other set contains the alluring cool tones of Stone, Sage Green and Teal Blue
2. The tops are painted to match the baubles which gives a stylish minimalistic look that would complement any décor.
3. They are shatterproof with a matte textured feel and sealed with a matte finish
I've discovered that hand painting baubles is a lovely relaxing pastime (though painting the tops is slightly less soothing). I just pop on the radio and lose myself in the moment and usually have 1 or 2 of our outdoor feline friends curled up nearby for company. Nice.
Hope your preparations for the festive season are not too stressful and that you can find time to enjoy some of the fun and frivolity that this time of year can bring.
See you soon.
Lou & Mike x