Signs of Christmas

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is the fact that we have traditions. Activities, smells, or tastes that happen every December that remind us of Christmas past. Here are some of my family's:

Pomegranites. You pretty much only see them at Christmas. Is it because they are red and Christmas-y looking, or because they grow this time of year? I don't know. 

Papa's shortbread. 

He uses an old family recipe and uses an antique scale to measure the ingredients. No measuring cups allowed!

To anyone who has tasted this shortbread, the reason it's so good is because it contains 2 pounds of butter.

This year I have been taking extra time with my Christmas wrapping. These are two of the gifts I've wrapped so far.  

For gift tags I used a free downloadable template and printed it on a Trader Joe's bag that I cut down to size. I love it when people take the time to make a practical item beautiful.

Over the years our Christmas tree has turned into a memory tree. Instead of color coordinating our ornaments we collect ornaments throughout the year signifying our accomplishments, trips, and memories. 

The wee sifter is for our love of baking, and the chicken is from our chicken slaughtering project. 

This whistle is the one my Papa used when he was in the Australian Navy in the 50's. The car is one my dad used to play with as a boy. 

Some of our trips have included Versaille, skiing in Vail, and China. Being a communist country, it was difficult to find Christmas tree ornaments, instead we settled for hanging some money.