- Story by Devon MacKenzie

For many, Christmas is a celebratory time of year filled with friends, family and traditions. For Heather Dickson it is exactly that, with a big emphasis on the tradition of decorating her picture-perfect little home on Monterey Avenue.

B次元官网网址淚t all started when I was young,B次元官网网址� explains Heather, sitting in her cozy kitchen sipping a cup of tea.

B次元官网网址淢y father, who was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, was stationed in Metz, France, when I was a child. We spent a lot of time wandering the Christmas markets, which have been a staple of the city since the 1600s, and I embraced all of it. I became this little Christmasophile,B次元官网网址� laughs Heather.

Heather, who was around nine-years-old when they first arrived in France and 13-years-old when they left, was enamored by the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional European Christmas and has continued the tradition to this day in her own way.

Now retired, she has much more time to spend preparing and organizing for the season, which her family and friends have come to expect.

B次元官网网址淚 host a big decorating party at the beginning of December, and then another Christmas party later in the month,B次元官网网址� she explains.

B次元官网网址淚 love hosting people, I have such fond memories of my parents, who were very gregarious people, hosting big holiday parties and all the cooking and baking that went along with it. So every year I try to re-create that same feeling.B次元官网网址�

From the decorations, to the ambiance, and even down to the china her holiday food and baking is served on (a 10-piece setting of the traditional Spode Christmas Tree pattern china just for the occasion), every facet of the holiday is covered in HeatherB次元官网网址檚 house.

But where has all of her exquisite, traditional d茅cor come from?

B次元官网网址淏elieve it or not, I still have many of the pieces from when I was young,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淎 lot of the traditional European decorations are so well-made they last for years.B次元官网网址�

HeatherB次元官网网址檚 collection is also added to by friends and family who come to her annual decorating parties B次元官网网址� people normally bring a decoration B次元官网网址� and also through her travels around the world.

B次元官网网址淪ince IB次元官网网址檝e been retired, IB次元官网网址檝e been enjoying a lot of travel and I really get to add some fantastic pieces to my collection through that,B次元官网网址� she says.

Some of her favourites include a set of small, German-made angel ornaments which she brought back to Canada as a child.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 probably my largest themed collection of ornaments, the angels, and it all started with a Hummel cherub ornament when I was around nine-years-old,B次元官网网址� she says, smiling. B次元官网网址淚 love angels, and I usually try to find an angel ornament when IB次元官网网址檓 travelling. I have angels from all over the world and every one has a story. ItB次元官网网址檚 a great way to re-live those fond memories.B次元官网网址�

Even the smallest of details B次元官网网址� like wrapping all her paintings on the wall in gift wrap and donning them with bows B次元官网网址� turn her home into an immersive Christmas experience.

B次元官网网址淚 think the most important thing with a collection like this is to be very judicious with what you bring into your home,B次元官网网址� Heather says of her holiday assemblage. B次元官网网址淓verything I collect has meaning and I try to change it up each year so it looks different. IB次元官网网址檝e had to learn that not everything has to go out every year. ItB次元官网网址檚 more important to me to create beautiful scenes and vignettes, and you canB次元官网网址檛 always do that if youB次元官网网址檙e trying to incorporate everything.B次元官网网址�

Heather says she begins to pull out decorations in mid-November and starts to get organized with her plans for the various vignettes.

Around December 10th, Heather puts up the tree (real, of course) and the last touches go on around the house. But by Boxing Day, the takedown has already begun and by New YearB次元官网网址檚 Day, there isnB次元官网网址檛 a trace left and everything has been safely tucked back into boxes for the following year.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 always a little sad, but because we live in Victoria, I always declare that day the first day of spring and it helps to bring my spirits up,B次元官网网址� laughs Heather.