Great Christmas Tree Tour 2016: Elisabeth Hobbes

I wrote on last year’s tour about how we’ve amassed a collection of eclectic decorations thanks to my habit of buying a new one for each child to find in their stocking on Christmas morning but this year I have a whole new selection to add to my tree which I want to share with you.

I love a bargain and I’m a big fan of junkyards, vintage stores and charity shops.  Back in October while I was browsing round a previously undiscovered warehouse (in my own town!  That I go past every time I take a walk round the canal!) full of old furniture in search of a chair I came across a tub of old chandelier crystals. 

Right away my daughter and I - both a couple of magpies - knew we had to have them.  When the price turned out to be £3 for the whole box I couldn’t believe my luck. (US readers, this is $3.22!)

We didn’t know what to do with them at first but after a late night visit to a local shopping centre where we were wowed by the giant Christmas chandeliers we decided to turn ours into decorations and give the tree a vintage feel.

It turned out to be a real labour of love because we had to clean each strand individually then attach a lot of them together as the links had rusted.  Finally we spent a rainy afternoon watching a film and attaching them to hooks.  We weren’t quite expecting as many as we made!

We put the tree up this weekend and used the strands and we’re all really pleased with the result.  Of course we added most of our old favourites too (and another brand new addition of the model raven I found in a Halloween sale) but it meant that the ‘fillers’ that we usually put on didn’t have to come out of the box this year. 

We now have a mainly crystal and silver tree that casts shadows on the wall and sparkles beautifully.  It’s the same wonky old tree I’ve has since my son was 14 months old but this year is probably the most tasteful tree I’ve had since before I had children and all done for such a bargain price! 

The only downside is that the cats who have up till now not shown any interest in festivities have been watching with beady-eyed interest.  Whether the tree will last as long as it takes to email this piece and for Cheryl to add it to the blog is anyone’s guess!

Wishing everyone a wonderful festive season, love Elisabeth.

About The Saxon Outlaw's Revenge
Abducted by Saxon outlaws, Constance Arnaud comes face-to-face with Aelric, a Saxon boy she once loved. He's now her enemy, but Constance must reach out to this rebel and persuade him to save her life as she once saved his… 


Aelric is determined to seek vengeance on the Normans who destroyed his family. Believing Constance deserted him, he can never trust her again. Yet, as they are thrown together and their longing for each other reignites, will Aelric discover that love is stronger than revenge?

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About Elisabeth Hobbes
Elisabeth grew up in York where she spent most of her teenage years looking for a handsome Roman or Viking to sweep her off her feet. Sadly this never happened, however, inspired by this she took a degree in History and Art History before training as a teacher. Her writing career began when she entered her first novel, Falling for Her Captor, into Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write contest 2013 and finished in third place.

These days she holds down jobs as a part time teacher and full time mom. When she isn't writing, she spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book.


Elisabeth's other hobbies include skiing, Arabic dance, fencing and exploring dreadful tourist attractions, none of which has made it into a story yet. She loves ginger mojitos, historical fiction and has a fondness for dark haired, bearded heroes.

Say hello to Elisabeth via Twitter @ElisabethHobbes
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