After my recent excursions to Candy Cane Lane and Gingerbread Village, I couldn’t help but choose ‘festive’ as this week’s theme. I love how the word ‘festive’ sounds when spoken aloud; it has a deliciously rich, full-bodied mouth-feel like a good Cabernet Sauvignon. Coincidentally, a good Cabernet Sauvignon is guaranteed to put me in a festive mood!
I’ve been wandering around Seattle checking out the festive sights on offer; here are a few of the photos I took along the way.
The pigs at Pike Place Market get a holiday makeover
It wouldn’t be Christmas in Seattle without that big star. Oh, and that’s my favourite Seattle clock too.
The giant tree at Westlake Center
The giant tree and the giant star; a sassy double act
Iconic Seattle – the tree on top of the Space Needle
Now, if that’s not enough to get you feeling festive, I took my video camera along when I visited the moodily-lit Teddy Bear Suite at Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel – another great free thing to do around this time of year (donations accepted, all proceeds go to Seattle Children’s Hospital). Those bears can be a little hard to find; you have to take the elevator to the third floor and look for suite 342. I filmed the teddy bears, threw in a few Nutcrackers, Carousels and Gingerbread Castles, added one Space Needle and stirred with my favourite Christmas song to create a festive video. I had entirely too much fun running around the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s lobby filming their Nutcracker figures; it probably shows in the video. I hope you enjoy it.
Now it’s your turn to show me what festive mean to you. What’s your favourite feast, festival or celebration? What makes you jolly, gets you merry or fills you with cheer? If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Festive
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.
I can’t wait to feast my eyes on your interpretations.
xxx
Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Wonderful pictures Ailsa!
Thanks vastly, I had a lot of fun wandering around Seattle looking at all the sparkly goodness 🙂
It must have been so much fun! I did the same thing in NYC the other night!!
Lovely photos! Maybe I’ll have something to share this week.
Yaay!
Ailsa, they’re fabulous shots of a wonderfully festive Seattle. 🙂
Thanks, Wanderlust, it’s such a pretty time of year 🙂
Great as ever. Did you get my message about the award I passed onto you? Now I cannot remember which post I tagged it to…..Damn
I’m getting caught up on comments, Mrs C, thanks for passing on the award! xxx
Just read your post, love the #cameraonboard hashtag 🙂
Awesome festive photos:-)
Thanks cocoaupnorth 🙂
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Love your festive photos and challenge, Ailsa. That big star and clock in Seattle are fabulous. Here’s my entry: http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/travel-theme-festive/
That Christmas tree is adorable, Cathy, it looks so out of place amongst the baskets and gourds. Love the shots from Seoul too! xxx
Thanks Ailsa! How long will you be traveling in America? Do you plan to stay awhile? Happy holidays!
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those trees are stunning! 🙂
Merry Christmas, y’all.
Haha, it doesn’t get much more festive than dogs in Santa hats cruising in a snazzy red car. 🙂
This, bar none, is my utterly favourite Christmas card so far 🙂
Wow, those trees are beautiful! I’ll keep my eye out for festive images, though it’s very quiet in rural Ecuador. That will give me a challenge for sure!
Ooh, rural Ecuador might prove tricky, but you could always go with something more in the celebration or feast sense of the word festive! A steaming big bowl of fanesca is definitely feast-worthy! 🙂
you are so right!
I have a compose page up, and that’s the next one I’ll publish. “Surprise” was easy for the WordPress challenge!
z
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here’s mine ^^ a little different but well, festive for me ^^ http://theeclecticeccentricshopaholic.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/travel-theme-festive/ happy holidays!!
Love it, KZ, I was very close to including some sequinned boots in my post too 😉 Sparkly shoes are very festive indeed!
indeed they are ^^ thank you
Wonderful captured… 🙂
– most of all the tree on top of the Space Needle. great… 🙂
Thanks Le Drake – I loved your story, and I have to know, was that little boy you? 🙂
Thanks, the little boy that’s my son – 27 years old now… 🙂
Wonderful, Le Drake, I love it!
Great perspective on you tree shot – stunning and i love the star as well 🙂
I’m with Gilly on this one Ailsa…great perspective with that tree
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I’ve got a bit more Dublin for you… do remember tto drop by on Christmas day… 😉
http://ouchmybackhurts.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/festive-ailsas-travel-theme/
Good one, aj, love that shot down O’Connell Street, hurray!
Gorgeous pictures!
I like the way the top Christmas Tree pic looks so fat,
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Here you are: Year-round festivities in Portugal: http://juliedawnfox.com/2012/12/21/travel-theme-festive-portugal/
I’m laughing out loud at the thought of a festival of ugly babies, priceless, Julie. Gorgeous shot of the village near Guimarães!
Thanks, Alisa. I should point out that it’s just my interpretation of the Christmas decorations!
Wonderful shots … wish I was back in Seattle *smile – never been there this time of year.
Thanks for sharing our great PNW during the holidays!
Fabulous Ailsa! How do you capture the sparkle on those ornaments? Looking up that tree… you are amazing! One of these weeks I’ll get my act together with the challenges. I’ve just put up a post which would have been great festive material. Ah, me! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Haha, I had a little helping hand from Mother Nature, Jo, it was raining cats and dogs when I shot it, so the glistening is really raindrops! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Thank goodness the wet stuff has a use other than making our trees learn to swim, Ailsa. Happy New Year!
You too, Jo!
Pigs! Trees! Lights! Great pix all… Thanks for the video tour!
I especially like the clock shot. Thank you.
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Happy Solstice, Festive Holidays! http://windagainstcurrent.com/2012/12/21/happy-solstice-festive-holidays/
That’s really funky, Vlad, it looks like a Christmas tree on acid. How/where did you take it?
It’s a Christmas tree on Photoshop 🙂 … using one of the photos of our Christmas tree last year ( http://windagainstcurrent.com/2011/12/27/christmas-tree-light-the-old-fashioned-way/ ). Hopefully, there will be fresh photos of this year’s Christmas tree in a few days!
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Wonderfull pictures from a wonderfull time Ailsa!
A surprising view on “festive Ghent” … is my entry for this weeks challenge.
hope you ‘ll like it too.
http://dauwpics.blogspot.be/2012/12/feestelijk-verrast.html
Enjoy your weekend folks!
A hug from Dauw
I love your take on the theme…very nice
Thanks Jo.
For the visit and your reply.
Just beautiful, as always, Dauw. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!
Dear Ailsa I also wish you 365 care-free days, good health and lot’s of luck and creativity for the comming new year.
Dauw
You too, my friend, you too! xxx Ailsa
The clock and the star are just STUNNING. Love… I have always wanted to visit Seattle. More so now from your photographs at Christmas. Festive! It does have a nice ring to it. 🙂
Here is mine for this week Ailsa.
Wishing you a very happy holidays !!!!!!!!
Great photos, Jo, I love that blue tinsel hair, I could totally rock that look 😉
I just bet you could Ailsa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Here is something for everyone! Please have a look at
Aww, and aww again. Love the chewed edge! 🙂
Holiday Greetings!
http://cocoaupnorth.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/travel-theme-festive/
Lovely, cocoaupnorth, and I adore that John Lennon song! xxx
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Hi Ailsa! My entry is here..
http://smartntrendymom.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/travel-theme-festive/
im so glad we can celebrate Christmas here in Oman Merry CHRISTmas to everyone!
Hi Riah, your kids are little cuties! Lovely post, hope you all had a wonderful time! xxx
Hi Ailsa, im so thankful for having this little bundles of joy…and surely they fulfilled my purpose in life. happy new year to you!
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Fits right in with my Christmas themed month Ailsa! http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/travel-theme-festive-december-22/
Love the Boston shot, Livvy – I bet it’s gorgeous in the snow! I love the idea of going away for New Year. That’s a tradition I can definitely get behind! xxx
This is my first Travel Theme post. From Japan, here’s mine.
http://fotodemoto.net/2012/12/22/travel-theme-festive/
Welcome to the travel theme, horimasa. Love those trees all lit up, and that teeny tiny tree in the bakery 🙂
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Beautiful festive photos Ailsa! Happy to be taking part after such a long time 🙂
http://theurgetowander.com/2012/12/22/tis-the-season-in-bangkok/
Hurrah, good to see you back, Madhu, and thanks for sharing a very Bangkok Christmas – I want to go for a ride in that sleigh right now! 🙂
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Love this topic… many ways to look at it!
http://patriciaddrury.com/2012/12/22/travel-festive/
Gorgeous, Patricia, that top photo is extraordinary, and those balloons brought a great big smile to my face! 🙂
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