I'm Gabrielle Randell. I’m originally from New York, but I’ve spent most of my adult life in Europe. For the past four years and counting, Barcelona has been my home — a city rich with traditions, creativity and character.

Christmas has always been a special time for me, usually the moment I travel home to be with my family. In the States, we love decorating and getting into the holiday spirit, with the family Christmas tree at the heart of it all. Ours has always been filled with ornaments: some decades old, some brand new; some homemade, some gifted; some classic, some vibrant. Over time, the tree becomes more than decoration. It becomes a living, seasonal walk down memory lane, full of stories for family and friends to share.

So it felt strange that after four years in Barcelona, this place I now call home still had no place on our family tree. That’s where these ornaments began: as a way to bring Barcelona into my own family’s Christmas story.

This project is a bridge between two cultures I love. First, I wanted to finally give Barcelona a place on our tree. Then, I wanted to offer others who call this city home a little piece of it to hang on their own. And finally, I hope these ornaments inspire anyone who hasn’t yet started the tradition of collecting Christmas memories to begin — one ornament, one story, one year at a time.