Trim a Tree Thursday

Happy Trim a Tree Thursday! Hosted by the hostess w/ the mostess @ The Southern Hostess

Today I am sharing pictures of my living room tree. I normally put up 2 full-size trees & several table top trees but this year, I am only putting up one big one & the little aluminum tree, I shared in the previous post. I had to get creative, to display collections I normally put on the trees, so I don't know if I am missing them at all. Except the one in my bedroom. We put it on a timer & I miss going to sleep by the light of the tree. *sigh*


I could not get a good, full shot of my tree. I wish this picture captured the beauty of it but it doesn't ...sorry. I have been collecting vintage ornaments for years & then a few years ago, bought this white flocked tree so they would pop. I decided to make the ornaments not only the star of the show, but the whole show by loading the tree up w/ ornaments & leaving off all garland, bows, doo-dads & other accessories. Although this year, I did add the faux candles ...they add a little somthin' somthin' w/out taking away from the ornaments. I just love my tree!

And so do the grands! One of their favorite past-times is playing I Spy. Because almost all of the ornaments are one-of-a-kind, they spend hours standing in front of the tree, saying "I spy a bell" or "I spy a soldier".

Not all the ornaments are vintage though. My daughter started a tradition of giving me Old World Christmas ornaments on my birthday (Dec 19th) several years ago & many are from that line. I'm not going to take the time to comment on each ornament because I have posted a lot of pictures. Some are representative of members of the family...some are representative of Christmas memories....all are beloved.

Look how it's practically "dripping" w/ ornaments!

I think next year, I will put the tree in an urn & top off the urn w/ my overflow ornaments.

I leave the tags on the Old World ornaments as my daughter dates them w/ the year they were given to me. Plus each tag explains how that object became a Christmas tradition.

I found the pickle! A few years ago, we adopted the German tradtion of hiding a pickle ornament on the tree & then searching for it. The first one to find it gets a special "pickle surprise". Last year my granddaughter was only 2, so I gave her a headstart on finding the pickle.... showing her early in the day while the boys were in school & then asking them all "where's the pickle?" after school. She remembered exactly where it was & headed straight for it, prompting Connor to exclaim, "Honey you cheated!". So I had to give them all a special "pickle surprise". *grins* She isn't getting a headstart this year. ;o)

I also collect vintage tree toppers (of course!), they take turns on the tree & the rest I display elsewhere.

Check out this lovely luxurious green velvet skirt.

I bought it a thrift store about 10 years ago...somebody painstakingly quilted (by hand!) that lovely, lush & expensive velvet as backing for this! Polyester knit....in "oh so attractive" clashing shades of blue, green & brown. LOL Check out the brown & cream square...bet you it was once a leisure suit. I sometimes think about buying a new tree skirt...or making one out of vintage Christmas hankies. But then I think, "But if you don't give that poor, old ugly quilt a home under your tree then where will it go? What will become of it?"

The view in the mirror behind the tree. I know you are all wondering if the flocking makes a mess. And the answer is kinda sorta, not really. ;o) It ain't nothing compared to the mess of a live tree. I once swore that you would NEVER find an artificial tree in my house but all it takes is one grandkid born w/ allergies & asthma & that vow goes right out the window. I can't even use any real trimmings. *sigh*

I think we are going to start a rule in the family (Mom, I know you are reading this! ;o) ) that whoever (is it whoever or whomever?) hosts the big family get-together will have to have a fake tree. Every year that we celebrate @ either of my sisters' homes (who have live trees), Caeden gets sick & can't breathe for days. :o(

This is one of the photos from the mirror above. It's a picture of me (seven months pregnant w/ Clifton....the maternity wear sure was fashionable back then....NOT!) & my daughter, Shilah, decorating my grandmother's tree. I am the spitting image of Clifton in this photo! He's quite handsome so I'm not sure if I am sad or happy about that. ;o) He always teases me by saying, "You sure do make a handsome man, Mom!" *grins*

It gives off a lot of light at night...can't remember how many lights are on it (it's pre-lit...I'll never buy another tree that isn't) but it's probably due to the whiteness of it.

Tattered thrift store Santa, that every year, I plan on getting rid of & then don't have the heart. Besides, Caralyn talks to him as if he were real. *grins* She kneels in front of him & fusses w/ his beard & mustache, talking to him so softly that I can't hear. She's afraid of the "real" Santa, so maybe it's just as well I hold onto him for awhile. Course once she develops strong memories of him, I'll never be able to part w/ him!

Merry Christmas to all & to all a Good night!

Can't wait to see all the other posts this week. Come w/ me to Brett's to see too!