It’s hard to believe we are into the second week of December! There’s always so much to do, especially when it comes to decorating.
Today we’re sharing some glimpses of our Christmas trees. We decorated two this year, along with a few flocked trees that are part of our snowy forest. Getting the inside decorating done is always a process with lots to do.
And then there’s the outdoor decorating. It started off great and then we got heavy wet snow and a bitter cold snap. These two conditions do not make for fun outdoor activities. I got three planters done and some wreaths hung, but still have more to do. Fingers crossed, I’ll get it done by next week.
I’ll be sharing more in the coming days, but today is all about Christmas trees! On to the tree tour!
We have two decorated trees in the house. The one pictured above is in my office. Since I spend a fair amount of time there, I love having it decorated.
My office theme is “Santa’s workshop,” so lots of red and green, toys, trains, etc. Recreating the joy of Christmas through a child’s eyes makes decorating even more fun.
This tree is filled with a combination of unbreakable ornaments, like this adorable needle felted husky. I have an affinity for wool felted ornaments, so there are several on this tree.
These big wooden stars are some of my favorites! I also have metal ornaments, candy canes, snowballs, and several posable elves that I perch on branches throughout the tree.
Finally, this tree always gets my “Santa on the ladder” treatment. I bought this years ago and I have always loved it. Santa and his elves climbing the tree to deliver gifts and a star for the top – so cute!
Downstairs in the living room, things are a bit more formal, but not fussy. I have a tradition of hanging my collection of vintage and vintage-inspired glass ornaments on this tree. I have SO many that no matter how I’m decorating, this tree is pretty consistent from year to year.
We started with an 8-foot tree. I like Frasier firs the best, but there weren’t any close by, so we opted for a balsam, which smells amazing. I trimmed out a number of branches to give the ornaments room to hang, then strung the lights and gold beaded garland, then hung the ornaments.
Some of my ornaments are from the 1930s and 1940s and others, like this nod to the now-defunct Marshall Fields department store, are newer. I have lots of vintage Shiny Brights, ornaments from Poland, Germany, Old World Christmas, Christopher Radko, and others.
Because we have dogs with enthusiastic tails, I keep many of the pricier figural ornaments tucked away. A few wags and we could lose a big part of our collection!
As an homage to my snowy forest theme for the downstairs, I added these snowflake ornaments along with the pinecones and icicles I hang every year. The snowflakes are very lightweight, so they make a great filler on weaker branches. And the icicles add a drippy, jewel-like ambience.
Of course, I think the tree looks best a night when it’s lit. It just sparkles and I love how it reflects on the tree skirt (a simple length of gold lame fabric) and hardwood floors. The whole thing has a sort of ballgown quality to it. Pure magic!
I hope you enjoyed the preview and that you’re having a wonderful time decorating your home. Stay tuned for more holiday decorating coming soon!
For more holiday merriment, take a virtual trip to Maine’s Magical Christmas towns and check out these Maine-inspired gift ideas.