When do you put your tree up? Does your tree have a theme? Mine is fish. All of my ornaments are fish, well…95% of them are the rest are family heirlooms. I have not put a tree up in years. But, I would love to hear all about yours and what is happening in your world.
Once again, I have not watch RHOP this week. I’d rather watch my Christmas movies I have seen a hundred times that watch grown women screaming at each other. That said, this post is also for you guys to chat about that show if you’d like.
No positive changes to report health wise over here. I’m going to lie down again. Please don’t worry. I don’t need anything. Especially advice. Or worse, making decisions for me.I appreciate the good intentions. I just need some more time. Thanks for being patient.
Oh good I get to comment first! I have two trees. They are both artificial, one big, one small. I have them up but I am under the weather and not at all interested in decorating them right now. One has just a lot of everything, old photos of my son, homemade ornaments, and some extra sparkle, some crystal, glass, sequin, stuff like that to reflect the light. Every ornament means something. We usually get an ornament every time we travel anywhere. The small tree is filled with White House Christmas ornaments. We get them every year, we have purchased them since the 80s. For a long time they worked sequentially up the Presidents and designed an ornament related to the President’s term in office or personality. This year, it is Nixon. What to do, Whitehouse? They decided to make a White house that looks like a Gingerbread house because PAT loved Gingerbread houses. Made lemonade out of lemons, right? Hugs to you
No theme tre but tree filled with ornaments of memories. The oldest is a paper nut cup bell I made my mom in kindergarten it’s 52 years old. She always puts it in the best spot and remembers it was first thing I made for her
Today I am going to decorate my tree with my 6 year old granddaughter. Last year, we had a distinct line of ornaments as to how high she could reach. My hubby and I loved it so we didn’t move an ornament!
We will probably make some ornaments too. We like to be crafty!!
I love that visual! Isn’t being a grandma the best?
I put mine up shortly after Thanksgiving! I did love trees for a long time but as I got older it just was simpler to go for artificial. Some years I do multicolored lights , sometimes white. This year is warm white big bulbs with ornaments I’ve collected over the past 38 years. Once all those are in, I fill in all the holes with all sizes of balls in silver, white & blue . Big silver star on top. Your fish tree sounds amazing!
I don’t have one. Can’t afford it.
I’m Jewish and there’s no blurring of religion/traditions in my family. You and I can just enjoy everybody’s pretty decorations.
Just saw a news story about how expensive trees are this year because of drought.
A few years ago, I bought several 3 foot long faux branches right after Xmas at a discount. There are no fake needles or leaves, just the branch and they are pliable. They have white lights sort of built into them like buds and are battery-operated, going off after 8 hours. I love them because together, in a vase, they shine brightly in the window on a dinky table, clean-up is easy and I can add my own lights and ornaments depending on how I feel that year. Very happy with them.
I love Christmas so I decorate every room in the house and have two tabletop trees, and two larger artificial trees. My husband passed away last year and our tradition has always been to get a new ornament every year so now one large tree is Scott’s tree and features all of his ornaments and any special ornaments that remind me of our travels or memories of him. It is beautiful and provides me comfort.
That is so sweet, sounds like you had a good marriage. I hope you have a blessed holiday season.
Btw we put three trees up weekend after Thanksgiving. LR Hugh white artificial with pink lights and ornaments, BR small white blue lights and ornaments, last is 6 ft artificial spruce, multicolored lights and ornaments collected through the years. The oldest is a ceramic Santa given by a coworker in 1986. Side note I have a set of red bell lights that belonged to my mother. They go up in kitchen or Dr every year. Also have collection of nutcrackers, a Christmas village and outdoor lights and decor. Can you tell I really love Christmas. Thanks for listening to me and blessed be to all TT friends.
musical red bells? I have my mom’s! By the way…my initials are LR Hugh!! What is my namesake famous for? Style of tree?
Thank you so much Joann, that is really kind of you to say. My marriage was fantastic. He was my best friend and my whole world and we were together for 29 years. May your holiday season be filled with love, joy and laughter.
I love this.
What a wonderful idea! So sorry for your loss
Jenny check out English actor @RichardEGrant post on Twitter. I just saw it and thought of you after reading your response…. Blessings
Not sure what we are going to do this year. We babysit our grand puppies 6 month old twin towers of destruction so not sure I want to risk my precious ornaments some I have had since I was a little girl.
I did a tabletop tree when my son was a toddler and just put a few of my very favourite ornaments on it, it was safe and a festive table scape!!
This will be our fifth Christmas together, & we have used the same dull brass ornament tree from the beginning. It is quite tall, & made just to display ornaments. We first saw one in a store displaying ornaments for sale, & found one like it on Amazon. Fly Boy & I both have marine backgrounds, so early one we decided to make our theme nautical. A lot of our ornaments are blown glass, everything from starfish to mermaids, & our tree is magical for us, like our late-in-life relationship. No one visits us, so it is just for us & the dogs. We keep it us for a long time.
Well, we can’t have a tree because the 6 cats think it’s a gigantic scratching post and will probably set the house on fire or something. So I just hang stuff up high that they can’t reach. TT, I just want to tell you that you a) have been posting stuff for all of us FOR YEARS and b) which gives us a forum to rant without asking for anything in return and c) therefore? You don’t have to explain to any of us what is going on with you. Us loyal readers get it and will hang in there. You take care of you.
Well said!
I’m currently living in a RV in the desert of New Mexico. It’s truly tiny house living, so it works that I’m kind of a minimalist. No room for a tree, but I have two ornaments hanging on the key rack. One is a gingerbread girl and the other is a television set with Santa Claus on the screen. I lived for several years without television and now that I have it again, I’m enjoying it. Zero guilt for enjoying reality television so much!
Sounds lovely! It’s the small stuff that makes a great holiday.
Aww TT love the fish theme!!
We downsized and moved last spring so smaller artificial tree just put up last week (always right after Thanksgiving). While I would love to do one w all similar ornaments and very glam, mine has things kids have made throughout the years and ornaments we picked up on travels. Some of my faves include one from youngest stepson who is now 34 to which he made for his dad, pics of all of the kids, and one I got in Paris and then I found out it was made in a town in Oregon An hour from where I grew up! Lol 🤪.
Happy holidays everyone and sending healing vibes TT!
Merry Christmas Everyone!! We will put ours up tomorrow after seeing Johhny Mathis Christmas concert tonite!! So excited!! We have a silver tree with ornaments that my Mom made(sequined globes!) and ones we pick up here and there.
I am all decorated! Right after Thanksgiving. Small tree with fake snow on it. This is the tree I use when I don’t want to decorate. My sister made cute Christmas tree skirts so I have the tree on a small table mainly to display the skirt! 😀! I host Airbnb guests in my spare bedrooms, so their rooms get decorated a little bit no matter what they believe. But it’s commercial stuff not religious. (Feel I have to explain that). Happy Holidays all! 🎄
I can’t have anything in the house that the dog won’t try to tear up, jump up to reach, etc., so I got a tree to put on the porch. It’s still in the box, as I’m extremely unmotivated with the unusually brusque weather we’ve been having 🫤
I have two. The larger one is a more traditional one that features ornaments I’ve collected over the years, including ones from where I’ve traveled.
The other one is a pink tree that features dessert-themed ornaments…donuts and sprinkled-filled ones (I made those!). I just ordered ice cream cookie sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries to add to the collection. My next goal is to get either a black, yellow, or both colored tree…and decorate it with Steelers-themed decorations.
Praying you feel better soon TT. Happy holidays everyone.
I love the Steelers themed tree. I might steal your idea for a Bills tree. 😊
I bought a live one today, I’ll put it up tomorrow. I can’t find the protector sheet that I put under the christmas tree stand, so I’ll buy another one tomorrow.
I have two artificial trees. Since my son (37 now) was little we have the tradition of talking about each ornament, where it cam from, significance etc. I have a lot of frame ornaments with pictures of my son from year to year. He played three sports from 4 years old to his graduation so I have sports themed ornaments with his name on them. I have things he made me, ornaments from our trips to Disney every year and vacation ornaments, just a few faded ornaments from my first Christmas’s and a few that I think are pretty.
My granddaughters now come over and I tell them about every ornament….I started collecting personalized ornaments for the girls so my whole tree in den is just loaded with the story of our life.
My second tree is in the girls room. They will be back over to decorate that tree with whatever they want. lol. I just love sentimental trees.
We usually have a tabletop tree but just didn’t feel like hauling it our this year. Did hang up some wreaths and put out some table decorations. I have a small crystal tree that has glitter in it when it’s turned on and that is our tree this year. Festive enough for us after a fairly difficult year – an easy to put away in January!
Hope you feel better soon, TT!
Love your idea Jenny.
No tree this year as I’m going back home as it’s my mums first Christmas since she passed.
I’ve always dreamed of an elegant tree with silver/gold and white ornaments but when I do have a tree it’s filled with ornaments my kids have made over the years and like many of you , ornaments we’ve picked up on our travels.
Our office at work has a tree this year so at least we have some cheerful decor to look at. Ornaments are white and gold.
Hope you perk up soon Tamara.
I did a small, pre-lit tree this year on the end table. The only place in my small-ish living room to put the full-size tree is where my dog’s bed is. Last year, I did that and moved the bed, but the old pup kept lying under the tree, almost knocking it over. Since the dog is 15 years old and mostly blind, I will leave his bed where it is and use this tiny tree with no ornaments. My dog’s comfort is more important. When the full-size tree is the majority of the ornaments are Tinkerbell-themed or souvenirs from travels.
I hope you are feeling better Tamara!
Not feeling it this year. Or the last few years.
Hugs. This time of year can be tough.
Mine is in the garage where it has been for the last 10 years and will stay this year (I need to donate that thing!). I go to my sister’s for Christmas and then we take a holiday trip. She decorates her whole house for the grandkids and I get to enjoy her work! Galveston this year. My classroom is decorated within an inch of its life and looks like Santa Clause threw up on it. (2nd graders!) I put out a few pillows, etc. at home and call it.
My mom gave us an ornament every year in our stockings and we had homemade ornaments that our grandmother made. It was a big deal for Mom to unwrap them and hand them to us one at a time to put on the tree. . .oh the memories!
Hope everyone has a happy, healthy holiday season!
Fish. Like Dorinda’s room?😉
I like this post and have enjoyed reading about everybody’s traditions. I tried putting up a 2 foot tree, but new little kitten I rescued demolished it within minutes. So funny!!! I’m seriously considering ordering a cardboard Christmas tree I found on Amazon so we can sit by something to open gifts. I take care of my elderly parents and fear every holiday is the last. Morbid I know, but i want to make memories. I have a ceramic tree in my room my Mom made before I was born. Happy Holidays to all y’all!!!
My sister has the ceramic Christmas tree my mom made years ago! I have a Christmas tree dish. All made in the 70s when housewives were doing ceramics. 😀 They’re considered vintage now. Sigh…my whole childhood is now vintage!
I just decorate with branches of mistletoe instead of a tree and put up a bit of Christmas decorations above the open fireplace. I have also started planning on what food to make for the holidays now, we mix swedish and french stuff to have for days.
Pixa!
Can I invite myself over for the food?? Sounds wonderful!!! 😂😂❤️
@Melcle Yeah you should come over! Was it not you that have a Serbian man? I have a crazy good memory usually, hope I am not falling this time either!
Yes! Great memory! We do try to celebrate Serbian Christmas in January as well! I am from the west coast of the US and it was definitely NOT a melting pot that the Midwest city I currently live in! I never even knew what a pierogi was until I lived here!
Please tell me what you make for your holiday celebration!
We lived in UK for two years roughly 8 years ago and am back w hubby for his work right now. I have missed the Christmas markets here!!! So wonderful! Quaint little decorated sheds all over – beautiful lights, mulled wine everywhere…. 🎄🎄
I went to Harrods in London once by Christmas time to look around. That was crazy, they have got beautiful things for Xmas. Good to get inspiration and buy something cheaper elswhere!
I was going to head that way on Wednesday! I’m the same! Looking for inspiration and finding cheaper elsewhere!!!
Hi5! Totally into going to posh places to get ideas, Harrods is quite crazy during Christmas. A bit too conservative for me, but fun to visit anyway.
Hey there!
My wife insists that we put our tree up on the weekend following Thanksgiving. We have a 5 foot live tree that’s decorated with unbreakable ornaments. Our two cats, who destroyed a perfect fake tree years ago, have finally matured to the point that they don’t mess with any of it. (thankfully)
Happy Holidays!!
We have a Artificial Tree. Disney themed and of course homemade ornaments from. the kids.
I decorated the mantle with nutcrackers, lights, greenery, a big shiny wreath and some balls (no, not those). I like it, especially when it gets cold enough to light a fire. We don’t really use the dining room so I decorated 2 small trees and put them on the table with some festive stuff in between. I thought keeping stuff off the floor would be a good idea since our dog has only been here a couple months and is still nutty as a fruitcake.
I hung a lit garland over the front door and have some little lit lamp posts on either side. Hung a wreath on front window and some of those big daddy plastic ornaments off the edge of front porch with a string of lights. Not too shabby if I say so myself.
I wasn’t into it for a few years, as mentioned above. Totally understand. After losing a lot of folks it was just too blue around here. I found putting out my few little things cheers me up. I order some junk off Amazon and it’s like Santa came. Merry Christmas, y’all.
We have an artificial tree as we live in a upside down converted barn and a real tree is just too heavy to carry up to living room. I have oodles of bird decorations like robins, owls and even Canadian geese mixed with a baubles that I collected over the years. I haven’t managed to get the tree out yet but will in the next couple of days.
I have a cotton candy pink Christmas tree with white lights. It’s girly and adorable. But..
I don’t think I’m going to put it up this year. I have no energy to put it up and definitely won’t want to take it down either. lol.
I decorated 3 trees, 2 for work and 1 at home. I do love decorating a tree. My tree at home is a skinny white tree with red and gold ornaments. Other than the decorating part am not a holiday guy try to ignore it, I don’t live near my family. All those commercials with the Christmas gift giving are not for me (I’m talking to you lady hugging the fake fur comforter from Macy’s).
I LAUGHED out loud. Thanks Mike b.
I have had a live tree every one of my 72 years. My cousin chops me down a Charley Brown from his farm.Since I divorced many years ago, I’ve decorated the tree each year with a different theme from things around the house. For instance drink stirrers hung like icicles, memories from trip like luggage tags and hotel door keys, and pet related items This year I raided my mother’s old button box. Beautiful, elaborate buttons from the 40’s and 50’s. I think it’s my favorite.
Happy Holidays everyone from a first timer here
I love this Sherry!!!
I bet the buttons are gorgeous. So original
It has been so fun reading about everyone’s trees and traditions. Thank you for this community
This thread made my day. I am late to the holiday party, but I’m gladdened by these beautiful posts!
My indoor artificial tree is birds and Cape May themed. My deck live tree is birds. I adore nature and the ocean, so it’s all on the trees.
I decorate my dormant crape myrtle tree in the front yard with lights and decorations from the Dollar Store. it’s all I need, or want.
I felt very uninspired to put up my tree but reading all of this has changed my mind
I put up my smallish artificial tree. Nothing special because my sister has all of the family ornaments. I do have my stocking and some crocheted ornaments.
It was fun to read about the themed trees.
I have a flocked artificial tree and my theme is 1920’s flapper parties and decor. The tree is covered in pearl garlands, glass chandelier droplets, white ostrich feathers, and white and gold art deco ornaments. It’s fun and pretty too!
So here is where my fish theme came from. I was a teenager who would sometimes flip through my mama’s Southern Charm magazines. It was a Christmas edition and there was a beach house on Isle of Palms (my dream house) and the Christmas tree was sort of a fish tree. I think they were probably going for more nautical. There were lots of sand dollars on it and a few fish ornaments etc.
While I was still living at home I began collecting fish ornaments. I remember buying a bunch of cheap, but pretty fish at a dollar store. My mama thought it was stupid. I still love them to this day they are made of shiny cellophane or something.
Also I used to go to the beach a lot and it is a bit easier to find fish, sand dollar etc ornaments there. I think it was smart of me to pick a theme before before I even moved out as an adult. It keeps you focused when you go in the stores with all the pretty ornaments. Plus it is fun to hunt for fish ornaments.
Sadly, I haven’t put up a tree in over a decade.
Does anyone else have bubble lights on their tree? They used to definitely be a fire Hazzard back in the 80’s, but now they make safe ones. And I have two strands on my tree. Looking at my bubble lights makes me feel like I am 8 years old again, dreaming of the presents Santa will bring me if I am good.
I don’t but I love them, too. I see they have safer ones now, but I remember them on our tree and my granny and papa’s tree. They had the gigantic ones. It does remind me of being so excited about Santa coming. No way I’m going to slee…zzzzzz.
My tree is a fifteen year old fake, tall, thin tree.
It is a beach themed tree heavy on travel and pink flamingos. I bought pink flamingo ornaments in Paris last December and found some in London last week with all my other travel and beach stuff. One of my girlfriends and I have been buying each other pink flamingo ornaments for the past twenty plus years.
I’ve lived on the beach all my life so many of my ornaments are nautical.
I have the fishes.
I put my tree up OCTOBER 30TH. We do the holidays early here in South Florida.