On the day after Thanksgiving, we went to the Christmas Tree Farm with our son and his family, to cut down our trees....a tradition we've been lucky to carry out for the last few years.
The tree always looks so different in the house than it did in the field!! This one had the shape I liked, but I didn't realize just how sparse the lower branches were until we put it in the stand!! Another Christmas tree decorating challenge!! :)
My little "assistant" appeared the moment I started putting on the lights!!
For 47 years, I've put red glass ornaments on our live trees. I still have many of the "Shiny Brite" ornies my room-mate and I bought the first year we shared an apartment together. Over the years, my husband and I added more red ones as our trees got bigger and as a cat or two knocked them off the tree and broke some!!
The other decorations I've put on the trees have varied from shiny garland to plaid bows . . .so many different touches that I don't recall right now. However, over the last two years I've used the sheer gold ribbon, the glittery reindeer from The Dollar Tree, and glittered pine cones. I've also used a hand-fashioned, glittery star made by my hair stylist's sister!! In a fit of creativity, I stuck some gold glittery picks behind it!! :)
Here it is on Christmas Eve. All ready for our family gathering the next day. . .and present opening!! Sadly, our son and his family were sick so we had to postpone our Christmas celebration for a week.
And here it is on New Year's Day. . . still waiting for our family to arrive for our Christmas Gathering!!
And HERE they are. . .having fun opening their gifts in front of one of the trees we had cut down the day after Thanksgiving!!!
Our tree is still beautiful, but it looks so lonely now that the gifts have been removed. Even THE STONE RABBIT is a bit sad.
Since we don't actually decorate our tree until about a week or two before Christmas, I always leave it up longer than most of you folks in blog-land! I love having the time to really enjoy beauty it during the slower paced time right after the holidays.
THE STONE RABBIT and Little Twiggy feel the same way, too!
I hope you had a great Holiday Season and that 2014 will be filled with peace, blessings and a lot of fun.
Please visit Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND! She will have a lot of other bloggers all ready to share their holiday or PINKS with you once again this weekend!!
Happy Pink Saturday!!
DANA
Happy Pink Saturday, Dana, TSR and Twiggy. Dana, your tree looks beautiful, and I can see why you are reluctant to take it down. I wasn't really ready to take mine down either, but my husband was and he is too big a help to delay the chance.
Stay warm and safe.♥
Posted by: Beverly | January 03, 2014 at 10:10 AM
It's a perfect tree and soo pretty. I love the kids opening their presents but you're right - it's always a little forlorn looking when there are no pretty packages. We're old school, Dana. Like you I still wrap and bow my packages. I saw a discussion on FB and most did gift bags. What's more fun to open? Bag or pretty paper, pretty ribbons...as Willie would say. Your Grinch party was just beyond creative. It looks like so much fun. Have a most excellent New Year, Dana. xoxo Nancy
Posted by: Nancy | January 03, 2014 at 12:13 PM
Your tree is beautiful Dana! Happy, happy 2014 and Pink Saturday too! Xo, Marti
Posted by: Marti | January 03, 2014 at 02:44 PM
Your tree may not have been perfect, but it turned out very pretty. You did a great job decorating.
Posted by: LaVoice | January 03, 2014 at 03:55 PM
Dana, I know how you feel about taking down the tree...I miss the magic and would leave it longer...Hope Missou continues to do well tonight! Stay warm in this crazy winter weather.
Posted by: LaVerne | January 03, 2014 at 07:27 PM
Dana. You inspire me. I was thinking, maybe next year to cut back a little. Then Now I have seen yours and feel inspired to try a little different lovely creations. So you inspire me......once again ...and in a different way Oh,YoU🎶YUo🎵Inspire me🎵🎵really really you do 🎵🎶🎶🎵
Honest you do🎵🎵🎵honest you do
Posted by: Janet | January 03, 2014 at 10:24 PM
Hello Dana, We were in TN visiting our two oldest children to share Christmas with them. A late celebration for sure. We had a great time together and after Christmas gift exchanges we went to the movies to see "Saving Mr. Banks." An awesome movie. So having a late celebration was fun and as long as we could get together, it made Christmas special anyway.
I love your tradition of buying your tree each year. It looks beautiful and the tree top and ribbon gives your tree an added touch of elegance. I'm glad everyone recovered and were able to enjoy a belated Christmas celebration with 'everyone' able to join in.
We too wanted Kansas to win. Two of Shirley's (Bill's sister) daughter's graduated from there. Congrats on Mizzou's win as well. My great niece is a student there and in the Marching band. They had a great year and I think the SEC was a good move for them.
I wish I could help you about the tape problem and the paint. I have no idea what you should do. Maybe touch it up with red paint. What a shame.
Love the great shot of the Stone Rabbit and Twiggy. Twiggy sure has the curiosity of a cat. Smile.
Happy New Year to you and yours Dana.
Love,
Jeanne
Posted by: jeanne, backyard neighbor | January 04, 2014 at 05:12 PM
It's gorgeous! I used to love to put our tree up at Thanksgiving (a friend taught me that as everyone is home that weekend and it's a great chunk of time.) Nowadays I stay so busy between grandkids and real estate I barely got it up a week or so before Christmas. Now it's been moved to the living room as my grandson is coming to spend the night and is looking forward to helping me de-decorate it :) That makes this one of the longest times I've left it up. :) The times, they are a'changing :) Have a blessed and beautiful New Year!!!
Posted by: Kaye Swain | January 05, 2014 at 09:16 AM