How do you decorate your tree?

[Deckr8r]

I love Christmas decorations and this thread.

I want to tell you about a friend's tree. For her big tree she has bought only ornaments that do something. She has lots and lots of them. So when I go there she will replug it in just for me and oh my gosh it's a wonderland. Things start moving and the lights and the noise! All the talking ones get going at the same time and there is so much to look at. It is FUN.

I have a fun tree too, but it doesn't do anything. In our bedroom is my flamingo tree in all it's hot pink and glittery glory. Ten summers ago a group of 7 families went camping together and we each had to decorate our campsite in a theme. I chose pink plastic yard flamingos and, me being me, could not stop there of course. Another family chose Christmas and had a huge lighted plastic santa on top of their trailer and Christmas lights of course. The rest of the campground enjoyed it too.

I also have a candy and gingerbread theme tree which I don't think I'll use this year because our family room is decorated in a lodge/cabin theme so last year I hit all the after-Christmas sales and bought new stuff that will look better in there.

My living room, dining room and kitchen are decorated in a coastal theme (yes, I'm a theme deckr8r) so the living room has a shell tree.

I'm hoping my 2 (much too old to still be living at home) sons will move out because I WANT their rooms. Two more rooms to decorate would be divine, goodness knows I already have the stuff.

Someone mentioned a patio/porch tree. Hmmmmmmmmmm! Oh yeah I'm doin it.

 

[InstantMom]

When I was growing up in Alabama, my mom always had a formal white and silver tree with tiny white lights in the living room window and an anything-goes/sentimental tree with great big colored C4 lights and tinsel in the family room. When we moved to Florida, she started decorating her formal tree with white seashells (I guess love of the hot glue gun is genetic!), and she places a ceramic ivory creche below it . The anything-goes tree received a makeover a few years ago when Mom decided to use ribbon and small colored lights instead of tinsel and C4s - still getting used to that!

I follow my mom's tradition somewhat. We have a tree on the front porch that's all gold and silver and white with white lights - and I agree that you can never have enough lights. Our tree in the living room is full of sentimental ornaments, plus a few filler glass balls in pale green, gold, and - hmm, hard color to describe - spicy bronze, and I use white lights and pearl garlands. I've also added a small tree in DS3's room, and it has stuffed Nativity figures that she hangs and re-hangs endlessly. The next generation of MHH at work!

Great thread!

 

[wadeallie]

We have a fresh tree every year decorated with small lights, 2 strands of gold garland and all my "treasures". These are all the ornaments collected thru the years. We add new ones every year and when we hang them we relate the story behind each one. It's like the tradition of passing on history by verbally relating it.