Christmas (or Holiday) Decor 2022

[Kathleen]

I did not see a thread for this year's holiday decorating, so am starting one. For the first time in many, many years, we put up the full-sized tree. My tree is a record of my entire life. In addition to having some ornaments from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, there is a new ornament for every major event in life and one for each year. We just returned from a week-long family gathering. I got a cute cardinal in a sock hat for this year's ornament. But...here is my tree...seeing the light of day for the first time in ages. Please share your decorations!

 

[Marlingardener]

 

[bethzaring]

Same artificial tree I have been using ever since I gave up lugging in a cut tree.

 

[Kathleen]

Both are gorgeous trees. BethZ, I gave up the real tree a while ago too. But I have a small tree that I have used in the past several years with all decorations, lights, and garland wired on. This year, I was able to tap into the job of putting this one up. It was like seeing an old friend. ? I love your little stockings and other ornaments!

Marlingardener, I love the eclectic ornaments and your tree looks real....is it? If so, I am jealous, but not envious enough to lug a real tree in anymore. ? But I do miss the scent of real trees. Also, I love your decor with candles. So elegant!

Thank you for sharing!

 

[FrankZ]

I did not see a thread for this year's holiday decorating, so am starting one. For the first time in many, many years, we put up the full-sized tree. My tree is a record of my entire life. In addition to having some ornaments from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, there is a new ornament for every major event in life and one for each year. We just returned from a week-long family gathering. I got a cute cardinal in a sock hat for this year's ornament. But...here is my tree...seeing the light of day for the first time in ages. Please share your decorations!

Great looking tree...

 

[taxlady]

Where are you folks finding the energy to do this. I can't even keep up with cleaning. I'm just skipping the Yule decorations, again this year.

 

[Silversage]

I didn't have the energy to go all out this year, but my wife insisted we do something. So instead of the big tree, we set up a 4" table top tree. Up close, you can see that most of the decorations are birds, butterflies, leaves, berries, etc. W elove that natural theme. Of course there are some glass balls to provide sparkle.

 

[taxlady]

4" table top tree, the 4" part is a typo, eh? It should be four foot, no? Looks pretty to me.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I was feeling a little humbuggy at home, so all I did was move the candle light in the upstairs hall from a small table in the corner to a stand in the window. I did bring the two fake alpine trees in from the garage, but they are still wrapped and sitting against a kitchen wall. Himself will bring the pre-lit tree up from Loverly's basement tomorrow. We'll use it as our living room light unless we need a real lamp for reading.

Thanks for sharing your trees, guys. I'm feeling a bit more Christmasy tonight.

 

[Aunt Bea]

My only decorations this year are a few holiday cards and a red candle in a hurricane lamp that I will light on Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning.

If there were going to be small children around I would make more of an effort but this is more than enough for me.

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas!

 

[bethzaring]

Both are gorgeous trees. BethZ, I gave up the real tree a while ago too. But I have a small tree that I have used in the past several years with all decorations, lights, and garland wired on. This year, I was able to tap into the job of putting this one up. It was like seeing an old friend. ? I love your little stockings and other ornaments!

Marlingardener, I love the eclectic ornaments and your tree looks real....is it? If so, I am jealous, but not envious enough to lug a real tree in anymore. ? But I do miss the scent of real trees. Also, I love your decor with candles. So elegant!

Thank you for sharing!

I made the little cloth stockings, and my late husband and I made the red sleds for Christmas gifts in the 1990's. There's also some ornaments some wonderful DC'ers gave me one Christmas.

 

[Marlingardener]

Kathleen, yes that is a real tree, scent and all! Glad you enjoyed seeing it and our candles on the server.
When we first married, my husband "put up with" Christmas to make me happy. Now he is as big a Christmas fan as I am.

 

[Kathleen]

Where are you folks finding the energy to do this. I can't even keep up with cleaning. I'm just skipping the Yule decorations, again this year.

I've not had the time or energy to do this in years, Taxy. But then retirement! Plus it is a way to remember so many who are no longer around.

@Silversage, your tree is beautiful and calming. I love it!

 

[larry_stewart]

I did not see a thread for this year's holiday decorating, so am starting one. For the first time in many, many years, we put up the full-sized tree. My tree is a record of my entire life. In addition to having some ornaments from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, there is a new ornament for every major event in life and one for each year. We just returned from a week-long family gathering. I got a cute cardinal in a sock hat for this year's ornament. But...here is my tree...seeing the light of day for the first time in ages. Please share your decorations!

Like you, our tree is like a taking trip down memory lane. We started collecting ornaments from every place we visited on our many road trips as a souvenir, instead of buying crappy t-shirts we never wear. When we put the tree together each year, and see all the ornaments we collected over the years, in addition to the most recent ones we got since last year, it reminds us of all the good times we had, and what a full life we lead. One year, when we went to see my son in Montana, we saw so many wild life that we bought a stuffed animal to represent each kind of animal we saw on the trip ( Bison, moose, bear ...). We now keep those stuffed animals under the tree each year.

We actually put our tree up a few months early this year, as my cat " Claire" loves to sit and look at the tree. Im guessing the lights have a calming affect. She is 17 years old. Likely wont reach 18 so we wanted her to enjoy the tree as much as possible. Turns out all the cats like it too. If you look closely at the stuffed animals, you will see 2 cats blending it. Marilyn is the obvious one to the right, Bill is camouflaging pretty good. Another picture of Claire sitting under the Tre looking out. I also included a pic of Claire, 17 years ago, as a kitten. She always had a thing for the tree.

 

[Kathleen]

@larry_stewart Awesome tree and memories! Our cats are unsure about the tree. Our old grey cat loved to lay under it. I think for the warmth from lights, but our lights are led "c5" now. It took me a moment to find the kitties hidden. Love that!

 

[dragnlaw]

Great pics Larry! Sure put a smile on my face! thanks!

 

[larry_stewart]

@larry_stewart Awesome tree and memories! Our cats are unsure about the tree. Our old grey cat loved to lay under it. I think for the warmth from lights, but our lights are led "c5" now. It took me a moment to find the kitties hidden. Love that!

Surprisingly, other than Claire 17 years ago, none of them have attempted to climb it ( and we have (and had) a lot of cats. Occasionally a low hanging ornament goes missing ( and eventually found under a chair, couch or other furniture down the road).

 

[taxlady]

I have had trees knocked over and chewed on by cats, not to mention ornaments batted. Heck, one cat chewed on the "pine needles" of an artificial tree.

 

[dragnlaw]

Cannot say any of my cats have ever bothered with the tree, other than as Larry mentioned, a few ornaments batted down the hall and under a couch.
What I did have happen (may have mentioned this here before)...
the year the kids and I toiled to make ALL the decorations (other than lights). Including some beautiful 'stained glass ornament cookies' and 'popcorn' garlands. We were SO proud!

Next morning tree was down and all stained glass cookies and popcorn had been enjoyed by the dogs.

I never even found the string from the popcorn garland. Checked the backyard for a week.

 

[taxlady]

Cannot say any of my cats have ever bothered with the tree, other than as Larry mentioned, a few ornaments batted down the hall and under a couch.
What I did have happen (may have mentioned this here before)...
the year the kids and I toiled to make ALL the decorations (other than lights). Including some beautiful 'stained glass ornament cookies' and 'popcorn' garlands. We were SO proud!

Next morning tree was down and all stained glass cookies and popcorn had been enjoyed by the dogs.

I never even found the string from the popcorn garland. Checked the backyard for a week.

Good thing you had put stuff with chocolate on that tree.