oh christmas tree

It's the 8th of December, and I've had our Christmas tree for nearly two weeks, and I'm finally getting around to showing you what it looks like.

It's perfect.

However, I'm going to be honest. Right now I have two boys home from school, snuggled by the fireplace - one sleeping, the other reading (the littlest napping upstairs) - and I would much rather curl up with them and enjoy a quiet afternoon than go into lengthy detail of my tree.

Instead, I'll share lots of photos and keep my comments to a few.

This year, we visited the farm of a family friend (neighbors of my grandparents), who has been reforesting some of his land. However, he's running into overcrowding and in order to keep the trees growing healthy, he needs to thin them out to give them room. We decided they would make the perfect old fashioned Christmas trees. So into the woods we went.

 

While I add a new decoration or two, I've settled into a collection of ornaments that I love, so the look hasn't changed much. I didn't put as many on this year as the tree was quite a bit more sparse.

I added a new tree skirt, something I've been looking to buy for a while. This one is from Oliver and Rust and it's burlap with a cream lace fringe. (The pillows on the couch are also made by her.)

My ornaments are almost entirely mercury glass, most of which are from Pottery Barn or Homesense.

And while we have another tree in our family room, filled with the boys' handmade ornaments, a few special ones do get put on the living room tree. Like this snowflake Hudson made, or the thumbprint heart Willen made (note how they've decorated them - or not decorated them - to suit my taste!).

 

It really is my favourite tree. The only thing it's missing is the real tree scent. For some reason it doesn't smell as strong as a real tree from a tree farm, but there are plenty of other greens in the house to make up for it.

Next up is the fireplace!

Our Christmas Tree

I can hardly believe that Christmas morning is less than 10 days away.

I'm ready, and yet it's still coming much too quickly.

I've so enjoyed having the house decorated again.

I love how, during the Christmas season, each room becomes more inviting and cozy with fresh boughs tucked on the shelves, and potted trees adding the fresh scent of pine and soft glow of their lights.

Everything just swells with comfort and invites one to slow and linger.

 

I've even managed to start wrapping my Christmas gifts. I still need to add some finishing touches and tag them, but they add some charm underneath the tree.

I don't have a fancy tree skirt, just some old linen tucked around the tree stand.

Most of the gifts are tucked in an antique basket.

   

I love curling up bedside it on the couch, in front of the fire.

And actually, this is just one of our trees. 

We have a few...

I will share those soon.

Ps. Notice the bare spot in the middle left of the tree? My simple solution was to just tuck a bird's nest on those boughs. I forgot to take a photo of it, but it worked perfectly.

Oh Christmas Tree

It's December first today, and that means that the Christmas season has arrived.

We've cut down our tree, and started decorating the house.

We found a beautiful Blue Spruce at a local tree farm.

It's the tallest tree we've ever had - I think it's 9 feet - something I've been looking forward to since we've purchased our old home.

I've been taking my time decorating it. I love unwrapping the ornaments I've collected and received over the years, finding the perfect spot for each one. I also kept the tree slightly sparse. Just lights, my mercury glass ornaments, pinecones for some contrast and a few tiny clay bird ornaments. Oh, and one Robin's nest tucked on a bough in a slightly bare spot.

Everything is feeling much more natural this year. I selected birch covered pots to force bulbs in, strung pinecones from the tree, and assembled some of my nests nearby, and it all feels quite simple.

I love it, and I can't wait to continue throughout the rest of the house.

Happy December 1st.

A Collection of Ornaments

Over the years, I've curated what I think is a lovely collection of Christmas ornaments. Most of them are mercury glass, and have that vintage feel to them, despite being new. Some were quite a bit more expensive than others, and were picked up a couple at a time, here and there. Others are very dear to me, and are a special part of my tree.

Together they make for a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. One that I rather wish could be a part of our home for more than the few short weeks it is.

I love the different shades of mercury glass and the rustic feel the twine adds to them.

There are some that are quite in expensive, but are beautiful despite their cost. These little pine cones were found a few years ago at Target for a couple dollars on clearance.

There are about 20 ornaments that came together in a box when Zellers went out of business. I scooped them up for less than a dollar an ornament. They are all different shapes and patterns, so visually they add lots of character to the tree. But really, they're my low ornaments. The ones that curious little fingers like to turn and watch the sparkling lights in. The ones that have, on occasion, dropped off their boughs and broke in pieces. They're my "bottom bough" decorations. 

Home Sense and Winners are great sources for cheap ornaments. I purchased these round ones after Christmas last year. It was $3 for a box of 12! It was a steal.

Then, near the top, are my more expensive ornaments. The ones I've recieved as gifts and slowly collected from stores like Pottery Barn. They're beautiul.

And finally, my sentimental ornanments. The really special ones that are very dear to me.

Each year, on December 1st, I would give Jess a Christmas ornament. When she passed away, I picked out the ornaments I had given, and now at Christmas, they hang as little reminders of many Christmas memories shared.

I can hardly believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We're so excited. I have lots of do around the house, but I can't wait!

Christmas in the Living Room and Handmade Gift Tags

After nearly a week of dull, rainy days, last night brought the most wonderful of surprises.

Our family had attended Willen's Christmas play at school, and then came back to our house to spend the evening celebrating with him. When they opened the door to leave, the sky was a flurry of thick fluffy snowflakes. And by the time my mother in law left, the ground was covered and we couldn't help but exclaim "It's snowing!".

The thought of enjoying a classic white Christmas was beginning to seem more unlikely with each passing, dismal day.

However, with less than a week before Christmas Eve, our hopes of a white Christmas may just come true.

 

 

Once again, I've wrapped our gifts in classic brown paper and an assortment of cream ribbons and twines. I've also made some pretty handmade gift tags.

I made these gift tags a month ago. The blank tags came in packages of 16 for $1.50 at Michael's. I used a collection of Christmas stamps I had purchased last year online to make my own gift tags.

Another delightful white surprise yesterday was a blooming Paperwhite bulb. We had picked some up when we bought our Christmas tree. It's the first of a few bulbs to bloom that we are forcing around the house.

I couldn't help but laugh at Hudson, who was cozy on the chair beside the Christmas tree. He just snuggled, blanket in hand, the whole time I took pictures.