Re: How many Christmas trees do you put up each ye... - Page 4

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
None. I live alone and my family lives in another state. I always visit them for Christmas and see no point in decorating and worrying about a tree just for me.

When I was a kid, we used to always cut a fresh tree for Christmas. When I got old enough to travel long distances by car and my grandparents got too old to do that, we spent every Christmas visiting grandparents and stopping buying trees because they would be a fire hazard if left alone and there wasn't much point to having a tree for the weeks before Christmas and then throwing it out a week before Christmas. I finally talked my parents into buying a fake tree so that we could have something to decorate even if we left town for Christmas.

My parents still use a fake tree and I love seeing it up and decorated when I come home for Christmas. Aa fake tree is more convenient for them now and much better than the nothing we had for a few years when I was in elementary school.

@ChynnaBlue

I love that you get to go home for Christmas, and spend time with family. So much better than any decorations!

ChynnaBlue · ‎05-22-2012

@Mominohio wrote:
@ChynnaBlue wrote:
None. I live alone and my family lives in another state. I always visit them for Christmas and see no point in decorating and worrying about a tree just for me.

When I was a kid, we used to always cut a fresh tree for Christmas. When I got old enough to travel long distances by car and my grandparents got too old to do that, we spent every Christmas visiting grandparents and stopping buying trees because they would be a fire hazard if left alone and there wasn't much point to having a tree for the weeks before Christmas and then throwing it out a week before Christmas. I finally talked my parents into buying a fake tree so that we could have something to decorate even if we left town for Christmas.

My parents still use a fake tree and I love seeing it up and decorated when I come home for Christmas. Aa fake tree is more convenient for them now and much better than the nothing we had for a few years when I was in elementary school.
@ChynnaBlue

I love that you get to go home for Christmas, and spend time with family. So much better than any decorations!

Thank you, @Mominohio. I absolutely agree!

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RainyDayGal · ‎03-09-2010

OMG just one. That's all the energy I have. I do all of the decorating and I'm worn out from it. Bring the boxes up, decorate, take the boxes down to the basement. Then when the holidays are over bring the boxes up, put everything in the box, take it all back down. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. It takes all the fun out of it.

Buck-i-Nana · ‎09-28-2010

@Mominohio wrote:
@Buck-i-Nana wrote:
I put up 2 trees that I decorate. In the living room, it's a 6 1/2' flocked tree with white lights that I decorate with all red ornaments. In the dining/family room, it used to be another 6 1/2' tree multi (unflocked) but I purchased an as-is 5' Hallmark flocked tree with white lights last December and that will be going up in that room. I will still decorate it with my rustic decorations of birds and twigs and berries and dried flowers. May have to add some twinkling multi lights to it, we'll see.

I used to have that wonderful collection of all the ornaments and decorations my kids made and that we collected over the years and our travels. I kept them all neatly stored in a large box wrapped with Christmas gift wrap so it was always easy to find as we were military and moved a lot. In our final move I was heartbroken to discover that box disappeared in transit. Of course, we were reimbursed financially, but the true value of those ornaments couldn't be replaced. We decided to take that opportunity to make a new memory. We decided, as a family, on the rustic/woodland theme and multi color lights, took our settlement money and went shopping. It has become my favorite tree now (which is why the all white 5' tree just may have to have some multi lights added on )

I put small trees in my kitchen greenhouse window and bedrooms as well as a small tree on the front porch that I don't put ornaments on, just lights.
@Buck-i-Nana

That is a heart breaking story, to loose those precious ornaments. I'd surly shed tears over that, if it happened to me.

I do realize there is so much more to be grateful and celebrate, but that did have to hurt your heart a little.

Oh, believe me I shed many many tears over the loss. Handprint and footprint ornaments, popsicle stick ornaments, clothespin angels with their school pic faces glued to them - all gone. I still have moments that the loss gets to me. That said though, I have had the joy of helping my grandchildren create ornments now every year and they always make one for me too.

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

I just put up one real tree in the family room. Love the smell. I decorate the other rooms and usually put up a couple of fresh wreaths in those rooms so the fresh pine smell is there also. I have a red and white color scheme all through the house.

Perkup · ‎03-09-2010

@Mominohio wrote:
@Perkup wrote:

@itsmagic wrote:
We put up one tree and I decorate it almost entirely with Hallmark ornaments which I have collected over the past 30+ years. The crazy part is that I have kept all the boxes the ornaments came in so it's a big production unboxing and boxing them when it is time to put it away!
We did this for years - loved the Hallmark ornaments and had lots of the original ones as well as a couple of hundred newer ones. But two years ago, two of my Granddaughters (sisters) were newly installed in homes of their own and had no decorations. I brought down all the ornaments, set them out on the living room floor and invited the girls to share and take them all. They were so excited and spent hours together deciding who related best to each one, sharing stories and ideas. Each left with huge shopping bags full of ornaments and memories. It was one of the best ideas I've ever had. We now have one 9 foot tree, done in gold and burgundy - we love it, and it fits well with our lifestyle. We put a smaller tree on our screen porch and a lifesize Santa with other decor on the front porch. And I know all my Hallmark things are loved and will live on with new families.
@Perkup

I think you (or someone else who did the same kind of thing) posted this before. And what a wonderful and fun day that must have been. Those two young women will be telling their grandkids about that day and those treasured ornaments. I think this is just the most wonderful and heartwarming story. So much nicer for them to have received them this way, than going through your things when you are gone. This attaches such happy memories to last a lifetime.

Yes, it was me. How nice of you to remember. It was truly a special memory for me, too. They spent most of the day going through the ornaments (there were probably nearly 200 of them). The memories that were brought back and shared were just wonderful. Many things I had forgotten, but still glowed in their memory bank. I only wish I could do it all over again. Thanks again for remembering.

Sweetbay magnolia · ‎04-14-2013

One stays up year-round; it's a white tree with white lights and metallic ornaments/birds/picks. I have it lit tonight.

Another will go up in November, on the front porch. It is a red tree with red lights and I will gradually add a few apple green/gold/red ornament balls.

I have a couple of TT lit trees that will go in the kitchen. A lit ceramic tree is always present in my water closet, on a timer, and I will add another one in the room I call the "smoking room".

Other touches like holiday throws and bric-a-brac on the mantel will go out when the mood strikes me. Probably sooner, rather than later. I own a collection of dated Lenox snowmen that my Mom gave me, which I need to find a curio case for. That is my project for this year. Or, I may just set them on a table, but I'd really like to display them to be seen well. They're pretty.

Cogito ergo sum

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Perkup wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Perkup wrote:

@itsmagic wrote:
We put up one tree and I decorate it almost entirely with Hallmark ornaments which I have collected over the past 30+ years. The crazy part is that I have kept all the boxes the ornaments came in so it's a big production unboxing and boxing them when it is time to put it away!
We did this for years - loved the Hallmark ornaments and had lots of the original ones as well as a couple of hundred newer ones. But two years ago, two of my Granddaughters (sisters) were newly installed in homes of their own and had no decorations. I brought down all the ornaments, set them out on the living room floor and invited the girls to share and take them all. They were so excited and spent hours together deciding who related best to each one, sharing stories and ideas. Each left with huge shopping bags full of ornaments and memories. It was one of the best ideas I've ever had. We now have one 9 foot tree, done in gold and burgundy - we love it, and it fits well with our lifestyle. We put a smaller tree on our screen porch and a lifesize Santa with other decor on the front porch. And I know all my Hallmark things are loved and will live on with new families.
@Perkup

I think you (or someone else who did the same kind of thing) posted this before. And what a wonderful and fun day that must have been. Those two young women will be telling their grandkids about that day and those treasured ornaments. I think this is just the most wonderful and heartwarming story. So much nicer for them to have received them this way, than going through your things when you are gone. This attaches such happy memories to last a lifetime.
Yes, it was me. How nice of you to remember. It was truly a special memory for me, too. They spent most of the day going through the ornaments (there were probably nearly 200 of them). The memories that were brought back and shared were just wonderful. Many things I had forgotten, but still glowed in their memory bank. I only wish I could do it all over again. Thanks again for remembering.

@Perkup

I remember because I had a great aunt who had most of the family 'treasures' that belonged to her parents (my great grand parents). I went to visit her one day, and she gave me a number of things that went back generations, and told me stories about them. It was such a wonderful day, my son was there and got to hear the stories (and he will be the one to inherit them someday, so he will have great memories of that day too).

Each piece has a special place in my home, and every time I see them, I remember her, that day, and the wonderful stories.

I think more people who plan on passing things down should consider doing this with at least some of their things while they are still here to see the joy from those of us receiving them. I hope to be able to do it someday as well.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

Just one.

Caaareful Shopper · ‎10-09-2012

Two trees -- one in my living room, and one in my bedroom. The living room tree is the larger one at 7 & 1/2 ft. It's adorned in silver, gold, champagne, bronze, and small doses of accent colors that were on the other ornaments and trim. I add and change out ornaments because I make about half of them and I like some new ones every year. The bedroom tree is just 4 ft, the potted urn type. That one has all the sentimental ornaments, mostly ones I make that aren't the silver/gold variety, but done in splashes of vibrant color and Christmas scenes.

I start decorating the day after Thanksgiving, but I start preparing for it all (buying and painting ornaments, getting different trim, etc.) in October. I also make my Christmas card, and that planning starts now too.