Yesterday was one of those days where I was mildly, and sometimes not so mildly, irritated all day. It started with the discovery that my email had been hacked (don’t open any links from me) and went on from there.
You know that sort of day, don’t you?
When the time came around to decorate the tree, neither of us felt like it. I started to doze in my chair. Don started to doze in his chair. Thank goodness for my husband, who eventually said, “Let’s put on some Christmas music.”
And off we went.
Simple. I have to tweak a few things, some segments of cord are bit too evident, but this is basically it. Our ornaments are a collection of vintage Shiny Brites that I’ve gathered over the years and ornaments that have a special meaning for us.
Since the tree is in the den, I can’t really get a distance shot. Even these shots involve some gymnastics on my part.
I love them all, but my favorites are the bottle brush ornaments. They’re big and old-fashioned and I think they provide some wonderful contrast to the rest of the ornaments, giving the eye a place to land for a moment or two.
The Necco Snow Globe is in its new holiday home on our bookshelves. For those of you who are newer to the blog, I found this vintage Necco Candy jar a few years ago and fell in love with it. It’s quite large and was clearly used for display in a store. I lived not too far from the factory where Necco candy is made when I resided in Cambridge, so that makes this even more special. It has graduated sides with a definite Art Deco feel (love Art Deco, always have.)
The font on the lid of the jar is definitely Art Deco.
It holds various things throughout the year. Sometimes I leave it empty. At Christmas time, it becomes a snow globe. By the way, I use Kosher Salt for the snow. The kind of fake snow you can buy in the store doesn’t do it for me. The pieces are too big. Kosher Salt works beautifully.
There’s a wreath on the door. The lights are up on the porch. I’m still debating whether to put the little white tree in the living room this year.
I probably will.
I use less and less each year. I think it works better. Those decorations that I do use stand out more.
I got a late night call from a former colleague of mine last night and I’m going to do a wee bit of coaching for him tomorrow, which means I’ll be traveling to Manhattan. Don and I are planning to go into the city on Sunday, as well. He has a quick meeting with his new agents and then we’ll pop on over to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, something we always plan to do, but rarely get to do.
There will be a book review on Just Let Me Finish This Page today. I’m off to write it right now!
Happy Thursday.
I just knew it would be magical! So pretty and I just love the snow globe. I have been thinking about making one. That jar is just perfect. Have a wonderful day!!
Hugs
Thanks, Nancy! You, too!
Claudia, I really love your tree. Love those bottle brush ornaments also. I have a lot of shiny brites but don’t put them on the tree right now. Between small grand hands and my cat they just would not be safe. Love Love the snow globe! The jar is so amazing and so glad you use it year round. Enjoy your adventures into New York and what a lovely sight the Rockefeller tree must be!
hugs,
Linda
Scout, thankfully, doesn’t have any interest in the tree!
Your tree is *gorgeous*! I absolutely love it. Have fun in Manhattan and going to Rockefeller Center – sounds like a fun day.
Manhattan tomorrow for work and then Manhattan on Sunday for pleasure!
I love your tree! We haven’t had a real tree in years. I also use the shiny brite ornaments every year they are my favorites. I need to look for a jar to make a snow globe. Take care.
Shiny Brites are wonderful, aren’t they? We also have some reproduction Shiny Brites, which are nice, but frankly – too bright! You need the faded look of vintage.
Claudia, I love your tree !!!! Simple and perfect. No themes, no over the the top banners, no flashing lights, no commercialism. Just mementos and memories of your life together and the spirt of Christmas.
Our tree is full of memories and things we’ve collected over the years,too, including ornaments from our childhood. Half the fun of decorating is unwrapping the ornaments and reminiscing about them.
Enjoy your day in the City,
Vanessa
No themes ever in this house, Vanessa. The very thought makes me shudder!
Your tree looks very pretty. I love your snow globe so much that I am going to walk over to an import shop on my lunch break to see if they have a suitable container.
Enjoy your trip into Manhattan. I read somewhere that FAO Schwarz sells L. Delaney miniatures – might be fun to look if you have a moment.
Really??? Oh boy! I’ll stop in for sure!
Your bottlebrush ornaments really stand out on your tree…it’s beautiful! I’m inspired to make a snow globe like yours, minus the neat jar of course! I’ve got a tree, kosher salt, and a jar…should be good to go. I’m feeling crafty today! Enjoy your day! ;)
Have fun, Donnamae!
I often wonder what the children of the people who do “themed trees” will have as their memories. Our 41 year old daughter was here this year when we decorated our tree. As we went through the ornaments we had stories about nearly every one of them. Changing the theme of your tree is something I don’t understand. Does your storage area then have bins labeled “pink theme”, “turquoise theme”, “jungle theme”….. or do you just toss them every year and start over again (and again)?
So fun to look forward to a day in the city on Sunday! Glad you added the ornies to the tree. It looks quite happy now!
I wonder the same thing. Even as a child, I needed and wanted the tree to look familiar, full of well-loved ornaments. I think I would have rolled my eyes had my mother done ‘theme’ trees!
Well, I love a Christmas tree without a theme.
Claudia, the teasers at the bottom of your blog are inviting. I am finding posts that I never read, including one about Scout watching the wild turkeys in the backyard. It’s from April, 2008. She looks gorgeous, and so border collie-ish , in your photograph, intently evaluating those turkeys.
I remember that post! I had just been blogging for about a month and half!
Your tree is so very pretty! Just the right amount of ornaments to showcase the lovely lines. Enjoy the tree in NYC :-) When we lived in the NorthEast, we were so very fortunate to drive into the city and see the tree several times. For native Texans, it was a TREAT!!!! We also got to take in a Rockettes show at Radio City—check that off the bucket list!!! Did you happen to see the tiny (about the size of a ping pong ball) Putz like houses at Michael’s? Our local store has two different ones–the house and a church. Those would be so cute in a pint sized jar of some sort :-)
No, I didn’t see them! But I’m always overwhelmed when I get in Michael’s and usually try to get everything I need and then get out of there fast!
Love the tree. We do ours up in vintage ornaments every year too. As we pull each one out we always say oh this one is the best, or this is the prettiest. Of course they are all special to us no matter their condition.
The jar snow globe is so cute. They sure don’t make jars with that much character anymore.
I’m thinking about trying to make your one bottle brush ornament. It looks like if I take five small trees and join them to make the star and I already have shiny pipe cleaners and a small little ornament for the center. Hope it works, love it.
Kathleen
Go for it, Kathleen! Sounds like a great way to make your own.
What an amazing life, to just be able to pop over to Manhattan! And to see that Rockefeller tree. Wow. I will tap down my envy! Hope the weather isn’t initimidating. We’re about to get rain in SoCal so are doing the happy dance. I think your tree is magnificent and I’d discovered your Necco jar just this week. You answered my unspoken question as to whether or not you glued anything down…which you don’t…since you use the jar for other things. I like to take a jar or any kind of glass dome/canister and fill it with sparkly glass-ball ornaments. Glad the music put you in the mood. Oh, and I fear hacking. Even with virus protection and firewall, I’ve had a few weird things come thru on email I don’t click on and same for the phone…despite DO NOT CALL signup, I don’t know how the annoying telemarketers get through. It’s a season of sometimes not good cheer when it comes to the bad guys wanting to take advantage. Anyway, have a great weekend trip!
Yes, I have a huge email list, partly because of blogging here for almost 7 years, and all my theater contacts, so it went out to a LOT of people. Thankfully, most people are savvy about that kind of link and don’t click on it. I called my dad to let him know, just in case. And I wrote about here and on Facebook, so that, and changing my passwords, is about all I can do!
Don’t they have anything better to do with their time?
Your tree is gorgeous, Claudia. To begin with, it’s perfectly-shaped. Did you just luck out or did you do some clever trimming? And I’m sure the decorating was somewhat of a chore, but when you finished, I know you had to be really pleased. Time will spent, and it looks great. I love the glass jar of yours too. Good tip about kosher salt. One more thing it can be used for – faux snow. I like what you said about having fewer decorations each year, and it DOES make things stand out better. Less time putting it up/taking it down and more enjoyment in the meantime. Win-win situation. Have fun in New York in the next few days. Once my Mom was an empty-nester, she went to NYC for a Christmas weekend with her high school girlfriends just about every year for 20+ years and loved it. They always did a ton of things, but 3 of the regulars were the Rockefeller Center tree, the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall and either a lunch or a dinner somewhere in Little Italy.
We lucked out, but our local nursery, where we buy our tree every year, always has beautiful trees.
I still haven’t put up the small, white tree we usually have in the living room. I’ll wait and see on that one!
The tree looks great Claudia. One question: where are the ornaments you’ve made each month??? I thought I spied one, but can’t tell as it was turned….
Enjoy NYC!
Patricia
They’re not on the tree, Patricia. I never planned to use them on this tree.
LOVE your tree with the vintage ornaments! My tree is a collection of the past 35 years of marriage. I think theme trees are pretty but I love the mish-mash of our ornament collection.
Perfect way to put it, Lynn Marie. I do, too.
It’s beautiful!
Love all the vintage decorations. The Necco globe… a favorite, always!
This is why I love your blog, you express your feelings to us. Your tree is
beautiful and beautifully decorated. Had to make a couple of comments before
moving onto your book blog.