New tree, old ornaments.

This blog was started before Christmas but things got in the way of me finishing and posting it, so here it is now.




I decided to buy a new tree this year. I haven't really put up a full size tree for several years. Last year I used a Charlie Brown tree. I thought I had a picture of it, but here is a link so you can see it if you want to have a look-see.
I love my Charlie Brown tree and plan to put it up in the bathroom this year.

Some years I use the nice little wall tree referenced here. It can also be a stand up tree if you open up the branches and attach its stand. Either way it's a pretty little tree and looks nice with my snowmen and candy ornaments.

This year I decided I wanted a new tree because I wanted a pre-lit version. I bought a nice little seven foot tree with all white lights. I really prefer multi-colored lights, but decided to try the white. I figure I can always add a couple of strands of color if I decide I want them. For this year, though, I just used it the way it is.

Logan decorated the bottom for me







I decorated the top and put the garland on. It turned out nice. There is only one thing I can't figure out. There is no way to effectively attach a tree topper if it weighs more than a couple of ounces. They need to make artificial trees with a piece that sticks up from the top that can hold the weight of a tree-topper. I used to have a nice angel tree-topper, but it started looking like it was going to burn up. I bought a nice star this year because the angels all looked like Barbie dolls dressed in costume.


I had to nestle it in the branches near the top and while that looks ok, I would have liked to have placed it on top of the tree. Maybe I will make a nice new angel one from a toilet paper roll. My very first tree topper was made from a toilet paper roll. I wrapped it in gold foil paper and put a nice little angel package decoration on it. I used it for years but if finally died. Here are some close-ups of some of the other ornaments that are still with me after many years.

I have a lot of ornaments that make decorating a big tree nostalgic for me. I bought these ornaments for my very first tree when I was 19 years old and moved into a little house of my own. ($85.00 a month rent! haha.) These ornaments have been with me all my adult life and go on the tree every year unless I use one of my smaller trees. A few of them have died over the years, but I still have most of them 41 years later.

















One that my sister's kids decorated and gave to me for Christmas presents one year. I love these, too!


Keri made this one in 1982.


And her daughter Rhyan made this one, but I don't have a year for it.


I always include a selection of the kids's school project ornaments on my tree each year.





I made this one in the seventies.


These I hand painted in the early seventies. These are the "bottom" ornaments that the kids put on the tree unless I have a child living here. In that case they get their own tree and these go on that. My kids had their own trees in their bedrooms so they could decorate and undecorate to their heart's content!

Today's big news!

Ok...twice now I hit the enter button instead of the tab and published my post with an empty space where the blog should have been! haha. I so need a brain. If anyone has an extra one, please send it my way.


So on to my big news! I painted most of my living room today. I will finish it tomorrow, but I wanted the bird's area to be completely dry and hardened before I put them back in place. I also need to nail down the floor trim. Even though I will be replacing the floor, I want the trim down for now. It could be awhile before I get the floor done in here. I have other things that will need to be done before I can do the floor. I have some trim that was given to me free and so it is no loss if I don't keep it. The walls are long enough that I will only have to do minimal cutting so I could still use it again if I like.

I would post a picture showing the paint, but it is too late now. I will take some pics tomorrow and post them then.

The color is green, but it is a very specific green that I took from the rug that was down on the floor when I decided that I wanted to paint. I am such a good procrastinator, though, that the rug is now long gone. I still like the color, though, and especially now that it is on the walls. It is a bright green. I would describe it as a light olive green with lime thrown in for fun. When people ask me I tell them it is "pukey" green. That's the nearest I can do, but I love it and it's exactly what I wanted. I NEVER pay full price for paint because I can mix my own colors, so I always buy returned paints. Always, that is, until I wanted this color. I hand picked this color and paid the full price to be sure it was what I wanted. The ceiling and trim are white. I'm not sure what the floor will be yet. I got couch covers that are striped in gray, tan, white and brown. I am going to use a lot of brown accents. I think I will make a cover for the little waiting room couch in either gray or the white. I haven't decided yet. I want the curtains to be brown, but I might change my mind about that. I have to go look at fabric before I make a final decision. I am so excited to finally have a decorated living room again. It should be done before summer. I'm not sure if I can get it done before my birthday or not. Cost will be a factor in that because I will need a rug and I want a square one and they are not easy to find and not cheap when found.
I'm just so excited to finally be decorating my living room. It's been a long time coming.

It may not be the most exciting news in the world to anyone else, but to me it is BIG news! LOL.