Oh Christmas Tree

How many Christmas trees do you have in your house? We have two and each are special in their own way. The little table top tree was the only tree Brad and I had as a married couple up until we moved back to Michigan. We'd always lived in apartments and didn't have room for much more. It was kinda sad to only have such a little tree to gussy up each year.
For ER's first Christmas, she and I were in Michigan for December. So our own home wasn't even decorated that year, poor Brad must have been lonely without any holiday cheer back in Santa Fe. We enjoyed the trees both Grandma's put up, and by the looks of it ER was certainly fascinated with Grandma Norma's mini tree!

I am glad we had moved into our house for ER's second Christmas. Not only did we get a tree we got a BIG tree, a nine foot prelit one to be exact. Brad got up crazy early on Black Friday that year and bought not one but two trees before ER and I had even gotten up. He returned one after he saw the one we have and liked it so much better. I love this picture of ER checking out our brand new tree for the first time. That was a fun year because it was the first time she'd seen her own home all decorated in it's Christmas glory. Last year we had fun decorating, but like I shared in Trimming the Tree, this year she's really into all the decorations and much more aware of what's going on.
In ER's room most of the ornaments on her little tree are sweet treats like gingerbread girls, cupcakes, and candies. It's a very pink and girly tree indeed and so much fun to put up, there's even a faux gum drop garland wrapped around it. On top is a glittery house and the whole thing sits on her changing table, along with the NOEL letters I decoupaged and one of our many singing snowmen from Hallmark. Next to it are the foam princess castle and trees that she made with Daddy last year.
Downstairs in our great room is our main tree. We add a new ornament or two, or in this year's case three so far, each year. I really like the cute penguin trio that Hallmark has carried the past few years so we have a couple of those along with the first two of Santa's Sweet Ride. I haven't added the newest ones yet but would like to, along with the newest in the Making Memories series. We also have a collection of Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments, guess whose those are.

Like many of you, we have several childhood favorites on our tree, including the dough boot with my name on it, in the top collage. Our tree is and probably will always be a mish mash of things, definitely not a designer tree! I love taking out favorites year after year as well as making our own to add to the collection.
Finishing up our holiday decorations are things I've put out all over the great room. The table in the top left is actually an antique sewing machine base that my parents had made into a table for me, last Christmas. I love the detail of the base and on top of it is a special disco Santa, that you can kind of see. Brad won that years ago when he was a kid and the hat lights up. Another favorite is in the bottom left corner, that's a vintage postcard that I got at an antiques fair, you can still read the message through the glass on the back.

The gold ornament holder is almost filled with porcelain Lenox snowflakes, we've gotten one each year from my MIL since our first year as a married couple. You might also notice that I have a lot of sugared fruits in my decorations, cause I can never pass up anything glittery! The red glittered fruit topiaries are one the first holiday decorations Brad and I bought as a married couple, way back when we lived in CA and I just love seeing them each year.

If you're here from one of the following blog link parties, thank you for visiting! If you're talented with a sewing machine, you might want to check out my You Can Make This giveaway, and if you're looking for a fun last minute gift, please consider entering my Storytime Friends giveaway!

This post has been added to the following blog linkies:
Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash, at A Baby Changes Everything
The Girl Creative's Creating Christmas Blog Fest
Christmas Tree Lane, A Tour of Homes at Brixton Lane,
Home for the Holidays at Southern Hospitality
Funky Junk's Interiors' Christmas Trees Unite
Hooked on Holiday House Tours at Hooked on Houses
Holiday Linky Friday at The Inspired Room
Tip Junkie's Virtual Tour of Homes, Holiday Edition and
Christmas Tour of Homes at The Nester

Digital Sources:

• Digital Collage: quick collage templates: Scrapbook Etc. Magazine, font: CK handprint, digital elements from the Merry Bright Kit by Ellie Lash
• Sweetest Tree: quick collage template: Scrapbook Etc. Magazine, font: CK Handprint, all other elements from Sugar Cookie by Megan Turnidge
• Christmas Decorations: quick collage template: Scrapbook Etc. Magazine, font: CK Handprint, all other elements Seasonal Sampler and Holiday Magic: Shabby Princess