-

-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

On the fifth day of Christmas - Decorating tips

Recently I've seen a lot of gorgeous pictures of tasteful and beautiful christmas decorations.  Being inspired, I decided to get a tree.
 
I love going to a tree farm.  The fresh air, the country setting, the smell of pine...
 
 
It's difficult to choose from so many beautiful specimens but do take your time as selecting the right tree is vitally important.
 
Here the selection has been narrowed down to three.  Does any one of these speak to you? 
 
 
I finally went with the one in the middle as something seemed right about that choice.
 
 
Decorating should be a joyful and meaningful experience.  I carefully chose a simple shell garland that Tom brought back from a trip to Mexico.  Can't you just feel the warmth?  A few gifts around the bottom of the tree and voila...Holiday Magic!
 
 
 
For those of you who prefer a less gaudy, more tasteful presentation, my niece sent this picture to me from thereifixedit.com.  Such beautiful simplicity. 
 
What did you expect from a grinch?

13 comments:

  1. Your little tree looks so cute. The back scratcher/tree combination is a very practical solution but I would add a string of lights on the etagere to get the best effect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Shirley, that would be perfect! I can always count on you to provide the most aesthetically pleasing suggestions. Thank you for being a discriminating voice of decorative good taste!

      Delete
  2. Hahaha. I think you chose the perfect tree. Something special about that middle one ... Amazingly, the scale is perfect so that the glass candies look exactly like gifts. Only you could make a work of art out of an auto air freshener. You and your niece share the same sense of humor, the best of all family traits! Merry continued Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I tried my best to be discerning and objective in evaluating each candidate for Christmas treedom. Alison, the niece, and I share the same small brain which makes thinking quite taxing for us. Hope you're enjoying the season, too!

      Delete
  3. Continued laughter ensues with each new post! I learned something.... I was always under the impression that the 'twelve days' were a prelude to the actual date [25th] or perhaps I was remembering a classmate whose family celebrated in that manner, culminating in her getting a car for Christmas. Thou shalt not covet - or something like that - was the lesson my Grandmother tried to instill within me that year... well, its moved from cars to other people's plants. I am sure she would be proud of her green thumbed Grandson!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abes concolor and 'Summer Chocolate' are lustworthy objects of your desire! Besides, we don't actually covet other peoples' plants, we simply admire the beauty of nature in other gardens. The whole plotting to steal them is another story but I digress.

      In the litrugical calendar, the four weeks before Christmas make up the season of Advent, a time of anticipation and preparation. Each of these weeks represents one thousand of the four thousand years between Adam and Eve and the arrival of Christ. (Really, I didn't make this stuff up.) Christmas is a 12 day feast that ends on Epiphany. This contrast between penitence/preparation and huge celebration is repeated on a grander scale with the whole Lent/Easter business. Fun.

      Delete
  4. At least you didn't go to twenty different places searching for "the perfect tree", then go back to the very first one because that's "where the perfect one was".
    Air freshener. Who invented this stuff? My whole neighborhood reeks of it. So do the people who use it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you sharing a little about your recent search for Yucca rostrata that ended up yeilding three four hundred pound Pinyons? Just wondering:)

      I was just in a car last night with one of these things in it and had to open the window to let in some fresh air to stave off nausea but sometimes it doesn't bother me.

      Delete
    2. No, the endless search for the perfect Christmas tree, which had to be real, and which was finally resolved one year when I explained that any tree would do, since it would be covered with thousands of ornaments. And would be left up until one of us began to refer to it in very uncomplimentary, unseasonal terms.

      I think things like the fiscal cliff can be blamed on too much air freshener.

      Delete
  5. Lol! Such a classic car fragrance...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, a vehicle made of metal should always inexplicably smell like a pine forest.

      Delete
  6. You have a wonderful sense of humour, made me laugh! And I LOVE the accompanying photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rosemary. May the joy of the season remain with you throughout the year!

      Delete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.