Well, here she is in all her glory. After such a disaster with the tree last year, I am happy to report that we got a BEAUTY this year! We went back to our beloved tree tent and picked the prettiest Frasier Fir we could find. She is 7.5 feet of fantastic smelling, gorgeous green needles and so far the girls have stayed far enough away that the tree is alive and intact. This is a blessing, friends.
I think some of my favorite parts of the tree are the star and the burlap ribbon. Last year was the first year we hung the moravian lantern above the tree and I don’t know if I’ll ever go back. We got that as a wedding gift almost ten years ago and it’s still one of my favorite things. I just put a cup hook in the ceiling and stuffed it with a short strand of lights — it really makes the room when the lights are down low! The burlap was a 10 inch roll that I purchased at the craft store to replace the glittery mesh I normally use. I really wanted it to be more homespun and I’m really happy with how it looks.
The real star of the show, however, is that beautiful tree skirt! I was really worried that it wouldn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped, but I could not be happier. After reading this post over at Miss Mustard Seed, I knew I wanted to try it. It was crazy because literally the next day, I began to see pins on Pinterest of very similar skirts. I usually just pile antique quilts under the tree, but I’ve been dreaming of a real tree skirt for awhile. Two canvas drop cloths, 25 sticks of hot glue, 18 hours of football watching and $36 later… I’m in love.
I don’t really do a “theme” tree, we just use all of the ornaments we’ve collected over the years. These include wedding gifts, ornaments from trips we’ve taken, things the girls have made and keepsakes from my tree growing up. I love the eclectic look of all the different colors and materials.
This little spot tickles me every time. Nothing says “Ella” like Hello Kitty and Reese’s Cups!
And even though they aren’t the greatest pictures, I had to share a few iPhone snaps from the morning we decorated our tree. These two girlies were very proud! Be sure to visit tomorrow when I’ll share photographs from our annual IHOP breakfast and tree hunt.
