Rustic Glam Christmas Table

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I love setting the table and I look forward to setting my Christmas table every year.  I try not to do the same thing but I love my Christmas punch bowl so much that it will probably be the centerpiece for many years!

This year I was going for a rustic glam look – not so fussy but not so rustic that you will get tetanus!  The natural wood table and fresh noble fir clippings make it rustic.  The crystal goblets add a touch of glam! 

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Rustic Glam Christmas Table

I loved my table from last year, but after the kitty cat broke my tulipiere playing with a tablecloth, I have shied away from using my Christmas tablecloth this year!

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

The Christmas china is by Juliska – “Winter Frolic”.

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

The tartan chargers I got at Williams Sonoma on a wild goose chase last year trying to track down 12 of them! 

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

My new little handmade spice topiaries… I think I’ll do a separate post on them later! 

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

A birds eye view…

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

I love shooting Christmas trees at night.  I actually love this one in the dining room because the dining room is usually so dark. 

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

A little birdie is tucked into the greenery. 

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

A look from afar… I lit the candles! 

Rustic Glam Christmas Table

Do you ever dine by candle light?  I suggest trying it if you don’t… it takes an ordinary meal into an extraordinary one! 

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Dinner plates

similar tartan plates

similar napkins

Christmas tree

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Steiff Animal Tree

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My favorite tree this year is the Steiff animal tree.  Isn’t it cute?

My Mother and I both collect these little Steiff ornaments.  We combine our collections together to make this tree – bad part is, we no longer can remember which ornament belongs to whom! 

For those who don’t know about Steiff, it is the German stuffed animal company who created the first Teddy Bear.  The mohair stuffed animals to this day are all hand made (I even visited the factory in Germany!)

Not *all* of these are ornaments – some of them are miniature stuffed animals but we just set them in the tree. 

I always have a hard time choosing my favorite ornament on this tree.

I think it is the kitten in the mitten below, but really, they are all adorable. 

This year the Steiff tree itself was changed- it used to be on a small green tree but we got this new flocked tree. I love the animals on the flocked tree better.  This flocked tree was unique because it had the small string lights but then also larger bulbs.  It helps light up the tree!



I hope you enjoyed my favorite tree as much as I do.


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Christmas Cocktail Dresses, Shoes and more

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Five on Friday!

Hooray hooray it is Friday!!  Did you all have a nice week?  I’ve got my hair cut and now I am ready for Holiday Parties!!  Speaking of Holiday parties… do you have an outfit to wear?

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Party Dresses

Gold Sequin Dress

Black dress 

White Dress

Beautiful Green Dress

Off the Shoulder


Peek a Boo Sheath

Lace and Sequin Dress

Lace Off the Shoulder Dress

Embellished Sheath Dress – Only $65!

Pretty Evening Shoes 

Well, initially I thought I would just look at pretty dresses, but with pretty dresses you need to wear pretty shoes… 

so I found myself looking at pretty evening shoes. 

Glitter Pumps in Silver – timeless and classic 

Manolo Blahnik Evening shoes (they come in flats too!)

Ever since these were on Sex and the City I have been dreaming of owning a pair.

Royal Evening Pumps – fast shipping and lots of color options

Cute Bow pumps at a nice price!

Another cute bow shoe! These are SO CUTE

Floral Wrap heels These would go great with a black dress

Angel Wing heels – I saw these in person. They are so fun!

Let’s be honest though. I can dream of wearing beautiful stilettos like these

but in reality I would likely wear something like these: Cute Glitter Kitten Heels

Christmas House Tour


Have you missed my Christmas House Tour?? Visit Part 1 here and Part 2 here! Yes it was so big I had to put it into two posts!!

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I love these little vintage ornaments in my antique Limoge teacups. This is my kind of Christmas decor. . . . #christmasdecorations #christmasornament #christmasdecor #christmas2016

A photo posted by Cedar Hill Farmhouse (@cedarhillfarmhouse) on

Monday Morning minis #patinafarm #ojai #minidonkey

A photo posted by Brooke Giannetti (@velvetandlinen) on

Five

I don’t have a “five”today. Have a nice weekend – back tomorrow with another post for 25 days of Christmas!


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Christmas at Roger’s Gardens 2016

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Here is a look at my favorite store in the USA to buy Christmas decorations… Roger’s Gardens!! Have you ever been?? It is located in Newport Beach, CA. 

Visiting there is such a dream during Christmas time!

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They have SO many different trees decorated in different styles that you are sure to see something you like! 

I won’t do much talking and let the pictures talk instead. But I did love this tinsel tree below:

And I love these little handmade trees – but they are $750!

This room was SUPER COOL – they had icicles dripping from the ceiling…

I wanted this kitty ornament but it was out of my ornament price range.

I love these little snowmen…

Aren’t all of these santas cute too?

I thought this under-the-sea tree was super inventive!

Perfect for a kitchen tree… maybe my chef tree needs some more food ornaments?

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Farmhouse Christmas Decor – Thursday Favorite Things

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Welcome to Thursday Favorite Things! I had so much fun last week going through many of your posts – I just love the Christmas season, don’t you?

Plus, it gets dark at 5pm so my body clock thinks it is bedtime so I find myself blogging/reading more in the Winter!

This week I have rounded up some fabulous vintage Farmhouse Christmas decorating ideas!

The Painted Hinge shared this vintage farmhouse free printable gift tags! Aren’t they cute??

A Porch with a View shared this wonderful walnut tree tutorial.  I love decorating with natural elements, especially for the Fall and Winter!

Five Marigolds shared DIY Christmas ornaments for kids using bottle brush trees! 

Adirondack Girl at Heart shared these cute vintage bottlebrush tree decorations! 

Don’t forget to check out our Thursday Favorite Things Pinterest Board 


Katherine’s Corner
Peonies and Orange Blossoms
Reinvented Collection
Surrounding’s by Debi
Marilyn’s Treats
Vintage Mama’s Cottage


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Christmas House Tour 2016 Part 2

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Welcome to PART 2 of my Christmas Home tour! If you missed Part 1, you can start here.
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A French country Christmas

Today we start off our tour at the fireplace.  Quimper stockings line the fireplace… and a stocking for our Chloé cat! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

Instead of greenery on the mantel, this year the fireplace is lined with my Steiff snowman collection!  The one on the far right is new this year -stuffed him in my suitcase and hauled it back from Germany! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

The bedroom is more French country… I love decorating with tartan and tartan bedding is my favorite!  The wool blanket is from Pendleton.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

A pretty floral arrangement in Christmas colors brighten up the room!

Christmas floral arrangement

The armoire is decked out with garland.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

The romantic cottage French tree brightens the bedroom at night.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

A little Frenchy vignette with dried pink roses and mercury glass Christmas trees.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

I love this woodland deer! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

A few little Christmas villages are sprinkled here and there…

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

My favorite pyramid is so much fun at night!

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

The chef tree is back this year! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

Ms. Mora has some colorful branches on top of her face.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

One last look…

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

I hope you all enjoyed my Christmas house tour!

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Christmas House Tour 2016 Part 1

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Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!  Welcome to this year’s Christmas house tour!!

My Christmas decorating is mainly a mixture of German Christmas decorations with French Country Farmhouse Style!

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 German Christmas decorations with French Country Farmhouse Style!

 

First, let’s take a look at my Santa nutcrackers and smokers.  These are all made in Germany.

Santa Nutcracker Display

My favorite nutcracker remains my first nutcracker which is the one with the deer on the left.

Santa Nutcracker Display

Although these are all pretty cute too!!

Santa Nutcracker Display

The sleigh is full of greenery and my vintage style snowman ornament.

Farmhouse Christmas decorating inspiration

Oh, what’s that? My *favorite* Christmas tree… the Steiff animal tree!  New this year is the flocked tree… I love the way the animals look on the flocked tree!

Flocked animal tree

In the same room is the woodland style tree.  I love how we decorated it this year.  I moved the cardinal for the tree topper on this tree and love him here!

Woodland Christmas Tree

Next to the woodland tree is the woodland Santa.  He is sitting on antique French table with some French mirrors.  I huge the boxwood wreath on the mirror and like it there this year.

French Christmas Decorating Ideas

Mr. Swan is always decked out for the holidays… this time with Christmas poinsettias and greenery.  I made christmas acorns, you can find my DIY instructions here.

French Christmas Decorating Ideas

Some hallway decor… love my JOY banner from MK… got it on clearance sale! Woot!

Farmhouse Christmas decorating ideas

Last year this garland was on the fireplace mantel… this year I moved it to the hallway so you see it when you enter the front door. I like it here!

magnolia garland decorating ideas

I love this new tree from Classic Trees. It goes from colored to white lights.  Read about the tree and how I decorated it in my full post here.

Colorful Christmas tree

Here is a sneak peek at my Christmas table this year, coming to you in a future post…

Green and red Christmas Table

A look at my vaisselier which I have decorated with pinecones, dried seeded eucalyptus and German glitter houses.

French Christmas decor

A Look at it at night!  I love these little starry LED lights, don’t you? I use them everywhere during the Winter.

French Christmas decor with putz glitter houses

One last look at the tree in the dining room…

Traditional classic vintage tree

…the tour continues here, visit part two!  I have too many pictures for one post!

 

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Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Macarons

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When I was thinking of what to bake for this year’s holiday dessert, I was actually inspired by Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Jo-Jo’s. Never had them? They are like Oreos but with flakes of candy cane in the filling. So I thought, how I can French-it-up?

And the peppermint chocolate ganache macaron was born.

These are seriously the best macarons I have *ever* made.

Materials needed: (affiliate links are used for your convenience)

    • a food scale (yes, you need this. I use this one)
    • a piping tip and piping bag (I like the ateco #806, I use these tips and piping bag)
    • Food coloring (the gels or dry powder works best, not the liquid store stuff)
    • A macaron template
    • food processor (I use this one)

I also couldn’t stop taking pictures of them.

Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Macarons
Chocolate Macaron Shells (get the printable recipe HERE)

260g almond flour

250g powdered sugar

15g cocoa powder

210g granulated sugar

210g egg whites
brown food coloring, *optional*

1.  Mix almond meal, cocoa powder, and the powdered sugar in a food processor. Be careful not to grind too long, otherwise it will form a paste.

2. Sift the almonds, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Set aside.

3. Weigh out granulated sugar.

4. Weigh the egg whites.  Beat them slowly on a low speed until foamy. SLOWLY add the granulated sugar to the egg whites as you beat.  Once all mixed, increase speed to medium and beat until a firm meringue forms.  You want a firm meringue with glossy peaks but not stiff peaks.  They should defy gravity and remain in the bowl if you turn it upside down.  If you tilt your bowl to the side and they are sliding out, keep beating.

5. Add the food coloring gel and mix.  To make mine a richer brown color, I used “chocolate brown” food coloring.

6. Then fold in 1/3rd of the almond/sugar mixture into the meringue with a silicone spatula.  Once combined, add another third of the almond mixture. Add last bit.  This batter requires more deflation during this step since it creates such a poofy meringue.

7. Add the batter to a piping bag.  Pipe in rows using your template onto parchment paper.

8. Pick up the pan and beat until the counter.  The cookies need to rest on the counter between 30-60 minutes.  They are ready to go in the oven when they are dry to touch (the shell shouldn’t stick to your finger)

9.  Set the oven to 300F.

10. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes one sheet at a time. They are done when they look kind of matte and seem firm when you lightly tap on them.  You can always rescue a slightly overcooked one with the maturation process that comes later, but you cannot rescue an undercooked one!!

11.  Remove from paper once completely cool. If they stick they stick to the paper, they aren’t cool yet.


Peppermint Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
9 ounces dark chocolate chips (or bittersweet chocolate, chopped)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp – 1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp salt
crushed candy canes in a separate bowl

  1. In a sauce pan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat (the purpose of this is to get the cream hot enough to melt the chocolate!)
  2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for a minute.
  3. Add the peppermint, salt, and butter. Whisk until glossy and smooth. (If you like your ganache more pepperminty, add 1 tsp, if less, then add 3/4 tsp)
  4. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour  (If you chill it too long until it is hard, that’s okay, just use a spoon to whip it up and it will get soft again!)
  5. Once chilled, scoop the ganache into a piping bag with a round tip.  Pipe on one of side for the macaron at the edge.  Place the other macaron shell on, sandwiching the ganache in the center.
  6. Roll the macaron in the crushed candy canes in the bowl so that they stick to the ganache!
  7. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate! These taste best served the next day, so resist the urge and let them rest overnight! They will keep for several days in the fridge in an airtight container.

I feel like I could sell these they were so good!

 

 

I’ve included some outtakes from this photoshoot.  Chloé the cat decided to do some photobombing and I thought I’d share…

***Jaws Theme Music Starts***

 

 

Why yes, I’l take a lick of the candy cane…

She left… then came back for another round. “What?” she says??

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Christmas China – Plates and Dinnerware

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I *love* Christmas dinnerware so I thought today we could look at some Christmas china!

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I wrote about Christmas china several years ago, however new patterns have been released!

Prouna Nutcracker Plates – aren’t they fun?

Vietri  – hip and modern!

 

Christmas Tree Grove by Spode – very old world feeling!

 

Villeroy and Boch Toy’s Delight – I love the edge on this plate, don’t you?

 

Metallic Merry Plates – perfect and simple.

 

Fiesta Dinnerware Twelve Day of Christmas plates – love 12 days of Christmas!!

 

Juliska Country Estate Winter Frolic Scalloped Edge Plates – These are what I own!

 

Villeroy And Boch Christmas Tree Plate – I have always loved this pattern.

 

Spode Christmas in Gold – perfect for a formal setting!

 

Christmas Foliage Collection – wouldn’t these look nice in a stack of plates with tartan??

 

Winter Ball Collection – these remind me of old transferware plates!

 

Vietri Christmas tree plates – love the trees!

Holiday icon plates – I can see these appetizer plates at a “hip” party.

 

Snowman Plates – perfect for snowman lovers!

 

 

Juliska Winter Games appetizer plates – there are 12 and they are all different!

 

Vietri Snowman Salad Plate

 

Deerly Loved Plates – perfect for a Scandinavian Christmas theme!

 

Nutcracker Plates – aren’t these fun and colorful?

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Animal Wreaths, Christmas, and more! – 5 on Friday

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25 Days of Christmas! 

Several years ago during my first year of blogging, I blogged for 25 days of Christmas. I had a lot of fun doing it! I haven’t done it in several years so I thought I would do it again this year!  For the 25 days of Christmas I will be blogging about… Christmas! HOORAY!  Some posts will be detailed and longer, others might just be a picture or two.
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Animal Wreaths

I was surfing the net when I came across these animal wreaths by Linda Dalziel.  She makes them all by hand.  Aren’t they CUTE?!?!?!  You can order them through her Facebook page!! All of the pictures below are from her page.

Spotted… Christmas bag!

How cute is this Gingerbread house bag???

The Crown

Did you finish watching the Crown? I did!!! Did you love it? I did! I love period dramas.  Does anyone have any show suggestions for me that are similar??  I don’t want to say much in fear of spoiling it, but then it’s not like her life isn’t well known to the world.  

I have already watched Mr. Selfridge and The Paradise.

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Advent Calendars and the 25 days of Christmas!

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Happy December everyone!  This post is a little late today but I wanted to share a Christmas post every day for the 25 Days of Christmas!!

I thought talking about the advent calendar would be a perfect way to celebrate the 1st day of Christmas!

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I *love* my gingerbread advent calendar.  It is made of wood and every year I stuff it with miniature ornaments.  Then everyday I open a new door and get a new ornament to put on the tree!

I use the same miniature ornaments every year but you see I put them in the box in January and store them year-long in this box.  By December I have forgotten what I put in there!  

Occasionally my husband or Mom sneaks something into a door so it is a surprise! 

This year though they gave my something special – a Diptyque advent calendar!  I am SO excited!

 Here it is opened…

Here is today’s surprise! a mini figurie candle! 

This is a fancy advent calendar, but they don’t all have to be! I like the chocolate stuffed ones and even the paper ones! 

 Advent calendars started in the 1800s.  Advent marks the beginning of the Christmas season for many churches.  In 1839, the first public Advent wreath was hung in Hamburg, Germany.  In 1902, the first printed Advent calendar was made.  After that, each year the calendar evolved eventually into a calendar with 24 little doors.


The traditional advent calendars only revealed a picture behind their doors, but soon began to include chocolate and toys.

 There are lots of different ones.  This one below is similar to mine, the Christmas House Advent Calendar.

I love this Christmas tree one! I think my cousin has it.

 Isn’t this Santa chimney one fun?

This galvanized tin one is perfect for farmhouse style decor.

Isn’t this stocking tree calendar cute?

This snowman one is super cute! 

This one is adorable and is from Villeroy and Boch with porcelain goodies!

Not all advent calendars go on the wall or table… here is a charm bracelet! A new charm for everyday! Isn’t it clever??

Isn’t this nativity one cute?

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linking up at: amaze me monday The Scoop! Make it Pretty Monday BNOTP Mon Inspire Me Tuesday  Wow us Wednesdays!Share Your Style Thursday Favorite ThingsCreative CircleThoughts of Home Home Sweet Home Feathered Nest Fridays Craftberry Bush Foodie Friday & Everything Else Best of the Weekend Dishing and Digging It


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Holiday Ideas – Thursday Favorite Things

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Hi everyone, welcome back to another week of Thursday Favorite Things! Last week we took a break for Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!

I don’t have features from the party two weeks ago but instead I am featuring some holiday posts from our hostesses! Have you visited their blogs??


Katherine is our main hostess and has a lovely blog.  She loves tea, recipes, decor, DIY projects, and runs a shop! Recently she wrote about this chocolate pretzel recipe which she says is one of her most popular holiday desserts! 

Debi at Surroundings by Debi used to have a floral and gift shop for 32 years.  She now runs a beautiful blog about home decor.  She recently wrote about the Festival of Trees – a feature of many Christmas trees from her shop.  They are all really lovely and will give you tons of Christmas tree inspiration!!

 Marilyn at Marilyn’s Treats writes about recipes and culinary tips and tricks!  This year she shared an applesauce fruit cake recipe – she states it is the *only* fruitcake she will eat and it is not a doorstop in disguise! 

 Nina at Vintage Mama’s Cottage is a blog about all sorts of fun crafty projects!  Last year she wrote a post about handcrafted Christmas ornaments! Aren’t these cookie cutter ornaments super fun?

Olivia at Reinvented Collection is an interior stylist, decorator, and faux finish pro.  On her blog you will find French Country and Old World decor styles and event ideas.  I have to share her Christmas Holiday Home tour from last year… I can’t get over how cute this little vignette is below! 

I hope you all enjoyed these features from our hostesses – please check them all out if you have not before! They are all really lovely blogs and lovely ladies!

Don’t forget to check out our Thursday Favorite Things Pinterest Board!  I also share your posts on my Facebook page so be sure you follow along! 


Katherine’s Corner
Peonies and Orange Blossoms
Reinvented Collection
Surrounding’s by Debi
Marilyn’s Treats
Vintage Mama’s Cottage


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Classic Vintage Christmas Tree

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Christmas is my most favorite time of year!  For me, the centerpiece of Christmas decorating is the Christmas tree! 

This post is sponsored by Tree Classics.  All content and opinions are my own. 

Classic Vintage Christmas tree

I believe that one cannot have too many Christmas trees. I love having one in every room and I love doing a theme for each one!  

I also love the ambient light that the trees provide during the dark of Winter!

So, when Tree Classics approached me and sent me a beautiful Christmas tree, I was ecstatic!

I was thrilled to choose the 7.5′ Alaskan Spruce Snap Tree because it has both colored and white lights!!

Classic Vintage Christmas tree with colored lights

My husband and I often debate about if we should put colored lights on our trees because we always use white lights.  This tree had the perfect solution: both!

With the click of a button, voila! Colored lights!

The color changing abilities of this tree led me to my decorating theme: a classic vintage tree! 

Classic Vintage Christmas tree with vintage ornaments

  This tree is loaded with vintage elements: vintage ephemera paper ornaments and garland, pipe cleaner ornaments, putz houses, and hand painted glass and wooden ornaments.

Classic Vintage Christmas tree decorating ideas

A decorating tip to the “perfect” Christmas tree is to have a unifying element. 

I have several on this tree: gold metallic bows, hand painted gold and maroon ball ornaments, and the vintage ephemera paper garland.

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

I liked that this tree had two different types of needles – it made it seem more real! I used these metallic gold bows on this tree.

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

You know, as I was decorating this tree, I was reminded of my Grandmother’s tree.  

Her tree was always decorated with colored lights.

My favorite part of the holidays is spending time with my family.  Some of my favorite memories involve the holidays.  What about you?

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

One of the things I really liked about this tree was the fact that the limbs and branches were really easy to move around.  Have a limb not quite in the right spot? No problem, just move it! 

I mention this because as a Christmas tree connoisseur (I think when you have five Christmas trees up in your house you are considered a connoisseur ), I have found that not all Christmas tree branches do that! It’s really nice to be able to move them just into the *right* spot. Plus, the branches look real!

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

I also received some beautiful ornaments too! They came in colors of silver and gold – totally the new decorating trend for Christmas trees I have noticed! 

 This one looks super cute with my metallic bow, don’t you think?

 I loved the sparkle on this ornament! I know I will have these for years to come – I loved the variety of the ornaments they sent me!

Now let’s talk about the finer details of this Tree Classics Tree.

The shipping from Tree Classics was *very* fast! It was shipped on Wednesday and came on Saturday and that included shipping over the Thanksgiving holiday! I was super impressed. 

The box it shipped in is below. Yes, it’s big. But a 7.5 foot tree isn’t going to come in a little box. Plus, you won’t be storing your tree in this box.

Tree Classics Tree

Here’s what came out of the box: only 3 things!

These little bags were super nice! They had handles and I just lifted them up out of the box! This is size of the tree for storage.

Tree Classics Tree

Now here is the cool part.  The stand has wheels!  

So I put the tree base on the stand right there in the hallway and wheeled it around until I was happy with its placement. This was super nice especially since the tree base is a little heavy. It will also be convenient when it comes time to put it away – just roll it into the closet! 

Tree Classics Tree

Here’s the part I found that could be improved: Read the instructions first! I had just lifted the tree up onto the stand without taking the bag off.  Well, I assumed it zipped right off… it did not. So I had to lift the base off, take it completely out of the bag, and then put it on the base. I thought it would be neater in future models to be able to just zip it right off! Or, you know, read the instructions.

Tree Classics Tree

Then I snapped the top on and done! The whole thing took probably 5 minutes (including my picture taking). You can watch a video on how to set up the tree here.

I also liked that it had just two parts: a top and bottom. Some of my other trees have four pieces. Have you ever found that getting A onto B onto C is sometimes confusing?? Especially if you’ve had the tree for years and the tags have fallen off? And then you’re staring at the tree trying to figure out why it looks funny? 

There is no confusion here!

Also, the snap tree aspect of it made this so it is a one-person operation! Sometimes those trees take two people to put together!

Here’s a link to a video on why the Snap Tree is special.

Classic Christmas tree

I am really enjoying my Alaskan Spruce Snap Tree with LED color changing lights!! It is the perfect tree for my classic vintage theme! 

Classic Christmas tree with colored lights

You can go to the Tree Classics Website here and also check out all the other snap trees– there are many! Thank you to Tree Classics for sponsoring this post! 

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Romantic Cottage Christmas Tree

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This year I was inspired to create a new themed tree… the romantic cottage Christmas tree!!

I knew I was going to put this tree in my bedroom which is decorated in a French country style.

 Where better to display this tree than in front of some purple toile curtains?

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Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

For this tree, I was drawn to the softer pastel colors…

…as if the ornaments had sat in a box and faded.

Additionally, I didn’t want a “loud” tree in my bedroom. This one had to be soft!

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I also added in some dried roses.

It was a little bit by accident. I had not intended too, but you see, they sat neglected in the vase forever and dried. (They were alive in this post – yeah like a month ago. SHH!

I was walking by the dried flowers in the vase as I was putting ornaments on this tree.

And the vision struck! 

So I tucked them into the tree. 

And I liked how it looked. So I tucked more in. 

It really goes with the romantic cottage look, don’t you think?

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I liked their faded color.  They matched the ornaments too.

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

It was coincidence that this romantic tree matched the drapes! 

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

For this tree, I was drawn to a pastel color palette.

Also, there are a few mercury glass ornaments tucked in here and there.

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

The tree topper came from an Etsy shop. Isn’t it lovely? It is actually an ornament but I secured it to the top of the tree. It matches the tree perfectly, both in color and style! 

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I prefer viewing the tree at night time. 

The soft glow of the tree provides some nice ambient light, doesn’t it?

I love laying in bed at night looking at the twinkling lights.

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

However, it looks nice in the daytime too.

You can create your own romantic cottage tree too – go for softer colors, metallics, and ornaments that look more handmade. 

I also prefer the look of the flocked tree with these muted colors.  The flocked tree also seems more romantic to me too! 

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I hope you all enjoyed my tree!

Joyeux Noël! 

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Holiday Gift Guide for Guys, Kids and more on Five on Friday!!

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

I know I said I wasn’t going to post a Five on Friday this week, but the inspiration bug hit and here we are!
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I’ve included gift guide for guys and children. Earlier this week I posted one for us gals if you missed it. BTW, there is more to this Five on Friday than gift guides, so keep scrolling…

Men's Holiday Gift Guide 2016

1 \ T7 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – My husband says “this is cool” so that’s good enough for me!
2 \ Barbour Waxed Canvas Bag – a nice bag to take to work is always a bonus!
3 \ Gift Box Socks Set – fancy socks are all the rage right now
4 \ Barbour ‘Bedale’ Relaxed Fit Waterproof Waxed Cotton Jacket Barbour jackets are amazing. I have one but originally they were made for men.  They are perfect for rain and wind. They are incredibly warm. It really is a perfect jacket.
5 \ Allen Edmonds Wingtip dress shoe  – Allen Edmonds makes some of the nicest dress shoes. I bought these for my husband last year and he says he gets tons of compliments on them. Plus, they last for years, if you resole them.
6 \ Beats by Dr. Dre Beats Wireless Headphones – These headphones are cool.
7 \ Nike LunarGlide Men’s Running Shoe  – get him some nice tennis shoes- can be worn for atheleisure or at the gym!
8 and 9 \Nike Dri-FIT Men’s Running Pants and Nike Sweatshirt  – get him some nice lounge around home clothes that are acceptable to be worn “out in public”.
10 \ UGG  Suede Slipper  – He might poo-poo Uggs, but once he slips them on his feet he will change his opinion of uggs!
11 \ Apple Watch Sport   – If he is a techie, the Apple Watch is the best techie watch out there.

Children's Holiday Gift Guide 2016

1 \ LEGO Frozen Disney Princess Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle  – I loved Legos as a child and I’m pretty sure I would have loved this.
2 \ R2D2 Cool Mist Humidifier  – This cool mist humidifier is in the shape of R2D2. This is SO COOL, like honestly, I kind of want one… except I don’t need one. But for the little ones who always seem to have runny noses, this is perfect.
3 \ Ada Twist the Scientist Book – These seem to be pretty popular and I of course like the scientist book.
4 \ Sequin Top & Tulle Skirt Set (Big Girls)– Love this cute outfit for girls!
5 \ Batman Rain Boot (Toddler/Little Kid) How fun are these boots with wings??
6 \ Steiff Otto The Teddy Bear A teddy bear is a win for the little ones… why not get a teddy bear from the company that produced the first teddy bear… Steiff??
7 \ Toddler Bed Tent – This bed for toddlers is *awesome*… it’s made to look like a tent!
8 \ Larry the Llama Ride On – This wouldn’t be a children’s gift guide from me if I didn’t pick an animal that was either ridiculously large or one that you could sit on!
9 \ Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas – one of my favorite Christmas books.
10 \ PENGUIN BOOKS Madeline – One of my other favorite books. I think children need more books to read these days.
11 \ Construction Plate & Utensils  – This plate and utensil set looks awesome! Wouldn’t a kid have fun with this?

Christmas in Paris

Let’s take a look at some shopping across the pond… every year in Paris, the Galeries Lafayette has a large Christmas tree displayed. Not only that, but they change the theme every year! Let’s take a look, shall we?

Blog Update!

You may have noticed that I have updated my blog a little bit. I now have drop-down menus to take you to some of my pages!  I am pretty excited about this… it took literally *hours* to code because I had a ‘ instead of a ” and it took forever to figure out that was the issue.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the menus as it is now a little easier to scroll through my website.

Additionally, I now have two new Shops that you may have noticed.  The one on the top right is to shop my Instagram feed.  I think it is pretty cool!!

The one below shops both my feed and my some of my favorites: home decor, holiday favorites, and clothing favorites. You can get to that shop by clicking below.

Please do not feel pressured to buy things.  It helps me run my blog. If you click on it I make a few cents  just buy clicking – if you buy something I make a little commission.  

Favorite Instagrams

If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you should! I have been previewing my Christmas decor over there…

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From the Shop

I may earn a small commission if you purchase with these links

Caning Natural Tote Handbag - Universal Thread™
The Hustler High Waist Fray Hem Ankle Bootcut Jeans
Le Panier Pliage Raffia Crossbody Bag
Extra Large Le Pliage Panier Tresse Straw Tote
The Bennet Buttondown Shirt by Maeve
T Monogram Perforated Leather Bucket Bag
Mellow Stud Mule
Le Pliage Marinière Recycled Nylon Canvas Travel Bag
Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++
Maxine Stripe Cotton Button-Up Shirt
Citizens of Humanity Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans
Navy Equestrian Traversee M Linen Tote
Cream Carrie Blouse
Ellison Natural
Jolene High Rise Vintage Slim
Citizens of Humanity Blue Jolene Jeans
Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans
Le Pliage Filet Top Handle Bag
Vintage cotton crewneck T-shirt
Air Heart Sunglasses
Le Pliage Torchon XS Top Handle Bag With Strap
Santorini Raffia Basket Bag
Chuck Taylor® All Star® Lift High Top Platform Sneaker
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