Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas

If there is one thing I am it's a traditionalist when it comes to our family and the holidays. It's the one thing that never changes. I'm comfortable with tradition. I like tradition. I LOVE tradition. I know tradition. Tradition has all the feels and fuels a time of reflection of loved ones gone on before us. Tradition allows time for sharing sweet memories of our childhoods and those who shaped us and provides an understanding of why family traditions are important.

This is not to say I have never changed a single thing about the way we celebrate any holiday because I have. For example, I haven't had the Christmas Day sit down dinner in years and before I stopped it altogether and started having Christmas brunch instead, I switched from turkey to prime rib. The world did not end so I do realize it's fine to stray from tradition. I just prefer to keep it intact for the most part.

I was thinking about putting up the Christmas tree this year and wondered if I wanted to try something different like not bothering with a tree, I don't but I did entertain the thought.

Why did I even entertain the thought of no tree? I can't help thinking we maybe shouldn't be cutting down living trees to bring them in the house so we can watch them die. So get a live tree- we have done that many times but I now use an artificial tree (which is a break from tradition for our family). Then there's the thought there may very well come a day I have zero help putting the tree up and an alternative would be better than no tree at all. Of course, there are those with limited space or limited income or some other issue who can't put up a tree. As empty nesters some folks might have a difficult time with the traditional ways of decorating and alternative ideas might help them through the first years without having kids in the house and then the older folks who just can't physically do it anymore. Anyway,  alternative ideas are helpful if we can let go of that particular tradition.

As I tend to do when entertaining a thought, I perused the internet and found a few interesting ideas some of which I found appealing others, nope.

1. Just take a pallet and saw off the boards for a tree. This really isn't that bad. I would consider this for decoration and wouldn't be opposed to it if the day comes I'm not able to have a traditional tree. I would probably decorate it differently but it's not horrible.

2. Y'all have seen these before, right? This would only work for me if using old magazines because I can't even dogear a book much less turn it into a Christmas tree. There are many other good ideas using books as Christmas trees.

3. Ok, I know. This uses pages from books. Old books. I love the look and I actually have a couple books whose pages have come loose I could use for this idea. You could also print pages from the internet and make this one happen. I do like it.

4. Books, again? Yes. We are a family of readers and we LOVE books. Plus, Dad's mother was the librarian in her town so we also have an appreciation for treating books with respect. This seems a very good way to have a tree and use books without marring or destroying them.

5. This is a twofer. The candy cane tree is nice but I thought it appeared pink and I do not do pink. But other color candy canes could be used. I love the bookcase idea! I might do this in the nursery. Except it won't stay that was because there's a 17-month-old granddaughter and soon-to-be-crawling grandson around here.

6. I love this stick tree. It's so simple but would probably be heavy to move. Maybe it could be left out and decorated for every season? Again, there is a 17-month-old granddaughter and soon-to-be-crawling grandson around and all I can see is an accident waiting to happen. Still, pretty.

7. The old cardboard cutout. I do not usually love these but this is not bad and I saw several others that were pretty creative so, I'd consider one of these.  I'm sure Bug would have a blast with her crayons on this one. Ha!

 8. Y'all, I have no earthly idea what the heck this is. And I'm just going to say no to it but someone must like it because it was on the internet. LOL

9. Ok, I actually LOVE this idea and started the project a couple years ago but Bug arrived and this is something she would love to climb but it's not happening at my house. I have a lovely Christmas village and really would like to display it like this. When the grands are older, I'm going to do it!

10. I've not seen a lights-on-the-wall-shaped-like-a-tree I like and I'm not one for gaudy but something about this one is somewhat appealing. I think I like they put ornaments on it instead of leaving it with just the lights.

11. Ok, if anyone puts up a tree-shaped with food or money, it's not going to stick around very long in this house. So, no to this for anything other than something that is supposed to be eaten instead of staying up for decoration.

12. I do love Mason jars and this isn't a terrible idea but Mason jars are made of glass and our family is filled with clumsy adults, a 17-month-old who loves to climb up to reach things so...

13. If I ever get so lazy all I want to do is throw some pillows in a corner in the shape of a Christmas tree I hope they go ahead and put me in a home or shoot me. Seriously, if I have enough money to buy those pillow I'll just hire someone to do my decorating. However, I will give this person a high-five for creativity.

14. I'm all for considering new ideas but I cannot get my head around this one. I don't find it aesthetically appealing and I can see it falling over onto Bug and Baby R so this is not going to happen here. Plus, it looks unnatural and I don't like that.

15. When I think of decorating and then undecorating, this quickly becomes my favorite. You get the tree and the lights and that's it! The 500,000 ornaments you've collected over the years will not have to be taken out and put back. Simple! Except I can't stand leaving the ornaments in their wrappings so this won't do. But I do like the minimalist train of thought. It's pretty, too.

What about Y'all? Traditionist? Open to new ideas? Seen any clever ones out there?

Happy Monday, Y'all!

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles

and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! 😁💓

I've got new, hand-drawn travertine stone coasters for Christmas!

Decorating of the Christmas Sort

Happy December! Some of you might recall one of my superpowers is coming up with super smart ideas at just the right time. Well, I've done it again.

Mother went back to her house on Saturday and I was all set to start moving all the CoasterDoodles paraphernalia into that room so we could use the dining table for eating and playing games like a regular people instead of someone who decided to have an Etsy shop even though her house is too small for all things of the crafty sort.

In the midst of this project which was going to take a mere day or two, I decided it would be the perfect time to tackle the closet in the nursery which had been crammed with everything that had to be put somewhere when one then two of the lovelies moved back home and then stayed there when the last boomeranger moved back out on the very day Mother moved in.

Now, my house is small (1300 sq ft) but the bedroom closets are quite nice as each one is 6' x 6' which is odd to me as they do not look square at all but rectangular anyway they hold tons of stuff. And tons is not an exaggeration when referring to the nursery closet. Those poor shelves. I didn't stop to take before pictures but I do have a couple 'almost there' pix. This is the halfway point in the nursery closet. Can Y'all imagine how bad it was when I started???

 

What does all this have to do with the annual decorating of the house for Christmas? It's the grand idea of 2017 that has put me one week behind in getting it done. One. Week. Though I am determined to have at the very least the trees up this weekend.

It also means I found all the Bitty Babies and their accessories and the Precious Moments dolls and that Bug had the best. time. ever. over here on Tuesday.

And that perhaps people will get their junk out of my house over the holidays and stop using it as a storage unit.

And that I missed out on Bug and Baby R's first excursion to find the perfect Christmas tree.

Not to worry on the last one as my SIL who is the most wonderful, best, most amazing, smartest, sweetest, kindest of all SILs took pictures and shared them with me so I could share them with Y'all!

The journey begins--

Terrible quality but adorable kiddos!

Does our family ever do anything without acting silly? Nope.

As the sun sets on the Christmas tree farm, the family of three...Hahaha! Just kidding. It was still morning.

Look! The one tree with changing leaves in the low-country!

Sisters and babies.

Santa tree with ArtistDaughter and Baby R.

Let's get this tree home, Y'all!

They had a great time! I hated to miss it but when you're up to your eyeballs in organizing closets it's like painting yourself into a corner-- you just can't get out.

Oh, and I've decided to paint a bathroom, too. But I did get new indoor, lighted garland ordered since I've been using the garland in the attic for at least 15 years now. Past time, wouldn't Y'all agree? And that was something Christmassy so...

Have Y'all decorated already?

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles

and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! 😁💓

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The weather outside is frightful! It's in the upper 60s and will be going into the 70s for the next few days. This is NOT holiday weather.

Regardless, the holiday decorating has commenced! Last weekend, one tree was put up and decorated along with some garland and the stockings. This weekend, the second tree was put up and a good bit of the 'other' decorating was completed-you know, putting out all the Christmas related music boxes, snow globes, figurines, etc.

Thankfully, decorating the house for the holidays is not at all like work because the lovelies were here to help. Well, last weekend 3 of them were here and this weekend 2. But no worries. We saved all of Deanie's Christmas ornaments and other paraphernalia for her to put out when she arrives for Christmas later this month.

It's gotten to the point that I will-even if only for a brief moment- consider not going all out with the decorating. But it does pass and it's not even really a true, real consideration. I'm too much a creature of habit. And tradition.

Plus, we can't have all those people over here for a Christmas oyster roast without putting up the decorations now can we?!

I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out how to deal with my pictures on this temporary computer. But here are a few from the first round of decorating--somehow Breezy didn't make it into these pix and DoodleBug had to leave to babysit for her coach's kids...HEY! The husband didn't make in the pix either. Geez, where was my head?

Here's BestSonInLawEVER helping out---

Birdie and BestSonInLawEVER digging in the ornament boxes.

Evwardo was helping too! That's him in his Clemson shirt---the Clemson/Carolina game was on. Sorry Clemson.

Of course there was more watching of the football game than decorating. But that's ok with me!

Breezy came up with the idea that we would decorate glass ornaments for the new baby for his first Christmas. She wrote bible verses on them and we all decorated at least one for him. 

It was so much fun doing this---even though we all kept getting glitter ALL OVER THE PLACE and that includes forgetting that there was wet glitter on the ornaments and picking them up.

I didn't even attempt to edit the pix this time because it's annoying on this computer. As soon as I figure out this temporary piece of technology, I'll get more pictures posted. This thing is driving me NUTS but I am trying to just be grateful that I have something to use at this point.

So, the question today is: How's the decorating going at your house?