Christmas Trees & Decorations-- when is it time? & pics!

[chloe-babe]

oh my goodness, I adore this thread. I love all of the tree piccies so far, and the kitties in the tree are just beautiful

Usually the 1st of December I put mine up (I have trouble waiting any longer as I get so excited)

My hubby put all the outside lights up last night, we just have some little icicles in white lit up and hanging along the front of the house, and some twinkly blue lights in the trees at the front of the house.

Christmas is just the best time of the year, so we should go crazy and celebrate it for as long as we possibly can imo

 

[berryblondeboys]

Well, no need to worry about putting up a tree Thanksgiving and onwards in the US. Thanksgiving STARTS the Christmas season. FDR even moved Thanksgiving UP a week so that retailers would have a week longer for the Christmas season - Thanksgiving used to be the last Thursday in November! (DH HATES that there is a Christmas "season"... he thinks that's sick! He's European and also from the sort that puts up on Christmas eve and takes down quickly, but his family always kept it up longer for the Two Christmases.... As another tangent - it's kind of funny that this aetheist family has TWO easters, TWO Christmases...Oh, well)

Now, while I LOVE the music and the trees and other decorations, I am FED UP :boxing: with seeing these decorations going up in the stores soon after halloween . That drives me CRAZY . I mean, EXCUSE ME, we have a major holiday between Halloween and Christmas!!! How about seeing some FALL decorations for a bit longer? So, I APPLAUD Nordstroms for making that decision.

Now, in our house, we usually put up the tree around my birthday (Dec. 10th) and take it down after DH's birthday (Jan. 7th). DH's mom is Orthodox, so her christmas is Jan. 7th, so it usually comes down the weekend following that date. That's for the real tree.

We also have a fake tree (one tree for the rec. room and one for the living room). The living room tree is the real tree and every year my older DS (11) (and soon my youngest who is 2) make a new set of decorations to add to the previous years. It's our tradition. We made a silver and gold foil paper chain garland and 6 years worth of decorations. The first year we made like a TON of stuff since we didn't want a naked tree, but as he gets older, the more detailed a decoration we make. I LOVE that tree since we MADE it.

The fake tree (first time to go up in several years) is my dream tree with my dream decorations that I've collected since college (19 years worth). I weed them out every year and keep only what I love, but that tree just makes me HAPPY. Nothing goes on it except for what "I" like. People used to give me decorations for my birthday, but I regift them or donate them as I can't stand OTHER people deciding FOR ME what should go on "MY" tree ! It's the ONLY thing I'm like that about - MINE, but hey, I should be able to have ONE THING in the house that is mine and only mine, right? :shame:

 

[MissTiss]

my tree went up on thanksgiving. but that's because we're going home for christmas and I wanted enough time with our tree. haha. ours is fake too and it's fun watching our kitties play in/with it.

here are a few pics of my cats in the tree, they think they make the best ornaments

OMG! That is so cute!!

 

[candac3mari3]

now my tree looks so boring compared to all of these!!!

 

[TheImportersWife]

I normally put our dining room tree up before Thanksgiving (I like to have it decorated for when we host Thanksgiving dinner.) The family room tree is usually cut down the 1st or 2nd weekend in December. We have a bit of construction going on in the house, so the dining room tree isn't up yet. And hopefully we're heading to upstate NY to cut down our tree this weekend when DH returns from Asia (we make an annual trip of it with our friends from CT.)

These photos are from last year:
Dining Room

Family Room

As soon as my trees are up, I'll be posting new pics!!!

 

[LAltiero85]

I love this thread!!!! I LOVE Christmas!!!!

I just thought I'd share one of my favorite decorations, and my outside decorations.

This Santa is my favorite Christmas decoration because it was handmade by my cousin, who makes them for all of our family. And if you will notice, their is an Angel in his hand, and it is made by a handcherchief of my great-Grandmother's (not used of course).

 

[LAltiero85]

And here are our outside lights. They aren't very impressive because we live in a townhouse, but it's the first time I've ever decorated my own house, so I'm proud of it.

And I will post my Christmas Tree pics later this week. Hubby and I are probably going to get it Wednesday. It will be our FIRST Christmas tree together. And we will also get our first stockings this week as well....ahhh....I LOVE this time of year!!!

 

[guccimamma]

we put up lights and trains (my son & hubby take over our living room with Christmas trains...I wish they would take this "hobby" out of my living room!)

fake tree goes in living room...usually same weekend, just got lazy this weekend. so i'll put it up this week.

i usually get a real tree for our family room, but last year ours got SOO dry quickly, i am very concerned about the fire hazard of it. so i think i will do another fake tree in the family room.

i always hated fake trees. i am from a northern state...we always went out and got our tree at the Xmas tree farm.

but, i live where it is warm and dry..and the fakes are just so darn easy (and they look so good now)

Happy Holidays to all!

 

[Jahpson]

my neighbors had the decorations before Halloween! no joke

 

[bonybynatur2003]

I am putting mine up as we speak, Stella! It's fake I have this thing where I think it's so sad that a beautiful tree that worked so hard for years to grow, gets chopped down, stuck in someone's room and discarded-- though real trees are so much prettier than fake, I can see the appeal!

Am I the only one whose SO doesn't get into the whole decorating for Christmas thing?

My hubby also does not get into the X-Mas thing. I ask his opinion on something and he just looks at me and says "you know I dont like Christmas, why are you asking me" GHHRRR! So I end up doing most of it by myself. But thats ok, I LOVE it!

And out of curiosity, did you go to FSU? The maroon and gold have me wondering.

 

[margaritaxmix]

Here's my tree!

....with lots of fabulous boxes too

Can I come to YOUR house this holiday? Gorgeous tree and even more stunning presents!

 

[margaritaxmix]

I normally put our dining room tree up before Thanksgiving (I like to have it decorated for when we host Thanksgiving dinner.) The family room tree is usually cut down the 1st or 2nd weekend in December. We have a bit of construction going on in the house, so the dining room tree isn't up yet. And hopefully we're heading to upstate NY to cut down our tree this weekend when DH returns from Asia (we make an annual trip of it with our friends from CT.)

These photos are from last year:
Dining Room

Family Room

As soon as my trees are up, I'll be posting new pics!!!

Wow, these are GORGEOUS...almost look like they're out of a decorating catalog!

 

[guccimamma]

Oh, and i put fake boxes under our fake tree. I can't put real presents out before Christmas...my kids and critters break into them.

So I wrap a bunch of ugly old boxes in red paper...and presto! Instant presents under the tree.

 

[razorbackbelle0]

LOL Margarita!

And bony, I went to the University of Arkansas

 

[bnjj]

I put my tree up about a week before Xmas and it comes down shortly after Boxing Day. I will post pix when it's up.