Trees and tinsel.

This is how we decorate for Christmas at my house. :)

Every year, since we were born, my mom has bought me and my brother an ornament. My ornaments vary quite a bit...everything from Pocahontas, Harry Potter, Elvis, and a sewing-themed one. :) This year I picked out the Yeti/abominable snowman creature from the old Rudolph TV special. Apparently his name is Humble Bumble, according to the package. But I've never heard him called that before.

{I love the stories about the Yeti and Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Yes, I totally believe in them.}

We decorate our house in a really traditional Christmas style. I can't imagine not having a real tree...I love the smell and just the atmosphere that you get from having one in the room. Artificial trees can never compare. :)

This is the real tree in our living room:

And the lit garland on the staircase railing:

Mom used to put up our village houses when I was younger...now I set them up on my piano.

Mom's red and gold themed artificial slim tree in our kitchen/dining area.

In my room, though, the decorations become a little...tackier? More vintagey, anyway. :)

Several years ago, my mom bought me a 60s aluminum tree at a great-aunt's yard sale/estate sale. I think she paid $5 for it? Most of my ornaments are from Target, because me and Marmee stocked up last year when they put all of the Christmas stuff on sale, at 50% and 75% off. I got probably 5 or 6 boxes of ornaments for less than $15. My other ornaments are Elvis-themed and collected over the years or handmade.

I took these pictures back at the beginning of November when I put up my tree. This was everything pulled out and ready to be unpacked. And Oliver trying to nosy his way into one of the bags.

Oliver is obsessed with my tree. He hung off of the TV, watching me, in a great impersonation of Snoopy's vulture imitation.

He watched me very closely as I put up and decorated the tree. But his favorite part is when the tree is actually up. Last year, he would climb in about halfway up and sleep on the branches, bending them all out of shape. This year, he has developed a taste for the tinsel on the branches. So we've had to keep him in another part of the house most of the time. When he is allowed in my room, I stand by with a spray bottle of water to get him if he tries to chew on the branches.

Most of the time it doesn't work. I crawl under the tree and drag him out. He's soaking wet and purring with his eyes completely black and mischievous.

I guess I can't blame him...Aluminum trees are seriously pretty and eye-catching. :) As much as I love real Christmas trees, I love mine almost as much. Aluminum trees aren't stiff and awkward like the ones in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

They're actually really shiny and sparkly. And when the heat comes on and blows from the nearby vent, the metallic branches make a lovely tinkly sound, like soft bells.

This is the first year that I haven't put regular lights on it. I have a color wheel, but it tends to only light up the bottom half of the tree. Plus, it can't run very long at a time or it gets too hot. So I had been using blue lights (last year, for example). But this year I decided to skip the lights. Because when they're not on, they look really tacky in the tree.

I didn't realize until this year how beautiful the silver tree is with my bright colored ornaments...and no ugly white cord wrapped around the center. :) Here's an example of the color wheel running:

He can be this adorable one minute, and a crazy, aluminum-munching nut the next.

I've never been a girl who's into really sparkly stuff. Not since I was about 13, anyway. But Christmas decorations are different. The more sparkle, the better. :)

My tree all decorated and perfect that first day. Ornaments and branches have since then been knocked off and rearranged. That's why I took pictures when the tree looked at its best. :) I only have this little corner to crowd it in for now...someday it'll have more space and not looked so cramped!

I really love the bright color scheme in all of the coordinating Target ornaments. Bright blue, green, purple, red, teal, etc. I think it really gives everything a 50s/60s feel. Since I put up my tree, I also bought this matching tree topper when it was on sale.

Besides my tree, I also have a little Charlie Brown love on one of my windows:

And of course there's my peppermint garland and my felt woodland tree.

How do you decorate for Christmas? Feel free to include a link to a blog post, if you've put up pictures! :) Real Christmas tree vs. artificial one? Traditional, modern, or vintage decorating style?

Until next time,