Tree 31....Santa HO HO HO Claus

Every year Doug and I (mostly I) come up for a new theme for the big family tree in the den. We usually work on this at least one year in advance. When we found out last year that there would be two new babies in the family, we scratched the theme we had originally planned (nutcrackers) for a new one. Babies and Santa's just seem to go together. We were in agreement that nutcrackers were out and Santa's were in.

(This year, we have already decided that "teddy bears" will be our big theme next year. )

After we come up with a plan the next step in finding a pattern that works for both of us to decorate the tree with. We looked at all shapes and sizes of Santa patterns before we finally decided that the close up of the face would be best for the tree we had in mind.

One day earlier this fall, I had two of my daughter-in-laws out shopping with me and I ran across some glass Santa faces that I thought would go good with our wooden ones. We started picking out different sized faces for everyone in the family. Grandmother, Doug and I got the biggest ones. The six adult( are they really) kids got the medium sized Santa faces and the wee ones got the smallest. Then Kari, the artsy daughter-in-law wrote our names on all the Santa hats.

Next project for the tree was the Ho Ho Ho's. I had seen some at a craft store but really didn't want to pay the price for them. Doug, the ever agreeing husband, promised he could cut those out and might even have a pattern for them at home. He did and a bunch of ho ho ho's later, that pretty much finished off the Santa tree.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at all the trees. They are not magazine quality, I know. They are however a labor of love and enjoyment. Doug and I love to have people in our home during the holidays and they enjoy the walk to check the trees out so it is worth it to us.

Remember, it isn't the perfection in the tree or the holiday decorations that count during the Christmas holidays...it is the warm and giving heart that really counts.

Hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season. Take time to enjoy it with loved ones and remember to be a little generous with those less fortunate.

Make this a holiday to remember.

Hope you have had "happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Trees 29 and 30...Mini snowman trees

My mini snowman trees sit on the ledge between my kitchen and the den. These trees also have fiber optics in them but I hate to pick the trees up, turn them upside down and risk losing some of the ornaments off the tree so I just leave them off most of the time. Yes, I know, that is laziness. So sue me! I did put up all those trees, didn't I. Anyway, from the first year we built onto the house, I have set trees on this ledge. They are always in sight as I putter around the kitchen during the holidays. Doug would tell you I don't putter enough in the kitchen and I probably don't but since we don't need the extra calories, I tend not to do as much cooking and baking as I used to when kids were home.
This is just about to wind down the tree list so,
Happy looking,
Vera
aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Trees 27 and 28...Take me out to the Ballgame

Doug is and has been a baseball fan for years. His top club is the Cubbies. Lovable losers. Oh, well, somebody has to root for them. Any way, I decided that this year his tree would be baseball. I told him I had a new theme for him, but wouldn't tell what it was for a long time. Every year we do some version of a handy man tree. All kinds of tools. Planes, levels, screwdrivers, etc. You get the idea.

This year, I scouted around to find some things to change the tree. It gets expensive to completely buy everything for a whole new big tree. As I dug around the house, I came up with some junk balls that we had from a trip to Iowa to the Optimist game. It was their give a way. I also decided to add all Doug's caps from the various teams. We have JHS, GCT, ASU, Redbirds, the Quad City Swing, the Quad City whatever,(they changed their mascot) St Louis, Cubs, and so on. I did buy a few teddy bears with baseballs and bats and a few glass ornaments that go with baseball. All in all it didn't turn out half bad. I was so proud that I had put his favorite Cub cap as the tree topper. But NO he isn't satisfied. He wants a World Series cap to go on top. We just haven't found any in Jonesboro yet. Still looking.

To go along with the big tree in the room, I added a mini to match. When I was looking for the glass ornaments to go on the big tree, I ran across some minis at a great deal. Decided to add a second baseball tree. I think this puts Doug is sports Christmas heaven cause that is his favorite sport.

Happy Looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

25 and 26 Just mini trees

These two trees sit atop our bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. I think a fireplace makes Christmas. Since our gas log dies every time we get it fixed, I can put anything I want in front of it and don't have to worry about anything melting or getting hurt.
Since these trees are right next to our big tree, that has a Santa theme, I chose just plain ole red ornaments. ( The big tree is red) The only thing that really ties these trees to the big tree is the fact they have mini tree toppers that match the Santa tree topper. They are fairly simple, but, they go with the glow of the room when we turn out all the lights and just have the trees lit.
I love this time of year when we don't have to use harsh lights. I can walk through the house on any given time and there is a soft glow from every room. Just love it!
Happy looking,
Vera
aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 24....Let it Snow!

Snow just seems to go with Christmas and snowmen are special, magical just like all things wonderful during the Christmas season. I love snow. I love snowmen. I love the sparkle and glistening of the beautiful sunlight twinkling off a fresh layer of snow.

There are snowmen, snowflakes and teddy bears holding snowflakes on this tree. Those big fat dimply snowmen and the wooden snowflakes are some of Doug's artwork. The snowman is one of my all time favorite ornament he has cut out.

Hope you enjoy the snow tree as much as I do. It isn't the biggest, but it is one of my favorites.

Happy Looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 23...Angels

Angels. Such an important part of Christmas. The angels came to Mary. The angels came to Joseph. The angels were there to celebrate the birth. The angels watch over the Christ Child. The angels watch over you and me. Of course, they are such a vital part of Christmas.

Once again these are on a fiber optic tree.

"Hark the herald the angels sing"

Can't you just imagine the wonderful sounds those angels made when they sang of Christ birth.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 22...Healthy Apples

Ok, I showed the junk food stuff. How about something a little healthier. One of the greatest smells during the holiday time is hot mulled apple cider. Yum! That is almost as great an aroma as sugar cookies baking.

I have told you that I stripped all the trees this year. I have but some of the apples on this one are permanent. I took off all the other ornaments dusted and rearranged them and changed the topper. Not much change, but enough to say I did redo it.

Hope you enjoy the apples and think of apple cider on the stove or apple pies in the over.

Happy looking and smelling,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 21....Candy!!!

Well, I had cookies, now is the time for candy. I have a hard time decorating fiber optic trees and making them look good. Fiber optics are not my favorites but I have a couple so I think I have to use them. Doug keeps telling me to leave them in the box if I don't like them.

What! Leave a tree in the box. No way. I will figure out something to do with it.

This year it is candy. I wish I had more types of candy but I have to have some light weight stuff on it..

I think Blake already snuck a piece or two of candy off the tree. I have chocolate on it. I know the battery pack gets very hot. I hope the fiber optic glow doesn't get hot enough to melt the candy. Maybe the candy will stay on another month and 5 days. Here's hoping.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 20....Cookies!!!!

Cookies just seem to go with Christmas. I have put cookie cutters on trees before but this year I decided to put the cookies on the tree. I had the idea but wasn't sure that I had the time or the talent to make the cookies I wanted on the tree. I ask Jennifer Hostetler from church if she would be interested in making me some cookies for my tree. Well, that isn't really true, If the truth be told, I begged until she said yes. I am so glad she did because I think the cookies just make the tree. At least my boys will be the last to see the tree after all the parties. I hope they realize that those cookies have been hanging on the tree for over a month and don't eat them.

Thanks, Jennifer for making one of my trees so special.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas tree lady

Trees 18 and 19...The Pinks

I have a friend who's granddaughter calls everything that is pink "The Pinks". That is what I call these two trees. These are my trees. My color, my room and if you don't think pink is a Christmas color, oh well, I like them.

As I said, if it is a room, it has at least one tree. This is to most people a closet, but when we built it on we called it Vera's dressing room. Like I ever dress up. Do you need a dressing room for blue jeans and tee shirts?

Different subject for a different time. Anyway, on my dressing table, I have another of my small trees sans lights. But when I turn on the side lights of the vanity, it really does shine.

The other tree is decorated with just a lot of pink that I used to decorate a Victorian style tree in earlier years. Like I said, I love pink.

It is neat to go into the dressing room and just the glow of the lights takes all the junkiness out of the room. We not all the junkiness, but a lot of it.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 17... Socks in the Shower

If we are singing in the rain we need some shoes on. So if we sing in the shower (I don't) we still need shoes or at least stocking on. You can groan if you want.

We have a little addition to our half bath that we call the shower room, just the shower and a linen closet for the towels. Yes, technically since we call it a room, it has to have a tree.

This year, it is fill of mini stockings. I also have multi-colored twinkle lights on that tree. You know that you are in the spirit when you take a shower by twinkling Christmas tree light.

HoHoHo!

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 16...Tristan's Big Tree

As I said earlier, what we do for one, we do for the other. The only thing is I haven't gotten any pictures of Tristan done up Christmasy. I wonder if my son might take the hint. Tristan has his teddy bear under his tree, also. Of all the trees, these two were the last ones I decorated but was more excited about doing them than just about any other with maybe the exception of our big family tree.

As you look, it will be hard to tell that is isn't the same tree except it is placed on the other side of the armoire and I don't have a picture of Tristan hanging behind his tree. My bad. I am such a bad Nana.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 15...Ian's big tree

The little trees just weren't enough for my little fellas so I decided to make a bigger tree for each of them. Like everything else, they are almost matching. The theme for them are just juvenile fun. I gathered up some of my old ornaments and stuffed animals I had used on trees in past years to decorate these trees. I will show you these trees, but don't let my grand boys know, the big teddy bears under the trees are presents for them. After all the parties , I will take those out and wrap them so they can have them on Christmas morning. It is a secret, so, don't tell. OK?

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 14... The only tree that never comes down

I have one tree that stays in the armoire all the time. When the holidays are over I just close the doors and it is a perfectly innocent piece of furniture until next year. Along with my tree I also leave my Dickens Village up all year long.

The tree in the armoire is when I have hung some of Doug's finest scroll saw work. I place samples of every years' ornaments on the tree along with some very special ones he has made for me.

The German Bell was an exceptionally time consuming piece of work along with the pickle. I loved the bell but he gave mine away. I was not a happy camper until he replaced it. The pickle is something else that took many little cuts and was very time consuming. The legend of the pickle was that in the old countries the family would put one extra gift under the tree on Christmas eve. The child that woke up on Christmas morning and found the pickle hidden on the tree got an extra present.

We have two of three pickles on trees just because I like the idea of the old legend.

Happy Looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 13...Tristan's baby Tree

Ten days after our first bundle of joy came along, we had another grand boy. Tristan and Ian will grow up being like twins even though they live hundreds of miles apart. (And neither one close to Nana) When It comes to Christmas, we can't do for one without doing for the other, so we start with matching trees. The only difference is the baby picture in front of each tree.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 12 ...Ian's baby tree

Of course with two new babies in the family this year, they have to have special trees. Being a proud Nana, not only did I trim one tree for each boy, I trimmed two. I have a small "Baby's first Christmas " tree for each and a bigger toy tree. Here is the first of my gandboy trees.

Happy Looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 11.... "Going Green"

I don't know why I put the silver tree in the front window every year. It really doesn't show up from outside. Each year I do a drastic change to make it look different, but, still it doesn't show up at night. Last year an older gentleman was walking down the street with his dog and told me I need to leave that one up all year long so the whole neighborhood could enjoy it. I think they would get tired of it after a while.

This year, I decided to make everything on the tree green. Well, with the exception of the lights. They are multi-colored.Different shapes and sizes of green along with different colors of green.

When people come to the house for parties with gifts for present exchanges, this is the tree we use to put the gifts under although we party in the other room. This spot is just a welcoming site for presents.

The silver tree isn't real big, so people driving down the street can see lights from some of the other trees back farther in the room. If you really look close, I think you can see some lights from 5 other trees as you drive down the street.

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 10 Yep, we have two of 'em

That is right. There are two baths and that means two trees. This one in made up of mini gingerbread men. I am not a betting person but I bet Doug knocks this one over a few times before the holidays are over. Poor gingerbread men.

Tree 9 What can I say, there are trees everywhere

That is right. There are trees everywhere, including, but not limited to, the bathrooms. One of my children (which shall remain nameless to protect the not so innocent) used to make comment that is was like going to the bathroom in a forest. Not his exact words. But every room in the house has at least one tree. The green bathroom just happens to have a Santa tree this year. Just isn't a whole lot of room to place Christmas decor in our baths. They are so small. I am determined to make good on the "one in every room."

Not much to share but here is it.

Please note, I am NOT a photographer. I cannot do everything and mastering the art of photography is not at the top of my list. Doug says I inherited the trait from my mother to chop off heads every time I take pictures. Sorry Father Christmas!

Happy Looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 7 and 8 "Am I Blue?"

Well, if you guessed that I have a blue tree, yep, you guessed right. When Blake was in college he wanted a blue bedroom. It had been gray so the change was an upgrade. It really is a blue room. Blue walls, blue ceiling, blue curtains and bedspread so why not have a blue tree...or two. One big one and one small one. When Jeremiah and Tara (oh, yeah, and Ian) were home not long ago they left the tree lights on for a night light. Blue lights aren't quite as bright as white ones so they just give off a soft glow. I am mesmerized by them. Blue isn't my favorite color but these really show up on a white tree.

Happy looking

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree 6... "Just a little angel watching over me"

This little tree is just a simple little tree I have on top of my computer desk. The only thing special about this tree is the angel on top. Many years ago, we had some friends that had a toy store here in town. On the early morning tv show, Jill had this doll showing how pretty she was. Actually, it is a Madame Alexander angel topper. I just made comment about how pretty it was. Doug went out and bought it for me. I don't think he really knew how expensive it was until he got ready to buy it but never told me otherwise. It was and is my special tree topper. She sits on top of the desk, just watching over me as I spend or waste my time at the computer. I love looking up and seeing her, remembering the morning I got her and some of the fond memories we have had...placing her on the tree, the year the dog broke her neck and the boys thought I might get rid of the dog(she pulled over the 8 foot tree and broke a few ornaments, too).

We all need an angel watching over us, don't we.
Fond memories,

Happy looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Trees 3, 4 and 5 A Little bit of Music

As I add trees three, four and five to my list, I clump them all together because they all sit on the same shelf. I used these ornaments for years on another tree, dearly loved the tree and never took the ornaments off. This year as I vowed to strip and redecorate every tree, I decided to do my trio on the shelf. In the group picture the four Father Christmas I display have also been a part of my Christmas decorating for quite a few years.

I love Father Christmas. I prefer Father Christmas to Santa because everyone can have the "spirit" of Father Christmas. He isn't just about giving toys to children, he is about doing good for others. Make a vow to yourself to do at least one thing in the spirit of Christmas for someone else this year. May be the elderly, an Angel Bag from Salvation Army, or Operation Christmas Child. The opportunities are endless. Just open your eyes and heart, do a little good for someone else, then you will hear the joys of the music.

Happy Looking,

Vera

aka The Christmas Tree Lady

Tree # 2...The nutcracker tree

The nutcracker tree is one we have talked about using as our big tree for two or three years but never have found the right pattern for the wooden ornaments. Last year after Christmas I found a couple of packages of mini nutcrackers so I decided that we could at least have a miniature nutcracker tree. I also added a picture of the nutcracker Doug made me years ago. I had it hung in my kitchen window for a long time. Finally moved it the fall to a different location. It is one of the most intricate scroll saw items Doug has cut out for me.
Hope you enjoy checking it out. I am so proud of Doug and his handiwork. Just wish I could take better pictures.

Happy looking,

Vera, aka the Christmas Tree Lady