Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Christmas Tree 2015 { plus mystery presents }


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Red Turquoise and White OH MY!
 
I am in love with this years whimsical non-traditional theme.
 

Each year I attend a ladies ornament exchange, and last December this cute little guy is who I walked away with.  He quickly became the color scheme for this years tree.  How cute is that?  Department 56 is the brand and can be found at Macys.


I have gathered decorations over the last year for this theme as well as pulled some from past trees.  Yes, I am one of those that does a new tree each year, and I LOVE it.  Don't worry, the kiddos get their own tree to decorate with the sentimental ornaments.


Almost all of my decorations come from Real Deals on Home Décor in Eugene, with the exception of a few from big box stores on clearance.


This year I really only had to buy the turquoise color.  I had most of the red and all of the white from trees in the past.


I caved and went with a real tree, and  I am loving the smell it creates in the house, now let's hope I can keep it alive.

 I snagged the stockings for $5 each at local craft store and was so close to having 5 different patterns.  I am ok with the fact that each of the kids have their own, and the hubs and I match. 

 
For the tree topper I gathered some fun spray stems and created a burst out of the top.  I tend to do this each year, again a way to save cost on new tree themes each year.  Tree toppers can also get pretty spendy!
 

 

We use 3M Command hooks for our stockings each year.  One way to afford changing out the theme each year is by eliminating stocking holders.  Those can get pricey and you can't always guarantee they will match the theme.  Plus it leaves more space to decorate on the mantel.


 I did buy these fun glitter trees at Real Deals for under $10 and love what they look like on the mantel.  I am happy I snagged them before they sold out.


For the backdrop of the mantel, I took this last minute cheap junky not well made wood lattice piece and painted it turquoise.  I knew I didn't want to take my "S" down so I wanted to create a backdrop that would make it pop. 
 
I used paint I had on hand, and then hot glued a red glitter bow from Target's Dollar Spot onto the front!  I love the pop it gives!


The blue glitter JOY was a last minute purchase from Wal-Mart, and for some reason, I just couldn't walk away without it, and I am glad I didn't.

 
Maybe you don't have a Real Deals near you?  You can always check out Amazon, they have a great selection of décor!
 


Wondering what the "Mystery Present" portion of this post is?   Do you have older kids?  Do they try year after year to guess what each present is?  Do they keep track of who has more presents?  Do they compare the size of gifts with each other? 
 
Well if you answered YES to any of those questions, then this is for you! 

 
I decided that this year I would number each present 1-? wherever we end on Christmas eve.  In these pictures I hadn't put ribbons and bows on the packages quite yet, but wanted to show you what I have done.
 
For the entire month of December our tree will have several presents underneath and no one will know who they are for!  The kids thought they each had a number and were trying to figure that out, until I didn't stop at #3.
 
 
On Christmas morning, one of the kids will be selected to be the "elf helper" and pass out presents from under the tree.  This is also going to eliminate the need for tags (except on gifts for family that will be leaving the house) which will save cost.  Because once again, my wrapping paper matches the tree each year.
 
 
I wrote the numbers on the back side, so you will not see them when they are under the tree. 
 
 
How do I know which number belongs to which kid?  I have the master list in my phone hidden, where no one will know to look.  If they do happen to find it, I have stuff abbreviated and coded so they would still have a hard time figuring it out.  I think this idea is brilliant!!
  
 
I would love to know if you are going to try my mystery present method and how it works for you!
 
Back to the last couple pics of the house.  I have this old window in my living room that I love to decorate, and I found this great banner at Real Deals that matches perfectly!
 
 
Here is the living room with no lights on. It is such a magical place at night, and it smells lovely!
 
 
And for good measure, here is a look at the last 4 years of trees in our living room.  I always wanted a mantel (which I have only had for 5 years now) and I love decorating it year after year!
 
 
Here are a few of my Holiday post's from the past, click the links and check them out!
 
 
DIY Utensil Holders & Runner
 
 
 
 
Thank you for stopping by today.   Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest, and you can find me on Instagram and Periscope @OneThriftyChick and on Twitter @JennJSheffler.



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2 comments:

An Oasis in the Desert said...

One word....A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! Turquoise has become my neutral, and I love using it all year round. I especially love it combined with red and white. Your tree and mantel are perfect, and you even coordinated the gift wrap....how cool!

Valerie Earnest said...

I love the colors you chose! Everything is so fun and bright! Thanks for linking up to the Handmade Hangout! I'll be featuring you on my blog today when the new linky goes live at 6pm ET. I hope you'll stop by and check it out, plus link up a new project or two! www.occasionallycrafty.com

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