The Christmas Spirit Has Begun

I finally got the tree up, after tossing around the idea of getting a fresh one this year, I used the artificial instead.  I love the scent of a fresh tree, but I just don't like the mess and I need to get a big one because of the size of the room it goes in, they are very expensive.  Having 18 foot ceilings is a job when it comes to getting a tree, a small one just doesn't look right in the room. I purchased this pre-lit, 3000 light tree, about 10 years ago and it still looks good.  It's a 15 footer, but this year I took out the bottom section so it stands about 12 feet high.  I'm a shorty and can't reach the top any more, even using a clothes prop doesn't help.  I tested all the lights before assembling the sections and they all worked, and yes you guessed it, they didn't work when I got the tree up.  There were about 300 of them out and to go through all of those was just not going to make me happy.  So off to the store I went and purchased 500 new lights.  I plugged them in end to end, started at the top of tree and filled in all the way down to the bottom.  It looks great!  Then I started to decorate it, usually takes me a day, but took two days because of the light debacle.  Now my Christmas spirit has begun!

Catwalk is done on both sides.

Front stairwell is looking festive!

On the front steps, lanterns are lit, decorated with plaid bows and snowflakes, just have to fill in with poinsettias.

Now I am getting ready for my Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Party.  I have this party every year with a few of my friends and family, this year I am hosting 15 people for a day of baking cookies and a nice luncheon.  We'll bake over 2500 cookies for all of us to share, it's fun but hard work, and in the end all of our cookies are baked and decorated in one day.  We all get to spend time with each other, share laughs and news, and I have to say there is some imbibing of wine or whatever, while all this is going on, it relaxes the muscles, hahaha!

SO, I wanted to get some ideas for my table scape for lunch that day.  I wrapped these linen napkins, that are kind of sparkly, in red and white baker's twine, added a handmade stamped place card, a jingle bell and some fresh greens.  I am using red chargers, and instead of my Christmas china, just plain creamy white plates.  I also used an off white, silver and gold plaid tablecloth, as well as some red plaid vintage scarves across the table for more red color.

Glitzy reindeer and a sled full of shiny and glittery Christmas balls down the center of the table.

 I found these faux birch tree branches at Lowe's, they were so unusual, so they came home with me.  I thought once I get the fresh greens on the table (photo later after it's done) I would use these too.

 For three branches, about 27" long, they were $4.98. They are also beaded so they add shine too!

Also at Lowe's were these beauties, 20" fine glittered champagne colored bottle brush trees, with red berry clusters and clear beaded branches mixed in. They come in a clear decorative glass stand, $24.98 each.  I added the matching champagne colored snowflakes to the top.

 

To tie in my birch tree branches,  I had these birch and pine cone candle holders in a box of things I was not going to use, so I put them on the hutch with some fresh greens and red and silver Christmas balls.  When the whole room is finished I will post a photo.
  HAPPY DECORATING!