Hey, Friends!
Sorry for standing you up on Thursday – I was sick last week and slept more than Sleeping Beauty!
Now, I’m good to go and decided to get a little controversial this election week
by putting my Christmas tree up on November 1st
Dawson and I snagged this tree at Good Will two-years-ago for $20.
The other two times, I decorated with the cheapest, tiniest ornaments. The thinnest – like thinner than my hair, thin – garland. A Dollar Tree topper that I couldn’t stand. And I called it a deal because, including the tree, I probably spent $25.00! Winning, right!?
Wrong. I forgot that I have standards.
This year I decided to go chic with my Christmas tree. The goal was a Hallmark Christmas movie vibe with a touch of Blair Waldorf!
Disclaimer: Chic isn’t my favorite Christmas tree theme. Commercial Christmas is, and I have an abundance of ornaments ready for that tree, but I’m saving that for a flocked King of Christmas Christmas tree that will be my main tree when I have a home.
First, I grabbed my 7.5-foot $20 Good Will tree out of the attic. Well, my dad grabbed it while I watched.
7.5 feet??? Did the box mean 5.7 feet because this tree is my height!
First, I fluffed the tree. Which, admittedly, sucks.
Next, I wrapped lights around the tree. I purchased 300 mini white lights for $16.
Sidebar: when I was shopping for lights, I was standing next to a guy around my age browsing lights. He picked up huge lights intended for the outside. He just stared at them the entire time I was in there. Later, I was in the ornament aisle, and he came in with an empty cart and confused expression. After a few minutes, he went to get past me, but my cart was in his way. I apologized, and he said, “You’re fine. But do you know why it’s so hard to decorate a Christmas tree? I’ve never done this, and I have zero decorations – this is hard!” Like, dude, if only you knew who you were talking to!
Once the lights were wrapped around my tree, I placed the tree topper on top. Dawson likes Christmas gnomes and wants us to have a ‘gnome on the shelf’ when we have kids. I got this Christmas topper on sale from WAYFAIR for about $30. There are similar ones that are cheaper at Walmart and Dollar General.
When the gnome was sitting comfortably, ruling the tree, I started throwing on my white garland. One of the gifts Dawson’s parents got me for my Birthday was $50 to AMAZON. I used this to buy three rolls of the garland. Only 1 of the rolls were necessary for my tree – the reviews demanded three rolls were required – and I ended up using the other rolls for something else.
After the garland was applied, my dad peeked his head in and exclaimed
“Looks like a mummy tree.”
Thanks, dad. Go back to the attic!
In total, my ornaments cost $26, and they are from Dollar General and Walmart. First, I applied the ice sickles, the snowflakes, the gold pine cones, the big ornaments, then all the normal ones.
Once my tree was decked out, it was time to add the Christmas tree skirt!
After vacuuming of course.
Dawson’s grandma had a tree skirt made for her when she was younger because she loved Christmas so much. Last year, she boxed it and gave it to me because I adore Christmas so much. This skirt means so much to me, and I feel incredibly blessed to have it. It’s at Dawson’s house with our commercial ornaments, snow globes, and other décor for our future home.
In the meantime, I bought two mini tree skirts from Walmart for $8. When I unwrapped them to put under and realized that clearly, I didn’t use common sense.
Still, I tried channeling my inner-Pinterest skills by cutting and placing them around the tree.
Fail.
Instead, I wrapped the two extra garland packs around the bottom of the tree. This took a surprisingly long time, but it turned out so cute.
This $20 tree that is clearly lying about its height to get all the ladies, broken in some parts, and looks like a balding male – looks chic!
All supplies, including the tree, only cost $150. Now, that is what we call a win, Chloe.
A friendly message to all the Barb’s:
Please don’t come after me. I understand why you disapprove of putting the tree up before Thanksgiving. Honestly, it brings me so much joy, but I may not do that when we have young kids. That might make them feel like Christmas is right around the corner when it isn’t.
Just remember:
It’s 2020. We need some joy up in here.
I dislike Thanksgiving – sorry!
I understand where you’re coming from, and kindly, I don’t care.
So, like, that’s as controversial as I’ll get!
So, Like, Now What? 