I have a confession. You may think I like a holiday season full of tasteful decorations steeped in history. Well, I don't - I like tacky and fun!! I don't have beautiful fancy decorations and don't spend oodles of time playing with ribbons, fresh cut greens and perfect themes. Well...maybe someday -but at this stage of my life (young, tiny apartment, living alone), I tend to stick to warm Christmas memories from childhood. I love anything 'vintagey' christmas. So before I get the anonymous comments about how
tacky this is, I'll just own up to it! This is how I remember the holidays being as a kid and how I choose to celebrate now!
I like to spread the cheer around my apartment. It all starts in my entry way. I have some tacky glittery nutcrackers I won as raffles at a holiday party, a porcelain christmas card holder of santa from my grandma and the (FAKE) holly surrounding a candle that always sat on my grandparent's sideboard; So many good meals were spent there.
On my table I have my other grandma's Christmas tree. She lived in an apartment since and only had this little white ceramic tree that lights up. I remember she loved this and would keep all her gifts underneath it throughout the holidays. Also a vintage santa mug and candlestick holder (see the porcelain santa climbing up the candlestick?). Why don't they make cute decorations like this anymore!
Under my tree (seen at the top of the post) are my favorite christmas characters of all - Snoopy and the gang! Yes......deep breath....I collect hallmark ornaments. I can't help it, I just love them -they're SO cute! I also have a mixture of ornaments that have been gifted to me and that were from my family. The tree skirt is a feather boa that I got from
Phyllis Diller. Yes, you read that correctly, it's my 'Hollywood' tree! And thats fake too... don't want you think that I'm
classing things up with a real feather boa. I have red lights because...yes...my grandparents had red lights (notice a theme?). I think they have a nice vintage feel and are a little different than the generic white ones (which really are beautiful, nothing against them!).
Behind my stovetop I have these cute little holiday coasters with another of my favorite characters on them - Ziggy!
This bubble snoopy ornament is just another bit of fun.
Yes, even in the bathroom - I have this ornament that looks like a soap bubble holding a frog in santa cap. Up, Up and away!! I hope you all enjoyed my 'fun' version of Christmas! I think that holiday decorations are only up for a short time so you can afford to have some fun with them and not take it so seriously! As D.V. would say 'WHY NOT'!
On my table I have my other grandma's Christmas tree. She lived in an apartment since and only had this little white ceramic tree that lights up. I remember she loved this and would keep all her gifts underneath it throughout the holidays. Also a vintage santa mug and candlestick holder (see the porcelain santa climbing up the candlestick?). Why don't they make cute decorations like this anymore!
Yes, even in the bathroom - I have this ornament that looks like a soap bubble holding a frog in santa cap. Up, Up and away!! I hope you all enjoyed my 'fun' version of Christmas! I think that holiday decorations are only up for a short time so you can afford to have some fun with them and not take it so seriously! As D.V. would say 'WHY NOT'!
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28 comments:
You say tacky and fun, I say charming.
Tacky glittery nutcrackers and grandma's Christmas tree is the new black. You're being modest. The photos look warm and inviting which is the perfect representation of the holiday spirit. You are a young man but an intelligent and handsome one with a future that will continue to grow. I see you in one of those great palaces similar to the ones you've shared with us in your previous posts. Keep inspiring.
Yep, I'm surprised. I have one tree that's sort of themey on the sunporch but my real tree has ornaments from the last 30 years or so. I don't always put them all on the tree but I'm pretty sure you'll find a Ziggy or two (my aunt was big into it).
Love the boa - your Phyllis Diller tree had to have red lights somehow!
oh my Dahh-Ling,
you have brought a tear to my eye.
i am sure you remember 'care bears '...my daughter was a 'care bear junky'.
i found them in the drugstore xmas dept. They are tiny , and all i could emotionally & visually handle on the (my)tree.
AS FOR CHARLY BROWN, he's is very, very old....i too was a charly brown xmas kid.
i had a crush on 'schroder, the pianist '.
you are so fortunate to have those truly priceless items from grandma etc.
big big hug
Thanks everyone! I was really sort of worried about the response I would (or wouldn't) get! I like to think of it as a warm christmas, but it's different for everyone!
Renee, I certainly remember the carebears! I had one (lol) - I was in kindergarden, so no one saying I'm a big nerd! Shroder is my favorite character too, he's so cute!
I have a confession...I love seeing inside people's homes. Yours is just like I imagined; a very considered modern and classic mix...those lithographs(?) are beautiful.
When I lived in Key West, we would ride bikes after dinner, just to get a peek inside the old conch houses on Caroline St... so different than we have here.
It was always Snoopy- Halloween or Christmas...the two tv specials of all time :)...remember tv specials?
Michelle, I love it too! I just wish I had more to show LOL.
Those aren't lithographs - the one above the tree & tv is a large india ink 'sketch' done on watercolor board by a professor of my grandfathers (he was an architect as well) -the others are all original architectural sketches and watercolors that I've collected.
Confession: i watch the snoopy halloween AND christmas specials every year! it's not the holidays without them!
Look at you, just the cutest. I love the you collect Hallmark ornaments and that you have your sweet traditions. It should be all about what makes you smile. My tree is a fun kids tree full of hallmark ornaments mixed with photos and old glass ornaments too. I love it. I think you have amazing taste.
Hey, some of my fondest decorations are the tackiest! Those with the happy, festive memories attached. Fun to take a peek around your great apartment! I knew it was classy.
I think it's just charming.
I think that the season is about having special things close to us. If that includes tacky ornaments, or ornaments collected over years of travel, then so be it! I can't imagine having a tree that comes fully decorated from the store. Too impersonal.
i love it : ) snoopy and the gang! i'm coveting the bubble snoopy ornament ; ) i think my favourite is your grandmother's christmas tree. it's wonderful and irresistible. happy christmas!
Paul, thanks -i love my grandma's kitschy tree! I think it's from Kmart in the 70s LOL -last night I had a friend stop by briefly before a party and she said HER grandma had the SAME EXACT tree!!
Thanks everyone, for making me feel so much better about my kitschy christmas :-)
You are so nostalgic and I absolutely adore this post
IF anyone makes fun of your decorations I'll punch them.
I pity the fool that makes fun of my Mr T ornaments,
Your decor should be what you like and what makes you happy. I know mine is.
BUT----I draw the line at those "precious moments" figures. I would fly to out an remove them from your apartment myself.
no precious moments figures here at all, derek!!! Those are a little too sacrony sweet for me -ew. The kitschy stuff is only out at christmas and thats just hallmark ornaments.
I think it's all darling! I really love the Peanuts and the Gang!!! Hallmark! too much. one day you will have a theme tree with gorgeous ribbons and matching ornaments I'm sure - but for now - have fun.
Your furniture is so great -- your house could never look tacky. And the memories and soul are the most important thing anyway.
wonderfully warm! takes me back to my own Southern Christmas years... there was plenty of tacky going on down there, but also lots of love, good food, together time which in the end is what it's all about. I swear my grandmother had that same white tree! Happy Holidays.
To each his own, I always say! Just kidding! I think your Christmas decor is fabulous!!
Merry Christmas!
me too me too! I have vague guilt, as though I should be doing something artsy and "conceptual," but really I just like seeing the ornaments I've hung on trees since I was a kid. The ones my parents handmade when they were first married, and broke, are the best. So I totally agree!
I don't think it's tacky at all--I think it's fun! This post made me smile. Thanks for joining my blog party! -Julia
LOL I love that frog on top of a bubble ornament! I also like your peanuts group looking at Charlie Brown's tree. Thanks for making me smile this morning!
Just LOVE your furniture!
Thanks everyone, I feel a lot more confident now in my christmas decorations :-) It's meant to make me smile, I'm glad it does for everyone else too!
Laura, you can't even see any of my furniture, lol - I guess you can see my hall table and mirror -the 'fanciest' thing I own!
Hey, thanks for adding your link back to the party. Yours must've been one of them that I wasn't able to retrieve after Mr Linky crashed on me. Sorry about that!! -J
i like! thanks for sharing.
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