Oh Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving is next week and well, I’ve had a Christmas tree sitting in my garage and couldn’t wait any longer to put it up! Every year I put my tree up sometime in November, but this time felt extra special since I’ve never decorated this house for the holidays. And after 2020 being so dreadful, this girl needed some magic!

christmas tree decorations

I know that just last week I shared my rainbow turkey and don’t worry- that’s still up! The dining area will be decorated for Thanksgiving while this corner is all about Christmas!

p.s. lots of people say there’s a rule that says the tree shouldn’t go up before Thanksgiving. But let me tell you, you get to make the rules in your life about things like this. It doesn’t harm anyone else, so you do you. It’s your house so you get to put up the tree and play the music when you want to. Does it make you happy? Make your own rules. You’ll be so glad you did.

Don and I put up the tree and it was really, really fun. He loved every second. I gave him rules like “don’t put two of the same same ornament next to each other” and he did a lovely job. We’d open the ornament boxes together and get excited over the fancy ones. It was so special! Exactly what we both needed!

christmas tree ornaments

I went with a 6.5′ tinsel tree in rose gold. I love how skinny and petite it is- it fits perfectly in the window without blocking the sofa. Plus the box it comes in is pretty small- which is great for a girl without much storage space. Most of my holiday decor is from Grandin Road. They were kind enough to gift me some items for Pink Palm Hideaway.

The ornaments are from two of Grandin Road’s ornament sets- Tree Tops Glisten and All is Bright. They’re glass with beautiful details and so unique and special! The sets come with different sizes and shapes and colors. They look very sophisticated.

I put mostly pink and green and gold ornaments on the front of the tree. I love how those pull out the colors of the drapes. On the tree facing the window, there’s more colors and it’s exactly how Don decorated it. Also can you spy the dinosaur ornament above? I let Don pick out a special ornament every year and this one is a great addition.

thrifted ornaments

A few months ago, I thrifted a set of 17 Thomas Kincade ornaments from the collection Winter Memories. I found them for $2 each and have saved them for this moment. I spotted them in the store and I thought about only buying a few or not getting any at all. But I couldn’t bare to leave them or break up the collection. So I bought them all.

They have a hole in the bottom for a twinkle light to go into and the windows light up! They work perfectly with the other ornaments. I’m such a fan of any type of home decor and these have beautiful details. You can still get them on eBay. I’ll link a few below (just click on the photo to shop).

Can you spot the little white swan I have tucked on the lower right side of the tree? It has a little crown on it and it one of my favorite details. 

 

christmas tree details

I finished the tree off with some bows. I just bought white grosgrain ribbon at the craft store, tied them into bows, and tucked them on branches over the tree. It adds a preppy feel which I think is perfect for in here! I bought 14 yards of ribbon and couldn’t done with more (there aren’t bows on the back of the tree).

For the tree skirt, I used a faux fur one with little pom poms. I’m thinking about adding an electric train for Don. Wouldn’t that be fun?! The tree topper is a gold star that plugs in. Simple but sweet.

other decor

By the sofa I added some fun decor too. Can you see the cute nostalgic deer on the coffee table? I think they’re adorable! And the green bow works beautifully with the drapes.

They have some subtle glitter and brass bells on the collars. These deer are so sweet!

On the sofa, I put a holly jolly hand-hooked pillow. This particular one is sold out, but there’s some pillows in the same line that are just as cute!

Then on the end table next to the sofa, I have a set of two origami trees that happen to come in the perfect colors for in here! Pink and green. I took this picture in bright sunlight (sorry about the glare). I pared the trees with vintage brass swan. Swans are perfect for the holidays (in my opinion) since there’s “seven swans a swimming” from the 12 Days of Christmas song. 

chair

Next to the tree, I have the tree I thrifted and painted a few months ago. I haven’t posted about this chair because I mainly did it during the fog of the pandemic when I was super depressed. But it is lovely. And I paired it with my DIY plaster of Paris end table that I topped with a bottle brush tree. 

Here’s how the chair looked when I bought it from the thrift store for $30. I was looking at my camera roll and see that I bought it on March 16- aka the last time I went shopping without a mask on. It makes me sentimental! It was a really good thrifting trip! I got a few really good things and felt so lucky. Little did I know that a few days later the world would shut down.

Anyway, here’s how I re-did it-

PREP

• Clean the furniture. Mix 2 Tablespoons of White Lightning or TSP in 1 gallon of hot water. Use a rag dipped in the solution to clean the entire surface of the furniture you’ll be painting. Wipe the piece clean with a damp rag to remove any White Lightning residue. Let dry prior to painting. 
• Lay a drop cloth on the floor. Put a towel or drop cloth or piece of cardboard on the floor underneath the furniture you’re about paint. This will protect your flooring from paint drips.
• Remove the seat cushion. This just required removing a few screws. But this step makes it so the seat can be re-upholstered and the frame can be painted.

PAINT

• Spritz your brush. With chalk paint, you always want to start with a damp brush. Continue to spray the brush and furniture piece with water while painting. 
• Start painting. Dip the paintbrush in the chalk paint and apply it thinly on the furniture. Brush in the direction on the wood grain until you’ve covered the entire piece. Note, you WON’T get full coverage with the first coat. If it’s streaky, don’t panic! I used Dixie Belle’s Cotton White for this project.
• Let the paint dry. Usually you only need to wait 20 minutes between coats. While it’s drying, wrap your paint brush in a wet rag or plastic bag so the brush won’t dry out between coats. If you’re painting a big piece, you might be able to begin the second coat immediately without waiting since it’s probably been 20 minutes since you first started painting. 
• Paint a second coat. Repeat the instructions for the first coat of paint. This time though, you should get full coverage. If you don’t (which can happen if you’re covering dark wood with a light cover) continue with a 3rd coat of chalk paint.
• Wash out the paint brush. Usually tap water will remove all wet paint. If needed, also use mild soap. Rinse the brush until the water runs clear.
• Seal the furniture. If you’re using a clear coat, apply it with a paint brush thinly to all surfaces. If you’re using wax, apply it with a lint free rag or applicator pad all over the furniture. Buff it in with the rag after. I like to use Easy Peasy Wax Spray for sealing furniture.

I’ll be honest, this chair was a pain to paint! The opening in the back was tricky to paint and there were lots of cracks and crannies. But dang, it looks like a present and with every coat of paint it looked better and better!

To upholster the chair, I bought this fabric on Amazon. Since I did this project right at the beginning of the pandemic, I didn’t go in stores for shopping so the fabric wasn’t quite right. It’s a shiny velvet so I decided to use it upside down. I pulled it tight and stapled the fabric to the bottom. To finish up, I re-secured the seat cushion on the chair. It looks so cute now!

bottle brush tree

This little cutie is from Target. I love that it’s ombre and the base has a scallop detail. It’s so cute! And affordable at $5. My store is starting to sell out, so grab some if you love this look too!

I had Don pose next to the tree with Lucy. I’ve taken a picture of the two of them in front of the Christmas tree for 3 years now. It’s such a happy tradition to me!

There’s still more I want to do as far as holiday decor goes in the living room, but this is a fun start. What’s your favorite part? I’d love to know in the comments! Every year I put out my Christmas tree in a bit of a different way. I’ve never done bows like this or had such a sophisticated tree. I love it!

And really, it feels so happy and cozy walking into the living room with the tree on. Honestly, I’ve never felt more at home here. 

 

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