————- GREEN for the holidays ———————-

Merry Christmas!

I know I am a bit premature on my holiday wishes, but for some reason I am very excited about the holiday season this year. Usually I become a grinch, muttering obscenities at every cheery holiday merrymaker. There is always so much to do in so little time. They really should consider spacing out Thanksgiving and Christmas a little more. Maybe September would be a better month for turkey day. Then we could really focus on the gift-giving and greeting-card-writing without so much stress tagging along.

I think the reason I am not so grinchy this year is because I have a whole new place to decorate. It’s like having a blank canvas again. So of course all of my old tubes of paint won’t do, I need fresh new colors and brand new brushes—much to my husband’s dismay! Luckily, he is a good sport and tends to just shake his head and roll his eyes at me because he knows he can’t do much about it. So let’s get started decking the halls!

The first hall that I decked was actually the front fence. I couldn’t even wait until after Thanksgiving. After consulting with the pros at Red Door Interiors about my design ideas, I went to Target. (I knew I could find what I wanted there for my budget, not the prince of Dubai’s.) It took me a solid afternoon to set it all up and I still have more that I want to do!

About three weeks prior to this, I had the idea of creating an eco-friendly Christmas tree theme. I researched which trees are best, the cost of LED lights versus standard bulb lights, and handmade ornaments. I am happy to say that I was able to adhere to two out of these three criteria. The LED lights are so much more expensive that I decided to put those off until next Christmas. As for the tree, we cut our own. And the handmade ornaments, oh boy, wait until you see those!

We usually purchase our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, and this year was no exception. The weather was windy and chilly, perfect for chopping down an evergreen. We bundled up and headed to Zachary, about a 30 minute drive from home, to Christmas Forest. As both of us are perfectionists, not just any old tree will do. I was in the mood for a fir, but this farm only grew cypress species. After about an hour of cruising row after row after row of cypress trees, we ended up going back to where we started (of course). We chose a rare species of the Leyland Cypress called “Silver Dust.” It has soft feathery green branches with hints of white speckled throughout. It is sort of a variegated cypress tree. Very unique! It was perfect!

Once we got the tree home and the lights strung through it (which was no small feat, I must say), I finally got to do some a-la-dec-o-ratin’ (as my mother calls it). The theme is birds. All types of birds, but the owls seem to take a front row seat. And an adorable hand felted little penguin ties it all together. I kept it as natural as possible, adding seed pods and other natural elements from the environment. Instead of a star or angel on top, I opted for peacock feathers. I made the tree skirt from a fabulous gold upholstery that was given to me by a friend who had no use for it. I also made my own bird ornament out of the same fabric.

Overall, I am very pleased with the final product. I just hope I can keep the tree alive long enough for my family to appreciate it when they arrive Christmas day. I would like to acknowledge the artists that helped to make my tree a haven for my feathered friends, so bare with me, there are quite a few. Please visit their etsy.com sites and view/purchase your own handmade holiday decorations. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

May your holidays be green and peaceful. And to all, a good night!

ARTISTS————– all can be found at www.etsy.com —————

EvelynX: sweet little stuffed owl ornaments, jewelry – San Jose, CA
WHIMSYlove: adorable owl ornaments, funky fork easels, prints – Richland, WA
dgordon: handmade stamped pottery ornaments, plates, bowls – Lake Worth, FL

AlliumArt: funky fused glass bird ornament – Minneapolis, MN
halfofvamh: patterned bird ornaments, initial ornaments – ?
quietkatie: stuffed bird ornaments that represent her family members – Ontario, Canada
localcolorist: beautiful origami crane ornaments – San Francisco, CA
Frippelous: glitter and feather bird ornaments and other shabby chic items – Walnut Creek, CA
norajane: custom stamped bird ornament and lots of other custom stamps – Carthage, NC
OIive: plump little bird cage ornaments, cool pillows and stocking stuffers – Las Vegas, NV
Fisforfrank: beautiful pewter bird ornaments, knobs/pulls, menorahs – Dallas, TX
WoodlandCottage: cool miniature gourd birdhouse ornaments – Alabama
mudpuppy: the most adorably tiny ceramic ornaments, small planters perfect for succulents/herbs – Denver, CO
DraigAthar: my favorite, the needle felted wool penguin ornament, also sells wool for felting – Willington, CT