As I mentioned earlier this week, we got a real mini tree! And I finally got some twinkle lights up and some ornaments on that guy. I say this with much enthusiasm and hardly any hyperbole: it’s a life changer. I’m in love.
And Clara and Burger love it too (play Where’s Waldo in the dark and find them):
It’s so charming and warm and it looks so sweet with all of the handmade Pinterest challenge ornaments that I made here.
These are the only breakable ornaments that we’ll be putting out this year (since the tree is up on a table, so Clara can’t get to it). And it glitters like the dickens. So yes, it’s my new favorite thing ever. Oh and it was $19 at a local grocery store here in Richmond called Martin’s (outside near the curb) for anyone wondering. And it came with a stand, which is nice.
We even have some King Kong action going on thanks to this gorilla ornament at the top:
As for the tree skirt, that’s actually just a gray pashmina that I had already (I just swirled it around the base a few times to create a little skirt), so other than shelling out the money for the tree, we got to use all of the ornaments that I had already made (which factored out to around 71 cents a pop – more on those here) and even tossed together a free tree skirt.
We actually would have loved to find a potted evergreen that we could have planted in the backyard after the season, but after a few weeks of looking for an un-cut one that was small enough to sit on the table, we had no luck (most of them were 5+ feet tall). So we caved and got a cut one since it was already well into December and we didn’t want to miss the real-tree boat entirely. But if anyone knows of a local source for uncut table-sized evergreens we’d love to hear about it (we tried Lowe’s Home Depot, a few tree lots around town, and a few nurseries/plant stores – but all of the uncut ones were too tall/large to be tabletop ones).
You know me + shiny things = a match made in heaven. And Clara might just be having the most fun with the tree out of all of us. At least five times a day she runs over to it and points to various animals and gleefully shouts out things like “Rhino!!!” and “Hippo!!!” and “Aggigator!” like it’s the most exciting thing she’s seen all day. Never gets old. Man I love the holidays.
Believe it or not, John and I have never had a real tree in our house as a family (although both of us enjoyed them growing up). We went faux five-ish years ago (thanks to an after-Christmas sale at Target) and appreciated that we only had to haul it home once (having a small car, the notion of dragging home a big real tree each year was a little daunting). And with a pooch we appreciated the no-dropped-needles thing. It can’t be argued that a faux tree looks better than a real one, but somehow when we loaded it with lights and ornaments we still loved our faker year after year.
Here she is back in 2007 (when we had a terrible camera and our blog photos were smaller):
And in 2008 (with the same white and silver scheme):
And in 2009 (when we went crazy for citrus, and even dried fruit to make ornaments):
And in 2010 (with green, pink, and silver shimma goin’ on):
And since experts continue to debate whether a faux tree or a real tree is more eco-friendly (apparently it’s a really close call when it comes to hauling emissions and cutting them down every year vs. reusing a faux one for a while) we knew the most eco thing that we could do after purchasing a faux tree was to use it as long as possible. So we’ll still be setting up our full sized faker in the dining room to enjoy with some Clara-safe ornaments (bonus: everyone driving by will see it glowing in the window). Better get on that though. Eeks, is it really the eighth already? Better get crackin’.
Have you guys been decorating? Any other tabletop tree folks out there? I can’t believe it has taken us this long to give one a try.
Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!
Sarah says
Have you ever had a word stuck in your head? This morning I woke up thinking Pashmina Scarf…for some reason…not sure if it was mentioned in a post recently, on another blog, if someone in the office was talking about one or what, but it was weird to see that you used one as the tree skirt. I was literally thinking this morning in the shower, what exactly is a Pashmina Scarf? Then I stop over here and you’re talking about one and even have a picture for me…thanks for clearing that up, no matter how unintentional it was! Haha. Oh..and I own a Pashmina Scarf lol.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hilarious!
xo,
s
Lyndsey says
So cute! I never thought of having a mini-tree- love it! We did most of our decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving because I just couldn’t wait any longer. I actually just posted pics on my blog today– we actually have a super funny (in my opinion) bright white tree. Love it!
kelly says
Ok. I love the Christmas decor. :) It’s wonderful. But I NEED NEED NEED to know where the you + me print is from… I have a room that’s desperate for it. Shoot a girl the source, will ya? I googled trying to find it so I didn’t have to bug you… but, well, that didn’t work out so well. Thanks! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/01/you-and-me-baby/
xo,
s
Sophie says
We have a full on, big, real, bushy (ha) 6 foot tree standing on top of an end table to stop our puppy getting to it, and it’s fine and doesn’t seem unstable at all. So, altho admittedly we do have very high ceilings, I reckon you could have gone a little bigger there! Do ittttt ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- yeah our 8 foot ceilings make anything over 5′ impossible on the table!
xo,
s
Jenn(ifer) @ heim-elich says
Oh, I spotted something i think: Did you add white panels to your pretty ikea curtains??
The tree looks great. Over here in Germany fake trees are really frowned upon and I just can’t seem to shake that off, even though they can look great…
YoungHouseLove says
Still working on those. Have to hem them and then I’ll post all about them!
xo,
s
Pat E. says
oh! Jenn(ifer) beat me to it. I spotted the white curtains too! Where the narrow curtains too narrow? The white sheers are a nice addition and good solution. Ikea I presume?
YoungHouseLove says
Just wanted to layer things more. Yup, super cheap at Ikea.
xo,
s
Kayla says
I LOVE your mini tree! My husband and I got on the faux tree wagon this year and love that it is more low maintenance, but I really do miss the feeling of having a real tree. I think next year we will just have to add a mini tree too :)
almk42 says
My cat eats Christmas trees (fake or real ones, and I can’t decide which is worse for his digestive tract) and we have an almost 1-year-old, so this year our Christmas tree is out on the porch! My in-laws were getting rid of their 6-foot fake tree and were just going to Goodwill it, so I snagged it, put some indoor/outdoor lights on it, and bought a $12 pack of 50 silver, plastic ornaments and plastic hangers from Big Lots. We can see the tree all day and lit up in the evenings through the sliding glass door in our family room. Almost as good as the real thing, and not as frustrating or deadly to the critters. My son yesterday started calling it “iss-iss-dree.” He crawls over to the doors and makes oohing and ahhing noises anytime you ask him where it is. :)
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo
s
Carley @ On One Hand says
Well, we’ve got the tree up (from a tree lot – I wouldn’t mind going fake but my husband won’t here of it LOL) and we’re SLOOOOOWLY decorating it – we’ve got a 17-month old running around right now so I’m a little hesitant putting more ornaments on the tree… I’ll probably end up putting a few at the bottom that will be okay if he touches them.
Carley @ On One Hand says
*I mean “hear” – oh, that’s going to bug me all day…UGH. Homophones!
Laura says
Hey Sherry! I live in Richmond, and we got a potted tree this year from the downtown Lowe’s (on Broad–not sure which Lowe’s you went to, but maybe location makes a difference). We picked one a bit on the larger side (probably 3-3 1/2 feet), since it’s our only tree for the house, but I saw a few smaller ones and even some rosemary “trees” (they were shaped to look that way), which we almost got. However, those were only about a foot or so tall, and too small for our purposes. However, I know that Ellwood Thompson’s has been selling potted ones in the size range you’re looking for all month long. They are a little more expensive (about $27-37), but they are sustainably grown and harvested and who doesn’t love Ellwood’s?
Hope that helps!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tips! Love it!
xo,
s
oneida says
i love your mini-tree! we put up a mini-tree too but ours is faux. it was only $10 AND we are never home for christmas because we work on the university schedule. that means a lovely long break for christmas but it also means that we are never in our home. i think the best thing (besides how cute it looks) is that it is easy to hang ornaments on since they take up so much room on it. just a few ornaments and BAM your tree looks gorgeous! the big tree sometimes stresses me out :) our tree topper is one of those christmas mitten gift card holders from starbucks, so it looks like the top of the tree is wavin’ at you ha ha all of our ornaments are from my husband’s childhood or were gifts given to me, so it’s really sentimental and ‘vintage’. i also made a tree skirt by drapping a felt stocking and santa hat on the bottom. sorry i’m gushing, but i love it!!! oh, and this is our first christmas in our home, yay!!!
Kate says
Did you add the curtain sheers recently? I really like them. It’s nice to see a night time photo of this room because the light during the day make it impossible to appreciate the curtains.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I still have to hem those and then I’ll post all about them!
xo,
s
heyruthie says
I’m in VA, and at my local Home Depot and Trader Joe’s they have “tabletop trees” made from potted rosemary topiary bushes–and they are about the size of yours. (actually, they came in several different sizes to choose from.) Since Rosemary does great here in Virginia, (I’m in Fairfax) I’m really hoping to get one. After the holidays, you can plant it in your herb cutting garden. They look really great all potted up with ornaments on them too.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s really fun!
xo,
s
oneida says
p.s. we didn’t hang any ornaments from the bottom branches because i thought it would be weird, but yours seem to look normal :) did you debate about that or just throw em on there?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I just threw those there! The family was on their way so I decorated in record time!
xo,
s
LauraC says
Wow, you’re lucky Clara’s not a climber. I guess our Sophia wasn’t either, but Jonathan, who’s only 5 weeks older than Clara, is into everything! There’s nothing in the kitchen he can’t reach, he just pulls up a chair to get whatever he wants. And our dining room table (pub height)? No prob, Mommy! We’re getting our tree next Monday, so we’ll see how he does. Should be interesting!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha – good luck! My mom says our next kiddo is going to give us a run for our money since Clara is such a chill delicate gal.
xo,
s
Skooks says
I adore real trees (the smell alone makes the whole thing worthwhile), but sometime finances don’t allow so we’re rocking the fake thing this year (borrowed from my mom – she loves ornaments and has many trees). I set up a couple other fake mini trees (the smallest one on the dining room table (as the Jesse Tree) and then I have another one that’s a few feet tall that I was able to put on a ledge in our front window that’s reserved for the sewing themed ornaments. I would have put it in the sewing room, but I haven’t been in there much lately and I’d rather have it out where I’ll get to enjoy it. So far my 2 year old has only tried to mess with it once. lol.
Jyl says
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
I don’t know why, but seeing a little tree in your house makes me so happy! And I love the little King Kong at the top, you lovable nerds, you! And “Agiggator” Precious.
I also love you little video of you and John popping out from behind the tree when your were preggo with Clara. You two are such happy loving people. It warms the heart. Or maybe I’m just emotional because I’m 10 weeks preggo with my own little bean. Either way- I’ll take it!
Merry Christmas, Petersiks!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw congrats! Hope you’re feeling great!
xo,
s
Kate Battle says
I decorated our Retro Ranch for Christmas! I bought a 6 ft slim silver tree. I just love it! It almost glows from within! No real trees for me, they don’t come in silver…
http://retroranchrevamp.com/2011/12/04/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas/
YoungHouseLove says
So much fun! Thanks for sharing the links and pics everyone!
xo,
s
jeannette says
and merry aggigator to you, clara. god bless us, every one.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. High five.
xo,
s
Nate says
Suggestion for Revised Title: Twinkle Twinkle, Baby (Tabletop Christmas)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XSVFXBjgtA
HA!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. Nice.
xo,
s
Eva says
Your tree looks really cute!
You need to use your faux tree for twenty years for it to be more eco friendly than getting a locally sourced cut tree every year.
I usually prefer all natural over faux (flowers, shoes, handbags… everything) so I am getting a locally cut tree from a well managed forest… but secretly I really want the old ugly little tree my family had when I was growing up, it had some sort of dark green plastic strips as needles and under that it was made of wire, and that was pretty obvious too. My dad threw it away when I was 11, I think and got a real tree… but I wish we still had it in storage… I
Hilary says
i read an article that says if you use your faux tree for 20 years or more it becomes eco friendly. looks like you’re on the right track!
Laura {The Embellished Nest} says
I love the citrus tree! So fun.
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
We went with a fake tree this year in hopes that our furry kiddos would be lest apt to climb/eat/maul it. So far… hasn’t made any difference. We still find kitty in the top and puppy munching on the lower branches. Oh well. We still have a few ornaments left to hang, but will hopefully have some pics up on LHBH soon!
Margaret says
I love how that pashmina tree skirt reminds me of Linus’ security blanket contribution to the Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree!
“…and that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, cute!
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
I love the tree. Our faux tree is up already and all the decorations are done. Almost done with shopping too. :)
Condo Blues says
I’m Team Faker. I even have a second hand tabletop tree that’s been around so long it’s definitely carbon neutral.
According to family legend my parents got a real tree for my first Christmas. They had so much drama with it, they went fake for the rest of my life. I didn’t realize they sold real tabletop trees. I might give it a go because it looks drama free.
Carrie says
I love the photos of your den at night! It looks so cozy. I can’t believe how much difference the rug and ottoman make. Great choices! And happy holidays
Hannah says
Did you add some white curtains along with your gray IKEA curtains that you cut? What was the reason behind that?
Love the baby tree!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I’m working on that. Still have to hem and the I’ll post about it! Haha. I’m all over the place these days.
xo,
s
Kat says
I live in a fairly small condo and haven’t had a tree since I moved in 4 years ago. This year I bought the large silver ornament tree that Crate and Barrel had for sale. I have 12 cute ornaments on it and it sits in my window sill. I love that next year I can change out my whole color / theme just by buying 12 new ornaments. I was on a minimal kick for the last 18 months or so (where was my head?) and now miss my twinkle lights that I donated last year. Maybe I’ll purchase some on clearance.
Kate @ Bread & Chocolate says
Love your mini tree! I have a mini apartment, so I also picked up a small tree this season. So small that I actually carried it home from the lot. Yup, no car-rooftop-tying here!
I made a simple paper chain garland and paper snowflakes (inexpensive yet endearing!) I love looking back at your trees from Christmases past to see how your style has changed.
http://bread-n-chocolate.blogspot.com/2011/12/blast-of-paper-snow.html
YoungHouseLove says
Adorable! As is Piper!
xo,
s
Amanda says
I can’t wait to see your Christmas tree theme this year. Going a little off topic here: but I could have swore I came on the blog and saw an “I’m pregnant” announcement! lol Alas, it was just a dream. (Dream-me was so excited too.)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- definitely not pregnant! Still can’t believe my first baby is one and a half already! Ahh!
xo,
s
Marymoo says
Opted for the real thing this year b/c of a little someone that may have her 13 mo grabby hands and concern over lead in artificial trees. Will probably switch back to artificial in a few years.
Did you do any photo magic to get the lights to look so vivid/bright in software or was it how you created the light in the room??
YoungHouseLove says
We just waited until dusk/dark and turned on the light and used the tripod (no flash) to keep the camera still! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Deb says
My kids get live tabletop evergreen trees for their rooms sent to them from Jackson & Perkins every year from their grandparents. We love to put them in the windows :) They come with lights and ornaments and they arrive around Thanksgiving and after the season is over, we plant them in the yard :) I would imagine that you can get them without ornaments? Not sure. It’s been a tradition for several years now and kicks off the holidays for the girls – here’s the most recent trees…. every years are different.
http://adventureswiththehenrys.blogspot.com/2011/11/you-know-its-christmas-when.html
YoungHouseLove says
So charming!
xo,
s
Holli says
Due to a smaller apartment and a 10 month old super curious kiddo, we went the tabletop tree route too. We got a cut one as well, but I had seen some potted ones at Costco here in NoVa, and they were maybe 2 1/2 feet tall. Maybe they have one down your direction?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Holli! Didn’t check there!
xo,
s
Andrea Dvorak says
A little segment on our local news: which is more eco friendly, a real or fake tree? Their verdict? Real! http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/12/01/good-question-more-eco-friendly-real-or-fake-xmas-trees/
YoungHouseLove says
We love checking out all the links and info everyone’s sharing (which of course is varied, but so interesting!).
xo,
s
JennP says
Does Clara suck her right thumb? That was our first clue that our daughter was a lefty, which she is. Our pediatrician told us that babies tend to suck their non-dominant thumbs, which frees up their dominant hand for more important uses (playing, drawing, general trouble-making).
YoungHouseLove says
So interesting! I think she switches off, actually. We’ll have to see what happens!
xo,
s
Catlin Humes says
I love all your trees! They are so pretty :)
Alanna says
no decorating yet in our house. our daughter’s birthday is on the 18th, so i’ve been busy trying to get birthday party prep work done.
we plan to do the christmas decorating this weekend. we always get a real tree and are lucky enough to live close to a few different tree farms. so we make a big family day out of choosing and cutting our own tree :)
Christine says
We were so excited to decorate! The Saturday after Thanksgiving we got the big tree up, and now I’m finding more and more to decorate still.
http://www.peachesandcheese.com/2011/12/christmas-time-is-here/
YoungHouseLove says
Love all the trees and links you guys are sharing! Thanks for getting me into the spirit everyone!
xo,
s
Jessica says
We do 2 trees every year. I love having my matchy-matchy one, which is all in green, gold, and red (and very sparkly!!!!) and my husband puts up a tall pencil tree with all of the fun and sentimental ornaments that we’ve collected over the years. Some are just really cute, and some are hilarious (like the one my hubby made in 3rd grade with his picture on it). I love the mix of the two trees….it keeps us both happy!
Oh, and my 20 month old has really impressed me. She wakes up every morning, runs to look at the tree and says “WOOOOWWWW” And she really hasn’t tried to remove any of the ornaments. She knows…..”nooo…..mama’s….” lol. I did, however, find a trail of wrapping paper leading to a half opened gift near the tree. I guess the box inside wasn’t exciting enough because she hasn’t tried to open another present since!!! I love the holidays!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- too funny!
xo,
s
Gabbi says
We have a fake, pre-lit Christmas tree that we got on sale at Walmart and we absolutely love it! Go faux! :)
Oh, and your table top tree is the cutest thing ever. I absolutely love how festive it is!
Latoya says
That is too cute ya’ll. It is just so perfect with your space:)
mp says
I’ve never been a big Christmas decorator. In 1990, my mom put a tabletop tree on my bookcase; I left it there until July. It had angel ornaments, so I told visitors that it was an all-season tree.
Now I just have a white wreath on the door. I enjoy seeing other people decorate, but it’s never been something I wanted to do myself. I may get the posse (my pack of chihuahuas) holiday scarves or hats and take a picture of them.
My mom has always decorated in an over-the-top fashion, so my daughter grew up with all the trimmings and is now a certified holiday decorating addict.
Lauryn says
Totally not trying to argue or start a big debate… But I feel like since Christmas Trees are planted for the sole purpose of cutting down after 7-8 years, I don’t understand how that can be counted as a negative. I can somewhat understand the small amount of emissions the trucks might produce driving the trees around. I had a faux tree growing up and it was great and I loved it, now that Im an adult- I like the real tree and have just decided to deal with the mess and our cats affinity for climbing it, and playing with the ornaments. To each his own!! :-) Love your mini tree btw!
emily says
Cute tabletop one – I bought a mini-potted tree this year (http://www.merrypad.com/2011/11/30/2011-tree-ornaments/) and while it’s not quite 5′ tall (closer to 3.5′-4′), the hefty root ball still makes it too heavy to be an on-the-table piece (boo). Despite the height, it is the best real tree I’ve ever bought (zero needle droppage). Yours on the table looks great and much more clean-lined than it would if there was a 5-gallon bucket containing the roots.
YoungHouseLove says
So gorgeous! I love it!
xo,
s
heather s. says
Looks great! I noticed you added some plain white curtains to your IKEA ones on the window behind the tree. Are they there just to ‘beef’ things up since didn’t you cut the curtain panel in half?
YoungHouseLove says
Just wanted a breezy layered look with sheers. Still have to hem them and then I’ll blog all about it!
xo,
s
Amanda says
So adorable!!!
We bought our tree on Saturday and had a mini-Christmas party on Saturday night where our friends helped us to decorate it. We do a full-size real tree and a miniature fake tree (that my grandmother gave me when I was a freshman in college).
We used to have a fake medium-sized tree, but when we switched to real trees, we gave the fake tree away to friends who were tree-less. Knowing that it’s still being used/loved and not thrown out is definitely a good thing :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a great idea!
xo,
s
Carolyn says
I grew up always having a real tree. My dad wouldn’t do it any other way! When we were little, he used the playpen to set up the tree so we couldn’t get to it.
As an adult, I use a faux tree(s) but always buy a small potted tree to decorate and then plant afterwards. Love the scent it brings inside the house! Our local garden centers have these each year. I buy one with the cardboard “pot” and then put it into my favorite pot at home. Can’t plant it in Iowa until it’s warmer out, so we enjoy it for many months!
Ashley says
I love following your blog, you truly inspire. If only our house could look as amazing as yours! Your tree is so cute! I’m trying to figure out why your blog link on my blog doesn’t update when you have a new post. Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, no idea. Maybe try removing it and readding it. Be sure to link to https://www.younghouselove.com too (if you link to a specific post it won’t update). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Zoe Feast says
What a sweet little tree! I was banished from doing any of the inside decorating this year as my 13 year old took on the task herself and wanted no help. She actually did a really good job and the job is hers for future years to come if she is up for it.
What do you think?
http://www.creativeinchicago.com/2011/12/my-teenager-did-all-christmas.html
YoungHouseLove says
Looks great!!!
xo,
s