ORCHIDS!

Cymbidiums can be strong and tall and create atmosphere.

Slipper orchids can fit into any little space to add color and presence.

Then a white cyclamen for added elegance on a table, night stand or in a grouping.

I just love orchids. They are really exquisite flowers and will be around for a long time. Maybe even until Valentines Day!

Once you have found the “perfect” tree for your home, then the real fun begins, decorating! I switch between white lights and multi-colored lights.  I’m so weird because all the lights have to coordinate.  If it’s multi year, then everything is multi including the window candles each having a different colored light. Then in white light years,  I usually go for a more traditional look with deep red or burgundy bows.  The tree also has the same theme.  So I have white crystal garland, jewel toned garland and garland that looks like rock candy.  We used to string popcorn and cranberries until the dog ate all the garland and almost knocked over the tree!  Our ornaments are a collection of over 25 years with quirky glass, paper and wood. The girls kindergarten homemade ones have the prominent spot in the front.  Shelby is planning a craft day this week, so lord knows what she’ll craft up! Michaels here we come. Whether you make your own or shop for decorations at Target, take care when packing your ornaments and lights so you can use them year after year.  Save the ornament boxes, tissue paper and wrap the lights and secure with twisty ties so they don’t tangle.  Set time aside to decorate with your friends or family and make it a party, have some fun with your decorating!

Everyone has their own idea of the perfect tree and how to go about finding it.  I have friends who truly do “hunt” down their tree.  Every year they go out on their property and search for  the right tree.  Then, they climb into a nearby tree and shoot the top off,  I kid you not, this is their family tradition.  They carry home the shot-off top and it becomes their Christmas tree.  My friend, Melanie brings home a tree from her grandparent’s property.  Her grandparent’s don’t have a tree farm, but a wooded property, so the tree is often irregular in shape and a bit bare in spots.  Nonetheless,  lit up and decorated with the children’s ornaments, it is as beautiful as any tree could be.  Mel calls it her “Charlie Brown”.  Then, there’s  quirky Aunt Anne, Her perfect tree was white, decorated with red balls, and every year she made a trip to the attic to find her tree.Me?  My children hide when I say we are going tree hunting.  I like a big tree, perfectly shaped.  It must have strong branches spaced well enough apart to display some of the larger, heavier ornaments, and I’m not happy unless we have examined every tree on every lot or farm within a 50 mile radius.  I come by this naturally.  My parents, who really weren’t picky people, were known to return trees if they weren’t perfect once they were up.

So, How do you find the tree that’s right for you?  How much space do you have?, do you want real or artificial?,  off the lot or cut down yourself? . If you do decide to go with a real tree, there are a few things you should know.  Don’t buy a tree that is wrapped without looking at it.  Have an employee stand the tree upright and free the branches, see how they fall, and remember, they will continue to drop once it’s up. Walk around the tree and look for holes, if it’s going against a wall, you can have a “bad side”, and there is a special kind of appeal in a “Charlie Brown” tree.  Keep your finances in mind.

Check the tree for freshness, give it a good shake, loosely grab the end of a branch and shake it, If needles fall off, it’s not fresh enough,  Take a needle and pinch it, if it’s dry or brittle, don’t buy the tree, look for one with needles that spring back into shape.  Certain trees hold their needles longer, I like a Frasier Fir, but again it’s a matter of taste, my mom loved Douglass Fir or Scotch Pine.

Brian and Amy, not relevant, but I like this picture

When you’ve found the right tree, bring it home, be sure you have a stand big enough and strong enough to hold the tree you’ve chosen, even after it’s decorated.  I learned that the hard way.  Before setting up the tree, cut a piece a couple of inches thick from the trunk, and stand the tree in water right away.  The cut will allow the tree to soak in the water. Don’t forget to water regularly.  You can add sugar or one of the commercial products that extend the life of the tree to the water. Happy Hunting!