All Shiny and Bright

I pulled every box of Christmas decor from the basement and garage on Black Friday with all of the excitement you'd expect from a kid on Christmas morning. I promised myself I'd wait to decorate until the Thanksgiving leftovers were properly chilled in the fridge so I wasted no time in spreading out four years worth of thrifted, handmade, and store bought Christmas decor across our rather large dining room table. About half of it has made it's way to it's resting place and the rest are waiting on inspiration.

My decorating process isn't a quick one. I have been set on a color scheme for about a month but I still have to do things in layers and see what's missing, what needs to be edited down, added to, or put away for another year. This year the large white tree is decked out in pink, red, and gold, the small white tree has mostly gold, the aluminum tree I found a few weeks ago in Perry, OK is still waiting it's turn and we're also planning a trip to the tree farm for the kids. 

A good chunk of these ornaments were found about three days after Christmas last year so it was fun pulling them out without rembering them. I really don't know how they all made it in the move without being smashed to pieces. They'll soon be spread throughout the house with the exception of the front porch. It's been designated as the natural Christmas tree room.

It's funny because about seven years ago we went to Indianapolis for Thanksgiving to meet up with my English host family and their dear friends. We had the ultimate ideal day after Thanksgiving day cutting down a tree in the snow, having s'mores by a huge outdoor fire, and enjoying hot apple cider in their beautiful home. Their home, by the way, was decorated to the nines with a Christmas tree in every single room including the walk-in closet. I remember thinking how beautiful and extravagant it was - as well as a teensy bit ridiculous - and laughing with Brett about it. I think I'm on my way to that same place folks! 

I'm going to enjoy every second of it.

-Rachel

Comments

[Stephanie]

I love the color schemes for your trees, we did the same at my parents house and it was gorgeous every day! Even if there's a tree in the closet, I think it's great amount of christmas haha! :)
❤stephanie

[Hannah B.]

So much eye candy, I just want to tile these pics on my desktop so I can look at them all day :)

My mom always decorated for Christmas the same way, in layers with lots of trees and schemes. As for me, I'm still getting in the groove of decorating our own house, but this year, I've already started making lots of things. It's so exciting to start your own traditions, and I'm sure the little ones make that even better!

xo* ~ Hannah B.

[ruthie]

So much pretty! My mom always spread Christmas into every crack and crevice and I thought it was crazy. Now I'm the crazy Christmas lady! I think you may beat me for that title, though ;)

[abby]

Holy cute that is one AMAZING collection! All beautiful, colourful, vintage, quirky and very pretty. I am very jelous! I started my own Christmas collection this year - our second year living in our own home with my fiance. I hope in years to come mine will be as great as this!

I found a brilliant glittery deer yesterday ;)

www.little-beast.blogspot.com

[Shelly Capehart]

You are so cute. Your reflection in the Christmas globes taking the picute. haha. You are a daily motivation to me (or every couple of days if you have been busy.) Thanks for being there blog-wise!

[Ruth]

I have really been loving the classic feel of vintage ornaments, but I have a toddler (soon to be a big sister) and after one of the ornaments shattered into deathly shards, I decided a vintage tree would have to wait. Do you have any tips for keeping little fingers off of your special, paper thin, glass ornaments?

[amanda (simplemittens)]

shiny brites/vintage ornaments are just about the most photogenic thing ever.

[Miranda]

Oh wow. These photos are absolutely gorgeous!

[Aloadofoldtat]

Sounds a little crazy, but lots of fun.

[Sandra Kohlmann]

Beautiful! I've been following your pics on Instagram and can't get enough. I just adore the white tree. Also, maybe I copied you a smidge, by stealing your hashtag. I've been posting my Christmas photos with #KohlmannChristmas. Hope you don't mind! Of course, my decorating skills and my actual decorations are child's play, in comparison to yours. What I wouldn't give for your eye for decorating!

[Ali]

wow, these pictures made me so happy! I LOVE christmas decorating. I'd finally built up a great collection of decorations - I also like to have every room decorated! - but we just moved overseas and I put it all into storage as we had limited space in our moving shipment! So this year I'm buying a new christmas tree (I'm in the philippines, originally from australia so I've never lived in a climate that suits having real xmas trees!) and I'm decorating it with POM POMS! they're so much fun to make, cheap and after christmas is over I can just stuff them in a bag without worrying about breaking them!

[Kelly]

I love all of your stuff! I broke one of my green bulbs this year already . . . I'm particularly bummed since it was one of the ones my parents had on their tree as early marrieds. I have passed up dirt cheap glass balls more than once recently thinking I had enough and now that it is time to decorate (but I have not even unpacked all of my stuff by far yet) I am kicking myself. :)

My process is slow too. My sil is coming to America for her first Christmas this year. She is from Mexico so I am having fun going with a really brightly colored scheme and trying to incorporate elements that will be familiar to her which is really fun.

A tree in the walk in closet?! Wow! I'm trying to even imagine exactly how that works. Looking at my pinterest board for deck the halls today I was realizing that the vast majority of the pins had trees in the picture. I guess I like them. :)

The tree farm sounds fun. Do you know that you can also go into Pikes Peak national forest with a $10 permit and cut down a tree? We did it last year and I am so glad we did. I will say that as soon as my son's mitten fell off and he got his hands cold he was DONE with the excursion so we've sort of set a minimum age of 5 as the "rite of passage" for tree cutting in our family and until then it will be a mom and dad trip! :)

Merry Christmas! Kelly

[Kate]

I love seeing how you spread everything out before tackling the trees. I think I might follow your lead. It'll help get the right balance of color and nostalgia and fun new ornaments!

[candace]

Wow, I love the color scheme you've got going! Can't wait to see the decorations in action :) I bought a vintage silver aluminum tree last year, and I'm so excited to bust it out again once December comes.

[Rachel]

What gorgeous colors and I love the deer!

Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com

[cassidy hogue]

Your ornaments are gorgeous! I have a very small vintage collection in teal and pink because my cats decided to break a few of them. Yikes. I can't wait to get a larger tree and go crazy!

[Lauren]

oh my goodness! i'm experiencing some serious ornament envy. those tiny deer!? yes please. so happy to have stumbled across your blog and gleaned some holiday decorating inspiration. looks like you guys will be having an absolutely lovely Christmas. xo!

[Tara]

Love these images! They remind me so much of lots of my ornaments which used to be my in-laws from when they were first married in the 70s. Would you mind if I used one of your images on my blog?