Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Negotiating Christmas

My tree is up and it's gorgeous.  The girls and I put it up together and there was quite a bit of negotiating:

My wins....
No tinsel because it's messy and unattractive;
Paper crafts made 4 years ago didn't have to adorn the tree; and
Not every single piece had to go on the tree.

My loses...
An Elmo decoration could hang towards the back; and
They could hang any thing else where ever they liked.

For the first year our tree didn't look like evil, drunk elves decorated our tree.

In all the bonding and negotiating I had time to really notice the pieces we hung:

The Nutcracker.  I'm not sure what types of nuts he likes to crack but I wouldn't trust him.
The Gingerbread man. He looks shifty. Hiding. Like he has done something he is ashamed of. Doesn't he usually run instead of hide?
The Babushka. Yes, everyone must know about the purple Christmas babushka. I think she must signify the gift of giving. But each gift is smaller than the last. Until you can't open the final one.
The poor Gingerbread lady. She is a little flaky and sweet. The lady behind the man. So innocently smiling. She doesn't know that her man is no good or that she will eventually get eaten.
An angel. She looks like Medusa. Don't look directly at her of you will turn to stone.
How do you organise the decorating of your tree?


I am joining up for Wordless Wednesday with My Little Drummer Boys
Posted by at Wednesday, December 12, 2012

42 comments:

  1. jenn {mountains and musings}December 12, 2012 at 7:56 AM

    I used to be so pedantic about tree decorating! For a few years there I had themed trees: blue and silver, with matching gift wrap, gold and red, two-three colours max. These days I just go with the flow, so long as it's slightly aesthetically pleasing I'm happy. Of course, our tree fell over one too many times this year and I canned it, so our christmas decorations consist of a vase full of red and gold baubles, an advent calendar and a piece of string sporting christmas cards and a few red decorations.

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:40 AM

      I bet the vase looks gorgeous. Now I am thinking I need one to go in the centre of the Christmas table. xx

      Delete
  2. Thea December 12, 2012 at 8:03 AM

    Hehe, I love your ornaments! Especially the babushka...now I want one!! My kids are 8 & 5 now and they did an exceptionally good job this year. I too didn't have to have so much control. It was lovely. And we put EVERYTHING on...nothing matches but it looks great! :)

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:42 AM

      I got the Babushka in the Myer sales after last Christmas. It's always the best time to get Christmas supplies. xx

      Delete
  3. kDecember 12, 2012 at 8:08 AM

    Haha Rachel some scary ornaments there. Our tree is naked for the first meter or so and then there's a cheap plastic thing on almost every branch. It looks terrible but we love it.

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:43 AM

      Haha, it's only half dressed. I don't think a tree can ever look bad anyway xx

      Delete
  4. GraceDecember 12, 2012 at 8:09 AM

    Oh, don't talk to me about Christmas tree decorating! We haven't got ours up yet!!! And I'm dreading it...all that tinsel drives me balmy. And we always get the cheap balls that always end up breaking on Boxing Day.
    I actually thought the Nutcracker was the shifty looking one. I mean, how can you trust someone who cracks nuts? :)

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:43 AM

      You haven't got it up yet!!! Grace, what have you ben doing?? Give the tinsel a swerve, your twins will go nuts with it :)

      Delete
  5. LeoviDecember 12, 2012 at 8:45 AM

    Very nice atmosphere Christmas photos with excellent color and very tenderly. Greetings.

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  6. Nikki @ Styling YouDecember 12, 2012 at 9:20 AM

    Oh you crack me up Rach ... I had a win ... only red and silver on our tree

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:44 AM

      I love a themed tree. Red and silver would look gorgeous :)

      Delete
  7. Bright Shiny ApplesDecember 12, 2012 at 9:21 AM

    oh I love your ornaments!!! My mum covers her tree with all our old ornaments we made for her when we were little!

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  8. Janet CamilleriDecember 12, 2012 at 10:03 AM

    Lollling about Medusa the Angel. Pretty ornaments!

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  9. Ai SakuraDecember 12, 2012 at 10:47 AM

    Aww I love the ornaments you put up! :) our tree isn't up this year since we are re-organising the rooms around

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:46 AM

      At least you will be avoiding all the tinsel and tree mess :)

      Delete
  10. One Mother HenDecember 12, 2012 at 11:57 AM

    Medusa looks like she needs a silver tinsel halo for a bit more of an angelic touch! Love the other ornaments, the nutcrakcer looks like a very flamboyant dresser!

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:46 AM

      Yes, he is very flamboyant. He'll chomp your nuts with style :)

      Delete
  11. AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 12:15 PM

    I ADORE your tree, I go for three colours, no tinsel, plain lights and the minimalist approach, but I do love the variety of your decos! I'll have to post a pic of my tree on my blog for you to critique!!!! Give me some style tips, it's definitely NOT my forte but I do love it.
    Emily :)

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  12. annDecember 12, 2012 at 2:23 PM

    Medusa is my fave!!

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  13. SlapdashMamaDecember 12, 2012 at 4:45 PM

    You are hilarious! That nutcracker chappie gives me the heebie jeebies...

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:47 AM

      I can imagine him hopping of the tree at night, looking for things to chomp on.

      Delete
  14. BachelormumDecember 12, 2012 at 5:44 PM

    My daughter just shoves it all on the tree but she's pretty good at it now so it turns out ok, merry

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:48 AM

      She would love the decorating job. You are a good mum :)

      Delete
  15. Denyse Whelan.December 12, 2012 at 5:47 PM

    Christmas Trees are meant to be adorned by the ornaments both old and new in my opinion. I make the rules,.....at our place. However, in the past two years, every decoration given each Christmas to every grandchild meant a signicantly overloaded tree. So, in 2011 I handed over each grandchild their box of treasures. Miss almost 16 got the most (der) and I figured they could use on their trees or just keep. Each year I also took a photo and that became another special memory.
    This year we have a very cheap (and some would say nasty) tree but it's filled with love and joy because it's been decorated by the youngest grandkids this time.
    Believe me, the years will fly by when the kids no longer want to have anything to do with decorating and then parents/grandparents do as they please.
    I am a Christmas tree decorating softie! Denyse x

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:49 AM

      Your tree sounds perfect Denise but I'm not surprised. Your life is all about love and I would expect your tree to be covered in it too. What an amazing person you are xx

      Delete
  16. Mrs BCDecember 12, 2012 at 6:37 PM

    Luckily my kids have zero interest in decorating the tree, otherwise I might develope fully fledged OCD. That Nut Cracker is freaking me out, although I do quite like Medusa.
    xx

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  17. Housewife in HeelsDecember 12, 2012 at 7:18 PM

    I agree with your opinions of tinsel. I wouldn't trust that Nutcracker either.... Fortunately I was in charge of Christmas tree decorating this year, except for the bottom two rows of trees, which I left empty given they were in toddler reach- the boys keep hanging random toys there :)

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  18. AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 8:44 PM

    Oh Rachel! This is hilarious! the gingerbread indeed looks shifty!

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  19. AlisonDecember 12, 2012 at 9:47 PM

    Ha ha - I just let the kids go for it this year!

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:52 AM

      Good on you! I have let the girl go crazy every year. I think they can see the wisdom in my tree decorating words now.

      Delete
  20. myshelomitashopDecember 13, 2012 at 1:49 AM

    That nutcracker is so cute! And yes the angel looks like medusa lol!

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    1. Redcliffe StyleDecember 13, 2012 at 5:52 AM

      And she isn't even the creepiest Angel on the tree :)

      Delete
  21. Me N my MonkeysDecember 13, 2012 at 7:43 AM

    Loving your take on the decorations.

    With our tree, i get to pick the colour and style of the decorations, but the kids normally get to decorate the except this year. I got selfish and took over lol

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