holiday lights... and lights

My tree trimming is all done and I don't mind saying I love it!!  As I'm sure you do, I have my steps and methods for getting a tree that is full, bright and just right! I mentioned before, I stuff a couple of garlands into the center of my artificial tree to make it look fuller. When my tree is nice and fluffy, I start adding lights, extra lights, since our tree is pre-lit. LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS!

 

Years ago Mother Darling taught me to brighten my tree with a most basic trick: put reflective, refractive ornaments on the inner branches. Doing this first bounces light around really making your tree sparkle! Use ornaments that are:

CLEAR FACETED

these are actually plastic ornaments but they're made to look like cut crystal. Think clear plastic stars or snowflakes too!

METALLIC

A classic, of course! So shiny, and that mirror finish means every

ornament adds several extra points of light!

DISCO BALLS

 Hello...if they're good enough for the skating rink slow jam, they're good enough for me. A ball covered with mirrors is perfect...amariteorwut?

THE LATEST

trick I just got from Aunt Peaches.

She uses little puffs made from tinsel to 'thicken' her tree. When I saw them, I knew I MUST use them for extra sparkle. Boy does it work! Placed in the inner branches, each puff becomes a little cloud of light!

Once my 'base' is down, I can add all the other layers of decorations on a shiny, sparkly canvas!

 

 

filler up!

I don't know...should a tree be this bald?

This is our christmas tree. Daddy McD prefers an artificial, pre-lit tree to a natural one. I could go either way as arguments for each are valid. However, THIS tree in particular has a certain something missing.

We'll call them branches...or sprigs, or tree. Yes, it's quite decidedly missing a certain amount of TREE. Look at it! you can see clean through every part!

There's still hope, though. A simple solution really. I stuff it with garland. Not the thin tinsel-y kind. the thick, wire-y kind that you hang on mantels or banisters. I stuff it into the empty spaces. It fills up the bald spaces and garland is super easy to score cheap at after Christmas sales or, my favorite store, the thrift store. Thrift store ones are best if you're using them for filler or some sort of background.

Here you can see the center pole right through the tree. a big empty space wating for some filler.

 

I just take a swag and wrap it around a level or two. Of course, once all the ornaments are on, it will look much fuller but the garland gives this tired old tree just a little more life.  Now, isn't that better?

 

 

Definately a Treat!

While we don't really celebrate Halloween in a big way at our house, we do like to dress up for our trick-or-treaters and Pickles does go out for candy. Our get-ups are usually DIY cuz that's the best kind isn't it?

Here you see Mother Darling as a Mexican native in a beautifully embroidered Mexican dress. Sister C made those braids for her.

Pickles was, in her words, a super hero...she went as a Nerd Girl (tag line: her BRAIN is her super power!) She was thoroughly delighted and THREW herself into her role.

 

I dressed as the fabulous and flighty Effie Trinket of The Hunger Games. It wasn't much of a departure, though. I can be fab and I'm known for being flighty.

 

Good times, good times. Well, Happy Halloween AND May the odds be ever in your favor!

 

 

 

Back to the, uh....

Today is Sister Christian's birthday and her best pals have planned a surprise party for her. I bet you can already guess what the theme is....

 

 

Birthday for one...

My precious little Pickles turned 10! TEN!! Ahhh the joys of having a preteen daughter. The clothes, the emotions, the constant chattering, the messy room, the parade of pop songs. She's a joy to me. I couldn't know that having a daughter could be so fun.!

She woke to a room filled with streamers and was tickled pink...and purple, blue, yellow and green!

 

Happi-eth Birthday-eth

A super and wonderful birthday to our youngest male child affectionately known as 'Elvis'. He turns a big ol' ten years old today. To celebrate his big day, he invited his bff over this weekend and got to choose the restaurant for his b-day dinner. Don't BFFs make everything better?

Happy Birthday Elvis!!